Good motorcycle for a beginner?

[caserace]

or any 250 bike, but that will only last you a year.

 

[ATOMonkey]

My first bike is the Katana 96 750 that I have now. Very managable, especially if you keep the revs down. Kinda heavy, and short people will have to tip toe until you can get it lowered. Rides like a standard with the foot pegs just slightly back. Depending on how tall you are, you may have to lean forward just a bit. Sport-Touring. I have done quite a bit of work to mine, which is why I still have it. The new bikes are VERY tempting.

My wife bought an '01 rebel as her first bike. I rode it quite a bit, and it had plenty of power for negotiating traffic. Most people don't know where the throttle stop is on their bike and complain about it being down on power when they don't go past half throttle. The 250 would accelerate much faster than standard commuter traffic. Very easy bike to ride. Very light, good for short people, inspires confidence, reliable. Rides like a standard with the foot pegs just slightly forward.

Her second bike, that she has now, is a 750 shadow spirit. The additional torque means a lot less wrist exercise, which makes it more enjoyable to ride compared to the rebel. They advertise it as a "sporty" cruiser. I'd say that's accurate. I would have liked to get the 1100 since they're all shaft drive, but I missed out on a couple. The 1100 is also built on a bigger chassis, so it's a little more to handle. We ended up with a chain drive though. Wanted a shaft drive, but couldn't justify the additional coin. Also still carb'd, but once again, a fuelly was just more than we could afford. A boulevard or vulcan or intruder, (800 ccs) etc were also on my shopping list.

Controls are much more forward on this bike compared to the rebel. Very classic cruiser riding position. It is heavier, but still very managable due to the low seat position and excellent balance.

I would say, don't be afraid to buy a bigger bike, if that is what you like and feel comfortable on. All engines have fairly low power at lower RPM, that's just the way physics works. As long as you keep the revs down and have a light touch on the throttle, you'll be fine.

The katana is completely different animal above and below 6k RPM. Below, it's a little torquey and "sporty" Good for commuting in traffic. From 6k to 10k it changes tone and feels like the good Lord Himself has reach down to propell you along. If you want to go from 30 to 90 mph in 3 seconds to merge with traffic, you can do that in 2nd gear. There is really nothing like winding out a high revving sport bike engine. I ride it everyday that it isn't either snowing or monsoon storming.

Gear makes all the difference. Doesn't even have to be top of the line gear. This is minimum gear recommendations from me.

Jacket - mesh at a minimum, leather is preferred, and textile is obviously a compromise. A good wind breaking liner is a MUST HAVE for any jacket. Makes all the difference on the colder days.

Gloves - Leather, some text or mesh is ok, as long as it's either padded or re-inforced some how. Gauntlets are the best, but a shorter glove can work well too. It just lets in the cold air up your sleeve.

Boots - Over your ankle, leather, and without laces (or something that covers the laces). I've had laces get stuck in pegs and that is NOT fun. Riding boots give you a better feel of the controls. Steel toes are "ok" but it is night a day difference riding with my work boots vs my motorcycle books.

Pants - I really recommend full armored (padded) leather with full leg zippers. These are spendy though, so full armored text pants with full leg zippers are a good compromise. If you really care more about how you look, they also sell riding jeans that are a step up from regular jeans as far as protection goes. I put the full length leg zipper as a must have, just becasue you can keep your boots on when you change in and out of the pants. It makes commuting that much more enjoyable when you don't have to take 15 minutes changing in and out of your gear.

Helmet - I wear a full face HJC. It's one of the better values out there, but you can obviously get better fitting and better noise reducing helmets. If you can swing it, get one with a flip down tinted lense. Changing face shields isn't a big deal, but it's still kind of a pain. Scorpion makes a very good helmet for the money too.

Ear protection - I STRONGLY recommend ear protection with any helmet. Either the soft foam ear plugs, or a noise isolating ear bud. Anything to keep the wind out of your ears. I can actually hear better with my ear pro in than out. Without the ear pro all I hear is the wind. My ears also ring when I get where I'm going. Not cool.

Balaclava - Another highly recommended item if you plan on doing any riding in cooler temps. A good wind blocking balaclava will allow you to enjoy and concentrate on your riding instead of how cold your face and neck feel. Also good if you get caught in the rain.

Heated gear is great, but not needed unless you plan on riding for hours in temps of 50 or below. A good wind breaking liner and balaclava will keep you nice and toasty otherwise.

