Used MOTORCYCLE for a newbie.....which one?
 

Seriously looking to buy a motorcycle, I'd like one which:

Isn't heavy
Good beginner bike
Used
Fairly quick
Under 2 or 3k or ?

What fits the bill and why?

Thanks -

Decided against the scooter?

I think the best all around beginner bike out there today is the Suzuki SV650. Been out for about 7 years, very reliable, in your price range and you will still like the bike after you have been riding for awhile. Bike is popular enough that after a couple of years you can sell if for about what you paid for it.

http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcsuz/m...99sv650-16.jpg

I swear by my Katana - great commuter bike, very stable and plenty fast. I like to say it's excellent at nothing but good at everything. It'll hang with GSX-Rs (kinda), you can load it up with passengers & gas & saddlebags and anything else you can think of, it's damn near indestructable, small enough to lane-split effectively, large enough to not be squirley, comfortable enough for longer rides (no "crotch rocket" posture), etc. I love it. The 600 might be better for you as an initial purchase versus the 750, but that's up to you.

40+ MPG, park anywhere pretty much anytime, insurance is $300 for the YEAR, registration is under 100 bucks, and don't sit in traffic - ever. It might be heresy here, but I swear I'd sell my P-cars before I ever got rid of owning a bike living in this area it's the perfect commuting tool.

Honda VFR, anything after '85.

I agree the VFR is one of the best all around bikes out there, but not for a beginner. Too tall, too heavy, too much power. This is coming from the owner of first a 1985 VF700 and now a 2001 VFR800i.

Ack - SPORT BIKE - I forgot to add

I'm with Kurt. SV650 tough to beat.

Other good first bikes with character:

Kawasaki W650
Triumph Bonneville (New one not the old one)
Ducati Monster 600. (and later variants)
BMW F650

Might have to lay our some dinero for these some of this selection though...something you won't have to do with the SV650.

Of course there are enough old Honda CB750s and Airhead BMWs laying about and represent fair value, although not necessarily preforming like a modern bike....especially where brakes are concerned.

Nice.

http://images.traderonline.com/img/5...84427091_1.jpg

Keep it coming - links to 'for sales' are great!

Craig;

Wish you were in SoCal. I have 20+ bikes in a hangar there. You could come take a ride on pretty much every type. There are a few that would make your choice easier.

I have to side with the SV. It can go from mild mannered intro bike to potent track weapon for very few $

http://www.svrider.com/

They have been around long enough that there is a very large supply of cheap spares and upgrades.

My little brother on his 99 SV in the rain at BlackHawk

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1152307298.jpg

Fire away - what do you have that you'd recommend?
Hell, fire away anyone - I'd love to hear ideas

My beginner bike was an old Honda 550-4 Still a great looking bike after 24 years.

Ended up with a Yamaha FZR 600. It was fast enough and handled very well.

If the Honda 600F2 is in your range, that's a great bike. A 600 is cheap to insure, has enough power and handles and stops exceptionally well.

Now that I think about it, an '86 or '87 VFR700 (tarriff-beater) is pretty underpowered, maybe 65-70hp.

On the other hand, you might want to avoid a bike with lots of plastic. The SV has some but not a lot, and they sure have a lot of fans.

I'm not so sure about twins and newbies. Maybe a lower hp one is ok (Monster 600 or a stock SV650), but I find they are pretty intolerant of a less-than-smooth right hand. My Triumph with an I4 was a lot smoother and very kind in the low revs. The Duc likes to jump and buck, and engine braking is very strong.

I agree on keeping it a middleweight (600).

Ditto SV650, even if you have to pay a little extra for it.

Excellent stuff. I'm looking up all recommendations, keep em coming.......

I'll put in a pitch for a Triumph Speed Four. It was my "returning" bike, and if not for a flare up of a hip injury, I would have never sold it. Great bike.

I also had a Monster 620, and that is a great "newbie" bike, but is more money and if you learn quick and are a bigger guy, you likely will outgrow it quickly.

Some of the best newbie bikes that come to mind are (in no particular order):

Suzuki SV650, faired or unfaired

Kawasaki Ninja 500

Suzuki GS500, later versions in particular

All of these bikes have bulletproof engines whose designs are well tested, and they are tuned well for a new rider (as opposed to the bowstring tuning used on the 600cc class bikes). I'd stay away from the 250cc bikes. The lack of power gets old quick, and can be dangerous in situations that require enough oomph to get out of the way. Kawa has a new ninja 650R twin that looks promising, but I have yet to ride one.

I haven't ridden a SV650 but I have read nothing but good things about it. Seeing as I am financially challenged and can't afford a fancy Italian bike like so many that post here ride it is high on my list for a cheap/fun/fast all around bike.
I am also considering a beemer twin because a sporting bike is not a high priority for me.

Take it Easy
 

If you have little or no scooter time under your belt, take it real easy at first. I don't mean to sound patronizing but the 600's on the market today are insanely fast. I bought a 900 Kawasaki back in the early 70's and almost killed myself within the first week. I'd been riding a 650 Bonneville(totally whimpy by todays standards) for a couple of years prior so I thought I had it all figured out. The new 600's will do all that old 900 would do and more. They're a total blast but take time to get used to it before grabbing a handful of that right handlebar.

Mike

I have a bunch of bikes. I got a couple of oldie-but-goodies not too long ago. Spent a couple of weeks getting them running correctly. When I was in college, they were all fairly 'hot' for their time.

1973 CB750-four, a 1972 CB350-four, and a 1975 CB500T.

They are embarassingly mild. I scare myself all over again getting on any of the V4's after them.

Yamaha Seca II is a great beginner bike. Not lightning quick by bike standards... but 0-60 is about the same as a Dodge Viper. Plus there's less plastic down below. Like it or not, a lot of people drop their first street bike.

You should be able to pick one up for $1500 or less.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1152325754.jpg

How much riding experience do you have? "I rode my friend's roommate's bike once in college" doesn't count. 10 years of off road riding is different.

I'll go against the majority opinion and tell you that a 600 cc sportbike is a crappy first choice. It'll have too much power for you (even an F2 from 1991-4). And plastics are expensive. Then, if you do buy one as a newbie, you'll be afraid to ride it properly, pussy-foot around, and even if you don't crash because you're "mature" enough (as everyone thinks they are, BTW), you'll be intimidated enough that your riding skills will be slower to develop.

In the end, you will be better off for having a smaller, lighter, lower seat height, less powerful, and less sexy bike. You'll actually develop better riding skills (because you'll have more confidence to explore using all the available HP/potential of the bike). If you bought a first car, would you be better off with a used Miata, or a Viper? In terms of actually learning proper driving skill, I'd suggest the "slower" machine. You actually learn to ride/drive, as opposed to doing the point-and-squirt method of keeping up with traffic.

So my non-sexy recommendations for a first bike:
Kawasaki Ninja 250 or 500
Suzuki GS500E
That Seca II (or 600 Bandit) are also OK, but not ideal.
CBR/FZR/VFR are not good choices, even if you don't crash them. The SV650 is so-so. You won't grow out of it for awhile, but it's plenty quick (just ask all the track guys who run circles around 900 Monsters on them).

Bonus of these plebian scoots: they've been made forever, so they're plentiful. And you can pick up a used one for a couple thousand dollars, and then go out and sell it in a year for about the same amount.

I 2nd Noah's opinion. I have had all sorts of bikes and I believe that one that you sit upright on such as a cruiser would give you a little more comfort and stability while getting your bearings. I would say you should go try something like a mid 90s Yamaha Virago 700. Not to crazy on the cc department but PLENTY fast. I bet there are a half dozen for sale near you for ~$2500 and they take a beating and look pretty cool. You also learn to ride a bit with your tush, leaning and manipulating your hips a little more (hard to explain/articulate) but when you move to a sport bike you already have great feel/balance and every bike thereafter seems easy to ride...sort of 2nd nature. Good luck and have fun...bikes are really fun to look at and mull over.

