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I'd personally recommend starting out on a 500cc or 600cc bike. Lotsof people will say 250 but your going to outgrow the 250 within a matter of days or weeks and then lose money selling and rebuying something else. I started off on an 800 with no experience. Maybe not the best bike to learn on but I didnt have any problems. I think a 500 or 600 is small enough to learn on but large enough to have for a few years.
You are correct in that sport bikes of lower cc will generally be a bit faster than a cruiser of similar cc ie a ninja 250 will be a faster bike than a rebel 250. a 600 ninja might be a bit big to start on though a yamaha vstar 600 might be good. Typically cruisers have a lower seat height than sport bikes which makes learning more comfortable and easier.
One other thing, why do you want to get a sport bike? Do you plan on doing twisties or do you just think you'd like it or like the image? reason I ask i was about to get one but it had sold saw a good deal on a suzuki intruder 800 cruiser and got it instead. so glad i did. i later test drove a sport biek and found i hated them. not only was i not comfortable as in not likinng the riding position and not feeling safe but they tend to be really uncomfortable. also if you plan on riding with passengers dont get a sportbike especially not a 250. i like taking rides with my gf and she would never go with me if it was on a sportbike.
Razz2525, go with the bike you feel most comfortable on. There's a lot to mental energy and coordination you need when you first start riding, you don't want your comfort to hinder that. And a 250 rebel can handle highway speeds just fine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by doodlemagic
I'd personally recommend starting out on a 500cc or 600cc bike. Lotsof people will say 250 but your going to outgrow the 250 within a matter of days or weeks and then lose money selling and rebuying something else.
A 250 is a great bike for a beginner, especially someone who is concerned about physical size and weight. It's well known that people typically do not lose money when they buy a used beginner bike and sell it a couple of years later.
Since it seems you're more interested in the cruiser style bikes, the Suzuki 650 Savage/S40 is a very specific bike to watch for since it has a Very low seat height, weight and More than enough power for freeway use (the bottom line there IMHO, is 20hp at the rear wheel)
i have an S40, it's my first bike. i'm very happy with it, light and easy to handle like a rebel with a decent amount of torque (adequate for a passenger and not needing to rev very high for decent pickup) and not a ton of horsepower (aka you won't be able to easily get yourself in trouble twisting the throttle too hard). plenty of power for highway driving and passing if needed (i've had mine up to ~80mph and there seemed was a little bit more left in it), torque helps for in town driving
in those ways a perfect beginner bike, and prices are great (i got a 3 year old bike with < 2k miles for about $2500). i get nearly 60 mpg highway (even high 40s if i get caught in awful NYC traffic). i've had only minor maintenance issues, nothing out of the ordinary for a used bike (especially one that is street parked)
finally (and importantly) it crushes any competition (>250cc) in its price range for looks and usability if you like cruisers. any other cruiser with that amount of power for that price will likely be either ancient, hard used, less powerful, a questionable import brand, ugly as sin or all of the above
in the spirit of full disclosure, it's not the best bike for long freeway rides (has a bit of vibration above 50mph, i expect it would get annoying after an hour or two @ 65mph). also backfires if you release the throttle too quickly (although this will teach you smooth throttle control in a hurry! ). these get worse if the idle fuel mixture is set too low, and some mechanics will not think to adjust this if you get it checked out. it also doesn't sound very cool if you care about that sort of thing a lot. you will get smoked if you try to race another 650cc (but you shouldn't be doing this anyway!)
it's bad for tall men due to short seat, but this shouldn't affect you. passenger legroom is very cramped but fine for occasional use if you have a small passenger
it's also a very "old school" bike, which can be seen as good or bad (eligible for DIY maintence, but nothing "newfangled" like fuel injection )
since I'm so new and nervous about riding someone's bike (particularly in front of them), I've let my husband, a more experienced rider and who currently rides a HD Sportster 1200cc, test it out for me.
If your nervous about riding other peoples bikes you should go to some larger independent dealers and some main dealerships and spend a day riding some of their stock. It's a good way to get some experience on the bikes your interested in and of course, the dealerships are insured if you drop it.
Whilst your husband may be experienced and a great source of information if it's your bike you need to choose it, by riding it.
I'm also considering buying a sport bike to learn on. I found a 2012 Honda CBR 250r w/ 5k miles on it for $3200, but I thought about offering $2800. Any opinions here on this model for a beginner?
I also saw a 2006 Ninja 650r with 6k miles for $3400, but since its older I do worry a bit more about buying it. I'm also not sure how much more it weighs compared to the CBR 250, I'm a fairly slim guy (135lbs) so I want something I can easily handle.
