starter bike???

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scampy72

scampy72

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hey guys,

i want to get a sport bike for the summer, i am a new rider and need to learn.

i know alot of you guys ride and was wondering what your thoughts are in the size of bike for a beginner.

the biggest i would go is 600 but is that too much for someone like me who is just stating?

i was looking at 250's but that seems really small to me.

i would like something newer too.

so what are youre thoughts?

as always thanks in advance
 
no, good question. closet thing ive ridden is a quad but it had a clutchless tranny, i think it had a 250 or maybe a bit bigger. i was planning on taking one of the rider training/safety courses.
 
Great starter bike.
 

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its a nice bike but i dont really like the looks and feel of cruisers like that. thats why im looking for a sport bike. also if i had that id have to make a cafe racer out of it.
 
Are you ready to go down on the street? It's not a matter of "if", but of "when". And it probably won't even be your fault.
I've been riding for 30+ years and originally had the "won't happen to me" philosophy. It did, and it has 3 times and only 1 was my fault due to stupidity. The other 2 times were due to other drivers.
Luckily I've never been hurt.
But to answer your question, I suggest you take the rider safety course FIRST so you'll have the basics and know the feel of a clutch before you get on a bike and ride off into traffic.
I also suggest you borrow a friends street-legal small-displacement dirt bike if you can and get a few hours of experience around the neighborhood before you jump on a bigger street bike.
As far as size, I started on a 500 and graduated to a 1000 about a year later. You want something with enough power to get you out of trouble, but it will also have enough to get a new rider into trouble.
Just remember one thing: the clutch is your "eraser". Grab it whenever you feel you're in trouble. It cuts the power to the street and lets you get back in control of whatever situation you may find yourself in.
Also, don't scrimp on a helmet, jacket, and gloves. Wear a $10 helmet if you believe your brain is only worth $10.
 
If you have never ridden take one of the classes. Seriously, for a first bike get something that you will not lose any sleep over when it meets the pavement......because almost everybody I know has dropped a bike when learning to ride. Not saying that starting out on a 600 sportbike is a bad idea.........especially if I am the beneficiary on your life insurance policy.....
 
Another thing about the class, used to be getting a license was put of it, at least when I lived in NJ and AZ. The other thing is after the class you very well might decide that a bike is NOT for you and other than the course $$ you are out nothing.
 
scampy72 said:
its a nice bike but i dont really like the looks and feel of cruisers like that. thats why im looking for a sport bike. also if i had that id have to make a cafe racer out of it.
Click to expand...

Trust me, a 1000+ cc 6-cylinder bike is no "cruiser".
 
Big thing to remember on a bike is it is often what you DON'T do that will save your ***.
 
ocdart said:
Trust me, a 1000+ cc 6-cylinder bike is no "cruiser".
Click to expand...
That bike pictured above, compared to any modern day liter sport bike is, well, a snail. My last sport bike, an 02 GSXR 1000 put out somewhere in the neighborhood of 145 hp at the flywheel and only weighed 400 pounds or so. Pretty sure I read somewhere that the new Yamaha R1 makes close to 180 hp at 450 pounds.......probably close to double that Honda power at 2/3's, if that, of its weight......
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiDOGH4cYuM"]What Motorcycle to Buy: 600 vs. 250 - YouTube[/ame]
 
inkjunkie said:
That bike pictured above, compared to any modern day liter sport bike is, well, a snail. My last sport bike, an 02 GSXR 1000 put out somewhere in the neighborhood of 145 hp at the flywheel and only weighed 400 pounds or so. Pretty sure I read somewhere that the new Yamaha R1 makes close to 180 hp at 450 pounds.......probably close to double that Honda power at 2/3's, if that, of its weight......
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%, Doug, but it won't be a "snail" to a 1st-time rider.
 
scampy72 said:
hey guys,

i want to get a sport bike for the summer, i am a new rider and need to learn.

i know alot of you guys ride and was wondering what your thoughts are in the size of bike for a beginner.

the biggest i would go is 600 but is that too much for someone like me who is just stating?

i was looking at 250's but that seems really small to me.

i would like something newer too.

so what are youre thoughts?

as always thanks in advance
Click to expand...



you have never ridden before. never even rode a dirt bike with a clutch. i say get the sport bike out of your head until you get some miles under your belt. the 250 is a pig. really have to use the upper rpms to get it moving. at least thats how the ones i rode were. a 600 i think a new rider can easily get into trouble on. personally i think your better off with a cheap used cruiser. something like a 600-750 cruiser bike until you get experience. also like stated take a class on riding too.. you don't want to be killed because of a stupid mistake.
 
Johnny Dart showed the 1st "slant six" motorcycle, but those are collector's items from the late 70's.

I had a 74 Honda 350-four in my college days. One of the smoothest bikes ever made, but I hated riding a motorcycle, especially in FL thunderstorms. Couldn't carry much either.

Today, I hear good things about the Kawasaki Ninja 250. A great commuter bike with good mileage and low cost. The only drawback is they still use a carb (or did). It has EFI in Europe but the bean counters figured the cost wouldn't work in the U.S. where marketed as an entry bike. It looks almost identical to its big brother 650.

Re danger, I read surprising statistics years ago that the death rate per mile was double a car. However, when they accounted for the fact that motorcycle riders are often young males and more drunk drivers on motorcycles (isn't that stupid), the death rate was almost identical to a car. The suspected reason was that bike riders can react faster and avoid accidents. I doubt those figures cover the idiot riders in CA who ride between cars at >50 mph. I would also expect more single vehicle accidents on motorcycles since they aren't as stable. My 2 accidents were by myself. The rear wheel is easy to lock up, at least on 70's bikes.
 
64drtGt said:
What Motorcycle to Buy: 600 vs. 250 - YouTube
Click to expand...
Keep in mind where you will be riding. One thing that is VERY easy to forget when you start talking ANY of the true sports bikes is when you pull the trigger they cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. My 1000 with a good rider would run a high 9-low 10 1/4. If you are going to be riding where there is a ton of traffic and are a novice to me that is kind of like Russian Roulette.
 
1968FormulaS340 said:
Suzuki GS 500E
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Had one of them for the EX, that is a great starter bike. Bit freaky for freeway use. My EX never did get out on the road on the thing, but I put 6k miles on it in 8 weeks. Short freeway trips to work, 25 miles or so it was fine.
 
No Sports bike for you! Sorry, Just my opinion because I like you and want you to live. I Know I know, I'm pissing on his parade. Sorry please don't get mad at me. I highly Recommend a Dual Sport for a first bike. I love My Kawasaki KLX-250-S. You can drive off road & on road. It handles like a dream and is light enough to pick up if you go down. You can get all your experience off road and then hit the streets after most of the cars have parked for the night. If you have to go street right away then go for a cruiser.
UninsuredMotoristForm002.jpg
 
A Ninja 250 is a great starter bike, it is really easy to whip around city and towns and yes you need upper rpms to get them going. 60 MPH is right around 7000RPM but the redline is 14000RPM. I still own a Ninja 250 and a Ducati and can honestly say I have more fun on that 250 then the Ducati. Yea at a track or topend the Ducati is great but for city/town riding you can't beat a 250. You would be suprised on how often I've "tree'd" the crap out of the bigger bikes :twisted:
 
i used to have a street bike. im a seasoned rider on a race quad I have all tricked out, (honda TRX 450R) but that really dont have dick **** anything to do with a street bike/ motorcycle. In 2007, I've NEVER ridden a street bike before, but i really really wanted one, so I went and bought a brand new 2007 Honda CBR 600RR. I learned to ride on that and got comfortable. in 7 months of ownership, i put 14,000 miles on it, i loved riding so much. i ended up crashing it, going into a turn too fast, and chicken ****'d out, and grabbed the front brake lever, stood the bike up and ran into the hill i was trying to bank. LOL, i didnt get hurt, but i got it all fixed up, then it got stolen right after the repairs were done.....to this day, i still want another bike.....but thats all the experience i have..lol
 
Get something cheap, 250 would be great and more than enough power. Yeah a 250 might not be the best thing on the highway but, if your just starting out your not going anywhere near a highway!
 
In all seriousness, if you have never ridden a motorcycle,and you want your first to be on the street. You might as well play Russian roulette. You would have better odds.
Just trying to help you out.
 
mopardude318 said:
going into a turn too fast, and chicken ****'d out, and grabbed the front brake lever, stood the bike up and ran into the hill i was trying to bank.
Click to expand...
Never ever never (unless you really know what you are doing) grab the front brake while leaned over. The bikes normal reaction is to stand up and go straight...
 
The first bike I ever road on the street was a gpz550. A 250 seems a bit under powered even for a new rider (IMO).
 
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