Posted: 8/17/2008 4:41:57 PM EDT
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Hi all, New poster, long-time lurker. Looking to get a motorcycle, but have never ridden. I'm in the "what kind of motorcycle do I want to ride" stage. Which "class" of motorcycle do you consider more fun? Or does it just depend on your personality type? (I'm a responsible, risk-conscience dude in my 30's- already signed up for an MSF class). |
Exactly, it is personal preference. I would recommend starting on a standard bike, like an SV650. It will be much easier to learn to ride than a sport bike or a cruiser. After you have been riding for a while, get some test rides on other peoples' bikes to see what you like. |
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I was in your position just recently. At first, I was looking a the cruiser style. They look more comfortable and low enough to get both feet full on the ground. Then I started looking at sporties... Now I have a Ninja 250R (IBTL) for commuting and joyriding. Makes going to work not so bad and going from work a hell of a lot more fun.  Here comes a squid pic:  |
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Sport bikes are WAAAAYYYYY more fun than cruisers if you like excitement. If you're not into going fast though, cruisers might be your thing. That said, I would suggest you start on a dirt bike. When (not if) you fall, it hurts less that way. It's also less expensive that way when you fall (parts wise). A dual sport bike might be worth considering if you feel a need to get on the road soon. Either way though, make sure to take riding classes right away. They will save your life. - If you're one of those guys who is "too cool" to get instruction, or if you think you know it all, then you shouldn't be riding, because it's those types who usually eat it pretty quick. Go here first: www.msf-usa.org/ After that, if you decide to get a sport bike or a sport tourer, go to some of the many track based advanced riding schools. They're WAY better than MSF, but you need to know how to ride a bit before you do them. Whatever you decide to do though. Practice your steering and braking skills a LOT. Those two things will save your ass when something bad happens. Have fun! |
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Tiny: I am a Rider Coach and Site Manager for the MSF Basic Rider Course. My first advice is wait. Do NOT buy a bike now. What seems like a great bike now may well seem like a mistake later. Do the course first, then buy a bike. What you are comfortable with now, versus what is comfortable after the course are two different things. Sport Bikes: These do everything better than other types. They go faster, brake harder, and turn quicker. They are also less forgiving of rider error. Make a mistake and these bikes can and will bike back, hard and fast. I don't recommend them as beginner bikes. The GS500F is a decent starter in this class. Sport touring/Supersport touring: Take a sport bike, add another 200 lbs of saddlebags and other junk. Now you have a top heavy sportbike suited to longer rides. I own one and love it. These are NOT suited for novice riders. The ST1300 is more touring, the FJR and C14 are far more sport oriented. Standards: Not many of these out there, but there are some. These offer very nearly ideal combinations of handling and easy drivability. Riding positions are comfortable, the bikes are nimble and capable. The SV650 is an excellent choice and is a bike that can be run for many years (novice through intermediate/advanced). Very very hard to go wrong with these. Dual Sports: On-off road. They don't do either great but are decent compromises. Riding can be tiring, but damn, these bikes are fun! Seat hieght can challenge some riders. Check out the VStrom 650 Cruisers: They have definite curb appeal. Its hard to argue with the looks. They do, however, offer more limited performance. Braking, turning and acceleration are more limited, and seating position is not ideal for performance or long haul riding. Performance, as limited as it is, is still more than enough for 90% of riders. These bikes do have a redeeming quality: They are more forgiving than others. My recommendations: Do not get sucked into the "Buy a bigger bike so you don't outgrow it" argument. Its wrong. You have two choices: 1) Buy a moderate bike for $4000-5000, run it for a year and then trade it on a bigger bike (loosing $1500 in the process) or 2) By that 1000cc bike now, 'save' the trade in loss but than drop and wreck the damned bike. Which is cheaper? remember the dealer make more money on bigger bikes.... Do not buy a 250 class bike (excpet maybe for an dual sport). Most 250's (cruisers, standards) will do 65 mph but they are beating their hearts out and its not fun. Buy a 500-650 cc bike. 800 is an upper limit. At that point the wieght is