I think two up and long range riding the Raider will serve you better especially if you are taller. The Raider has a more stretch out feel and many have put on lower control extensions on the Stryker after a seat upgrade which I guarantee will happen as your passenger will not want to be on that stock pillion pad for more than 30 minutes if that. Most of the really cushy seats push you a bit forward. This bike was expected to have larger female market share so it feels better to many riders of the not so tall stature and therefore it's not so stretch out. The heavier Raider will serve you better on long rides as it soaks up the road more. The higher torque motor will also serve you better riding to up.
Like you I debated and rode them back to back like 3x each at Star Demo day. The Raider's engine you could feel that torque and at higher RPMs it just kept giving like the power band was endless. To rap the throttle at 55 was just as fun as it was off the line. It had so much to give This bike would have definitely put my driving record in danger. All I would want to do is open it up every chance. but was not as nimble in city traffic and I felt like it was heavier to maneuver at lower speeds.
I rarely ride two up. My Stryker is commuter bike for me now and I live in congested freeway pack Orange County ( in So Cal) so the more nimble, lighter bike with a 1300cc was plenty for me. I also checked on insurance before I bought. The cc difference more than doubled my yearly premium for the motorcycle portion of the policy. Once the wife saw that I think the decision was finalized. I occasionally miss that power when I want to jump on it while cruising at highway speeds. But ehh I still love my Stryker.
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Like you I debated and rode them back to back like 3x each at Star Demo day. The Raider's engine you could feel that torque and at higher RPMs it just kept giving like the power band was endless. To rap the throttle at 55 was just as fun as it was off the line. It had so much to give This bike would have definitely put my driving record in danger. All I would want to do is open it up every chance. but was not as nimble in city traffic and I felt like it was heavier to maneuver at lower speeds.
I rarely ride two up. My Stryker is commuter bike for me now and I live in congested freeway pack Orange County ( in So Cal) so the more nimble, lighter bike with a 1300cc was plenty for me. I also checked on insurance before I bought. The cc difference more than doubled my yearly premium for the motorcycle portion of the policy. Once the wife saw that I think the decision was finalized. I occasionally miss that power when I want to jump on it while cruising at highway speeds. But ehh I still love my Stryker.
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