Motorcycles.

[repoman0]

A friend of mine recently bought a used Ninja 650r and, even though I'd never considered it before, has me super interested in taking up riding. I live in Boston and don't own a car, don't need one and don't plan on owning one anytime soon, so a bike would be a great way to get away for a bit and have some fun - I miss driving quite a bit sometimes. There are some beautiful and fun roads just a bit up north in NH and Maine. I just graduated college for EE actually and as soon as I get a decent job offer with a start date in the next few months, I'm gonna blow half the money I've saved up over the years on a bike and riding gear, but I have a few questions about it.

First, safety - from the little reading I've done so far it looks like I'll want full leather? Almost seems silly but I've taken spills on my road bike at 20-25mph and that isn't fun at all, couldn't imagine faster without some good protection. How much should I expect to spend and what should I be looking at? Helmets too.

Second, the bike itself - my friend suggested the ninja 650r and suzuki SV650. Anything else I should look at, and how do you guys feel about these as beginner bikes? I'd spend $3-4k, hopefully $5k tops with safety gear included. Anything I should look out for?

And suggestions on anything I should read or watch about riding safety, operation, etc would be great too.

Thanks!

 

[jagec]

Budget at least $1k for gear. That's "entry level" for all-new stuff, but should get you a Snell rated helmet, suit, pants, boots, and gloves. Leather is great for protection and looks cool, but HOT HOT HOT in the summer. I would advise you to avoid black if you can, although you may find that hard to do!

You can buy stuff online or in a store, but for your helmet at least go to a store. You really want to try them on and see what brands/sizes work best for you. Remember that it should be snug, but not tight...look at yourself in the mirror with the helmet on, grab it, and move it around with your hands...you should see your skin getting pulled on as the helmet moves, vs. just sliding loosely around your head.

I would recommend buying a used Ninja 250 for your first bike. They are DIRT cheap, ultra reliable, readily available, have enough power to ride on the freeway without enough power to get into too much trouble, and when you're ready to move up you can sell it for about the same price that you paid. Plus, if you dump it--and chances are you WILL dump the bike at least once, even if it's just in the parking lot--you won't care as much about scratching your expensive plastic (The prices on those plastic bits will blow your mind). Move up to a 650 of your choice once you've been riding for at least a few months and have the hang of it.

Take the MSF course.

 

[soccerballtux]

In my opinion definitely go for tight helmet. It loosens into "snug" pretty soon. I bought a "snug" helmet, it's now "loose" and does not track smoothly with my head. I then bought a "tight" helmet and it still tracks with my head perfectly when I look behind me and such. Much happier with purchase.

Get a used Ninja 650r or SV650 (preferably SV650, they don't have the stigma of "Ninja"), one that has sliding pegs, then you don't have to worry about putting it down.
Don't listen to advice and buy a 250cc bike, you'll have outgrown it in a month. Just be delicate on the throttle practicing in a parking lot for an hour while you learn how to feather it and you'd be fine on any bike, including an sv1000 (what I have, and started out on).*

*ignore the posts replying to me about buying a turbo hayabusa.

 

[Fenixgoon]

take the MSF course before anything else.

get fit for a helmet in person.

i'd recommend 500cc or less for your first bike. any 600 (even tame ones) will have plenty of power. my FZ6R is only ~75hp but it does 0-60 in <4s (for pros, anyway) and can still get you in a little bit of trouble if you dont respect it - just not nearly as much as a supersport.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'd recommend taking the MSF course before you buy a bike. Since you have never ridden before it is worth doing the MSF course to see if it is even something you want to do. It's not for everyone and it would be better to take the course and figure that out than to drop a few grand on a motorcycle and gear only to find out that it's not for you. You will sweat when it is hot, you will freeze your ass off when it is cold, when it rains you'll be wet, it is much more physical than just sitting behind the wheel of a car and driving, it is loud, it is dangerous... but it is also a lot of fun. 😀

The reason why people recommend small bikes for beginners is that they are easier to learn on. Any idiot can ride a sportbike slowly but it takes experience to ride one fast and that is not something you'll get quickly if you choose a bike that is too powerful and has the tricky handling characteristics of a sport bike.

Also, do you have someplace to store a bike? Leaving it outside is just inviting theft and during the winter you'll definitely want to keep it out of the snow and ice.

SV650 is plenty of bike but it has some things going against it for someone who has never ridden a motorcycle before... namely, it is not very forgiving to jerky throttle inputs and it has quite a bit of engine braking when you roll off the throttle (the I4 engines do not). Not trying to talk you out of one, it's just harder to be smooth with the throttle if you don't know what you're doing. And they have plenty of power to get you into trouble. Still, the SV650 or the 650R are much better choices than a supersport.

If you do decide on the SV650, check out SVRider.com. It's a great website with loads of information about this bike which has kind of a cult following. I owned one for 3 and a half years and honestly, there are times I wish I never sold it. It's just a great all around bike.

Best of luck and be safe.

 

[Railgun]

I echo the small bike as a starter. Now, the only reason for that is to learn control. A bigger bike, being a heavier bike, can be sometimes overwhelming to start. But it's all on your comfort level. Just because you have a 900 doesn't mean you need to goose it every time you ride. Self control is the key there. Just take it easy.

I've taken the MSF course and I'm now going through the UK versions of it (CBT and DAS). It's drawn some interesting comparisons.

The MSF course is all about low speed handling and control. While that's all good, some of it doesn't really make that much sense. Who needs to do a figure 8? The testing is on a scoring system, which I'm more of a fan of. I touched down on the 8, but you can still pass.

