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Beginner Motorcycle
Spherick
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So i've always wanted a motorcycle just to drive on weekends for errands or whatnot and I decided im finally going to get one. I dont want anything super crazy that can get me in trouble so im looking for something around 125-250cc. Im going to be taking the local MSF course to get my license and to learn good safety.
If anyone has any suggestions on good bikes to learn on, I would greatly appreciate it.
If anyone has any suggestions on good bikes to learn on, I would greatly appreciate it.
Spherick on
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Honda Rebels and Kawasaki Ninja 250s are probably your best bet, depending on what kind of bike (cruiser or standard/sport) that you want. Not a whole lot of choices, especially in the US. I have a Ninja 250 and it's a sweet bike.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
Also if youre a bigger guy, avoid the 250cc.
Im just worried a 500cc is going to be too much power for me and ill end up hurting myself.
From your sizing, i would say its quite unwise to go with a 250cc. You will regret it in about a week or two. It does not take long to become comfortable riding a motorbike, and you should aim for something that fits you nicely.
Not even close to too much power.
Says you. I can out-accelerate all but sports cars and take tight turns better than a heavier bike. Just watch a 250cc class race at the track. I can do 70 the entire day on the highway, and that's the limit here.
I've had my bike for almost a year and I'm barely scratching the surface of its potential. I hope, for your sake, you wear all gear all the time as well. It's no fun to get a big bike and not be legally allowed to ride it to the max.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
Whats with the arrogance?
Like i said, for a big guy, honestly, you can have your first ride on a 500cc and never look back. My safety course had both 250s and 500s to choose from to learn on.
Check out the Debate and Discourse thread on motorcycles that I started a little while back, it needs a bump or two:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=97328
(that forum isn't ALL about arguing on the internet, we don't bite!)
Good luck. You may get some demo rides at the dealers, but that may not be a smart route if you are new to motorcycles.
Do you want a cruiser? A sportbike? a dual-sport bike? Those are three questions that should be answered before we move on.
It varies wildly between companies. It's weird. I pay about $400/year for comprehensive.
Progressive, and I'd have to look it up. My bike is worth around $5,500, so your insurance may be cheaper. Or not, since most of the cost of the insurance is liability, I think.
I'm about 180lbs and I ride a '75 Honda CB400f for reference. Honestly, the bike is usually fine, but don't pass on a bike just because it's a 500 or 600.
$1200 isn't enough for a motorcycle. Also you are going to probably spend around $500 just on gear. You can probably get a rebel for about $2500, but like these guys are saying I think you'll outgrow it really really fast.
A sportsbike 250cc is a lot different than a cruiser, and you aren't going to have a lot of room to grow on the cruiser. I have a 600cc cruiser I bought last summer and I've pushed it pretty hard, it's great for scooting around town but I'm ready for more.
"Thoughts are a persons imagination going rampid…" - ME
You can start on a 250, spend a whole summer/year (depending on local weather) riding it around and getting used to it, then sell it the next spring for almost the same money and move up if you want/need to.
Plus, if you lay down a used Rebel or Ninja 250, you're not going to feel as bad as if you just bashed up a CBR600.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
Im not sure how pervasive the motorcycle market is compared to cars.
Craigslist is where it's at. Motorcycles, provided they aren't wrecked, hold value a lot better than cars do. It's going to be tough to find something in the price range you listed. However, when you want to upgrade, you can flip it for just about what you bought it for, as a previous poster probably (proactively [pointedly]) pointed out
Also, PLEASE gear up. Even on a 250, that still means a real motorcycle jacket, helmet that fits right, jeans, and shoes that cover your ankles. Expect to spend at least $500 on all that. Don't get a used helmet.
Also I plan on using that newenough website I found in the D&D thread for the jacket, helm, and gloves.
Will a regular pair of jeans be fine or do I need one that has kevlar weaved in or something?
Im assuming the jacket and helmet will be the most costly parts (also the ones I will always wear)
Thanks
This is where it gets tricky telling people what they "need." I can tell you that if you down it at any significant speed (30+) with chucks and jeans on, you could be in for a world of hurt. What you need is up to you.
Motorcycle riding is about risk mitigation. Riders either recognize and minimize the risks innate to riding a motorcycle, or they don't understand them, in my opinion. I gear up because I want to minimize the risk of injury in the event that I end up off the bike somehow. Some people are more comfortable with risking that and in return don't have to deal with hauling an extra pair of shoes everywhere and taking an extra 5 minutes to gear up before they leave.
I wear those kevlar lined jeans, they're thicker denim and look like regular jeans so it's really not a big deal to wear them around. A used jacket probably isn't a big deal, but keep in mind there are lots of types of leather, and not all of them are going to offer any protection in a wreck.
Don't buy a used helmet. Even if the guy just dropped it you don't want something designed for one incident to potentially be damaged.
Like Doc said, it really depends on what you're willing to risk. I will wear my work clothes with a jacket to keep the wind off me on the way to work, but it's a 1 mile trip and I don't get above 35. If I'm going on the highway I gear up with the exception of proper shoes...because I haven't found a pair I like and have the function I need.
