What do you guys think of this?(Bike size through the years)

[JamminJonah]

GOOD FIRST MOTORCYCLES

By Chuck Hawks

In a strong motorcycle market, when motorcycles for the street are more specialized than ever, better than ever, and selling better than ever, there is one category of motorcycle that is under represented compared to, say, thirty years ago. That category is the motorcycles best suited to the beginning rider.

When I started riding, there were many new and used street bikes in the 80-125cc and 150-200cc classes perfectly suited to beginning riders. All of the big four Japanese manufacturers (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki) offered such bikes new, as did several smaller Japanese and Italian makers. Triumph had their 200cc Cub, and even Harley-Davidson, through their Aermacchi subsidiary, offered small displacement motorcycles for the beginning rider.

In the 1960's and 1970's, 50cc to 125cc motorcycles were considered "small," the 150-200cc motorcycles were intermediate, the 250cc to 500cc motorcycles were midsize bikes, and 650cc and larger motorcycles were "big" bikes. Today, a 250cc motorcycle is considered small, and a 650cc motorcycle mid-size. Even a liter bike (1000cc) is no longer considered "big" in a world of 1400-1800cc heavyweight motorcycles. I have read articles in the motorcycle press about the Yamaha V-Star 1100's, calling them "middleweight" cruisers!

This escalation toward bigger motorcycles has benefited older and more experienced riders, who now make up the largest share of the market, but it has left the beginning rider seeking to purchase his or her first motorcycle with fewer and fewer choices. An illustration of the problem is that, until the Y2K introduction of the Buell Blast, the lightest weight and smallest displacement motorcycle Harley-Davidson made was the (approximately) 500 pound, 883cc Sportster. It is still the smallest motorcycle bearing the Harley-Davidson name, and still purchased by many entry level riders.

When I started riding, the 883cc Sportster was the hottest motorcycle you could buy, the ultimate ride for the experienced rider. This illustrates how skewed the market has become. While there are many faster and more powerful motorcycles today, I assure you that an inexperienced rider can get into big trouble very quickly on an 883 Sportster. Recommending 600cc and larger bikes to beginners is like sending children out to play on the freeway, and the results are both predictable and (often) tragic.

Here is the link I got it from: http://www.chuckhawks.com/good_first_motorcycles.htm[/quote]

[poppygene]

These are correct observations that many of us older riders have discussed at one time or another. The hair on the back of my neck still stands up when we encourage beginners to get a small sportbike, an EX500 Ninja, for example. The EX makes around 52 horsepower. On a good day, a big Triumph, a "superbike" from the Sixties, made maybe 45. It's just that newbies all seem to want a sportbike and the EX just happens to be relatively tame by today's standards.
The first "real" motorcycle I ever rode was a 90cc Yamaha streetbike and the first street-legal bike I owned was a 125cc. They were very light and easy to develop your skills on, unlike the majority of what's offered in new bike dealerships today. Another difference: no one giggled at me for riding such a small bike. I doubt you'd put up with the jeers you'd get today, unless you're secure in your self-image. Some buffoon would be laughing and callin' you a weenie. It's crazy. I hate it for beginning riders. The skills you need to handle a Supersport safely are not innate and it's best if you acquire them gradually.
Sportbikes are cool, no denying that. But I say all bikes are cool, especially when ridden by those who really know how to handle them.

[Gilfy650a]

From a New rider standpoint, The first bike i ever rode was my friends 1980 Suzuki GS550E it was very intimidating to ride and very scary. the bike broke one day when he was riding it- Cam chain-

Anyway i took around a year off, got a racing bicycle and rode that around on roads for a little bit. that got me used to cars around me.

when the chance came up and i had the money i ended up purchasing my current bike. 1985 cb650sc nighthawk so i suppose i learned alot more on that than anything yet, it was alot more reassureing than a bicycle, i wasnt getting run over on the roads.

Made alot of mistakes, went too fast around corners, lowsided on an onramp a pretty low speeds (new rear tire not broken in). I didnt really know that i was taking corners too fast till i went on a ride with a coworker who told me AFTER i lowsided so i slowed down a considerable bit. I try to be as safe as possible, i dont really have a deathwish.

I need to get some time off to take the MSF course. stupid schedule.