Motorycle?

Question

I'm 18 and want a motorcycle really bad! I know I'm going to have to pay out the *** for insurance, but I've overcome that. I don't have any experience riding a motorcycle, but a little riding four wheelers (quads/atv's). I'm looking for a sport bike. I'm a big guy (6'0" and 225 lbs), so I need something that will fit me. I also want something I'm not going to be bored with in a week. I like the look of the GSX-R's, but I think they're out of my league (not sure about the smaller engined bikes in the series though). Is it better to buy new (less problems and all the other things that come with new bikes) or used (lower price possibly less for insurance)? If you want to turn this into some kind of lecture don't! I know the best way to learn to ride is to start in a certified course and I know 18 is young, but that isn't going to keep me off the road!

Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

You may not want a lecture, but here are some facts.

1. 4 Wheelers and Motorcycles handle completely different.
2. Motorcycle is the most dangerous form of road transport.
3. Statistically you are more likely to HAVE an accident on a motorcycle during your lifetime, then you are to NOT have an accident on one. (This applies to people who ride motorcycles for an average of 4 hours or more a week)
4. Given that Fact 3 was based on the assumption that the rider has done training, and passed a test, your chances will significantly increase.
5. Even if you can handle the bike, there are things only experience, or at least experienced riders can teach you about riding.

Given just them 5 i would hope you have enough common sense to get at least basic training for riding before going out on the road on a motorbike. If not, i feel sorry for the person who will scrape you off the road, and the police officer who informs your next of kin.

That being said, here's my advice about a first bike, i'm about your height and size, and i've found that people like us look better on bigger bikes, like sports bikes with all the fairing (plastics) or tourers.
Any 400 sports bike should be plenty big, and have more then enough power to satisfy a new rider, while not going dangerously fast. Acceleration will beat any road legal car, even on my old CBR400 Aero, i still beat £150k+ sports cars like Ferraris, Lamborghinis and so on off the line. Top end from a 400 sports could be as high as 160mph, but i would expect about 130-150, and 0-60 times of under 3 seconds easily, but if you want the engine to last, i wouldn't push it to the limit all the time. I doubt you'd get bored of a 400 in a week, especially as a new rider, i was never bored of any of my 125 sports in my first 2 years of riding (legal requirement in the UK before getting a bigger bike below 21y/o) Riding a motorbike is totally different from a quad as balance is the key to controlling it, any bike can give you a thrill, depending on how you ride it.

Not sure what you mean when you say you think GSX-R's might be out of your league. Either (A) they would cost too much, or (B) they would be too dangerous for you. Also, not sure what size you were talking about, so it makes it hard to be objective to your enquiry.

If (A) buying new would be a big risk, and buying a bike too fast for your experience an even bigger one. Stick to a 400 sports at most, i would strongly urge you to get a smaller bike, like a 125 or a 250 if only for a year or so just to build up enough experience and confidence before getting anything bigger. And if you have to get something a little older, and less reliable, pay for lessons, so its not all wasted when you crash it.

If its (B) glad to see some common sense, seriously, for a first time rider, nothing higher then a 600 if you value your life, yet i still sugguest a 125 or 250. You are already an accident waiting to happen on a motorbike, even if you are stopped at traffic lights, so there is no need to change a potentially minor accident, into a 150mph death on impact accident.

Sugguestions are as follows:

125's
1st pick - Aprilia RS125 - Pros:Best all round 125 sports, handles great, fast for a 125, and looks great. Cons: Sounds terrbible (all 125's do) and it aint cheap.
2nd pick - Honda CBR125 - Pros: Great value, looks good, handles well, and reasonably quick. Cons: It's just not as good as the Aprilia in every way, apart from value.
Wild Card - Suzuki RG125 - Pros: For our frames, this bike will feel safer on fast and sharp corners, general maintanance is a dream on these, everything is easy to get to, and they look fantastic. Cons: They are pretty hard to find, and pretty old, 93 or 94 was last year they made them i think.

250's
1st Pick - Aprilia RS250 - For exactly the same reasons as the RS125, only its faster.
2nd Pick - Hyosung GT250R - Pros: Same as the Aprilia, if anything it handles better. Cons: Only went into production in the last year or so, when the company started making bikes, so while the bike is cheap enough, even new, parts and insurance are harder to get cheaply.
Wild Card - Suzuki RGV250 - Same as the RG125, this is it's big brother, with twin exhausts, and a bigger engine, but again, try and find one :(

400's
1st Pick - Honda CBR400RR - Pros: Nicknamed the "baby blade" for a good reason, just like the 900 Fireblade, the 400 handles like its glued to the road, as is fast as hell for its size, and it looks awesome. Cons: Finding one that hasn't been abused is tricky
2nd Pick - Kawasaki XZ-4R - Pros: Just like all the other Ninja's styling and handling are fantastic, and it sounds great. Cons: Same as the baby blade, the baby ninja's get abused a lot.

