First, I just want to say that I'm an Emergency Medical Technician, I know just how bad you can get hurt on a Motorcycle. I also know that your much more likely to do something stupid while on a motorcycle, to the point where everyone you know will regret it (fatal accidents). That said, I still happen to have the passion for Motorcycles in my blood (Thanks, Dad).

So lets start off with what I am looking for in a bike. I first and foremost need something to learn on, something I'm less likely to kill myself with should I happen to turn the loud handle just a little to far for my experience (I've accepted that, I will at some point drop my bike.). I need a bike that will allow me to learn how to turn a bike correctly, get your knee down and really turn the bike using the full potential. I happen to be in the United States, New York to be exact, so I'm going to start looking in the 500cc to 750cc area first as it's kinda hard to find any bike that is smaller around these parts.

Can any riders out there give me any tips on what I should get as my first bike? What did you learn on, how long did it take until you out grew your bike (And how many CC was it). Best places to learn (Roundabouts, Country Side [Box Hill - England Comes to Mind], Highways, Track Days, ect.) What is your favorite make (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Ducati, or Aprilia), what's yor favorite bike?

It should be said, that I'm looking for a supper sport style bike. So, what you guys think?

Don't do it, get an Ariel Atom or a Radical , it's the same thing with no drawbacks of a bike.But if you really want a bike, I suggest you get something cheap, second-hand and under 500cc because you will fall of it sooner or later.

Somehow I think 500 to 750 cc and learning don't go hand in hand.

I prefer Italian V-twins personally, I've had my Aprilia SL1000 for 2 years, and looked into alternatives numerous times, but never found anything that presses my buttons.

Loads of options for first bikes, I learnt on a CB500, which was perfectly adequete to learn on, my first bike was a CBR600F, which was boring and uncomfortable, I got rid of it in a couple of months after passing my test.

Any bike with teach you how to steer, IMO knee down has no place on the road, it's something that is best left on the track.

Just get a cheap runabout, CB500, ER5, Suzuki Bandit, SV650 etc etc, you will drop it, so no point getting something expensive, then once you have some experiance go for something bigger.

Hi,

My first and only bike is a Piaggio X9 250. A maxi scooter. I never ride a bike before i bought it.And i learned how to ride on it.I did some training for about a week and jumped out to traffic. It's been 4 years and i have never fell or crash.Thanks god. Whatever bike you buy, just don't do something silly Ride carefully and always watch out other cars around you. Keep one eye on the mirrors and the other in front. Never relax or think about something else, just concentrate on your ride. It's not the bike, it's the rider .

Good luck and take care.

Right now, I'm looking at these two, as the main contenders.

2008 Suzuki GS 500F vs. 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R

Quote from Lible :

Somehow I think 500 to 750 cc and learning don't go hand in hand.

I tend to agree, but it would be hard to keep up with anything less.

Quote from BAMBO :

Don't do it, get an Ariel Atom or a Radical , it's the same thing with no drawbacks of a bike.But if you really want a bike, I suggest you get something cheap, second-hand and under 500cc because you will fall of it sooner or later.

Have you ever actually ridden a bike?

How big / old are you?.

Personally, I would say the Suzi is the better of the two, much less stressed engine, will be a physically bigger bike, and have better residual value should you come to sell it in the future.

As for those saying a bike over 500cc is too big to learn on, I say balls, you HAVE to learn on a large bike over here to do you DAS test, you have to learn and pass on a bike of over 46.6bhp, anyone is capable of riding a bike of over 500cc, remember, throttle works both ways.

Quote from Jakg :

Have you ever actually ridden a bike?

Yes I have

maybe he isn't like Lorenzo in the MotoGP so let him get his bike

Quote from danowat :

How big / old are you?.

(((5 * 12) + 9) * 2.54) / 100 = 1.7526
I am 5 Foot, 9 Inches or 69 Inches or 175.26cm or 1.7526 Meters.

I am also Nineteen (19) years old, and I think I'm about 128Lbs or 9 stones, 2Lbs or 58Kg.

Ahh....little lad then

I'd still say the Suzuki is your best bet

Quote from Dygear :

First, I just want to say that I'm an Emergency Medical Technician, I know just how bad you can get hurt on a Motorcycle. I also know that your much more likely to do something stupid while on a motorcycle, to the point where everyone you know will regret it (fatal accidents). That said, I still happen to have the passion for Motorcycles in my blood (Thanks, Dad).

Those with a true passion for motorcycles, this statement is the complete opposite. Learn to be a motorcyclist, not a kid with a motorcycle. A motorcyclist has much more respect for the machine and you learn much about awareness, more than anything you will ever do. Becoming a motorcyclist helps in infinite ways even when driving a car. You learn to become aware of everything and learn to look far ahead at potential situations that you become a far better motorist all together no matter what you are using.

It's the kids and the immature (doesn't always mean young of age) with the superior attitude and thinking they are indestructible that are the ones that are more likely to "do stupid stuff."

Quote :

(I've accepted that, I will at some point drop my bike.).

It only took 2 days for me. Nervousness, a turn, gravel, and a very large pickup truck who thought it was ok to ride right on my rear fender made for a 'not so pleasant' slide on my butt. Lucky, I wasn't moving very fast. I ALWAYS wore a full face helmet, even after the law was revoked here in PA that it was a requirement. I laid down my bike at a VERY low speed. I was turning off one road onto another, maybe 10 mph if that, and the back tire spun and slipped in fine gravel. It was so slow that it was very close to being the equivelant to being stopped and the bike falling. I was knocked down to the pavement and my helmet thumped onto the road. I could tell that it would have hurt VERY much had I not been wearing a helmet. I couldn't imagine actually having a real crash without a helmet form that experience.

Quote :

I need a bike that will allow me to learn how to turn a bike correctly, get your knee down and really turn the bike using the full potential.

Wrong. You don't need a bike that will allow you to learn how to get your knee down. You are not on a race track out on public roads. You need a bike that will allow you to learn to respect the bike. You should never be "using the full potential" on the roads.

Quote :

Can any riders out there give me any tips on what I should get as my first bike? What did you learn on, how long did it take until you out grew your bike (And how many CC was it). Best places to learn (Roundabouts, Country Side [Box Hill - England Comes to Mind], Highways, Track Days, ect.) What is your favorite make (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Ducati, or Aprilia), what's yor favorite bike?

Favorite make is Honda. No real reason. I just think the quality of Honda is at the very top, but that doesn't mean anything about the quality of the others. My 2nd choice is the Kawasaki.

My first bike was a used 1983 Honda Nighthawk CB550SC. Pic of my bike. What I liked about my bike being on 2 wheels for the first time is, it was VERY easy to ride those first few weeks. The lower rpm range was easy on power and acceleration. As I got use to riding, I went further into the rpm range and was pleasantly surprised at the rush of acceleration once I hit 6000 rpm and moved above. As a beginner, this was great because you always outgrow your first bike. The ease of using lower rpm to learn, then the allowance of the higher rpms in faster acceleration and more speed allowed me to use the bike for longer than a month.

The first time I got on a bike was when I test road a bike someone was selling. It was a Yamaha 650 Special. Basically, a thumper, or a single cylinder very low powered engine. I rode it 8 feet and it was immediately clear to me that I would out grow it within a matter of days. In hindsight, my immediate reaction I now know was spot on. Basically, what I'm saying is, you don't want too small of a bike, but you don't want too big of a bike either.

I would recommend used Honda Nighthawks to anyone just starting out on a motorcycle. Small enough to initially learn on, but big enough to continue for a short while.

Quote from Lible :

Somehow I think 500 to 750 cc and learning don't go hand in hand.

cc's mean absolutely nothing. As I said, my very first experience was on a 650 cc, and it was like riding one of those electric scooter toys for the kids. Absolutely no usable power. There's a huge difference between single cylinders, V-twins, 4 cylinders, and V-4 engines.

Quote from Dygear :

Right now, I'm looking at these two, as the main contenders.

2008 Suzuki GS 500F vs. 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R

I would recommend not wasting the money on something new for your first bike. As you said you are interested in a sport bike, these would be great bikes, except that a year down the road, you WILL be looking for more. Not only that, but as the saying goes, there's 2 types of riders. Those who HAVE laid their bikes down, and those who are GOING to lay their bikes down. I would rather pay the small cash for something used, learn, take a motorcycle safety course (free in PA), and have hardly anything into it. Then, after you have learned, you know more about what you want and can look for an 'upgrade' to your beginner bike and spend for something new.

For the record, I spent $1150 (tax, title, and registration) on my Nighthawk in 2001, rode it for ~20,000 miles, and sold it for $900.

Be aware of the 'sticker shock' when you go to purchase tires for a bike. They aren't cheap, and they don't last like car tires. I was putting a rear tire on mine every year, and a front ever 2 years.

My bike can waste rear tyres in 2000 miles , can get expensive.

Quote from danowat :

How big / old are you?.

Personally, I would say the Suzi is the better of the two, much less stressed engine, will be a physically bigger bike, and have better residual value should you come to sell it in the future.

'08 250r's have excellent resale value

They are great learning bikes but You will most likely grow out of it very quickly. And they are in very high demand

I would reccomend buying one as a starter bike and If you feel you need something larger It will sell quick provided you dont beat the crap out of it.

