Total Motorcycle Community Forums

i've thought about the 1100 Vs. 650 and for a newbie ( took my MSF course back in the end of September) I decided that i will be looking to get the 650. For me, safety is very important and though you can be safe or unsafe on any bike, for someone only having about 20 hours on a 250, i'd rather play it safe than save money or become bored w/ my motorcycle.

Also, I am pretty sure that if you get bored of your bike, you can sell it for a very fair price. I have been looking at new and used bikes and am having a hard time deciding on which one to get since many times, low milage bikes tend to run very close in price to a brand spankin' new one.

FYI- i am 5'9, 210 lbs and test rode the 650 and felt that it was good. I am not sure if i'll ride on the freeways any time soon, but thats due to lack of experience Vs. power of the bike.

Good luck and don't forget that you'll have a lifetime to get bigger and newer bikes!

Sevulturus wrote:And maybe you 7 foot giants can. But I sure as hell can't

If memory serves me, the 599 is a much bigger stretch to terra firma than the 7/8 scale motorcycle known as the V-Star 650.

But I don't claim to be able to do so with my knees.

I bought the vstar 1100 as my first bike

I am 5'10 185lb

have not dropped it yet. That said the slow speed stuff could give you trouble if you don't tune into the bike. I mean friction zone/rear brake/throttle combo stuff. Check out "ride like a pro" video.

check out delphi forums "vstar 1100 riders"http://forums.delphiforums.com/yamaha1100/start

I would buy a used vstar - the depreciation is high out the gate. I have seen vstar 1100 on ebay going for way under value. there are some mech/maintenance issues - that might make you lean toward suzuki or kawasaki i.e. valve adjustments

good luck and have fun
db

Thanks for all the replies. I'd love to hear from more people like Doggy Boy who have actually started on a bigger bike. I would love to hear more about the challenges I will face. Please be as specific as possible. I'd also love to hear additional resources that can help me overcome those obstacles.

I'm really not dead set on the 1100. I realize it would be more of a challenge than starting on a smaller bike but I haven't heard anyone say that it will be life threatening or even physically dangerous. Everyone seems to say that the biggest challenge will be operating a slower speeds (i.e. speeds that probably aren't going to cause serious injury). I'd still like to know what the typical cost might be if I dropped a new V-Star 1100 in a fashion common to newbies? Would adding an engine guard significanly reduce the costs of a drop?

Kal wrote:People do learn on larger displacement bikes and if that is your choice then no one here will wish you anything but the best of luck.

Your question was why not start on a bigger bike to start with?

Same deal as learning to drive a car. Technically you can learn how to drive in an 18 wheel articulated rig, the controls are pretty much in the same place - gear shift, clutch, steering wheel, accelerator.

Most people dont because it is easier to learn how to drive in a 4 wheel car and once they know how to drive adapt that knowledge to a large truck. Same deal with bikes.

Good analogy. I also like the airplane one earlier - you don't start flying in a 747 as a pilot. Again as I said, it isn't about too much power (usually) with cruisers, but more about size and control.

Gonna have to agree with the Lion_Lady here. She's usually even more conscious than I am. I don't predict certain doom for someone starting out on an 1100 but it wouldn't be my first choice by any means. That's a real heavy bike for a noob.

I am a complete "newbie". Got the bug in June, took the MSF class in September, bought my first bike EVER (not branded Murray, anyway) on October 14th.
From June through October, I was on the fence between the V-Star 650 Custom and the Suzuki M50 (love the bobbed fenders...). I really liked the new red/silver flame VStar 1100 Custom, but it was out of my price range, so I didn't add that to my list, although I liked it.
Long story short, my only experience was the two days we rode in the MSF class. I ended up purchasing the Suzuki M50. It's about 30 lbs. lighter than the 1100 dry, and have had no problems *knocks on wood* with it what-so-ever. I'm 5'11", 185 lbs., medium build, brown hair, green eyes, umm...wait...wrong board...
Anyway, depends on who you talk to...the M50 (800cc) that I started off with is considered "big for a newbie" by some people, and by others they deem it in the "acceptable range".
Now granted, I would've purchased a used M50 first, if there were any available. I would take all of the advise here to heart...if you see a used 1100 that really strikes you, go for that, instead of having to deal with the depreciation and such of purchasing a new bike.
The reason I went with the M50 is, I am planning on riding a lot of 2-Up with my wife after I get enough miles under my belt (and it warms back up...), and although the 650 VStar could've done it, everyone said that it could be a little "dogged" if I needed to really get some acceleration going. Also, the styling of the M50 is what REALLY won me over. The line flowing from the front of the bike to the back was so smooth, I couldn't pass it up...and heck, that headlight is awesome, too.
If the Suzuki would've been a 650 bike, I still would've gone for it...just because it appealed to me that much more.
Take your time with your choice, sit on them and lean it back and forth to feel the weight of it (that's what I did those 5 months before I bought mine). If the dealer asks if you want him to hold the bike up so you can put both feet on the pegs to get a quick feel of how that will be, take him up on it.
Yes, you can start on an 1100, just remember what you have, take your time, ride within your limits, and don't forget to "gear up". You may want to take a look at the Suzuki's if you haven't yet. Remember, though, used is the way to go (even though I didn't ).

gr8ful rydr wrote:I haven't heard anyone say that it will be life threatening or even physically dangerous

I hope nobody actually has to tell you that dropping a 700 pound motorcycle anywhere on your body is physically dangerous.