I'm thinking about getting a motorcycle...

In My Humble Opinion
21

Honda CBR400 is an ace little toy to learn on. Cheap to run and insure and quick enough to lose your licence on if you are that way minded. Very manoueverable and nimble in corners which means that before you have developed Johnny’s ‘Sixth sense’ it should be able to get you out of most tight spots that the loony car driver in front puts you in. Also makes it ideal in the cramped city streets.

Alternatively the bike I really started on was a Kawasaki ZZR 600. Very comfortable bike which can do a bit of touring, a bit of city work and can scratch with the best of them if needed.

As for safety I am bang alongside the other esteemed authors here. ALWAYS wear a full face helmet, leathers, sturdy boots and gloves. Trust me, do it. Several of the most favourite portions of my anatomy have been saved by following that advice. As Johnny said you never know what the guy in front is going to do so don’t take the chance. The long and short of it is that if you ride defensively and take sensible precautions you should be as safe as pretty much any other road user.

I’m afraid I can’t really help with costs as the UK bike prices are extortionate but you should be able to pick up a good quality second had 400 to 600 cc bike well within your budget. I would bear in mind running costs though, you can go through a decent rear bike tyre in 5k miles if you are not careful and they can cost a pretty penny, servicing can be expensive on a fully fared bike due to the time involved in taking all the pretty plastic bits off just to get to the engine. Invest in a decent chain lube kit as it’ll save it’s money in one set of chain and sprockets.

Good luck and have fun.

Regards,

Arleth

22

I don’t know what your learner laws allow, but from my own experience my present bike, a BMW F650GS, is an excellent all-rounder. It is light, narrow and steerable in city traffic; it is reasonably economical; it can get close to 100mph if you have the opportunity and is well-mannered at 50-60odd.

It is designed as an on/off-roader with long-travel suspension - comfy, though it wallows a bit if pushed hard into bends, but it’s happy on rough roads. It washes up pretty easily too.

Only thing is that like most modern bikes it’s possibly not for the amateur mechanic.

Agree absolutely concerning training, safety gear, acute suspicion of everything on two wheels, and the chain-lube kit (mine has a Scottoiler to drip the odd drop onto it).

Oh, and the best biking advice I’ve ever seen: “Ride Like A Knob, And You’ll Die”. Couldn’t be clearer :smiley:

23

I grew up in a motorcycle family. My dad had a bike before I was born, and got my brothers and I mini bikes by the time we were in our early teens. For me the easiest way to start was with a dirt bike but assuming you want to start out with a street bike, I want to offer you up some advice of some mistakes I see a lot of people make.

To start with, you dont’ mention anything about your age, size, budget or anything else but I see new bikers come in a couple of different flavors.

  1. Really young guys who buy a crotch rocket as their first bike and are voted by experienced bikers as most likely to buy a tombstone as their next major purchase.

  2. Guys in their mid 40s who buy really expensive Harleys completel with full dress leathers ride the shit out of them the first summer and then let them sit in the garage for the next 10 years until their wife forces them to sell it.

If I might make a couple of suggestions. Cherry had an excellent suggestion to take a motorcycle safety course designed for the sized bike you plan on riding. You should be able to set that up with either your local DMV or some of the larger cycle shops. Secondly consider a used bike to start out with and something with a smaller CC until you get used to the feel of cornering, counter steering, braking, the feel of tha apex of a turn, different riding and lighting conditions, riding in different road conditions, etc. I am partial to Hondas just because they are cheap and reliable. Even though I have a BMW now, my first bike was a Honday Shadow b/c it is small and easy to manuever. Basically, if y ou are going to wreck, wreck your first used cheap bike, don’t wreck your $20K new bike, and do it at a speed you can handle not at 180 mph where you are going to lose your leg or worse. USE SAFETY EQUIP. I have been riding 30 years and have lost many, many friends to motorcycle accidents and have two legless friends because of bike accidents. I still ride and would never ever think of giving it up but I am not fucking stupid. I ride with leathers and boots and a helmet. It isn’t always YOUR neglgence, cars can’t see you and just don’t look out for you so you have to protect y ourself as best as you can.

That’s my opinion. Good luck and happy trails!

24

PS Flood, I just noticed you are in Texas. The hill country is one of the coolest places I have ridden. Go on line and look for “Ride Texas” Magazine. It has some great articles about places to ride. Just a tip! :wink:

25

Huh? I’m guessing that this is flame bait, but I’ll bite, just in case it’s not. Custom Harley choppers are incredibly overpriced, non-functonal, unrideable art. Beautiful, but not meant for real riding.

