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How to Choose a Motorcycle for a Novice?
warder808
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
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I drive a bright orange suv here and even I have people not notice me and doing stuff that would kill a biker.
And one of my coworkers is an MSF instructor and he agrees.
I don’t intend on working on the bike. I don’t have the space, and I don’t think Im too handy with that mechanical things.
Where is a good place to start learning in general about bikes? I don't even know what 250cc means.
It's the size of the engine. That's on the smaller side, but great for commuting.
You should at least learn basic maintenance though. What are you looking to spend?
Can you drive a stick? That's relevant. If you can't you'll be learning some new tricks, or having to stick with scooters. Scooters are for housewives and little girls. Don't buy a scooter.
Protips
1) Buy a helmet. Never ever ride without it. Anyone who tells you not to is a goddamn idiot. Replace it every few years.
2) Take a MSF course. This is probably the best way to learn the basics.
3) Get this book for general explanations of the mechanical aspects of bikes:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Essential-Guide-Motorcycle-Maintenance/dp/1884313418/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1332430781&sr=8-3
4) I'd look at a Honda Rebel 250. http://powersports.honda.com/2012/rebel.aspx There's very little on the market in terms of small newer bikes. Most of the rest of them are street bikes which are designed basically to be raced and are a wonderful way to wrap yourself around a tree or signpost if you are an inexperienced rider.
I dont drive stick. But Im up for learning. I also dont want to end up dead, so I will take safety extremely seriously.
Wow, you can get what you need for WAY less than $5,000.
I'm assuming you're referring to those newer plastic pieces of shit. My Lambretta would like to have words about not shifting and the little girls comment. So would several very tough guys I know who ride vintage Italian scooters.
My first motorcycle was a beater, which I rode (and loved ) the hell out of for a few years before I upgraded. I think that buying a slightly older but reliable low-mileage bike is the best advice.
I think he could easily go up to 500cc for a first bike. Nothing over that though.
Beyond, that smaller bikes (under 500c) are actually harder to find and sometimes more expensive. At least here in Portland.
If he goes for a cruiser style bike, up to like a 650 ought to be fine.
@Warder - As for the seat height, you're going to have to go sit on bikes and see what feels right. They'll probably have you on Rebels for an MSF course though.
I've got to respectfully disagree. If the OP can't even handle the clutch on the bike yet the last thing they need is a powerful bike under them.
Start small. Get comfortable will an easy to handle bike. Then upgrade. There's always a strong secondary market for small bikes because people need them to learn or need them to pass licensing exams.
Yeah. I was under the impression that the OP wanted a newer bike so there'd be limited repair and upkeep.
There's not much on the market beyond those cheap Chinese POS scooters these days.
They teach you how to work a clutch in the MSF class*, and a 500 or 650 two cylinder engine, while more powerful than a 250, is hardly powerful enough to warrant warning a new rider away from even considering them.
There's also the added expense of buying and selling bikes; personally, I'd prefer to buy a single bike that I'll ride for years rather than waste a lot of time and money (registration, sales tax, etc.) buying and selling bikes.
Now, if all you want is a motorcycle, and you think that a 250 will fit your needs, then there is no reason to look at larger bikes. If the majority of your riding is going to be urban and non-highway, then a 250 might be right for you!
@warder808 - There's an active thread for riders on the forums: http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/97328/
*Just because you finish the MSF class and receive your motorcycle operator's license doesn't mean you're ready to hit the road. Take your time and learn the ins-and-outs of whatever bike you do buy, including the function of the clutch and breaks. It was several days of riding before I took my first bike out on anything besides neighborhood roads and parking lots.
here's the image from the thread. . . hopefully. . .
whoops it's massive, now with spoilers for extra downforce!
I took the class on a dual sport, and it worked out well. They're quite a bit taller than the cruisers that you usually see in the classes. Might be an option.
"If you don't know who Kendra is, I'm officially not speaking to you."
Some bikes will run forever if you perform proper maintenance. Some of those same bikes will break down on you monthly if you don't do some simple preventative stuff! It's not always easy to know the difference, but, in general, fewer cylinders= fewer and larger parts= easier maintenance.
They hold their value well because learners like them, so in a year or two when you're bored and want to upgrade, you won't have any problems reselling it at nearly the same value (unless you crash it).
Best recommendations are the Kawasaki Ninja 250R or the Honda CBR250R.
Which is a good thing. The motor still makes over 30 horsepower, and is smaller, lighter and cheaper and easier to maintain than the old CBR250R motor.
"If you don't know who Kendra is, I'm officially not speaking to you."
Plus you can get it with ABS. ABS seriously saves lives, worth every single penny if you are going to go new. If you want a sport bike really you have two options 250r ninja, or CBR250r. A used ninja with frame sliders and good service history will loose almost no value in two or three years of riding.
An alternate option, used BMW G650 with ABS used. It will run forever, it can take the bumps and crappy streets in Manhattan and the Bronx, easy to handle, you can drop it everyday and it will laugh at you.
I spend a lot of time in Manhattan for work and been riding for a while. Not a chance I would ride a bike without some serious suspension travel and never with slickish tires.
On top of that, buy all the protective gear you can. While a jacket may cost a couple hundred dollars, if it is properly reinforced (spinal shielding, etc.) it will save you thousands in medical bills later, not to mention from horrible disfiguring injury. This applies to pants, boots and gloves too.
Oh, and from my dad and uncles (one of which used to race superbikes on a professional level): You will drop your bike or crash. No matter how good you are, there will come a point where you unintentionally separate yourself from that bike while it is moving, and the result of this will more than likely hurt - a lot.
Going to (kind of) call foul on this, as it's the line that shops will use to sell you an $800 helmet you don't need. What's more important is if the helmet is Snell (preferably Snell 2010) and DOT rated. If it is, and it fits properly and is comfortable, then it will do fine.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
This is true, I meant more in the sense of "don't buy the cheapest helmet available"
Current SNELL ratings are not worth the sticker they are printed it on. DOT rated a bit different. SNELL is just a marketing tool now, the helmets. Their ratings make the helmets to hard and they transmit to much force into the skull on collision.
Take a modern SNELL helmet and drop it crown first on the ground and the thing will almost jump back into your hands.
In any case, you're not buying just a Snell-rated helmet; it has to be Snell AND DOT or just DOT, since that's the legal minimum (though it can be a joke, of course). I really can't think of any helmets I've looked at that aren't both Snell and DOT, even the cheapies.
i had read this as well when i was looking into moto stuff. that the DoT only helmets protected better since the softer material transmitted less force
If you could imagine leading a gang on it, all the better.
All my friends and family, though, are totally against it. I'm attracted to a motorcycle because of how much I'll save on gas and insurance, but they seem to think if I buy a motorcycle, I'm going to die instantly in some awful accident.
I'm sure the statistics show more fatalities (percentage-wise) than cars, but I think those aren't reliable because of the people who ride motorcycles 100mph down the highway or do tricks and all that. I'm just not sure how to respond to alleviate their fears. Any ideas?
Proficient Motorcycling covers every aspect of safety, and has pretty comprehensive and honest statistics.
Basically, the more formal training you have, the less likely you are to be in a serious accident, but non-fatal motorcycle accidents are significantly underreported.
Well, I'm going to assume you're an adult, and while your friends and family aren't obligated to like all the decisions you make, they do need to respect that they are your decisions to make.
Is something like a Triumph Street Triple or a Ducati Monster 696 just crazy talk, or could it be manageable for a new rider? The Monster doesn't seem too crazy and it's a twin cylinder, I've heard the throttle on the Triple is twitchy as fuck which worries me. Is that something I could adjust to be more forgiving when I'm learning, and adjust again later when I'm okay with it? I like the throatier sound of these bikes a lot more than the Japanese motors, was heartbroken when I found out Buell went under. The Blast was what I'd intended to learn on until they discontinued it/the Ninja redesign.
Now, I'm not saying you can't start with a 650 if you want to, but don't let the idea of speed saving your life be the deciding factor, because its far from the truth.
Maneuverability, sure, but my Ninja 250 has never even felt close to clumsy.
I can think of plenty of scenarios on a crowded freeway in California where being able to move forward a car length relative to your speed in under a second is pretty valuable. Shit, I'll be in my car parallel with someone I'm passing and they don't even check to their side and start to merge. This probably happens several times a month. Awareness is good and all, but unless I am the slowest vehicle on the road at some point someone is going to try and merge into the space I am occupying.
Since you have one, how big are you, weight wise, and how fast can you accelerate 5-10 miles from 70MPH?