What bike for a total newb?

[richcreek]

Hi,

First off, great site you guys have here, packed full of great info.

My question is, what first bike should i consider, I have messed around on dirt bikes quite a bit, and have only crashed once. The bikes were 600cc.[I slid out in some mud] I have also messed around on freinds sport bikes. I am going to take a coarse to get my motorcycle liscence here in a few months, and after wards am planning on buying a bike. Ive got $8000 to spend. Less would be good. So witch bike would be good for me to consider? I want something that will last me 2-3 years. Thanks for all of your replys in advance. I appreciate it.

~Matt

[spicy]

spend ~1600-2k on a used ninja 250, spend ~1k on good, solid gear, pay for insurance, titling fees, and all that crap, and then save the remaining 4k+ for your next bike, which you'll be ready for after you've ridden the 250 for a year or two...

if you absolutely must have a good looking first bike (although i never understood it, as nothing will look good after you've dropped it and scratched up the fairings), look into the hyosung gt250R... then it's the same thing, only you'll be saving 3k or so, instead of 4.5k

[GoIllini]

Originally Posted by richcreek

Hi,

First off, great site you guys have here, packed full of great info.

My question is, what first bike should i consider, I have messed around on dirt bikes quite a bit, and have only crashed once. The bikes were 600cc.[I slid out in some mud] I have also messed around on freinds sport bikes. I am going to take a coarse to get my motorcycle liscence here in a few months, and after wards am planning on buying a bike. Ive got $8000 to spend. Less would be good. So witch bike would be good for me to consider? I want something that will last me 2-3 years. Thanks for all of your replys in advance. I appreciate it.

~Matt

If you have a burning desire to get something that looks fast, try a Hyosung 250 or a Suzuki GS500F. IIRC, these'll run you around $3K-5K.

I, personally, would recommend a Ninja 250. It goes from 0-50 faster than my Dad's Corvette, and costs 1/15th as much. Also, girls don't know it's not quite as dangerous as a Gixxer, or that it only costs $2K. They just know it's a sports bike.

The reason I suggest starting off on a cheap Ninja is that you will drop it. First off, dropping a bike does a fair amount of damage to it; but dropping a Ninja will only take $100 off the resale value.

Second off, the Ninja's a light bike. This is really advantageous when you drop the thing, because bikes are HEAVY. At 300 lbs, most guys can lift a Ninja in about 30 seconds. Heavier bikes are harder to lift; they might be so heavy that you might need someone else to help lift it. Being stuck by the side of the road with a bike on its side is totally humiliating. If you're lucky, a soccer mom in a minivan will stop and ask if you need a ride. More likely, high school kids will laugh and point at you as they drive by. Riding a light Ninja lets you get this experience over with in 30 seconds.

You might be tempted to go with a 600 supersport, but most new streetbikers look really dumb riding 600 cc bikes- even if you've had experience on a dirtbike. It's just way too much to handle, and most new riders will look like dorks. Also, the insurance is crazy, and your parents would be foolish to let you ride a bike with a power to weight ratio about five times that of a Corvette. A lot of kids get killed on 600 cc racing bikes.

[matt500r]

ninja 500r ~_~ im not biased i swear!

Another bike to consider is a zephyr 550...they may be hard to find but they are "cheap" and are super smooth...mine is a lot smoother then my 500r is and feels a little faster as well.

[Freshgrease]

Get a 250 now and save the rest for a 600cc bike in 2-3 years. New 250's look nice and are fast enough to get around town and on the hghway. The hyosung (sp?) 250 is more stylish, but I don't know how good it rides or its build quality. The ninja250 is a very smooth operating bike.

In 2-3 years of good riding you will learn better on a lighter/more flickable bike as you won't be fighting it when getting the basics down. You'd be wastin money on a 500 since you'll want to move up to a 600cc later. Getting a 250 used will let you get everything you need for near or around $3000. Put the extra $5000 in the bank and save some more for 2-3 years and you'll be able to buy a brand-new 600cc ss and won't have to worry about all the "n00b faults" people make on their first bike.

