# What is a good size motorcycle for a beginner **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 2, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985 "2016-04-02T21:47:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/21 "2016-04-03T00:32:44Z")
A 250cc bike may weigh 300 lbs. a touring bike may weigh 800+ pounds. That is a pretty big difference. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/22 "2016-04-03T00:42:07Z")
Get a small bike. Take the MSF course. Buy and wear motorcycle specific clothes, always. When you are comfortable with the small bike, trade up. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/23 "2016-04-03T01:19:10Z")
I am surprised nobody has recommended to take the MSF safety course. They use 125-250 cc bikes (IIRC) and you spend something like 8-10 hours over 4 or 5 days on them. You learn to handle those bikes rather well; one required exercise is to do a figure 8 in a space about the size of a grocery store parking space. If, after that course, a 125-250 cc bike seems right, then stay with it. if not, look at something larger. The reason people recommend the larger bikes, I believe, is that you are eventually going to want something larger than a 250cc bike, particularly if your going to want to do highway runs. Twenty or so miles on a small bike is going to rattle your fillings. IMO, you need to decide what you want in a bike. Air or water cooled. Chain, belt, or shaft drive. V-Twin or 4-cylinder. From what Wesley has said in this thread, I think a Honda 750 Aero would make a good choice. Water-cooled, shaft drive. This will be low maintenance and take a lot of miles. It’s a V-twin, so it doesn’t have the “torquey” high-end power the crotch rockets have, but it does have low-end grunt that is satisfying to the rider. They make some nice hard-shell saddlebags that are a bolt-on. What’s more, if you find you want a bigger bike, perhaps a Harley, they are popular bikes and sell easy. You should be able to find them with less than 8,000 miles for less than $4000. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/24 "2016-04-03T01:57:38Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > A 250cc bike may weigh 300 lbs. a touring bike may weigh 800+ pounds. That is a pretty big difference. Yeah, lots of people learned to ride on liter bikes. Lots of people learned to swim by being thrown in a body of water, and worked out the stove was hot by burning themselves. It’s possible, but not recommended. I haven’t seen a safety course that starts people out on anything larger than 500cc. hell, even Harley taught people on the Buell Blast and now use the Street 500. The EU doesn’t let new riders on the bigger stuff for years. Only in America do people say it’s fine - the same people resistant to helmets and other safety gear, who ignore all the new rider deaths on overpowered and/or heavy behemoths every year, and the hundreds of newbies that crash new bikes right outside the dealership every season. Start on something small, like a CBR250R or Ninja 250, or their 300 equivalents if you want to spend a bit more. If you don’t like their sport bike ergonomics, there’s the Bullet 500, Yamaha SR500 or Suzuki TU250X for a more standard ride, or the Rebel 250 or GN250 for cruiser style riding. I think 450/500cc is the sweet spot for newbies - fast enough for county/state roads, light enough to handle low speed maneuvers, not so powerful the bike gets away from you with an errant twist of the wrist. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/25 "2016-04-03T02:01:14Z")
Please consider the risks – [risk of a fatal accident](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oI33EF5c04) is huge. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/26 "2016-04-03T02:45:46Z")
My first bike was an 800cc, and that raised a few eyebrows among more experienced riders. The collective wisdom of the elders (my situation was almost entirely “city” driving," maybe hopping on the 270 here in St. Louis to run down a few exits, or maybe a few dozen miles out to St. Charles for a “longer” trip) was that I should probably be starting somewhere in the 500cc range. Lighter, easier to handle, and less power for me to do some damned foolish idiotic thing with. Although, having ridden a 500, there’s more than enough power there for someone to do something painfully (perhaps even fatally) stupid with, should they let common sense override their throttle hand. The thing with getting a motorcycle is that, if you _really_ begin to enjoy riding, a lighter bike might not be enough for longer trips. Of course, you can always trade up later, if that’s the case. But just getting started? Well, it sounds like brother **Scumpup** just really took to his bike, and riding, and did just fine with a bigger starter bike. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/27 "2016-04-03T02:52:20Z")
