Posted: 5/24/2004 12:05:38 AM EDT
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Anyone have experience (good or bad) with any of the following bikes? Beginning research hoping to pick one up this fall when everyone decides its too cold to ride and sells their bikes. In the order I'm considering them.... Honda "Rebel" Suzuki "Cruiser GZ250" Yamaha "Virago 250" Kawasaki Have to navigate through to motorcycles, then streetbikes, then the "Eliminator 125" <-- pretty sure I'd like a bit more engine to move my #220 butt around town Lastly... Buell "Blast" <-- not sure I really like the styling though They're not the fastest bikes around (but I'm not crazy enough for a Hayabusa, nor can I afford it) and I'm not really a big fan of anything Harley -- but if I overlooked anything similar to the above, let me know. I'm looking for cheap, easy to learn on, easy to maintain yet not requiring constant fiddling with, and fairly new, so PLEASE don't suggest 1970s bikes from ebay...a 2000/2001 model is about the oldest I'd want; these bikes are pretty cheap NEW, so going much older doesn't really gain me a whole lot as far as price goes. Also trying to track down info on a MSF course so I can learn what the heck I'm doing on a bike  Basically, filling a 3 gallon tank every week is looking a lot more appealing than filling a 14 gallon tank evey week and a half. The way things are going, if I quit driving, and just saved the gas money, I'd be buying one of the above brand spankin new by the end of the summer. |
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I started out on a Suzuki Savage 3 years ago. Passed my driving test with it. I wouldn't consider anything smaller then that. I outgrew it in 1 month! Traded for a Kawasaki 750 Vulcan. You will experience the same thing. Find a Suzuki 800 Intruder or a Kawasaki 750 Vulcan to start out on. This is good advice believe me, I have been there. I also hear very good things about the Suzuki SV650. Folks start out on that one and say you never out grow it. I currently ride an 04 Harley 883- I don't recommend it for a beginner. wazzup |
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Honda 250 Nighthawk. I've ridden most of the bikes you've mentioned, including time doing demos for exercises in MSF Rider Courses. The 250 Nighthawk is hands-down my favorite in the 250 class. The frame is bigger (I think with your size you'll get cramped on some of the others), the engine has a bit of "Oomph" for its size, and the handling and brakes are respectable. If you get trained in a Rider Course, I'd advise going up into the 500-750 cc class. You'll be able to handle it with the skills you get, and you won't outgrow it as fast. Have fun and be safe out there. |
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Don't buy a 250, the lack of power will get you killed. www.msf-usa.org/ www.mmsp.org/ What is your budget? If you can't afford to do it right, don't do it at all. |
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You want small and cheap I second the night hawk. I am a sport bike man but did ride the 25o night hawk for a few months and did enjoy it. I will also second that you get bored of the 250 class really quick. The buell is a 500cc and the suzuki gs500c is also a 500. The suzuki I like but get a used one the new ones suck. Both are standard bikes, not sport or cruser, have more power and are more bang for the buck wile still haveing low insurance. Your going to like the 500 class, they will last you about a year. The 250 class 6 months tops. |
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I would suggest a NightHawk, but not a 250, a 750. Nighthawks are a standard bike, you sit straight up, even with the 750 engine they come in at a little over 400 lb. Easy to ride, just like a bike. Hydralic lifters, no adj valves. Good gas mileage. Don't be worry about the 750 either, it is not enought for you to worry about it getting away from you. But, as your skill gets better, you will not get tired of this bike either. You can go from coast to coast on a 750 Nighthawk. Not only that, there is a back seat for a passenger. It is not a crotch rocket, it is not a moped, it is a good, useful bike. You say you weigh 220, you need something more than a 250. Please at least look at a 500. You don't want to pull out of an intersection and have some cager bowl you over. Take care. |
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Go 500cc+.... Don't bother with anything smaller than 500cc unless you plan on handing it down or selling it after you have learned to ride. The 500 to 750 UJM (universal japanese motorcycle) will have emough power to move you around yet not enough to scare you. Stay away from the crotch rockets. Although good looking, not meant for a beginner especially if you are looking to commute (although I sometimes commute on my CBR600F2). Nighthawk 750, Honda Shadow, Yamaha V-Star 650, etc. are all good bikes to learn on. My $0.02. M590man |
After downing my first cup of coffee I came back to this and I have to agree with this. I was focused on the original question, which mainly listed 250 class bikes. The 750 Nighthawk is virtually perfect mechanically. Honda has made millions of those 750-Four engines. There are basically two ways out of a tight situation: 1) Slowing/stopping, or 2) Accelerating. A man your size won't accelerate well on a 250. I'd say: 1) Get trained. 2) Start in the 500-750cc class. That's enough power to get you around, yet still easy enough to control. Back to the coffee... 
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You don't say what your size is. If it's anything over 5' 10" or your over 180 I wouldn't get anything on your list, it won't have the power to get out of it's own way and sometimes the throttle is as important as the brakes when it comes to saving your beacon. Find and take the local MSF course. They usually supply the bikes and they are usually in the 250 neighborhood. These are OK for the parking lot manuvers you'll be doing, but probably by the end of the course you will see the need for a bigger bike. I'd be thinking somewhere in the 500cc neighborhood. Besides, if you pass the course you might not have to take the complete license test and you may save on your insurance too. JMHO and YMMV |
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i have ridden off and on for about 15 years. I currently have a kawasaki vulcan 500. Anything smaller you will not enjoy, especially if you ever want a passenger. For a first bike a 500-800 is a good choice. enough size and power to do what you need. Light enough to be able to handle until you get some experience. I wanted a bigger bike than this 500 but the price and timing was right on this one. It has actually surprised me. It has MORE than enough power for for myself and mona for anything we do with it. I don't do long distances and would recoomend a bigger bike if you plan on touring. mike |
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I've got a '89 Honda Hawk 650. It's a great beginner bike, and you won't outgrow it unless you really want to throw down. You can still occasionally find them in the used market. I only ride recreationally, so fuel isn't a consideration, but it gets about 60mpg if you care. I had a Nighthawk 750, and it's a great bike and is much more comfortable than the Hawk. I rode 310 miles one day on that thing, something that would kill me on the hawk. But I like the hawk better for one selfish reason. It fits through a standard sized door quite easily, so it's stored in my nice dry shed. |
Good idea 30 years too late. Those bikes now bring $2500 - 5000 each. Shit, you can get an EVO sporty for less in many cases. Buy a mid - early 80's Japper for $500 and learn on it. Then buy what you really want. You won't lose a penny either as you can sell it for what you paid for it. |
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Yes, I know they're on the small and underpowered side of things -- I'm in a small town and can take back roads EVERYWHERE, so finding a bike that can get me safely around a city like LA is not really a big concern. Put another way, I can travel across town at 5pm and only see maybe 6 other cars. As for outgrowing it in 6 months, thats fine too, since I'm not really sure I'll like it. If I do, great, I'll take the experience I get and figure out better what I want for my 2nd bike. I'm not opposed to a 500-750cc bike, its just that I don't know if I'll be able to afford one, so I'm spending more time looking to find the best I know I'll be able to afford. And yes, a MSF course WILL be happening, I just have to find one that fits my schedule that isn't 4 hours away. |
If it must be new, look into the Suzuki GS-500. 250cc is to small, anything over 550 is too big... Otherwise, I reccommend a much older bike, something with no plastic to break when you drop it... Examples: Suzuki GS-450 (1982-1986), GS-550 (1980-1986) Honda CM-450 (inline twin) or CX-500 (transverse V-twin) A decent, low-milage (5,000-12,000mi) GS-450 can be had for $500-750 off e-bay (I'd sell mine for $1,200 (if I was looking to), but I did a complete top-end overhaul on it, so that changes the value) for example... The design gives them very good crash-survivability (eg pick it up, ride it home), and if you wreck it, you're out alot less than other 'beginner' bikes. The mechanics are so bone-headedly simple that you can easily fix anything that my go wrong by spending a saturday with a clymer manual & socket set... The old GS series (which Suzuki split off into the GS-500E (a good 'modern' beginner bike), the GSX (Katana) series, and the oh-so-famous (and not-for-beginners) GSXR series) was a practically bulletproof design, so that shouldn't be an issue... The GS-450 (TX 'touring' model, what I have. There is also a 'sport' version (E or ES) with a fairing & more 'modern-ish' plastic trim. This guy wants $900, his is slightly modified (new seat & handlebars, paint), in 'stock' condition it looks more like the Honda CM-450 below)  Honda CM-450 (currently $800-ish on Ebay)  Honda CX-500  Any of those would make good beginner bikes... Once you're out of the 'beginner' phase, sell it on E-bay and buy something newer... |
Tires... Chain condition (if not shaft drive) Condition of fuel (yellow gas -> time for carb teardown) Spark plug color (good way to tell if you have poorly maintained carbs. Should be clean & greyish-to-light-brown. If they look burned -> lean, if they look black -> rich or oil fouled. To tell the diff between rich & oil-fouled, if it burns oil (blue smoke) suspect #2) |
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nighthawks are nice, gs-500's too - sv-650's are IMO about the perfect beginner bike, but they are quite peppy. i'm glad to see support for standards, they handle better than cruisers so they are in the end safer. once you pick a bike concentrate on learning how to ride it, don't listen to others tell you how fast you should be going or what your next bike should be or what mods you should do. just ride and learn. keep your head on a swivel and only think of riding when you're on it, you'll be fine. ps- you might even think about a dual sport if you're gonna be doing any rural riding on rough gravel. KLR 650's are great for that. |