Aj

The Kawasaki Ninja 500 (aka EX500) is a better bike than the Suzuki GS500. It may not look as pretty but it's mechanically superior. Buy used. There are some pretty good deals on new ones if you look around but you won't feel as bad about dropping a used bike.

ATGATT: All the gear all the time

Try here:
http://www.ex-500.com

When you have some experience (a year or 2), try these guys:
http://www.teampromotion.com

I thought of starting this topic a month ago or so when I got my bike. I went to a class and all that good stuff and learned on a Buell Blast. Although I bought a Yamaha YZF-R6 a week later. Must say it's an amazing ride. It was also nice to learn in a class environment where you do learn a few good techniques and feel a bit safer, mostly cause your learning slow speed handling which IMO (after a month of riding) is the most difficult part. I have since had one close incident involving gravel, turning into a parking lot and a car not paying attention as well as one behind me. However everything went fine and I simply stopped to the side, which was good cause the car behind never stopped... It definitely takes more patience and attention and such, but it was in my blood too, and my car is boring now. As you can tell I learned in a class (parking lot) and then got onto the streets, which around here are too straight to be fun, and little traffic which is nice for learning.

Quote from mrodgers :

It's the kids and the immature (doesn't always mean young of age) with the superior attitude and thinking they are indestructible that are the ones that are more likely to "do stupid stuff."

From my past and attitude I am completely not an idiot with superior attitude. I know that this isn't picking on me or anyone in particular but I wanted to say it is false. It's just a flick of the wrist from 50 to 70... Really it doesn't take much at all and I pay attention to that sort of thing. I went from sitting up position at 65mph to the ducked down position with no throttle change, and the air drag alone gained me over 20mph as I found myself doing 88mph. That was on my first trip, so I learned to ease off the throttle when changing position. It's not a matter of feeling over confident, its a matter of too many things. Sure I can agree that they are more likely to "do stupid stuff" but it doesn't really mean they are more likely to be injured, on my bike I am confident with my basic skills but very cautious of the other vehicles on the road... They can be, stupid when I'm in my car, but it isn't as easy to see the bike so they tend to be even more stupid...

If you're going to become a biker, sign up here first. So when you end your life after going under the wheels of a truck, some one else can continue theirs.

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

If you're going to become a biker, sign up here first. So when you end your life after going under the wheels of a truck, some one else can continue theirs.

Not sure if this is a bait post or not............

Quote from danowat :

Not sure if this is a bait post or not............

T'is a prod in the ribs from a cager.

Thought it sounded like your typical run of the mill, blind-ass cage-meister

I agree that a used Ninja 250 or 500 would do the trick nicely.

Quote from Lible :

Somehow I think 500 to 750 cc and learning don't go hand in hand.

Nothing wrong with starting on a 500cc-750cc as a first bike. My uncle got his bike license about 6 years ago although he was 36 when he started riding a motorbike he jumped straight onto a Suzuki GSX-R 600 then after about 2yrs he went out and got a Suzuki GSX-R 1000 and still has it to this day.
Starting out on a 600 didn't do him any harm and never came off of the bike.

Can't see the harm in learning on a bigger bike, just means a slightly smaller learning curve

In an uber-most ideal world, you'd be suited to learning the basics for a few months on a 125/250, preferably something old, so that if you do drop, not only will you not make a large dygear-shaped dent in the road, but a few extra scratches on the bike won't be the end of the world.

Whatever you do, best of luck

Quote from sam93 :

Nothing wrong with starting on a 500cc-750cc as a first bike. My uncle got his bike license about 6 years ago although he was 36 when he started riding a motorbike he jumped straight onto a Suzuki GSX-R 600 then after about 2yrs he went out and got a Suzuki GSX-R 1000 and still has it to this day.
Starting out on a 600 didn't do him any harm and never came off of the bike.

Well some people do fine and some people don't. The proportion of people who don't is a lot higher when you look at those who started off on 600cc+ sportbikes. I know of a lot of local riders who started off on too much bike and then ended up injured or worse because of it. There is one story that really makes me sad...

I know someone who works at a motorcycle dealer, and he had a teenager come in wanting to buy a 1000cc sportbike as his first bike. My friend said he wouldn't sell it to him, because it's not a good decision for a new rider, and he would rather lose a sale than see him get hurt. His Dad came in and was very upset, saying he should have just sold him the 1000cc bike. The salesman explained why he didn't think it was a good decision, but the father went ahead and bought the 1000cc bike under his own name anyway. A week later the father came in and said his son was dead, and admitted that the salesman was right, he shouldn't have started on that bike.

This kind of thing happens all the time... sure a lot of people are fine starting off on really fast bikes, but a LOT more inexperienced people kill themselves on 600cc + bikes than on Ninja 250s....