i will check this out and see what i can find. yamaha seem very reliable from what i read on reviews.I started on an 07 Yamaha FZ6 with no riding experience other than the MSF, and I thought it was an excellent beginner bike. I actually loved it so much I went back to one after owning a few other bikes.
Suzuki SV650s tend to be very popular first bikes as well, although I don't have any experience personally with them.
awesome, yeah i def need neighborhood time and really become more confident. the 2 days were fun but its nowhere near enough to go out and buy something crazy like some of the students did. one guy already had a harley and no experience when he signed up lol...really?Honestly something cheap for a few months like a DRZ400 is perfect to me when people ask. Very easy to ride and get the "feel for" and they arent expensive at all and you can mod them to no end.
yeah everyone is like get a busa bro....really? my other buddy was telling me the insurance is significantly higher on sport bikes but i will keep my eye out on cl for a ninja. my instructor said he uses a ninja 250 as his go to bike lol my gear will be on, i saw my buddy wipe out at 5 mph and he got ****ed up in the parking lot....gear for me, that alone was enough for me to decide. instructor told us to get visible clothing and gear since no one will see or care for you on the road. probably wind up with a white full face helmet....i'm trying to live llolTo be honest, a ninja 250 is what you really need. Especially since you have never been on the road. You can't fine one for $1500. Don't listen to the guys that say "you need a 600RR". Those bikes are still fast as ****, and WILL get you in trouble. The ninja 250 or 500 will be light enough for you, and the power band won't be as snappy. Once you learn on the ninja, you can step up to a 600RR. Always ALWAYS wear full gear. Boots, pants, jacket, gloves everything. Check out cycle gear if you haven't already. Main thing to remember: You are INVISIBLE. No one can see you, and they don't give a ****. Never ride in a car's blind spot. Always distance yourself. Always have an escape route. Be aggressive and stay alert. Never drink and ride, even one beer can alter your movement. Also, be gentle on that front brake until you get used to it. Last thing you want to do is grab a hand full of tittes (front brake) ....you will go flying over. GOOD LUCK ! :coolman:
found an iron 883 on cl, 2011 guy wants $4500 but he said it need brakes and tires. similar 883s are $7400 and up. as much as i don't want to spend that much its a newer bike and 12k miles. i my go "look" at it today lol . buddy came by with his 1100 shadow and that thing was heavy!I had the same experience you did and went with an 848 for my first bike. It's all on you man. How responsible you feel you are and how good of a driver you are also. How alert you are as a driver and risks you take translates a lot into what kind of rider you will be.
will check this out too, thanks!Sounds like you want a small cruiser? Suzuki Savage\S40. Perfect small simple cruiser for a shorter dude.
buddy wiped out on a turn pretty nasty. they kept telling us DO NOT BRAKE IN THE TURN. sure enough he grabbed a handful and ate shit. toes bruised up, road rash on his arm, and back all crashed up to. like yep....need some gear.This is solid advice especially since you're new to bikes. Hitting the brakes too hard or cracking the throttle when you're leaned and shouldn't will be much more forgiving on a bike like this. Give it a few months and you can upgrade if you're comfortable; you won't lose any money if you buy a used one.
buddy came by and he started breaking down the bike and i felt a lot more confident....he's like " just imagine a car with everything visible for maintenance and easer to get to for the most part." he said don't be afraid of working on it since you work on your cars all the time, its basically the same thing, which it appears to be. def. gave e a lot more confidence that he came by.My stepmom got a V-star 250 as her first bike. When she quit, I took it just because then I wouldnt have to buy a new bike. I enjoyed it for around town- most smaller bikes are singles, the star is a twin so its got some torque to it. Will do 70 too (wouldnt for long, but enough that I could hop a couple exits down the highway). For 1500, its a nice, pretty new bike.
