My typical answer to first bike questions is to buy a used bike to learn on. Forget to put the stand down, overfill the gas tank, drop it etc., then buy the dream bike. Nick is 5'7" with no extraneous weight, so the 321cc should be enough right up to 65 mph or so. It costs $4600 which he is comfortable with. His logic is buy new and save all the heartache and BS of road side repairs.
Thoughts?
My first concern would be that it would run out of power too quickly as his skills advance. IMHO, a 500-650cc is a bike you can keep for a long time if you are a casual rider, 250-300cc becomes a toy pretty quickly.
#2 is the inevitable drop. I always recommend a $900 Japanese bike to learn to ride on. Drop it, scratch it, beat on it, then upgrade once you are a better rider. Any 4cylinder will do, or something like the CX500 v-twin. Sell it for $900 when you are done with it.
If he really likes the MT, it is a nice bike and my Yamaha has performed flawlessly for several years. Seems like it would be fun on the back roads. I'd add sliders and 3M clear film to it before I started it the first time.
If he has no problem spending that kind of money on a first bike I'd say it's an excellent choice, though I usually recommend a dualsport for first time/newby riders
Life long rider here, also about that size.
I don't believe in the idea of buying a bigger bike to start off with. He should get one that fits him and isn't intimidating, if he decides he wants to stay with motorcycling and his skills advance he can always sell it and get something bigger later.
I also wouldn't buy new, especially for a first bike. There are plenty of used ones for sale that are late model with low miles, he doesn't have to get some worn out restoration project.
What inevitable roadside repairs? Most used bikes don't have enough miles on them to have worn anything out, yet. Chain and tires can both be handled long before either surprise you.
Why does Nick want a bike and where is he going to ride? Maybe a different perspective, but I'm almost 60 and looking for my 'last bike'. I've been riding off and on since I was 9 or 10. I'm not looking for street performance. I want a bike that will be comfortable at highway speed, but fun on the trails too. For a while, I really thought that a KLR 650 was going to be the answer. Recently I've been looking into Yamaha XT225s. They check all my boxes. I didn't think that I would want such a low cc engine, but reviews convinced me that it is a good all around bike. Most owners reviews that I have read say that it is/was their favorite bike.
Have your friend check this:
My first street bike was a CB750 nighthawk. 70hp, 500lbs, same tire sizes as the MT which is 120lbs lighter with a real suspension and half the power. I don't think someone 70lbs less than me would have much problem with that bike being too slow.
Pinchvalve nailed just about everything I wanted to say.
If your buddy hasn't signed up for your state's basic rider course, he needs to, and soon. Also have him grab a copy of Proficient Motorcycling—an easy read and really eye opening. Motorcycling is not one of those hobbies that is best learned by experience only.
The problem with a first bike is that half the allure of motorcycling is looking cool, and new riders have a style in mind. Problem is, you don't know jack about what type of riding you really dig until you've tried it with your first bike, which is almost always ill-equipped for that thing you really want to do. I thought I was the vintage UJM cafe type of guy, but it turns out I'd rather ride than rebuild carbs or set points or replace cracked pot metal triple tree clamps. As cool as I got that bike looking, it didn't do anything particularly well.
So with that in mind, I'd say, go for something around 2 grand that isn't exactly exciting on its own. Not new but not old. Light enough not to be intimidating. Maybe an old SV, or a DR/KLR, or an early 2000s Japanese 500cc bike. Number one piece of advice though? Spend as much if not more on good gear, because everyone is trying to kill you, including your instincts.
Dual sports are often a fine choice, but you have to consider many of them are pretty tall - this fellow is 5'7", so for his first bike he needs to have something that doesn't leave him teetering at every stop light.
In college my roommate bought a Seca II, as a starter bike after I let him take my Nighthawk S around the block a few times.
I'm about your friends height, and didn't have any extra weight at that time. I rode the Seca a few times and it was comfortable, fun, and had no issues keeping up with traffic. It definitely felt lighter than my nighthawk, and had a slightly more sporting position, but not sportbike by any stretch
If I could go back in time and something like the MT03 existed I would have bought that as a first bike. I would have saved myself a bunch of time, BS and 3 worn out 'beginner' bikes. Searching for used bikes is a hassle.
Definitely take the MSF beginners rider course first.
bobzilla said:My first street bike was a CB750 nighthawk. 70hp, 500lbs, same tire sizes as the MT which is 120lbs lighter with a real suspension and half the power. I don't think someone 70lbs less than me would have much problem with that bike being too slow.
While I agree with most points made by everyone, the size thing is a modern myth. True, if he caves to peer pressure a small light bike will not fit. But before the CB 750 came out, you rode a HD, Triumph, or a small jap bike. And sometimes rode them across the country. The 750 was HUGE! And fast. First super bike.
This is faster and handles better.
If he likes light, nimble bikes that are faster than fast cars, that will do him fine. If he prefers big heavy bikes like cruisers ( that are only a little faster) of super bikes (that are to fast to use much of the power on the street) he should learn on smething average first.
As long as he goes into a new bike, knowing he will loose money on it no matter what, go for it
I would never recommend a new bike for a new rider. Odds are you'll eat E36 M3 at least once while learning. CBR250s or the original origami Ninja250 are almost perfect. Just fast enough, low enough power to not intimidate.
If he gets board, next spring, he can sell it for exactly what he paid for it. If he dumps it, it won't be the kick in the gut of shredding a $4,000 bike.
A bike he can grow into (600 sportbike suggestion guy, I'm lookin at you) is bullE36 M3 and bad advice. I'll die on this hill. Mr. Regular says it better than I could:
And why an SV650 isn't a good first bike choice:
I never actually had the front wheel off the ground on my SV650, but man it was easy to ride. I still have no trouble recommending one to anybody that fits on one. I know so many people, from 3/4 million milers to brand new riders, that have enjoyed that bike.
I miss mine. It was even that generation and color.
I bought my first bike in 1994. it was a 1982 Suzuki gs550e for 200 dollars. my second bike I bought in 1997. it was a 1986 Yamaha Radian, which was a sport bike compared to the Suzuki. My third bike I just bought in December, a leftover new 2019 Triumph Street Triple after not riding for over 20 years. This relates back to your friend in this way. If I had my current income when I bought my first bike and I decided I wanted the new R3, I would have bought it and never thought twice about it. Learned to ride, and dropped it, beat the tar out of it, and not cared. This goes back to if your friend wants that bike and can afford the bike get it. Almost no one that buys those is not a new rider (In the USA anyway.) I mean, if he wants to keep a wad of his cash in his pocket, buy used, but if he wants a new R3 and isn't financing, no big deal. he'll just be the first one to scratch it up, but everyone else is right. If his justification for buying new is roadside repairs, its not really a thing with the low mileage used bikes out there now.
I'm going to suggest something insane; within reason (keep the weight under, say, 550 lbs and around 70hp max) it doesn't really matter that much what bike you get for your first bike. Buy on condition and something that fits well enough and just treat all of the controls with respect.
Maybe he'll have to wring it out a bit on the MT-03 if he tries the highway, so it won't be a place to spend much time, but if he can keep expectations reasonable and he can afford the thing then why not.
My first bike was literally "the village bicycle" with who knows how many people having owned it before me without really maintaining it well. I think I spent more time working on that dumb thing than riding, partially because I was trying to be cheap about it, because it was a cheap bike! And after a year of that nonsense I bought a brand new / leftover VFR and that was such an improvement it wasn't even funny.
I still like the SV650 idea but really just tell him to do whatever.
Used UJM.
My first was a Honda CX500 and I'd have another one if a nice example crossed my path.
Used UJMs are near worthless and still reliable.
He won't cry when he chucks it down the road the first time.
My bosses tenant asked for my opinion on his first bike, did the exact opposite of what I suggested and bought a new Indian Scout. A month later he was sulking because he dropped it in a parking lot. Both our reactions were: "Well, that's over, now you don't have to worry about scratching it". I don't think we gave him the sympathy he was looking for.
As for buying new, my only new vehicle purchase ever was a 2013 Moto Guzzi Stelvio. It went back to the dealer for problems it should never have had three times and left me stranded twice. It's a great bike now that I've fixed the factory installed problems but buying new is no guarantee of a problem free experience.
Piaggio can eat a satchel of richards.
ShawnG said:Used UJM.
buying new is no guarantee of a problem free experience.
Very true words. In fact any newish used "Universal Jap Motorcycle" probably increases the likely hood of not having problems.
ShawnG said:My bosses tenant asked for my opinion on his first bike, did the exact opposite of what I suggested and bought a new Indian Scout. A month later he was sulking because he dropped it in a parking lot. Both our reactions were: "Well, that's over, now you don't have to worry about scratching it". I don't think we gave him the sympathy he was looking for.
In the OP's case, there is a HUGH difference in buying a new light UJM, And buying a hyped up Indian scout. I highly recomend used, like everyone else, but the bike he wants to start with ain't a bad plan
Even though the SV650 is a "bigger" bike, it is "tame" enough (compared to the average sport bike) to be a good learner bike... for someone with some restraint.
In cars, the answer is always Miata.
In motorcycles, the answer is always Ninja.
And used. Absolutely. You can buy gently used, not very old motorcycles for cheap. And cheap motorcycles aren't difficult to sell when you realize (inevitably) you bought the wrong thing.
In reply to 03Panther :
The SV650 is very much a great bike. If I had not rode several motorcycles before getting my SV650S it's low end torque can definitely catch a new rider out. I think someone should ride something with less torque for a while to get their body/wrist calibrated.
Local Ninja 300 with ABS for 3300$. You could crash every single body panel off, fix it with a glue gun and spray it with plasti dip and sell it for 2K in a afternoon when you want to step up.
https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/mcy/d/poway-2016-kawasaki-ninja-300-abs/7277184121.html
As someone who rode in my late teens and came back to it in my 30's...and am still riding happily in my mid-40's without incident, I'll cast another vote for a decent 250cc-350cc street bike or dual sport, and I vote used rather than new. He can get riding on it, have some fun, learn about what he does and doesn't like, and if needed, sell it and buy something else that addresses the shortcomings after a riding season or two.
The reasons I don't recommend getting a bigger bike to grow into aren't only that the added weight and added power can be a handful if he isn't careful/restrained, but also because buying a bike to grow into doesn't make sense when he might not know what kind of motorcyclist he will grow to be. A sort-of-sporty Japanese middleweight has plenty of merits, but isn't the best bike to grow into if he wants to head into the woods and explore off paved surfaces after getting into the sport. Likewise, a dual sport isn't so great if one wants to pile on the miles and do some weekend touring...and an American cruiser might not fit the bill if he gets an itch to do a track day or two..and so on. I think that buying a bike with a plan to upgrade if needed removes the potential of limiting one's self by buying something to grow into that might not be well-suited down the road. He might like the MT-03 today, but if that doesn't hold true in a couple years, and that $4600 purchase is only worth $2000 or a bit less...it might be harder to justify upgrading.
Final bit of advice: a single is generally cheap to maintain and work on, and usually has great access for working on the bike. I'd much rather tackle a rough-running issue on a single than on a carbed inline-four, and being able to work on the bike with confidence is worth a lot when first starting out, IMO.
Ultimately he should get whatever excites him. It's his money, if he knows the risks, it's up to him. That would be a great first bike
But I'm with everyone else. My first bike was a FZ6 that was crashed and sat for a year. New plugs and fork seals and I was on my way. Never had a hiccup. Anything injected will be reliable enough for a new rider. And then when they drop it (like I did) it's a bruised ego and a lesson learned. The bike wasn't precious and that ultimately gave me the freedom to learn and make mistakes without fear.
Also that should be enough bike for anything but the fastest freeways. My wife's 50 year old CB360 can do LA freeway speeds fine.
For what it is worth, the FI SV650 bikes have a huge low end torque improvement over the carbed bikes. You can get the same effect on a carbed bike with a timing advancer, but stock is different. The timing advancer (or FI) pretty much triples the torque just off idle. An older carbed model doesn't take a whole lot of restraint for learning parking lots and maneuvering. Just an FYI.
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