Bike Recommendations

[whiteman90909]

So right now I'm a freshman in college and don't have any real need for transportation, but next year I'm gonna be living off campus and am looking to get a motorcycle as a means of getting to and from campus. I've been looking around the internet, and a lot of sites recommend a ninja 500r... there's also a police bike school nearby my house that sells their training buells for decent prices... but I was wondering what WBB recommended. Ideally something cheap that'll be able to move me around and doesn't look too terrible... probably around the half liter range. I figure if I get some recommendations now I can start watching craigslist or something like that for a good deal. (speaking of which, are there other good places that I should be checking out for bikes?)

So I guess it comes down to this: what bikes would you recommend for a beginning rider as well as some other tips or advice that could help?

Thanks!

[ELmx479]

The Suzuki SV650 would be a good bike for you. Should be able to find a used one for around 3500. Very fun bike to ride so you won't get bored after a month.

[hellagrant]

I always recommend a new rider pick up something like the ninja 250 (pre 2008). You can find a used one on craigslist for about $1500-$2500, with lower than 10K miles. The Ninja 250 will give you great MPG and it won't be so painful when you drop the bike. And yes you will drop the bike, every rider drops a bike sooner or later.

It is small but sporty. The Ninja 250 will force you to learn how to corner extremely well because that would be the only way for you to keep up with the 600cc. When you are ready, you can sell the Ninja 250 a few months later and get back most of your money.

And general advice: ride within your means because going to the hospital sucks

[borracho]

I got a Ducati monster 900 for my first "real" bike. Prior to that I've had various dirt bikes...but nothing street legal. Actually, I take that back..I had a 198x Honda CB125...I think it was a 1982....but I was only 14 then and couldnt ride it on the highway anyway..so it mostly saw trails and river riding :D...that thing lived a hard life.

Whatever you get, make sure you dont like it too much, as someone else has said you will probably drop it.

[Tom Mutaffis]

I always recommend a new rider pick up something like the ninja 250 (pre 2008). You can find a used one on craigslist for about $1500-$2500, with lower than 10K miles. The Ninja 250 will give you great MPG and it won't be so painful when you drop the bike. And yes you will drop the bike, every rider drops a bike sooner or later.

It is small but sporty. The Ninja 250 will force you to learn how to corner extremely well because that would be the only way for you to keep up with the 600cc. When you are ready, you can sell the Ninja 250 a few months later and get back most of your money.

And general advice: ride within your means because going to the hospital sucks

I agree with this advice. If you are a conservative person you can find cheap 600's out there on the market but you won't even need something like that for what you are using it for.

Keep an eye on Ebay, Craigslist, and even some of the car websites may sell them like AutoTrader.

People are hurting right now so everyone is selling toys - should be able to find a bike in good shape for under $2500.

[faster]

I would disagree with the 250cc recommendation. Go with a 500cc like the Ninja. It's not going shoot up on you if you tweak the throttle accidentally, but still has enough power to cruise and accelerate comfortably at highway speeds.

[mrelwooddowd]

I always recommend a new rider pick up something like the ninja 250 (pre 2008). You can find a used one on craigslist for about $1500-$2500, with lower than 10K miles. The Ninja 250 will give you great MPG and it won't be so painful when you drop the bike. And yes you will drop the bike, every rider drops a bike sooner or later.

It is small but sporty. The Ninja 250 will force you to learn how to corner extremely well because that would be the only way for you to keep up with the 600cc. When you are ready, you can sell the Ninja 250 a few months later and get back most of your money.

And general advice: ride within your means because going to the hospital sucks

By "drop" do you mean lay it down at speed? Or do you just mean over-correcting while stopping or turning slowly or something while learning, and having it fall over?

I know several guys who've been riding a long time, and haven't laid one down. Granted, they don't ride crotch rockets, so the idiot factor isn't as high I guess. No one's running around doing wheelies for a mile on a Harley.

[Travis Bell]

I would disagree with the 250cc recommendation. Go with a 500cc like the Ninja. It's not going shoot up on you if you tweak the throttle accidentally, but still has enough power to cruise and accelerate comfortably at highway speeds.

