1200 as a starter

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Jamers!
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1200 as a starter

#1 Unread post by Jamers! »

Hi folks!


Went and explored a variety of entry level cruisers over the last couple days. My favorite two were the H-D Sportster 1200T and the Honda ShadowRS700. I like that the H-D comes touring ready, with a beefier suspension, basic bags and an easily detachable windscreen. I will of course be riding both of them and others when i get my license after the MSF later this month. My question is if the 1200 is too big to start on. Everything i have read says it has a smooth powerband, it is light and i enjoyed that i could flat foot it with ease. With these things in mind I want to believe i would be fine on it. I know the old adage of not buying big because 'this is your first bike not your last', but if the 1200 is fairly n00b friendly then i would be happy having something that i can learn on and then have some real fun with without having to trade in or upgrade a smaller bike.

for reference I am 5'11" and 200Lbs.
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madjak30
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Re: 1200 as a starter

#2 Unread post by madjak30 »

Most would view this as a "troll" question...but I'm game ;-)

It's not that you can't start on a 1200cc bike, it's that you will be a better/safer rider faster on the smaller bike.
A rule of thumb we normally use is: bike under 500lbs, less than 50Hp and less than 50lb/ft of torque.

Plenty of people have started out on a "big bike" and are just fine...but their confidence riding, and their skills took a longer time getting to that level.
It is ultimately up to you which bike you decide to get, but try to leave your ego out of the equation.

Good luck and enjoy the bike hunt...let us know which way you decide to go!
-=-= Remember, if you're not having fun you're doing it wrong!! =-=-

Jamers!
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Re: 1200 as a starter

#3 Unread post by Jamers! »

Thank you. No not trying to troll. I suppose i was just hoping that I was going to be the one exception where someone came and said "yea kid, you got this go a lil bigger than you should!"

Thinking about it, if i have to talk myself into it with the idea of a low weight and easy powerband, then its probably not for me anyhow. Just a touch of impatience i guess. Looking around, a mid 00s Sportster, Vstar or Shadow RS, i can save a grip of money which will be nice and having toyed around on an 883 before i know how comfy and easy they are. Which, like you said will allow me to improve my skills and confidence in a safer fashion.

Probably not a bad idea to take on big touring type trips until i feel very confident with all conditions and my skills anyhow.


Thanks for humoring me.
Insert something clever and showing an understanding of motorcycle culture here

ATGATT

Sev wrote:What's a bike?
JWF505 wrote:its like a goat, but with two wheels.
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Hanson
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Re: 1200 as a starter

#4 Unread post by Hanson »

Jamers,

I am not a cruiser rider so it is a bit hard to judge, but you did ride before and you appear to have an adult attitude. I was in exactly the same position almost exactly a year ago, looking at bikes for a return to motorcycling. For me, the choice was between a Honda NC700X, Suzuki DL650A, or a Yamaha Super Tenere. I had an advantage in knowing exactly the type of riding I wanted to do... Long Distance endurance riding and the bike had to be able to easily ride for long periods of time out in west Texas where the posted speed limits are 75.

I ended up with the DL650A, this was the smallest bike that I thought could do the job. I wanted the Super Tenere, a 1200cc adventure bike, I still do, by the bike I bought is going to work just fine for the first few years. I have ridden 25k miles in year one.

The main question you need to ask yourself is what are you going to do with your motorcycle and if the bikes you are considering are going to get that job done. There is nothing at all wrong with wanting to do some big touring type trips. Highway miles are the easiest and safest of all miles you will ride with local commuting miles being toward the other end of the spectrum. You do not, however, need a massive motorcycle to go touring.

I went and looked at the motorcycles you are considering and the H-D is not as outrageous as it might first appear, but I still don't think it is a great choice. It has similar horsepower to my DL650A, but quite a bit more torque and it is all of 100 lbs heavier. I would probably shy away from this choice and look at a mid sized metric. For a first bike, for a returning rider, I would look for the smallest bike that you are confident is going to allow you to do the type of riding you most want to do, not the largest bike you might be capable of riding. You can do touring on a midsized cruiser, just ask our famous B2C, she did quite a bit of bold riding on a sweet little Yamaha 650 cruiser.

One other feature I insisted on was ABS. There are a wide range of bikes that now have ABS available and I see no reason to ever buy a new bike without this critical safety feature.

Now... when you get your bike... ride it a lot. There are a multitude of people who only ride a few thousand miles a year and I do not think this is enough to get proficient at operating a motorcycle, certainly not for mere mortals like myself. Each mile is something of a risk, more of a risk than a mile in the cage, and riding more miles involves more risk, but as you become a better rider the risk per mile drops significantly. People who ride only a few miles a year do not develop that automatic reaction to do the right thing at the right time when something goes very wrong. Practice the right techniques continually and then when you need them they will be automatic, but if you practice the wrong techniques then when the time comes you will automatically do the wrong thing. That means that you need to know what are the proper approaches to situations you are going to encounter while riding on the road. It means that you need to intentional develop specific skills to deal with emergencies. I would recommend reading David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling as a good place to start even before you get your motorcycle or take you MSF basic rider coerce, and I think it is great that you already have a helmet. Don't forget the motorcycle gloves, boots, pants, and jacket.

You are going to have a great time and a lot of fun.

Also, ask all the question you want. There are a lot of people on this forum who will give you better advice than I.

Safe Travels,
Richard
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