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Glad to see you're taking the MSF! Don't buy too much bike. Most of the more powerful bikes are a lot less forgiving to beginner mistakes. I wouldn't worry about being able to carry a passenger or handle Interstate speeds. You won't want to do either until you've gotten at least a few months of riding experience under your belt. I'd seriously consider getting a not-too-used bike in good mechanical order that fits you well. Something along the lines of 250cc-500cc sport-standard or a 350-600cc cruiser. A 250cc cruiser may lag a bit too much for your weight. Try to avoid bikes with lots of breakable plastic or hard-to-find parts. You won't have to worry as much about the quite likely event that you will drop it during your early learning. Once you've got several thousand miles under your belt, you can always sell it on to another beginner for about what you paid for it, and move on up to a more powerful machine if you feel you want more bike. The Eliminator 125 will probably be underpowered for you. Consider moving up to the Vulcan 500 if you're looking at Kawasaki cruisers. Just remember: it's your first bike, not your last one!  Good luck! |
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If the others have not made it clear enough already, DO NOT BUY A 250CC Beginner's bike. Yes, you can learn to 'ride' a motorcycle on the road with it, but these things are seriously underpowered, Especially on the freeway. The fastest 250 on the market (250 ninja) makes about 34hp and is very much out of it's element on the freeway. You will have to beat the living shit out of a 250 to go anywhere but places that can be reached on 45 mph roads. Get something to grown into, instead of grow out of in a month. 250's are good college kid bikes where you don't have to go very far or fast, they have little use in the real world. I own smaller enduro bikes, and larger street bikes, a 250cc 4-stroke streetbike has no place in my garage. If you have to get a 250 for a street bike, get a dual-purpose bike like a KLR-250 or XL250. Both of those bike will continue to be useful once you outgrow is as a streetbike. Thinking about it, I wouldn't mind one myself... Dave |
Depends... After my experience this Febuary (riding my GS in WI winter, while I was inbetween cars) I would have greatly appriciated the big vetter fairing... But yeah, for normal summer-only use, it's a bit over the top... |
I have one of these myself, an '03. Damn good all-around bike. |
I think you just made all my points for me. Small town. Back roads everywhere. College kid on a budget (at least for a bit longer) ABSOLUTELY NO USE FOR IT ON THE INTERSTATE! Thats why I have a car. |
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Well in that case, definitely get the DP bike. DP bikes are DP bikes. People accept them for what they are. People know what 250 cruisers are too-Ghaay. Really, you are better served by the dirtbike with lights than the cruiser. They are a lot lighter (make better use of what little power they have) and generally have better components. They are also bulletproof, which is important when buying a bike as a perpetually poor college kid. Anything you can ideally afford has been ridden like a 2 dollar whore! Please don't take me for being a bike snob-I started out on small bikes, I still own small bikes. Some are just more legitimate than others. Dave (Who has a 47cc pocket bike coming this month-WHHOOOT!!!) |
I started on a ninja 250, and that sucker was pretty fast. Faster than most cars. All of the cruiser-style 250s are pretty slow though. |
Actually Sporties in general aren't good beginner bikes. Not because of the power (or substantial lack there of in the case of the 883) but because of the high center of gravity. Dropping a Sporty is extremely simple. Which is probably why I dropped my 1200 Sport three times 
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Yeah, the 250 Ninja is a bit of an exception to the 250cc rule, but it comes with a caveat: You have to be prepared to cane the tits off of it as though you were a GP star in order to make pace on the left lane. The one I rode topped out at about 105mph, meaning that at 80mph you are well into peak power already. It also means that with the motor tuned to make power up high that you have to row the shifter to make good progress when passing, leaving lights, lane changes etc. Lots of fun for someone who can already ride and knows how to manage things spatially in traffic, and a ball of fun in canyons for it's handling-but a bit too frenetic for newbies IMO. Dave |
I guess I should have held on to that 1967 BSA 650 Lightning huh? I rode it for 2 years and sold it for $300. AB |
Yep. That'd been a good one. I just sold my last Triumph. '65 650 bonnie. Mostly stock. $2500. Ran, but needed some love. Too many bikes in the stable. Working on a '54 pan now. I finally decided that the pan was more to my liking and let the brit suff go. |
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Listen to those folks that recommend starting out on an older (and larger) Jap bike. I just completed the MSF course, and got my license today! Waiting in my dad's garage is an '81 Kawasaki KZ440 LTD that needs some work on the carbs before it's ready to go. Got it off ebay from a local seller for $400, and it's in mostly great shape aside from the carbs. I'm 6'0" and 250LB, and wouldn't be comfortable at all in traffic on one of the 250cc Nighthawks from the class. The 440 is small enough that I think I'll be blown around too much at highway speeds, but I couldn't pass up the price. But even with the not-optimum carbs, it still has enough oomph to move my fat ass around. Other advantages of older Japanese bikes are the low cost of insurance, and lack of heartbreak if the bike gets dropped and dinged. |
| I learned on a '74 Honda SL350.. About that ugly, but it had mostly enough zip for around town at 140lbs. There were a few times where the lack of oomph almost hurt though. If you're going to ride a bike, do it right. Get a good helmet, take the course, and ride a big enough bike for the road. 250's are for cone courses and dirt tracks. |