Rode a Scooter for 1 year and now I want a bike

[J.Feeney]

Gday Everyone.

Firstly I will listen to all the advice that you guys give me because you will know a hell of a lot more than me.

I rode a scooter for a little over a year, but i stopped riding it when i got my car because scooters are just ridiculously dangerous, they make no noise and have no acceleration so on my way to and home from school (had to take major highways) i had a few near misses until i was finally hit.

Now i would like to buy a bike because i did enjoy riding but i want something that i have more control with and its pretty embarrassing riding a scooter.

I was looking at getting a Kawasaki ZX6R but after reading the stickies i have decided that i dont want to die.

I was just wondering what bikes you all would recommend.

Im 6' and 280 pounds

I have had a look at the GS500F and i like it but i would like something with a more sporter look.

Thanks in advance.

[safety-boy]

Ninja 500-R is a great bike. Probably the best intro bike that you can ride for years. I had a ZX6-R, and still enjoy riding the 500-R.

Ninja 250-R gets a lot of play around here. New styling makes it look like a super-sport. It will do 100mph with a small-ish rider. Definitely not a scooter 250cc.

--Dave

[Pittance]

Hey J.Feeney. I'm sure you've already heard this, but make sure you take an MSF course (BRC, riders edge) before you buy a bike. It will help you decide what you like and dont like. Odds are that the course you take will have Rebels and Ninja 250s, so that will let you test ride 2 common first bikes so see if either of them fit you. I also second the Ninja 250 and Ninja 500 as a good sporty-looking bike. You could also look at the Buell Blast. Its s standard bike with a little bit of sporty appearance. 492cc engine, but its size is a bit smaller than the ninja.

Also, does anyone think an SV650 is a good beginner bike? Or does that border on good second bike?

[J.Feeney]

Im Australian and i have done two motorbike safety courses. I just want some opinions on bikes i could get.

I will mostly be doing mostly city riding but i will also be doing occasional highway riding.

thanks

[Grey Thumper]

Also, does anyone think an SV650 is a good beginner bike? Or does that border on good second bike?

Actually, this brings up an interesting point, I'm wondering if it would be okay for Feeney to consider good 2nd bikes as well? A scooter is essentially a motorcycle; all the physics and operating characteristics of a two-wheeled vehicle apply. If it happened to be an old Vespa or Lambretta, that includes clutchwork

Negging on the ZX6R was a good idea IMHO, and it's always better to err on the side of safety, but for instance, an old Ducati Monster 620 only has about 60hp (compared to, what, 120hp for the ZX6?), looks awesome, and should be a lot of fun.

[jstark47]

Feeney- what scooter were you on? I went from 9 months on a Honda Reflex to a Triumph Bonneville (790cc, 60 hp, 450 lbs), it was no problem. If you've got all the fundamentals of throttle control, counter steering, etc, down, I think a upper-end starter bike or lower-end 2nd bike would be OK. E.g. Monster 620, SV650, Ninja 650.

[Thumper]

Also, does anyone think an SV650 is a good beginner bike? Or does that border on good second bike?

People do it...I don't recommend it. I bought an SV as my 2nd bike, and it took some concentrated effort to not speed, to not jackrabbit start, and going really slow was more difficult than on my 250--the throttle is just twitchy enough to have a bit of a learning curve. A sub-250 cc scooter is a bit more tame than a 250 Rebel or Virago even, so I'd rather err on the side of caution and say nope, ride something else for a while first.

Something like a Ninja 500 would be much better; it's a decent first bike, and really the only reason a rider might want to move up from it is because something shinier catches their eye.

But, like I said, people do it. Go to svrider.com and there are tons of people who started on the SV...

[J.Feeney]

Hey I used to ride a Honda @125.

I know how to handle a bike and counter steer but i have no idea on using the clutch or gears so a bike that would be a little lenient on a novice would be good