Total Motorcycle Community Forums

NuRida wrote:thanks man ,appreciate it, what do you think about 500cc sport bikes? i dont know any good makes in that area,

Hi NuRida, everyone here wants to make sure that you don't hurt yourself. All experienced bikers here will recommend that you start on a 250cc if you are into sport bikes. Please listen to them, they know what they are talking about. Maybe you will not be happy with what they are saying right now but you will understand some day. And you will be able to resell the 250 when you are ready to upgrade, so no wasting money here, just think of it as buying a longer life for very little money (in case you lose some on it.)

NuRida wrote:hey man,

ya i have been hearing that alot, but i dont want to waste money on a 250cc that i will grow out of soon, im not a crazy rider, i know i have to take it easy for the first bit, that being said, is there a "better" 600cc starter brand out there? thanks again

Suzuki LS650.

It's called the M40 right now. Wonderful starter bike, can usually be found used for pretty cheap.

Stupid question I have to ask. What makes you think you'll outgrow a 250 ninja?

I am a new rider myself, and ride cruisers, not sportbikes, but I think the advice to stick to the 250, or the 500 at most is pretty good. The smaller bikes are much, much more forgiving than the bigger ones. One mistake on the throttle on a sportsbike could be disasterous.

I bought my 650 first, then the Rebel and ride both of them. I've had 2 offers for the Rebel and haven't considered either. In all honesty, it can do everything I want it to. I can go over the highest legal speed limit, and it will cruise all day out in the country. I imagine a 250 Ninja would be more than adequate for what you need, and people seem to be able to resell them for what they bought them for. My midsize bike is more comfortable in some situations, but that's the main difference, not what the bike can do for me. (at this stage, when I get more experience, I'm sure that will change)

Good luck, and I hope you have a blast no matter what you decide to ride![/code]

I guess part of the question is do you really want to learn to RIDE or do you want to hang out with the guys and look cool? If you want to learn, go with the 250 Ninja. If you actually learn you will soon be leaving the squids on the 600s in the dust.
Another thing, you did not mention your age. Check insurance rates for a young new rider on a 600 sport bike. You may be shocked. Sign up for the MSF class.

Sevulturus wrote:Stupid question I have to ask. What makes you think you'll outgrow a 250 ninja?

Not a stupid question at all, I just sold my 125cc bike on Monday, and really miss it already.

First of all I apologise for the length of this post, but I believe it would help you by giving you a different perspective to look at things, rather than just say 600cc bad, 250cc good.

There's a definate art to motorcycling, when you start learning to corner at full throttle, so you don't lose momentum.

I'm in the process of booking my full test (7000 miles on 125's), and buying a bike to go with it, but theres a lot of fun to be found in making a slow bike go fast

Being 23 when I started motorcycling last year, theres absolutely no reason why I couldn't have done my direct access, and jumped straight away onto a big bike. But I chose to start on a small, unintimidating bike, and learn to ride it to it's limits.

The thing I found, was that for the first 1000-2000 miles I learnt to use 90% of the bikes potential. that was the point when I was literally holding the throttle fully open, for any acceleration from stationary. Since then, I've spent 5000 miles learning to find that extra 10% by improving my abilities in all aspects, from cornering & braking to observation & prediction of traffic (allowing me to be in the right place at the right time, with the throttle already open)

If you start out on a 600, potentially these are things you will never be able to learn to the same quality, because you simply don't need to until you're actually in an emergency situation. By that time, it may already be too late.

Don't just deny yourself starting out on a 250 because you'll "grow out of it", and "it's a waste of money". From my point of view, small bikes give you the most important experiences in learning to ride, and you can't put a price on that experience.

Also it's worth remembering that a 250 is actually quite capable of going well over 100mph, with riders of any height and weight.


As always the decision is yours to take, just make sure you read everyones point of view, so when you do decide, you'll know exactly what to expect.


Also, it's well worth reading other peoples experiences, to reduce any nasty surprises whilst learning (don't sneeze for your first 2000miles ). Check out the Blogs forum, to get yourself a better idea of what to expect.
viewforum.php?f=32


All the blogs in there are good, but my particular recommendation is Blairs
viewtopic.php?t=1917


Andy

My personal recommendation would be a used Kawasaki EX500. Buy used, learn how to ride it, have it inevitably fall over and sell it for not much of a loss after you've learned how to ride. They ARE capable of over 115mph, yet are managable and light enough to not get you in to trouble. To be honest, if you are going to ride a 250 on the highway they are marginal and get blown around alot by the wind. In the city, they are the most fun you can have on two wheels. It depends on where you will be riding.

NuRida wrote:hey everyone,

i was wondering what your thoughts are for manufacterers in the 600cc area. Who is good for reliability and handling? who would be the best for a newer rider like myself? kawasaki? suzuki? yamaha or honda? thanks

I'm a newbie to street riding myself.. I grew up on dirt bikes but street bikes are totally different. I bought a 03' Kawasaki ZR-7S its a 750 Sport/Touring... Its a sweet bike and I enjoy every minute on it. Growing out of the 250 thing I think will happen pretty quickly. I'm 6 1' and I think I'd look pretty darn silly on a 250. Anywho the ZR-7S is now the 750-S plenty of torque and I've read a couple bike magazine articles stating that it was a great starter bike. Check out the Suzuki Bandit also! Good Luck Bro!

Dennis27 wrote:I've read a couple bike magazine articles stating that it was a great starter bike.

Yes, those bike magazines have nothing but the rider's best interests in mind ...

When I started riding, I bought a 1989 Honda VTR250 (250cc sport bike) in perfect condition with rather low mileage for $1500. Once I took off the pink decals I was ready to go. That was more than enough bike to start with. I'm 6'2" and that Honda will still go over 100mph. And the zero to 60 time is faster than most cars on the road, once you have some skill that is.

The funny thing is, I have since purchased a 2004 Kawasaki ZZR600 (600cc sport bike) and I don't want to get rid of the Honda. Even if I chose to do so, I am sure I could get most of my money back. But since it is so much fun to whip around town in, and insurance is so cheap on it, I don't think I'll ever sell it.

Based on my experience, I totally recommend waiting on the 600cc class sport bike. AND BUY USED! Get something you won't mind dropping (it WILL happen), and completely wrecking (it might happen). That way you will save hundreds, and maybe even thousands (not kidding) on insurance by not getting full coverage. Instead, spend that money on cool looking safety gear that you can use on your first ride, and the 600cc you will get later.