What is OK and what is NOT OK as a beginner

[boristheblade73]

As a person becoming more and more interested in motorcycles and the idea of owning one, I find myself wondering more and more about some questions I have about this hobby.

People always tell me to start on an underpowered, forgiving bike. I agree, because that makes sense, I don't want to be sliding into a pylon at 50 miles an hour because I wasn't judicious enough about throttle discipline. But what about HANDLING? Is there such a bike as one that HANDLES as good as an R6 or 999 that doesn't require years of practice to know how to handle? People say that the more advanced bikes are unforgiving - does this just mean more accelaration than most people know what to do with, or are they referring to the handling as well? Is it the agility and handling of the more advanced bikes that is dangerous?

I suppose I'm thinking of this in terms of cars, where Joe Shmoe can't handle the accelaration of an F1 car, but has lots and lots of fun in a slow car that HANDLES like an F1 car. If possible, please enlighten me with a model I might consider. Aprilia RS 125 maybe?

[VermilionX]

if you're in europe, i'd definitely suggest getting that aprilia. it's race tuned, so don't let the 125cc fool you. it's a true performance bike if you can master it. im still drooling over it when i 1st saw it.

if you're here in the US. the new ninja 650 is a good choice. it looks good and it has power but still beginner friendly. the seating position is not as aggressive like the RS125, which you may or may not like.

of course, i never owned either of them, but im just sharing what i read/heard.

[fiveoboy01]

I read a very good thread outlining many reasons why a 600 or 1000 sportbike is not a good choice for a beginner. I thought I read it here but can't find it now.

Mabye someone can provide the linky...

[VermilionX]

here's the link...

viewtopic.php?t=583

that ninja 650 is in no way in the same league as the 600 RR bikes like the GSX-R600, CBR600 RR, ZX-6RR, and R6.

[fiveoboy01]

Hence the term sportbike in my post. I don't think the 650R is considered a "sportbike", per se.

[Kal]

"underpowered"

You have to be in the UK or Europe to pick up a 50cc Bike. Generally anything else is not underpowered for general use.

Aprillia's are race bikes which go bang if constantly run hot, which the temptation is to do.

For a first bike what you actually need is something the opposite of a sportsbike. Sportsbikes carry a lot of their weight high up making them 'flickable', the bikes better for learning on carry their weight a lot lower down.

Kawasaki's ER-5 does this. While all bikes are inherently unstable, a bike with a lower Centre of Gravity is more stable and easier to control.

There are a lot of good 250-500cc bikes with a low CoG out there.

[LooseCannon]

Hence the term sportbike in my post. I don't think the 650R is considered a "sportbike", per se.

I would consider the Ninja 650R a sportbike, not a supersportbike. I just bought an 06 SV650S as my first bike and I am loving it. I took the MSF course last fall and then took it easy around some back roads for a couple of days after I got the pick two weeks ago. The power is there if I want to use it but I have to make a conscious effort to use it. And by that I mean the bike is really forgiving when I make a mistake. So I would definitely recommend this bike to any sane new rider.

I originally was considering the 650R but ended up going for the SV since I just liked the overall looks of it better as well as the more agressive riding position. And it also sounds like the 650R will need a few more years before it can compete with the SV. With that said I don't think you could go wrong on either one.

I have a friend who just bought a GS500F as his first bike and he is liking it as well.

[swatter555]

There are more things to consider than hp or handling.

As a beginner, you wouldnt want the handling of the 999R. Low speed turns on a top heavy bike are tough for a beginner. As has been said you want a bike with a forgiving throttle and a low CoG.

Also, you want to buy a cheap used bike for your first one. I recommend this because you do not want to finance a bike you could grow out of in a few months. You also dont want to learn how to ride on a fully faired bike, one drop could cost hundreds in damage.

You have alot to learn, more than you can imagine at this point. Right now, your best bet is to learn on a cheap naked bike. Then after your past the initial stages of learning and controlling a MC, you can get a bike you really want.

If you chose to finance your first bike, choose more of a grey area bike like the SV650. That way you might not grow out of it before the term of the loan expires. If you do that, you are choosing a top heavy bike with a half fairing. In that case, your learning process with be longer and harder with an increased chance of messing up expensive plastics.

Ultimately, the choice is yours. Make a decision you can live with, your paying for the bike, not anyone on this forum. If I had to do it over, I would have bought cheap and used.

[Dragonhawk]

People always tell me to start on an underpowered, forgiving bike. I agree, because that makes sense, I don't want to be sliding into a pylon at 50 miles an hour because I wasn't judicious enough about throttle discipline. But what about HANDLING? Is there such a bike as one that HANDLES as good as an R6 or 999 that doesn't require years of practice to know how to handle? People say that the more advanced bikes are unforgiving - does this just mean more accelaration than most people know what to do with, or are they referring to the handling as well? Is it the agility and handling of the more advanced bikes that is dangerous?

I suppose I'm thinking of this in terms of cars, where Joe Shmoe can't handle the accelaration of an F1 car, but has lots and lots of fun in a slow car that HANDLES like an F1 car. If possible, please enlighten me with a model I might consider. Aprilia RS 125 maybe?

Don't worry about it yet.

Here is a page I wrote with some advice on learning to ride:
www.CaliforniaBikeNights.com/learn.php

The most important advice I kept on seeing when I was learning was, "Your first bike will not be your last."

Think about this - you are asking questions about performance and handling characteristics of a machine that you have never experienced riding. Therefore, you have no way of knowing what "handles" well or does not handle well. You have no frame of reference.

Take a training course. Learn how to ride. THEN you start to make more well-educated decisions on what you are comfortable with in terms of handling.

For example, before I learned to ride, I was DEAD SET on a cruiser. No way I wanted a sportbike or anything else. Absolutely not.

Then I learned to ride, and now I love standards. Cruisers and sportbikes just don't appeal to me.

So, I understand your excitement and enthusiasim. But you're getting WAY ahead of yourself. Learn to ride first. Then a lot of your questions about handling will already be answered.

[MidSSouth]

I like my little Ninja 250. $3000, 70mpg, and 105mpg top speed. It's light enough that you don't need a lot of effort to move it...or pick it up off the ground, and it handles amazingly if you put some decent tires on it. It has enough power to run with cagers but not enough to surprise you (unless you do a 6 grand clutch dump) and it's cheap enough that if you decide you don't like riding you aren't out much. I've had mine for 2 months and 1300 miles. The farthest I've ridden is 300 miles in one day and I wasn't sore at all. It even has built in bungie hooks on the back for tieing down stuff. The styling on the other hand... Welcome to 1988. If your interested check out ninja250.com