i am getting interested in motorcycles

[racer42]

I can vouch for the Suzuki SV650. It's a very torquey twin cylinder engine with great handling chassis. Cheap too. A Lot of club racers are using them for race bikes.

It's a very forgiving starter bike that you wont outgrow as you develop your skills.

I would avoid any bike with lower bodywork because no matter how careful you are you will probably drop it.

Take the MSF class and have fun!

 

[Kelemvor]

Just scrap all those crap-tastic starter bikes and buy a Hayabusa.
http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/GSX1300RZK5/Default.aspx

 

[RedRooster]

Sportbikes are so two years ago, they're pretty much useless if you do a lot of commuting or low speed riding. Very boring too when you're constrained to "around town" speeds. They'd be fun on the track, but I don't have one close so I got rid of mine because it really was overkill.

So, what bike do you get? A supermoto. KTM isn't the only brand, but it's the best street legal out of the box brand. They handle BETTER than sportbikes(yes, I said it, and they do), they're way better for commuting, you can take them off road(within reason) and curbs, and they're way cheaper to insure and license because there's no gaudy plastic to break off.
It's all the rage in Europe, and since getting mine, I see why!

 

[Saint Nick]

Originally posted by: RedRooster
Sportbikes are so two years ago, they're pretty much useless if you do a lot of commuting or low speed riding. Very boring too when you're constrained to "around town" speeds. They'd be fun on the track, but I don't have one close so I got rid of mine because it really was overkill.

So, what bike do you get? A supermoto. KTM isn't the only brand, but it's the best street legal out of the box brand. They handle BETTER than sportbikes(yes, I said it, and they do), they're way better for commuting, you can take them off road(within reason) and curbs, and they're way cheaper to insure and license because there's no gaudy plastic to break off.
It's all the rage in Europe, and since getting mine, I see why!

are these bikes pricy new and/or used?

 

[RaiderJ]

Get a cheaper bike to start, just because if you lay it over in the process of "learning", it won't be such a big deal. I have a '77 Suzuki, they are a blast!

 

[RedRooster]

Originally posted by: jndietz

Originally posted by: RedRooster
Sportbikes are so two years ago, they're pretty much useless if you do a lot of commuting or low speed riding. Very boring too when you're constrained to "around town" speeds. They'd be fun on the track, but I don't have one close so I got rid of mine because it really was overkill.

So, what bike do you get? A supermoto. KTM isn't the only brand, but it's the best street legal out of the box brand. They handle BETTER than sportbikes(yes, I said it, and they do), they're way better for commuting, you can take them off road(within reason) and curbs, and they're way cheaper to insure and license because there's no gaudy plastic to break off.
It's all the rage in Europe, and since getting mine, I see why!

are these bikes pricy new and/or used?

New, they're slightly less than sportbikes. Used, they're way cheaper than sportbikes. Especially if you can find one that someone put together from a dirt bike and street legalized it, like this or this.
Suzuki makes a stock street version too, the DRZ400SM.

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: RedRooster
Sportbikes are so two years ago, they're pretty much useless if you do a lot of commuting or low speed riding. Very boring too when you're constrained to "around town" speeds. They'd be fun on the track, but I don't have one close so I got rid of mine because it really was overkill.

So, what bike do you get? A supermoto. KTM isn't the only brand, but it's the best street legal out of the box brand. They handle BETTER than sportbikes(yes, I said it, and they do), they're way better for commuting, you can take them off road(within reason) and curbs, and they're way cheaper to insure and license because there's no gaudy plastic to break off.
It's all the rage in Europe, and since getting mine, I see why!

Thats just your oppionion..
I been riding nothing but sportbikes/dirtbikes my entire life..
I would not trade my CBR for any other bike in the world..

