Motorcycle N00b

Kawasaki ninja 250.  They are fantastic starter bikes.  Check craigslist, they can be had for around 1300-2500.  Oh, and the older models are a little lacking in the aesthetics department, however the 08 model got quite the looks upgrade.  Of course, expect to pay more for the 08 model.

For a plethora of info check out:  sportbikes.net


Edited by Glassjaw - 23 September 2009 at 7:05pm

Eclipse = Failure as a mechanical creation.

A few things you need to consider when getting your first bike.

1.  How big or small a person are you.   Some small bikes are great to start on but if you cant comfortable fit on the bike it is not gona be an ideal learning bike.

2.  What kind of riding do you see yourself doing.  Sport bikes are alot of fun to ride but if your main riding is gona be longer trips a sport bikes gona HURT.  And cruisers look cool to some and some offer good comfort but are very poor in the corners and dont offer a very good rding position to propperly learn riding techniques.  Standards are just that a good mix of a sports cornering but with a bit more of a cruisers comfort.  And lastly duel sports offten lack in power AND comfort but allow ya to play in the dirt and stil work quite well on the road.

3.  And lastly how mature are ya how old are ya and were abouts do you live (IN canada insurance is hugely dependant on were ya live id imagin it would be the same in the US).  How much $$$$ can you justify for the bike, GOOD rideing GEAR (Helmet, Jacket, Gloves, Pants and BOOTS), AND insurance.


I been riding for 5 years and three motorcycles LOL.  Being a bigger guy (6' 285lbs) with shorter legs(30" inseam) i decided to start on a small bore cruiser a YAMAHA V-STAR 650cc.  It had a smaller engine so insurance was nice but the bike itself looked no differant than the much bigger engined bikes and fit my fat ass quite well.  The bike worked well for me and worked fine on longer trips.   It was not overly powerfull but was still fun and much quicker than most cars.  Still after 2 years on that bike i found myself wanting a more sporting ride (wore threw one set of pegs and a pair of boots grinding them in the twisties) without sacraficeing too much comfort and i really wanted to try messing with some dirt stuff too.   So i moved on to a SUZUKI V-STROM 650cc.  Had alot of fun on this bike, after owning the cruier i learned i had alot of bad habits and really was not trully rding the cruiser to its limits as i had thought.   This bike had twice the power was much lighter had WAY WAY more ground clearnce was even more comfy and offered a very LITTLE bit of dirt capability.  I liked this bike alot BUT i never could get both feet on the ground with it and it needed suspenshion work to deal with my weight.  Also i was finding riding this bike boring as in order to have any fun in the twisties i was WAY above the posted limits so eventually after again 2 years on this bike i decided to go back to a cruiser.   Also my insurance company classed the bike as a sport touring bike and thuse the insurance was quite expensive for some one under 25years old (AKA $2000/year). 
 
Now i ride a YAMAHA V-STAR 1100cc Silverado (AKA touring model).  This bike works for me.  Still not sporty (makes the same kinda hp as the suzuki did but twice the tq)  but its comfy works AWSOME on longer trips, is by far the most comfy of the bikes i have ridden, fits me perfectly, gets awsome fuel milage. and most importantly its fun to ride as i can actually rid the bike much closer to its limits in the twisties without doubling the posted speed limits.  I dont know if id recommed it as a good begginer bike as its a little heavy and if not respected will break the rear tire loose in 1st and some times second (or third and fourth in the dirt ) but if ridden cautiosly it could be handled by a new ride im sure. Insurance is actually cheaper for me too costing only $1550/year.  Not as chap as my first bike but $500/year cheaper than my sport touring bike i had.

My First bike


My second bike


And my current bike .Can actually see my first bike in this pic too as its still in the family (gave it to my mother as a gift)and this pic was taken on a family bike trip.









Edited by BearClaw - 24 September 2009 at 1:23pm

scotchyscotch wrote: Do you keep in good shape? Eat healthily?

Uncle Rudder wrote: scotchyscotch wrote: Do you keep in good shape? Eat healthily?      I'm certainly not the pinnical of muscular fitness. However, I am not in the slighest bit fat.  I used to run and lift on a daily basis, but that has all but completely stopped as of recent.  Just haven't had the time.   Either way, I'm far better at endurance than brute force.

Good stuff. In that case I got dibs on your organs.

Sounds like your riding apparel budget is pretty good but i would recommend at least getting the helmet NEW as if you crash or drop a helmet from exsessive height it is scrap.  And from experiance i know my helmet i crashed it and landed face first looks perfectly fine (was a mud landing) BUT the foam cushion is a one shot deal once its compress its scrap.

AS for a good bike in your price range that meet your requierments that would both offer a good learning bike and one you would not bore easily of.  Offers awsome reliabilty and their are THOUSANDS of em out their.   Id look at either a Kawasaki 500 Ninja or a Suzuki GS500.