Is Honda CBR300R motorcycle a good choice to learn on?

[ringtail]

I'm 6ft 4in tall, I weigh 186 pounds, and I am exceptionally athletic, vastly beyond the usual person (for real, no exaggeration).

I envision biking 75% on dry California surface streets in light rural/small city traffic, and minimal freeway driving (in Santa Barbara county, far away from the unwanted throng of teeming thousands of transplant hideous New Yorkers and foul ugly Texans who spoil our Cali environment, especially our North Calif redwoods),

and 15 % on dirt in our fabulous local mountains where unpaved roads rise above 8,000 feet altitude,

and 10% in our beautiful pristine deserts, with secret mega-glyphs same as Nazca Peru (you never heard of) and massive cave systems and lava flows.

In the main, daily I jet around Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties, mostly near sea level and sometimes (mainly weekends) up in the close-by mountains and out in the desert. Riding will be in dry sunshine only, I'll drive car in rain (GOD please send us more!!!)

Does my body weight (189 lbs) or height (6ft 4 in) affect the goodness of the TENTATIVE choice of CBR300R to learn on?
Is 300cc too small for my size (as a friend is insisting)?
Would some different brand/model be better to LEARN on?
Should a rider of my weight/height be looking around 750cc instead of 300cc, as a friend is is telling me?
Is a Honda 300cc just too dang small for my height/weight?

I'm REALLY 6 ft 4 in tall (not internet bs). It'd be awful to have a too-short bike seat that's like sitting down in a hole (the usual case with too-low house furniture).

Is some different bike brand & model better for learning to ride? Does rider weight / height even matter all that much, or maybe it's not really that important?

(I'm a "real strong believer" in the Honda brand, based on experience owning several Acura and Honda cars. I LOVE Acura/Honda. I'd slightly go out of my way just to get Honda brand.)

It looks like a new Honda CBR300R after tax costs a mere $4,500 or so...say maybe buy a new one to learn on, then later get a REAL motorcycle like a BMW 1200 or a Harley Davidson (my town has a good Harley outlet) or a real big Honda. How about that?

Comments/ Advice APPRECIATED.

(I'm already waitlisted to enter the Calif Highway Patrol-sanctioned Beginners Rider class real soon-awaiting start date)

Thank you for any advice.

Rincon in the foreground and the Santa Barbara coast

 

[DigDog]

i'm 6'3" and i had no problem riding a tiny ducati, although i was sitting sideways most of the time. i don't know the 300r so i can't tell for sure, but afaik any road bike big enough to accommodate you fully will likely be 150hp or more. the real problem is the distance between the pedals and the seat, not the length of the bike.

speaking of, if you buy a road bike, it will stay on the road. no dirt whatsoever.

i would say .. get the cbr 600. it's such an awesome bike, comfortable, large enough, and will last you a lifetime. it's also docile and "easy" for a learner; by that, i don't mean you can't kill yourself with it, because you can. you can kill yourself with just anything with 30hp or more.

i gotta say about the 300r, i really dont like the feeling you get from a single disk break.

 

[ringtail]

DigDog,

Thank YOU very much for replying.

You said ..."although i was sitting sideways most of the time..."

Man, that sounds bizarre, like there's an interesting tale you could tell! Nobody sits "sideways"!!!!

So to boil it down, what you say is right in line with what my best friend also insists, that 300 is too small because of my body size. You said cbr 600. (Wow, 600 seems like a HUGE amount of power to me!... but I'm a novice)

So now you pluss my best friend both are telling me 300 is too small. It sure does sound like you know what you're talking about.

Based on you + him I'm now changing my whole thought pattern on this thing. Because of you I'm going to abandon the whole concept I was going down of a Honda 300cc.

Thank you again for responding. I really appreciate feedback from a source like you who really knows what you're talking about. Extremely helpful, and you've helped prevent me from making a mistake by buying a too-small Honda 300cc.

 

[drnickriviera]

For what you describe, you may want to look at a cb500X. Adventure style bike, but you'd be limited to hard pack roads without different tires. My brother picked up a cb500f at a good price and I got to ride it before he sells it. Comparing to my Suzuki GS500

More upright riding position, very comfortable. If you don't plan on a lot of high speed touring, I think you'll like the upright position.