becoming an issue for many newer riders. One of the ideal starter bikes are, in my opinion, is the Suzuki Boulevard S40. Its small and light (a GZ250 is 302 lbs or so, the S40 is 342). Its VERY easy to handle. Very forgiving. The suitable for riders 5 to 6 feet tall and is narrow enough that many smaller riders LOVE it. With the 650 cc engine it'll cruise all day at highway speed without an issue. Its reasonably priced ($4200 new), belt driven, and low maintenance. Its basically a restyled Suzuki Savage, a bike thats been around for 20+ years. THe bugs are ironed out. And the darned bike really looks great (sportster-ish styling). I think enough about this bike that I bought one for the Mrs (and expect to buy another for my daughter when teh time comes). This bike is EASIER to drive than the 250's you'll be on in the MSF class, but also has enough guts to actually be usable and fun for many years. My recommendations?: Standard sv650 Cruiser S40 (or C50) Dual sport Vstrom or KLR 650 Sportbike (which I do NOT recommend for most novices) SG500F or Ninja 500r |
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I'm also going to be getting my first bike soon. I used to ride dirt bikes as a kid, but that was a long time ago. I just turned 39, so I'm not the daredevil I used to be. This is bike I'm going to get: www.kawasaki.com/Products/detail.aspx?id=246&content=details |
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People here are giving you advise based on looks and performance. They're totally missing the point of a cruiser. Not to say that looks and performance don't matter but you MUST factor in comfort. If you want to go fast, look cool for relatively short jaunts; get a sportbike. If you want to go long distances and enjoy the scenery in comfort; get a cruiser. I know. I own both. My sportbike is a torture device after 100 non-stop miles. I've almost fallen asleep on my cruiser before. My ass and my wrists/arms feel just fine after many hours of riding. Yes there are some more comfortable sportier motorcycles out there but nothing nearly as plush as a cruiser. That includes STs. |
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I am 39. I am a nutbag on two wheels. I rode Cruisers (a few months) once.. they sucked, except my Virago 750, nice to haul ass up and down I-95 I then moved over to SuperSport/Sport. 3 CBR600xx, totaled all of them, had fun doin' it too. I have always had some sort of dirt machine, so when I decided to stop the sport bikes, I gravitated to dual sports...best decision I have ever made. I keep sane on the public roads because I ride like an asshole off. You get bike you WILL ride like an idiot sometime or another, so I just do it in the dirt! |
Good advice from this man - take it to heart. I'd add the Suzuki DRZ400S to the dual sport category - cheaper & lighter than a KLR650. I taught my wife to ride on my friends '79(? - had the 23" front wheel) Honda XL500S - that bike was a great bike to learn on - low seat height, couldn't damage it if you tried, very forgiving on the clutch, etc, etc. Your wants/desires/needs will change as you progress - I currently ride an '02 VFR but would sell it in a heartbeat for a BMW R1250GS Adventure or KTM 990 Adventure. Brian |
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Hair of the dog: That is hardly a 'squid' pic! Squids never wear gear. They're the guys you see doing a wheelie down the interstate in shorts, t-shirt/bare chest, and flip flops. Helmet on only if required by law, then 50/50 chance it's hanging off the passenger peg. Anyhow: I'm a SV650 rider, so I recommend one of them AFTER you take the MSF course. And yes, budget in a full set of Gear, leather preferably, and then a mesh set if it gets hot in your neck of the woods. |
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Personally, I'm a cruiser kinda guy. It's a personal preference, but they look cool, they fit my riding style, and they're comfy. What a deal. I started off on a worn out 81 Yamaha Virago that wouldn't get out of it's own way, and in hindsight it probably wasn't the wisest move. Not because it was underpowered or anything, but it wasn't in the best of repair. Even this isn't THAT bad (depending on what's wrong), but as a novice rider, I probably wasted far too many brain cycles focusing on things other than uh...riding a motorcycle well.  I fared alright, though. I put a LOT of miles on that thing (commuting 2.5 hours each way - no joke, every day) and after a couple of years, (and borrowing friend's bikes every now and then) I got a pretty good idea of what I really wanted, so I ended up having a custom bike built. Having ridden pretty much everything under the sun now (I'm amazed to this day how many people will let you take a bike for a spin), I dig cruisers. Hands at shoulder height, feet forward, seat low. Mellow, man. 