Joe

The Sv can take you from putting around to running down 1000cc twins in ASRA thunder bike.

I can also recomend the M4 pipe, it's a very sweet sounding combo.

This one with a ton of trick stuff is only $6500

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1152328136.jpg

I still disagree. You hit a bump in the road on a baby Ninja, twitch your throttle wrist, and accidentally tap into 5 additional horsepower. You do that on a 600cc sportbike, and that's an additional 15 HP. Doesn't sound like much, but just see what it feels like when you're a newbie riding during your first week. Yeah, you can kill yourself on whatever you're riding. But things happen a lot faster on more powerful bikes.

And while light weight is important, seat height is highly overlooked. At least it does depending on your inseam. But (in general) smaller displacement bikes = lower seat height = greater confidence. Not just in riding, but also think parking lot/oil spot at the stop sign/garage/driveway drops.

That Ninja 250/500 will feel plenty fast when you start out on it. And it'll let you develop your skills a lot faster than a modern 600cc sportbike. Sell it in a year for little/no financial loss, and graduate to the bike you really wanted when you first got into motorcycling.

Finally, don't be an idiot: take the MSF.

Riding experience? ZERO. Rode mountain bikes for years, minibikes for a bit, track use in 911s for 7 years.

Wow, great advice by everyone. Very cool.

There is a lot to be said for a simple 500cc thumper, like the old Yamaha SR 500 or the Honda equivelent. Even a Buel Blast is a great bike. The Yamaha has achieved somewhat of a cult status, and the price reflects that. These are all very solid, easy to ride, forgiving, light bikes. The 500 single is inherently torquey, so it makes it easier to learn, plus they sound really cool. There used to be a spec class for the SR 500, and still might be, and there is a lot of aftermarket support for them as a result. And they are a lot of fun to ride, even for seasoned riders.

In that case, get your ass to an MSF RiderCourse class (or whatever they're calling it these days) and then come back and ask us again.

There is a lot of good advice coming your way above. There is a lot more to riding a motorcycle than working the controls - mastering the physical part is only part of the story. The MSF class is an excellent way to start. They start you out from zero experience learning how to start and get the bike crawling on its own power and finish up with a lot of slow speed manuvers and accident avoidence moves (e.g Quick stops, swerves etc). All useful.

Keep in mind that your gut reactions in a panic situation are all wrong. Imagine you are hitting a curve too fast. You grab bunch of brake to slow down (while leaned over right! -- Wrong). You will drop the suspension and giver yourself even less ability to lean the bike through the curve

Say you lock your back wheel at speed - do you slowly let it unlock or try to keep it locked until you stop. Option 1 can result in what is lovingly called a high side. That is where you fly over the high side of the bike and it follows you and lands on top of you. I can tell you from personal experience that 400-500lbs of bike will keep you pinned until help comes. How ever long that takes. Most folks riding have no idea about any of this. The MSF class will give that much.

My advice (which nobody wants to follow -- I didn't follow it): Get a really small bike, think Honda rebel 250-500cc. Your friends in 1500CC harleys Ducati 999Ss will laugh at you. Ride it for a year. Beat the hell out of it feel free to wipe out all you need too. Then go out and get the bike of your dreams. Dropping the rebel won't cost anything but your pride. Dropping a ducati (not that your thinking along those lines) will hurt in many more ways.

After a year of riding take the Experienced Rider class. They do it on your bike. Most of the same stuff as the basic MSF class except turning it up a notch. If you start out this way, you can save yourself a lot of hurt and expence and end up an old rider who can really turn it up in the twistys while avoided speeding SUVs and minivans driven by psychotic housewives. Best yet, you will still be here. I have seem lots of people really mess themselves up on overpowered bikes thinking that knew it all once they could work the clutch and brakes.


