Harley Rider Looking at buying first SportBike?

Question

I am a harley rider and considering buying a sport bike. I am think about doing this for a little change of pace, mind you im not going to sell my harley. I am wondering what a good bike would be because i have little knowledge in this area of motorcycles. I have been told the Ninja is a good bike but I have also heard the the insurance is outragous. I am just wondering what would be a good bike (make model,& trim) with quite a bit of power. Also and other information that could aid me in my search. I am looking at buying used as I dont want to put out over $6000. Thanks Everyone

Answer 1

Insurance - it is more expensive than a street bike, but not necessarily outrageous. You're a guy, which is supposedly strike one. But you also have to factor in your age and driving record. You can get a quote before buying, so you won't have such a shock. Plus the price goes up along with the CC's.

I don't recommend starting too small or too large. I don't know your height or weight, or even the extent of your driving experience, so I'll say something in the 750 range might be a good starter. The 250 or 500 Ninja are just too small and you'll fall asleep. A 600 is ok, but may be on the small side for you physically. Plus because they tend to be light, they might be quicker than you'd like.

In the horse world, a 600 would be a frisky pony or Arabian; a 750 would be a Quarter Horse, and higher than that would be a Thoroughbred.

A 750 will be beefy and fast. Anything larger might be too much for a newbie. A 900 might not be bad, but don't jump on a 12, 14 or the Hayabusa.

As to which one....just go for whichever one you like the looks of the most, assuming you feel comfortable sitting on it. I do recommend that after you've narrowed it down to one or two, you do some research on that particular model. There's probably a newsgroup out there for just about every bike you can think of. Then you can get first-hand advice from OWNERS of that bike.

Finally, if at all possible, don't hit the open road with it until you've had a chance to ride it around an empty parking lot a few times. Even if you're an experienced rider, it's still a BIG difference, and you want to get your feet under you before you have to react in traffic.

I went from a Magna to a 6R, and I was very glad I had time to get the feel for it before getting out there. Sure, I would probably have done ok, but I'll NEVER forget how it felt taking off for the first time....bent over, my knees tucked up and clenching the tank; the responsiveness of the bike....oh man, my (ahem) are getting hard! In other words, it felt very alien and strange, but good!

Ok, one more thing - someone mentioned the ZZR1200. That bike is more like the old ZX11's, and might not be too bad.....but still maybe a bit much for a first-timer! But I also wanted to point out that this is a less radical sportbike than the ZX12, and even though they're both 1200 cc's, it'll (likely) cost you less in insurance.

Answer 2

well for $6,000 I would recommend getting a used bike. Keep in mind you can get a good as new used bike with less than 5,000 miles on it. Sport bike turn over is quite agressive which makes it great for the buyers market. This way you can opt for anything out there.

I imagine your going for speed, and hadeling. If you want to stick with american made you can go for an Buell Firebolt. this is an awsome handeling bike with HD roots. This will keep your respect around yoru harley friends.

Since your used to riding cruisers, getting used to the sport bike crouch will take some getting used to. The Suzuki Katana has a nice riding position but you still get a nice kick and superb handling.

If your looking for uncompramised power and handeling feel free to look at any of the liter bikes out there starting with the Yamaha YZF R1, this bike will make you crap yoru pants the first time you ride it. It's great if you fancy doing wheelies on the free way at 100mph.

My new favorite which is in teh sport cruiser catigory is the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14. Arguable the scariest bike out there.

http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/kawasaki_ninja_zx-14_2006.php

Answer 3

Any of the name brands out there are good bikes. You just have to try them out and see which one fits you the best.
Personally, I love the bigger bikes like the Suzuki Hayabusa and the Kawasaki ZZR1200. They are a bit more like sport touring. However, I don't know that you could find one for around $6000. They are all going to feel a little different, so I would go to a few dealers and sit on them and see what feels good. Most dealers will not let you test drive a sport bike because of the insurance, but you can at least see how it feels to sit on one.
About the insurance... you have to shop around a lot to find a company that will give you the best price. Sport bikes ARE expensive to insure, but you can find pretty decent deals if you shop around.
Good luck, and enjoy

Answer 4

A lot of misinformed out here. Your best bet would be a 600 or 750 sport bike. There are a lot of F2's and F3's out there(that is a Honda CBR 600 for example). They are good bikes, fast, very reliable and you can get them cheap. All the Japanese sport bikes have incredible performance vs weight and price. In addition service intervals are higher then some of the other sport bikes out there. Anything European, like the Ducati or Aprilia would be more pricey and there exclusivity makes parts and service a bit more challenging. .

Answer 5

your a vtwin man which I am myself I am 22 years old and have a 49 panhead I also have a 2005 kawasaki z750 but like the one guy said find one to ride first and see if your going to like laying down on a bike or find "naked bike" which has more of upright riding position I am proable going to be selling my 750 next year and will up the cc's to a 1000 but back to the vtwin you might like the suzuki sv1000s it is a vtwin with lots of torqe but its a lay down verison I would stay away from ducati I was going to be one until I talked to proable 25 people who had them and said they are a good bike but every one said they had it back to the dealer for maintince and for vavules to be tightened if you want a more up right riding stance check out the 2006 triumph speed triple its is a freaking power house I have rode one and holy **** just a twist of the thurtle and your looking at the sky what a rush I dont know if I have helped you any but if you got any questions just message me on yahoo sometime countryboy16_20032000

Answer 6

Check out the Buells. They have a mildly worked sportster motor. The XB9 has the 883 motor, and the XB12 has the 1200 motor. They have the Harley reliability and ease of work, that you know about. And the riding position of the rockets.

Check out www.badweatherbikers.com

Answer 7

As a fellow harley rider, my first question is WHY? But I know that answer too, My only advice to you would be to find one to ride first, to see if you even like the position youll be in. Good luck!

Answer 8

If i was you I would buy a Honda, they last forever and the handling is alot better than Kawasaki. Honda is the number one bike in Moto GP for the last decade, nothing can touch it.

Answer 9

My son has a Yamaha V star. Great bike. I dont know for sure how much he paid for it though but it runs good and looks great.
RIDE WITH THE WIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah and dont forget your brain bucket.

Answer 10

buy an aprilia or a ducati...extremely good bikes