Being a new rider, how do I decide what kind of motorcycle to purchase?

Question

I'm 19 years old and I just finished my rider's safety course to get my motorcycle endorsement. I've been looking for bikes to buy, but I cannot decide what to get.

I'm looking for a bike that is small, for good gas mileage, yet powerful enough with a large enough motor to run at 70 miles per hour without completely overworking the engine and running at high rpms.

I was first interested in the Honda Nighthawk 250, but I don't know how well it would run at 70 miles per hour on the highway, considering the small size of the engine.

Does anyone have any recommendations, tips, or things to watch out for when shopping for a motorcycle?

Answer 1

Don't get a 1000cc bike...

The Nighthawk 250 is a standard bike, you sit straight up on it. So I'll recommend some steps up from that.

Yamaha FZ6

Yamaha YZF 600R

Kawasaki Ninja 650R

Kawasaki Ninja 500R

Kawasaki Versys* (Might be spelled differently)

Suzuki SV650

Suzuki SV650S

Suzuki GSX650F

Suzuki GS500F

Honda Hornet

Honda VFR800

Ducati Monster

Some of those bikes are also sport tourers.

Supersport sportbikes like the popular ones you've probably heard of like the ZX6, CBR600RR, R6, and GSXR600 are all excellent bikes. They are really fast and can be comfortable for long rides if you're in shape and buy an aftermarket seat.

Buying a used bike is always a better option, in my book, since you don't have to worry as much about dropping it, and the bike has a chance of being broken in already.

I would strongly recommend buying full gear. I wear full gear even if it's a two minute ride to the store. Besides the regular gloves, helmet, boots, and pants I would recommend a back protector/chest protector vest like the ICON Field Armor Vest. It saved my back when I got ran over by my own bike. And when looking at gear-Leather w/Kevlar is always better than textile, especially in gloves. Pick bright colors, even though I got everything in black.

I would watch out for people saying you'll out grow a 600cc sportbike. 600cc's are one of the best tracktools and are more manageable on the street than a 1000cc bike.

EDIT: Sarasota, a Ninja 650R is not a V-Twin, it's a parallel twin. The pistons are side by side not opposed.

Mad Jack- That's opinion that sport bikes are harder to ride, I feel the same way about cruisers or cruisers with forward controls, it feels really sloppy. It all depends on what you prefer and how much experience you have on one.

Answer 2

Check out the v-twin sportbikes:

Suzuki SV650

Kawasaki Ninja 650R

Plenty of usable power, but less craziness than the full-out sportbikes, plus more comfortable seating position for longer rides.

Answer 3

If your getting the bike for more than just commuting to the train station in the morning get something bigger than a 250, you'll outgrow it in two weeks.

I just started riding this summer. I bought a Suzuki Intruder 800. Was a little bigger than I was planning on getting but I got a great deal on it. I'm glad I got it. It's low to the ground, for such a powerful bike it's very light 440 pounds lighter than some sport bikes out there. I think I get better than 40 mpg too. I wouldn't start out on anything smaller than a 600, your just goign to wind up trading up and losing money on the trade.

Answer 4

Buy something used and inexpensive for a starter bike.

Look for something old but not too old.  You don't want something so old that it is a junker, but not something so new that you'll feel bad if you lay it down.

Look for something in the 500 - 800 CC engine size.  This will be powerful enough so you don't get bored too soon, but not so fast that you will be afraid of it.

Look for a standard or cruiser bike for your first bike.  They are more forgiving.  Stay away from the sport bikes for your first bike as they require more skill.  Also used sport bikes tend to be more abused.

Watch the classified section of your local news paper.  Some locations have shopper magazines with used motorcycles in your area.  Reasonable used bikes are out there.  Be patient.  Don't buy too quickly, but if you find one you like, buy it right away.  Unfortunately, with the price of gas, the price of used bikes has also risen.  If you find a good starter bike, don't hesitate as they can sell quickly.

Don't get hung up on any particular brand.  They are all about the same.  Pay more attention to the bike's condition.  If any one brand were really superior to all other brands, this would be the only brand bike on the road.  In addition, if any brand bike was really inferior to the other brands, nobody would buy them and the company would be out of business.

Learn on this bike.  Make your mistakes on it.  You will make mistakes.  Would you rather make your mistakes on an older bike or your nice shiny expensive new bike?

The most important thing you should do when getting your first bike is to take a motorcycle safety course.  I see you have already done this.  Don't forget what you learned.

After you have been riding a while and gain some experience, you can sell your starter bike and get the one you want.  If maintained properly and not abused, you won't lose too much money on your starter bike.  Put the money from the sale towards the bike you really want.  By this time, you will have figured out what style bike best suits your riding style and needs.

If you settle on a sport bike for your next bike, avoid the used ones.  As I said before, these bikes tend to be more abused.  So if considering a sport bike, consider something new.

I know I used this answer before.  However I feel this is good advice.

Have fun - