I'm looking to get a motorcycle here soon... I haven't ridden a motorcycle but I've ridden dirt bikes so I'm not too new... Any suggestions? What looks good and anything cheap that's nice?

Stop.
1st ... decide what you want to do with a MC and what you expect.
Budget?
Are you looking for thrills? Commuting?
Fitting in with a "crowd"? (Don't laugh ... A LOT of people start riding because they enjoy hanging with people who already ride)
How big are you? Ignore most "performance" concerns ... Most bikes handle better than the avg rider can ride and
the street is NOT the place to explore the last 25% of your bikes capabilities.
Post some more info and ... if you've already considered some of the above, does anything already appeal to you?
You'll get more info than you know what to do with.

Stay safe

Rice Rocket, or Road King..??

1st,
go here:
http://msf-usa.org/

find a BRC course near you and take it. Get your license.

Next, decide what you want the motorcycle to do. Transportation, track bike, weekend fun, etc....

Go sit on everything, even tings you dont think you like.

Many dealerships do have some bikes you can test ride.

QFT.

I've never riden in dirt much, but it really is a different dynamic.

This is probably the time to start hitting Craig's List for used bikes.  If you want something new, the Japanese standards look pretty good and are inexpensive.

I want a combination of both, it's not gonna be an everyday bike but I would want it to be comfortable enough to take on long trips, I'm 5'10" and weigh about 175.  I've thought more about a Harley or triumph but I do like the speed and looks of them, I'm open to suggestions for the bike itself.

DL650

1) As noted, take the MSF Basic Rider course.  Previous experience helps some, but it is no substitute for the course.

2) If you want a cruiser, buy pretty near any middle weight jap cruiser.  You can likely find one, 5-7 years old, under 10,000 miles for $3000-3500.  Honda 750 shadows, Suzuki 800 Volusia/C50 (same bike, minor changes), Kawa Vulcan 900 are all solid.  The Yamaha Vstar 650 is too heavy for that engine.  No, you don't "need" an 1100 cc bike, no mate what your biddies tell ya.

If you want more of a standard seating position, its hard to beat either a Vstrom 650 or a Suzui SV 650.

A lot of people like KLR 650's.  Nice bikes BUT highway SUCKS.  That single just about seems to beat itself to death over 55-60 mph....  

I don't recommend sportbikes for new riders.  They do everything better, but they are far less forgiving. To use an analogy, cruisers and standards are like the family pony.  They grumble and buck a bit of you are heavy handed or make mistakes, but they are fairly forgiving.  Sportbikes are thoroughbred racehorses.  If you aren't up to skill level, they will bite and stomp your ass into the track.

Nothing wrong with Harley except price:  It's completely legitimate to buy one if that lifestyle appeals to you.  Just don' do it right off as a first bike:  Buy a cheap bike first (which rules out HD), ride for a year or two and really figure out if this motorcycle thing is for you before you commit to a large, expensive, long term expense.  There are some very good bikes out there, but many of them are not cheap.

Check the local newspaper classifieds.  Often, if there are 20 bikes listed for sale, 12 of them are HD.  the reason is simple:  Someone got the bike bug, spent a ton of money on one, and two years later realizes they don't ride much.  And they are still making payments or at the least have $15,000 tied up in a toy that they don't much use.  It goes up for sale.  It is hard for many people to have that much $$$ tied up in something that isn't used much.  On the other hand, if you buy a cheap used bike first, if you use it  lot - great!  Buy a bigger, better, more epxensive bike.  If you don't use it much you don't have a ton tied up in the bike.  For example, the wife drives her little Suzuki S40 about twice a year.  Its no big deal.  I Paid $4400 new for it six years ago, and it's worth maybe $2800 now.  It's not a lot of cash tied up in an occasional ride.

Frozenny
(MSF Rider Coach & Site manager)

How do the neutrally-sitting sport standards appeal to you?

- Suzuki SV650/SFV650
- Kawasaki Versys
- Yamaha FZ6/FZ8
- Aprilia Shiver

Any of these would do nearly anything you want, anytime, and be easy on the pocketbook for a model that's 3-5 years old.

2014 GSXR 1000

2003+ SV650

Psssst....Dirt bikes ARE motorcycles.    

Yep, or a busa. It's the only way to be sure.

And once again for posterity.

Listen to the instructor and realize it's your first bike not your last.  Although if you get one out of your capabilities it can easily become your last anything.

Fwiw I ride a f4i.  I use mine for commuting, anything bigger is just to show off with.

If you fit it a Yamaha FJR 1300 is an excellent daily ride.