Very light and maneuverable. Probably not a problem for your size, but I was surprised how much easier it was than my GS

It just works. It was like 35 deg and hadn't been started in a week. Hit the starter and in 2 seconds it was purring. I'd probably have to start it 3-4 times on my carbed GS. The transmission is like a swiss watch. Nicest shifting bike we've ever ridden

There's always the KLR 650 if you truly want a dual sport bike

 

[DigDog]

or a suzuki SV 650. or many other "sports tourer" models.

the truth for me is that i have a hard time recommending bikes - i have had too many bad experiences, i'd rather drive a nice car, or for inner city travel, a moped.

 

[JulesMaximus]

i don't know the 300r so i can't tell for sure, but afaik any road bike big enough to accommodate you fully will likely be 150hp or more. the real problem is the distance between the pedals and the seat, not the length of the bike.

speaking of, if you buy a road bike, it will stay on the road. no dirt whatsoever.

i would say .. get the cbr 600. it's such an awesome bike, comfortable, large enough, and will last you a lifetime. it's also docile and "easy" for a learner; by that, i don't mean you can't kill yourself with it, because you can. you can kill yourself with just anything with 30hp or more.

i gotta say about the 300r, i really dont like the feeling you get from a single disk break.

This really is the worst advice ever.

And bikes don't get that much bigger as they increase in power. In fact, a 130hp 600cc supersport is going to be less comfortable and more compact (in the riding position) than the CBR300R and take longer to learn on than the 300. The 300 is lighter, has a more relaxed riding position and you will learn much faster on that than on a 600cc supersport. The 300 is a much more forgiving bike and I would highly recommend starting out on that.

Here are the seat heights on some modern motorcycles.

The last two on this list are dual sports and would be better off-road than any sportbike. The V-Strom 650 would be the lightest (and far less expensive) out of the two dual-sports I've listed though. Just wanted to give you something to compare.

i'm 6'3" and i had no problem riding a tiny ducati, although i was sitting sideways most of the time.

I'm curious what Ducati you rode that is tiny? Because all modern Ducatis are fullsize motorcycles with the smallest being a 696cc twin. They're all twins actually, from the 2-valve, air-cooled 696 Monster to the 4-valve, liquid-cooled 1200cc Multistrada and 1199 Panigale. I'm 5'11" and I have ridden the Multistrada. I cannot flat foot that bike but is by no means difficult for me to ride, and it definitely isn't tiny. It is one of the tallest motorcycles I've ever ridden in fact. I wouldn't recommend a Ducati as a first bike either but if you absolutely had to have one, the 696/796 would be the way to go (very comparable to the SV650 in weight and power).

As for riding on unpaved roads, you can do it on any bike but you would want a lighter bike for that with longer suspension travel and knobby tires ideally. Given the choice though I'd much rather take the 300 on unpaved roads than a 600cc supersport. Personally, I wouldn't take any street bike off road unless I absolutely had to (and I have).

Does my body weight (189 lbs) or height (6ft 4 in) affect the goodness of the TENTATIVE choice of CBR300R to learn on?
Is 300cc too small for my size (as a friend is insisting)?
Would some different brand/model be better to LEARN on?
Should a rider of my weight/height be looking around 750cc instead of 300cc, as a friend is is telling me?
Is a Honda 300cc just too dang small for my height/weight?

I'm REALLY 6 ft 4 in tall (not internet bs). It'd be awful to have a too-short bike seat that's like sitting down in a hole (the usual case with too-low house furniture).

Is some different bike brand & model better for learning to ride? Does rider weight / height even matter all that much, or maybe it's not really that important?

(I'm a "real strong believer" in the Honda brand, based on experience owning several Acura and Honda cars. I LOVE Acura/Honda. I'd slightly go out of my way just to get Honda brand.)

It looks like a new Honda CBR300R after tax costs a mere $4,500 or so...say maybe buy a new one to learn on, then later get a REAL motorcycle like a BMW 1200 or a Harley Davidson (my town has a good Harley outlet) or a real big Honda. How about that?

Comments/ Advice APPRECIATED.

(I'm already waitlisted to enter the Calif Highway Patrol-sanctioned Beginners Rider class real soon-awaiting start date)

Thank you for any advice.

