Toying with the idea of getting a bike

[Heraclid]

Well, not saying I'll do it yet, but I'm sort of considering a used Ninja 500, which by all accounts seems to be a great beginner's bike. Read a great article and it beats the Suzuki GS500 all to pieces in every way. I'm tempted by the Suzuki SV650S but I'm thinking a 600cc+ anything is probably still too much for a beginner, especially these days. I am a big guy though, but still I don't want gobs of power and nasty surprises. I don't care what's coolest, fastest, whatever - I want something I can handle and learn on without hopefully getting into much trouble. I'm actually scared of these things but fascinated by them too. Can't spend a lot and besides, you know it's gonna get laid down. But the 500 doesn't have a fuel gauge... what's up with that? Anyway, I wouldn't do anything until I've taken the MSF course and know if I really want to do this, but any advice would be much appreciated.

EDIT: See? Shows what I know. Apparently LOTS of bikes don't have a fuel gauge.

[nocturnalVX]

...those that have crashed, and those that are going to crash.

That's a common saying and (as I belong to the former group) I can say it's pretty accurate. However, motorcycling is one of my favorite activities & I've been riding since 1987. I would NEVER discourage anyone from trying it out, but it's not for everyone. You have the right idea starting out with a rider course and a middleweight bike. Starting with a 500cc or 600cc bike is a good idea because you can grow into it as your skills improve, but it's not too small either. Have fun & good luck!

Oh, and yeah... most bikes either have a reserve switch or an "idiot light", but no gas guage. My Ducati only has a low fuel light.

[redline]

I started out on a 82 Suzuki GS750E nice bike if you can find one.The Secretary state back then consisted of driving down the road and coming back explaining the controls to the examiner ,all of 10 minutes. I recently took the Safety course with a friend who wanted to ride.I saw guy's there that also rode before not able to pass the skills test.Just show's what kind of talent we have out there that should not be there.I currently own/ride A 96 Buell S2T,simply a work of art.

P.s. the bikes you use in the MSF course have some bumps and scrapes, make sure you ride all of them because when you get stuck on a bike you havent familiarized yourself with and have to take the road test with ...well you know the rest

[CSTYLES]

I just got my first Dirt Bike. I've never ridden before and wasn't ready for the road, still need to get comfortable with the gears. It's a 230cc Honda 4 stroke (lawn mover engine...) but it has been a lot of fun. I plan to graduate to a street bike one day.

Anyone want to get together or knows of a place to ride in Maryland?

[Heraclid]

Thanks a bunch to both of you for some good advice...

Yes, I've seen that saying all over the place as I've been doing some reading on the subject lately. Certainly it is intimidating. My brother dated a girl who works at a local hospital and they call motorcyclists "organ donors". A guy who worked for my Dad wiped out on one, and despite nary a scratch on his helmet, he still sustained head injuries and was never quite right in the head afterward. Sadly, since they work in some dangerous places with high voltage and so forth, and since he was becoming a danger to himself and others, my Dad had no choice but to let him go. Just saw a post earlier today on a sportbike board of a guy whose face got a bad case of road rash and was crushed around the left eye socket. The guy hadn't learned much from it either. A guy I work with loves riding and just got a new bike, but he once crushed his pelvis. I know Joe Black from this board had a nasty crash once too. The stories are endless. I don't know why I'm drawn to this kind of stuff. I want to fly helicopters and ride motorcycles. I need help. LOL! And this would require me to lead a secret life. My mother would not sleep if she knew and would do everything in her power to stop it, and I mean that.

Funny thing is, my Mom is a preacher's daughter who dated a long-haired bad boy on a motorcycle and rode with him despite her father's strictly forbidding it. And the bad boy is my Dad, who had a Norton 750. He almost slid it under the church bus he was next to when he hit some sand once. He quit riding when he became a father.

Of course the faster you're going the scarier it can be, but I am amazed how many people have laid down bikes at 10 mph or just forgetting to put the stand down and dropping one. I would be very cautious and I'm definitely not someone interested in getting anywhere close to exploring my bike's top speed. Just about any of them will go crazy fast, and just moderate speeds on a bike are an entirely different thing than doing it in the VX. I am also blown away by how many people I see not wearing full protective gear. Around here, I may have seen one guy, ever. Usually the most I see is a helmet and armored jacket, but no boots, gloves, and just jeans. Most often it's less than that, many times no helmet, a t-shirt, and jeans or even shorts. That is insane. If it is too hot to wear what you should, then it is too hot to ride. Period.

I was reading a forum for local riders and so many people want to jump right on a hot bike. One person was talking about getting her first bike. A Suzuki GSX-R1000! Everyone was saying she should reconsider but she thought since she lifts weights and her husband has been riding for 20 years, she'd be fine. She was one of those that came on asking for advice but wouldn't heed a word of it. She will probably be a sad statistic sooner rather than later.

My dream bike, if I had the money and was comfortable riding one, would probably be a MV Agusta F4-1000S or one of the high-end Aprilias or Ducatis. In the case of the Agusta, I know that's about 165 hp. If I could afford it, would I start out on that? Heavens no!!! Motorcycles will try to kill you if they sense you don't know what you're doing. Besides, there's no sense dropping much money on your first bike, a bike you are almost guaranteed to lay down.