I ride my bike every day rain, shine, cold, or ice...
and its fine for commuting..
the 929 has plenty of torque for lagging around traffic and is comfortable to my size and frame..

and it has the capabilities to stomp a freaking mudhole in any bike short of the modern 1000 super bikes...
harleys and cruisers are fine for old rich people.. they suck for people that want STYLE SPEED and POWER..
harleys and choppers just dont get it for me...

its all oppinion..
there is nothing wrong with commuting on a sport bike..
fine red dont like it its his oppinion..

but other than that dont take it with a grain of salt..
go out sit on bikes in the class and size you want and make up your own mind...

the ability for me to go from cruise mode to a 190mph race ready liter bike on the weekends is a big plus to me...
most of the harleys Idea of riding is around the corner to the nearest bar....

where we put about 500-800 miles per weekend on our bikes in the hill country or the beach..

 

[Amused]

I rode crotch rockets for nearly 20 years.

Now I ride a Hog.

I'm having way more fun on the Hog.

You don't need to play boy racer to have fun on a bike. Cruising and touring is far more fun to me than racing around collecting tickets ever was.

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: RedRooster

Originally posted by: jndietz

Originally posted by: RedRooster
Sportbikes are so two years ago, they're pretty much useless if you do a lot of commuting or low speed riding. Very boring too when you're constrained to "around town" speeds. They'd be fun on the track, but I don't have one close so I got rid of mine because it really was overkill.

So, what bike do you get? A supermoto. KTM isn't the only brand, but it's the best street legal out of the box brand. They handle BETTER than sportbikes(yes, I said it, and they do), they're way better for commuting, you can take them off road(within reason) and curbs, and they're way cheaper to insure and license because there's no gaudy plastic to break off.
It's all the rage in Europe, and since getting mine, I see why!

are these bikes pricy new and/or used?

New, they're slightly less than sportbikes. Used, they're way cheaper than sportbikes. Especially if you can find one that someone put together from a dirt bike and street legalized it, like this or this.
Suzuki makes a stock street version too, the DRZ400SM.

PS they dont handle better than sportbikes.. Motards even with the best suspension equipment fall well short of a good sport rider on track or off...

My expereince is not just based on street but also the track...

note those DP bikes hes suggesting are MUCH MUCH slower than even a 500 CC ninja...
in top speed and accelleration...

I dunno about your town but here traffic can run in the 80-90s and I want to be able to keep up and maintain a little speed buffer...

 

[CVSiN]

you couldnt give me a "hardly" as in Hardly running....

if and when I ever buy a cruiser it will not be a harley... it will be a Custom chopper with a aftermarket motor...

even then I dont see myself on one... #1 becasue I dont just ride to the local bar and hang out with the posers...

#2 because i like to wear my saftey gear.. and Id be the only chopper rider in texas with a helmet.. boots roadrash pants... gloves etc...

ive had roadrash before and ive seen harley morons die in 30 mph fall overs becasue they had no gear...

no thanks..
ill stick with my leather wearing psycho brethren.. we may ride fast in my group.. but every rider has 15+ years exp and a racing license and we are safe where we ride fast and never ride out of our abilities.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: CVSiN
you couldnt give me a "hardly" as in Hardly running....

if and when I ever buy a cruiser it will not be a harley... it will be a Custom chopper with a aftermarket motor...

even then I dont see myself on one... #1 becasue I dont just ride to the local bar and hang out with the posers...

#2 because i like to wear my saftey gear.. and Id be the only chopper rider in texas with a helmet.. boots roadrash pants... gloves etc...

ive had roadrash before and ive seen harley morons die in 30 mph fall overs becasue they had no gear...

no thanks..
ill stick with my leather wearing psycho brethren.. we may ride fast in my group.. but every rider has 15+ years exp and a racing license and we are safe where we ride fast and never ride out of our abilities.

LOL!! All the "aftermarket" motors put in "choppers" are exact replicas of Harley motors... and usually less reliable.

Harley's reliability is quite strong. FAR stronger than any of the custom bike builders.

You know, the Harley hate among sport bikers is some of the most irrational and ill informed bullsh!t I've ever heard. You sound like a bunch of religious nuts talking about the devil.

 

[Monkey muppet]

My bikes in chronological:

Gilera Runner: beats any car off the lights: top speed 90mph

Yamaha Diversion good traffic buster and indestructable engine (1/4 mile = 11s)

Yamaha Thundercat: Supersports over 100bhp (0-60-0 = 5s)

Honda Bros This out handles anything, but runs out of puff on the motorways.

