I want to get a sport bike as my 1st bike. What cc should I start with after taking the MSF courses?

Question

I like the 250cc and 600cc bikes because I feel comfortable on them. But would the 1000cc bikes be too fast for a beginner? Most likely getting a used Honda CBR600 as a 1st choice but need an experienced person's opinion, which is more important.

Is there a body weight to bike weight ratio I should know about? like I'm a male, 21, 5'8" and weigh around 130 -140 lbs. The guy at the Yamaha dealer said it's okay for someone my size to buy an R1 as a first bike. I highly doubt that. What do you think? I think he was just trying to get a sale.

Answer 1

That salesman that said a R1 was a good choice for a first bike, yeah you need to go back and punch him in the face a few times. Id stick with a 650 or less and nothing with an R in the name, i.e. R6, GSXR, ZR6, CBR. Those are all race bikes, thats what the R stands for and you probably wouldn't be able to afford the insurance on them anyway. Someone as young as you is looking at about $3000 a year on one of those. I started on the streets with a SV650S, nice bike runs great and if you ever want to go faster there are plenty of after market parts you can buy. Good luck and ride safe.

Answer 2

If you insist on a sportbike for your first motorcycle, then I would go with something in the 500-600cc catagory. Suzuki's GS500F is a great bike, SV650, Honda CBR600 (early 2000-2005 models), as well as the Yamaha YZF600's, Suzuki Katana 600, are all good starter sport bikes. I ride an '04 Honda Interceptor--but that's too much for a new beginning rider. I've been riding for 12 years, and larger cc bikes are for people with 5 years or more experience. Good luck! Don't forget to take a riders safety class!

Answer 3

First of all, let me commend you on having the good sense to take the MSF course. I did, and would suggest anyone who wants to ride do so.

This is one of those questions that really has no single good answer. A 125cc thumper under control of a moron is more dangerous that the latest Kawi ZX?? whatever it is that has more horsepower than any reasonable person could ever need on the street.

Based upon your stats, a 600cc bike will have more power and handling than you can ever use. Sounds like a good fit. Me, at 6'4" and 250 lbs. would look totally ridiculous on a bike that small, but for you it works. I'm not familiar with sport bike specs and can't comment on your R1 question.

There are a lot of other good suggestions ahead of mine too I might add. I'm just tossing my limited experience of 6 years into the mix.

Just be safe, don't let the bike get in front of you and don't ride whatever you pick for your first bike off the dealer's lot on 1 wheel. After alcohol, the next largest cause of motorcycle accidents, fatal or non-fatal can be traced back to a failure with the nut that connects the seat to the handlebars.

Enjoy.

Answer 4

I would say that anything over 50 hp would be a handful if your only motorcycle experience has been the MSF class. You'll spend your first year of riding first getting your muscles to learn how to control a bike, and then getting the hang of riding it in traffic. You'll want something that's forgiving and predictable to learn on. You can always get a more powerful bike later.

So I would say to go for a 250 to 500 cc bike for your first sport bike. Either can keep up with highway traffic (although on a 250 it's a bit buzzy) and be quite fun to ride, without being anywhere near as dangerous as a 100 hp, 600 cc supersport. I've got a Suzuki GS500F and it's great for commuting when the weather is at all cooperative.

Answer 5

Assuming you're average size and build have 2 legs, etc, etc, I'd just start with the sport-tour category. These bikes are fast, smooth, well balanced and expertly designed. New riders are their market so passenger comfort and traffic handling is key to their engineering. Presuming a passenger rides along they have a slightly softer suspension from the race model you mention. Larger than a 600cc I'd buy any used 800cc Honda VFR's from 2000 onward. To expand the choices find a Dec or Jan motorcycle magazine that now is likely offering buyers guides that will identify the many other makes/models now being offered in the Sport and or Sport/Tour category. You may learn enough to buy the bike now that you'd graduate to later. Take your time and your ride will sooner be know to you by your need. Think of it as picking a mail-order bride. Good Luck!

Answer 6

if you never ridden before exept the beginners ridder course.. I suggest that you DO NOT get anythign higher then a 600cc which is still big for a begginer..

I say a good advice be buy a small used bike like a 250 or 450cc to learn on then once you get better and yuo outgrow the bike, and trust me you will know when the time comes, then go out and buy a bigger bike.

And just because you feel you can ride a bigger bike it does not mean you are safe.. when you ride you are vulnerable to any small stupidity that any other driver makes and trsut me there are some idiots outthere..

Answer 7

As everyonw with half a brain has already said, 600+ ccs (or over about 50hp) is just plain a BAD IDEA for new riders. And it has absolutly Nothing to do with maturity, having a healthy fear of the dangers, etc. It has everything to do with being an inexperienced rider, not having a full grasp on the sensitivity of the throttle/brakes/handling/etc... A modern sportbike will do Exactly what the rider tells it to, even if that means turning into the ground, flipping over backwards, locking up the wheels, etc. You can SURVIVE having one of those bikes as your first, but you will NOT learn how to really ride.. as in taking corners, and using the performance that's available.

Personally, I think that the EX250 is a phenominal starter bike. I bought one for my wife and ended up putting more miles on it than she did before moving onto something more her style (Bandit 400, she didn't like the fairing look). I'm 6'4", 270lbs, have several hundred thousand miles of sport touring riding under my belt as well as 3 full season of competitive roadracing. It was some of the Most fun I've ever had on the street on a motorcycle. Anyone who says that you have to have more power to have fun (or it's something you'll outgrow) is showing their complete ignorance on the subject. That bike is capable of 100+mph, and out accelerating pretty much every car under $80k... it's enough to get you tossed in jail, or dead... it's enough to do 11,000 miles in 11 days, and has done so many times (twice officially, ridden in the last 2 Iron Butt Rallies), go coast to coast, or cruise 80~90mph on the interstate.

Anyway, it's a top notch bike for spending your first couple seasons/10k miles on before moving to whatever is more your style... if you want to move on at all.

Hit up the 250 forums and FAQ for more information:

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Main_Page

http://forums.ninja250.org/index.php

Answer 8

1000cc sport bike + rookie rider with zero miles on the saddle will turn a machine like this into a suicide machine. rookies will not be able to handle the power of this bike. 1 wrong move on it, and u WILL be takin down very hard.
if u have to get a sport bike, remain under 600cc's if u want to stay alive. they'll be a hell of alot more forgiving than a liter bike by far

Answer 9

I have been riding for more then 30 years now, and no-one I know was very happy after a couple of months with their little (600cc) bikes. My first street bike was a Suzuki GS1100EX and I was in-control of how fast I wanted to go, you can go fast on a 600 or 1000, it's just the 1000 will get you there quicker, respect the power.

Look at the 750-900cc bikes and you'll do just fine and not want to get rid of it by the end of the summer.

Ride safe and good luck.
(77)

Answer 10

i started with a 1000 as long as you can go with out showing off in front of people or your friends and use the power of the 1000 wisely you will do fine my first bike was a Suzuki gsxr1000 and never dropped it but that is cuz i never tried to show off hell mind u i wanted to but my life is worth more then showing off and people thinking your kool cuz they wont when u drop that bike or kill your self but it is what you want and like if u think you can handle a 1000 with out being dumb get one