I want to get a motorcycle, but I've never ridden before. what do I do?

Question

The bikes are confusing. There's the Kawaski en500, the 600cc, the ninja 250, what does the numbers mean? Is it the power of the bike? how do I know if I'll have enough balance to support the bike? what is a dot approved helmet? can i take classes on how to take care of my engine?

Answer 1

The numbers refer to the size of the engine in cubic centimeters, or CC's. Those 500+cc bikes are typically a little too powerful AND too heavy for a beginner, IMHO, unless you have a basic understanding of dynamics, etc. A Kawasaki Ninja 250 is a good bike for a beginner if you want a sport bike, otherwise the Honda Nighthawk 250 and Honda Rebel 250 are good for beginners, but your skill can quickly outgrow them once you start riding. A Kawasaki GS 500, although on the limit of what would be a good beginner bike, will probably last you longer inasmuch as it will still be a good bike even after your skills grow.

A good place to start would be to look up MSF and see if they have any courses near you. They're easy to do, take one weekend, and give you a good understanding of how to ride, the basic laws governing motorcycle riding, and basic safety. Even beteran riders come back to these courses to keep themselves fresh on safety knowledge. A certificate of completion from them is equivalent to a learning permit for a motorcycle in most states. Be cautious though, and check the regulations for your state concerning that.

Answer 2

The first place I would start would be with some riding lessons. These generally require a Friday evening and a weekend, although there are some on other schedules as well. The school will have the bikes, and you'll have an instructor teach you how to use the bike one step at a time.

Check with the state office in charge of issuing drivers' licenses; they probably know what schools are reputable. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is the largest provider of motorcycle lessons, and they have a website here:

http://www.msf-usa.org

After you take the class, you'll have a good idea of how well you can balance a bike, and whether you will want to ride something heavier than what they have in the class or not. And it's likely to answer a lot of other questions you may have.

The numbers on a bike almost always mean the engine size in thousandths of a liter (cubic centimeters). There are a few exceptions - some small numbers may be tenths of a liter, and some Suzukis and larger Harleys number their engine sizes in cubic inches. As a general rule, more engine size means more power. However, the amount of power also depends on just how they've tuned the engine - many sportbike engines make more power than cruiser engines of equivalent size.

I'd recommend staying under 50 hp for your first bike, and not getting something so large that you can't put your feet firmly on the ground when sitting in the saddle. Most dealers do not mind if you sit on the bikes in their showroom to see how they fit, provided you ask them first. Be sure to get one that you feel comfortable sitting on.

A DOT approved helmet passes the minimum government safety requirements for a motorcycle helmet. Many states require them, but some do not. However, very few helmets not approved by DOT are likely to do much good in a crash. There are several other, stricter standards out there like Snell and CE, but DOT is a pretty good standard. Helmets come in open-face and full face; I prefer the extra protection offered by the full face design.

Besides a DOT helmet, there's a lot of other riding gear available. Good motorcycle clothes will not only offer some measure of protection in a crash, but it will keep you warm in winter and less dehydrated in summer. I recommend spending a couple hundred dollars to get you a riding jacket, overpants, gloves, and boots.

Answer 3

The number refers to the size of the engine usually. The Ninja 250 has a 250cc engine, the Kawasaki EN500 has a 500cc engine, and so forth. Now for some bikes like the ZX-7 that doesn't apply. Get a bike that fits your body size. If you're a woman with a small or petite build then a Ninja 250 or 500 would be fine unless you absolutely must have a Superbike. The Honda Rebel is a good starter bike. A DOT approved helmet is a helmet that has passed a standardized set of government tests to ensure it can protect your head in the event of a crash. It will have a DOT decal affixed to the helmet somewhere. You can take a riding course from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation that can help you get started also. One other thing to remember that is sport bikes have lots of expensive plastics to replace if you drop the bike a lot. It's much less expensive to start with a cruiser or 'naked' style bike when learning in case you do drop the bike.

Answer 4

Definitely take an MSF approved course. You'll learn skills you'd never have thought of.

Then, try out various bikes and see what you like. I got my first bike in July, a Yamaha V-star 650. I love it...good size, low center of gravity, not too much power that it'll get away from me while I'm learning to be comfortable riding.

A DOT approved helmet is a helmet approved by the Department of Transportation. Helmets with DOT stickers are satisfactory for states that require helmet use. Novelty helmets won't be DOT approved and won't get you out of a ticket in a helmet-required state.

You might be able to find a class on motorcycle maintenance. It depends on where you live. If you are pretty handy with tools, buy a book about your motorcycle and do what you can yourself. Find a good local bike mechanic, and let him/her take care of other stuff for you.

Enjoy!

Answer 5

If you want a bike that is only a step up from a bicycle, but enough power to get you and some books around campus or to the store, an old Honda CT90 is an awesome machine! This bike is small, but solid and has very simple mechanical setups. A great bike to own and you can sell it later as a collectible. But start with the MSF course... it is free and you don't have to learn by dumping your own bike. I took the MSF course after I had my M lisence for 10 years and still learned things that later saved my life. If you want to start out on somthing small, light, great on gas and retro styling that would hold it's value- check ebay for a Honda CT-90 or cub 90.

Answer 6

The numbers represent what is called displacement, measured in cubic centimeters. For instance a 500 cc bike with two cylinders would have two 250 cc cylinders. Let's forget about gasoline for the sake of simplicity. If a piston in one cylinder on such a bike moves from the bottom of its stroke to the top, it will push out 250 cc of air.

I have no idea what the en in en500 means, but I imagine it was dreamed up by the advertising department. I don't think it's anything technical.

Answer 7

The number on a bike will represent the bike's horsepower/size of the engine. DOT = Department of Transportation and it represents safety requirement level for the helmet. You can take classes to learn to ride and motor mantainence, contact your local high school, community college, town or city hall. Depending where you live, the city or town may have local classes and community colleges always have continuing education classes and are fairly cheap.

Answer 8

I think that you should take the riding course and see how you feel. That is what I did, and now I own a Buell Blast. The numbers are how big the engine is. 250cc bikes are fun to learn on, I took the course at Uke's Harley Davidson in Kenosha WI, and they teach you on the Buell Blast, that is a 500cc bike. I have lots of fun riding, and I think you will too.

Answer 9

start out with a class , they usually will provide a bike to learn on to get you rolling. from there you could spend the money on a smaller bike while you're still in the learning phase, just tool around in an open area and practice your turning and stopping so you get used to how the bike responds to your own movement. once you get comfortable riding in that controled atmosphere, go ahead and hit some streets, (with light traffic and at least a permit for obvious reasons.)

Answer 10

Take a riding course. They offer them almost everywhere. They will teach you to ride & sometimes you can get your license immedietly