Agree with this. 250's are piss weak. Yes great MPG, but you'll be wanting a bigger engine in 2 weeks. A 500 is a nice starter. Have you ever ridden a bike before? I s'pose before I recommend a 500, its good to know that. I grew up riding bikes so I've ridden stuff up to 1450's (Harley)

Don't get a Buell though. They'll vibrate the fillings out of your teeth.

[whiteman90909]

I always recommend a new rider pick up something like the ninja 250 (pre 2008). You can find a used one on craigslist for about $1500-$2500, with lower than 10K miles. The Ninja 250 will give you great MPG and it won't be so painful when you drop the bike. And yes you will drop the bike, every rider drops a bike sooner or later.

It is small but sporty. The Ninja 250 will force you to learn how to corner extremely well because that would be the only way for you to keep up with the 600cc. When you are ready, you can sell the Ninja 250 a few months later and get back most of your money.

And general advice: ride within your means because going to the hospital sucks

Yeah the only problem with the 250r is that it's popular as all hell, and a lot of the ones that I've seen online are going for near full value when they're a couple years old because the demand is so high... it would be a good bike though, because except for the ride up here, my commute would be within a couple miles and on low speed limit roads. It's just hard to find one that's not near full price after a couple years old.

[whiteman90909]

Agree with this. 250's are piss weak. Yes great MPG, but you'll be wanting a bigger engine in 2 weeks. A 500 is a nice starter. Have you ever ridden a bike before? I s'pose before I recommend a 500, its good to know that. I grew up riding bikes so I've ridden stuff up to 1450's (Harley)

Don't get a Buell though. They'll vibrate the fillings out of your teeth.

No, I haven't ridden before. My mom just got her midlife-crisis harley, so she's gonna get me set up with her safety course that's in the area... It's run by a bunch of ex-motorcycle cops that have a track and everything set up. Apparently it's really comprehensive, so I'll get a couple weeks of slower practice riding in on the course they have before I actually go out on the road.

[Travis Bell]

If you haven't ridden before, a 250 would probably be a good start then

LOL at the "mom just got her midlife crisis harley" which one did she get?

[whiteman90909]

I think she has a 08 Sportster 1200 Low... that's her beginner bike. A lot of her friend's ride Harleys, so she can ride with them now. It's pretty funny because she's like 130 some odd lbs, so even though its a small bike its a monster for her.

[smokinHawk]

a 250 can kill you just as fast as a 1300.
I would recommend getting a 600 or the bike you want and not getting something you aren't going to be happy with. As long as you respect the bike and use restraint you should be fine. Know your limits and watch out for others drivers as they do not see you.
and dont forget to wear your gear.

[Unreal]

Start with the MSF course. See if riding is for you. Commuting on a bike can suck, other people love it. I can't stand it and I'm a motorcycle nut. I currently have 7 motorcycles in my garage and have had 10 at a time before.

Ninja 250s are great starter bikes. Awesome resell. You can basically ride a used one for free. Buy a rashed up one for $1500, put a year on it, and then sell it for $1500. All my friends that started on 250s are great riders, and all of them actually made money off the bike when they sold it. My friend just got a 2005 R6 as his first bike, and he has dropped it 7 times now this month. He has done well over $1000 in damage to the fairings/exhaust. The bike is a pain for low speed handling and he keeps falling over in parking lots. He wouldn't listen to all the instructors and wanted a cool bike that chicks would dig. Now he has a beat up bike, and is affraid to ride. Remember, this is your first bike, not your last. If after 3-4 months you feel like your comfortable and want to step it up from a 250/500, then you can and it shouldn't cost you anything.

Remember, there is a lot more to it then just go out and buy a bike. You need your gear. You can spend anywhere from $500 to thousands on gear. I added mine up the other day and hit about $5000 just in motorcycle gear (helmets, gloves, jackets, pants, boots). Good gear is worth it. I've been down twice and never even got a bruise. Once was a tight right hander that I ran wide and hit dirt and slid out. Was going about 30mph. The second time was going into a tight double apex left. Went to pass some people and got on the brakes later then normal. Lost the front end going about 80mph and slid a bit. Bike flipped a few times. Broke up all the body work, broke both footpegs off, left clip on, and took out the sliders. I got right up and was jumping around and waving to people.

My ex-girlfriend started on a ninja 650 that I bought her. She did ok but the power can be a lot for a new person. My brother started on a SV650S. He last 3 days before popping the clutch and running it into a chain link fence rashing it up. He was a new GSXR600 before he started, but now wishes he got a SV650 Naked because it would be more comfy. He commutes on the bike to school and even the SV650S gets annoying after 30 minutes.

You can see the current 7 bikes in there if you look closely.
http://home.comcast.net/~nvisokey/g4.JPG

[Jorge Sanchez]

I started on, and still have, a GS500. It's a great starter bike, but I was ready for an upgrade after about a year (but 3 years later I'm still riding it. Go figure.)

I think buying a cheap used bike and then upgrading is definitely the way to go.

[brihead301]

I'm not a huge crotch rocket fan. I like cruisers. I just picked up a Kawasaki Vulcan Classic 800cc for $2600. I love it. It's in great condition. I looked on Craigslist, and found the bike. It turned out that it was my next door neighbor selling the bike too, lol.

Craigslist is the way to go IMO for finding a good deal on a bike.

[Unreal]

That is the other thing, there are tons of different types of bikes. The cruiser is fun to ride for short trips around town, but for longer trips and sporty riding it sucks. Even around town the brakes are severly lacking on most budget cruisers. It can be scary trying to stop in a hurry.

SV650Ns, Versys, ER6Ns, Hornet 599s, and bikes like that should be looked at once you are sufficent in riding skill. Heck, for what you want and around town I would take a KTM690 over anything. Supermoto style bikes are the most fun you can have on two wheels. My next bike will be a supermoto for around town and track/racing fun. SVX550, KTM690, Husky510s, etc.

I would stay away from "super sport" bikes for street use. They are race bikes made for the track. A lot of people tell you they ride them just fine around town, but 99% of the people have only ridden that type of bike and don't know what they are missing out on. Everyone I know that really likes to ride and has ridden a few different bikes keeps their SS bike for the track. My one friend has a DRZ400 for street and CBR600 for track. My other friend has a Multistrada for the street and a GSXR race bike. My one friend has a KTM690 street bike and GSXR600 race bike. I have an Aprilia Tuono street bike and a ZX6R track bike.

[hellagrant]

By "drop" do you mean lay it down at speed? Or do you just mean over-correcting while stopping or turning slowly or something while learning, and having it fall over?

I know several guys who've been riding a long time, and haven't laid one down. Granted, they don't ride crotch rockets, so the idiot factor isn't as high I guess. No one's running around doing wheelies for a mile on a Harley.

By drop I mean anything that will make the bike hit the ground. So yeah, under/over steering or simply dropping it from trying to get out of a parking lot. The chances of a new rider dropping his or her first bike is probably something like 75%. So I am just saying that get a bike that you won't cry over if you drop it.

Also, some guys on here are saying get a 600cc. Let me ask you this, do you become a better rider by:

A) Riding a slow bike fast, and pushing it to the limits and corning like crazy.

or

B) Riding a fast bike slow, only going fast on the straight aways and having to let off the throttle on the corners.

But granted some 600cc are not fast. Like the Ninja 650, even though it is a 600cc, it is much slower than other sporty 600cc.

[jkfor3]

I would suggest looking at Suzuki GS500's. They are a great beginner bike, and have a great following and forum such as this.

If you are in to your own wrenching, this is a great bike for that as well. Even if you aren't, it is easy to learn on.

I bought mine new in 2004 and haven't regretted it at all. In 2004 they added a fairing to make it to look more like a sport bike, but up until then it was a naked bike.

Another thing to think about is insurance. Obviously the bigger bikes will cost more to insure.......just a thought.

[mrelwooddowd]

By drop I mean anything that will make the bike hit the ground. So yeah, under/over steering or simply dropping it from trying to get out of a parking lot. The chances of a new rider dropping his or her first bike is probably something like 75%. So I am just saying that get a bike that you won't cry over if you drop it.

