Anybody ride bikes? (motorcycles)

J

jrthomas40

Guest
what brand bikes are good for starter bikes??...everyone says a 600 but who makes the better starter bike
 

tangman99

Active Member
Originally Posted by jrthomas40
what brand bikes are good for starter bikes??...everyone says a 600 but who makes the better starter bike
You can't go wrong with any of the 4 major Japanese bikes and neither one is going to outperform the other for 90% of the people riding them. It basically comes down to which one you like the best and which feels best when you sit on it. Ideally, the best 600 to start with would be an F4i, Katana or SV600 or Ninja 500. Get one used that is a couple of years old, ride it for a year or so and sell it for almost what you paid for it and then move up to the agressive 600's or even a GSX-R750. If you are mature and have some self control, you could go to a liter like I did but they can be a handful. And I don't care how disciplined you think you are, you will push the limit at times.
 
J

jrthomas40

Guest
Originally Posted by TangMan99
You can't go wrong with any of the 4 major Japanese bikes and neither one is going to outperform the other for 90% of the people riding them. It basically comes down to which one you like the best and which feels best when you sit on it. Ideally, the best 600 to start with would be an F4i, Katana or SV600 or Ninja 500. Get one used that is a couple of years old, ride it for a year or so and sell it for almost what you paid for it and then move up to the agressive 600's or even a GSX-R750. If you are mature and have some self control, you could go to a liter like I did but they can be a handful. And I don't care how disciplined you think you are, you will push the limit at times.
i have been looking and i found an 07 suzuki (dont know what model) it was a sport bike 600 for 6499 but i wanted to get something used so IF anything happen to it i wouldnt feel so bad so i went out and got a cycle trader...i have run across a ninja 250 for less than $2000...my only problems with that is I dont want it to sound like a peashooter or want to upgrade 4 or 5 months after i learn to ride...i can handle the people making fun of the fact that it is a 250...lol...so would a 250 be good for a starter to learn on or is it to small??
 

dual45s

Member
I've never been on a 250, so I can't accurately tell you how different it feels from a 600, but I would say that if you're planning on only using a 600 for a stepping stone to a bigger bike, starting with a 250 would only be a costly baby step. I would say the only reason to get a 250 is if you're a particularly small rider. But absolutely get a used bike and take a safety course. I took a course after I had been riding for months, and had a blast doing it. I say get a used bike because it's all but inevitable that you'll lay it down at least once. A buddy of mine found a really slick bike on craigslist. Best of luck with everything.
 

tangman99

Active Member
It is recommened to start on something like a 250 or other bike if you have absolutely no riding experience at all. If you have never worked the clutch, throttle, gear shifter and rear brake before, it is a good bike to learn on for two reasons:
1. When you drop it, it's a cheap bike
2. You can't get into real serious trouble.
If you know how to ride any motorcycle, the 600 F4i and SV600 or Katana are good starting points and many people own these bikes for years because they are more comfortable. The more powerful Race Ready series will give more power and less comfort, but when you get into sportbikes, 90% is the rider. I know a girl that started on an F4i and now has a 600RR. She will eat my lunch in the corners and I'm sure she could still do it if she still had the F4i.
 

rylan1

Active Member
You'll ride a katana or ninja 500 for a month and will be tired of it. I'd recommend a slighty more aggressive 600, however; a riding course. We have them for only $25 here in Ohio (last I checked) worth it for learning experience and insurance savings. I ripped those Daytonas, I saw one today, they actually look kinda nice. But katana's are sooo heavy...
Anyways I prefer clutch wheelies, they are more predictable and raise smoother than power ones, I takes a lot of nerve to pull one up because at first they are really scarry. :scared: Especially when you suddenly see nothing but your shield and the blue sky :scared: :scared:
 

tangman99

Active Member
Originally Posted by Rylan1
You'll ride a katana or ninja 500 for a month and will be tired of it. I'd recommend a slighty more aggressive 600, however; a riding course. We have them for only $25 here in Ohio (last I checked) worth it for learning experience and insurance savings. I ripped those Daytonas, I saw one today, they actually look kinda nice. But katana's are sooo heavy...
Anyways I prefer clutch wheelies, they are more predictable and raise smoother than power ones, I takes a lot of nerve to pull one up because at first they are really scarry. :scared: Especially when you suddenly see nothing but your shield and the blue sky :scared: :scared:
You could be right about the Katanas. I never rode one but the F4i did me fine for over a year. I used to clutch the F4i up just for the reason that was the only way to get it off the ground. Almost impossible to throttle up unless you loaded the engine perfect and snapped the throttle. Clutching it up is more controllable. I just haven't gotten the throttle down on mine enough to trust clutching it up yet. I have progressively learned the power band for throttling it up so I'm pretty comfortable in how much throttle I can give it an how fast before getting myself in trouble. Clutch it with too much throttle and it's loop the bike very fast. Not sure if I could cover the rear brake that fast and don't want to blow out a front fork seal either.
Oh yeah. One other thing I discovered that common sense should have told me already is when you wheelie at night, you can't see where your going very well with the headlight pointing up in the air.
 
