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Which bike do you recommend for a n00b

  • ninja 250/300

    Votes: 29 80.6%
  • Ninja 650

    Votes: 1 2.8%
  • honda cbr 500

    Votes: 4 11.1%
  • ducati monster 696

    Votes: 1 2.8%
  • street triple

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • BMW gs 650

    Votes: 1 2.8%

frist bike

9K views 78 replies 26 participants last post by  AquaMonteCarloSS 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok im starting to look for a first bike. I looked a year ago and something came up so I waited. now I need some opinions on what would be best suited for me. I have a few choices in mind. I want a bike I can keep for a few years before Ill want to upgrade. I have a lot of choices but I just wanna pick what is best.
By the way all bikes will be new.
Ninja 250/300
Ninja 650
Honda cbr 500 R/F/X doesn't matter
ducati monster
street triple (I feel like that might cause some backlash but I really like how it looks)
BMW GS650.
The only bike i have rode on the street is a 650 ninja in a group demo ride.
I have my license now I need help picking a bike, any and all advice is appreciated.
also if there are any other bikes I should look at let me know

Additional info
I'm 18
Going to use the bike to travel to and from college 70-80% city/suburb riding.
Insurance is a factor
I have sat on all of the bikes except the honda CBR 500 (it isnt out yet) and I fit on them all well.
5'9"
180 lbs (trying to lose some)

When i looked last year and was ready to buy I was gonna get the street triple hands down but now I'm having second thoughts, thats why I came here.
 
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#53 ·
I read the first and fourth page, i see bad ideas and bad motives. Your mentality is ass backwards for this sport, for this toy game.

When i first started riding, i financed a brand new Ninja 650R, and dropped that bike before i even got 1 mile on it. So the value of that bike went from 7500 when i bought it to about 4000. The warranty that you want to have is pretty useless. It is made for any issues you have with the bike that could be at fault of whomever made the bike. Thing is, if you actually do have issues, most likely it might be covered by some recall that the company does, or you are better off fixing it yourself with parts you find online be it OEM or aftermarket.

For your mindset of gear, i will say this. I started riding with only a helmet, and whne i actually rode my bike around the neighborhood i felt extremely vulnerable and squishy. I later got gloves, actual boots and a motorcycle jacket so I would be more protected. I still feel vulnerable and squishy, but atleast I have more protection on my body. I still have legit motorcycle boots and kevlar jeans and leathers on my list of gear to buy, because I am growing that feeling again with the jeans i wear and jeans don't do much to save your skin as you would hope they do.

You do not need to spend the majority of your money and credit on a first bike. Regardless of what it will be, you will need to start small and cheap so you have more money for gear, MSF courses or just for yourself. Then when you get bored and tired of the bike in 4 months (which is how long i give you), then you won't be stuck in a loan with a bike that you are utterly bored and tired with. Which I was in with my bike, hell my bike got trashed by someone else, and i got screwed over in insurance and to this day i am still paying off the loan for my first bike. I have a second bike now which i bought used and it is fully paid off, but I am still on the leash for my first one.

And the spelling in this thread makes me want to stab a newborn kitten.
 
#54 ·
Ok then I'll fill you in on the second page because it is important. I'm not buying the bike it is gonna be a gift to me. I just didn't wanna come off as a kid who's parent buy him everything that's why I was trying to get away from the whole how is the bike being purchased topic. 2nd I'm gonna get full gear, I see how stupid people are driving cars so I really don't wanna see what happens when they can't see me. I have my licenses I have taken the MSF course twice one of those times was just a review when I was gonna buy a bike last year.