Please consider the fact that motorcycles are about [30 times](http://journalistsresource.org/studies/environment/transportation/comparing-fatality-risks-united-states-transportation-across-modes-time) more dangerous then cars. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/28 "2016-04-03T03:00:24Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Please consider the fact that motorcycles are about [30 times](http://journalistsresource.org/studies/environment/transportation/comparing-fatality-risks-united-states-transportation-across-modes-time) more dangerous then cars. **Moderator Note** Enough. You’ve had your say. Further commentary like this will be considered threadshitting, and moderated as such. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/29 "2016-04-03T03:04:20Z")
I apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/30 "2016-04-03T03:25:36Z")
I bought a used Honda 650 Nighthawk as my first bike. This is a 4 cylinder 4 stroke. It has many advantages. -It’s a little under 500 lbs which makes it a light bike that can be picked up if you dump it. -It’s well balanced for general riding. -It’s power comes on at 3000 rpm which makes it great for low speed riding. -It has a gear display so you know what gear you’re in. -It was easier to learn on than the 250’s used in my training course. They didn’t have enough hp for low speed maneuvers. -Once you’ve learned on it it’s a high 10 second 1/4 mile street bike that’s fun to ride. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/31 "2016-04-03T03:39:31Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Part of my fear is that a smaller bike, aside from not being able to maintain highway and maybe interstate speeds, is that it’ll be less stable when cruising. Like wind, or potholes or something else could make it lose balance and crash easier. I had a 1200 Harley Sportster at the same time we had a 250 Virago for the Old Wench. The difference between the two in normal cross-winds was not all that much. As for potholes and road hazards the Virago may (IMHO) have been a little better. Being a little lighter it was a little faster and easier to control in a fast move/jink than my 540 pound Sportie. > [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Don’t they have more agility, plus if the bike starts to fall you can catch it easier before it lands on your leg. Slightly; like I said above. But in terms of safety ----- a lot of your risk will be from the asshole in the Caddie behind you crowding your tailpipe. On something like a 250 there isn’t a lot you can do; on my 1200 I can rap open the throttle and remember the AMF days (Adios, Mother-Fsomething or other). Once I have some distance I can pull over safely and let the moron buzz past. > [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’ve heard that even though motorcycles are more dangerous than cars, a big % of the accidents are new riders and/or people doing stupid things on a bike. Not so much stupid things as things beyond their ability and experience. Or not being aware enough and allowing for the cars around you. You aren’t ready for heavy high speed traffic – you aren’t ready for a road paved with oil and chips. And you haven’t learned yet that bikes stop a little slower/longer than cars do and commercial districts with a lot of cross-traffic need MUCH attention and your head on a swivel. If you are smart and if you can, get a more experienced rider (say 100k+ miles) to ride shotgun and/or lead with you somewhat when you are starting. Two bikes are sometimes (just sometimes) seen by drivers faster than one. But avoid packs; cars do dumb things around packs sometimes. Now back to size – nothing against 250s or 1200s – I like 550 or so for first bikes. Big enough that you are going to be happy with it for much longer and small enough to feel comfortable. Yeah, at 16 I took my test on a 1200 Electra-Glide with bags and all but I had ridden dirt for years and done some road riding illegally underage. I am not sure I would recommend something like that for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/32 "2016-04-03T03:48:49Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I apologize. No, I appreciate the advice. It is something I have thought about, and a big factor in if I get one, and if I do what kind of model. Motorcycles are a lot more dangerous, and part of this thread is trying to figure out what size bike is safest for someone who is new. The strong ones that are 1000cc+ can lead to an accident due to being overpowered. But the smaller ones seem like they’d be less stable. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/33 "2016-04-03T03:51:59Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > No, I appreciate the advice. It is something I have thought about, and a big factor in if I get one, and if I do what kind of model. > > Motorcycles are a lot more dangerous, and part of this thread is trying to figure out what size bike is safest for someone who is new. The strong ones that are 1000cc+ can lead to an accident due to being overpowered. But the smaller ones seem like they’d be less stable. Thank you. Maybe as a dependent autistic person I am never used to freedom – I do not even drive a car. Maybe some people are willing to risk everything for freedom like riding a motorcycle. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/34 "2016-04-03T03:52:42Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Freeway riding…What does that mean? Yeah, smaller bikes can run down the expressway a couple exits to go to Chilis for happy hour. They are not the best choice for day-long rides. I own both Honda 600 and a Kawasaki 1300. The 600 is okay for about 60 or 70 miles. Farther than that and I am definitely taking the bigger bike. > > Why, exactly, does anybody think smaller bikes are safer? I can ride all day long at any speed on a 650. Where it goes south at high speeds are roads with stress fractures every 100 feet. Then it’s bone jarring. That’s where a heavy bike has an advantage in comfort. But It’s a false sense of security. There is no safety in comfort. A heavier bike takes longer to stop and will be less maneuverable and harder to control on gravel. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2016, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/35 "2016-04-03T03:59:41Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > No, I appreciate the advice. It is something I have thought about, and a big factor in if I get one, and if I do what kind of model. > > Motorcycles are a lot more dangerous, and part of this thread is trying to figure out what size bike is safest for someone who is new. The strong ones that are 1000cc+ can lead to an accident due to being overpowered. But the smaller ones seem like they’d be less stable. My starter bike was a Buell 1125R. I learned to ride on the congested streets and highways of Veneto, Italy. You’ll be fine! ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/36 "2016-04-03T04:06:12Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > -It was easier to learn on than the 250’s used in my training course. They didn’t have enough hp for low speed maneuvers. I totally am not being snarky, but I cannot figure out what you mean by this. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/37 "2016-04-03T04:10:52Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > But It’s a false sense of security. There is no safety in comfort. A heavier bike takes longer to stop and will be less maneuverable and harder to control on gravel. This is where my sport bike and dirt bike background comes through, but man, weight is the enemy. I can’t make a list of the dozens of bikes I’ve ridden in the last 25 years, but I don’t think I have ever thought, “You know, if only this bike just weighed a little more…” And it’s been on my mind recently as next month is New Bike Month for me, so I’ve been out doing my comparative shopping. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/38 "2016-04-03T04:23:12Z")
No matter the size, if the tires, brakes & lights are good, that is about all the help any bike can do for you. Everything else comes from between your ears. If you can’t plan ahead, stay off motorcycles. What is your thing about potholes?? Sometimes you can’t miss them but that usually means you are not thinking. A road with heavy traffic and many potholes you are unfamiliar with and you have to travel on it why?? Why are you on a bike? Sounds like you hit pot holes a lot with a car, or are a young person. Many people never see the potholes the right front tire hits because all they see are the ones for the left side they are sitting on. Not paying attention is maybe 10 times more deadly on a bike. You have toi notice sand, oil, water running out a drive way and a thousand other things that most car drivers don’t pay any attention to. IMO, starting out in the dirt on dirt bikes is best. I did not even get on a dirt bike until I was over 60. I had been riding for 40 years before that. Do you ride a bicycle? Well? How long and in what type iof conditions have you already been doing? Go take the training course. Buy good gear & wear it. Get a small cheap bike because you are going to drop it. If you can laugh & not care, you are golden. If you can’t really stand the expense of fixing your dream bike, you don’t want scratches & dents, you will be thinking of that which is not thinking about safety in your riding. I am 72 and still riding my dirt bike, my chopper & my nice FXD 1340 Harley. (1995 model ) I am a big boy and I still have a blast on a 1968 Yamaha 250 Baby Harley. ( I forget what they were called back then, not a Virago but something else. ) Good luck and remember, internet message board advice is OK but it is cheap. Bawahahahah ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/39 "2016-04-03T04:25:20Z")
Back in my learner’s permit days, Honda 350s were popular starter bikes. Triumph Bonneville 650s were popular too, but I don’t think as starters. The currently popular crotch rocket style bikes look uncomfortable to me. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2016, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985/40 "2016-04-03T04:30:25Z")
Comfort, get a scooter like a Bergman 650 or something. Very easy to ride, comfortable, smooth, fast, just like a sport bike. Blast down the interstate with the big boys and just smile as they hobble to their motel rooms at night looking for a steam bath and you go out dancing. Great way to be on two wheels. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-size-motorcycle-for-a-beginner/750985.md?page=3)