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first bike

'82-'83 Kawi GPZ 550. Awesome fun, 60+ mpg, first bike with a single rear shock, SO cheap, don't spend more than $800. Parts everywhere, overbuilt, mean-looking, great color schemes (green/gold wheels, black/red wheels), they crash well, you can pass the DMV test on one, and the insurance is cheap. Top out at about 130 mph and will burn a new mustang GT off the line.
 
it was told to me once of a..

it was told to me once of a person who went into a dealer in the east bay and bought a nice fast one, it was their first bike. upon leaving the dealer, they drove the bike out of control into the store accross the street. won an ambulance ride and totaled the bike within 2 minutes.

if you know of someone who has an ol' small to medium displacement spare, borrow it and go the a dmv lot on a sunday, if you cannot do the dmv license course on it, you do not belong on the bike. that is also a good place to practice.

some good first bikes under 3k are suzuki bandit, yamaha seca, or ducati monster 620. these are all a few years old, will be good to have for a while. they are all easy to handle bikes that will give you the feel of a larger bike or more powerful sport bike without too many horses. some of the classic early japanese and english bikes are good as well but they can be heavy and do not have very good braking systems and on many the speed capacity well exceeds the vehicles handling capacity.


alt, a 250 dirt is best, honda makes some good ones. i started with a honda 125 when i was 11.
 
Hey kid! (I say that b/c I'm 38!),
Whatever you do, TAKE THE SAFETY COURSE! When I took it last year, I was blown away at how many people 'thought' they knew how to ride, and well...there was only one guy there who actually did, including myself...I rode years ago, but never took an official course, and the things I learned over those two days of actual riding blew away what I thought I knew (and I passed with 100% which just gave me reassurance that it was well worth it, considering in the beginning I was not nearly as good at turning as afterwards).
Then, do what the others have said - start cheap, light weight and easy to handle until you feel comfy to move up...
Safe riding and have fun!
 
I just bought my first bike 3 months ago, a 2006 CBR600rr, first time rider. I took the MS course and the bike fits me pretty well. I don't think a 600 is too big as a starter bike.
 
First Bike

Hey If you are worried about looking cool you may have problems with the budget, but it is probably best to start with a Motard or dual sport they are cheap, fall well, if you get the right one even cooler than an EX500 (no offense to EX500 owners) In any case a Motard allows you to practice racing on closed courses which goes a long way on the street. I sell exotics like NSR, RGV etc and those are light and cool but not 2-3 grand.
 
First Bike

Hey If you are worried about looking cool you may have problems with the budget, but it is probably best to start with a Motard or dual sport they are cheap, fall well, if you get the right one even cooler than an EX500 (no offense to EX500 owners) In any case a Motard allows you to practice racing on closed courses which goes a long way on the street. I sell exotics like NSR, RGV etc and those are light and cool but not 2-3 grand.
 
Ok, so I read through all the "first bike" threads a ton of times and I was sure i would get a Ninja 250 or EX500.

I didn't, eventhough I wanted to. I ended up with an older 1998 GSXR 600. And the only reason I got that bike was because I got such a good deal on it $2600. I took the MSF course and I would ride my friend's cruiser around town, so I thought it would be ok.

I feel pretty confident except when I ride with my friends, who like to ride a little faster than I like. I know I may look stupid lagging way behind but better than laying it down I think.
 
Hi whats up man? hey first dont buy a supersport and dont take any advice from anyone who says for you to buy one as your first learners bike. Life span on that is about 6 months trust me. second I will send you a messege with my phone number give me a call. once you have purchased a bike me and a couple freinds offer privet lessons for free. If you would like of course. So if you want give me a call peace Andrew
 
hey guys, thanks so much for all the input! this thread has been very useful to me. i'm still on the hunt for a good starter...

any thoughts on early 1990s fzr 600s? i'm thinking either that or some kind of honda cbr...

and thanks again!;)
 
The FZRs are decent for a starter bike, but still the EX50 and 500 rule supreme. If you're a little bit bigger person, the SV650, and Kawasaki's new 650R are a safe bet. I'd stay away from any 600 other than maybe the FZR if you have no on bike experience. The main drawback to the FZR is a lack of available quality rubber and it doesn't have very forgiving suspension.

This thread has a load of great information in it. Pretty much everyone should be able to sort through what little BS there is. And as Cruisin4Fun said, take the MSF course. Even if you know how to ride already, it's a good way to brush up, it helps reinforce what motorcycle specific laws there are, and best of all you don't have to take the DMV on bike test!
 
