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I want a motorcycle. And soon...as in the next few weeks. I'd classify as a beginner. I once owned a Kawasaki EX500 but that was about 20 years ago. Not too long ago I had a chinese 150cc scooter that I killed by not checking my oil enough. Currently I own a little 50cc two stroke scooter that I ride around the neighborhood on.
So I'm looking to buy a motorcycle that I can "relearn" to ride on. But here's the thing, my dream is to be able to ride from my home in Phoenix, AZ to Los Angeles. It's a 380 mile trip, most of it on Interstate 10.
Beginner bikes usually mean small displacement and that's fine. But I'm just wondering how big a displacement I will need for a trip of that distance? I don't care for cruisers so much unless it was a Harley, but they're too expensive right now. What I really like are these sport bikes with an upright posture. I sat on one today at a dealer, a Honda CB500F:
It was so comfortable, plush suspension, handlebars in easy reach, and had a compact sportiness to it. Is that bike road worthy of a 380 mile trip?
Of course it's all a moot point if I can't get financed, it's still a $5500 bike. Maybe I should go used. Any used models you'd all recommend? I prefer something with a standard seating position.
A great big mega-scooter like a Burgman might suit your needs too . . . I have one that I really want to sell to make room for a motorcycle, but there are no bikes that I would go through all of that for after having it a while. They are great machines
I also know (via personal experience) that the Ninja 250 will have absolutely Zero issues with that trip.
For anecdotal reference, there's a group of crazy people who get together every other year to ride a rally. These lunatics cris cross the country on a photo scavenger hunt and average about 1,000 miles a day, for 11 days ~ so the riders are doing roughly 11,000 miles in 11 days. There have been Ninja 250's in this rally since at least the early 2000's (when I first started paying attention), and only one didn't finish ~ that was rider failure, not bike failure. Read up on the Iron Butt Rally if you want to learn more about it.
Anyway, that's Roughly the minimum needed to ride in the US. And I don't mean at just legal speeds (though 80mph is a legal speed in Texas), I mean that it's the minimum to safely keep up with the flow of traffic anywhere in the US. Translated into HP numbers, that's right about 30 rear wheel HP (I think the 2008~2012 250's were closer to 27hp). That Honda 500 is right at the top end of what I'd say is a good entry bike for a First time rider, and probably also true for a re-entry rider, with just under 45 RWHP. Ironically, that's about what my 2nd bike (and first I put tens of thousands of miles on) also had...
I will say that of all the bikes I've owned an ridden (I'm a MC mechanic, I ride a LOT of motorcycles), the Ninja 250 is the most Fun I've had on a street bike. There isn't even a close second in that race, it's very distant (and tied between a VF500f and a GSF400).
Guys, thanks for the recommendations! I love the Ninja 250! It would be a perfect commuter for Phoenix, it would be so fun on these freeways here too. So that's awesome that I can take an excursion to LA on it.
Maybe I should get a new Ninja 300, a little extra power even. I'm just thinking out loud, don't mind me.
Guys, thanks for the recommendations! I love the Ninja 250! It would be a perfect commuter for Phoenix, it would be so fun on these freeways here too. So that's awesome that I can take an excursion to LA on it.
Maybe I should get a new Ninja 300, a little extra power even. I'm just thinking out loud, don't mind me.
Ninja 300 is da bomb
If you are into a little more upright position, check this new Suzi out! I LUV this bike!!!
Water cooled twin. I have owned/raced four Suzukis ~ its the only mechanical thing I have any brand loyalty to. I think its great they came out with a hi-tech standard
GW250:
This maybe???
This new company is owned by a true enthusiest. I love this 'Misfit' Cleveland CycleWerks - Main
The CB500s are getting pretty decent reviews (MCDaily, MC.com, MC USA, Ride Apart). I agree with you on the riding position. Similar to my FZ6R -- great natural position with weight being spread between legs / feet, back / butt, and shoulders / hands.
If you got that 500 (any of them), you wouldn't want to do that trip, probably, until after the bike was broken in a bit. First several hundred miles and first oil change at least. I'm guessing the trip in question would involve lots of steady cruising speeds, and those are the things you want to avoid on a brand new engine.
I've owned two Ninja 250s, both 2007s (the older generation prior to the 2008s). They're excellent bikes, especially with some fairly minor modifications. Scooter radial tires and enrichening the fuel mixture really make them fabulous. Weighing in the 150 range is a plus (in a weight to torque ratio sense). You can find a good used 2007 in the $1800 range most likely.
The Ninja 300 is really nice, and the extra oomph and the care-free Fuel Injection make it that much better.
I'd go for the 300 if you have the money. The 250 is just a little underpowered. It's got enough, but a few more hp wouldn't hurt. Also, the throttle on the 250 (prior to fuel injection) was always wonky, abrupt, unpredictable. It didn't really matter because there wasn't that much power but it is annoying. Low RPMs especially it's very jerky. The fuel injected ones are supposed to be a lot better than the old carb models. As Nepenthe said, drilling out the CARB (if in CA) covers and running them rich really helps at low RPM.
Pirelli MT75 and Diablo Scooter models are great tires, very popular on small bikes like the Ninja 250. Way better than the Dunlop tires that came OEM. Incidentally, they do the same thing with the Buell Blast... scooter tires ftw.
I want a motorcycle. And soon...as in the next few weeks. I'd classify as a beginner. I once owned a Kawasaki EX500 but that was about 20 years ago. Not too long ago I had a chinese 150cc scooter that I killed by not checking my oil enough. Currently I own a little 50cc two stroke scooter that I ride around the neighborhood on.
So I'm looking to buy a motorcycle that I can "relearn" to ride on. But here's the thing, my dream is to be able to ride from my home in Phoenix, AZ to Los Angeles. It's a 380 mile trip, most of it on Interstate 10.
Beginner bikes usually mean small displacement and that's fine. But I'm just wondering how big a displacement I will need for a trip of that distance? I don't care for cruisers so much unless it was a Harley, but they're too expensive right now. What I really like are these sport bikes with an upright posture. I sat on one today at a dealer, a Honda CB500F:
It was so comfortable, plush suspension, handlebars in easy reach, and had a compact sportiness to it. Is that bike road worthy of a 380 mile trip?
Of course it's all a moot point if I can't get financed, it's still a $5500 bike. Maybe I should go used. Any used models you'd all recommend? I prefer something with a standard seating position.
Be careful! According to insurance actuaries, most motorcycle accidents involve novice riders.
I'm also going to guess that you won't be making that 750 mile trip more than once, on a small bike.
I'd go for the 300 if you have the money. The 250 is just a little underpowered. It's got enough, but a few more hp wouldn't hurt. Also, the throttle on the 250 (prior to fuel injection) was always wonky, abrupt, unpredictable. It didn't really matter because there wasn't that much power but it is annoying. Low RPMs especially it's very jerky. The fuel injected ones are supposed to be a lot better than the old carb models. As Nepenthe said, drilling out the CARB (if in CA) covers and running them rich really helps at low RPM.
Not a cheap little bike though (Ninja 300). Maybe I should do the responsible thing and just get a nice used bike for 3 grand or so. There are so many mid size Japanese cruisers on Craigslist, one of them would probably be the ideal touring bike for a beginner rider like me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GarageLogic
I'm also going to guess that you won't be making that 750 mile trip more than once, on a small bike.
Oh yeah, I want to "bridge" this distance between Phoenix and LA.
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