I want to buy a motorcycle...?

Question

What should I look for when I am buying one? Good specs? Bad specs? What sort of brands/price range should I be looking at?

Answer 1

Damn it! Why don't you live in England! I love art and metal and have a fantastic Marilyn Monroe poster on my bedroom door and motorcycles i love best of all. We could have hooked up and talked about bikes and stuff!

Congratulations! You're about to have more fun than you have ever experienced in your life! (If you buy a bike)

But I'm not answering your question so here goes.

Your in America so I'm guessing that the area you're living in doesn't have a great deal of corners. In the UK sports bikes are massively popular because nearly all of our roads are corners and suited to bikes that corner well. Despite this I'm not a big sports bike fan but I'll come back to this point.

In America the cruiser is king. We're talking about long straight roads and low speed limits. And I know that you guys (girls) think of nothing of driving 500 miles just to visit your mates because America is so HUGE! Where as in England 100 miles is like, really far dudes!

I don't even think the UK is 500 miles wide!

The main thing is to ask yourself

"What am I going to use it for?" & "What is my budget"

You've got a head start because bikes are super cheap over there so you're half way there.

If it's purely for pleasure then this is good because you don't have to be practical and can think out of the box. If you are going to use it for getting to work or going touring then your choice is somewhat different.

Here are some tips

1. You need to be tall enough to get both feet flat on the floor when you're sat on the bike. (IMPORTANT)

2. You should be able to control the weight of the bike with both feet on the floor - you should be able to rock the bike left and right fairly easily without worrying about dropping it when sitting on it. (If you've got long legs all the better)

3. V twin bikes produce a lot of torque and pull hard and accelerate quickly but you have to be more careful about changing gear.

4. Parrallel twins are more or less the same but not quite so extreme.

5. 4 cylinder engines are smoother and more forgiving if you get the wrong gear (but the bikes are generally heavier)

6. Harley Davidsons are real nice but aren't as reliable as japanese bikes and almost without exception japanese bikes will be faster (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda)

7. Honda have superb build quality and reliability but are a liitle more expensive that the other big jap makes.

8. Beware Harley Davidsons! They may look gorgeous but those v twin engines create loads of vibration and if your travelling big distances your fingers will go numb in no time and you will not enjoy the ride! (Don't mean to be anti american-bikes I'm just thinking of you)

9. Avoid a sports bike as your first bike (You’ll die) get something traditional until you get some experience. Modern sports bikes are more or less missiles with wheels!

Assuming it’s for pleasure I would go for something with bags of Torque and loads of style - be different and stand out from the crowd!

Consider something from the Triumph range (UK bike with loads of history)

http://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/4527.aspx

http://www.teamroberts-triumph.co.uk/images/SPEED-TRIPLE---st-L2-m.jpg

The above bike is light, torquey and bonkers!

Or maybe

A Honda Hornet! http://www.1000ps.at/magazin/hornet15.jpg

I've heard countless people tell me that this bike is loads of fun and I've heard even more tell me they regretted it when they sold it and bought a sports bike!

To really answer your question properly I really need to know more about what you are looking for so feel free to e-mail me (don’t worry I won’t hit on you and I'm not a weirdo.....well ok I am a weirdo but in a good way Ha Ha)

And even if you don’t e-mail me I hope you pick well and want you to know i'm quietly excited for you because I know what you are about to experience.

And be prepared to have a permanent grin on your face every time you ride your bike!

Feel free to e-mail me and give me your ideas on what you are currently looking at and I'll give you a second opinion and further info

Cheers!

PS I've got a ZRX1200R Muscle bike from the eighties which is big heavy and fast but real heavy! Good luck babes!

http://www.bright.ne.jp/lineup/zrx1200r/imge/zrx1200r-s1024.jpg

Answer 2

If this is your first bike, I have four general rules for what makes a good bike.

1. It needs to be light enough that you can easily pick it back up if it falls over. Even if you don't accidentally drop it (that's practically a rite of passage, so don't feel bad if you do), this will make it easier for you to handle it. Anything over 500 lbs is going to be really difficult for a smaller rider.

2. Make sure that when you are sitting on it, you can put both feet flat on the ground.

3. I would recommend not more than 50 hp - and if you feel uncertain of yourself or didn't do too well while taking lessons, less than that. With sport bikes, this means 500 cc or less - cruiser and dual-sport (a dual sport is like a street legal dirt bike) engines can be somewhat larger.

4. Go to as many dealers as you can visit, and sit on the bikes that appeal to you. Make sure it feels comfortable and you like the riding position. Some bikes have your feet out in front, others tuck them under your hips. Some people find cruisers more comfortable, while others prefer sport bikes, dual sports, or other styles.

Most good first bikes sell for $5,000 or less, new.

By the way, have you taken motorcycle riding lessons if you're just starting out? I can't recommend those too highly; check with the state office that issues your driver's license for a list of places that offer lessons. You can take these before getting a bike, as you'll be using a school bike.

