# Best starter motorcycle for larger guy **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 26, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712 "2002-09-26T14:08:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/21 "2011-06-28T23:30:58Z")
My starter bike was a Buel 1125R. Go big or go home! You’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/22 "2011-06-28T23:32:23Z")
Ah shit… Zombie got me. So did you ever get a bike, astro? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/23 "2011-06-28T23:35:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Best \ Motorcyle is always a Harley. Negative. I’ll race you on my R1 any day. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/24 "2011-06-28T23:49:38Z")
Harley owners don’t race. They have nothing to prove. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/25 "2011-06-28T23:56:15Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Harley owners… have nothing to prove. That’s because they have nothing. 😛 For me, riding is about the visceral experience. I like a ride that can turn, accelerate, is quiet, doesn’t shake, and doesn’t have an unnatural seating position. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/26 "2011-06-29T00:02:46Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > That’s because they have nothing. 😛 > > For me, riding is about the visceral experience. I like a ride that can turn, accelerate, is quiet, doesn’t shake, and doesn’t have an unnatural seating position. I like all those things too. I’ve own four rice burners, from a little Honda CB 350, a Honda 750 I turned into a Cafe Racer, a Honda 500 4 cyl. I commuted on, and a Kawasaki dirt bike. Oh yeah, forgot about the Enduro I have now. All in all I’d still rather have a Harley. Then I’d be like all my friends and moaning about how I have no time to ride. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/27 "2011-06-29T00:13:11Z")
Just messin’ with you. Gotta keep up the rivalry! 😉 Heck, I’d own a Harley. Just not as my only bike. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/28 "2011-06-29T00:56:09Z")
A Harley is best at being a Harley. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses. If he wants a sport bike, a Harley won’t work at all. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/29 "2011-06-29T01:18:23Z")
I should bookmark this thread. I’m thinking of getting a motorcycle in the next year or so. I figure riding down the Pacific Coast Highway could be the next adventure on my list. A Triumph Sprint sounds nice from what I’ve been reading so far. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/30 "2011-06-29T02:06:38Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Just messin’ with you. Gotta keep up the rivalry! 😉 > > Heck, I’d own a Harley. Just not as my only bike. S’okay, I can argue either side of this. Some arguments are timeless. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/31 "2011-06-29T02:10:01Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I figure riding down the Pacific Coast Highway could be the next adventure on my list. The bloody RVs won’t go faster than 45. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712/32 "2011-06-29T10:26:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The bloody RVs won’t go faster than 45. Well, I don’t imagine I’ll be much of a hurry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-starter-motorcycle-for-larger-guy/129712.md?page=1)