bike info
 

hello guys, so yea... i want to buy a bike. I have ridden one before but am not very experience, and of course am planning to get my liscence. Does anyone know what make/ model would be good for a beginner such as myself. These are some of the things im looking for.
1. Not too expensice, since its my first bike, something good and well made but not too expensive.
2. Something with speed and performance, which i can use once i gain experience, but not so much that would lead me to crashing when im learning
3. Of course good looking, showy bike

I kno alot of these things are vague, just give me your opinions, thanks

oh, and dsnt matter if its new or used, and preferably one where i can throw my girl in the back (two seater) and if u can, please post the 1/4 mile times of the bikes, thanks alot guy... and girls :)

Yamaha R6
Suzuki GSXR 600
Kawasaki ZX6RR
Honda CBR600RR

Ducati 999
MV AGO
Honda Interceptor

thanks alot Im DANomite, ive looked at these, and i really like the r6, not as "fat" looking as the other ones, but it does have a lil too much plastic look, but id get over it. Any numbers on these 1/4 miles, reliability, ahndling, ect? Im really new to this, any help would be great, thanksssss

any of the new 600s are pretty good but if you are a beginner i recommend getting an older used one. reason being just in case anything does go wrong you wont have to worry about a brand new bike being damaged. also the newer bikes are getting faster and i dont recommend just jumping on a bike for the looks, its really about compfort level. the r6 is known for compfort but can be a little twitchy on the throttle. i would learn first and then sit on a few bikes, ride them if you can and go from there. i have a ducati 749 and it is far from being compfortable, but looks override that :) i also have a suzuki gsxr track bike, i like the way it feels the most. if your looking for an r6 a friend of mine has his for sale. pm me for any other questions, good luck otherwise.

hey guys i was looking at the r1 also, looks a lil bette than the r6 IMO. what the differnce?? oh and yamaha website doesnt give performance numbers on theses, or prices, anyone?

The R1 and R6 have different Chassis and engines. The R6 is a "600" (roughly 600cc) and is relatively slower. The R1 is a 1000 (again, roughly 1000cc), and, while a "heavier" bike is also more powerful.

Most people do not recommend a bike like the R1 as a first bike. Heck, most don't recommend as much bike as the R6 for a beginner, but you are, presumably, less likely to kill yourself on a smaller bike.

I have ridden for 35+ years. Mostly sport bikes. I am uncomfortable on the R1 as it just response too fast, especially in a slow corrner. I love the R6 as it is more predictable and smoother on the throttle, so I can actually go faster. For the experts the R6 is only a few seconds slower than the R1 at all the race tracks.

But for a real beginner even the R6 can be too much. Try the FZ6 or other mid size "collage commuters". I had my son start on a Seca II. He is now on a R6 and loves it. But it is not "IF" you will crash, but "WHEN" you will. My son, after ~8 years, layed his R6 down when riding slow waiting for others to catch up. He didn't see some junk on the road.

well said trz. it is true about the "if" and "when" matter. the r1 and any of the 1000cc bikes out there nowadays does truly take a skilled rider. i dont know how many times ive seen an accident from someone who just didnt know how to control the throttle. if you like the looks of the r1 and want to stay in a smaller cc class wait until the 06 r6 is released. it looks like a mini r1. never buy a bike based on looks, i think the hayabusa is out of this world but i wouldnt ride one because of 1) its outrageous power 2) its extreme weight and 3) the damn thing can only go straight and corners like a sumo wrestler trying to do a backflip. the older honda cbr 600 f4i is a pretty compfortable bike, more than decent performance, and i still like the looks, just dont get the 04 and up because the use this bannana looking seat that looks disgusting. sorry for any 04 and up f4i riders out there, just my opinion.