Rincon in the foreground and the Santa Barbara coast

Your friend is an idiot and listening to him may just get you killed. Take the MSF course and then buy a bike. The CBR300R will be plenty big enough and it is the perfect bike to learn on and $4500 is dirt cheap for a new motorcycle. Ride the crap out of it and sell it for $3500 a year or two down the road and buy something more powerful then if you want.

The Honda CBR300R is an excellent choice. The CB500 is another good choice. Go sit on them and see which feels best to you.

You want something with some seat height then check out the V-Strom 650. This is an excellent bike with a torquey v-twin engine, 75hp, fairly lightweight and more upright riding position, excellent on-road manners and capable off-road as well. Not a sport bike by any stretch but much more forgiving than a sport bike.

 

[twinrider1]

75% on dry California surface streets in light rural/small city traffic, and minimal freeway driving (in Santa Barbara county, far away from the unwanted throng of teeming thousands of transplant hideous New Yorkers and foul ugly Texans who spoil our Cali environment, especially our North Calif redwoods),
The Honda CBR300R is fine for this. And don't expect much help here from any Texans or New Yorkers.

and 15 % on dirt...
and 10% in our beautiful pristine deserts...
If this is a must, plan on a dual purpose bike (DP) or having two bikes; one for street one for off road. The CBR300R is for the streets alone.


Does my body weight (189 lbs) or height (6ft 4 in) affect the goodness of the TENTATIVE choice of CBR300R to learn on?
Not really. It's a matter of what is comfortable for you. Go sit on one. Sit on a bunch of bikes. It's seat height, distance to bars, bar height, bar angle, some seats are wide and flat, some are narrow, some seem to funnel you into the tank uncomfortably
Is 300cc too small for my size (as a friend is insisting)?
No. It's 30hp, which will be plenty for street.
Would some different brand/model be better to LEARN on?
A clean used bike is probably a better choice. You'll probably drop it at some point and that is less painful on a used bike.
I'm a big fan of the Kawasaki Ninja 500. It was called the EX500 when I bought mine ('88). It has a nice power band for a beginner. It's pretty tame below 7000rpm. But at 7000rpm it has a nice hit of power. So when you're learning you can just keep it under 7000rpm. Then go higher when you're comfortable. I've owned bigger bikes, but honestly, the EX500 was the most fun and trouble free. You have to scratch that itch and try other bikes, but looking back, I could have been happy on just that bike.
Should a rider of my weight/height be looking around 750cc instead of 300cc,
Not really how you want to look at it. A 1200 Sportster is twice the displacement of a 600cc CBR, but probably has half the horsepower. Bigger isn't always more powerful.


It looks like a new Honda CBR300R after tax costs a mere $4,500 or so...say maybe buy a new one to learn on, then later get a REAL motorcycle like a BMW 1200 or a Harley Davidson (my town has a good Harley outlet) or a real big Honda. How about that?
What style bike excites you? Some guys are sport bike guys, some are cruiser guys, and some are quirky oddball types. Do you think you want to work on your own bike or would you rather not? No wrong answers, it's just your preference.

Answers in bold.

 

[CombatChuk]

If you're serious about taking it off road, I like the Kawasaki KLR650...

You can find them for pretty cheap and the 650cc thumper engine is a peach and real mellow and good for a beginner. Plus would fit you're tall frame.

 

[Yuriman]

I'm not nearly as experienced with bikes as other members, but it sounds like your friend has the mentality of "if it does 0-60 any slower than 2.5 seconds, it's slow" and would like you to get a bike that will like up with a Ferrari. The Honda 300 has plenty of grunt, but don't buy a bike you're not comfortable sitting on.

 

[Fenixgoon]

nothing wrong with a CBR300, Ninja300, Yamaha R3 (though i think yamaha priced it a bit high).

ninja 500, GS500, CBR500 would give you a bit more power, but still nothing crazy.

SV650 and FZ6R i would consider the way upper end, and while they are new-rider friendly, i would not recommend them, since you can turn around and sell a CBR300 for little loss when you do decide to get something with more power.

for the love of god, do not buy a supersport as your first bike (R6/R1, CBR600RR/1000RR, GSXR 600/1000, etc). probably one of the best ways to crash quickly and turn you off an otherwise incredibly enjoyable hobby

 

[pauldun170]

I'm 6ft 4in tall, I weigh 186 pounds, and I am exceptionally athletic, vastly beyond the usual person (for real, no exaggeration).

