Motorcycle Beginner

[DaveyCrink]

This summer I plan to get my motorcycle permit then endorsement. I also need a bike that I could ride too. Since it will be my first, I was thinking something like a 2008+ Kawasaki Ninja 250R. I started to think that maybe I would learn too quick so maybe someething like a GSXR600. The truth is, it scares the s**t out of me, but it sounds too thrilling to say no. I'm not much of a "chopper" or Harley fan. Maybe someone with more experience could weigh in on this. Or maybe when I get back to the states they would only SHOW me the basic run around on one.

 

[phylodog]

ABATE is your friend. It's a great course and may save you some money on insurance.

I would not start out with a GSXR. They are sexy but too fast and the temptation to push the envelope, coupled with the ability to easily do so, is a recipe for disaster.

When I started riding 10 years ago I bought an old, spray painted Nighthawk for $600 and rode it out in the country for a couple of months to get comfortable. It was a cheap and easy way to learn without much traffic around and minimal financial risk if I dumped it. Once I got comfortable and confident I bought a CBR600. I rode the CBR for a couple of years before deciding that I was going to kill myself if I kept it up. I don't know how accurate that speedo was but I saw it read 165mph one day on a freshly paved country road in Rush County.

A friend I'd been riding with had a Hyabusa and then bought a HD Road King. I rode it once and three days later the CBR was gone and I had a Road King of my own in the garage. I never came close to killing myself on the RK and I don't think I ever took it above 75mph.

Start slow and ease into it. Two wheels can be an unforgiving beast. It is well worth the effort however.

 

[sartwell]

+1 on the ABATE course. I have been riding off and on for 43 years (yeah I know I'm old)
and just took the course last year. It was well worth taking.

 

[donnie1581]

Yeah I agree with phylodog. Start out with something that won't hurt your wallet if you dump it. Chances are, it'll be dumped at least once while learning.

It's easy to get the hang of riding though. If you can drive a stick and ride a bike, your chances are much greater at riding safely and comfortably. The hardest part is taking off and stopping.

 

[paddling_man]

1. Go take an ABATE course.
2. See #1.

"Learn too quick?" I don't think I understand this phrase. I will tell you that with a bike that is less over your head, you will ride to your limits and learn more skills. If you buy a bike that is honestly far exceeds your skills, then you'll be timid and ride it in a narrow safety zone.

Again, go spend a weekend at an ABATE course. Afterwards, ignore the CC range of the bikes and look at the weight/horsepower/torque numbers. My second bike was a 650 that had more horsepower than 1100cc cruisers. The size of the bike motor is irrelevant.

If you've already got time in through a weekend course, then a bike with between 30 - 50 HP would be my recommendation.

Final piece of advice? The throttle is as important as the brake and steering for accident avoidance. In a newbies world, just because their bike can do 68MPH (top gear, level, full throttle) doesn't mean they have ANY business on the interstate. Your throttle works in conjunction with the brakes and steering... if you have none left? You're riding at a disadvantage.

A GSXR600? Instead think about a GS500... agile bikes. A good entry level. Suzuki GS500 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[hondatech2k2]

I took ABATE and enjoyed the class thoroughly! You will learn a ton and take the fear away of riding a bike. But, never.....ever.....loose respect for the power of even the smallest cc motorcycle and always wear your lid (helmet). As far as bike selection goes, ride a few and see what suits you best. I prefer a sport bike set up over all. I had a cruiser for 3 years and decided to get rid of it.

 

[dubsac]

My first street bike was a GSXR600, I was familiar with riding dirtbikes & 4 wheelers before I purchased my first motorcycle. Its was tons of fun but super dangerous. I can remember numerous times riding with my buddies when they layed theirs down, from either trying to do stunts or other vehicles on the road pulling/stopping in front of them. I ended up trading the 600 for a 1000 two years later and rode it till i had a close encounter myself with another motorists. And that was all it took for me to trade it for 2 wave runners. Either way you go you will have tons of fun as long as you drive safe. sure popping wheelies is cool but leave those to the starboyz.