But not sure I'd recommend it to a new rider. Although my own first bike was a yamaha Venture 1200.... and I survived.

If he does not have long legs the DL650 won't work ...... unless he likes standing on his toes to hold the bike up at lights and stuff.

The DL650 has a fairly tall seat height.

I will say this the DL650 is a fucking blast.

I consider it a 'crotch rocket with an upright seating position that likes to go off the beaten path'

Put the right tires on the DL650 and ya got one hell of an off road bike.

I owned one for three years!!!!!

You cannot learn in the woods what they teach you in the MSF classroom.

You cannot lean on the streets what they teach you in the MSF classroom.

MSF Safety Course is priceless.

I believe that EVERYONE who wants a Drivers License should be made to take the MSF Course .... at least the classroom portion.

I made all of my children attend it even if they had no desire to ride a bike.

If you want a cheap adventure touring bike, the Kawasaki KLR 650 is fantastic, time proven, and it'll cost you under 5K for good used.  People have gone all over the world with them.  The Marines use a diesel version of it.



If you want a nice road bike, a Triumph Bonneville (fuel injected version, post 2006 I think) is very cool, has plenty of power while still being a reasonable first bike, and you won't grow out of it...for not much over 5K for good used.



Other comments about taking the course, etc. are all true as well.

Royal Enfield

You don't need to be thin to ride a Ninja 500. I had a Kawasaki KLX250SF that I loaded with 160 pounds of stuff along with me(175ish) and it would still hit 70mph on the highway. That thing had all of 20hp?

Honda Grom

The Versys was a fun bike. I am short so at times it was interesting.

Forget people telling you to get harleys and forget people telling you to get supersports. Get a supermoto! If you have a background in dirtbikes a supermoto will be right at home and they are a blast. I have a 2008 Yamaha Wr250x and it's the most fun I'ver ever had on a bike. PM me if you have any questions, supermotos are kind of a niche bike

Check out the used 'Adventure' type bikes. There are a few out there, Tiger is one of them but the others escape me at the moment. Fun all around bikes and a used one can be found for around 3 grand.

Some good wisdom up there in Red.



Getting used to street riding, odds are that it will, um... "Gain some Character Marks" in your first year or two. It's much better to get this out of the way on a cheaper used bike than to agonize over every bump and bruise on an expensive new(er) bike.



Your first street bike will be a learning experience. You can get away with paying a little for the education, or you can pay a lot for it. As several of us see it, your first bike is your practice bike. Once you get your practice in, you will be in a good position to upgrade. (or to bail out with little loss if you don't take to it)

If I had it to do all over again I would either buy something like an sv650 as my first bike.

-Take an MSF course.
-Buy all safety gear(don't go cheap)
-Re-evaluate your budget after buying gear

I'd get a Triumph Thruxton and rat it out...

Honda's CB500 line is a good bike to get started on.  There is enough power that you can have fun on the bike, but not enough to really cause you problems.  They will also get up 85 MPH pretty darn quick, but after that it acceleration drops.  You would need a long straight road to hit 100.  These bikes are a real blast to ride on twisty roads.  

A new F model could be had for under $5000, the R and X  models start at about $500 more than the F.  I am not sure about the used market yet, but I imagine that you will be able to find some discounts this fall.

Boom


Ugly as sin. It's the most underpowered street bike I've ever owned.

BUT (for me) it's a pack mule and it's fun to ride and comfortable (until about700 miles).

I don't ride it much locally. I mostly use it to go on trips. Headed to NC in a couple of weeks.

They're also low maintenance and are inexpensive.

Do you like skulls and flames?

I'm actually in NC.

This and avoid Bilt, cheap stuff.

I'm going to Asheville Oct. 1st

I was thinking I was going to Hot Springs, NC for the weekend, but forgot we switched campgrounds this year.

I'll only be in Asheville for the first night, then Del Rio, TN for the rest of the weekend.

http://powersports.honda.com/2014/cb500f.aspx

I saw one of those the other day and it caught my attention.. It's a cool looking bike.

I've got a black one and it's a fun bike.  I don't think it would be to much for a beginner.  I will caution that since it lacks any real wind protection, highway riding can get tiring with all the wind.  

Puig makes a windscreen that helps.  I have this one on my bike.  http://www.monsterparts.com/p/5022/Puig+Stream+Universal+Windscreen.html

 

I picked up a 2001 SV650 with 7k (yes, 7 thousand) miles on it for $2k.  I am absolutely delighted to be back on the road again on 2 wheels, and love the bike.  The neutrally sitting sports are the way to go.  And since I had not seen the Shiver before, it has now caught my eye with a vengeance!