Motorcycle for beginner
 

I've decided I ain't getting any younger, and I'm going to get a motorcycle this winter or spring. The older BMW R75s seem to be spoken of fondly here. I found a newer R90/6 locally. Doesn't have much power. Has hard bags (big plus for me), but it weighs 475 lbs according to reviews. That seems stupid heavy. If I lay it over, I'm not certain I could get it upright.

I don't see many smaller bikes out there. I know I can handle a 600cc+ bike with some great discipline, but I really don't want the temptation. I'd rather start out small.

Is an older BMW a decent fit for a total newbie?

I want something that can do cruise backroads as well as fit in for commuting duty occasionally. I need bags to carry work clothes, boots, and sometimes an extra hand tool or goodie. I don't need much power. I'm perfectly happy with my legpower on a bicycle, so a motorcycle is a big upgrade.

The craigslist listings here are dominated by ATVS, so I need some models to put in the search engine.
thanks, jurgen

Personally, I'd get something more modern. Power aside, the better brakes, suspension and handling characteristics of a modern bike would be more useful to a beginner. I'd get a standard style bike. I like to recommend the Suzuki Bandits, as they are cheap and reliable, plus a lot of fun. You can pick either a 600cc or 1200cc version. ABS is available, if you want it. A small fairing, or none, as you wish.

Other brands have similar bikes. Plus, you can throw bags on anything, if you want. Hard, or soft, there are a million choices out there.

JR

There are many bikes that would be a good fit. I don't know about going the whole smaller beginner bike route. I did that and it worked out ok but I ended up buying and selling something I outgrew quickly. If I were to do that again I'd buy a classic, yet modern enough to be safe, that I wanted to keep. Air cooled BMW new enough to have disc brakes, etc. would be interesting. I had a 76 Honda CB400 supersport, very cool little bike I should have kept.

I ride an older Honda VFR750 which I love. Enough power for me, great commuter, handles well enough to take to the track and have fun, cheap, super reliable, etc. If you are going to commute I like the lockable hard bag idea. That's something I don't have and I'm constantly worried about my stuff getting stolen or I have to lug a large backpack or my soft bag around. I have a rack system for mine and adding a lockable hard bag should be pretty easy. My bike weighs in the 475 lb range. It might be tough to find something substantially lighter with fairings, etc. that you can live with every day.

Price in gear, it gets expensive quick. I've learned ton from other riders on this board. Have fun and be safe, take the MSF class, ride for a while, take another, read books, practice, etc.

Jurgen, have you considered a dual sport? With the property you have and your commuting requirement a KLR400 or something like it may be the best of all worlds for you.

Jurgen 475 pounds is not that heavy of a bike and keep in mind that if you drop it you have the leverage of the wheels to pick it up. You really will only be lifting about 100lbs.

I think an older BMW would be a great bike to learn on as they are pretty forgiving. That R90 has plenty of power for you.

I have been in the hunt for a older BMW and am driving up to Wisconsin on Friday to pick this up:

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/a...6/IMG_1553.jpg

Here it is with the hard bags:

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/a...IMG_1460-1.jpg

For some reason Missouri has a number of these bikes also so try the St. Louis, Kansas City craigslist ads. But for the mother of BMW ads this is the place: The IBMWR Marketplace: Home

Wow Kurt! Stop by if you have time.

It is on the other side of the state, by St. Paul. The high up there on Friday is only going to be 53! Hell it was 53 here when I woke up this morning.

Good grief I thought you'd be trucking it. You'll at least have some nice roads along the river. Best of luck on the trip.

When I got into riding about 4 yrs. ago, I also started out looking for an R75/5. But pretty soon I was set on having modern features like disc brakes, better lighting and more reliable fuel/engine maint. I ended up getting a 2004 BMW R1150R, which isn't much more expensive than the R75/5 these days. I sold that after six mos. for $1000 more than I paid for it and went with an R1200GS. I still lust for an older Beemer, but now have an '08 GS and can't imagine life without it.

this is a good bike if you have atleast a 33in inseam .
2001 1150 GS with street tires and street rims.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1288191673.jpg

I think that one weighs a bit more than the R75/5. The GS went on a diet when the 1200 came out.