Conversly, the CBT here is the basic of basic tests. They do practically the same thing as the MSF, but it's not tested per se. They don't do swerving, avoidance, long sweeping turning, but what they DO do is take you out on the road once you have shown you can control the bike and judge your saftey and observation. THAT is more beneficial than tooling around in a parking lot.

The DAS is the MSF course that's pass/fail. Touch down once and you fail the whole thing. They also have an on road test as well. CBT lets you ride upto 125 bikes. DAS allows you to ride on anything, and is tested on a 500. If you don't do the DAS, it's a mandatory two year wait before you can ride anything.

That said, as far as gear, yes, helmet, gloves, boots are obvious. There are plenty of vented jackets and pants. I'd recommend a two piece as I'm of the mindset that running to the gas station wouldn't necessarily require some pants, but I'll always wear a jacket. Perhaps doesn't make a lotta sense, but I'm comfortable with it.

Depending on where you live will somewhat dictate your gear. In Chicago, I used a liner a lot in the spring and fall. Here in the UK, I use that, thick gloves, rain boots, and a rain oversuit. While I don't ride in the rain a lot, it's easy to get caught out and nice to be prepared.

The very first time I rode, it was a CBR 600 F3. It was a friend's bike and he was very helpful in getting me acclimated to the thing. I went around the apartment complex a few times, just getting used to gear changing, turning, etc. I won't go into what we did that night as it was stupid and not something a beginner rider should do, but the first half of that is a good recommendation. Just remember, that first gear will kill you (not literally of course) if you goose it when you don't know what you're doing.

 

[WackyDan]

My first bike was an 82 Suzuki GS 450 twin. Wasn't glamorous... wasn't fast. It was practically bullet proof for maintenance and I also didn't mind when I laid it down the first time. It couldn't keep up with my friends on their 600's, but they weren't assholes about it and for cruising it was fun.

All bikes can get you in trouble. Some are lighter and better to learn on, are also cheaper and due to that you don't cry as much when you lay them down. Most of the suggestions here are spot on.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

All great advice, and +1 on starting on a small bike... SV650 at VERY largest, and definitely sign up for the MSF if you're even considering riding.

 

[JulesMaximus]

All great advice, and +1 on starting on a small bike... SV650 at VERY largest, and definitely sign up for the MSF if you're even considering riding.

I'd like to add that even though a 600cc super sport is technically smaller displacement than an SV650 it is more powerful and is basically a street legal race bike so it is a poor choice for the beginner rider.

SV650 = V-twin DOHC 650cc makes 75hp
GSXR600 = Inline 4 cylinder DOHC 600cc makes over 100hp

Completely different animals.

 

[repoman0]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll sign up for an MSF course around here as soon as I know I'll have some free time, probably in the next week or two. Now to hear back about that damn job... 😛

 

[manimal]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll sign up for an MSF course around here as soon as I know I'll have some free time, probably in the next week or two. Now to hear back about that damn job... 😛

good call man. I think the msf course is fun too. riding those dinky bikes around cones and hard braking is not a bad way to spend a weekend.

 

[Greenman]

good call man. I think the msf course is fun too. riding those dinky bikes around cones and hard braking is not a bad way to spend a weekend.

It was really weird riding a beat little 250 around all day then getting on my V-Rod to go home. An entirely different experience.

 

[Kabob]

Tons of good info here.

 

[*kjm]

It was really weird riding a beat little 250 around all day then getting on my V-Rod to go home. An entirely different experience.

You were riding the wrong 250's😉

Would have had just as much fun if not more riding home😛

 

[codyray10]

I would not recommend spending any money on a 250. You're idea of a 600-650 would probably be your best bet. They are still light, easy to maneuver and it wont take you long to adjust to the throttle response. When you start looking for bikes, I would definitely look at craigslist as well as local dealerships. I found my mint condition 99 Honda CBR 600 on CL for $2800 two summers ago, and could probably get 3k for it if i were to sell it today. As far as gear, you do not have to go all out leather. Gear is more of a personal preference. I prefer textile/mesh jackets, which you can find for around $200. As for a helmet, like others have said, you do not want them super tight on your head. Prices vary on helmets, but typically go from $120-300. Hope this helps you some. Most importantly, you have to be safe out there, keep your head on a swivel and make sure you are looking for the other drivers, because they aren't looking for you! You're gear can only help you so much.

 

[pauldun170]

As someone who has been riding for decades.
Don't waste your money or your time.

People will bombard you with their precious little "I know someone who was killed on one of those thing" stories.

If you do not ride a Harley, 80% of people (who don't ride or only purchased a bike because their friends all bought one for bar hopping) will ask you "when are you going to get a real bike"

The emotional trauma of BMW and Harley riders not waving back at you when you wave to them (unless its really early in the day...then you might get a nod).

The "when will you grow up", "mid-life crisis come early", "you'll get rid of it when you have a family" brigade.

If you are looking at 250's people will tell you that you will bore of it in 2 weeks.
If you look at 600's people will tell you to get a 250 or you will die immediately.

The fact that complete strangers invite themselves to sit on your parked bike ("Ima gonna get wonna deez one day")

If you are really going to get a bike then I guess you should also consider insurance and storage.
Quality motorcycle boots (real ones..not work boots or sneakers), quality leather (or a leather+textile) jacket, quality motorcycle gloves (that also extend to cover the wrist) and a full face helmet from a major brand should be mandatory purchase.
Get the basics first.

I'd set aside $600 minimum for gear.
MSF course was $300 back when I took it (I had been riding for 10 years prior)
If its going to be stored outside you'll need to set more money aside for disc lock\chains...midget dude from Game of Thrones.

You may also want to keep in mind that at your price point you may run into some great bikes that are ready for maintenance items (chain, valve adjustments, suspension refreshing)