Want to get my first bike but torn between the choices...

[roguerower]

As the title implies I've never had a motorcycle, nor have I even ridden one before. I want to get one because I (a) enjoy driving and want to try a different type that requires more concentration and focus (b) just graduated from college, have a good paying job, and want to do something that will enrich my life (c) wanna go fast.

Seeing as how I somewhat know my limitations, my first course of action will be signing up for a local MSF course, then buying/registering.

Little bit of info to help you guys help me. I'm 5'11, 175ish. My daily commute is about 10 miles round trip, through a neighborhood, a 4 lane road, and a military base. I live in San Antonio, TX.

That said, i'm torn. I really like the look of the Suzuki SV650 but can't seem to find anyone selling them, probably because they stopped making them with the '08 models. I also like the Triumph Street Triple/Triple R but they're pricey ($8.9k for Triple, $9.6k for the Triple R). The gladius doesn't look too bad in black, the blue/white get-up makes me want to vomit. All of these bikes are 650-675cc which will be small enough for me to learn on but gives me room to grow in the future. The street fighter naked look of bikes really appeals to me so that's what I'm going with.

I have a 2001 Honda civic that i'm gonna hold onto until December or so and then trade it in probably for a used jeep wrangler. My goal is to buy a jeep and a bike for the same cost of a new car (new car cost ranging from 20k-25k).

What advice can you give me as far as what bike to chose OR can you recommend an alternative?

 

[angry hampster]

Ride a Suzuki GSF500 or Harley Sportster 883 for a year, then go from there.

 

[Fenixgoon]

don't start out on a 600cc bike, IMO.

ninja250/500, gs500, etc. you can basically sell a ninja250 for what you paid - everyone wants a starter bike. or you can go with an old japanese bike - 70's-80's UJMs have a huge used market and are pretty damned reliable.

 

[Zenmervolt]

don't start out on a 600cc bike, IMO.

ninja250/500, gs500, etc. you can basically sell a ninja250 for what you paid - everyone wants a starter bike. or you can go with an old japanese bike - 70's-80's UJMs have a huge used market and are pretty damned reliable.

This.

Look at it this way, there are basically two possibilities here:

1) You buy a bike and find out that you love riding and do it a lot. In this case, you're buying your first bike, not your last. I know it may seem inconvenient to buy a bike that you know you're going to sell in 1-2 years, but it will really let you learn the essentials of control before you get into bikes that are less forgiving.

2) You buy a bike and find out that you hate riding. In this case, if you bought a bigger bike you have more money tied up and the bike will depreciate more than a used 250-500 bike would.

I bought my first bike, a 1982 Honda 450cc Nighthawk for $600. 12 years later I've since picked up a larger bike, but that Nighthawk is now worth around $1,000 because of inflation in the overall used bike market. It worked out because I bought a bike that was already fully depreciated. Old UJMs are reliable and cheap and easy to re-sell. They're also simple to work on and have less to scratch if they fall over. All these are huge benefits for a starter bike.

ZV

 

[superccs]

don't start out on a 600cc bike, IMO.

ninja250/500, gs500, etc. you can basically sell a ninja250 for what you paid - everyone wants a starter bike. or you can go with an old japanese bike - 70's-80's UJMs have a huge used market and are pretty damned reliable.

this is rather poor advice for a couple reasons...

Those bikes are not too exciting to ride

You don't learn throttle control or braking

A inline 4 cyl 600 is not dangerous untill you get past 10krpm

If you are looking for a really good street bike that is perfect for learning to ride, I HIGHLY recommend a Honda F4i they are really comfortable, good power, not to aggressive, low seat height, and can haul buns with your r6 and 1000rr friends if you get the chance. Chicks dig the huge seat and will always ask you for rides. I owned one for 4 years and it was a fantastic bike.

SV650 are also good for similar reasons, just completely different power curves. my suggestion ride a couple see which seem to fit you as far a

 

[Zenmervolt]

this is rather poor advice for a couple reasons...

Those bikes are not too exciting to ride

You don't learn throttle control or braking

A inline 4 cyl 600 is not dangerous untill you get past 10krpm

If you are looking for a really good street bike that is perfect for learning to ride, I HIGHLY recommend a Honda F4i they are really comfortable, good power, not to aggressive, low seat height, and can haul buns with your r6 and 1000rr friends if you get the chance. Chicks dig the huge seat and will always ask you for rides. I owned one for 4 years and it was a fantastic bike.

So. Much. Bad. Advice.

Yes, it's possible to start out on a 600cc bike. It's stupid, it's irresponsible, and it's dangerous, but it's possible.

600cc bikes are race bikes that are given the bare minimum of modification to make them street legal. They have engines that are extremely peaky and that seem fine until all power comes on in a sudden rush that inexperienced riders simply aren't able to control. They have brakes that are set up to be extremely sensitive and which can truly waste a novice rider if he panics.

These are not bikes to start out on. They are unforgiving race machines that are designed to be ridden by experienced riders. Novice riders who start out on these bikes often never learn proper riding technique but rather cobble together different pieces of bad form as they struggle to keep a bike that they have no business riding under control.