I envision biking 75% on dry California surface streets in light rural/small city traffic, and minimal freeway driving (in Santa Barbara county, far away from the unwanted throng of teeming thousands of transplant hideous New Yorkers and foul ugly Texans who spoil our Cali environment, especially our North Calif redwoods),

and 15 % on dirt in our fabulous local mountains where unpaved roads rise above 8,000 feet altitude,

and 10% in our beautiful pristine deserts, with secret mega-glyphs same as Nazca Peru (you never heard of) and massive cave systems and lava flows.

In the main, daily I jet around Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties, mostly near sea level and sometimes (mainly weekends) up in the close-by mountains and out in the desert. Riding will be in dry sunshine only, I'll drive car in rain (GOD please send us more!!!)

Does my body weight (189 lbs) or height (6ft 4 in) affect the goodness of the TENTATIVE choice of CBR300R to learn on?
Is 300cc too small for my size (as a friend is insisting)?
Would some different brand/model be better to LEARN on?
Should a rider of my weight/height be looking around 750cc instead of 300cc, as a friend is is telling me?
Is a Honda 300cc just too dang small for my height/weight?

I'm REALLY 6 ft 4 in tall (not internet bs). It'd be awful to have a too-short bike seat that's like sitting down in a hole (the usual case with too-low house furniture).

Is some different bike brand & model better for learning to ride? Does rider weight / height even matter all that much, or maybe it's not really that important?

(I'm a "real strong believer" in the Honda brand, based on experience owning several Acura and Honda cars. I LOVE Acura/Honda. I'd slightly go out of my way just to get Honda brand.)

It looks like a new Honda CBR300R after tax costs a mere $4,500 or so...say maybe buy a new one to learn on, then later get a REAL motorcycle like a BMW 1200 or a Harley Davidson (my town has a good Harley outlet) or a real big Honda. How about that?

Comments/ Advice APPRECIATED.

(I'm already waitlisted to enter the Calif Highway Patrol-sanctioned Beginners Rider class real soon-awaiting start date)

Thank you for any advice.

Rincon in the foreground and the Santa Barbara coast

TLDR;

I weigh more than you.
A 300cc bike is just fine hauling you around. Benefit is that you can pick it upi and throw it at your idiot friend giving you bad "hey brah" advice.
As for your dimensions, you'll need to try out the recommendations made by real riders in this thread.

Take a look at this site. http://cycle-ergo.com/
Look up the bikes recommended and toss in your measurements.
Keep an eye on knee angle and hip angle.
Go to the dealership and sit on it. Pick what is most comfortable.

 

[TridenT]

The 300 will be plenty for your first bike. On top of that, it will sell fast because everyone needs a bike to learn on. Just stay within the typical 250/300cc 25-30hp bracket for your first bike. After that, if you feel competent, get whatever you want.

Take the course, get the gear, buy a bike.

 

[DigDog]

it was a 748R.

my first bike was a guzzi lario, 65hp. my second bike, not much later, a cbr100xx. 147hp.
i guess you either are a bike rider, or you aren't. it doesn't take more than a day to learn how to ride.
i'm sure if you dig around the forums you'll find my list of previously owned and/or ridden.
off the top of my head and w/o taking too much care, 748r, lario, 850c, a gpz900, rgv250gamma, 900ss, superblackbird ... idk, maybe more. oh yeah sv650.

 

[KrAzYaZnFLiP808]

Coming from experience. I am 5.5" and bout 170 lbs. I took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course. Take it, I highly recommend it. You get 20%off your insurance for completing the course. You will learn valuable skills, and rider safety precautions.

When I took the course, I already actually had a bike and was riding for abit of time. All I did was take the permit, bought a used bike, and threw insurance on top. At my height and weight, I sat down on a CBR 600rr, GSXR 600, R6, and ZX6-R. The most comfortable seating position on all the bikes was a CBR. Everything else felt a little to cramp, and R6 seat was just a little to high and I was tip toeing. Im not really tiptoeing on the CBR, and I know I can lower the rear spring.

