Norseman82 Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Who owns one? I'm looking to buy and have questions for you :) What is your riding experience? Have you taken a MSF course? In IL, if you pass it it counts as passing your road test. Are you looking for a cruiser, dirtbike, or sportbike (aka "rice rocket")? What type of riding are you looking to do? Street? Dirt? Track? Are you in a rural or urban area? I've been riding for close to 25 years. My current bike is a ZX6R. Here is a thread on our local sportbike forum regarding first bikes: http://www.chicagolandsportbikes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26786 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardillacid Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 Firstly, i would say probably used, unless you are going for a much smaller bike. secondly, and I cant stress this enough, you should not be buying anything with an inline 4cylinder engine for your first bike. So none of the 600cc or 1000cc(especially!) sport bikes. Look into the twin cylinder 250's, 300's, 400s, 500s and maybe the 650 twins. Most bikes these days in that range are the 250's a couple 500s and 650s. There is just WAY too much power in the modern 4 cylinder bikes to be learning on, and any good rider would tell you the same. More importantly, it isnt easily controllable power. Displacement alone(engine size, like 250cc vs 600cc) isnt enough to tell you the power of the bike. For instance a 650 twin sportbike(like an SV650 or Ninja 650) makes about 70 hp at peak. this is still a ton, and a lot for a new rider, but doable if you are careful. A 600cc 4 cylinder revs up higher and might put out a top horsepower of about 110-115hp to the rear wheel. This is an absolute assload of power for a bike. For instance, the fastest sportbike(well, fastest around a track, not a straight line) in its day, the CBR900r Honda in 1992 made about the same top end horsepower and weighed another 50 pounds, and it was considered a demon even for experienced racers. as a visual aid the steeper line is horsepower as it goes up through the RPM(its comparing two model years). notice how around 9 thousand rpm, it gets steeper? in about the space of 1k rpm, that bike gains about 25hp, which is the same as a good beginner motorbike like the Ninja 250 has in total. If you are cruising around as a new rider and hit a pothole, you might twist the throttle a bit and hit that, all of a sudden either you are going way faster than you want, or your front wheel goes up, and you might poop yourself. Going around a corner and you pull the throttle a bit? burst of power to the rear wheel and you loose traction and find yourself sliding on the hopefully empty road. The true sport bikes have way too much power and in a deceptive way. twin cylinders spread the power out more evenly across the RPM band, making it more predictable, even if a bit more powerful at the low end(as a twin cyl 650 would be torquier than a 600 four). they also dont rev nearly as high and dont get insane top end horsepower boosts. Honestly, your best bet is to get a 250 ninja(or the brand new 300 is really nice), or the 500 ninja. If you can practice a bit, or have ridden a dirtbike before, you might want to look into the 650 twins. They make them with the proper sportbike looks nowadays, but with more comfortable seating, ergonomics, etc. What is your sorta price limit you were looking at? You will find diminishing returns if you go too cheap, as all the bikes will start being non running 30 year old junkers. but the brand new 250/300 class bikes are pretty cheap, like 2-3 grand. for about the same price you can often find used larger bikes, which might help. But really, as your first bike, it will absolutely not be your last one. People go through new bikes every few years on average, so dont worry about being locked into a single bike forever. You do have a lot to learn, like proper throttle control, leaning through corners with confidence, braking correctly and situational awareness of other traffic. You are much better off with a cheaper, slower bike that weighs a few hundred pounds less, so you dont have to worry about the bikes power, or accidentally tipping it over at a stop. Even the slow bikes are fast. On a ninja 250, you may not have super high top speeds, but very few cars on the road will out accellerate you. Any other bike at all and you will be one of the fastest things on the road. Important to remember, small beginner bikes are sold all the time and retain their value. you can easily buy a used beginner bike, and sell it a year later without losing any money on it. play your cards right, you might make money on the deal. Then spend the money you save on the gear. You will want very nice leather/synthetic jacket and a good full face helmet, and gloves at the very least. Also need solid boots that cover your ankles, and leather pants might save you a lot of skin if you fall. You can get all this stuff for about 500-1000 bucks. You will drop your first bike. Probably in the parking lot, or you hit some gravel pulling up to a light, or n the driveway. Dont get something too nice and shiny, or it will make picking it up and carrying on hurt more. Come bike shopping with me. K thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morostheos Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 I know nothing about bikes, but I thought you all might appreciate this picture from the papal blessing of the motorbikes in Rome. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLordsSouljah Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Totally getting a scooter, but I'd be no help to you. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 I have a Honda Metro scooter. It kicks ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honour Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 Who owns one? I'm looking to buy and have questions for you :) I started on a 600RR. I totally recommend the MSF course, even if not required by your state for license. It is worth every penny and no one should ride without taking it first. I loved my bike but sold it when I got pregnant with my first kid. I bought mine used and it worked out very well for me, when I dropped it (trying to ride for the first time after a year long break from my first MSF course, I then took a refresher). I wasn't as terribly upset about the scratches since the previous owner had already added a few scratches. Also I sold it two years later for $500 more than I paid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesus_lol Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Come bike shopping with me. K thanks. Let me know what you are looking at, and I'll try to help out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 (edited) Come bike shopping with me. K thanks. Or, if you are near a city where the Progressive motorcycle show is, go - we just had ours in Chicago. It's a good place to sit on just about any bike you want to at least compare the comfort and ergonomics of various bikes at one place, as well as check out other gear and ask questions from vendors. Edited February 20, 2013 by Norseman82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 I know nothing about bikes, but I thought you all might appreciate this picture from the papal blessing of the motorbikes in Rome. :) I guess that's a tad bit bigger than my parish's: http://pioneerlocal.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=1024173&CategoryID=1783 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 Of course given all that up now, bit difficult to ride in a habit! Why do you say that? Besides, there are clergy who ride, including some bishops... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franciscanheart Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 [raises hand] :) Honestly, your best bet is to get a 250 ninja(or the brand new 300 is really nice), or the 500 ninja. If you can practice a bit, or have ridden a dirtbike before, you might want to look into the 650 twins. They make them with the proper sportbike looks nowadays, but with more comfortable seating, ergonomics, etc. That was my first (and current) bike! I love my Ninja. :proud: YES I'M A GIRL AND I RIDE A MOTORCYCLE AND I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK OF IT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 YES I'M A GIRL AND I RIDE A MOTORCYCLE AND I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK OF IT. More power to you! The last lady I dated (the one who broke up with me to join a religious community) rode as well - in fact, that's what "greased the skids" in the first place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra Little Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 those things are dangerous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) those things are dangerous So is getting out of bed in the morning.... :smile4: Edited February 21, 2013 by Norseman82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franciscanheart Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 More power to you! :proud: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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