How does a newbie pick their first bike?

So, I'm entering my third consecutive year of wanting a bike, and finally am taking the step this year of taking the MSF course and getting my license. Anyway, I think my research is nearly done, but I've come up with 4 potential courses of action. (In order from most practical to least, or skip to the end to see my preferences to make a suggestion)

• Buy the best bike I can for under 2k, and enjoy learning.

This is probably the smartest course of action, so clearly, I probably won't be happiest with it. My biggest concern is that I will spend more time searching for parts and working on the bike than actually riding it. However, the low buy-in price will mean that I can afford better safety equipment, and spend less on insurance.

• Find a nearly new Yamaha FZ6.

This is wayyy more like it. A great looking bike with enough power to grow into, it's comfortable, and will be reliable enough to commute on every day. Of course, for this bike, I'd want to secure a loan, and full coverage may be far too salty for a newbie. (I'm 25, but still single, and don't own a home)

• Find a lightly used Yahama Vmax.

This one kind of surprised me, but the more I learn about it, the more I love it. I grew up in a Ford household, and am a Mustang fanatic, so it's not really a surprise that I was drawn to a muscle bike. Fuel economy is definitely less than the FZ6, but it would still be comfortable and dependable enough to commute on. Concerns though, are the same as the FZ6.

The power thing was a big concern at first too, but after talking to a few riders, I honestly don't think it's going to be an issue. My driving style has definitely changed since I started doing HPDE's, and now as I get older, the urge to act stupid on a public road fades with each passing day.

• A tossup between the Yamaha WR250X and the Suzuki DRZ400SM.

This one hits all the appropriate fun buttons, and is somehow the most and least practical of my options. Sure, they're great on gas and cheap to insure, but they have no range and are basically unable to carry a pillion with me riding. (Currently overweight, but even when I'm fit I will still be 5'10" and in the low 200's.)

Basically, I'm looking for a bike that is reliable, comfortable, and can maintain highway speeds for longer trips. The ability to carry a pillion or a lot of cargo is also a plus. And bonus points if it looks cool. (I did give serious consideration to the newer 600cc maxi-scooters, but can't bring myself to do it, I'd rather have a motard.)

What say you, GRM forum?

Until you have had a bunch of seat time you really don't... you ride what you think you want and fix it with next purchase.

Pick something comfortable, powerful enough to escape danger, light enough to pick up by yourself if you drop it and cheap enough to walk away from if you bend it.

Racer1ab, do a search for every post by CarKid. This will save time and get you answers.

My $.02, stay away from sportbikes as starters.

Dan

I've seen used DRZ400S bikes at a reasonable price on craigslist. If you're commuting on the highway regularly, thats probably as small as I'd go, unless you don't have much traffic to deal with. I think they're a neat bike, and the SM model looks like way too much fun, more so than a sport bike due to that low weight.

I suspect if you go with option 1, you should be able to find something in good running order that won't need constant maintenence. That may be the best option if you aren't entirely certain what kind of riding you'll do other than commuting.

A bunch of guys that I work with have recently bought their first bikes.

One bought a Ducati, another, a ZX-11 and the rest bought big Harleys. None of them knew how to ride at the time and all of them needed a friend to ride the bike home from the dealership for them.

I work with a bunch of a-holes.

914Driver wrote: Racer1ab, do a search for every post by CarKid. This will save time and get you answers. My $.02, stay away from sportbikes as starters. Dan

+1.

Everyone on here gave great advice

The VMax is an awesome bike, but not what you want for a first ride. Hooligan or not, the power is always there, waiting to catapult you into serious bodily harm.

I would go with option #1 and get something like a Honda Nighthawk 750. Plenty of power, wont ever have to fix it, cross between a sportbike and a standard, and you can sell it for what you paid for it in a few years.

I would like to think the V-Max will kill you. Get a decent Ninja 250, learn, and sell next summer for the same price you have into it.

I have heard supermotos make good starters. That is what I am considering for my first bike.

The answer is always SV650.

If not, then a "Standard" inline 4 600cc in a non-sportbike e.g. Seca 600, 650 Nighthawk, 600 Bandit, etc.

If not that, a GS500 or Ninja 650 Twin.

If not that, one of my GS1000 Suzukis I need to sell.

:)

I'll put in a vote for the dualsport. I would highly suggest you learn to ride on dirt, before you get onto the street.

I'd recommend starting with an easy to ride, cheap bike that's good for learning on. When you're first starting out, it can be hard to really know what you are going to really like the best in a bike. After you've gotten the basics of riding down, you'll also know what you like and don't like about the bike you have, and have a better handle on what you'd like in your next bike. And most learner bikes hold their resale value enough that you'll be able to sell it for close to what you paid for it - unless you're like me and decide to go and put 15,000 miles on it...