If you dont mind tinkering, spend 800 on a older honda, suzuki, or yamaha 4-500. decent power, not so much youll be dead, and not so little you lack it once you get used to riding.
will look atYamaha FZ6R, detuned R6 engine.
thanks man! yeah there's a couple of empty spot around my area so i will be utilizing them if i can to get better on turns, maneuvering, etc. the parking lot was ok at school but you can only do so much ya know? buddy that came by was really helpful and told me he doesn't mind helping at all since he loves to ride. i have known him a long time so he's been really helpful this far. gear will be on for me, i don't care how hot it is. after seeing my body wipe out slow and limp away i was like damn!-Make sure you call around for insurance. I went with State Farm (who also has my vehicles) and it was considerably cheaper then competitors.
-ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) it is easier to wipe off sweat or bring a extra shirt then to go down with little to no gear. Helmet/jacket/gloves is a must then add boots and pants as budget allows.
-Also look for open parking lots to practice. Neighborhoods are great, but you have vehicle and people traffic to consider
-The bike choice is also dependent on what you want to eventually get. It seams you want more of a cruiser any small one would be fine. Jap bikes are usually super easy to work on and ultra reliable. Anything with a more upright sitting position are also great and very comfortable. I quickly found out how much better a standard bike is over a sport bike. Also don't start on a 600 or larger sport bike. Yes, you can learn safely, but you learn much faster and better on the smaller bikes.
-Be careful. Bikes are amazing fun, economical, and easy to use. You just have to be mindful of your surroundings at all times. There is no reason to be rushed by those around you. I commute on mine almost every day because I am proactive about my safety. I don't take chance. I don't make risky maneuvers. I don't speed. I avoid other traffic like the plague. I stay visible as much as possible. Might seem boring reading it, but I get home safely and still enjoy my time on the bike
i see this too, like really? minimal clothing on a hot day....all you need it to catch some gravel and its wipe out time. some gy died on the hwy this past weekend and wife flipped out. i told her "did you read the article? guy was flying down the hwy doing tricks according to witnesses". none of that for me lolThis is probably most important. I see idiots all the time. Tank top, flip flops, shorts etc. Squids make real ugly road meat, I'll say that...
good info, thanks!X2 for this info. I started on a 1983 Honda Shadow. It was fine for a starter bike but was the biggest POS I've ever owned. I regretted not getting a Ninja 250 for a starter bike. Buy it for $1500 and sell it for what you paid 6 months/ year later. Its your first bike, not your last.
will look at as well.get the new kawaski h2r, they are great for beginners op:
tried my buddies and the 1100 is way to heavy for me. he's about 225 and taller than me so he's like "its not that bad bro"... while my feet were dangling lolI had a Honda Shadow 1100 as my first bike and it was nice. I really only picked it up though because it was $1500 and the bike was in great condition :thumbsup:
awesome! yeah i found an 883 on cl orange and black 2011 with 12k miles. guy said it was never dropped but he doesn't ride it anymore. he barely budged to $4500 and it was pulling teeth. as much as i don't want to spend that much it looks like its cared for and its pretty new. similar 883s go for $7400 so i'm considering it. he's not in a rush and it does look cared for but i will swing by today and see it. i won't be doing any long trips soon so i'm good but riding is def a perishable skill so if I'm not practicing especially as a beginner i will def lose everything i learned.I know a lot of people start on big fast bikes and that's their choice. I myself started on a 2012 cbr 250r. It was so easy to learn on and so forgiving I got really good at riding that thing. I put 14000 miles on it in just over 6 months. I absolutely loved riding it. Not to mention it was cheap, $4000 new, 75 mpg and runs on 87 octane. Full coverage insurance was like $27 a month. I would ride all day long on my days off. I was so good on that thing on the tight twisty roads my friends with the bigger bikes couldn't keep up, they were too scared to push their big fast bikes. It's a slow bike don't get me wrong but it will do 75+ on the interstate just fine. Just remember it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow.
I eventually got rid of it for a 600rr for a brief time then to a 2013 harley iron 883 then to my current 2014 low rider. The iron is a fun bike to ride around town but really terrible for long trips.