I would recommend even smaller bike. You will gain your experience much faster on Ninja 500 and then after you upgrade to a bigger bike, you will be much more skillful. Small bikes are very responsive and forgiving. If you do something stupid on Ninja 500 or 600 supersport, the SS will most likely to bite you. I started on Suzuki GS500F and love the bike. I have had it for one year and I am going to upgrade next year. It helps you to learn the throttle control, rev matching, cornering techniques much better than 600 or larger bike. Once, after one month of riding, I downshifted instead of up-shifting (silly mistake, I know) and I did not crash. When I was releasing the clutch, I realized that I downshifted (RPM went up and bike began to slow) and I immediately pulled the clutch in. If I were on Gixxer 600 (my other probably choice), I would most likely crash and it would be very ugly (~60 mph).
Apart from that, I think, most profficient riders would agree that in two years of riding the smaller bike, you would learn way more than in two years of trying to tame 600cc machine. Then, when you are ready, upgrade to 600 or 750. 600 cc is insanely fast and difficult to control for a beginner. Heck, even GS500F welt very fast as compared to RX-8. I hate to drive the 8 after riding for a while because it feels slow as hell.

This is my $.02.

Learn, read books on riding, talk to experienced riders with many years of riding experience and make your choice.

Yep, and remember to wear the gear. There is no "if you crash" it is "when you crash" and when you crash, you would want the best protection you can afford.

1. Take the MSF
2. Buy good riding gear
3. Buy a 600cc Inline 4 or 650cc V-Twin ..but dont get anything larger..look at used bikes

I learned to ride on a Ninja 250 and then moved an a Suzuki SV650s. I gave up street riding for track riding. Never underestimate the value of good gear. YOU WILL CRASH...its just a matter of when. Sounds bad, but its true. As a track junkie, I can't tell you how much good gear counts. If your state doesnt have a helmet law, put one on anyways.

Thats me in my avatar!

dont listen to some of these ppl they want you to die -____-
1000cc are too much even if you are built and have massive muscles you cant handle that much power under ur ass.

i think 600cc's IMO are a lil much as well, i would go for the 500cc ninjas. cheap and a good bike to start learning on.

Party pooper

Check out this thread:

https://www.rx8club.com/general-automotive-49/motorcycle-recommendations-new-motorcycles-70658/

Plenty of good info in there for a bike newbie. :)

Also, this thread should be in the lounge or General Automotive. ;)

I quote here the post I wrote on the above-mentioned thread, because I believe in this advice so fervently:

Stay off the race replicas. Learn on something 600cc or under. Take the MSF course. Motorcycles are very different than cars. Consider yourself invisible to other motorists. Always carefully scan the road surface for oil, sand, gravel, water, ice, etc. Always plan an "out" - where you'll steer if a hazard presents itself. Wear a helmet and protective gear - always. Motorcycling is a very serious proposition. Don't take it lightly.

If you can, learn to ride on a dirt bike, off road, with a teacher who's been riding for a long time. Don't get a sport bike just to hang with squids or because they have fast 1/4 mile times. Being safe on a bike takes a lot of time, and, maturity.
Be responsible to yourself.

Listen to these people that are warning you and take them seriously. I just lost a very close friend who also happened to be my best friend's wife. Get yourself a light, easy to manuever, and slowish bike for 1-2k. When you are ready for a new bike you will probably be able to sell it for what you paid and it will help keep you out of trouble. Especially take into consideration that what Basen said, "Consider yourself invisible to other motorists", it's very true and is why a beautiful 27 year old friend of mine is dead.

thanks guys, really lookin at the ninja 250r or 500r, i like the 500's looks more. But both seem fine for a begginer, not to much power. right???

Those are good starter bikes for the most part. Just don't worry too much about it looking all pretty because you WILL lay it down at some point. Get one that runs well and is inexpensive.

Many people say that bikes with a lot of plastic are not good for beginners, so most sportbikes are bad choices even if they are more mild mannered. Here's a list of bikes you may want to look into, "Suzuki GS500, the Kawasaki EX500, the Honda 250 and 450 Rebels, the Honda Shadow VLX600, the Honda Nighthawk 250 or 750, the Suzuki Bandit 600, and the Yamaha Seca 600."

http://motorcycles.about.com/cs/begi...nerbikes_4.htm

Suzuki SV650. Great to learn on, and they are also great to race. Lots of potential from those little twins. Cheap, and they crash well. Good looking too, which you cannot say about many other options mentioned here (250 and 500 ninjas, lookin' at you!)

250 and 500 Ninjas are a non starter, IMO. The 250 will struggle with a passenger, and it *will* be dangerous to attepmt to ride at highway speeds. 500 Ninja has sub par brakes and suspension, and will not do well with a passenger. You will "outgrow" both of these machines so fast that they are not worth considering.