That said, some good bikes for learning how to ride would be a Ninja 250 or 500, Suzuki GS500, just about any of your supermotos, or a Buell Blast. Once you've ridden it for a couple thousand miles, you'll have a much better feel for what you'd want your next bike to be.

MadScientistMatt wrote: That said, some good bikes for learning how to ride would be a Ninja 250 or 500, Suzuki GS500, just about any of your supermotos, or a Buell Blast. Once you've ridden it for a couple thousand miles, you'll have a much better feel for what you'd want your next bike to be.

This. The goal at first is to become a good rider and not get killed, not to have a cool bike. a VMax as a first bike is an incredibly bad idea.

Tommy Suddard wrote: I'll put in a vote for the dualsport. I would highly suggest you learn to ride on dirt, before you get onto the street.

x2.

Get a dualsport. Learn to ride in the dirt. Then, learn to ride it on the street. Then, get an extra set of wheels, in a 17" size, and turn it into a supermoto. You can have an extra set of wheels, with tires for a lot less than another bike. Switch back and forth as appropriate. Also nice if you happen to get a flat, and don't have the money for another tire immediately.

stroker wrote: The answer is always SV650. If not, then a "Standard" inline 4 600cc in a non-sportbike e.g. Seca 600, 650 Nighthawk, 600 Bandit, etc. :)

These bikes will give more all-around ridding styles. A lot of bagger owners have these until they get too old, just to mix it up.

A dual sport is a compromise on both off road and on road. I wouldn't want a compromise on the streets I ride. Start research: check insurance rates and ask your instructors too, extremely helpful guys that want you to stay alive and safe. .bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/suzuki-sv650-review

Good luck and Enjoy the ride!

Most newbies buy the biggest, fastest sportbike they can afford, and procede to wreck it and injure themselves. Then they give up on motorcycling, sell the bike at a huge loss, and pay down on a brand new shiney minivan. Don't be that guy

If your lucky, the bike picks you...

My starter bike is a 1974 CL360. I took it to work once then started to take things off and chop up the frame the next day to make a cafe racer. The one thing I'm stuck on is paint. There's just soooo many options.

I say start with a standard of ~500cc or less and then once you feel comfortable sell it and move up. A buddy of mine bought a mint '96 ZX6 and ended up crashing it once and dropping it twice within 1 month of ownership. He then sold it and bought a '7x CB400 and enjoys riding a lot more.

My first bike was bought this spring. I got lucky, and it found me. 89 Honda CB-1 (CB400F) 400cc Inline 4, 13,500 RPMs, about 50 HP, enough to comfortably ride with traffic but not too much to be scary if you accidentally crack the throttle too far. Small size and light weight means easy to ride. I like it!

Best part: $1600! (not mine, but shamelessly hotlinked, looks just like it)

dinger wrote: My first bike was bought this spring. I got lucky, and it found me. 89 Honda CB-1 (CB400F) 400cc Inline 4, 13,500 RPMs, about 50 HP, enough to comfortably ride with traffic but not too much to be scary if you accidentally crack the throttle too far. Small size and light weight means easy to ride. I like it! Best part: $1600! (not mine, but shamelessly hotlinked, looks just like it)

Wow, nice bike! I've only seen a couple of those. They were one of those bikes that sat in the showroom as leftovers and then developed a bit of a cult following, like the GB500 and the Hawk GT.

The real answer here is to ride a lot of different bikes and see what you like best. Problem is, test rides are kinda tough to do when you have a permit and zero miles under your belt. Talk to some local dealers and see who has a bunch of used bikes that they would be willing to let you test ride. You may like the laid-back, feet-forward feel. You may like the hunkered-down over the tank feel. You may like sitting upright with your feet below you. Tough to say until you try it.

Woody wrote: Wow, nice bike! I've only seen a couple of those. They were one of those bikes that sat in the showroom as leftovers and then developed a bit of a cult following, like the GB500 and the Hawk GT.

Yeah, they sat in the showrooms for awhile when they were new - only because they were priced the same as a 600. Later, people caught on to what a fun package a small, light bike that revs to the moon was.

My only complaint is that i'm 5'10" and it's a little small for me. Works great for short trips though.

dinger wrote: My only complaint is that i'm 5'10" and it's a little small for me. Works great for short trips though.

That's why I chose to let one languish in my local showroom for a couple of years. I'm over 6'.

Plus I was making about $42 a week at the time.

Woody wrote: A bunch of guys that I work with have recently bought their first bikes. One bought a Ducati, another, a ZX-11 and the rest bought big Harleys. None of them knew how to ride at the time and all of them needed a friend to ride the bike home from the dealership for them. I work with a bunch of a-holes.

I think new bike dealers should have a mini slalom course that all buyers are forced to ride through in order to get the bike out of their parking lot. Of course, they'd probably lose half their sales.