So far I'm mostly hearing that I should not go over 600cc's and the Ninja 500 or GS500 have been recommended. I've been told the CBR600F4i is a great starter bike, and also that it's not a good starter bike at all. I've heard that just about anything with the letter R in it is probably a bad idea. But I was also told by very respectable source that for my size I should maybe go with the SV650/SV650S, a V-twin which I would not outgrow as quickly and would have more low-end grunt for my size and a bit more comfortable riding position for me. I will certainly take all suggestions into consideration however. But I wouldn't go for a 750 at this point, and I have ruled out the GS500 because the Ninja 500 outclasses it in just about every way imaginable.

I'd never think of doing this without doing the safety course first. I don't even know if I'd want to do it yet, I just think I would. The gear is expensive, ditto for the insurance. It may freak me out. One step at a time, but I'm trying to educate myself in the meantime and get as much input from anyone who will talk to me as I can. Thanks!

[zadam123]

Cool timing i just bought this on saturday, I havent been on a bike for 12 years and decided to get another one, i used to have a gsxr 1100 back in 92 and then it got stolen but with gass and tolls going up in Ny this will pay for itself, or at least thats what im telling myself lol



adam

[billh23]

I had a 96 Suzuki Katana 600 for a few years. Sweet bike, bought it for the same reason you said -- its a beginners bike, etc. Wished I would have bought an 1100 shortly after because as soon as you learn to ride, you'll wish you had more power. It's not about top speed, because all of them will do 100mph+ and really you can't do more then 120 on any real roads anyway. What you start to wish you had is more "umpfh". Anyway, I drove it for a about three years. In that time, I got rear ended once by a guy who said he totally didin't even know I was there (slow speed, he knocked my bike over and I kind of just fell off and rolled). Another time was worse, I was riding on a freeway around rush hour.. Semi truck put his left turn signal on and just moved over.. only problem, I was half way done passing him on the left. He pushed me into the ditch, I dumped the bike doing about 50mph. I was very lucky and just kind of slid it to a stop. I walked away, but shaved about a .5" off my helmet, gave my whole one side of my body some pretty bad road rash, knocked the mirror and turn signals off the bike, and gave it some pretty good gashes. I still have the scars on the my shoulder and forearm to show for it, but the bike became an engagement ring for my now wife.

Would I ride again? Definitely! Would my wife allow it? No. Would I probably hurt myself again? Likely.

[TechnoPope]

I learned on a chain driven BMW F650 classic and would highly recommend any BMW F bike as a great beginner bike. The riding position, torque and wheel rake make for a very forgiving motorcycle. In 1997 they made an ST version that was more street oriented than many other F650 models. Some F bikes were modified with lowering kits that may or may not make for a better fit. Check out www.f650.com for very supportive owners forum. I chose the F650 because I did not care for the riding position of either the cruiser or sport bikes. Good luck choosing your first bike. There are a lot of great choices out there.
Frank

[Heraclid]

Scary stuff, and I'm glad you got through it. So many things could happen that fortunately did not, like getting even more busted up or some car nailing ya after the fact. Or like when you go over the top and the bike is behind you, hurtling toward you.

Yeah, that's a question mark. My wife says she's ok with it, but if it got right down to it and it actually looked like a bike was coming home with me... I don't know. She may be brave and supportive because she doesn't see it actually happening. :-)

I'm a wuss I guess. The things do scare me. I'm not looking to spend much time going fast. I'll probably ride like a granny and keep it to the roads right around here where I grew up that I'm very familiar with, where the speed limit never exceeds 45 mph, the traffic isn't too bad, there aren't a lot of big trucks, and the good folks at the fire station are never more than a couple of minutes from anywhere I would go. :-) Maybe that's a waste of any good bike, but that'll probably be me. And of course the helmet would always be on if for no other reason than maybe ending up next to my mother at a light or something. Must be incognito... it's best for her sanity. LOL

Thanks, Technopope... any ideas are appreciated!

[james1_10018]

Hey Heraclid
I, too am looking into bikes. I have only riden once in my life on a 250 cc. It was scary., I am taking an MSF class and then buying a bike. I have been looking at the "hayabusa" . Everyone has been agaisnt it as not a good 1st bike . So now I am leaning towards the SV, at least for a year.
If I feel comfortable I may just go for the busa.
Like you, I am not one to take speeds lightly, I respect the power, its just I love the look and meanness of the Busa.
I believe I am a very careful, scared driver

[xdfarrx]

I'll say this.... You don't sound like a fool so I believe you prolly won't ride like on. My first bike was a full liter (1000cc) bike. I never rode before. I did the MSF class, etc. etc.

I would recommend a new 600 (or preowned). The SV is a great bike and can be had pro owned very cheap (go to WERA forum, hint). They peak at 80 hp (tops) and have a decent chassis.

This might sound ahead of the curve for you but very quick you will get used to whatever bike.