On the other hand, I’ll second a couple of recommendations I’ve seen here. The Suzuki SV650 is one of, if not the, best all-around motorcycles on the market today. It’s light, low, easy-handling, and quite reasonably priced for a new bike (I believe it lists for around $5,700). Put a windshield and bags on it and you could ride it across the country. Or you could take it to a track day and have a blast (and learn a lot).

The BMW F650GS (or CS) is another possibility. Beginners love it. On the other hand, a couple of guys I ride with love it too, and they’ve been riding for years and years. I had a friends F650 for a week, and I was seriously tempted to buy one (my regular ride is a 1996 BMW R1100RSL).

And, of course, take a good rider training course (preferably an MSF course), get a decent helmet, jacket, boots and gloves, and go out there and have a blast.

26

Farther up in the thread, I did mention my size and budget (thought not my age). But I’ll post it again. I’m 18, 6’0" tall, weigh 150 lbs. and have a budget of about $8,000. I’ve found the suggestions in this thread to have been really helpful. I really like the specs on the Suzuki GSXR 600. I don’t know what price category BMW’s fall under, but it’s most probably something I can’t afford. I’ll keep checking this thread and doing my homework on the suggestions that I find. Thanks alot everyone.

27

Okay you are young but a good size enough to handle a larger bike. 600cc is a resonable size for your frame. I’m only 5’7" and weigh 135 so I started with a smaller bike so that it was easier to handle. $8,000 will buy you plenty of bike if you start out with a used bike. Beemers a little expensive for a first bike…wait a while.

If you want to repair your own bike, I suggest finding someone who knows what they are doig to show you. Hang around the shop and fetch beers or something for a while until you know the throttle from the sprocket before you start tearing apart your own bike. :wink:

It’s a great idea to do your homework first. BE safe and get some experienced riders to hang with that will help you out and how you the ropes but by experienced, not someone who just got their license a year ago, people who have been riding for at least a decade and still have all their limbs LOL! That is usually a good sign they know what they are doing.

Cyclists are generally a really helpful breed.

28

I’m not flood but I want a motorcycle more than anything else in my life.

Yes :D. I’d still give some of it up for safety. Safety’s important.

Yes. I want my motorcycle, my bomber jacket, and my mullet. :cool:

Probably the latter. Most of the time I’ll use the bike for a short (couple of miles) commute. I still want to go on a road trip someday with it though, however short.

In the next town over there’s this long stretch of road that’s mostly emptry I’d like to race on every once in a while.

Yep. The plan is to get a job, save up for a year or so and buy a good, reliable bike for next fall-ish.

Overall yes. So I’ll need something that won’t be confusing.

[quoe]How big are you?
[/quote]

5’10"-11" 130-140 lbs. High school kid :smiley:

Well, there is something I’d like a few people to help me out here with. I’d like an inexpensive used bike and I hear good things about those Japanese bikes, but I don’t want to get one with that look. I’d rather have a more European/American look to the bike, I guess. I’ll have none of this Japanese sport bike design.

A hog isn’t my exactly style. I am leaning towards this BMW F650GS LMM mentioned. Looks very sexy.

So does this Yamaha Dragster

29

I also wanted to express my thanks for the helpful suggestions from the riders in this thread.

I just got my license, took the MSF course, and am now ready to purchase my first bike.

If any of you have the time and inclination, could you please suggest a good bike for me?

I’m a 32 year-old female, 5’9", 118lbs.

Or are the bikes mentioned a pretty good fit for me? I’ll buy a used one.

Thanks again!

30

Forgot to mention that I want something that I won’t “outgrow” too soon, something that’s going to have enough power on the highway, something that handles well and a bike that would be comfortable to ride for longer trips (like the 5 hour drive to San Diego).

Thanks again!

31

Blackeyes: If you don’t like the sport bike look, how abot a standard? The Honda CB750 Nighthawk (the photo is enlargeable) is the latest version of the “Bike that Changed the World”. Although the tank and side panels are kinda swoopy, it still looks like an old-school naked bike. For $5,800 you get Honda reliability, a comfortable ride, decent power, and a classic design.

Hi, there! :smiley:

Oh… uh, bikes. Right.

Zhen’ka: At 5’9, the CB750 I linked to above might work for you. After all, CB750s have been crossing the country for 34 years! But you should also look at the Suzuki SV650 someone mentioned.

flood: My Yamaha R1 cost $9,500 “out the door” (i.e., tax, license, dealer prep, etc.). I think an R6 goes for about $7,500 from this dealer (if he can get one!). So with eight kilobucks, you’re choices are many. (Just don’t get the R6 until you have some experience. :wink: )

32

Thanks alot Johnny. I saw that the GSXR 600 went for about $7,000 on the website (if I remember correctly, I’ll be sure to take another gander). Would you recommend that I start off with a bike that has less 600cc? I’m concerned about the power that I’d need to get on the highways. Can a smaller bike keep up with the constant flow of traffic and higher speeds?