As a side note, you won't really cry when you drop the ninja250 as much as you will for otherbikes. If you go and get a 500+cc beast and it drops, you will cry...hard because you dropped a $4000+ bike and its gonna cost $1000 to fix.

Also, don't give me shit about how the 250 is too small. I'm 6'2" 300lbs and it moves my fatass around like it didn't know I was there.

[R1oldguy]

Read all the "Stickies" in the New Rider Forum
Take the MSF course, get good Gear and actually wear it.

Start Small and enjoy it.

[EMTrigger]

+ 1 for the Kawasaki Ninja 250. I've done some extensive research and from what I've read, its the PERFECT bike for the newbs. Some reading material.

Pashnit 250R review that will make you run out and buy one

Best Beginner Motorcycle Review of the Ninja EX250

About.com's Top 4 Best Beginner Bikes

Motorcycle-usa.com's 2006 Newbie Bike Comparo Compettition

Haven't heard many bad things about this ugly ducking.... just that it needs a face lift. GL on your search. Hope this helped.

[Joe H]

Get any bike you like keeping the HP 60 or less. You can learn on a standard,cruiser,dualsport,or sportbike. You can learn the basics on any style bike.

[650r]

Originally Posted by richcreek

Hi,

First off, great site you guys have here, packed full of great info.

My question is, what first bike should i consider, I have messed around on dirt bikes quite a bit, and have only crashed once. The bikes were 600cc.[I slid out in some mud] I have also messed around on freinds sport bikes. I am going to take a coarse to get my motorcycle liscence here in a few months, and after wards am planning on buying a bike. Ive got $8000 to spend. Less would be good. So witch bike would be good for me to consider? I want something that will last me 2-3 years. Thanks for all of your replys in advance. I appreciate it.

~Matt

for that budget, either a SV650 or a 650r would fit. i would find used one of either since they deppreciate so quickly. welcome

[mssdrider]

if you have $8000 to spend, look for a >$6000 bike so you can spend the rest on insurance, MSF, and gear...
oh, and remember to factor in the registration and title transfer cost if you decide to buy a use bike.
oh yeah, welcome!

[matt500r]

Originally Posted by 650r

for that budget, either a SV650 or a 650r would fit. i would find used one of either since they deppreciate so quickly. welcome

Ninja 650r is also a good choice with a large budget like yours...i regret not going that route myself. Mainly because its fuel injected and I have come to hate carbs with a passion.

[emayer32]

dont listen to them buy a busa and finance the rest

[mssdrider]

Originally Posted by emayer32

dont listen to them buy a busa and finance the rest

[Hagios]

Between the GS500 and the EX500, the EX5 is a much better choice. The GS500 has fuel starvation issues at highway speeds if you keep it up there for around 45 minutes. The GS500 has terrible fork springs. These two problems will cost you a fair bit to fix, and they're known issues. Suzi just doesn't care to fix the problem.

Get a '94 or newer EX500. The '93 and earlier fairings etc are starting to get rare. The newer stuff isn't. Go used. You'll have cheaper insurance and you'll be much happier when you drop the bike and you don't have a brand new bike with rash.

This last bit will sound insane, but it will save you a truckload of money. I don't care if you drive your parents car(s) or not. Get insured as a driver for ONE(1) of their vehicles. Cheapest you can be insured for. It doesn't even matter if you're in the same state with them, as long as you insure through the same company. I pay roughly a third of what I used to, including my insurance on an auto. I don't drive cars. I hate cars. Being insured to drive a car does, however, make the insurance co. think that I'm more "responsible."

[krl0215]

Id look into these bikes
SV650
Ninja 500
Katana 600
Ninja650

and I would recommend going used, pay maybe 4k because odds are you will drop it, probably at low speed in the driveway. TAKE A MSF class too. Take some of that cash and invest in good gear. newenough.com has great deals