 

[Captain Bligh]

One of my favorite summer pass-times is to go the the BMV testing site and watch newbies take their endorsement tests. I'm tellin' you, it is the best free entertainment in town.

If I had to go take the endorsement test again, I'd spend a morning watching what kind of bikes handle the course well and what kind not so well. Then I'd go buy some used bike of that type that I would get rid of to get what I really wanted right after I got my endorsement.

In my experience the newbies that nail the course either (a) are riding nimble, small displacement dirt bikes or (b) are girls who didn't let their male ego get in the way and actually practice so they would be sure not to be made fun of. I generalize here but newbies on metric rockets or heavy cruisers don't generally fare as well as folks on more nimble machines.

If you take a course, that gives your endorsement upon completion on bikes they furnish, no worries. If you don't, buy something cheap on which to learn and take your endorsement.

I've seen lots of people scrape up some pretty chrome trying to take their test on cumbersome bikes they weren't ready to handle. I've seem people fail. I've seen people carted away in an ambulance from the endorsement test! There are plenty of bikes in your future. For your first, be practical. Best wishes.

~The Captain on a 2005 Road King

 

[Rocket57]

Do you wear eye and ear protection when shooting? If the answer is yes then WEAR A HELMET and heavy jacket when riding! When I see people riding in shorts and flip flops and no helmet I want to scream! I have destroyed a full face helmet chin guard while sliding along the pavement. That could have been my face.

If I can find pictures of the bike I'll post one.

 

[Tripp11]

I bought my first motorcycle (Honda CBR 600) before even knowing how to ride one. I had a friend test drive it for me, as it was used, and he drove it home for me. I went and got my learner's permit, and on weekends, I would practice driving around an elementary school parking lot with no other cars. Then when comfortable, I started to ride in groups with more experienced riders out on the streets.

I then took my motorcycle endorsement riding test on the CBR 600, and I passed with flying colors; however, I would not recommend this course of action to anyone else.

If I had it to do all over again, I would take the ABATE course from the start. I would then start off on cruiser type bike instead of a sport bike.

After a few years of experience, I moved up to a Honda 900 RR. I rode that bike until I finally gave up riding motorcyles entirely after too many close calls with inattentive car drivers either texting or eating or putting on makeup. I rode defensively all the time, and it just wasn't fun anymore...for me at least.

Good luck!

 

[Tripp11]

Do you wear eye and ear protection when shooting? If the answer is yes then WEAR A HELMET and heavy jacket when riding! When I see people riding in shorts and flip flops and no helmet I want to scream! I have destroyed a full face helmet chin guard while sliding along the pavement. That could have been my face.

If I can find pictures of the bike I'll post one.

This. Over the years, I've seen too any other riders go down. Those without the appropriate gear look like the jumped into a meat grinder.

I dread seeing kids wearing flip flops, shorts, no helmet with a girl on the back wearing similar clothing; meanwhile the guy is bobbing and weaving thru traffic like he's bullet proof. I just hope they make it wherever safely, and I just wonder if the guy and girl have even thought about what would happen to them if they go down at speed.

 

[TWalker]

I just recently bought my first motorcycle, 05 Triumph sprint. I started learning on a pw50 at somewhere around 7-8. I graduated to a little cr80 dirtbike. My grandpa also had a rebel 450 he would let me ride. The first bike I ever really rode on a legitimate road was an old goldwing. I ride all the time now that I have a bike and really enjoy it. Respect is the key issue I've learnt with anything that has a motor. I saw more adult people wreck that cr80 than anything else in my life. They didn't have respect for it. My bike is a 1050cc around 110hp and it puts me in check every now and then. I would recommend getting what you want instead of trading and trading. Also, watchout when your riding stupid people are EVERYWHERE!

 

[TTB Yeee]

Honestly, I wouldn't start on a 250 because you WILL get bored.

