What is the ideal size motorcycle for a beginner?

Question

I am a completely inexperienced when it comes to motorcycles although I have been talking to alot of people who ride and I have been reading alot on the internet.

The one major issue that everyone disagrees on is the size of a good first bike. I have heard everything from "start as big as you can afford" to "start on the smallest thing that you can fit on". I have had opinions of goods starter bikes range from a 125cc Suzuki to a 1200cc Harley Davidson.

Ideally for a complete beginner what would be the best engine size to start on if all other things are equal? Without thinking about how I fit on the bike what bike is best for a compete beginner?

Of course I will take other things into consideration when buying a motorcycle, I just want to see what people think when it comes to engine size alone.

Thanks!

Answer 1

The 250 is the best bike to learn on. (any 250) This will basically ensure that you do not kill yourself on the very first ride (or the rides there after)
Go to your nearest motorcycle shop, & go and sit on the bikesand find what feels comfortable, ask the salespeople for help, they will be bale to show you and answer all the questions you ask. plus give you the correct information for your area.
Get the right gear for safe riding,(ie well fitted helmet;-if it is loose & moves about your head try another size, style the right one will feel like comfort, and right.-, waterproof jacket, draggin jeans/riding pants, gloves, boots with a low heel, you should be able to try on this stuff at your local motorcycles shop).
Go to the local motorcycle haunts on a Saturday/Sunday (these are the spots where all riders gather for coffee/tea/hotdrink/colddrink/... to eat/just a break from riding & to talk to other riders), talk to the riders about their motorcycles, andask questions there, you will find that most motorcyclists are extremely helpful, and will proudly tell you the pro's & con's of their bike. (hopefully you wopn't meet the dumbo who feel if you have to ask about a ride, you don't deserve to ride one, and they are out there)
Go to your local licensing /registration office ask what is required to get your license, and the restrictions that will apply.
Finally do all the motorcycle safety courses you can because that is the best way to learn how to control your bike, and learn the basic life saving skills that will help you when you get into difficulty.
So Stay Upright, Stay Safe, & Have Fun

I have just started riding myself. (up until now was a pillion) I ride at the moment a Honda CB250 Nighthawk. (Great bike, light, manouverable, just enough grunt to do the speed limit, I have no fear of dropping the bike or being unstable because my feet are firmly on the ground and then some,easy to maintain, you learn how to react safely in the wind.) I have had such a great learning experience, that come the end of the year, I will be lloking at upgrading, beacuse the 250 has done the job it was needed to, installing confidence in my riding ability, being VERY forgiving for an mistakes I have made, and showing me how absolutely life changing riding a motorcycle can be.

Answer 2

Size doesn't matter. The type of motorcycle you want does.
If you want a sport bike the smallest is a wiser idea. Nothing that ends in the letter R or has an R and a number (GSXR, R1,
600RR, etc...) If you want a cruiser, 650 is a pretty tame machine. Yamaha makes a couple. Honda has some smaller cruisers as well. Suzuki's Katana is a good all around machine.
I would say get a Honda CRF150F (electric start, good power, and easy to ride.) It's an off road bike, but you need to familiar with control, and handling. I would recommend learning to ride well on dirt roads, and then take a motorcycle safety course. They usually are a 3rd part test site, so you will be able to get your motorcycle endorsement right there without testing at DMV. WEAR TOP NOTCH SAFETY GEAR. BUY A GOOD HELMET (I wear Arai) AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT BEING COOL. Bikes today are very powerful, and real easy to wreck. Know what you are doing before you are in a flat slide, way too hard, and out of talent.

Answer 3

Motorcycle Sizes

Answer 4

A used 250 or 500 Kawasaki Ninja are excellent starter bikes. Very cheap and user-friendly, though the 500 can be still a lot of fun. The 500 was my first bike, though I had ridden a dirtbike growing up. So for you, I recommend the 250. You will most likely put the bike down at some point, so definitely start out with something used, then as your skill grows and you figure out what is right for you, choose something better later. good luck. oh yeah, wind cry, size does matter. A beginner has no business riding something that will do a wheelie with one twist of the throttle. A newbie on a supersport has a short life expectancy.

Answer 5

It depends as well on your size, the size of the bike(physically-not just in cc), because not all bikes are designed the same. A 250cc sounds about right for a beginner, as a rule. I have owned many many bikes. Currently I am on a 750 GSX-R. My one humble suggestion is that you consider owning an older motorcycle as your first. The rule of thumb is...you are gonna dump it at least once! This usually happens to newbies as they corner a turn and don't know exactly how to lean into it, or maybe they misapply the brakes, etc. I am not saying for certain that this is going to happen, but the odds say you might. Plus, in the initial learning process you will learn to understand what you want out of a bike, your likes and dislikes. Why invest in an expensive new motorcycle to discover that it does not suit your personality?! Whatever your decision is...BE SAFE AND RIDE DEFENSIVELY! Enjoy and have a blast. Paul(aka walter)

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is the ideal size motorcycle for a beginner?
I am a completely inexperienced when it comes to motorcycles although I have been talking to alot of people who ride and I have been reading alot on the internet.

The one major issue that everyone disagrees on is the size of a good first bike. I have heard everything from "start as big as...

Answer 7

I just started street bike riding as well ,and I still believe that for ease of operation and maint. I like the Kawasaki Ninja 500R , I just bought one new for under $5000. and you can find used at reasonable prices ( I preferred new) and are great in power and also gets between 40 and 52 mpg! I wouldn't go under the 500cc engine size and anything over 650 is a waste unless you plan to race! 600 cc bikes like the cbr are nice but also very fast and ( almost scary!!!) power-full, cruisers imo are nice but just less practical , I know they are supposed to be more comfortable but if that were so then why are they always in the back of a truck or on a trailer going to their destination instead of being ridden for a few hours? Not sure what they have to offer where you live but the motorcycle training course is great if you have not ridden much or are new ,they even have advanced classes too!

Answer 8

It totally depends on what type of riding you are going to do. If it's total street and around town riding I would recommend something around a 450 to 750. If you're thinking about open road, Sturgis trip type action, than definitely go for the larger displacement engines. The smaller ones will just wear you out on the open road.
Test ride some before making a choice, for sure.
Happy trails!

Answer 9

smaller bikes are easier to learn on because they weigh less, but more power helps you get out of troubles. i've been riding for a year now and i have a 86 gs450l. i learned on this bike and had no problems. my borther bought a brand new ninga 250 and laid it down his third week.

i know in california you have to have at least a 250 to go on the freeway.

just make sure to take it easy and dont ride out of your skill level, thats how people get hurt. after a while you'll get the hang of manuvering the bike and will be able to avoid things in the road, then you can go a little faster.

Answer 10

ideal size motorcycle beginner