Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I just have to say thank you to everybody here. You have convinced me not to go out and get a 600 rocket like all the other kids out there. What I am looking for now is a GS 500 or an Ex 500. I think that will be plenty to start off with. The only thing is i really like the naked bikes like the SV650. Can anybody tell me about them? I dont know that much and i dont want to make a hasty decision on which bike to get.

I'm looking for a motorcycle to commute to work on during the week and cruise the mountains on weekends. I drive 50 miles each way to work on mostly interstate with a 70 mph speed limit (most people are running 80 or better). The mountain roads near me are steep and winding. I need a bike that can handle both types of riding and get good gas mileage. Oh, bye the way, I've never ridden before on the street. I have been riding a TTR 250 off road for about a year. I'm 38 and this is the extent of my experience. I will be taking a MSF course before buying. I'm 6' and weigh 220. I will eventually want to take my wife with me on some longer weekend trips of 5 or 600 miles so comfort in the saddle is a must since I'll be spending a lot of time there. Any advice or other helpful information would be great.

Streak... about a month ago I could've said almost exactly the same thing. 50 mile each way mostly 70MPH+ interstate commute, mountains on the home end, similar size/weight... wanted to have fun in the mountains, be safe on the interstate, and be able to do some long distance cruising. Differences are no dirt bike (no real riding experience at all) and my distance cruising will be solo (or will be done on another bike).

I wound up with a Ninja 250. It'll hum along at 80MPH no problem and is a bunch of fun on twistier roads. And it'll go further on a gallon of gas than most other motorcycles. My longest ride so far has been 2 hours (mostly at slower speeds) and I don't see any problem with longer. Right bike for you? Don't know... but don't disregard the smaller bikes out of hand.

Thanks for the info Dieziege. I will keep it in mind when making my decision.

How long should it be before you get a second bike? I realize that question might be a bit expansive, but I've put down about 1200 miles on a '91 250cc Honda Nighthawk, and I feel like I've maxed out the capabilities, though I still need some good practice with U-turns. When should I consider getting a sportsbike? I kinda want something sporty like my brother's GSXR750, but more forgiving. My sister has a Ninja 500R and I was thinking about.. *gasps*... a GSXR-600??? or.. even....*double gasp*... an R6 (not new, of course, heavens no. More around a '00 model).

If you are having problems with U-Turns on a nighthawk, there is no way in hell you are going to be able to do them on a top-heavy sportbike.

Keep practicing and riding. Nobody is going to jump on you for getting a supersport as a second bike. Just make sure you are ready for it!

Sorry didn't mean to mislead you into thinking that I can't do U-turns on a Nighthawk. What I meant was that my U turns feel a little bit wide, usually about 12 ft wide from one edge to the other at about ~15 mph. I know that on a good try, I can get it to about 10 feet. Thanks for the response, though.

I just bought a MOTORCYCLE, Ive been thinking about this for years. I
just now decided to act on those dreams. WHY? well the cost of gas has
driven me to act and believe me I dont want to Kill myself on a bike I
just want to have had the experiance of riding, I guess the idea of learning something new and joining a great part of our society who love
the idea of the power and the open road. I live in Southern California
and travel the Freeways, the traffic is unbelievable. I have been driving
in an SUV small six cylinder. I decided to try the Motorcycle and learn all I can about riding. I plan on taking the MSF course and then getting a license. Im waiting right now to have my first bike delivered. Its a Suzuki
VL800. It will sit in my garage until I learn how to drive. Im sure some will say its to powerful for me to learn on but I plan on learning by taking
a course where I learn on a 250cc. Then I can take an advanced course
learning on my 800cc.
My daughter who is living in Germany is the biker gal she has a Harley,
she told me yesterday that she learned on a 883cc.
Well thats my life, a retired Marine who has just begun a new life with a Motorcycle

I looked around for a beginners thread on this and couldnt really find one, so ill ask my question here.

I went to my dealer after the first 500 to get my Ninja 250 serviced for the first time, and they quoted 235 dollars for it.

This immediatly set off bullshit alarms, so i decided to do whatever i could myself, and leave whatever i couldnt do to them.

Was that a good quote, or were they just trying to screw a newbie over?

Thanks ya'll.