first bike

[b_man9000x]

i am to a starter rider and for $300 i picked up a 78 honda cx500 for my first bike and its a good bike and for gear go to cycle gear and get the moto boss m flight 2 jacket its perfect for summer and its saved my life because when i was in my 3rd mounth of riding a car ran in front of me and i flew over over their car and slid over 100 ft and their are no tears in my jacket

 

[nickb]

Suzuki makes a few good starter bikes you might be able to find used in your price range. Highly recommend the SV650. Katana 600 is also a good starter.

 

[Dynarydr]

yes, something small and not brand new, i crashed my first 600rr brand new with like 300 miles on it. i wasnt stuntin or doing anything stupid, just didnt really understand the apex and how to lean and all that. and im still super green. i hate to say it but, when your learning your going to go down, like everyone told me, but i didnt believe it. get something cheap so if you do go down, its not a big deal! cycle salvage is your best friend!

 

[Vane]

First post for me.. I'm 18, 225lbs and about 5'9" and my dad, and quite a few friends that're riders say I should get at least 500cc, I'm planning to get my bike over the summer after working some, and it will have a passanger ~130lbs on it sometimes.. and.. all im hearing is '250 250 250 250' and I don't know... my dad really wants 500+ for stability, and emergency power. ((well, iah (in all honesty, hehe i don't know how popular that is yet), he doesn't want me riding, but he knows that if I get a bike, he wants me to be as safe as I can be.))

at my weight, should I get a 500-750cc bike?
I have no riding experience but cannot justify buying a cheap little banger to learn on
I will take that motorcycle course thing (eh, don't I have to to get the moto liscense?) long before the summer hits, so I will be ready to ride as soon as I can afford a bike.

My friends are saying to go no higher than 2k$ because I -will- drop it and I'd be pissed if it was expensive.

[edit]Oh, and another thing, my dad really want's me to get 2000 or newer, but I think I could dip that low end down to '96.

((i've been having my eyes on a 1999 Honda Nighthawk 750 on ebay, but can't afford it right now,))

 

[hwrdcur]

Well, so far so good, my 929 is still doing well. I started this bike with 9700 miles and now I have 18k miles on it and I am loving every minute of it! Had a close call my first week going around a corner, ended up off roading in dirt and rocks but I was able to ride it out. Scared the heck out of me and made me smarter, NEVER look back!

 

[Midnight]

Hello,

Just thought I'd drop a quick note to introduce myself. I'm a newbie rider (licensed by MSF) and in fact am in the process of purchasing my very first bike which will most likely be a ninja 250 though what I really crave is an SV650. Probably too much for a noob like me though.

I'm looking forward to meeting some riders and having a great time!

Ciao

 

[VROOM35]

Slice's New bike

Hey bro,

I would recommend getting a 600 first,either Suzuki or Honda. They are very forgiving in all aspects. I started on a '91 FZR600. That lasted me a good 3 months..LOL
The new 600's nowadays are nothing what they were suppose to be, "a good starter bike"...They definately have lots more kick..on that note..

"Choose wisely Grasshopper"

 

[zooplancton]

my first bike was a honda z-50 (red)

-b

 

[Vane]

Most likely I'm going to get a nice CB750 Nighthawk, sexy standard bike not too expensive, should be nice.

 

[IceRider]

I started on a beater Ninja250, glad I did, cuz I dropped it the first day... it happens. Think of it this way... would you rather ride around on an old beater bike for a while, which you are most likely going to drop, or ride around on a brand new bike that you haven't finished making payments on that is already all scratched up and dented because you dropped it by doing something a newbie would do? Make sure to save cash for protection! I know people think you look like a spaceman or whatever they come up with, but its better to look like a spaceman than a bloody fool on the side of the road!
Good luck shopping!! Try ebay for inexpensive higher quality leathers. And the Scorpion helmet at We All Ride is relatively inexpensive, yet it is both DOT and Snell approved.
Hope this helps!! Happy riding!

 

[2shott]

Hello,

Just thought I'd drop a quick note to introduce myself. I'm a newbie rider (licensed by MSF) and in fact am in the process of purchasing my very first bike which will most likely be a ninja 250 though what I really crave is an SV650. Probably too much for a noob like me though.

I'm looking forward to meeting some riders and having a great time!

Ciao

An SV650 is definately a great bike, though I know of quite a few noobies that have gone down on them. When thay were just coming out, they seemed to bring up the front wheel coming out of corners (great torque). When doing multiple corners one after another, many new riders were unready and unexperienced enough to be able to deal with the sudden weight-unweight-weight transfer and they end up highsiding. Many a SV650 were totalled out that way (intro expansion and popularity of 650 twins class) because the tank alone cost about 1/3 the value of the bike. Not so now, so I hear, but the awesome torque that the bike produces could possibly be too much for someone starting out.

