Thinking about getting into riding

[mgconnor13 206]

I've been thinking about getting a motorcycle and learning to ride but not sure where to start. I figure I'd find a small cheap used bike to learn on that way if I drop it or lay it out it's not a huge deal. I was thinking probably a small cruiser or a street legal dirt bike as a starter. Wondering who rides and what they would recommend as a first bike and other equipment needed to get started other then the obvious helmet and a good jacket? Are there any good courses to go to or sources I could use to read up? Eventually I'd to get a large bike I could take on longer trips but still use for getting to work and running around town.

[yakdung 2,926]

I want one of these. Yamaha TW200.

 

 

Yakdung

[geepelton 105]

I started on a Honda shadow 600. It was real easy to learn to ride on. I would suggest the same, maybe even a 750 at most.

[fbird 2]

I started on a 78 Honda CB 400. Great starter bike and can be found cheap.

[dowork1021 64]

I actually ride to work everyday on a 150cc scooter to save on gas. 90mpg's and stay off highways and your good. They are very agile and easy to ride. Plus I bought it new in 08 for $1100. Cant beat that. They are underpowered but work well. I put an exhaust, bigger jet, and a uni filter and I maxed it out to about 70 mph once. But that was totally wrapped out red lining it haha.

[schultze13 354]

I ride alot and got a custom chopped harley softtail and it is a great bike but what I started on and wish I never got rid of is my Honda XR650 street and trail it is also a great SHTF ride. I my have to buy another XR it is alot of fun.

[Brix 1]

If you have never ridden before a friends dirt bike is the way to go. 125 or smaller.

Falling over in dirt doesn't hurt (going at learning speed anyway) and depending on terrain won't hurt bike too much.

You will want helmet, gloves, boots and a jacket.

If you do have a friend that has a dirt bike he will probably let you use his equipment so all it would cost is

gas and some beer.

If you don't have a friend with a dirt bike I would suggest taking a riders course.

Around here it costs 200 bucks.

What does 200 bucks get ya?

They let you use their bikes (which are donated) so you don't have to pay to fix anything

if you dump it. You automatically get your motorcycle license at the end of the day.

And some insurance companies give you a little off.

Don't know what type of bike your interested in (cruiser or rocket). would say all of the aforementioned

bikes are o.k. I would say cruisers are a little more easier to ride for beginners.

An excellent beginner rocket would be a 600 katana. Not overpowering, comfortable, cheap to get

and cheap parts.

[vulcan16 971]

Take a motorcycle safety course before you buy, and they will teach you the basics in a weekend. it will be money well spent if you really want to learn how to ride,

Many buy too small of a bike, and want to move up to something bigger in a very short time.

If you take the course, a 750 cruiser should be fine for awhile. Anything smaller(V-twin) and you won't be able to get on the freeways.

The ex wife started on a Honda 600 which she only kept for a month before out growing it.

Next came a Honda 750, which she sold a year later. Then she bought and rode a couple of Honda 1100 Sabres for the next two years. She moved up to a modified Suzuki Bandit 1200 which she finally settled on for having enough power.

She never dumped a bike (came close a couple of times) and I believe the MSF really helped her learn how to safely ride a bike.

[Gunfanatic 221]

[dowork1021 64]

+1 on the rebel. My uncle had one of these and they are pretty fun for what they are. They are pretty comfortable to. They made in the 80's a 450 rebel and you can find those for around 1k with decent mileage. The 250 rebels are even less around the $800-1100 for a fairly new one.

 

 

[DogMan 2,343]

I started out on a 750 Norton Commando. You should just go ahead and get a bike that is sized right for you and what you want to do. If you try to start small and work your way up you'll quickly get tired of your small bike. It's not that difficult to learn to ride a big bike safely and not lay it down.

[FORKLIFT352 63]

A comunity collige by my house had a 2 day

corse for 45.00.

Thay had the bikes and all I had to bring is

a helmet...Thats sooooo the way to go.

All the bikes talked about are good starters.

I'm gessing you are trying to save gas money.

So any thing over 250cc will soon lead to prius

gas milege with out the trunk space..LOL

[DrThunder88 912]

I still have my first bike, a 1993 Honda Nighthawk 750. In retrospect something a bit smaller might have been more prudent, but I've never felt like I've outgrown it. It works pretty well on the street or freeway, though the lack of fairings and windscreen make it harder to take on the interstate. I've been thinking of trading in for something like a Suzuki V-Strom.

[mgconnor13 206]

I was planning to go to a safety course at the local community college to start with and eventually take the more advance courses they offer. A weekend class is a lot cheaper and less painful then a weekend trip to the ER and the body shop so I'm all about learning as much as I can. Been looking at 250cc bike but might go large if I can find one cheap but any beginner bike will be just that till I feel confident and have the money to move up to a bigger bike. I'm not looking to go flying around town at a million mph, I just want to get where I'm going in one piece and have some fun

[patriot 7,197]

I'm in the same boat as you. I've never ridden a big bike, and it's been decades since I've ridden ANYTHING, so I'd need to get a "starter" bike. That Rebel looks like a good choice, as well as this little Suzuki GZ250. Both get cruiser styling and low ride height.

 

 

I'd LOVE a Victory Vegas 8 Ball, but I've got other priorities for now.

 

Edited June 4, 2011 by patriot

[Nailbomb 10,221]

Don't buy a new bike, get a used one. anything above 500cc and not so big its measured in cubic inches will suffice.

 

Get the nice one after you've ridden that for a year or 2 and have gotten your full liscence. Make sure you even like it first, and if any mistakes happen to the beater it won't be a catastrophic emotional event for you.

 

If you want to get something a bit out there, its good to have a starter bike in the style your eventualy going to go with...

 

For example...

My first bike was a ratted out 1975 XS650. Picked it up roadside for $1000 with a exhaust leak, worn out engine, no front brake, no charging system... ect...

 

Put a little work into it and rode it around for over a solid year.

 

The current ride.

 

No front brakes, rear suspension, or guages taught me well for riding a bike with mechanical drum front and rear, no rear suspension and no guages.

 

Not that I havn't ridden other bikes, I've been on everything from rockets, to full blown cuisers. I would feel comfortable on damn near anything with a few possible exceptions(indian left hand throttle right hand advance, foot clutch, and suicide shift? I'll pass.)

[Nailbomb 10,221]

as far as riding apparel...

 

Helmet laws(by state). I'm not a supporter of regulation, and I've known plenty of people who have put a bike down. None of them have any real faith in a dot brain bucket. the only thing worse than them are the novelty helmets. they are the worst of both worlds.

 

Leather jacket for cooler weather, leather gloves, jeans, calf high boots(ankle support as well as leather to save your skin), chaps are a nice addition but don't go cheap on them, get a set tailored.

 

Denim jacket for warmer weather, maybe a leather vest, jeans, same boots, maybe some mechanic gloves.

 

NEVER be that asshole in the shorts, tee shirt(or no shirt at all), flip flops, a novelty helmet, and a bandana on his face(so he looks like a badass!).

[Nailbomb 10,221]

Safety glasses are a must IMHO, I personaly really like riding with my wiley-Xs on. the foam blocks the wind out of the eyes better, and they are balisticly rated(they issue them to people overseas to hopefully stop small shrapnel and debris from blinding you).

[kevinfreel 215]

+1on the suzuki gz250 my mom has an 03 that she bought for a grand wit 1500 milea on it...,rides nice and doesnt feel under powered at all

[mgconnor13 206]

I work on a military base and they already have rules about mandatory safety equipment if you want to ride on post like reflexive cloths and high boots. I wouldn't ride with out covering my eyes any ways, rotor wash is bad enough can't imagine wind in the face for an extended period, may dig out my sand goggles. Wish my dogs hadn't eaten my hard knuckled Willy-X gloves, those things worked great for keeping my knuckles from getting banged up when I was a 50 gunner.

[rocinante 100]

kawasaki ninja 250 would be a good choice.

 

I have a 91 honda nighthawk 750. Good old school UJM. Not too bad to learn on but border line on being heavy.

[getitat 609]

Hello

 

Ditto the Ninja 250. Many, if not most, of the schools use these as their "trainer" bikes, and for good reason. They are durable, and easy to repair. They are actually a blast to ride, most riders will admit it's a lot more fun riding a bike that you feel you can dominate, rather than the other way around. You can peg the throttle on that little screamer without worrying about lofting the front wheel or losing the rear.

And, resale is surprisingly high, since people are almost always in the same situation you are in, looking for a good starter bike.

 

JMHO...

-guido

[Arik 565]

I used to. 1st bike was a 95 kawi ninja 250. Was great to learn on. Used, not too fast. Only down side is you outgrow it in one season but that's better then getting seriously hurt or worse on a 600+ cc bike as a first bike.

 

From that I went to a v-star 650 cruiser, cbr1000, 73 cb750 and my last was a 06sv 650. Sold in 08.

[supertex 242]

look on craigslist

[jrance@iacwds.com 716]

For those who do not know what a bucket seat is...

 

 

[Superhawk138 202]

Another good bike to learn on thats a good midrange would be a Buell Blast a division of Harley Davidson. They have a 500cc single piston but are quick and agile enough for some fun riding.

 

 

[Bigtwin 219]

Honda 250 rebel. Dam sure won't win any race but it's small, light, and reasonably comfortable to ride. Used ones can be had fairly cheap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is what I started on for the street, although I rode dirtbikes most of my pre15 years. I was 17 when I got that Rebel and I customized the shit out of it. Most folks could'nt tell it started life as a 250 rebel. That worked for five or so years then I was given a Honda CX500 with hard bags and a Vetter fairing and a goldwing trunk. That is when I started loving to ride longer distance and travel on 2 wheels. From there I obtained my first Harley, a 1973 sportster, 1000cc....man what a difference. Not just horsepower but more torque than I was used to. I traveled on this bike with my wife for quite a few years until about 5 years ago I purchased a 1998 Electraglide standard(Ex Reno PD bike). I have never looked back....I love to travel and this bike makes it so much nicer( I do not regret a single bike I have purchased and I still have that Ironhead sportster...I will do something with it as soon as I stop buying firearms...lol)!

Find a bike that fits your size and don't bother buying new while you are learning and finding out what you want and why you want to ride. If somebody told me back when I got my first bike, that you will love traveling and want something different in XX years I would not have believed them. Change your style and change to the bike that suits it!

[WaterBound 2]

I started on a 2002 Suzuki GSX-R1000. I would say a safety course at a community college would be great. I made the mistake of a getting the bigger beast first. If I had it to do all over again I would have gotten a 750cc instead. 600cc bikes are always for sale because guys think they should start out small for better handling. But they soon get tired of the small displacement and want more balls. That is why so many 600ccs are for sale and not as many 750cc. In any case a 600cc bike can get you to the 12 sec 1/4 mile. 1000cc got into the 10 sec. So even a 600cc is pretty fast. It just doesn't give you that low end torque you crave from the bigger bikes. The 1000cc is significantly heavier and more to handle.

 

Everyone has a different choice, but I prefer superbikes or crotch rockets as opposed to cruisers. I feel MUCH safer at higher speeds and cornering on a superbike. It is the difference between riding holding on from your wrists to lying on your belly flying like superman. That is the best way for me to describe the differences between riding the two.

 

You should get a GOOD helmet like Arai or Shoei. Also invest in the proper leathers! Seriously those leathers make a big difference. For top of the line it is all about the Italian Dainese. Make sure to get FULL top and bottom piece leathers. Jeans may seem durable, but trust me scraping asphalt from your skin every day for weeks is NOT FUN!

 

Those leathers can help you survive a lot of tumbling with minimal damage. Make sure they fit well too. If they are too lose then the knee or elbow pads will not line up to protect your knees and elbows. I also like a back or spine protector, but really is not necessary.

 

You can also get a MotoCam which is a rear view camera to help you see behind you without looking over your shoulder.

 

Oh yeah the BRIGHTER the better. Looking cool in all black is a great LOOK. However others CANNOT see you as well as if you were in a larger car. So those BRIGHT colors, be it from your clothing or bike make a big difference with being seen on the road.

 

Also try and ride in packs with many friends. The larger numbers make you seen and heard from better.

 

On a final note take your time and don't push it. Riding a bike can seem like child's play. However you are going MUCH faster and need to FOCUS and concentrate. Point of fact two of my really good friends had near death motorcycle accidents. One had his pelvis and femur smashed. He had no health insurance and had a $500,000 medical bill that basically ruined his credit. He will need to replace the femur in the future because the socket is going to wear out eventually. My other friend lost his right arm and has many neurological problems. Its just not worth it to push it in traffic when most of the other vehicles can smash you like a bug.

[Paulyski 2,227]

My first was a 75 honda GL-1000, dressed with leather saddlebags, a 3' sissy bar for the girls & an acrylic windshield for roadtrips.

 

Yeah, talk shit about the windshield, but in Oregon it starts raining when the sky is nearly clear & it's sunny (don't ask me how that works, I'm still trying to make sense of it), anyhow it's rather cool to ride in the rain, smoking a cigerette & not be miserable.

 

I bought the bike, took off with my feet dragging & pretty much figured out how to kind of ride by the time I got home.

 

The only time it ever went down is when it stalled in the middle of a sharp U-turn as the bike was at it's lowest point.

 

That was a fun bike.

My favorite thing to do was scrape the exhausts on the freeway as I would change lanes.

Nothing like putting your ass in the Lord's hands & going for it.

 

Next on the list is a Harley Police FLHPI Road King painted flat black, dressed in leather with a tombstone windscreen with an added rear seat & 3' padded sissy bar.

I have a horse skull to mount on the front fender waiting for it.

 

Yeah, the 3' padded sissy bars are dangerous because you can't bail, but they're sure nice to pin the girl against so she can snooze on road trips... Then you have your own backrest... With boobies.

 

But seriously, If you're getting a cruiser, go for 1000cc or larger & take it easy at first.

If you get less you're just going to want more later.

[TonyRumore 1,332]

Start with something with a seat height low enough that both feet hit the ground flat footed.

 

Trying to start on a sky-high motocross bike would be a serious pain in the ass.

 

Tony