I'm gonna give myself a year. And I might not get a new bike since I know I'll upgrade idk I really like the ninja 300 that's all


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#55 ·
Buy motorcycle specific boots. Not icons, not timberlands, not work boots with an instep strap disguised as motorcycle boots. Those boots have a big thick sticky chunky rubber sole that will do what when you lowslide? Stick to asphalt. So your now 30mph body is sliding along and your foot wants to go 0 mph. What do you think will happen? Do you like walking? Buy full length "racing" boots. Trust me. Cortech has some halfway decent boots that are inexpensive for starting out, Gaerne is nice, TCX is good, A* and Sidi are obvious top picks as well. Go into a store that sells gear, tell them your budget and they'll help you out. That's what they're there for.

Twist of the wrist 2 on DVD is better than the book as some things translate better visually in motion as opposed to text only. Another good book is this one:

Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques: Lee Parks: 9780760314036: Amazon.com: Books

And this one:

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well: David L. Hough: 9781933958354: Amazon.com: Books

Christmas is just around the corner, ask for em. Props for listening overall to the advice given and being more mature than some 25 year olds coming in here wanting a gixxah sixah as their first sled. At 18 if my folks offered me a ninja 300 I'd be all over it like white on rice too.
 
#58 ·
Buy motorcycle specific boots. Not icons, not timberlands, not work boots with an instep strap disguised as motorcycle boots. Those boots have a big thick sticky chunky rubber sole that will do what when you lowslide? Stick to asphalt. So your now 30mph body is sliding along and your foot wants to go 0 mph. What do you think will happen? Do you like walking? Buy full length "racing" boots. Trust me. Cortech has some halfway decent boots that are inexpensive for starting out, Gaerne is nice, TCX is good, A* and Sidi are obvious top picks as well. Go into a store that sells gear, tell them your budget and they'll help you out. That's what they're there for.

Twist of the wrist 2 on DVD is better than the book as some things translate better visually in motion as opposed to text only. Another good book is this one:

Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques: Lee Parks: 9780760314036: Amazon.com: Books

And this one:

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well: David L. Hough: 9781933958354: Amazon.com: Books

Christmas is just around the corner, ask for em. Props for listening overall to the advice given and being more mature than some 25 year olds coming in here wanting a gixxah sixah as their first sled. At 18 if my folks offered me a ninja 300 I'd be all over it like white on rice too.
I had no idea there is a DVD I'm gonna have to look into that for sure.
Also can I walk in racing boots because I'm gonna commute to college so I wanna be able to walk to class once there.
Thanks for the advice


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#56 ·
Another tip - go to the gear forum, there's a list of places you can shop from that are reputable that have good prices.

As far as helmets go, try on a lot. Try on 10. Wear them around the shop for 5-10 minutes. Do not buy a helmet sight unseen. They have to fit your headshape properly. It's beyond important that you do this, it could save your life. Now go read and get yourself up to speed. :)
 
#65 ·
Well I'm not going to touch the financing a new bike subject. You asked for opinions of which one you should get based on the options you gave. I voted for the CBR500. The reason being is that it will be an excellent beginners bike and it won't feel "slow" by any means to a beginner, but it won't have rip your balls off power that could get you into serious trouble (like rolling on the throttle in a panic situation). The only bike on that list that would be a definite no would be the Street Triple. That bike has some serious power (105 hp) and 50 lbs. torque (more torque than a 600 supersport). It is significantly faster than the other bikes on that list.
 
#70 ·
Great choice the ninja 300 for a starter bike, you passed you msf and ready to buy some gear. On top of that your parents have experience with bikes, you should be fine. How did you do on your msf ? Ever dropped the bike on the course ?

Post pics of your new bike.
 
#71 ·
I missed one point on the MSF course and no I never dropped it. I have gear and everything I bought it down at bike week and that's where I test rode the 300 and felt good on it and it was quicker than I thought.

I think that's people misconception with a small displacement bike like the 300 is they think it will be to slow, which ill admit I was in that category until I rode it. But now I love it and I can't stay off it. It awesome getting on two wheels and exploring and not worrying about gas or anything. I'm getting 65 mpg right now but I'm. Taking it easy

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