Someone who spends 2-3 seasons riding a Ninja 250 or 500 really hard is going to know far more about riding than someone who is fool enough to start out on a 600cc race bike.

ZV

 

[grrl]

Follow Zenmervolt's advice. There is nothing wrong (and everything right) about starting with a smaller bike. Do yourself a favor and ignore the squids.

 

[roguerower]

Thanks for the great advice, please keep it coming.

One other thing. I have friends in Austin and Corpus Christi, 1 and 2 hours away respectfully, by highway, that I want to visit and would like to ride to see them (after making the trip in a car a couple of times). My concern with a 250 (this is based on what I've heard so be kind if it is wrong) is that it won't have enough GO power to keep up with TX traffic on the highway which moves at 70mph+. Yes/no?

And my point of this is not to show off or pick up girls, it's to learn something new that I'll hopefully love.

 

[jaha2000]

The street Tripple even with the detuned daytona motor is still a lot of HP for a new rider.

Like zemmervolt said, ninja 250, 500, GS 500.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

this is rather poor advice for a couple reasons...

Those bikes are not too exciting to ride

You don't learn throttle control or braking

A inline 4 cyl 600 is not dangerous untill you get past 10krpm

If you are looking for a really good street bike that is perfect for learning to ride, I HIGHLY recommend a Honda F4i they are really comfortable, good power, not to aggressive, low seat height, and can haul buns with your r6 and 1000rr friends if you get the chance. Chicks dig the huge seat and will always ask you for rides. I owned one for 4 years and it was a fantastic bike.

SV650 are also good for similar reasons, just completely different power curves. my suggestion ride a couple see which seem to fit you as far a

Ignore this idiot.



Big +1 to the GS500 or Ninja 500. But one for cheap and plan on moving up in a year or so. You WILL be a faster, safer, better rider.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

The street Tripple even with the detuned daytona motor is still a lot of HP for a new rider.

Like zemmervolt said, ninja 250, 500, GS 500.

+1, Street/Speed triples are way too big for a first bike.



BTW - the fact that 600's make no power until > 10krpm is what makes them horrible first bikes.. Inexperienced rider that has to wrangle over 100hp between 10k and 15.5k rpm is a very very dangerous thing.

 

[jaha2000]

The speed tripple is a retarded first bike. 1050cc, big hp, and a short wheelbase.

 

[roguerower]

The speed tripple is a retarded first bike. 1050cc, big hp, and a short wheelbase.

I never said anything about a Speed Triple. I said Street Triple which have 675cc. Don't pounce on me when you haven't read the OP.

 

[JulesMaximus]

As the title implies I've never had a motorcycle, nor have I even ridden one before. I want to get one because I (a) enjoy driving and want to try a different type that requires more concentration and focus (b) just graduated from college, have a good paying job, and want to do something that will enrich my life (c) wanna go fast.

Seeing as how I somewhat know my limitations, my first course of action will be signing up for a local MSF course, then buying/registering.

Little bit of info to help you guys help me. I'm 5'11, 175ish. My daily commute is about 10 miles round trip, through a neighborhood, a 4 lane road, and a military base. I live in San Antonio, TX.

That said, i'm torn. I really like the look of the Suzuki SV650 but can't seem to find anyone selling them, probably because they stopped making them with the '08 models. I also like the Triumph Street Triple/Triple R but they're pricey ($8.9k for Triple, $9.6k for the Triple R). The gladius doesn't look too bad in black, the blue/white get-up makes me want to vomit. All of these bikes are 650-675cc which will be small enough for me to learn on but gives me room to grow in the future. The street fighter naked look of bikes really appeals to me so that's what I'm going with.

I have a 2001 Honda civic that i'm gonna hold onto until December or so and then trade it in probably for a used jeep wrangler. My goal is to buy a jeep and a bike for the same cost of a new car (new car cost ranging from 20k-25k).

What advice can you give me as far as what bike to chose OR can you recommend an alternative?

Both of those bikes have quite a bit of power and torque for a newb such as yourself. Honestly, I don't think the SV650 is a good beginner bike and the Triumph has about 100hp IIRC which will make it a real handful if you get into the throttle.

Pick up a used Suzuki GS500 and ride that for a year or so. You won't lose money on it like you will on a new Triumph or Gladius (which is an SV650 really).

 

[roguerower]

Looking around on CL i've found some fairly new GS500s for sale for 2-3k. I've also been looking around at how hard it is to remove the fairing. Can anyone speak from experience on this process?

 

[MiataNC]

I never said anything about a Speed Triple. I said Street Triple which have 675cc. Don't pounce on me when you haven't read the OP.

I own a Speed Triple 1050, and I have ridden the Street and Street R.

Don't let the difference in engine size fool you. The Street is just as "fast" as the Speed, it just does it differently. In fact the Street lapped the Nürburgring faster than the Speed.

Both bikes are poor choices for a first bike. That being said both bikes are also among the BEST choices for smiles per miles.

If you like the SV650, then look harder. They are out there. Suzuki is still making the SV650, but due to the bad economy they are not importing any bikes to the US in 2010. There are still plenty of leftover 2009s collecting dust in showrooms.