My first bike, wow, long time ago

It was a yellow Suzuki TS 50 ER if you can call that a bike.
Some dumb monkey 76 year old goon though having me & my bike as a hood ornament would look better so he drove into the side of my bike missing my knee by about 2 inches.
A biker saw what happen & came to help me.
Thanks Charlie W.
 
circa 1988. 50cc of pure restricted power. chick MAGNET. :cool

2898093-copy_of_dsc04513.jpg
 
Nwebie to the site, newbie to riding

Howdy guys, I know im out of range, Im just a smidge south of Sacramento, but still, I need riders, and a forum.

So heres my deal:

I dont have any experience on a bike, not a permit, not a liscense, never really even been on a motorcycle. BUT its all I dream about doing. everyday, its like my escape from the world. so for the past hefty amount of my short lived life, ive been daydreaming about getting a bike.

and now that it has started to come into reality, im excited beyond pants shitting capacity.

first bike is going to be a TL1000R. and yes I know its a V-Twin, nearly 450 pounds, and has LOTS of torque. i know what I am getting into, thats why I have to be careful at first.

but heres the deal with the bike...

It was stolen and stripped for some parts, such as ALL of the fairings except for the front wheel fender. it is missing a timing sensor, the guages, headlight assembly, all fairings, seat, rear break lights, cowl, and just needs a good tune up.

frame is perfect, only a tiny nick on the right tail pipe, maybe a dent in the tank. otherwise, it runs, and is pretty clean.

so im getting this spectacular bike for only 1300 bucks. which is more than I have, so im still pushin it and pinching pennies.

so thats my story, i cant wait to get out and ride, because I have confidence that i will get the hang of it quite fast. Im a good driver, and i consider that a huge advantage when it comes to getting a bike.

so cheers MATES! :barf
 
my (first) bike is a o5 s2r duc... its a nice v twin.. love the exhaust note.. currently getting it fixed from a highside last sept.. long story short.. rear tire slid out for reasons i still dont know of.. maybe it was a combo of things..
 
Having taken the MSF course, I'm a huge fan of doing that before you actually ride anything. Honestly, you spend 200-something bux, but you come out of it a much safer rider (and driver) than you go in. Either you gain valuable experience and practice doing something completely new to you in an environment where injury is unlikely, or you realize riding is not for you in an environment where injury is unlikely.

I also think that starting out with no riding experience on a liter bike is a mistake, but that's just me. I guess I'm kind of a safety nut when it comes to riding (and I say that fully aware of the oxymoronic value of that statement, trust me).

That said, my first (and only) bike is a 1994 Honda VT600C Shadow VLX. It's a cruiser style and I like it a lot. I think that as a starter, this one is not bad. The one thing is that it's pretty heavy and not very nimble. My particular model has a couple of nicks on it (from the previous owner), but otherwise looks great. Rides great too. I think that the low seat is great for confidence. I feel like a part of the road. Such an awesome feeling.

The one thing is that my model doesn't have a windshield, so at high speeds, the wind is CRAZY. I'm still getting used to this (left over from my cager-only days, I suppose), but be prepared for it. After you get used to it, there's nothing like the wind around you at 50 MPH+, but when you first start going faster than like 30 or so, it pushes against you like nothing else.

Can I also say that I love the feeling of almost brotherhood that I get riding. Whenever I ride around, it's cool when I see other riders and we recognize each other's presence by a nod or a gesture. So different from being a cager (where one vigorously tries to ignore other cagers and the only gesture you might see isn't a pleasant one).

Be safe and enjoy the ride!
 
After leading a Doc Wong group ride, with a gentleman on a 650 V-Strom, it became apparent that he was not quite comfortable or confident on that large of a bike, further confirming my belief that bigger is not always better to start out on.

He was more preoccupied with the size and weight of that bike, than learning how to ride. How much more preoccupied is anybody going to be on a [more] powerful bike, and miss some important learning tools?

Big people buy big bikes, and small people buy small bikes (sometimes); but most people are more likely to learn how to ride properly on a smaller bike and then be able to make better use of those skills on a larger bike; almost like the next bike will magnify those skills, but not if you don't already have them.

And, some have stated that they are going to outgrow a small bike before they have even rode one; that is a premature decision, and not one based on experience.
 
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