I dunno. I love older bikes, but I don't think less power is a good thing. And I don't think carburators are a good thing. I would get a more modern FI 500-600cc bike.

What about a Ducati Monster 620? Looks sporty, sounds great, reasonably comfortable riding position. Makes about 65hp. The later 695 is another option.

A Japanese alternative would be a Suzuki SV 650.

A BMW 650 GS?

i think any beginner bike is one that you can get both feet flat on the ground.

Any single cylinder dual sport bike would be good as well as something like a Ninja 250 for a beginner.

Here's a newly-announced option, a new Honda 250:

Soup :: Wow! Honda Announces All-New CBR250R! :: 10-27-2010

JR

This is exactly what I was going to recommend.

Another good starter bike that can be had inexpensively and has a lot of capability is the Suzuki GS500. One step up from the GS500 would be the Yamaha FZ6

Beginner bike... Well... If I had to do it again, I would NOT have picked the pig I started with - 1987 BMW K75. Sure, it was a steal, it was a tank, I couldn't hurt it (and I tried)... But it was uncomfortable on long rides, was too heavy (strained a muscle at least once picking it up) and expensive to maintain.

I would suggest trying various cruisers for a starter bike. Very linear powerband, usually comfortable riding position, decent handling (with limits so you don't kill yourself), cheaper insurance, cheaper to wrench on, etc. I would NOT get a brand new bike as your first. Here's some suggestions:

Honda Shadow (Rebel)
Yamaha Virago
Suzuki Intruder
Kawasaki Vulcan

Just some thoughts. I'd aim for the mid 1990s to early 2000s. Also, now is a good time to buy as "riding season" is coming to an end. Also, see what riding courses are available in your area. They teach you skills that normally take a few years to develop.

cannot believe this thread is not 10k posts long, everyone must be out riding. Ive owned a lot of jap cruisers and bmw boxers.

my latest, and near the t.op of the list bike is the 1983 honda nighthawk cb650c. no adjusting valves, and a driveshaft. even the best ones are cheap, and a great ride. these conveniences are only on the 1983 and newer nighthawks. no need, but they do make a 700 and a 750 and a 900.

The carbs on my bike have been trouble free and I rode some newer CBR's before I bought the VFR that were FI. The throttle response was much less manageable on those bikes. Felt in some ways like riding my 2 stroke CR250 dirt bike. I would not be scared of carbs if they've been well maintained.

I still have my '83 Nighthawk 650 that I bought used in about 1985..... Nothing special, but I had a lot of fun on it back in the day.

Just IMHO 1000cc or above is not a beginner bike.

Most people I know (myself included) started on a under 500cc bike.

I'm even considering a mini ninja for a commuter bike.

I go with Vash, any bike that you can put both feet flat on the ground to learn on.
You will be upgrading within a year so make model and year are not too important.
I have been riding since 1966, I like twins any type V, flat, vertical, whatever. ENJOY

I don't know if an older bike is necessarily a good way to be introduced to the sport. My first bike was 17 years old, by the time I got it. Reliability was an issue. It's a bit discouraging for a newbie to spend as much or more time wrenching than riding. On average, newer bikes will be more reliable.

Having both feet flat on the ground is tremendous.

I like the SV650 for a first bike. 500 Ninja (or EX500, as they used to call it). GS500E from Suzuki was also a popular entry level model. Baby Ninja from Kawi may be just a two-fiddy, but it revs to 14K, too. I'm not keen on recommending Ducatis for new riders for cost/reliability/maintenance reasons, but a 600 or 750 Monster is a reasonable place to start. There must be good entry-level cruisers, but I have no idea what they are. Whatever you buy, get used. It will be less painful if you accidentally drop it in your driveway or at a stop sign. And when you upgrade in a year or so, the bikes listed above can usually be resold for about what you purchased them for.

I was about to come to Ducati's defense from a reliability perspective, but my 748 won't start at the moment...lol. *sigh*.

