Passed MSF Class

[b*saint]

Bigger bikes means better safety

CBR1000RR brakes


Kawi 250R brakes

[ortholithiation]

Your first bike:

Get an older 70's (if you can find it) or 80's Honda CB. Unlike most things made in the 80's they were both awesome and simple. You can find them for cheap, and many people really look after them. More often simply changing the battery, plugs, gas, and a carb cleaning gets you a pretty nice bike for nothing.

I always recommend a smaller, lighter, older bike to start. You will learn so many things and make a lot of mistakes, but you won't care because the bike was (200-1220$).

In addition you can start to push the limit with these bikes a whole lot sooner (a bad thing in terms of performance) but you start to get the instincts down earlier rather then on an off ramp going 120.

After a season of riding the shit out of the motorcycle you can sell it for the same price you bought it for. This is because old honda CB's just eat up all the abuse you can throw at them and ask for more.

You can now choose a nice bike because you have:

1) A greater appreciation for motorcycles, and what kind of riding you would be interested in. You would be surprised to find you might enjoy longer rides on the back roads and that sports bikes are uncomfortable.

2) Learn a bunch about fixing bikes in the progress. They are really simple, and part of being a motorcyclist is learning how to fix bikes.

[Ryan...]

I haven't dealt with the newer SV650's, but the 04 i rode was a great bike. Very easy to ride, and the power was very predictable. Perfect everyday bike IMO

Bigger bikes means better safety

CBR1000RR brakes


Kawi 250R brakes

Is that a joke? 90% of riders couldn't extract the full potential of the 250's brakes, let alone a 1000rr's brakes. New riders will easily lock up the brakes of either bike in a panic situation. Odds are on the 1000rr they'll be going much quicker than they would have on a 250...
Now if you're talking about the newest 1000cc bikes, then yes, better safety in the form of ABS and even traction control, but the OP isn't looking to spend upwards of $11k on a bike.

[grantlacey11]

first bike: ninja 500 or a suzuki gs500 from the mid nineties, you wont spend alot of money on the bike, thus you wont feel bad when it get knocked over, or you have a little whoopsie! then you can upgrade to a bike more your style after a few months when you get your bearings

[grantlacey11]

and if you want more of a cruiser bike,

honda sabre. it was way ahead of its time, fast as hell, but manageable for a new rider.

[Ryan...]

first bike: ninja 500 or a suzuki gs500 from the mid nineties, you wont spend alot of money on the bike, thus you wont feel bad when it get knocked over, or you have a little whoopsie! then you can upgrade to a bike more your style after a few months when you get your bearings

+1
Even an old Honda F2/F3 would be a great starter bike, thats what I got for my first bike and I picked it up for $800 in great condition.

[!kid]

good job on taking the MSF class. for someone as tall as you and your weight i dont think you should get a 250. you may get over it quick and want somthing with more power. i got a 09 R6 for my first bike,plenty of power for me. i only weigh about 150 and iam 6'1. the CBR600RR was the most comfortable of the bike i looked at. they also have a ABS option, (wish i had when my first crash happend) but what ever bike you get make sure you get some gear too at least a jacket leather gloves and a good pair of boots, dont be a squid. my first crash i lowsided the bike i had a jacket,leather gloves work boots and a pair of dickies pants on. the pants ripped up and i got a few cuts on my knee my jacket got scuffs along the sleeve and my helmet got i chip in the paint.
i was lucky it was not worse. since than i put on full gear where ever i go.

check out sportbiketrackgear.com they have good prices and great service i buy from them alot.

[DerRoteBaron]

MSF? What is that? In NH all I had to do was ride around a few cones and pay $10. As for a bike, watch craigslist and buy the best condition/maintained bike in your price range that you like or you could be like me and buy junk Honda's from the 70's and bring them back to life.

[Vince30]

This is my dads bike, 1979 suzuki gs850, it is pretty tall, (I'm 5'6 and cant touch flat foot) Rides great, dual disk fronts that stops well, and it beats harlys off lights but is not out of control fast, and he paid $1300 for it from craigslist. And insurance is next to nothing.

[Holland]

Do not get a 250. my friend bought a new ninja 250, learned to ride on it, and was already trying to get rid of it in two weeks of owning it. He was 5'8'' and 130lbs at that time. 250 is a total waste.

BTW, he had to break the damn thing in because it was new. 500 miles and he couldn't go over 30mph. Way too much side street riding.

[grantlacey11]

perfect

[5spoke]

MSF? What is that? In NH all I had to do was ride around a few cones and pay $10. As for a bike, watch craigslist and buy the best condition/maintained bike in your price range that you like or you could be like me and buy junk Honda's from the 70's and bring them back to life.

Its nationwide I am pretty sure. its not required but its a good way to learn the basics of riding/cornering/panic breaking and other things if you don't have your own bike. At the end you take a written test and a driving test and you get your license.

[Erick]

I've owned a 250 for about a year, and sold it to my pops who currently lives at the beach.

The 250 is a great bike, IF you use it for what it's meant to. Riding that thing around town is awesome. The gearing is perfect if you have no intentions of going over 60, it's super easy to ride around in (or even lean on turns), and it requires virtually no maintenance.

Ours burns a bit of oil, but we already put over 10k miles on it and it has yet to get any worse.

Now, I've taken that motorcycle on the highway. NOT fun. You'll constantly be at 10k RPMs to do the speed of traffic, with no room to accelerate, and the brakes are pretty questionable in case of emergency.

As for height, my pops is 6"1 225lbs and he is comfortable in it. Granted I cant help but grin every time I follow him around, but at least in comfort, he never complained. I'm 6"2' 155lbs and I was also very comfortable in it.

Overall, it's a great first time bike to get you started. Since it's known for that, the resale value is pretty strong. If you get a used 250R, chances are you'll be able to get your money back if you sell it within 6 months and you keep it in good condition.

That's my point on the 250R, but more towards you, if you plan on going on the highway a lot (or exceeding speeds of 60mph+), then the 250R really starts to lose its appeal fast. At that point, you need a bigger motor, or something geared towards it. I moved from my 250R to a Yamaha FZ6, and I rode that everyday as my daily for a year. Put 14k miles on it and loved it. It goes right along the alley of a SV650, which is also a bike I wanted to try it out.

The FZ/SV bikes are 600s that are still ways away from its R6/GSXR600 brothers, but they still deliver plenty of performance (inc. braking and handling) at an affordable price, and they still don't attract the attention that performance bikes do.

- E

Edit: Damn, now I miss my FZ

[z31maniac]

I'm one of the few who started on a 600cc sportbike and didn't seriously hurt myself (until I had logged 25k street miles and started doing trackdays).

Is it the best idea? Probably not, but if you are actually interested in learning how to PROPERLY ride and have a good head on your shoulders I think you'll be fine.

A liter bike on the other hand, well I still don't really want one after having ridden a few.

Well except an 1198!

[Erick]

^ What he said. I rode a few R1s, and had a chance to ride one on a 600 mile trip. There is really no need for 1000cc's unless you have no plans to live past x + 3 months (x being your present age)