You have to sit on a bike, and find that position because you will be spending time on it. You can adjust height of tire for the most part for the super sports. I do not recommend going on dirt roads with racing slick tires, the ones that come on super sport.

So I bought a CBR 600rr, and I am happy as my first purchase. I learned how to ride in a couple of hours. Got kinda used to the weight. And I am very content I did not have to sell my bike and upgrade as I still feel the 600 is fast as I want to go. I highly recommend buying a used bike as a first bike. Because as my teachers said. "Everybody Is Going To Fall Down" You are going to drop your bike. You wouldn't want to drop your new bike do you?

I know you will outgrow it the 300r, so I would get you the CBR500r. I was about to trade in my 600rr, for a brand new 500r, but the guy said I was crazy. It wasn't going to be as a performance as my 600rr. Even if it was new.

Best advice.... Take the MSF class. Go to a couple of dealers and sit a couple of bikes. Test drive some if you have too. Buy something that's very comfortable and not to slow. "When in doubt, throttle out." Meaning if you get the jigs on steering wheel, a slight throttle bump will likely slow it down and neutral it out. When coming into a turn, do not use brakes and slowly ease throttle out. Do not brake and turn steering wheel at same time. always ride like "Their out there to kill you" don't assume any car movements. Never over reach your throttle with your grip, make sure your wrists are flat. What usually happens if your bike is to strong or fast, you will overreach the throttle, turn your wrist to gas, bike is going to jump from under you, since you over reached your throttle, you automatically have grip on it and when it jumps from under you will throttle more and you cant let go. Theirs countless other.........

Just stay safe out there....... Yes, also get gear.. I recommend gloves, jacket and helmet. I would stick to the top 2 brands. Shoei, and Arai. Expensive ass helmets like 800 bucks, and like the salesman said, how much is your head worth.

All in all 500r is a good bike to stay on the road. Its not a super sport bike, just a sport bike. Not to fast for you, but not weak. If you have to dirt roads and such, look into a dual bike....

 

[Greenman]

Don't let these lessor men sway you, a 1000cc super sport is what you want.

 

[pauldun170]

Don't let these lessor men sway you, a 1000cc super sport is what you want.

He's tall
Latest edition of the Brah rulebook says he needs a Busa.
Just for reference I'm checking the 5th edition released earlier this year.

In the Brah hipster edition it still has the Ducati 1098 listed. They were supposed to release the updated version but there was some stink about how the Paginale went mainstream and they should return to recommending the Monster 1200.

Checking on the preview for the "Hey Brother" special edition, I see they have the 1200 Sportster listed.

 

[homebrew2ny]

I am 6" 180 (athletic as well) and sported a CBR 600 for about a year, fit me very well but only took about 3 months to get the feeling that it was under powered. I do not think you will feel 'too big' for the bike but a 300 will become a 'toy' very quickly.

 

[repoman0]

it was a 748R.

my first bike was a guzzi lario, 65hp. my second bike, not much later, a cbr100xx. 147hp.
i guess you either are a bike rider, or you aren't. it doesn't take more than a day to learn how to ride.
i'm sure if you dig around the forums you'll find my list of previously owned and/or ridden.
off the top of my head and w/o taking too much care, 748r, lario, 850c, a gpz900, rgv250gamma, 900ss, superblackbird ... idk, maybe more. oh yeah sv650.

The bolded part is such a joke, I'd bet a large sum of money that there are plenty of people who sucked hard at riding for some amount of time more than a day or two and then something clicked and they'd whoop anyone on this forum at a track

Way to discourage anyone who sucks at riding for a bit though. (aka just about everyone)

OP, I started on and still have an SV650 .. people say it's at the upper end of power that a new rider should look at but I have found it to be a perfect beginner bike. Enough power that it will haul you if you want but never scary if you make a throttle control mistake.

 

[KrAzYaZnFLiP808]

Care about the safety.... Thats all I worry about. If he isnt comfortable riding a bike that doesnt fit him, thats a safety issue. 600rr is more then enough power, you wouldnt outgrow it, unless you want to die. You cant really go fast anywhere safe here anyways on the street. Having more power is alot better then having less power to get yourself out of situations. Yes a SV650 is a good bike also to start on... yes never scary also with throttle control mistakes. Lets help the person be a better rider, then having a large epeen...