My first big bike was the Diversion (the scooter doesn't count) which was a 600cc (about 60-ish bhp), it was a realy good first bike as it tought me a lot about how a bike handles (I also did my advanced driving on it).

I then moved to the 'cat' which was my little "toy", stupidly fast, very loud, but far too much insurance.

The cat got stolen so I purchased the bros 400cc, It's only got a 34 horses but weighs less than 130kg, I have plans on tricking this out with a buell style exhaust and front end, lowered front, carbon tank, etc - This is my next project

 

[KingPhil]

PIC OF MY BIKE!

My Bike on CruiserCustomizing.com

2003 Honda Shadow ACE 750 Deluxe

Love it! Then again, who doesn't love 50MPG

Edit: This was / is my first bike. Bought it new. I took the MSF safety course (well worth it). At the time I didn't know much about bikes and I didn't wanna buy someone else's problems which is why I bought new. I went with the 750 cause I didn't wanna grow out of it too soon. No problems with starting on a 750 cruiser.......... HOWEVER, a 1300 crotch rocket would kinda concern me haha

Edit again: Cruisers are cheaper than crotch rockets........... unless you find someones old crotch rocket that they beat the crap out of.........

 

[Budmantom]

A Kawasaki EX500 is a great beginner bike, here is my new 05 V-Max.



Tom

 

[Amused]

My bike:

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Amused/IMG_0427.jpg

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Amused/IMG_0426.jpg

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Amused/IMG_0422.jpg

 

[Saint Nick]

i am jealous of all of you

by the way i found this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI...em&rd=1&item=4558389749&category=49999

how can he sell a brand new bike for $3000??? i'm interested but i wonder why its so cheap. i still have to save for a while longer anyways.

 

[KingPhil]

Originally posted by: Desslok
04 BMW 1150 GS Adventure

01 KTM 400 EXC

GF has a

BMW 650 GS

Don't go above a 500 and get a used one if you can. You WILL drop it.

I never dropped mine........ just don't be stupid........

 

[KingPhil]

Originally posted by: jndietz
i am jealous of all of you

by the way i found this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI...em&rd=1&item=4558389749&category=49999

how can he sell a brand new bike for $3000???

He's advertising it as a 1000RR yet he says the engine size is only a 600? Seems kinda fishy to me.......... If I went for it, I'd go there in person, pay him in person, and you could also have him send you the VIN ahead of time to have the DMV run a check on it.....

 

[KingPhil]

Something else you should consider..........

Crotch Rockets = hi compression engines....... require Hi-test gas.....

Cruisers = lo compression......... 87 octane works best.......

Atleast for my bike 87 works best. If I put in anything higher it starts to run crappy.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: KingPhil

Originally posted by: Desslok
04 BMW 1150 GS Adventure

01 KTM 400 EXC

GF has a

BMW 650 GS

Don't go above a 500 and get a used one if you can. You WILL drop it.

I never dropped mine........ just don't be stupid........

Most people do, though. So I always tell people to buy cheap for their first bike. 90+% drop their first bike a few times be it from putting the kickstand in soft ground/asphalt, or screwups when doing parking lot moves or backing up.

 

[KingPhil]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: KingPhil

Originally posted by: Desslok
04 BMW 1150 GS Adventure

01 KTM 400 EXC

GF has a

BMW 650 GS

Don't go above a 500 and get a used one if you can. You WILL drop it.

I never dropped mine........ just don't be stupid........

Most people do, though. So I always tell people to buy cheap for their first bike. 90+% drop their first bike a few times be it from putting the kickstand in soft ground/asphalt, or screwups when doing parking lot moves or backing up.

I agree with you 100% to buy a used bike....... If I could do it again, i'd find a hardly used bike, cheap. Practically new, but much cheaper.......

To the newbie biker:

1- Carry a little piece of wood with you to park on instead of a hot mushy pavement
2- Don't forget to put your kickstand down (seen that happen)
3- Practice maneuvering the bike around by hand...... very beneficial when in a parking lot, don't wanna look retarded in front of other bikers now..

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: CVSiN
you couldnt give me a "hardly" as in Hardly running....

if and when I ever buy a cruiser it will not be a harley... it will be a Custom chopper with a aftermarket motor...

even then I dont see myself on one... #1 becasue I dont just ride to the local bar and hang out with the posers...

#2 because i like to wear my saftey gear.. and Id be the only chopper rider in texas with a helmet.. boots roadrash pants... gloves etc...

ive had roadrash before and ive seen harley morons die in 30 mph fall overs becasue they had no gear...

no thanks..
ill stick with my leather wearing psycho brethren.. we may ride fast in my group.. but every rider has 15+ years exp and a racing license and we are safe where we ride fast and never ride out of our abilities.

LOL!! All the "aftermarket" motors put in "choppers" are exact replicas of Harley motors... and usually less reliable.

Harley's reliability is quite strong. FAR stronger than any of the custom bike builders.

You know, the Harley hate among sport bikers is some of the most irrational and ill informed bullsh!t I've ever heard. You sound like a bunch of religious nuts talking about the devil.

when was the last time harley podium finished in world superbike?

1992 Pascall Pacotte. 3rd place...

the one and only time harley ever made it to the finish line...

Japanese/Italian Superbikes constantly destory harleys/buells in any class they allow them to run...

the main reason for Harley hate is thier Inability to progress into the modern era..

their Vtwin design is an Antique.. even the Italian V twins are better.. which isnt saying much...

when harley learns how to build an Inline 4 sportbike that can compete on any level with the modern liter bikes than Ill buy one...
the main hate is becasue we have 2 American motorcycle brands and neither is doing anything for the sport on the racing side..

If there was a competitive American bike in the same class as the ZX-10, GSXR1000 CBR1000RR or the R1.. then maybe just maybe Id get off harleys back about being obsolete and a waste of money...

as for aftermarket chopper engines.. Id rather have a well known engine builder build me a built to the hilt chopper motor that actually made over 100hp than your detuned 80 HP harley production motors...

after riding sportbikes with nearly 200 RWHP the average harley feels like a scooter in comparison...
the only chopper I have ever ridden that felt like it had some balls was a Houston built "Big Dog" with an custom motor... he said it was makign 110 horses... not bad i guess. but on the highway while doing a 60 MPH roll on race with him.. he very quickly faded in my mirrors...

 

[Triumph]

The OP sounds like a reasonable person, but let me just reiterate something. There's a common trend that arises in threads like these across the internet. New riders will often say that it is OK to start on a 600 cc sport bike (or worse). The whole "I did it and didn't kill myself" logic. Old riders will warn against this. That should pretty much speak for itself. This debate is as old as Jesus himself. MANY people have KILLED themselves within the first few weeks of buying a bike, because they have bought the WRONG bike and have not had the proper training. Just don't be one of those people.

Here's a good FAQ thread
And read this article top to bottom
And an entertaining read on the topic

 

[mordantmonkey]

i'm gonna hijack a bit, since i've been eyeing motorcycles for a while now too.
i'm thinking maybe a late 70's early 80's suzuki GS550/650 or a yamaha XS550/650. i don't mind working on older bikes to keep them in good running condition (i find that half of the fun). I like this style of bike, are there any alternatives (newer/better)? are these bad choices?

 

[Monkey muppet]

Originally posted by: Triumph
The OP sounds like a reasonable person, but let me just reiterate something. There's a common trend that arises in threads like these across the internet. New riders will often say that it is OK to start on a 600 cc sport bike (or worse). The whole "I did it and didn't kill myself" logic. Old riders will warn against this. That should pretty much speak for itself. This debate is as old as Jesus himself. MANY people have KILLED themselves within the first few weeks of buying a bike, because they have bought the WRONG bike and have not had the proper training. Just don't be one of those people.

Here's a good FAQ thread
And read this article top to bottom
And an entertaining read on the topic

First bike purchase should be either:

400cc sports: VFR400 recommended
600cc street: Maximum would be a bandit or hornit (don't get a sports untill you've got at least 18months of good riding practice) SV650, ER500, etc are all good