Thinking about buying a motorcycle, need advice.?

Question

I have absolutely NO experiance riding a motorcycle. Because of this, I plan on purchasing a 600 to limit the power until I get accustomed. I do not plan on buying a cruiser, but would rather have a crotch rocket and have pretty much settled on eigther a Yamaha YZFR6 or a Kawasaki ZX6R.

Friends have said it would be a good idea for me to take riders courses. Is it necessary that I do this? What would your suggestions be for the type of bike, cc, and wether or not to take a riders course?

Short.
5'7''

Answer 1

I'd definitely suggest the riding class - the biggest name for riding classes in the US is the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, but there's other groups that offer these too. Check with the office that issues your driver's license. They will have a list of approved schools. You'll both learn the basics of the controls, and pick up a lot of the "what every motorcyclist should know" types of things you might not learn early on if you don't.

The 600 cc class is only limiting power compared to the insane standards of liter bikes. A 600 cc supersport is going to be somewhere in excess of 100 hp. They're designed for getting an experienced rider around the track as fast as possible, not for making it easy to learn.

So I'd recommend a 500 cc sport bike instead as your first bike. These are typically 40 to 60 hp because they're not as aggressively tuned. This may not sound all that fast, but I own a Suzuki GS500F sportbike and a Corvette... and the bike's the faster one of them. Still, 500s are forgiving and predictable enough that you can hop on one after the class and start learning. You'll still want to take things a bit cautiously for the first month or so.

There's three good sport bikes in the 500 cc class: the Buell Blast, Kawasaki Ninja 500, and Suzuki GS500 (which comes in E and F versions, the F having GSX-R like bodywork). I'd recommend checking them all out and seeing which one fits you best.

Answer 2

Your height shouldn't be so much of an issue as long as you can get your feet on the ground. Compare your inseam to the seat height.

And about the bike, congratulations, but be safe. The bikes you mentioned are pretty much track ready, and are not really for beginners. Look into a Ninja 500. Even though it is a 500, it will be much less powerful than the 600's, and much better to lean on. In fact, I think you'd love the 08 Ninja 250. Its a great bike to learn on and throw around a bit untill you are grounded.

Right about now a 250 or a 500 are sounding really small, but just to give you perspective, the 250 will keep up with most sports cars.

Moreover, an 06 R6 claims 140 hp at the crank. It weighs around 370lbs with some fuel. This gives it a power to weight ratio of a supercar. You wouldnt start driving in a Ferrari, so the same idea applys here.

The MSF course is definaty worth it and you'll learn a lot. I'm also pretty sure that you wont have to do the state road test in most states if you do MSF.

Good luck, and stay safe.

Answer 3

Hold up!! Dude the best answer if you have no riding experience is to buy a dirt bike. Hands down!! So many reasons why, heres a few.

1. you can learn all the basics in a big open off road setting. basics like shifting, balance, braking with both front and rear, throttle control, and one of my favorites is braking, which by the way should be mostly front brake!! most people put themselves in danger and wear out pads buy using all rear brake. So hilarious.

2. Learning on a dirtbike is way way WAY cheaper than on a street bike! You can dump it, drop it, crash it, and its cheap to fix and easier on your body. I would much rather fall in dirt @ 40 mph than on pavement @ 40 mph while learning!!

Don't get me wrong I love all bikes on road and off, but you need to be on top of your game while riding on the road. My advice to you is buy a used 125cc dirtbike to start.(Even a 600cc although the smallest crotch rocket is still very fast) You should be able to buy one at a good price - hell if your around Michigan I will give you a good deal on mine. 2 strokes are outdated so buy one of those for cheap. Ride for a season or two keeping the bike in good condition and sell it afterwards for a few hundred less.
Then when you feel like your a bad *** dirt bike rider off road, go take a street course and you will learn even more.

Have fun - always wear a helmet

Answer 4

Buying a 600 to "limit the power" is comparable to buying a turbo V6 instead of a V8. Doesn't limit much.
I don't make recommendations on what new bike to get.
But read on.
A course is not really needed, yet highly recommended.
While you are learning, you have lots of opportunities.
You get taught by someone who knows what they are doing.
You learn on a small bike. 250cc from what I hear.
If you're confident enough after that, you can skip the "Ninja 250" stuff everyone talks about. You will have learned the basics, and had a chance to talk to people who ride.

Learn first, then pick your ride.
Make an informed choice.

Answer 5

I'm thinking mostly about availability of parts. Between the 2 I'd go with the nighthawk. It's almost 20 years old though, and some parts could be a problem. On the bright side the bike is still in production. Take it for a ride and see how you like it. Be picky - There are a lot of bikes for sale. I like the comment in the post above about maintenance. Written maintenance records are the best, but so few bikes I've seen have one. As a matter of fact, among my friends, I'm the only one who is diligent about maintenance records.

Answer 6

Taking a riding course is a very good idea and in my opinion, a must. My husband, who was an experienced rider and myself took Harley-Davidsons Riders Edge course and found it to be informative and very helpful. Even my experienced husband found out some stuff that he did not know and riding techniques that helped him become a better rider.

Obviously, being Harley riders, I don't have any sage advice as to bikes; so will leave that to others on this forum. Ride Safe!

Answer 7

I learned a few years ago at a basic rider course. It was great, affordable and they provided a bike. The class was excellent! I learned on a Honda Rebel 250cc. That is what I bought too. Now after a few years of riding I'm thinking of uprgrading to a 600cc. The class is a must!

Answer 8

If you dont know what you are doing riders courses would be good. There's little room for error on a bike so you need to learn the safest way to ride. I feel that there's no bikes other than Harleys but thats personal preference.

Answer 9

I have been riding for 25 years on a harley as for the type of bike you want it is up to you I would take the courses it will help lower the cost of insurance

Answer 10

I agree with starting out on a 250 first, like the Ninja. The 600's are to fast to learn on and will get you killed in a hurry if you don't know what you are doing...