600's
1st Pick - GSX-R600 - Pros: Without doubt the best bang for buck on 2 wheels. Great acceleration, handling and looks. Reasonably cheap to buy, maintain and insure. Forgiving. Cons: Very common bike, wont stand out in a crowd.
2nd Pick - Kawasaki ZX-6R - Pros: Very fast, superb handling, looks amazing. Feels like a real racer. Cons: They aren't cheap, mile, riding position is very low, you're back will hate you after long rides.
Wild Card - Bimota Supermoto 650 - Pros: After the Bimota SB6 (1100cc) the Supermoto is the 2nd best bike ever made in my opinion. It looks, sounds, feels and handles like a wet dream. You will rarely see one of these on the roads, if at all, so you will have exclusivity, people will ask you "hey whats that?" etc all the time. You will never get bored of this bike. Cons: They aint cheap, and you will be lucky to find one 2nd hand, parts are a pain also. Import / Grey bike, so insurance will be higher.

I didn't want this to sound like a lecture, if it did, i'm sorry. I can only hope you read this to the end. I can't stress enough how getting training for riding is the first thing you should do before getting a bike, i've come off more then once, it's not pretty, and it does hurt, luckily, the training i had kept me alive at least once, so it was well worth the time, and money.

Answer 2

First, do you and your family a favor and take a motorcycle safety course as you have already mentioned. There is a huge difference between riding quads off-road and riding a motorcycle on road with all the idiots in cages.

Second, obviously always wear a helmet..a $100 helmet saved my life a few years ago...

Finally, to fully answer your question - I would suggest a 600cc GSXR if you are set on getting a GSXR... anything smaller is just not going to have enough umph for your size (I'm 6'4" and 245). However, I suggest getting a slightly older bike that doesn't have all the expensive plastic - you will save boatloads on insurance. Each piece of plastic on a crotch rocket is very expensive to replace.

Your age isn't that young - I started riding offroad on bikes around age 9 and began riding on road the day I turned 16. I would wait until you have at least 6 or 12 months of actual street riding under your belt before considering a modern crotch rocket. I personally still ride my 1979 Yamaha XS11 and it is actually, believe it or not, a good starter bike for us larger folk. Just because the power is there doesn't mean you have to use it.

Answer 3

No lecture here. Just knoe that either you have wrecked or you will wreck. And every superbike that I've dropped has suffered a good bit of damage. Even from slow speeds. These things aren't built like dirtbikes. You might want to look into a Motard bike. Or at least know that as soon as you drop a brand new bike it is worth even less than it was the second you drove it off the lot. Look into used if price is an issue.

But if you want to hit 160-200 or so miles an hour go for a GSZ-R or an R6 or R1. Honda makes good, short bikes too. You might fit a GSX-R better at your size. I personally wouldn't want a 600. It seems fast and it is, but you will get used to it and if you're like me you'll want more. Have fun, try not to get hurt too bad, and remember anything less than 130 mph is only fast enough to get you in trouble, not fast enough to get you out of it.

Answer 4

Whoa, Hoss! Slow down so that you can live to enjoy your riding experience.

First thing to do; take the MSF course; your local MC shop can give you info, or look them up on the Internet - Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

That course will give you the skills, knowledge and secrets of the sport that'll keep you alive and both contact patches on asphalt.

When you pass the course, you will have your license as well, and a 10% discount off your insurance.

That all done, now is the time to decide what bike you want to buy for your first one.

Ride safe!

Answer 5

If you put grease, oil, or WD-40 on your chain, when you ride it, the oil and grease will fling up all over you and your bike. I seen a guy mess up his paint job like that. It makes more mess than anything. Warm water and a wire brush will loosen the gunk and get it off. You don't have to remove it. Clean the sproket too while you're at it. Let it dry. Go to a bike shop and buy chain lube. Make sure you ask for the anti-fling lube. Some people sell chainsaw chain lube to bikers. It should spray out like white spray paint. Kneel behind the bike and have somebody sit on it and foot push the bike slowly while you apply the white chain lube right onto the chain and sprocket. If you don't mind the mess go ahead and use WD-40, grease, and oil. Yeah go ahead and bake it. LOL

Answer 6

Get a ninja 250 or 500. Get a used one. They are cheap and fun plus you can resell if for close to what you paid for if and when you decide to upgrade. You will drop it and damage it - everyone does. Get comfortable on that and you'll probably be able to smoke people on 600s at the track if you learn how to ride. Ninja 650r or SV650 are both good bikes that you won't grow out of. Buy used!!!

Answer 7

Buy a used bike first definately. Something cheap to learn is the smartest way to go. Then you just sell it, and have a better idea what kind of bike you can handle . I did that and it saved me money cuz it wasn't my Harley I dropped , but my cheapy, older Kawi. Good luck and ride safe:)

Answer 8

If you're looking for a bike you won't get bored of, 600cc's is the smallest you should get. They're as fast as ****. Anything smaller will feel like a toy in time. As for a bike that you will fit on, go to every dealer and sit on the bikes.