Page 1 of 4
Big Boy needs bike advice
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:01 am
by BigPatt
Hi gang!! I'm a beginner cyclist, wanting to get to motorcycling, and i need some advice. I'm a large guy, a 5' 10" 255 pound bodybuilder with plenty of strength. My question is about beginner bikes. What size?! Most of the experts in my area are suggesting 750cc and up for my first bike, and some some even say that I should start on a 1000cc because of my size! Of course i want to be extremely safe so my height and weight what do you guys suggest as my first bike?? (And really the height and weight is correct!!)
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:06 am
by CNF2002
Most of the experts in my area are suggesting 750cc and up for my first bike, and some some even say that I should start on a 1000cc because of my size!
You should find some smarter experts.
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:09 am
by BigPatt
Alright then, how about a correct answer, whats the truth
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:11 am
by CNF2002
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:11 am
by ZooTech
If your friends are talking about cruisers they'd be correct. A 750-1000cc V-twin cruiser wouldn't be hard at all to learn on with your stature. Crotch rockets, on the other hand, put out far more power per liter and, coupled with a lighter weight, have a bit more of a learning curve if you're new to hand controls. Considering your size, a Ninja 500 or Vulcan 500 would be a good place to start, as would a C50/S50/M50 or any of their predecessors.
Re: Big Boy needs bike advice
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:25 am
by Dragonhawk
BigPatt wrote:I'm a large guy, a 5' 10" 255 pound bodybuilder with plenty of strength. My question is about beginner bikes. What size?! Most of the experts in my area are suggesting 750cc and up for my first bike, and some some even say that I should start on a 1000cc because of my size! Of course i want to be extremely safe so my height and weight what do you guys suggest as my first bike?? (And really the height and weight is correct!!)
Strength is irrelevant. A 5'3" girl at 105lbs can ride around a track just as fast as a 5'10" male bodybuilder. Chances are, she'll sustain lesser injuries if she crashes too, since she will have less weight behind her impact.
You want to learn about riding and good power-to-weight ratios? Look here:
http://www.californiabikenights.com/learn.php
Read that. Do NOT worry about the size of the engine. Worry about the horsepower. That is more important. Even a 40HP bike will carry your 255lbs. around at legal-highway-speeds with no problem. Anyone who says otherwise is either uneducated or a liar.
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:25 am
by Shiv
Would these 'experts' happen to be motorcycle dealers as well?
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:00 pm
by Jamers!
CNF2002 wrote:Most of the experts in my area are suggesting 750cc and up for my first bike, and some some even say that I should start on a 1000cc because of my size!
You should find some smarter experts.
indeed you should. Well, part of the answer depends on what kinda bike you wanna ride. Do you want to ride a cruiser, a sport bike, what ya wanna be on. Then we can give ya some info on those types of bikes in regards to new riders and yourself
JWF
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:59 am
by BigPatt
I would prefer a sportbike. This is all great advice. How about a 600cc bike?
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:06 am
by Sev
500cc, not 600