Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hello! I just graduated from a Seminary in Cincinnati, OH and have recently had the time (but never the money!) to get into motorcycles. I've been looking at lower end Honda cruiser bikes since they seem to be the best bike for the least amount of money, to the newbie. I figured I would get a bike before the reality of all that college debt I accrued comes back to bite me. Thanks for having me!

Any recommendations are welcome!

Oh, and as an edit... I am mostly interested in Cruiser Style of bikes. I was told to get something at least 650CC or I would kill myself on the interstate. However, after reading the FAQ for newbies... it recommends a lot of 450->650 bikes. I am guessing that 650-700 is a lot for newbies to handle? Is there another forum or thread where these kinds of questions are more appropriate? I'm still reading the stickys, so I might find the answer to my question shortly. Thanks!

First off, welcome to TMW. This site is full of info that will help you along your way. Hondas are a good buy but don't rule out the VStar line from Yamaha, Or the Suzuki line-up either.

Check out this topic in the New Riders forums, http://totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewtopic.php?t=100

Also consider taking the MSF course, it will probably save your life several times...

Thank you for the warm welcome. I am definitely going to take some sort of safety course so that I can learn to ride. Most of my experience riding a motorcycle comes from holding on to my dad on the back of his goldwing () when I was very little.

I haven't ruled out the other two line-ups, but I know even less about them. That is what the forum search engine is for, though!

Yet another hobby to dump money into.

Be sure to check out the Beginner's Guide. There are also stickies and the Learn To Ride A Motorcycle page which is downloadable in PDF format (Created and maintained by Dragonhawk).

Also, go to a variety of dealers and sit on all kinds of different motorcycles. Even if you don’t think you’d like the ride when you look at it. I was dead set on one riding style when I started and ended up buying a different type. You may surprise yourself as well.

Good Luck, Have Fun and Stay Safe Out There!

Check out the m50 and c50 from suzuki. You get alot of bang for your buck with these bikes.

Thank you for the quicklinks to the stickys. I moderate another (much smaller) forum and know how people can ignore those from the get go. Being a complete and total motorcycle newbie, I am trying to learn all I can. I placed an order on Amazon for a few books and added the Motorcycle for Dummies Third edition (It was like 6-8 bucks w/shipping). Do you guys think the Proficient Motorcycling books are worth purchasing or just getting from the library?

Likewise, with Mark Zimmerman's The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Maintenance. Is it worth purchasing or checking out from the library? Thanks for your help!

ghostofdavid wrote:Thank you for the quicklinks to the stickys. I moderate another (much smaller) forum and know how people can ignore those from the get go. Being a complete and total motorcycle newbie, I am trying to learn all I can. I placed an order on Amazon for a few books and added the Motorcycle for Dummies Third edition (It was like 6-8 bucks w/shipping). Do you guys think the Proficient Motorcycling books are worth purchasing or just getting from the library?

Likewise, with Mark Zimmerman's The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Maintenance. Is it worth purchasing or checking out from the library? Thanks for your help!

The proficient motorcycling books are wonderful to buy. I guarantee that you'll pick something up from it every time. I'd also go right to the source and pick up a subscription to Motorcycle COnsumer news $22 for the year and it's where David Hough publishes his articles (he compiled old articles to make his books).

Zimmerman's book is a good read, but you're going to get more out of a factory service manual for your bike. I'd check it out and read it, if you like it enough to buy- go for it. However, make sure you get your bikes factory service manual as well.

While your at it sign up for a motorcycle safety course. The motorcycle safety foundation (MSF) has many basic rider courses (BRC) nationwide. There are also other schools that will help you take your first step behind the bars. As you'll see in David's books, riders that take a safety course are much less likely to be in an accident

Well, I just decided to also purchase the Proficient books as well. Amazon said they would be here in 5-9 days. Gives me plenty of time to finish the Lord of the Rings book I am reading. I cannot wait to learn more about motorcycles and exploring the other topics in the forum.

ghostofdavid wrote:I was told to get something at least 650CC or I would kill myself on the interstate.

These people don't know what they're talking about.

A 250cc Ninja will out-accelerate most cars on the road and has a top speed over 100mph.

I'm not saying "get a little Ninja," but I am saying "motorcycles with small engines often have plenty of power."

Welcome to the TMW community. A 650 V-Star is suitable for an entry level bike. It only has 40hp......