33

Better than that, flood. It’s under $6,000. If you’re six feet tall, I wouldn’t get anything under 600cc – not if you want to go on the freeway. But it seems that new bikes leave little choice when it comes to displacement. My ex-g/f had a 1970-something Honda 360T. I’ve seen 450cc bike, 500s, and 550s from the 19702 and early '80s. New bikes seem to jump from 250cc right up to 600cc. (Except for the Suzuki GS500, I can’t think of another “bigger” small bike.)

In my opinion a 600cc bike is great. They’re easy to learn on, and even after you “outgrow” them, they still get the job done. Heck, I’ve got 77,000 miles on my Seca II and I’m still going to be riding it!

34

One thing to consider is that these days, the old breakdowns (600 vs. 750 vs. 1000) don’t have as much relevance as they used to. Some of the 600s have more power than the (what we thought were) insanely dangerous liter-bikes of a few years ago. And when you talk about 600s, you’re talking about riding positions from cruiser-style to upright to knees-in-your-armpits sport bikes. What’s comfortable for you depends a lot on your size and just how bendy you are.

I can’t restrain myself here, so allow me to jump on my soap box. The GSXR-600 is a great bike. Ridiculously fun! But no way could I in good conscience recommend that bike to a beginner. Sure, you can find people who have started out on just such a bike and never had a problem but you can also find people that have gone over Niagara Falls and lived.

Think about it this way too. It’s very likely that a beginner will drop his or her first bike. Maybe more than once. Which would you rather drop, an SV-650 which you can pick up and ride away with no noticeable damage, or a sportbike with a thousand bucks of brittle plastic on each side?

35

Actually, I’d rather drop a used bike that I got cheap.

36

Following up on my last post…

flood: If you have eight kilobucks to spend on a bike, I’d suggest you get a used “beater” to learn on. That way you won’t have to worry about the odd ding or two. Then, after you have some miles under your belt, use the rest to get a good 600cc bike. That way you won’t get stuck with a style that’s not “you”. I like the Suzuki SV650. (I haven’t ridden one, but I’ve seen them on the road and they look great – and *Spiny Norman says they’re good.) But you might want something different. You can pick up a used Seca II for a couple-thousand, that is somewhat similar. You can also pick up mid-1980 standards cheaply.

With your height and weight, you’ll grow out of a 250cc Ninja (sport bike) or Rebel or Vulcan (cruisers) or Nighthawk (standard) very quickly. They’d be good bikes to learn on, but not so good if you want to go anywhere. Obviously, I like the Seca II. It has enough power to keep you entertained for a long time, but is easy enough for my 5’ 4", 100 pound ex-g/f to learn on. The 600 Bandit would be good as well.

One thing you might do is check the classifieds and (better yet) go to motorcycle shops to see what kind of bike you want to ride (after you use simplee’s checklist.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has an 800-number that you can use to find a class in your area. I saw the number on the Suzuki link I went to earlier.

37

Damn. I hate when I do that.

38

Hi there, right back 'atcha, Johnny L.A.! :slight_smile:

Thanks for the suggestions. Will investigate a little further. Can you tell me some things to look out for with a used bike that a novice might not know? Or rather, what should I be aware of to make sure that I’m getting the best value for my investment? (Should I avoid certain years, mileage, etc.?)

Thanks again for all your help!

39

Tires. Motorcycle tires do not last as long as car tires. On a sport bike they might last less than 10,000 miles. I’ve gotten 20,000 miles out of a set, but I really should have replaced them sooner. Having a blowout at speed can ruin your day. And having a wheel slip out from under you (as happened to me when I hit the flattened aluminum can) isn’t much fun either. In addition to checking the tread (there are “wear bars” that you can see), check for cracking. Most motorcycles use tubeless tires. They need to be in good condition.

If the bike is a chain-drive, check the condition of the chain. If it’s too loose it can hop off of the sprocket and cause the wheel to stor turning. If it’s too tight, it may snap. This happened to me at 80 mph once. The broken chain wrpped itself around the hub and I got into a skid. The good news is that the chain deformed the swingarm and the wheel started turning again and I was able to come to a safe stop. The bad news is that new swingarms are expensive. It’s a good practice to change the sprockets whenever you change the chain (which should be good for 10,000 miles or so – often less). If the teeth are sharp or cupped, it’s due for replacement. And check to see that it is properly lubricated. WD-40 won’t cut it. It should have a proper chain-lube on it. Often these are a bit sticky and have a white residue.

