Ideas for a newwwwwbie......

After riding on Graffix 05R6 I really want to get a bike. I signed up for the MSF beginner course and will take it a week after July 4th. Graffix said he is going to show me some things but not get on the bike because its too powerful. We are going to go to the dealers and look for a bike for me. What would you all recommend? Do you think a 500cc is too big? Oh yeah and :twfrox:

A busa would be good.

or...maybe an R1...

...... What would you all recommend? Do you think a 500cc is too big? Oh yeah and :twfrox: There are a lot of good threads on here regarding the Ninja EX500, Suzuki GS-500 both are good starter bikes and some what cheaper than the 600's. Horsepower is not too high, but enough to get you around. My daughter rides a Ninja EX 500 and likes it. She has also rode it on the track as well as the street. Here is a link to an EX500 forum that has a lot of great info specific to the smaller bike. http://www.ex500riders.com/forums/ Rob

A busa would be good. Isnt that kinda big? :scratch: Same with the R1... :scratch:

There are a lot of good threads on here regarding the Ninja EX500, Suzuki GS-500 both are good starter bikes and some what cheaper than the 600's. Horsepower is not too high, but enough to get you around. My daughter rides a Ninja EX 500 and likes it. She has also rode it on the track as well as the street. Here is a link to an EX500 forum that has a lot of great info specific to the smaller bike. http://www.ex500riders.com/forums/ Rob That's what I said also. I know a place with a couple of 500s that are only asking like $3K for them and they seem to be in decent condition.

good luck on the MSF and on the bike hunt. I would think a 500 would be about perfect, good "starter" bike, but plenty of power to keep you happy for a while.

I see a lot more girls w/ 600's now. I guess it all depends on how much you want to spend. IMO the looks of bikes start to go downhill after the 600 cc models but they are cheaper too. I'd go with the R6...oh wait i already have. But take a look at your budget and determine how much you can spend/afford. I suggest new but that's me. i think a 500 would be fine and a 600 would be just a little too much, but you can get use to it. If you can get a decent 500 for 3k like G said then do it. Once you get use to that you'll be looking for a 600. Good luck shopping. Ask for free gear when you buy too.

Isnt that kinda big? :scratch: Same with the R1... :scratch: Yeah, but if you're gonna get a bike, get a bike, don't screw around. ZX12 would be good too. Just don't think about modding it until you get a few hundred miles under your belt. :lol:

Might as well get the Y2K.

Seriously, though, how tall are you? A lot of girls have problems touching the ground with both feet even on 600s. If you're starting out from scratch, don't even think about a 600. Go with a 500, or even something like a Honda Rebel. And get used, b/c eventually you will drop it, most likely in a parking lot or your driveway. Starting out on a brand new bike isn't smart, at least, from a financial perspective. It's fun to look, but don't make any decisions until you take and pass the MSF b/c you'll have an entirely different outlook on things. Once you do pass the MSF, just throw caution to the wind and get a busa and wear matching bandanas, sunglasses, and flip flops. That'd be tight.

That's what I said also. I know a place with a couple of 500s that are only asking like $3K for them and they seem to be in decent condition. I paid $2500 for my daughter's last fall it was a '01. The thing I like the best is most everything is steel not cast aluminum. So when it gets dropped you bend it back or weld it up your self. My daughter picked the Ninja 500R for the seat height and her ability to balance the weight without being on her toes. The real weight difference was only like 20 lbs from the F4i. It is a much more comfortable ride though. I 100% agree on getting a used one. You just have to do your homework on the inspection. The Ninja has a reasonable amount of spare parts available on e-bay at sometimes good deals. And Ronayers has all the OEM parts online. :dthumb: :luck: Rob

If you don't mind getting used, Honda made a great beginner bike. Mid 80's VF 500 Interceptor. A V-twin (edit, my mistake, it's a V-4, not a V-twin) that was way ahead of it's time. I heard of one woman in Denver who still races one and wins.

The VF500 Interceptor is a 4-cylinder V4. I drove the wheels off one (50,000) miles over 11 years. Along with 2 other bikes through the same period. I really loved it. But when I bought an 11 year newer bike, 96 CBR600, I was amazed at how clumsy the Interceptor was. However I would not hesitate to recommend it as a starter bike. Honda did make a 2 cylinder v-twin VTR250 maybe thats the bike you are thinking of. Another overlooked really fun bike (I owned) was the VT500 Ascot. V-twin 500. I put about 50,000 miles on that bike too. Modded the heck out of it. A lot of folks raced these as well as the single cylinder FT500 in the 80s. The VT felt so nimble to me, it was like a dirt bike. I think a lot of folks today start out with expensive late model 600s. When they can get a really decent 20 year old ride for less than $2000, and then when the crash it, the out of pocket loss is much less. I have always been sort of Honda biased. Probably since one of my buddies dad owned a honda shop. But I do think in the 80's honda had the upper hand at fit, finish and reliability. Into the 90's all the Japanese 4 became really onto the same par. I am not saying the other mfgs weren't making notable machines. I love the Kaw & Zuk 3 cylinder 2 stroke death machines. What a blast to ride. I guess what I am saying, if one was to look for a 20+ year old bike, I would push them onto a Honda, but that's just me.