Where I'm at, it can start raining without any prior notice. Assuming you can handle your bike in the rain, if you don't have waterproof/water-resist gear, you're going to get really, really, really cold. The wind passing by you will literally suck the heat from any uninsulated parts of your body.
I tried riding without my riding pants in the rain once. Never again. =P
My bike I bought was a 650r and while it really does have good power it is only a 2 cylinder so isn't as touchy as a inline 4 with the throttle. As of now I got 500 miles on my bike and use it to commute about 30 miles a day to work and another 30 miles back 5 days a week. The key thing is just to trust the bike and to ride and practice as much as you can and always wear all your gear all the time.
In addition to the MSF course you will want to read "Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well", I read this before I took the class and it gave me a huge edge in understanding things once we got to the riding portion.
If you live in Washington or Oregon I can PM you a good forum that people usually give better deals on motorcycles and gear then they do on their craigslist ads.
Anyways, Super Sherpa is a kawasaki made dual sport that is essentially unkillable. It will runa long time, can do the freeway around 65mph(actual) in relative comfort, and can steal climb up almost anything off-road.
XT225 is very very similiar, both are 6 speed bikes. THe XT250 is a great bike as well, but a 5 speed. Keep it in mind
However it also means that passing the MSF course and paying $15 is enough to get my M endorsement on my license. Also means that I can ride year round (of course we're entering hurricane season).
Thanks for all the advice so far. So far craigslist has no 250's that I can see. Im also not sure on how to look over a motorcycle to see if im getting scammed by a super fucked used bike. I guess if I can test-drive it that will help a lot.
They likely won't let you test ride it. If they do, it will be cash in hand only. Just check to see if it's obviously been dropped (scrapes along the widest parts of the bike. Sometimes they are not where you'd expect them to be, so look close.)
This is old (frames!) but still very relevant. http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html
Seconded.
And like it was mentioned earlier, despite being a 500cc engine, it's fairly old so it's not as twitchy or likely to get you killed as some of the sportier bikes out there. But it'll still pull hard when you want to have some fun. It'll keep up at highway speeds for even the heaviest folks, it's ridden with a slightly-sporty but still upright position (so no hurting wrists or back), and it's even got a relatively short seat height for shorter folks. Oh, and they keep their value pretty well.
So keep an eye out for one. They're a great starter bike; a great bike all around, in fact.
Insurance: How old are you? Because it sucks to get motorcycle insurance if you are under 25, more if you are under 21. I personally just have gotten liability insurance. Also sucks if you have a speeding ticket.
Bike: Ninja 250 or 500 is a great bike if you are looking for a sport bike. GS500 is a great option for a more standard street bike. If, after your MSF class, you feel comfortable you might even look at something like an SV650 (what I ride). It's a great bike and you woulden't need to "upgrade" to something bigger really. I got a non-running ninja 250 for $800, cleaned out the carb and poof it started. So if you are mechanically inclined, consider getting a beater bike for your first bike.
Gear: If you plan on riding a lot for recreation or ride a lot of back roads, get leather everything. It's very reasonable to assume you may hit a patch of gravel in a corner and have a single vehicle accident at speed. This is where you really really want leather. Now, if you just plan on riding in the city I would say it's less crucial. I might consider a spine protector for city riding, because its hard to ride when you can't move your legs and getting hit and landing on something with an edge (curb, car, whatever) can really mess up your back.
I might wait til Jan when I start my job at the CPA firm to get the bike as I definately want to have some decent gear and I thought $1,200 would be able to get a cheap starter bike. Also I forgot to include insurance.
Should be taking my MSF course in the next week or so though - so im excited by that.
This was (and still is) my first bike Ive had it 2 1/2 years now and its been TERRIFIC. 652 single cylinder motor great for learning.
In ohio the MSF course is $20 dollars. It's free if you are under 18 and have a parental waiver. You get some nice insurance discounts, your license without taking the BMV test, and usually if you show that you completed the course, motorcycle manufacturers give you nice discounts on stuff from their stores. The stuff is usually cheaper online though.
edit: In Ohio, your temporary permit allows you to ride with the following restrictions: ride only during daylight hours, no passengers, and no interstate.
There's no arguing against it...leather offers the best protection. I've heard horror stories of the nylon stuff MELTING if you skid on it. Leather stuff you are definitely going to need to try on, and may not be comfy with the wind rushing at you or in any sort of heat. Most of the other types of jackets have layers you can strip off to keep you cooler, or protect you from the rain, without losing any armor.
Remember, even if you wear full body armor, it's not likely to save you if someone bumps you in to oncoming traffic. Don't let that be an excuse to cheap out though. Also remember, safety over comfort. It's not like construction workers think that hard hats are comfy and stylish.
Regardless of what bike you have, I highly recommend checking out svrider.com. It's a great forum catering mostly to sv650/1000 bike riders, but they are very fun, have a lot of great general riding FAQs/guides, and a lot of organized group rides on fun twisties outside of cities.
If that is the case, then I would look at insurance first, for sure. There can be a BIG difference between motorcycles when it comes to insurance premiums. Some companies just base it on CC's while others somewhat arbitrarily divide bikes up into different categories.
You can get some wildly different quotes. Try all the combination, just because Geico might charge 1/3 of your soul for liability on a Ninja 500 doesn't mean they wont insure a GS500 for $20 a month.