I've ridden ATVs and Dirt Bikes

[Crydee]

I've ridden very powerful, and fast ATVs and Dirt Bikes, (manual transmissions and wet clutches alike). I had a very fast learning curve on those and ride them on busy tracks a lot. Can I start off on a SV650S or a Gixxer 650? I want cheap insurance and complete safety (due to parents and lackage of funds because they don't want me to get a bike and I read gixxers are stolen and wrecked a lot therefore insurance is higher). or would a Ninja be better?

[storysunfolding]

I started out on dirt bikes and ATV's too. It will definately help you get a hang of a street bike faster, but if you want low insurance I'd steer clear of a gixxer 650. The theft rate and the amount of squids that ride them give it an unholy reputation with insurance companies.

I'd say the ninja 500 and the SV650s would be a good bike for someone coming off the dirt. Mind you should still spend lots of time practicing before hitting the roads. Dirt bikes are lighter, easier to handle and don't have nearly as much power as a street bike. You'll want to get a good handle on that bike, and any bike really, before you start on the street itself. They give way too many freaks drivers licenses these days and it's like driving through a mine field sometimes

Good luck with it and welcome to the forum and the street.

[Lion_Lady]

I'd recommend that you look into what it will cost to insure any sportbike.

You don't say how old you are, but chances are that any NEW sportbike will cost you an additional bike payment per month to insure - if you're single, male and under 25 years old.

Check out cost to insure first, then start shopping.

Even with experience, you will do well to sign up for the MSF course... check out the BRC II for folks with some experience. Its a one day course, you'll learn stuff you didn't know you didn't know (and taking it should help calm some of your folks' fears).

P

[Ninja Geoff]

I've ridden very powerful, and fast ATVs and Dirt Bikes, (manual transmissions and wet clutches alike). I had a very fast learning curve on those and ride them on busy tracks a lot. Can I start off on a SV650S or a Gixxer 650? I want cheap insurance and complete safety (due to parents and lackage of funds because they don't want me to get a bike and I read gixxers are stolen and wrecked a lot therefore insurance is higher). or would a Ninja be better?

didn't know suzuki made a GSX-R 650? Did you mean a kawasaki Ninja 650? The Ninja 650 shouldn't be too bad, but a GSX-R 600 is still a bit too much. Would you start riding dirt with a jacked out KX250? The ninja 650, like the SV is a twin, so it's a bit more forgiving than their 600 cc 4 cylinder breathren, not to say that it's not enough power to get you into some serious trouble.

[Crydee]

I've ridden very powerful, and fast ATVs and Dirt Bikes, (manual transmissions and wet clutches alike). I had a very fast learning curve on those and ride them on busy tracks a lot. Can I start off on a SV650S or a Gixxer 650? I want cheap insurance and complete safety (due to parents and lackage of funds because they don't want me to get a bike and I read gixxers are stolen and wrecked a lot therefore insurance is higher). or would a Ninja be better?

didn't know suzuki made a GSX-R 650? Did you mean a kawasaki Ninja 650? The Ninja 650 shouldn't be too bad, but a GSX-R 600 is still a bit too much. Would you start riding dirt with a jacked out KX250? The ninja 650, like the SV is a twin, so it's a bit more forgiving than their 600 cc 4 cylinder breathren, not to say that it's not enough power to get you into some serious trouble.

just a typo buddy

[Ninja Geoff]

I've ridden very powerful, and fast ATVs and Dirt Bikes, (manual transmissions and wet clutches alike). I had a very fast learning curve on those and ride them on busy tracks a lot. Can I start off on a SV650S or a Gixxer 650? I want cheap insurance and complete safety (due to parents and lackage of funds because they don't want me to get a bike and I read gixxers are stolen and wrecked a lot therefore insurance is higher). or would a Ninja be better?

didn't know suzuki made a GSX-R 650? Did you mean a kawasaki Ninja 650? The Ninja 650 shouldn't be too bad, but a GSX-R 600 is still a bit too much. Would you start riding dirt with a jacked out KX250? The ninja 650, like the SV is a twin, so it's a bit more forgiving than their 600 cc 4 cylinder breathren, not to say that it's not enough power to get you into some serious trouble.

just a typo buddy

My bad.

[jmillheiser]

about the only sportbikes that might be cheap to insure would be a Ninja 250/500, or GS500. Even an SV650 could be steep on insurance. If you can buy the bike outright and skip full coverage it will be cheaper.

How much dirt riding experience do you have? And what size machine are we talking about.

If you have 6 months to a year or so riding dirt on a YZ450F/YZ250 level bike (sorry ATV experience doesn't really count, only thing that crosses over is clutch control). Then I would say go for something like the SV650 or Ninja 650R.

If most of your dirt experience is on something like a YZF250/YZ125 then I would say go for a 500.