i'm planning to get my bike licence this summer, and was wondering what a good starter bike would be?

Answer 1

I started my wife on a used 4 stroke dirt bike, plastic is cheaper to replace than a paint job. You WILL drop it at least once.

After you get all the mechanics down, stopping, starting, shifting smoothly I would go to about a 600cc bike. You will not outgrow it too quickly and it will not be too much bike for you starting off.

Stay away from the sport bikes until you become very proficient. They have an unbelievable amount of low end torque and will get out from under you in a hurry. I jumped on my new ZX-9 and rode a wheelie about 20 feet, purely by accident. I had been riding cruisers about 12 years and tried to ride this one like I was used to.

I agree, take a riders course. Your life is well worth it.

Another thing, talk to responsible riders, they are a wealth of information. They will teach you things like never ride the middle of your lane, that is where cars drip oil. Cross train tracks at 90 degree angles, metal tracks are slick. When wet, the white paint on the road at stop lights is slippery. When riding on a four-lane highway do not ride close to the edge instead ride close to the middle, that way if there is an object in the road you can avoid it by going to the left or right.

Most of all, be visible to people in cars and NEVER tailgate, you never know when the car is going to straddle an object in the road.

Answer 2

It depends purely on where you ride, and what is your interest!

I started on a Kawasaki KLR250. It's still sold, and is still a good deal. It'll do dirt, street, and city driving just fine. Probably not interstate driving. There are many bikes out there just like the KLR now, such as Yamaha's XT-225 series, Suzuki's DR-series, and more. The offerings are great and these bikes give you something that weighs less than 250 pounds, doesn't have a lot of stuff to break, and in many cases, are offered in engine sizes up to 650 cc for truly coast-to-coast riding capability.

If you want a street oriented bike, look to the 600 cc class. There's the Honda Shadow for the cruiser-bike look, or the Kawasaki Vulcan.
Personally, I am partial to the sport-touring bike style, which is a little more upright, has a better suspension and can corner and brake nicely. For that, you might want to look at the Yamaha FZ6. A little intimidating perhaps, but it's a sport-standard that should survive an occasional drop onto the driveway. Not only that, but after that first summer's worth of riding, you wont outgrow it.

Answer 3

If you have never ridden before, I reccomend taking a motorcycle course first. This may save you from damaging your first bike. I'd say pretty much everyone turns over there new bike at some point, or at least drops it, so get it out on the course's bikes.
Now for a starter bike, well the same applies here. The course will enable you to see just what kind of bike you are interested in. They start you with a 250cc for the most part, dual sports, dirt bikes, and mini-cruisers.
After you learn what you like about motorcycles, then you can go buy yourself a bike choosing which one fits you best. A sport bike or a cruiser? Thats up to you, but probably 250cc or 500cc for a sport bike, and you may want to keep it under 900cc for a cruiser starter. Of course, brand of motorcycle is your preference, as I never really see a difference until the higher end bikes anyhow. Best of luck!

Answer 4

I took my motorcycle classes at our local technical college and received my road test there also. I would highly recommend it. As far as what size motorcycle that you should start on is a very good question. At the school they had small cruisers which were great for the course but if you are going to spend money, this type of bike would be outgrown very quickly and you would never get your money out of it if you wanted to resell it. I would recommend that you stay away from the Harley Sportster because they tend to be very top heavy (Tippy) unless you get a low rider. They don't really corner well either. My first bike was a 650 Honda Shadow which had a great ride. I gained confidence while driving it and I became very comfortable. They corner beautifully and they are balanced perfectly. I was able to keep up with the pack on the highway with no problems. I have never tipped my bikes over nor have I crashed and I have been driving for many years now. I have since gone through other bikes and increased in size. I currently have a Yamaha Silverado V-Star but am looking to buy a Harley Heritage in the future. I like the bigger bikes because they handle well and the ride is so much better. I am not as young as I used to be. I am female and in my area there are allot of women who drive. Allot of them start out on Harley Sportsters. I have seen many of them tipped over. New bees have to start on something that will help build your confidence before trying something which is a little more challenging. Hope this helps. Good luck

Answer 5

Take the motorbike secure practices path...and prepare, prepare, prepare. Take it slow and don't out trip your limits. A Suzuki or Ninja 500 is a stable starter. Like absolutely everyone else is asserting a 250cc is likewise a stable starter. i could in simple terms pass purchase a used 500 or 250 from late 90s that somebody is merchandising for affordable which you will no longer care approximately once you drop it. when you consider which you will drop it quicker or later. do no longer waste the money on fixing it on a similar time as your getting to understand. except its a mechanical undertaking. concerning top. you are able to continuously adjust a suspension and decrease it. So i would not take that as a ingredient, and the extra modern game motorcycles are in the form of 330-4 hundred lbs. that's lighter than the older ones. ultimately, positioned on kit. even no count if this is a hundred levels exterior i would be decked out in finished cloth kit. I easily have been in an twist of destiny and the kit works.

Answer 6

Get an older, cheap, unfaired bike. One that's fully depreciated, so early-to-mid 90s, at the earliest. You will drop your bike. Everyone does when they start riding - so avoid plastic to minimize the cost of this.

I'd recommend a "standard" bike, an unfaired easy-to-ride "traditional" motorcycle. I'd also recommend a Japanese bike, as they tend to be more reliable and less costly... the brand doesn't matter as much as the condition of the bike you are considering. If you know the previous owner, so much the better.

Oh, and make sure you choose one that allows you to put both feet down easily.

Keep your eyes open - always wear a helmet - assume they DON'T see you.

Have fun!

Answer 7

suzki bandit 600 cheap to buy and insure

Answer 8

Maybe a Huffy or a Schwinn.