Also, some guys on here are saying get a 600cc. Let me ask you this, do you become a better rider by:

A) Riding a slow bike fast, and pushing it to the limits and corning like crazy.

or

B) Riding a fast bike slow, only going fast on the straight aways and having to let off the throttle on the corners.

But granted some 600cc are not fast. Like the Ninja 650, even though it is a 600cc, it is much slower than other sporty 600cc.

I'd be plan A.

My priority would be cheapness of gas, and simplicity of parking, with a little wind in my hair. I'd ride a scooter if it didn't look so ridiculous.

My

[jed]

i suggest taking the MSF course first like others have reccomended. good for the price you pay.

i started on a ninja 250 for about 3 months. it got old FAST. i upgraded to a 2006 kawasaki ninja zx6r '636' and i cant reccomend a better bike. it rides smooth and it has so much power for when you really need it, if ever. it gets about 40 mpg for me which is pretty damn good.

PS - i got mine for $4200, with 4k miles. buy them off-season and prices can drop dramatically.

[smokinHawk]

By drop I mean anything that will make the bike hit the ground. So yeah, under/over steering or simply dropping it from trying to get out of a parking lot. The chances of a new rider dropping his or her first bike is probably something like 75%. So I am just saying that get a bike that you won't cry over if you drop it.

Also, some guys on here are saying get a 600cc. Let me ask you this, do you become a better rider by:

A) Riding a slow bike fast, and pushing it to the limits and corning like crazy.

or

B) Riding a fast bike slow, only going fast on the straight aways and having to let off the throttle on the corners.

But granted some 600cc are not fast. Like the Ninja 650, even though it is a 600cc, it is much slower than other sporty 600cc.
why dont you just ride the bike responsibly and obey the speed limit laws (at least till you learn and get comfortable with your bike a bit) and use restraint, yes that bike can get past 130 in about 10 seconds, but you dont need to be doing that on the street.
thinking like option A or B will get you killed, doesnt matter how fast or slow your bike is you ride irresponsible squiddy like you will die. Use restraint.

[beaverfootball]

I know you guys are talkin about motorcycles but i was big into atv's up until a year ago. My first one was a 400cc polaris sport, i was only 14 when i started on that, so yeah it was too big for me. But when I was riding it, I could tell when i was getting a little too wild from the "butterflies" in my stomach. That was usually about the time it was to tame it down a bit. I rode that quad until i was 17 and as i got bored with it, i just upgraded the motor,etc. That helped me get good with the wrench too. After i had it maxed out as far as my wallet could take it, i bought a 500 predator. This was like twice the atv , but i felt fine on it just because i know when to stop. Never have actually "wrecked" one.

now my buddy is kind of an andrenaline nut who doesnt know when to stop, only rode a 250cc. slow as paint, but i've seen him wreck it over a dozen times.

long story short, im with smokin hawk on this one, you gotta know what your limits are and when to stop.

[Unreal]

Bikes are different from ATVs. Saying use restraint is good, but when a bike will throw you over the handle bars the first time you grab too much brake because you bought a cool looking super sport bike it doesn't help.

[hellagrant]

You can see the current 7 bikes in there if you look closely.
http://home.comcast.net/~nvisokey/g4.JPG

What is that last bike on the far right?

You should paint your garage. It looks like it is all drywall. Painting it white will really help when you are working in the garage at night time.

[Gabrielle]

Nice bike collection Unreal. I totally agree with you about the lack of gear. I have been in several accidents on the street and without the proper gear I could have possibly died. I live in Texas and in the summer time I see kids all the time rolling around in t-shirts speeding on the highway. In the back of my mind I try not to think about what would happen if they fell, but its extremely difficult. I have a 2007 cbr600 right now as my current street bike, and I have had more than 1 track bike. This is I think my 5th street bike I think, but its hard to keep track. If your a very cautious rider, someone could handle a 600cc bike as their 1st ride bike, at least in my opinion. Unfortunately, most 1st time riders ride way too fast, with too little gear, and way too reckless. I would love to get a Ducati 848as my next street bike. Definitely take a MSF course and start with a 250cc bike. Yes, some people will think its lame, but you need to get used to cornering and braking on a bike. You can always try to upgrade in the future to a more powerful bike.