Hey, i just found this thread, and i can tell ya anything ya'd like to know or chat with me sometime on YIM cbr954riderr. I have been riding/racing sport bikes for over 10 years now. First thing let me tell ya, if you've never ridden a motorcycle, i'd suggest getting a used cheap dirtbike just to learn on. Hitting the dirt is a lot more forgiving then hitting the asphalt. I've hit both several times. Second thing, no matter what if you ride, your gonna go down. There are two types of riders, Those that have been down and those that are going down. Don't let this discourage you though, riding is SOOO MUCH FUN! Ya just gotta take your time and learn slow. Don't try to get out there and think your Nicky Hayden right out of the gate, lol. If your determined to go with a street bike without learning on a dirtbike first, i'd suggest a katana just to get the feel of it and to make sure you enjoy the hobby before spending some big $ on a new 600. After you get the feel for it, step on up to a 600. A 600cc bike will do more then you'll ever be able to handle, I PROMISE, unless you turn into a seasonal racer, lol. I dont care what anyone else tells ya or says, but NO ONE needs anything bigger then a 600cc bike unless you are into serious stunting and/or racing. I just got rid of my '05 GSXR 1000 and bought a '06 GSXR 750 and in the process of turning it into a track/race bike only. I'm hoping to cut off several seconds on my lap times now since on a smaller cc bike. I'll find out at Road A. May 26th! I also have a '07 Ducati 1098 for my street bike though with full Termi's! Which is a DREAM BIKE! I LOVE IT! but killed the bank

I have pics of me and my bikes on my myspace page if ya wanna check em out... www.myspace.com/gosupaintballer My race bike in those pics i'm on my old '03 CBR 954 with race plastics. But yeh, any questions ya may have please ASK AWAY. Although i'm new and know hardly nothing about the saltwater hobby as i'm just now getting into it myself, but i KNOW A LOT about the motorcycle hobby!
 

rylan1

Active Member
I've seen alot of custom bikes...this has to be the best one I've ever seen. It doesn't have all the chome, tv's, etc, etc... - but this bike is Awesome!
Just wanted to share
 

rslinger

Member
I got a new bike this year a 2004 yamaha. R1 stage 2 kit and micron ex. It is my first bike and I am scared of it. Sometimes I come over a hill just doing 60 in fourth and I have to let off to get the front back down. I weight about 300 pounds. The first time I rode it I looked down and relized I was doing 150 insane. Thinking about selling it and buying a van
 

rylan1

Active Member
Originally Posted by Rslinger
I got a new bike this year a 2004 yamaha. R1 stage 2 kit and micron ex. It is my first bike and I am scared of it. Sometimes I come over a hill just doing 60 in fourth and I have to let off to get the front back down. I weight about 300 pounds. The first time I rode it I looked down and relized I was doing 150 insane. Thinking about selling it and buying a van
A bike to a van ?????????
By the way, if you are on a R1, if you are going 60mph you should probably be in 2nd and at most 3rd. I believe those bikes can get up to 100 mph in 1st.
Have you been riding for a while or is this your 1st bike? As I read your post again it sounds like it is. Be careful, respect it, and slow down a little. These things are dangerous, especially 1000's. Just take it easy and learn how to ride, instead of looking to go soo fast so soon.
 

rslinger

Member
yeah the bike was given to me by my brother for a real good deal as he really needed the money. It is my first bike, and yeah i have gotten to 100 in second gear, probably could do it in first but i really have never pushed the revs on it. But yeah a van i have three kids and no van. I only paid 2000 dollars for the bike and figure i can probably get a good van out of it. It is better for the future anyways. I stoped riding the bike a couple weeks ago. for fear's sake. my brother took it to the track in n. Ill. like every weekend in the summer. It's jetted to run a higher octane fuel. the guy at the bike shop says i should ask 7000 for it. extra tires (racing tires) and leathers to match(if they fit). i might take it for one last ride before i sell it, it really is fun. Just not something to get into with three kids, three years old or under.
 

rylan1

Active Member
Originally Posted by Rslinger
yeah the bike was given to me by my brother for a real good deal as he really needed the money. It is my first bike, and yeah i have gotten to 100 in second gear, probably could do it in first but i really have never pushed the revs on it. But yeah a van i have three kids and no van. I only paid 2000 dollars for the bike and figure i can probably get a good van out of it. It is better for the future anyways. I stoped riding the bike a couple weeks ago. for fear's sake. my brother took it to the track in n. Ill. like every weekend in the summer. It's jetted to run a higher octane fuel. the guy at the bike shop says i should ask 7000 for it. extra tires (racing tires) and leathers to match(if they fit). i might take it for one last ride before i sell it, it really is fun. Just not something to get into with three kids, three years old or under.
Understandable.
 
J

jrthomas40

Guest
my new bike...got it 2 fridays ago and laid it down 2 days later

 

tangman99

Active Member
Nice bike and sorry about you laying it down. However, any get off you can up from and post about is all good. It's hard to tell in the second picture, but did it just scuff the lower fairing and clutch cover and bend the shift lever?
 
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