You can get great deals on used gear, so hit up CL and motorcycle forums. Gear is ALWAYS going on clearance as well, so if you hit up the stores and internet at the right times, you can get great deals on last season's gear. The only thing I won't buy used is a helmet since they're a "one and done" item. Even dropping one from a short height is enough for me to scrap it out. I dropped a brand new lid at the MSF class and donated it to them at the end of class. That was an expensive mistake.

Anyway, I love bikes. Love talking about them riding them working on them. Much more enjoyable than cars (which I also love). Good luck and keep the shiny side up!

 

[theweakerbrother]

Well, how big are you and do you know what kind of riding you'd like to do, or what style or bike you like? (Cruiser vs Touring/Standard vs sport) There are also tweener bikes for all those categories.

I'm 5'10" and I weigh around 235lb. My inseam is 29"ish inches. I have short legs and a long torso. I've had a few PET scans and when I do, they have to adjust the settings for someone who is normally 6'3".

I don't know about comfortability of riding the bikes but I really liked the little Suzuki 250 I rode in the class and how they sat but with my big butt on them, they didn't cruise very fast. We didn't go out of 4th gear... so that might have something to do with it. It was extremely windy at the airfield in Seymour and I can't imagine taking something like that on the highway or interstate.

I'd probably do mostly commuting driving and on the weekends, take it through Brown County.

As far as aesthetics go, I'd really like to have something like a Harley Crusier type bike... Victory bikes are probably my favorite. Unfortunately, I cannot ever spend or justify that amount on a motorcycle.

I like the way that Ducati Monsters look... I'm not a big fan of most crotch rocket style bikes.

So, I guess the answer is that I really like cruiser bikes and wish I had more money for one.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I'm 5'10" and I weigh around 235lb. My inseam is 29"ish inches. I have short legs and a long torso. I've had a few PET scans and when I do, they have to adjust the settings for someone who is normally 6'3".

I don't know about comfortability of riding the bikes but I really liked the little Suzuki 250 I rode in the class and how they sat but with my big butt on them, they didn't cruise very fast. We didn't go out of 4th gear... so that might have something to do with it. It was extremely windy at the airfield in Seymour and I can't imagine taking something like that on the highway or interstate.

I'd probably do mostly commuting driving and on the weekends, take it through Brown County.

As far as aesthetics go, I'd really like to have something like a Harley Crusier type bike... Victory bikes are probably my favorite. Unfortunately, I cannot ever spend or justify that amount on a motorcycle.

I like the way that Ducati Monsters look... I'm not a big fan of most crotch rocket style bikes.

So, I guess the answer is that I really like cruiser bikes and wish I had more money for one.

So basically, you're saying you want a Harley-Davidson. There are plenty of good, more reliable (don't kill me HD fanbois) than HD, crusiers out there at a much lower price. But as I have come to know, Harley is a religion in Indiana.

 

[ATOMonkey]

I'm 5'10" and I weigh around 235lb. My inseam is 29"ish inches. I have short legs and a long torso. I've had a few PET scans and when I do, they have to adjust the settings for someone who is normally 6'3".

I don't know about comfortability of riding the bikes but I really liked the little Suzuki 250 I rode in the class and how they sat but with my big butt on them, they didn't cruise very fast. We didn't go out of 4th gear... so that might have something to do with it. It was extremely windy at the airfield in Seymour and I can't imagine taking something like that on the highway or interstate.

I'd probably do mostly commuting driving and on the weekends, take it through Brown County.

As far as aesthetics go, I'd really like to have something like a Harley Crusier type bike... Victory bikes are probably my favorite. Unfortunately, I cannot ever spend or justify that amount on a motorcycle.

I like the way that Ducati Monsters look... I'm not a big fan of most crotch rocket style bikes.

So, I guess the answer is that I really like cruiser bikes and wish I had more money for one.

Very good that you know what you want. What kind of money do you have? You can pick up a metric cruiser, harley copy, for less than $3k easy.

Having short legs is a pain. I have a 30 inch inseam and was tippy toes on all the bikes except for the cruisers at the local dealer. Some of the SS bikes I could flat foot, but not all.

Here is a pic of my wife's bike.

We picked this up for $3500, but you can get them from much less if you're willing to travel. It's a 2003 (I think) honda shadow spirit 750.

Most used bikes will also come with louder pipes and bags and other fun stuff that normally costs several thousand but doesn't add any value to the bike.

 

[ATOMonkey]

$1850 in Seymour

2001 Suzuki VZ800 Marauder

$1800 in Greenfield

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/mcy/2330336874.html

Harley for $1500 in Taylorsville. (some assembly required)

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/mcy/2326656576.html

 

[theweakerbrother]

So basically, you're saying you want a Harley-Davidson. There are plenty of good, more reliable (don't kill me HD fanbois) than HD, crusiers out there at a much lower price. But as I have come to know, Harley is a religion in Indiana.

Not necessarily... re-read my previous post and you'll see that I want a Victory the most.

I like Harleys but I don't have the scratch to buy one nor do I have the money to dump on all the gear that everyone feels necessary to buy with the HD logo. They are not the end all be all but they got to where they are with good reason... cool overtly "American" designs and lines.

You're right about Harleys almost being a religion but it's not just in Indiana; it's everywhere. Look at countries that absolutely hate the west... even some of them have Harley dealerships. Iraq, Dubai, etc.

What kind of recommendations, specifically would you point me towards?

Though my first bike will likely not be a Harley, nor an American bike, I get why people want to buy American when it comes to bikes. I just can't do it myself.

 

[theweakerbrother]

$1850 in Seymour

2001 Suzuki VZ800 Marauder

$1800 in Greenfield

Honda Rebel 2002

Harley for $1500 in Taylorsville. (some assembly required)

Harley Basket Case 76 Sportster

Your wife's bike is pretty close to what I want or would look for in a bike. I'll probably not be able to afford to buy a bike this year because of other expenses but 1600 is probably right around what I would spend on my first bike. Thanks for the recommendations and I'll rep you when I recharge.

My dad is much smaller than me (in weight and size) and he tip toes on a giant Goldwing w/a 1500 (I think) bike and I don't see how he does it.

After taking the ABATE class, they've convinced me that aesthetics isn't always worth the cost of what it is. Loud pipes don't necessarily save lives because they're loudest when you're pulling away from someone. You CAN be heard while in someone's blindspot but not likely if they're jamming to the radio.

I don't like helmets but I'm convinced that wearing a FULL FACED one will serve me well.

I also like flat black motorcycles, black leather safety gear and no helmet but I'll likely wear bright stuff, full helmet and get a riding jacket. I'll link some stuff I found online. I found an HJC 400 helmet for 50 bucks shipped from some big box store online... seems like a good deal for a brain pan. Most of them are 4 times that amount with a different logo. I have boots already... I have really thick jeans from skateboarding/bmx days that I wore during the class... they are like triple thickness of regular jeans and work well.

I will, never, ever wear chaps.

In short, I'd rather be a bit irritatingly noticed with bright colors and be a little safer than be blacked out on everything and be missed.

It's all risk vs benefit.

Thanks guys! Back to work... lunch is over.

 

[Kutnupe14]

You're right about Harleys almost being a religion but it's not just in Indiana; it's everywhere. Look at countries that absolutely hate the west... even some of them have Harley dealerships. Iraq, Dubai, etc.

And those infidels shall feel Allah's fury... (durka, durk, durka)

What kind of recommendations, specifically would you point me towards?

Though my first bike will likely not be a Harley, nor an American bike, I get why people want to buy American when it comes to bikes. I just can't do it myself.

ATO has pointed you in the right direction. You should simply head to a dealership, sit on a few that catch your fancy, and look them up online. Craigslist is an excellent source for finding local reasonably price bikes.

 

[Phil502]

My first bike was a Yamaha V-Star 650, it was a great first bike but I traded up to a Honda Shadow Spirit 1100 after a few years. The Yamaha ran better, they make a 1100 V Star too.

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

I have short legs and there were few bikes that fit me well. I chose a Honda Shadow, but chose the Aero 750 rather than the Spirit. The seat height was lower and the bar reach was more comfortable. It's a great first bike. Very easy to ride and has given me no problems at all.

 

[hornadylnl]

Don't make the same mistake I did. My first Harley was a 75 ironhead sportster. I paid $3k for a bike that had all kinds of problems when I could have got a great running metric bike for that. I was a diehard Harley man at the time. Staring at a broken bike isn't much fun. It's like paying $5k for a beat up caddy when you can get a pretty sound non cool vehicle for the same price.

 

[Shay]

Don't make the same mistake I did. My first Harley was a 75 ironhead sportster. I paid $3k for a bike that had all kinds of problems when I could have got a great running metric bike for that. I was a diehard Harley man at the time. Staring at a broken bike isn't much fun. It's like paying $5k for a beat up caddy when you can get a pretty sound non cool vehicle for the same price.