Answer 3

How much experience do you have riding motorcycles? If you don't have much experience, look for a small, inexpensive bike to learn on. I strongly suggest a used bike in the under-500 CC range for new riders. You're most likely going to drop it at some point, and it's easier on the wallet to drop a $1000 used bike than a $25,000 Harley.

Look at Honda Rebels and Nighthawks, or Kawasaki Ninja 250s. These are great starter bikes, small, lightweight, and though they are a lot of fun, they're not blazingly fast (IE dangerous for inexperienced riders). If you want to buy a new one instead of used, these bikes are still very reasonably priced.

Just remember if you buy a used bike, have it checked out by a reputable and certified motorcycle mechanic before you buy.

Also, take a motorcycle safety training course!

Ride safe and good luck!

Answer 4

u might prefer a cheap used bike. sport bikes: no more than 250cc. most recommended are kawasaki ninja250, or the buell blast.
cruiser's: 750cc to 1200cc; sportster's have a 883 or a 1200cc model.
if u drop a used bike....and u will at some point between now and getting ur full endorsement, u wont feel quite as bad compared to dropping a brand new 1.
take 'baby steps' while learning. dont even think about trying to keep up with a high speed pack in a set of twisties. they might not see u go down. always ride within ur comfort level. take the msf course before u think about taking a twisty road at high speed.

Answer 5

Assuming you have a valid motorcycle endorsement on your drivers license and you can handle a standard shift and a clutch, I'd start with a very model under 250cc or a scooter.

Motorcycles require much greater skill to ride than earlier models. Just ask Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His first outing on a motorcycle was a Hayabusa 1300, the fastest production bike made. He almost met his maker.

Answer 6

Any of the big 4 japanese bike brands, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, or Suzuki. I prefer Suzuki but thats just me. All four of those companies make great bikes that will last a very long time if well taken care of. If your looking for a sportbike some good ones for beginners are the Suzuki SV650, Kawasaki Ninja 250 and 500. Im kinda partial to the SV650S, I bought one three years ago, learned to ride on it and still havent outgrown it yet. It was also named best beginner bike by several bike mags for years. Honda and Yamaha also have some good beginner bikes but they generally cost more and really arent any better. If you are going to buy a sport bike I wouldnt buy anything with an R in it, i.e. GSXR, CBR, R6, ZR. These are all basically racebikes, thats what the R stands for. People will say you can start out on one of those and you can, but when you learned to drive did you learn in a racecar? If your looking for a cruiser, well I cant help you with that. I dont really know a lot about them except to say the Harleys fall apart way to easily, especially given the price you pay for them, and the Japanese companies all make goodlooking, reliable cruisers as well. Isnt it ashamed that America cannot build a good bike?

Also Buells suck as well(also made by Harley) they look horrible and perform about as well as bicycle with a flat tire. Triumphs are kinda nice but a bit more expensive, plus Ive heard they still leak oil but I dont know that for a fact.

Try www.cycletrader.com, they have tons of bikes really cheap. If you decide to buy from a person you dont know and have no one to check the bike out for you, you can always take it to a bikeshop and theyll check it out for you for a price of course.

Hope all this helps, have fun riding.

Answer 7

To answer your question,

Take a motorcycle safety course:
*You'll get a better idea of what you want/don't want in a motorcycle.

*Your insurance premiums will be LOTS cheaper.

*You might catch a break on parts of the licensing exam (depending upon your jurisdiction).

Choosing A Bike

*What do you plan to do with it?
Commute? Hang with friends? Road trips?

*Which type of riding will you do the most?
Urban? Suburban? Rural? Highway?

*How much experience do you have?
Again, the motorcycle safety course will expose you to what you like/dislike in a bike more quickly than stats, or anecdotes ever could.

Cruisers are cool in that they tend to be lower to the ground (easier for BOTH of your feet to touch the ground), and the throttles are more forgiving than the comparable sportbike.

Sportbikes are maneuverable, quick, their throttles are ULTRA sensitive, and you will get into a world of hurt, if you don't respect them (i.e., pay attention to your surroundings -traffic.road conditions, etc.-, resist the urge to do imprudent -stupid/dangerous- stuff, etc.).

Anything at/under 250 cc. is cool to start with for most people.

I would suggest that you go to any American motorcycle dealership's website, compare stats., go to a dealership, and sit on the bikes.
*How do YOU fell on the bike (posture, ability to reach/manipulate the controls, etc.).
*Can you realistically afford the payments/gas/upkeep?

Good luck. I hope this helps.

Answer 8

Well, i am a Harley man myself but i would suggest a Honda Rebel for a beginner..You can usually find them pretty cheap and you wont mind the dings that your gonna put on it,lol..I personally would suggest a good helmet also..You will have a blast! Just remember,you can never be too careful..
Hope ya find one!

Have Fun!

Answer 9

Buy one you like free advice is worth what ya paid for it dont start too small or youll regret it my girls 1st bike shes still on a vulcan 800 but motorsickes is all about chioce what ever you decide have fun

Answer 10

If it's your first bike, buy a cheap one, because you'll probably trash it anyway. Take someone along that can check out the electrics and mechanicals. You won't need any more than 250-500cc.