Motorcycles - First time buyer/rider

[suprarx7nut]

Yo SM. I've wanted a motorcycle for years. I finally have some extra cash (No mortgage, no car payment and no kids yet. Ain't life grand? ) and I think it's time I indulge in this desire.

This fall/winter/spring I'm planning on taking a class, getting some good safety/riding gear and a cheap starter bike. I'm currently looking at the GS500 from Suzuki and a Buell Blast. Neither will set me back much and neither will punish me for my mistakes as harshly as the R6/GSXR/Daytona 675 that I eventually have my eye on.

Any riders on here? Any tips beyond the standard, "Take the MSF course", "Wear all your gear, all the time", "Ride like everyone is trying to kill you" etc...?

 

[sharpsupra]

only advice i have is to maybe buy a good used bike at 1st. bikes depreciate faster then a limp dink lmao.....

 

[Poodles]

Ninja 250

Blast isn't made anymore (hell, Buell isn't made anymore) so good luck getting parts.

 

[Chambers]

I suggest getting a old Honda or Kawasaki, find a 4 or 500 cc bike and have a blast learning to ride it! My first on road bike was and still is a 1976 CB550K, Its very fun and was very cost effective, for under $1000 I had a bike purchased, titled, tagged, and insured ready to ride. Now I have about 12 bikes, some custom one offs and others just stock old school cool bikes.

Also like Poodles said, Ninja 250 is also a good bike to start on, I rode one for a little while, fun back road bike.

Good luck!

 

[te72]

The only bit of advice I've ever gotten was "never ride a bike you can't pick up off yourself, if you like having both legs."

If it were me, I'd get a used CBR of some sort. 600cc class is more than enough power for my taste, but I don't ride, so take my words with some salt. Like has been said, always buy used at first. Can't be too mad about having to work on or learn from a cheap bike. As long as the thing is in SAFE condition to ride.

 

[Typhoon]

Buy a second hand cheapie. Your first bike will not be your last. I guarantee within 12 months you will buy a different bike as you decide what you want out of a motorcycle. Besides, you WILL drop it.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Yeah, agreed. The first one will be cheap for sure. I know I will likely break something on it and I hope within 6-12 months ill be upgrading to something a little more sporty.

It'll be a challenge to avoid dropping it. I'm surprised how many seem to say that is inevitable. I'll heed warnings and anticipate the bike will be dropped.

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[mnracer550]

id look at a suzuki sv650. there great starter bikes with plenty of power but not something as aggressive as r6 crb ect. and they qualify under sport cruiser so insurance is much cheaper. personally i thin the blasts and ninjas are just to small for a grown man. most get bored pretty quick with em.

 

[Poodles]

Honestly, any bike that will easily wheelie (i.e. anything 600cc and above, especially if it's modern) is a terrible choice for a beginner.

Most people get bored of a Ninja 250 because they think they're too big for it. It's always fun to watch the videos of guys that actually know how to ride on a little Ninja 250 lapping people on liter bikes because all they know how to do is twist the throttle and hang on.

Keep in mind if you do outgrow a Ninja 250, their resale value is excellent and you won't be losing a lot of money (if you lose any at all).

Riding schools tend to use Honda Rebels, and they're even lower performance than the Ninja, and I will say that they're very small and cramped to sit on. Don't recommend em simply for that fact.

 

[MKIIISupraGuy]

I agree with poodles. I had'nt ridden in years, so I started back with a ninja 250. Didn't take long, maybe a month, and I was good to go. The 250 resale value is excellent, they are easy to handle, and they will in fact do a wheelie. I did one in mine only by accident, and was a small wheelie at that because it was easy to catch. Bigger bikes are not as forgiving. The 250 has an amazing top end rush at the high side of the tachometer, and will put a smile on your face everytime. Buddy of mine got a new one last month and let me take it for a spin, it's no liter bike, but I will never say no to riding a ninja 250.They are just that enjoyable.

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[te72]

So the Ninja 250 is the bike equivalent to a Miata. Everything you need to learn and have fun, but not enough to kill you.

I actually considered getting a Rebel once upon a time, they were cheap enough to see whether or not a bike was for me.

 

[suprarx7nut]

My hesitation on the 250 is that I would like to do a fair amount of country side highway driving at 60 and I've heard the ninjas can be a little iffy on long highways trips. it's super light at 300lbs and I keep hearing a hefty wind can be trouble at highway speeds.

Most of my driving is to from Boulder, which is notorious for gusty wind. At times there's enough wind to nearly knock your car out of it's lane.

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[Poodles]

Ninja 250 is a bit buzzy at speed. Then again, any sport style bike isn't really good for long trips (the older 250's have a better riding position for that, but it's still buzzy).

Hey, just like a miata at highway speeds :rofl:

 

[fixitman04]

start on an enduro... plenty of fun, light enough to learn good rider skills, durable(mine gets dropped all the time... only had to replace a throttle so far) and cheap... even in new form. my kawasaki klr 650 is 27$ a month to insure with full replacement and a 500$ deductable. it cost 3500 new(two year old carryover in the crate) 5500 sticker price. it gets around 60mpg and can easily do freeway speeds.

only downfall is it is not a long trip bike... but you should leave the long trips till you have sufficient skills. and when your done learning it will always be worth around a grand. if you even wish to sell it.

 

[sharpsupra]

a kawasaki 454 ltd or 500 vulcan is a good 1st bike also....personally i would not go under a 500....just steer clear of crotch rockets....for now at least lol

 

[te72]

Hey, just like a miata at highway speeds :rofl:

I'll vouch for that. The wind doesn't blow in Wyoming, Utah just sucks and South Dakota blows, so we get caught up in it. Drove 700 something miles from Rock springs, down to Vernal, over to Grand Junction, down to Moab, back up through Price and Vernal on my way back home. All with the top down in one day. Needless to say, I'll think about getting a helmet if I ever think that's a good idea... high Rocky Mounatain winds and a Miata are bad enough, I can only imagine a bike at all, much less a really light one... Stick to trips on clear days?

 

[suprarx7nut]

I'll vouch for that. The wind doesn't blow in Wyoming, Utah just sucks and South Dakota blows, so we get caught up in it. Drove 700 something miles from Rock springs, down to Vernal, over to Grand Junction, down to Moab, back up through Price and Vernal on my way back home. All with the top down in one day. Needless to say, I'll think about getting a helmet if I ever think that's a good idea... high Rocky Mounatain winds and a Miata are bad enough, I can only imagine a bike at all, much less a really light one... Stick to trips on clear days?

Possibly. Boulder is right on the mountain edge though and it seems we get gusts that aren't accompanied by inclimate weather.

I'm really torn cuz the 250 seems great, but I reapply don't want to get blown off the road doing 55...

I might have to stick to the Gs500.

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[Poodles]

Any bike will get blown around. Well, unless it's a 1000lb+ harley...I kid, since I've seen them blown around too.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Took my first day of riding class today. What a blast! Going in circles at 5-20 mph has never been so much fun, lol.

 

[Supracentral]

Any bike will get blown around. Well, unless it's a 1000lb+ harley...I kid, since I've seen them blown around too.

I can vouch for that - even a full dressed FLSTC will be blown all over the road in crosswinds, and that's a good 700-800lb bike, close to 1,000 lbs with me on it.