I now own a R1 and the bike dynos at around 150hp....

I recommend youu by a bike that will make you happy now and in the future, being a good 600 is totally manageable but also has plenny of teeth.

Remember the bike only does what it is told to do via inputs... If you trust yourself then you can trust riding-

good luck!!

[V-Twin hiCROSS]

Heraclad,
My suggestion would be to look into either a cruiser, or a dual-sport bike. I know that most of the "crotch-rocket" guys are going to disagree, but I do have some reasons behind my suggestions.

I currently own a custom Harley Softtail and a Kawasaki KLR 650 dual-sport. My biggest complaint against the sport bikes are that you cannot hardly ride them without going too fast. I have several buddies with them, and we switch rides once in a while. Those things just want to GO!!!! I am similar to Heraclad, in that I do not intend to ride faster than is safe.

With a cruiser, you can just sit back and relax and take in all of your surroundings. If you can afford it, there is nothing more fulfilling than the rumble of an American made V-Twin (with some decent pipes of course) under your butt. Not too mention, the young ladies go nuts for them.

If you are at all adventurous, think about a dual-sport. You can go on back roads and trails any time you wish. They are also very easy to ride and have excellent maneuverability. Here in Missouri, we have tons of forest trails and even several state parks to go out and ride in the woods. This is probably my favorite stress-releiving activity.

Just my $.02. Let us know what youy decide on.

[Dallas4u]

Too bad BeginnerBikes.com is gone... it was a great source of info for beginner and not-so-beginner riders.

Yes, the SV650 is probably going to be too much bike to handle. The debate over this model was a HUGE discussion on the above forum... it's only a 650cc, but the gearing and HP can be way too much for someone (MANY beginners) that just can't handle it. On the other hand, the Ninja 500 is thought of as being a great beginners bike. I'm not a huge sport bike fan, but no one ever had anything bad to say about the Ninja 500.

It's good that you're going to take the MSF. I don't think there is a person out there that couldn't get at least something positive out of it... even MANY seasoned riders (there were many in the course that I took). I'm not sure if they do it exactly the same in every course, but they initially told us to pick a bike... one that came close enough to fitting us as possible. Now, you don't know, being a beginner, what is going to fit and won't won't... so just pick something you can sit on somewhat comfortably. I say this because I was stuck with my bike through the whole (3 day) course. Not bad, because the cruiser (Suzuki GZ250) fit ok. It was pretty small, but not too bad. I don't know if you'll be able to brag different bikes through the course, but you do get to check them out before the course starts... so see if you can sit on them and get a feel for what feels better between your legs!

Good luck! I wouldn't buy anything until after the course. At least then you can possibly test ride some bikes... my first bike was a KTM Duke II, which is a 640cc, but is also known as a hooligan machine. I now ride a Suzuki Boulevard C50 (800cc). Best in its class, and has more power than many larger machines, but is not a bad second bike choice.

Oh... and about the fuel gauge. Most aren't very accurate, so not having one doesn't matter much. You can determine (thorugh research) how much on average riders get for that particular bike, and just watch your mileage. Initially, the Volusia (name of the same model before the C50) had a gas gauge... now, my bike just has a low level light.

Have fun!

*EDIT... I just forgot to state that riding a motorcycle may possible be more fun than having sex. It's possible... I'd have to do many more tests before coming to a final conclusion, but it is possible!*

[Heraclid]

James1_10018, I agree with what everyone else has been telling you. Please don't go for the Hayabusa right out of the gates. It doesn't matter how cautious you are or what the salesman says, things happen and if you aren't experienced that thing WILL get you. If you were going to start playing with snakes, would you start with a king cobra?

Xdfarrx, that's pretty much my thinking too. Something along the lines of the SV650 is the most powerful thing I'd consider for a first bike. The only reason I'd even consider a 600/650 is the fact that you don't grow out of them so much and there are a few very well-mannered ones out there that will let you make a few mistakes without making you suffer too much for it. In fact, many folks seem to quickly move up to liter bikes and then settle back down onto 600's and 750's.

V-Twin hiCross, it's just a personal taste thing for me - I've never been real drawn to other bikes like I am to the so-called crotch rockets. I'm not saying it's out of the question because that very well may change if I get to ride some different things at a MSF course or whatever. Comfort and safety is more important than image and for all I know, I may find out that the last thing I want is a sportbike - I just don't know yet.

Edit: Just saw your post Dallas... thanks for the info! And I would definitely wait until after the course, so maybe I'm sort of putting the cart before the horse here by getting into all of this now. I was just offered a nice CBR600F3 but it's just not time for that yet. And oh yeah, have fun testing which is better. :-) If I were you, I'd never reach a definite conclusion so I could continue testing indefinitely. LOL

[morgan-tec]

I taught my neighbor to ride and we started her on an SV650S and she did awsome. She is a big girl <200lbs and now she is doing track days and group rides with less than two yrs of riding under her belt. The 650 is a very good beginner bike, not too pricy and there is all kinds of stuff for it, and depending on your insurance since it does not have a lowed faring they do not consider it a sport bike so you dont get raped for the sportbike surcharge.