You’ll want to make sure the brakes work. Brakes are important.

Bikes tend not to have as many miles on them as cars. If the bike is in good condition, it will go a long way. My 1994 Seca II has 77,000 miles on the clock and it still has great compression. But I’ve had it since new and I know what work has been done. I’d cast a critical eye on any bike with more than 20,000 miles on it.

I’m not aware of any years to avoid when it comes to Japanese bikes. I don’t have any experience with European bikes, but I see a fair number of 1970s and 1980s vintage BMWs on the road. The one type of bike I do know to look out for are the Harley Davidsons made in the 1970s by AMC. Quality control was very poor.

Older bikes often have electrical problems. Make sure the lights and horn work. Make sure it cranks well. A new battery will cost you $50 or $60, so it’s nice to have a good one. Beware of bikes that don’t charge the battery well. My old Yamaha 250 Enduro would run along quite happily without a battery. (It wouldn’t have lights, though.) I don’t know if newer bikes have magneto ignitions. Probably not.

The good thing is that used bikes are cheap, so you don’t really have much of an investment. One time I was “between bikes” and I bought a 1979 Honda CX500 (my only non-Yamaha, and my only used bike) for a dollar. It cost $250 to get it running, plus another $250 for new tires. I got it with 32,000 miles on it. At about 60,000 I lost first gear and was on my second set of new tires. First gear wasn’t a problem, since it pulled well. The only other work I had done on it was replacing the thermostat. I eventually sold it for $350 (in 1994) and the guy was happy to get it at that price. So I put less than $1,000 into it and rode it for about 33,000 miles, then got $350 back. Not a bad “investment”.

40

Just wanted to jump in with another “me too” for suggesting a used bike. You get get some great bikes for under 2K, and you can come across some gems at under a grand. My first real street bike was an 82 Honda Silverwing, which is a 500. I learned a lot on that that I didn’t know from riding dirt and enduro bikes for 10 years, even during its last moments. For all I know, it is still sitting at the bottom of a cliff off Ortega highway.

My next bike was an 85 Honda Shadow 500, which I put 50,000 miles on in SoCal, most of them freeway miles. That shadow to me is what the Seca is to Johnny. If I spent most of my time on sidestreets instead of the freeway, and/or if lane splitting was allowed here, I would have another one. I can’t take full advantage of a nimble bike, so I don’t have one now. Besides, I’m a sport-tourer type now. Call me a wuss, but I love fairings and comfort these days. And don’t let the chain-heads tell ya differently but once you go shaft drive, it’s tough to go back:)

Find a good used bike and IMO, either a Honda or Yamaha. Much more reliable and cheap to fix than an old Suzuki or beemer, even if you get a high mileage one. Take it to a reliable dealer and have them give it a safety/integrity inspection, if your state doesn’t require it. Most will do this for 10 to 20 bucks and tell you if any important stuff is about to go like clutch, brakes, tires, steering head bearings, fork seals, chain, etc. Don’t rely on a “how to buy a used bike article”. If you aren’t familiar with bikes, have a pro look at it. Going around a corner in traffic is not the time to learn what a disintegrating steering head bearing feels like. As far as what type, go to some dealerships and sit on a few. Only you can decide what feels good, what seat position fits you, what handlebar type you like, where controls are, etc. You might find that you like the crotch rocket feel, rather than a cruiser. Something that “fits” you will be much more enjoyable than something that you want. For a long time, I desperately wanted a BMW K1 because of their look and what I had read. I got a great deal on one, bought it immediately, and sold it within three days. Most uncomfortable and awkward feeling bike I’ve ever been on… to ME. Some people love theirs.

Quick side story: One day my riding partner, who had a Ninja 1100, wanted to trade bikes for a day trip to ride my Shadow. He had never been on a cruiser, and I had never been on a crotch rocket. We did and we never made it out of the parking lot. Neither one of us could turn the other’s bike! Within 5 minutes we both exchanged a “I hate your F-ing bike”, got on our own bikes and took off.

Go used. If you dump it, you aren’t out much cash and won’t care about the scratches or broken turn signals. You can happily duct tape them back on and keep learning. Because of that knowledge, you’ll feel a little more free in pushing limits to learn your new skill and performance of a two wheeler, rather than being scared to death of laying down in a turn. Then when you have some confidence under your belt, go find yourself a modern ride. A timid rider will make mistakes that can hurt, and a timid rider never learns to just enjoy their time on a bike. Life is too short to ride scared:)

Good luck!