Hey! This same sad story applies to most 1911's.

 

[IndyMedic]

Get something bigger than a 600. You will want a bigger bike very soon.

 

[Ogre]

Don't make the same mistake I did. My first Harley was a 75 ironhead sportster. I paid $3k for a bike that had all kinds of problems when I could have got a great running metric bike for that. I was a diehard Harley man at the time. Staring at a broken bike isn't much fun. It's like paying $5k for a beat up caddy when you can get a pretty sound non cool vehicle for the same price.

Ha, thats familiar. My first bike was a '95 Heritage Soft tail. That POS had wrenches sitting on the seat more than my ass did. I would never own another Hardley again. I traded it in on a new Yamaha Road Star Warrior. I loved that bike. One peice of advice, get a little more powerful bike than you think you will need and save yourself from buying another bike after you get a little experience.

 

[schafe]

I've been riding street and dirt since the mid 60's, and have done some off road competition. I will tell you that the dynamics of riding change significantly as the mass of the bikes you ride increases. My suggestions:
1) Use all the safety equipment you can afford, right from the git-go.
2) start out on the lightest bike suitable for your kind of riding (heck, they are all fun!)
3) Take the class first, and read as much as you can about safe riding
4)Learn as much about your first bike as you can before switching...many guys never come close to knowing what their bikes potential is, especially in terms of handling, before going on to more massive, powerful bikes.
5) ride as many miles on your first bike as you can, before moving on to a more powerful one.. It's been said that if you don't die on your bike in the first year of riding, chances are, you won't die on a bike at all.
6) Bikes need maintainence. don't be afraid to wrench it yourself...just be armed with the proper info going in. There is some forum for nearly every model of bike and (just like INGO) they are a wealth of information.
7) Have fun, and be safe.

 

[casselmb]

Going to do a little thread resurrecting here rather than start a new one on basically the same topic. If someone is looking for a good cheap used bike, the consensus here seems to be Craigslist. However, I'm worried that being new to bikes, I would end up getting screwed unless I went to a reputable dealer. So I guess my question is will I find a cheap beginner bike at a dealer, or is Craigslist really the only option in the $1500-$2000 beginner bike category?

 

[ATOMonkey]

Going to do a little thread resurrecting here rather than start a new one on basically the same topic. If someone is looking for a good cheap used bike, the consensus here seems to be Craigslist. However, I'm worried that being new to bikes, I would end up getting screwed unless I went to a reputable dealer. So I guess my question is will I find a cheap beginner bike at a dealer, or is Craigslist really the only option in the $1500-$2000 beginner bike category?

Sometimes a dealer will take in an inexpensive bike that like on trade. However, it is few and far between.

Bike people are generally good people. They own bikes because they like to, not because they have to (like a car). As such, they're really not out to screw anyone, as a general rule of thumb.

In all my CL dealings with bikes, I've yet to have a bad experience, or even one that I wasn't totally satisfied with.

 

[Hoosierdood]

Going to do a little thread resurrecting here rather than start a new one on basically the same topic. If someone is looking for a good cheap used bike, the consensus here seems to be Craigslist. However, I'm worried that being new to bikes, I would end up getting screwed unless I went to a reputable dealer. So I guess my question is will I find a cheap beginner bike at a dealer, or is Craigslist really the only option in the $1500-$2000 beginner bike category?

You're more likely to get screwed at the dealership than you would on Craigslist.

Just do your homework. If you find a bike on craigslist, google the make and model to see where they rate on reliability, and if there are any common issues. It's just like buying a gun. You can go to a dealer or you can do private sales. If you do your homework before hand, you already have an advantage.

 

[Rob377]

Going to do a little thread resurrecting here rather than start a new one on basically the same topic. If someone is looking for a good cheap used bike, the consensus here seems to be Craigslist. However, I'm worried that being new to bikes, I would end up getting screwed unless I went to a reputable dealer. So I guess my question is will I find a cheap beginner bike at a dealer, or is Craigslist really the only option in the $1500-$2000 beginner bike category?

Try to find a friend that knows the stuff to look for: Leaky fork seals, tire condition, oil condition, jetting problems, evidence of crash damage, bent wheels, frames, and so on.

There are some good deals on CL, but there are some horrible, horrible heaps of crap on there too. I've seen some on there that are advertised as perfect, but can tell just by looking that they'll be bottomless money pits with all the stuff that'll need to be repaired. I've seen stolen bikes on there as well.

Buyer Beware on CL.