Aprilia 2 strokes! oh wait, they're not street legal... :cry:

Seriously, though, how tall are you? A lot of girls have problems touching the ground with both feet even on 600s. If you're starting out from scratch, don't even think about a 600. Go with a 500, or even something like a Honda Rebel. And get used, b/c eventually you will drop it, most likely in a parking lot or your driveway. Starting out on a brand new bike isn't smart, at least, from a financial perspective. It's fun to look, but don't make any decisions until you take and pass the MSF b/c you'll have an entirely different outlook on things. Once you do pass the MSF, just throw caution to the wind and get a busa and wear matching bandanas, sunglasses, and flip flops. That'd be tight. lol @ flip flops...with a skirt right? Nah I'm only 5'2 thats the problem I had with graffix bike too

Pgirl... they are pulling your leg on the busa, 12r, r1!!! You are online enough..there is TONS of threads on this subject... but to sum it up... Kawasaki EX500 and/or Suzuki GS500 are nice bikes and will have a lower amount of power that is good for a newbie. However, they don't have the room to expend like some others I'll recommend. Forget anything above a 600cc inline or 650 v-twin!!!! A SV650 would be another great bike for a newbie, and even a girl. Super's wife has one and it is great. It also has suspension adjustability that is good for lowering it and making it ride better for the lighter wiehgt of a girl. Any 600cc inline four bike would be fine. I suggest a R6, just because I think they are a good all around bike. And nobody who owns one says anything bad about them. That is what I'm going to get the wife when I can afford it!

Pgirl... they are pulling your leg on the busa, 12r, r1!!! You are online enough..there is TONS of threads on this subject... but to sum it up... Kawasaki EX500 and/or Suzuki GS500 are nice bikes and will have a lower amount of power that is good for a newbie. However, they don't have the room to expend like some others I'll recommend. Forget anything above a 600cc inline or 650 v-twin!!!! A SV650 would be another great bike for a newbie, and even a girl. Super's wife has one and it is great. It also has suspension adjustability that is good for lowering it and making it ride better for the lighter wiehgt of a girl. Any 600cc inline four bike would be fine. I suggest a R6, just because I think they are a good all around bike. And nobody who owns one says anything bad about them. That is what I'm going to get the wife when I can afford it! You are a squid for suggesting an R6 as a first bike to someone who never rode before.. Next thing I know you will be riding the Kaw in those white trash shorts you were sporting @ Twisty's last year.. Get a Katana or a Ninja 500 or something like that.. Katana is a great starter bike.. FZR is another..

I'll second the Katana as a great starter bike. But it might be a bit heavy for you. I also don't think you would be able to lower it enough while still maintaining acceptable handling. I would say you would be better off going with an ex500, or a gs500. both are great bike with some aftermarket goodies available. If you go with a gs, get an older one, sans fairings. Ride it around for a while and get comfortable. Then when you are confident enough, scour e-bay and pick up a set of full fairings from a 2004+ gs. from what i hear they should bolt right up with little modification, and presto you have a brand new, half decent looking bike that insurance isn't gonna nail you for.

I heard the BEST thing from someone the other day: Buy the smallest bike your ego will allow. Seriously. It's wisdom. - Roach

You are a squid for suggesting an R6 as a first bike to someone who never rode before.. Next thing I know you will be riding the Kaw in those white trash shorts you were sporting @ Twisty's last year.. Get a Katana or a Ninja 500 or something like that.. Katana is a great starter bike.. FZR is another.. I take offense to that cause I have a 2005 R6 and it's my first bike and I'm doing fine on it. I got like 1200+ miles on it now.

I heard the BEST thing from someone the other day: Buy the smallest bike your ego will allow. Seriously. It's wisdom. - Roach That is so giving me warm fuzies over my new Fizzie.

:sorry: MP but I stand by my recommendation. There are many people on even just here, that have even brand new R6's for their first bike!

I heard the BEST thing from someone the other day: Buy the smallest bike your ego will allow. Seriously. It's wisdom. - Roach Amen to that....I say can I get an amen...... I took the MSF course back in January and those 250s they had us on almost eliminated any interest I had in riding a bike.