Good luck

 

[speed_devil]

Now that you have your answer, the next question will be "where do i get cheap insurance?" I say, goodluck! How say you fellow BARFers?

 

[Vane]

Insurance



































My dad will pay for mine if the bike is -all- i use... bastard is REALLY trying to use that to keep me on 4 wheels... the rain from earlier today would kill me most likely

 

[Sidewalk]

An add note as far as displacement goes, you can't directly relate displacement to power. A Nighthawk 750 isn't going to be any faster then an EX500, even though it has 50% more displacement.

One rule of thumb I tell people is that any bike that can wheelie on throttle alone is too much for your first ride. My wife's R6 will pull the wheel without effort. The F2 I rode a while back even geared down wouldn't do that. They are both 600's, but you can't compare them.

Just like how you can't compare an 80's FZR1000 with an R1. Though, the FZR1 is still too much in my opinion.

I can't think of too many people who end up regretting their decision to get an EX250. The few people I normally hear you complain are too upset that they can't do stand ups across the Bay Bridge with their friends. Everyone else is pleased. I know I wish I would have started on an EX250, might still have one if I did.

 

[Vane]

well since my dad is now completely unsupportive of motorcycling I was thinking a VFR would be best, an 86 750 VFR would be awesome, buddy says that yea, its almost 500lb, but its going to be much more comfortable, and its still 108HP that I can blast the throttle in an emergency without fear of looping it.

also all the ones on ebay recently have been Adult Owned + Operated.


and well..

its still sporty looking even if its sport-touring
its the style i've been looking for for ages.
its a four-stroke
its a Honda

 

[SierraMistBush]

I'm going to buy a 2001 R6 from a friend of mine in july, he told me that they are pretty simple to learn on...heh...(he learned on it)...but what I was really wondering was if you need to take the DMV motorcycle skills test(driving), or if you could get around it by just taking the certification course to get your license. I already have my m1 permit. Thanks.

 

[Vane]

You either take a DMV test (stupidly difficult)

Or take an MSF, get the certificate from that, pass the DMV permit test (like 'if you are crossing a bridge and feel like your weaving back and forth, what do you do)
and bingo

 

[Kinipeli]

I'm a newbie myself and thought that I could ride a 600. My BIL has an 02 CBR600F4I and let me ride it. Well long story short I did very well in the beginning and then while making a slight turn the front tire grabbed a good sized rock and threw me off balance. Although his bike was thrashed already, it felt really bad to drop that beautiful machine. I was lucky though, I only had a few bruises thanks to gear. Anyways, I went out a bought a 90' Honda VTR250 for $1300 and I love it. It surprises me everytime I ride with the power it has. Yes, it may take some time to build up but it's what I can handle right now.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, find a nice but used bike learn the basics, get comfortable and then move up. The F4I is still offered to me anytime I want, but I know right now I am not ready to get back on it.........

 

[2shott]

I'm a newbie myself and thought that I could ride a 600. My BIL has an 02 CBR600F4I and let me ride it. Well long story short I did very well in the beginning and then while making a slight turn the front tire grabbed a good sized rock and threw me off balance. Although his bike was thrashed already, it felt really bad to drop that beautiful machine. I was lucky though, I only had a few bruises thanks to gear. Anyways, I went out a bought a 90' Honda VTR250 for $1300 and I love it. It surprises me everytime I ride with the power it has. Yes, it may take some time to build up but it's what I can handle right now.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, find a nice but used bike learn the basics, get comfortable and then move up. The F4I is still offered to me anytime I want, but I know right now I am not ready to get back on it.........

congrats on taking the high road and going with a cheap 250. You'll have lots of fun, cheap to insure, drive, fix, easy on gas, and best yet, they're the best to teach you how to ride You will be able to pick it up yourself if you ever drop it, you'll learn all about cornering speed, and if you ever feel the need to go racing, you've got a bike that requires very little to goout and perform in 250 production. Good luck and safe riding...

 

[conn650]

An SV650 is definately a great bike, though I know of quite a few noobies that have gone down on them. When thay were just coming out, they seemed to bring up the front wheel coming out of corners (great torque). When doing multiple corners one after another, many new riders were unready and unexperienced enough to be able to deal with the sudden weight-unweight-weight transfer and they end up highsiding. Many a SV650 were totalled out that way (intro expansion and popularity of 650 twins class) because the tank alone cost about 1/3 the value of the bike. Not so now, so I hear, but the awesome torque that the bike produces could possibly be too much for someone starting out.

Good luck

Yeah, the SV might be a bit much...and I am one of dem dumass n00b's who high-sided....waaaay 2 much torque. Feelin' better now, just take it easy no matter what bike you get...always use protection and U will be jus fine