How about a nice lightweight low seat height "old school" CB450? Wide open it it won't get much past 100 mph. :D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1288227099.jpg

I went through this same search about 4 years ago. I wanted an old BMW and folks made recommendations about the 250 Ninjas and the SV650 and all that. I looked them over, but I could never get the BMW out of my mind.

I ended up scoring a 1980 R65 (650) for about $2000. It was a lot of people's first bike but it was mechanically sound. The only work I have done to it was the clean the carbs and fix one of the valve adjusters. I don't ride it as much as I did in 2006, because my weekends are consumed with stuff with he kids now, so it sits a lot. The only reason I haven't sold it is because my wife keeps saying it costs little to nothing to keep it and she's probably afraid of what I brought home next.

It's a 650 and it's pretty slow but it'll move if you wind it up. It's all manual, clutch, brakes, etc. It has enough false neutrals to keep things interesting. It's the motorcycle version of and old 911.

If you ride a bike often, I think carbs are OK, but for an occasional toy I would have preferred FI. Sometimes this thing is a ***** to get started.

Yamaha 500 XT:

http://vroum52.com/yamaha071009.img/Yamaha500xt1980.jpg

A photo for reference purposes. I keep saying I'll tear it all down and repaint/restore it like Leland did, but I never get to it. Lots of DE this season so maybe over the winter.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1288227561.jpg

I'll trade you some Fuchs for ghat thing :D

I made a similar decision this summer. I've never had a street bike but decided I wanted one. I bought a very nicely restored 77 R100S. It turned out to be a great first bike. Reliable, easy to ride, decent performance. I rode it about 2k miles this summer. I liked the vintage, air cooled, simple aspect of it. If you've worked on an air cooled 911 you'll be right at home. I'm glad I bought it. I've since bought a Ducati 996S It's uh.... a little different. I haven't been riding the BMW much since I bought it but I'm keeping it for sure and will get back to it once the rush wears off (if it does)
JUST DO IT

I still think a dual sport makes for a great first bike, especially if you plan to commute with it.

But! I you want something exotic how about a Ducati 750 or 900 Supersport? A 750 SS can be had for pretty cheap.

I don't think a faired sportbike makes for a good first bike.

buy something CHEAP.

it is a statistical certainty that you will dump the bike in the first six months.

Whoa. Thanks the replies. I've been plugging model names into google and craigslist to get up to speed.

When I was younger and in school or driving a desk in the office, I relished time in the garage turning a wrench. Now, I do home remodeling work and property management, and the grease and concrete floor aren't so enticing. I favor a bike that's reliable, starts all the time (or at least almost every time), and doesn't need much fiddling. I see the R75 and think, "drum brakes--sure about that?"

Of the bikes mentioned, I think the dual sport is a good fit, because they're cheap, have a friendly powerband, and will tolerate being dropped. I could be totally wrong. The bandit, SV650, nighthawk, and KLR are on the watchlist.

CB450? Me likey a LOT, but I'd never ride it. I'd be afraid to drop it. I need a disposable bike that won't depreciate. I need something cheap, so I can afford to buy gear. I've been down on my roadbike enough times to know it sucks. I can't imagine riding a motorcycle with a t-shirt. I get goosebumps every time I see a couple wearing jeans and a tank top.

SO, what's the approximate budget for the bike purchase?

I'd budget a grand for gear...

JR

Are you thinking of selling????

I have had a ton of bikes, but if you don't want an older bike, want something reliable, fun, and with a bit of power, you can never go wrong with an SV650.

Found you this and it is in TN! 2006 Suzuki SV650 Chattanooga TN ADV Ready! well, almost. - ADVrider

http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/p...06Sv650001.jpg

http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/p...06Sv650002.jpg

Nope.... I rarely sell anything I have built/restored/repaired. :) Just had to throw out the idea of picking up an older simple bike like a CB as a first bike.

I agree with Rot911. Any of those fairly recent Japanese bikes in that size range are easy rides, fun, reliable, and not expensive. You would probably get your money or most of it back on resale if you decide to sell it in a reasonable amount of time.