[TheLimey]

Greetings!

New to the site and wanted some advice from a community that knows what they are talking about.
OK then, I would like to get a sports bike but have no real idea what to start on. I am 30 years old, 6' and 210lbs. I have never ridden a street bike before, but do have experiance with dirt and trials bikes.. Most of the Chaps I knock about with ride bikes and are on my case to get one. They reckon a '96 - '00 ZX7R. I am not a nutter with a big ego and don't want to end up smeared on the road, is this Kaw a good choice?
All comments welcomed! Cheers!
Jason.

PS. Sorry about the lack of Avatars and Smiles, my computer skills are truely pony!

 

[AEgeus]

Over there in merry England don't you have a graduated licenseing system? I'm not sure how it works but I thought you could only get a certain cc bike if you 've only had a license for so long.

I may be shooting crap out of my ass so don't sue me if I'm wrong.

*edit*

I looked some stuff up and it seems you can get a unrestricted license right off the bat if your 21+ years old. You have to test with a 33bhp bike though. So that probably means...a 500cc and up? I don't know.

 

[RACER X]

start w/ a kawi ex500 or suzi gs500

i'd imagine your ins. on such a large bike in the UK would be expensive.....

there's a reason your gov't makes younger people start on smaller bikes.....

 

[TheLimey]

AEgeus & RacerX - Thanks for the feedback!
I am not in England I am in Akron, OH - I've been over here for the last 5+ years. My contact info was all screwed up.
Hopefully I won't run into too much of an issue with insurance. England is spot on with having a staggered system when it come to young riders, I am suprised you don't have one over here, I am sure it would save alot of unwanted pain.
Anyway, whats an EX500

 

[RACER X]

kawi ex500
suzi gs500

 

[ZX7R95]

check your PMs (in upper right corner)

 

[robbieace]

Racer x doesn't know anything. if he could have sex with a ninja 500 he would

 

[21 natas]

I wouldn't recommend starting out on a 7r, but something a little smaller until you have some experience on the street, and then moving up to a 7r later on.

 

[Süsser Tod]

Racer x doesn't know anything. if he could have sex with a ninja 500 he would

OK, that was a little bit off the line and should be ignored.



Get a "newbie friendly" bike to learn how to ride properly. The EX500 (Ninja 500R) and the Suzuki GS500 are EXCELENT newbie bikes, and capable bikes. They will teach you the basics about riding, will let you learn the needed riding skills and train you for a b***** bike PROPERLY.

Think about the "newbie bike" as that crappy Fiat Uno that you got as your first "learner" car. For more than obvious reasons, no one new to riding haves any bussiness riding a SS bike, exactly as a new driver shouldn't be driving a Ferrari or Lamborghini, too much to handle/control without the required experience and skills needed to.



For a first bike, get an used EX500 or GS500, that way you'll avoid the depreciation of a new bike, and after a year of riding it (or whatever it takes you to learn properly, but surely not less than a year) you'll be able to sell it for a little bit less than what you paid for, sometimes if you are a good seller, you'll be able to sell it even for more money.
Then you can get your dreamed bike, without having it go through all your newbie mistakes, nothing hurts more the ego (and the wallet) than dropping a new bike at the next corner after taking it out of the showroom.

 

[L8 Braker]

Anyway, whats an EX500

....................

 

[jjduke15F4i]

:drool looks so clean, must have...

 

[TheLimey]

Thanks for all the input and thanks for the picture L8 Braker.
Sounds like the EX500 gets the vote. Now all I have to do is sort out the old finances and start hunting. Cheers!
Jason.

 

[TheLimey]

Susser Tod......Fiat Uno! I like that comparison. I opted for a Mini as my first car, some of the best fun I have had on 4 wheels and it was cheap as chips to run. The only problem was that there was not enough room for me and the girl friend to get more romanticaly acquainted!
Thanks for the advice, mate!
Jason.

 

[L8 Braker]

Thanks for all the input and thanks for the picture L8 Braker.

Suzuki also makes a 500...

 

[doct0rxnick]

^no used market for that yet. It just came out this year. I sat on one and it seems quite friendly. Plus, if it bothers you, you don't have to look like a tool on an older bike.

 

[TheLimey]

Not too worried about looking like a tool on an older bike. I am quite happy to put my time in on something that is less than cool and if I drop it, what the hell? If I get into this SS riding I will have plenty of time to get on the proper bikes.

Dam, that sounded a bit too sensible of a post, must be getting older than I thought! Shit!

 

[Krik]

Not too worried about looking like a tool on an older bike. I am quite happy to put my time in on something that is less than cool and if I drop it, what the hell? If I get into this SS riding I will have plenty of time to get on the proper bikes.

Dam, that sounded a bit too sensible of a post, must be getting older than I thought! Shit!

Good for you! Just wish the young-uns had enough maturity and insight to realize this. Imagine that, buying a bike for the ride rather than riding for the bike.

 

[beowulf2k]

Well I would suggest an EX500 as well, but try to find a used one. A bike doesn't have to be fast to wipe you out, not knowing how to lean, brake and accelerate can wipe you out on ANY bike.
I suggest taking the MSF course, its just perfect for you and you will get more than your fair share of opportunitys to ask questions that they as professionals can answer.
Or you can just post here and I can repeat all the above..lol. Good luck.

 

[Spike]

All good questions Limey, you'll find a wealth of knowledge on these boards... WELCOME fellow nOOb