1. Get a used bike for your first bike. (Kawasaki Ninja 250/500/650, Suzuki SV650, Suzuki Bandit 600, Suzuki GS500E/F)

2. Learn to ride (Put at least 2000 miles onto your first bike)

3. Learn HOW you like to ride (cruising, carving, touring, track, etc)

4. Buy a second bike that matches the style of riding you prefer (you won't know until you get some miles under your belt)

 

[Zenmervolt]

Thanks for the great advice, please keep it coming.

One other thing. I have friends in Austin and Corpus Christi, 1 and 2 hours away respectfully, by highway, that I want to visit and would like to ride to see them (after making the trip in a car a couple of times). My concern with a 250 (this is based on what I've heard so be kind if it is wrong) is that it won't have enough GO power to keep up with TX traffic on the highway which moves at 70mph+. Yes/no?

And my point of this is not to show off or pick up girls, it's to learn something new that I'll hopefully love.

A Ninja 250 has a top speed of just under 100mph. While it will not have neck-snapping passing power, it will happily run at 75mph all day, the engine will just be at higher RPM and you will need to be more mindful of passing because you won't have the "instant" 75-90 acceleration that bigger bikes have.

If you're really concerned though, you can go with something like the GS500 to get a more relaxed freeway cruise. Just avoid the 600 and larger sportbikes for the reasons we've outlined.

ZV

 

[PlasmaBomb]

The speed tripple is a retarded first bike. 1050cc, big hp, and a short wheelbase.

It's Street Triple and is 675 cc

Don't let the difference in engine size fool you. The Street is just as "fast" as the Speed, it just does it differently. In fact the Street lapped the Nürburgring faster than the Speed.

Good to know.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Just as an example, here's a video of someone who gets a Ninja 250 up just over 100 mph.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4dhIaMY2Pw

After the run to 100, he rides at 70-80 mph for a minute or so. The camera makes the engine noise sound worse than it is; you'll be wearing a helmet which muffles a lot of the sound.

Here's another video from a Ninja 250 owner who put up a video to help people realise that it works fine on the freeway. Freeway starts about 5 minutes into the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNgQJ9o91xo&feature=related

ZV

 

[pcguru78]

this is rather poor advice for a couple reasons...

Those bikes are not too exciting to ride

You don't learn throttle control or braking

A inline 4 cyl 600 is not dangerous untill you get past 10krpm

If you are looking for a really good street bike that is perfect for learning to ride, I HIGHLY recommend a Honda F4i they are really comfortable, good power, not to aggressive, low seat height, and can haul buns with your r6 and 1000rr friends if you get the chance. Chicks dig the huge seat and will always ask you for rides. I owned one for 4 years and it was a fantastic bike.

SV650 are also good for similar reasons, just completely different power curves. my suggestion ride a couple see which seem to fit you as far a

Wow, just wow. Don't listen to this guy. Another vote here for a the GS500 or the Ninja 250. I love my 07 gs500f.

 

[roguerower]

Will definitely be getting a gs500 then. Should be able to find one cheap and will keep it for a while before moving on. Thanks for the help. If anyone has a gs500 and have modded it at all, can you tell me what? Was looking at things like removing the fairing/changing the headlights/etc.

Thanks

 

[Occ]

Don't buy a bike before you take your MSF. You will know after that for sure if you want to pursue motorcycles. Plus, when you do buy your new bike, you should be able to ride it home. The MSF will also help you feel out 250 cc bikes and gauge your skill/confidence level, so it may affect your buying choice.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Don't buy a bike before you take your MSF. You will know after that for sure if you want to pursue motorcycles. Plus, when you do buy your new bike, you should be able to ride it home. The MSF will also help you feel out 250 cc bikes and gauge your skill/confidence level, so it may affect your buying choice.

definitely a good idea. it's always easier to learn on someone else's bike when you don't have to worry about what happens to it.

the MSF course is invaluable. it is worth every penny you spend (some states offer it for free. i had to pay but WORTH IT!)

 

[Greenman]

Horsepower isn't as important as how it's delivered. Any bike with a power band will hurt an inexperienced rider, it's a big surprise the first time you get into it.

 

[lavaheadache]

seems like op has a good handle on what to get. what i really came here to say is that there is an abundance of misinformation going on in here. First off, a 600 is by no means a small or slow bike. second off, they absolutely have plenty of power below 10k and too much power above it. I will agree that a good amount of rush comes in the upper revs but that isn't to say that they are slow in the mid range.

Anyhow, not to serve as a dick swinging contest, I currently own a deristricted Hayabusa and have owned 5-6 late model 600-750 bikes over my 12 m/c licensed years. I think my opinion carries alot more weight than many of these chumps who sit back and read SPORT RIDER and call themselves ballers.


OP, rock out on a gs500 or something thing similar to that until you learn to negate things like lean in cornering skills, tail breaking and the general feel of what it's like to be the target of just about every teenage text messaging air head out there.

Oh, one more thing..... Get ready to have the time of your life!!