Take a look at the Suzuki SV650, it is a great beginners bike in my opinion, insurance will be much cheaper than the GSXR, and the bike in general can be had for pretty damn cheap.

 

[Whitsettd8]

If you have 0 experience riding I would suggest starting out on a dirt bike off road. Once you get the working of a clutch down and the basic physics of riding then take it to the road.
An old biker told me there are 2 kinds of bikers: Those who have been down and those who are going down.
Buy a nice helmet don't go cheap buy a nice jacket with good padding and get frame sliders. Be careful no one pays attention to motorcycles

 

[sepe]

This summer I plan to get my motorcycle permit then endorsement. I also need a bike that I could ride too. Since it will be my first, I was thinking something like a 2008+ Kawasaki Ninja 250R. I started to think that maybe I would learn too quick so maybe someething like a GSXR600. The truth is, it scares the s**t out of me, but it sounds too thrilling to say no. I'm not much of a "chopper" or Harley fan. Maybe someone with more experience could weigh in on this. Or maybe when I get back to the states they would only SHOW me the basic run around on one.

If you think you should get a 600 to learn on do NOT get a factory race bike as your starter bike. 1/2 a second of panic mode can get you in way over your head. If you "need" the sexy sport bike and think you'll learn to ride to your bikes limits with the Ninja 250R (which you won't all that quickly, I know guys that have liter bikes that still track 250 Ninjas because the lower powered bike forces them to work on skill instead of relying on speed), you could look at the 500 Ninja or a 600 Katana (not real sexy but a bit better for a beginner than the Gixxer600) or even the Suzuki GS500F.

 

[mcolford]

I started out on a 96 ZX6... Great bike. Enough power to let you know it was capable, but not enough to jump the front end if you twitched. I also grew up on dirtbikes and ATV's, so it came kind of natural.

+1 to wearing the brain bucket! I dont care how "cool: you look without it... As that lid will make the difference between chewing your food or having it pureed for you forever!!!!!

 

[paddling_man]

or even the Suzuki GS500F.

Exactly. Perfect beginner bike.

 

[Hammerhead]

Take the ABATE course. Don't just try to learn on your own. Then get a bike and practice before taking long drives.

Make sure you take the proper gear (over the ankle shoes/boots, gloves, helmet, long sleeves - just a shirt works fine) to the course. There was a guy that screwed up and ticked everyone taking the course last year when I took it because he went to a party in Indy on Friday night after the first classroom section and didn't want to start early on Saturday to beat the heat. He "had a long drive and didn't want to be late" so he insisted we start at the normal time. He then shows up 5 minutes before it was kickstands up with freakin' tennis shoes and no alternatives.

We spent an extra hour in the sun because of that PITA. We started early on Sunday.

 

[Boiler1529]

Definately take the abate course. Look on craigslist for a cheap 600 to learn on. I found one for 125 bucks and looked beat to hell but did its job. I parked it wrong once and it tipped over. I would have cried if I did that to a new bike. Good luck and be safe.

 

[22rssix]

I second the class, If you can get a riding buddy it makes exploring more fun.

I also second the Katana 600 ot Ninja 500's

You can find them cheap if you look. I got a 2002 with 2500 miles for 1500.00

I have logged 4k miles last summer.

The bike has the power to handle the highway and it will get up and go to avoid the cagers. it also has a comfortable seat so you can log some miles.

It also is very forgiving. It is not a "sport" bike so the power doesnt kick in to about 7K. you can lug the thing around town. if you dump the clutch your not going to wheelie and loop it. It is a heavy bike.


People talk down about it, but screw them. I pay cheap insurance and get 50mpg's. It is just a bike for me to ride around on.

One thing I will say is if you get a bike and start exploring back roads, keep the tank above 1/4. I was out a few times and passed a gas station and should have stopped to top off the tank, but I thought I would pass/find one further down the road. I had to stop to look on my phone to figure out where I was and to find a gas station. Pushing the bike would not be fun.