Good luck. Enjoy whatever bike you get.

You can not go wrong with the SV650.

SoCal911SC,

First off, they make the Bandit in a 1200cc version that has plenty of go. Are you saying that they should be lumped in with the Honda Rebel 250 class?

Second, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you suggesting that someone who has no real riding experience outside of a bicycle attempt to learn on a motorcycle that is just clicks away from being a race ready machine? The fastest 15,000rpm 600cc bike that Japan has to offer? Would you send a person with no driving experience for his first drive in a 930? Both are great driving machines, but both can be tricky, even in the hands of a skilled operator. A couple of years ago, a former roomate of mine wanted to get a bike, but had no prior bike experience. I made the same recommendations as I do now, and he headed off to the cycle shop. The sales rep conviced him that an R6 was the newbie bike for him, using the excuse that it was only 100cc bigger than the ninja 500, and it was newer. So, my friend bought it. Two weeks later, he had to order new plastics, pegs, and engine covers because he throttled himself into a wheelie by accident, panicked, and chopped the gas. The front end came down hard, bottomed out, and he lost control. He was okay (just bumps and bruises), but the bike was scraped up pretty bad, and was expensive to fix. True, he was a dumbass, and applied too much in the wrong situation, but that's all it takes. Had he been on a GS500, he would have been fine (ie not wheelied). And, if he had dumped the bike, an unfaired GS would have escaped with minor scratches at worst. Rather than operate a vehicle below its designed region (like 4000rpm) to make it safe, it's better to get the right vehicle in the first place and run it properly.

The key point. Don't be a dumbass...

My biz partner is selling one of these.
 

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1152481294.jpg


I think he's asking like $3k but I know he's flexible. It's got close to 20K on it, and spare parts.

I guess it runs good..

BTW I have no I D E A if that's a good deal or not, but I thought i'd pass it along. I'm sure he'd be tickled by the idea of a trade for your 930 ;)

EDIT - it's a GSXR 750 and if I remember right, it's this exact colour.

rjp

Well, not really. Given that he was a novice, perhaps I should say he was ignorant..... He just didn't know what to do. Of course, one could make the argument that he was a dumbass for buying that bike in the first place.

Another vote for the SV650. I bought one for the wife and it really is a great bike.

If you can't find one of those, I'd recommend any of the older japanese 600 4 cylinders. They're light and they handle and stop very well.

I think the 250 and 500 twins are a bit small unless you're small (<130 lbs) and then they're a good choice too. I just think the small bore bikes can't get you out of trouble when it happens.

My biggest advice beside taking a rider safety class is assume you are invisible because you are. Nobody will see you, so you have to see them and expect them to pull in front of you or change lanes into you. It took me two street crashes 20 years ago for it to really sink in.

the beauty of japanese sport bikes is that alot of owners, want the latest and greatest. i can find lots of used hondas in my neighborhood. get a 600 honda and ride it until it dies. very tough, and reliable. you dont want to get a turd of a bike just because it will be your first. i promise you will learn fast and outgrow the baby bike and will soon be looking for a faster ride. new 600's are rocket fast, and sooo light. you will not be disappointed. remember, as cool as they are, they are not the best for long distances, or passengers. my wrist get sore, just thinking of it.

This 'twin' looks like it might make a good beginner street bike:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-CB750-Powered-Dragster-Triple-A-Accessories_W0QQitemZ200004115285QQihZ010QQcategor yZ6472QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1152489129.jpg

The Bandit 1200 is quite a bike. Insane amounts of torque and pull. I almost traded in my Katana for one a while back, but decided against it. No regrets, but I'd buy a Bandit in a heartbeat for long-distance trips. Great, comfortable bike that will hand a GSXR's ass to it (much to the shock of the GSXR rider!)