Tricky part about riding is, when going slow, turning left makes you go left. At high speeds, turning left makes you go right.. So they say push down on the handle bar... and lean.

ONE MORE THING.. STAY AWAY FROM CROSSWALKS WITH THE WHITE PAINT STRIP, ITS SLIPPERY AS HELL WHEN WET!. LIKE MAKING A TURN...

 

[KrAzYaZnFLiP808]

Seriously, if you dont want to go dealerships. Take the MSF class. They have 3 different style bikes all with 250cc engines. The power wouldnt be to far off from a 300cc. Big difference though from a 300cc to a 600cc super sport. See if you are comfortable with the positoin on each of the different bikes. They have a cruiser, Sport, Dirt. I choose cruiser to finish the class. You would also have to do a figure 8 in a parking stall space, hard as hell. See if your comfortable with the power and weight. the 250cc, and 300cc are very light bikes. You say your athletic, I see no problem with 500r, and or sv650. Pass the class, and you probably be far from beginner status. Its 200 bucks. All I can do is give you words of advice and beginner mistakes.

Take the class and you will be more informed on your decisions. Safety first. Share the road. Say hi to other motorcyclist. enjoy the cruise mode.

 

[Greenman]

He's tall
Latest edition of the Brah rulebook says he needs a Busa.
Just for reference I'm checking the 5th edition released earlier this year.

In the Brah hipster edition it still has the Ducati 1098 listed. They were supposed to release the updated version but there was some stink about how the Paginale went mainstream and they should return to recommending the Monster 1200.

Checking on the preview for the "Hey Brother" special edition, I see they have the 1200 Sportster listed.

The busa works, the sporty doesn't have near the necessary horsepower, I think it was a typo. Minimum on the hankey head side is a V-Rod.

Rest assured the editors will be receiving a scathing email from me.

 

[unokitty]

I envision biking 75% on dry California surface streets in light rural/small city traffic, and minimal freeway driving ..,

and 15 % on dirt in our fabulous local mountains where unpaved roads rise above 8,000 feet altitude,

and 10% in our beautiful pristine deserts, with secret mega-glyphs same as Nazca Peru (you never heard of) and massive cave systems and lava flows...

Does my body weight (189 lbs) or height (6ft 4 in) affect the goodness of the TENTATIVE choice of CBR300R to learn on?
Is 300cc too small for my size (as a friend is insisting)?
Would some different brand/model be better to LEARN on?
Should a rider of my weight/height be looking around 750cc instead of 300cc, as a friend is is telling me?
Is a Honda 300cc just too dang small for my height/weight?
... Thank you for any advice.

Rincon in the foreground and the Santa Barbara coast

I've only owned a half dozen motorcycles so realize that my experience is limited. Also realize that my opinion is biased by what I"ve owned in the past. (3 Hondas, 3 Kawasakis, 2 singles, 2 twins, and 2 triples.)

But for the style of riding that you describe I suspect that a 300 would be close to ideal. Around town, it will be more manoeuvrable and easier to handle than a larger bike with a larger wheel base. On a well groomed dirt road, a 300 should be relatively easy to handle. And on a mountain road, I suspect that it would be great fun.

No one can tell you whether or not you will be comfortable on the CB300. You'll just have to find that out through trial and error.

One thought though, you might want to consider the CB300F (above). Its a few hundred dollars cheaper than the R.

But its your choice. Do your research. Get some experience. Take the MSF class. Then, buy what you want!

Best of luck,
Uno

 

[JulesMaximus]

it was a 748R.

my first bike was a guzzi lario, 65hp. my second bike, not much later, a cbr100xx. 147hp.
i guess you either are a bike rider, or you aren't. it doesn't take more than a day to learn how to ride.
i'm sure if you dig around the forums you'll find my list of previously owned and/or ridden.
off the top of my head and w/o taking too much care, 748r, lario, 850c, a gpz900, rgv250gamma, 900ss, superblackbird ... idk, maybe more. oh yeah sv650.

Well, given your experience, you should know better than to recommend a 600cc super sport to a new rider. :whiste:

 

[DigDog]

dude, my 70yo uncle rides one daily.