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Did you by chance take the MSF course(just the last day) out in Lehigh Acres in the middle of June? |
| I'm a firm believer in not getting in over your head as a new rider. Too much bike as in power or weight for an inexperience rider is dangerous! The MSF is the 1st thing any new rider should be doing. Getting the right mindset/habits/skills built up before moving on to a more powerfull bike. My early riding was on 175,250 and 360cc bikes, spent a lot of time riding around town and more rural areas before I hit the highway. |
It was! It was so nice, I took it twice. 
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Small world. I was the guy that you were talking to about your 250. I had the same HJC orbit helmet as you, but mine was yellow. |
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I think the adventure bikes are the most fun for what you spend. You can go long distance, comfortably. You can hit twisties and fly in them. You can go offroad, or hit the dirt roads. You can commute. You can cruise. They offer you every type of riding experience in one bike. They don't excell at anything, but they do everything good enough to have a ball at it. Every other type of bike makes huge compromises in order to give you one type of ride. I don't ever want to settle for one type of ride. 
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Not to be argumenitive but from a purely personal opinion I find the foot foward position of most cruisers hell on my back. My wife and currentrly own 2 heavy cruisers 2 sport bikes and 2 luxury cruisers, The most confortable od the bunch for me is my Hayabusa (it has dropped pegs and Heli Bars though so it sits like a sport standard) I suspect this is in part because I use instinctivly use my legs as additional shock absorbers which seems all but impossible on a feet forward bike. |
My cruiser doesn't need additional shock absorbers. Its like riding on a cloud compared to my SV1000s. The gel seat helps. It also came with floorboards instead of forward controls. I have been on a thousand mile weekend on the SV1000s and a 2000 miler on the LC1500. There's no comparison. |
How's the riding position on that bike?. |
I don't own one, but from sitting on it in the dealer... very relaxed compared to a supersport. |
I agree with everything here, but the GS500F is just a faired GS500 from previous years that has a fairing on it. It makes like 30ish horsepower, and is a good starter bike. Though the previous non faired models would be better (no plastic to replace from a drop). They're air cooled (low maint) and bullet proof. A good starter bike IMHO. The SV650 is WAY sportier, and has over double the horsepower FWIW. Many people say the SV is a great starter (it was my starter). Whether you want a cruiser or a sportbike, I think starting with a standard is the best for a streetbike. They generally have better brakes and suspension than a low displacement cruiser (that's where the manufacturers cut costs on them), and they aren't as prone to twitchy controls like a full on sportbike. The best of both worlds IMO. SV650, GS500, Ninja 250/500, and the like are all great. BUY USED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can usually sell a used bike for close to what you paid for it, and you won't be so concerned about dropping your shiny brand new bike. When you're done with it, just sell it for close to what you paid for it, and buy what you really want (I'd say after about 5k miles under your belt). |
Right I remember. Small world indeed! See you on the road. |
I agree with this. I started with a used GZ250 and moved up to an SV650 about two months later after becoming more comfortable with riding. I got a good deal on the GZ250 and was able to sell it during the height of riding season for a few hundred more than my purchase price - which more than covered the registration/plates/taxes on the bike. |
Fairly upright which makes it very maneuverable . I think that and the lack of torque in the low RPM's make it a very easy bike to learn on. It was recommended to me to purchase a 250 or 500, which was why I was originally looking at a GS500, but in my opinion with the way the power band is set up on the FZ6 anyone can learn to ride it. Bill3508 |
I love the riding postion on my FZ1 it was one of the main reasons i bought it too many years of off road I cannot ride forward controls just cannot feel confident with my feet out like that also ride gravel a fair amount and found I can stand up and let the bike wiggle around under me like a dirt bike sport bike riding postion is OK but I cramp up after maybe a hour and it kinda sux on gravel |