A 250? Wow, you were lucky! I had to take the class on Honda 125. It had a sticker on it that said it was for training purposes only and not legal for street use. I am not complaining though. The figure 8 was a breeze on it. I would have had a perfect score if I had only seen the two green exit cones on the right hander. :bonk:

Do you think maturity level also has something to do with the size of your 1st bike, or any bike for that matter? A lot of my friends now want to start riding motorcycles. Some I can see handling them, some I cant even see them riding a Vespa safely :moped: . My buddy is looking for an 05 R6 as his first. I told him a couple of things: "Good luck finding one", and "did you look at the YZF600 or even earlier model R6's?" Now mind you he is 26 and probably past his "dumbass" years. Im sure he can handle an R6. But from a financial standpoint (I seem to make a lot of financial standpoints) why learn on a brand new bike? Why spend $8,000 plus on a bike to learn (Im referring to the 600cc and up class). Chances are, its gonna get trashed, and now you need to put more money into it. I bought a $2,000 bike. Im gonna learn on it. And then, when I can afford it and feel comfortable enough my plan is to go get a new bike of that year. When I was shopping for my bike, I wasnt thinking "oh man, im gonna get an 05 cbr600rr from the dealer to learn on!" I was thinking, "whats the best sportbike i can afford and learn on at the same time?" Just try to find a happy medium between price and performance. I know graffix bought an 05 R6 as his first (?) and more power to him. Obviously he felt comfortable enough to buy a new bike. But to the vast majority that dont, I suggest to stick to older used ones to learn on. I dont know thats just my :2cents:

Very true... I have a friend that is thinking of selling his sport compact car and getting into riding instead. I told him a 2-5yr old 600cc bike would be perfect. Nothing bigger, cause it just isn't wise and nothing too new cause you WILL drop it! Even if it's a parking lot or some gravel in the driveway at 15mph... it WILL happen. So why trash a nice new bike. I told him...heck I started on a EX500 and a R6 or GSXR 600 would be a big nice step from that. That the 600's would be great to start on and you wouldn't outgrow it instantly. He and many other bring up, the fact that they know somebody that said they did that and wish they started out on a bigger cc bike first off. I told him that I sometime feel that way too but if I did things may not have turned out as well as they did starting smaller. As in if I did do that, I may not be here or may be injured in some way...

I like Brian's reply there. Any of the 500s would do you just fine. If you want something a little larger, I can't say enough good things about the SV650s. I would recommend running around to a few shops and 'trying on' several different bikes to see how they feel to you when you're sittin' on them, as well as checking out other rider sites (like Graff's link).

What do you guys think about this? http://www.pogostickusa.com/pocketbikes/pocketrocket.htm :lol:

They sell those at Wal-Mart for less than that.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: @pig Pgrl I would find out if their are people teaching to ride on dirt bikes. In Georgia this guy charges 40 bucks a day and he lets you use his dirt bike. I learned to ride on a 125..then I did dirt biking on a 250 and then I practiced a little on a ninja 250. None of these were my bike though...but when I got ready to buy a bike I bought a gixxer 600 and I ride fine on it and its what I want. Of course I dropped it a few times trying to skid out the back tire like dirt bikes do :lol: But it wasnt a bad transition. Good luck on riding and Great idea to take the MSF class.

i just cam up with a GREAT idea: the idea on starter bikes is, we all know the 500cc bikes are not the best looking bikes, thats y everyone starts on a 600cc race bike. well the idea is to go ahead and get the 600cc and if you do think it is too much, do a gearing job on it and put a smaller rear sprocket on it. and then jsut do not go fast but it will help with the power maybe. i dont know its just an idea and im tired, yup tied at 3:24pm at work, Very long weekend

She should just get an 05 R1 put a power commander on it and a new exhaust and off she goes :lol: :dthumb:

I 2nd GM on the SV650 not only because I have one, but it really is an excellent starter bike, they also make alot of parts for them performance and replacements. The SV is excellent in cornering, even on the track the SV is an excellent performer.

i just cam up with a GREAT idea: the idea on starter bikes is, we all know the 500cc bikes are not the best looking bikes, thats y everyone starts on a 600cc race bike. well the idea is to go ahead and get the 600cc and if you do think it is too much, do a gearing job on it and put a smaller rear sprocket on it. and then jsut do not go fast but it will help with the power maybe. i dont know its just an idea and im tired, yup tied at 3:24pm at work, Very long weekend Dude I dont even know how to put oil in my car..you think I could switch out a gear? WTF? :rofl:

Dude I dont even know how to put oil in my car..you think I could switch out a gear? WTF? :rofl: Maybe you should stick to the ten speed then.

Maybe you should stick to the ten speed then. LMFAO...thats why god invented mechanics :rofl:

She should just get an 05 R1 put a power commander on it and a new exhaust and off she goes :lol: :dthumb: Yeah good idea, and go off riding without a helmet too eh? :disapp: