Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hi all,
I'm a 21 year old male from Morgantown, WV.

I'm looking to one day get into the sport of motorcycle riding. I have no riding experience at all, the only 2 wheels I've been on are bicycles.

After reading the forums for the past few days I've finally decided to ask a few questions.

I know the type of bike I want to ride is a cruiser.
The question is trying to find a bike to start out on.

The majority of my riding will be done in the city where the highest speed limit posted is only 45 mph, and on the beautiful country roads of WV where the speed limit is 55. There is no real need to ride on the INterstate that cuts through town.

I'm 6'1" and 200lbs. and from what I've read here at TMW all of the 250cc cruisers available would be rather small for me, though I think their power would suit me fine.

A 650cc seems like it would be a little much for a beginning rider, so I've looked at the Kawasaki Vulcan 500, although I've read it can also be a little small for a taller person.

What would you all suggest?

I plan on, and will take a MSF course which is only 10 minutes on the other side of town. That also give me a great place to practice riding during the week.

It won't be until next spring before I take the course, so I have plenty of time to decide on a bike.

Thank you, and sorry for the book, lol.

no reason to apologize. i don't know that i'm the best one to help you but i'll give it a shot.

yeah, your size i wouldn't think about the 250 cruisers. the only problem is in the cruiser market there isn't really anything between 250 and 650. i think one of the best things you can do is find a few dealers and go and sit on some bikes. find what fits. you may discover that you site on a 250 cruiser and it fits you just fine. problem solved.

next, don't worry about buying a bike until you take the class. you'll be able to me a more informed decision then.

third, realize that a first bike is just that - a first bike. open yourself up a little. your first car wasn't your dream car. it might not have even been the style you wanted. very rarely is your first girlfriend your wife. look into a first good learning bike. that might be an older standard like a cb400 or a new "sport bike" like a ninja 500. realize that you need something you can feel comfortable on and will be good for a beginner. looks don't matter at this point.

as far as bike to look for, i'm fond of the honda cx500's, cx650's, gl500's, and gl650's

i'm sure that doesn't answer you actually question but i hope it helps.

Don't be put off too quickly by the 250 cruisers. I ride a Suzuki GZ250. I'm 6' and pushing 200 (185-190...ish ) and it fits me okay. I think some people have the idea that if they sit on a 250 the suspension will be maxed out and they'll be dragging the bottom of the bike on the ground. That's not the case. My Suzuki can handle just over 300 pounds of weight, so that gives me (and you) plenty of room to grow.

There are some larger 250 cruisers. The Kymco Venox looks pretty sweet and is bigger than most 250 cruisers. There is a review of it here on TM. Just look around and sit on a lot of bikes. The plan as far as I see it is this: start on a small bike to learn your skills and gain confidence. When your skills have improved to the point that you feel ready to move on to a larger bike, do so. Also keep in mind you may, or probably will, drop your first bike. Better to start with something that won't give you a hernia if it falls over.

Hope that helps .

As some others have said, dont put off the little 250's to quickly, I am 6' 4, 220 pounds, and i currently have a 02 virago 250. It is a touch small for me, but in town its just fine and gets me where i need to go. I dont ride it on the highway much because it will just barely keep me with the 65 mph speed limit, and they have great gas milage to boot. I have only been riding for a few months, so it is for sure just a starter bike for me.

On a different note, an 800cc cruiser wouldn't be too bad of an idea for your first ride either. My buddy is 5'10, probably 160-170lbs and bought an 800cc kawi Vulcan for his first bike. So far he hasn't had any trouble with the vulcans weight or power output.

When you're looking into starter bikes, place more attention onto the bikes HP rating instead of it's displacement or cubic centimeter of the motor. There are a number of 800cc bikes that put out far less horsepower than any 600cc sport bike or even a Ninja 500r parallel twin motor. The horsepower benchmark recommended for a beginner rider varies from person to person. The majority of members on here wouldn't recommend any bike above 55-65hp, i'm assuming? I don't know, I didn't have any trouble on my first ride and it put out about 70hp and weighed around 450lbs.

But don't let me persuade you from a possible 250 that may fit you well, being as that your gas expenditures will be far less painful for any 250 compared with a 6-800cc. If you're riding mostly low speed through city streets, a 250cc would be perfect.

Hope this helps, sorta hopefully.

Agreed, the cruisers are a different class of bike than the sportbikes, I wouldn't be afraid of a 650 cruiser, especially at your size. I am taller and much wider, and started on an 800cc Suzuki Volusia. Big cruiser, but I handled it well because of my size.
Wrider

Find a dealer and sit on one. No one else can tell you what you fit and feel comfy on.

I'd shy away from the 250 cruisers. Your eventually going to want to leave town and higher speeds with the mountains I love in WV and you'll not be having as much fun.

Vulcan 500, vstar 650 come to mind. If you ace the MSF course (score of 2 or lower, which is completely arbitrary) consider an 800cc if the weight doesn't bother you.

You're lucky enough to be close to romney cycles in WV which has amazing prices on all bikes.

Thanks for all the info guys.

I am lucky enough to have a Yamaha/Honda/ Suzuki dealer right in town, so when the time comes I'll have plenty of options to look at.

I've been around bikes for a good while so I understand how they work and how the controls work and all. I drive a 5 speed too, so using a clutch won't be any problem.

Also do most dealers let you take a test ride?

storysunfolding wrote:Find a dealer and sit on one.

Most dealers I've met squirm when you sit on them. I suggest you sit on their bikes instead.

WVUbdsrfl wrote:*snip*

Also do most dealers let you take a test ride?

In my experience, not if it's new they won't.

If they have a used one sitting outside they don't seem to mind.