I'm also considering buying a sport bike to learn on. I found a 2012 Honda CBR 250r w/ 5k miles on it for $3200, but I thought about offering $2800. Any opinions here on this model for a beginner?
I also saw a 2006 Ninja 650r with 6k miles for $3400, but since its older I do worry a bit more about buying it. I'm also not sure how much more it weighs compared to the CBR 250, I'm a fairly slim guy (135lbs) so I want something I can easily handle.
Any used Ninja 250 or 500 (which isn't intimidating but has more usable power) would be a good decision for you. The engineers that make these bikes make them balance very well. A 90 pound woman can safely operate a Honda Gold wing (though she'd be tired when finished :P ). I wouldn't count out that 650 for weight. The weight disappears when the bike starts moving. If you get a good deal on a 650, it isn't anything I'd think would be over your head if you have any bike experience.
If this is your first bike, I would recommend something smaller. For first riding experiences, I recommend everyone I meet to learn off-road first, though I realize this isn't realistic for all people.
One question you should answer is how much motorcycle experience do you have? That will make a significant difference on how I answer your question... As in, what those two bikes are worth to you.
If you have a solid understanding of how to ride a motorcycle, and some experience, I'd say skip the single cylinder 250. The price on that 650 looks a little high, but the owner likely has the price there because of so few miles, and how the bike does look very nice, and supposedly has never been dropped. I would have a motorcycle/mechanically savvy friend come with you and if possible, take the bike down the street and back to check it out for you.
Good luck to you.
*Edit* Price on that Honda doesn't seem too bad, if it really is in as good of upkeep as the ad says. I'd try to take a motorcycle person with you to see the bike in person. Look for real upkeep indicators like drive chain condition, have a look at the oil if you can, check out the fork seals, etc. Google "what to look for in a used bike" and read all you have time for.
Last edited by Liquid Sword; 07-29-2013 at 01:09 AM..
Reason: additions
A bikes "worth" is determined solely by what someone is willing to spend to own it. Around me, there are only sportbikes and cruisers, so an Adventure bike is a rare thing. Limited supply, limited demand... means that the $900 KLR650 that I bought in Colorado, where they're a dime a dozen, I was then able to sell for $3200 here in Georgia.
What I'm getting at is that local market pricing is something different for all of us. AND, only you can decide the worth of a bike (car, house, computer, iphone, whatever) ~ if you don't think it's worth the price, then it's not. If you're happy with the price then what's it matter what others think? But that CBR250 is priced High by about $200~300 for the market up here around Atlanta and Birmingham. And the 650 is closer to $500 high ~ and the seller may Think that low miles is a selling point/reason for higher prices, but what I see is a massively neglected vehicle that's going to need a *LOT* of service. At less than 1000 miles a year, it's not being ridden, things aren't being lubricated, rubber bits are getting hard from lack of use, 100% of the maintenance is due 2~3 times over due to age bu has probably never been done, tires guaranteed NEED to be replaced (they'll be about as sticky as a greased pig on an ice rink), etc... There's easily $300 in just Parts that the bike will need, not to mention the hours of labor that will rack up if you hire someone (about another $700 ~ 10 hours of shop time).
Anyway, looking through your local CL, these are what come to mind as great first motorcycles:
Like Liquid Sword, I tend to favor dirt and dual-sport bikes as learning tools. Just easier to ride, they take falls without really showing anything for it, cheap to insure, cheaper/easier to maintain, etc...
I stopped looking at $2800, first bikes are better when they aren't a big financial burden. Don't worry about Age, don't even worry about Miles (unless you see something with 80~100k+, not saying to worry then, just ask specific questions and know there's a Very small market for them), worry about condition and maintenance. Is the seller a clown? Have they put stickers all over the bike, not fixed small things or done basic maintenance? Then drop the offer price on the bike to match the money it'll cost to do those things. Look closely at the fasteners (screws and nuts), are they all buggered up and rounded off? That's Almost a "walk away" item for me, usually I'll offer whatever I think the engine is worth because that's an easy price to hit when parting out some POS bike.
There's a whole lot more on this link ~ it's regarded as one of the better/more complete used bike buying guides: Used Motorcycle Evaluation Guide
Good luck.
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A 250 is a great bike for a beginner, especially someone who is concerned about physical size and weight. It's well known that people typically do not lose money when they buy a used beginner bike and sell it a couple of years later.
). these get worse if the idle fuel mixture is set too low, and some mechanics will not think to adjust this if you get it checked out. it also doesn't sound very cool if you care about that sort of thing a lot. you will get smoked if you try to race another 650cc (but you shouldn't be doing this anyway!)
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