All of the current 600cc bikes are TOO MUCH for a beginner.. and a 1000cc bike? I'm taking out a life insurance policy on YOU if you buy one. You WILL die. ;)

Check out the Suzuki!

Anything under 600cc's. CBR f2's and f3's are great cheaper bikes.

You WILL crash. Remember that. Some of my now dead buddies didn't.

dam, u guys are just scaring me :( . Just seems like its almost a fact that im gonna crash and either scrape me face off or die. (nearvous giggles)

Just take it serious. Take a riding class, start slow, and don't get over-confident. Riding a sportbike is about being able to control your reactions to things. Learn how to deal with situations like panic braking, and what countersteering is.

Its an activity with a certain amount of risk. The problem is that a minor accident between two cars can be a major one with a bike. So wear your gear and use your head. I see so many guys riding around in shorts and tshirts it makes me sick. Funny that when I was on the Isle of Man this year, there were probably ten thousand sport bikes and most everyone was in full gear.

But is it fun? Oh yeah, my F2 is still too fast for me, and its only been lightly tuned. But you can't ride at the same limits you would drive, because of things like gravel, bumps, etc. That isn't to say you don't ultimately go faster on a bike, because you usually do, its just you can't really take the bike to 7 or 8ths of its performance on the street and get away with it for long.

Don't be scared off. What tuj said was dead on. You're getting lots of warnings because WAY too many people don't take riding seriously enough (again, the aforementioned riders in shorts and tshirts, for instance). Riding entails some risk, but it is risk that can be managed. That means proper training, developing proper skills, and wearing proper gear. You already sound like you're going in with a responsible attitude, so just keep that up.

But don't be scared off. Riding is one of the most fun things you can do. I seriously wish I had started riding 10 years before I did. I'll tell you something even though it'll probably get me lynched here: as much as I *love* driving my RX-8, it's absolutely NOTHING compared to riding my motorcycle. NOTHING.

Krankor
05 Shinka 6MT

hey
 

sorry for reopening this thread, but im looking at the suzuki GS500F for my first bike. I like the styling and not too much power. I really want an r6 but i have a feeling i would just end up killin myself. What do you guys think about the suzuki, is it fast enough, mileage?

oh and what do you say on used bikes, are they realiable overall?

That's a good starter bike, bikes in general are pretty reliable, and even if you do have a problem or two they're rather inexpensive to fix. As far as fast enough, it's plenty fast, IIRC those are mid 13 second 1/4 mile bikes.

My son has a suzuki VStrom 650 a 04 model with 1400 miles , this is a euro style bike , but not a lean over racer. V twin this bike is very quick , water cooled , chain driven . Very ggod suspension even when extra rider. has not had 1 problem with the bike. Good luck

haha now im into this one, love the looks, i think this is it, finally. Just want to kno if 650 cc is too much for a carefull beginner http://kawasaki.com/product_detail.a...tag=motorcycle the ninja 650 r

Sportbikes of any type are bad for beginners, and you really need to get yourself something used.

Im would probably agree with you ike, that sportbikes are bad for beginners, but i really want ot buy one for commuting, these gas prices are killin my college student salary. And i really dont see myself riding a harley, so sportsbike it is.

Im surprise i have resisted the temptation fo saying wtf, im getting the r6, but i know i would land it in no time.

And i am gettin a used one, I am saving all winter and buying it next spring, they should be selling these used by then.

I don't think you really understand what a sport bike is, there are many many bikes that aren't sportbikes and aren't harleys that are great for beginners.

I would not shy away from a 600 cc bike. Some people will suggest a 250 or 500, but I'd get a bike that you won't outgrow in a few years. The 600's in the past 15 years are simply phenominal bikes. I agree that a used bike should be the only option; there's simply no point to having a new bike as your first bike. You can get a excellent used 600 for under 3k really easy, and there are many good bikes under 2k.

Respect the machine, and learn to control it. I actually think that these types of bikes are safer than some other choices for new riders because their capabilities are so high; they will stop faster and turn sharper than pretty much any other bike.

That's precisely why they're such a bad idea... Another reason is they just don't crash well and you can do a lot more damage to the bike and yourself just by laying them down at low speeds compared to the bikes that are considered good starter bikes.

Suzuki SV650S is supposedly a good starter bike. Seems to be kind of in between a sportbike and a cruiser.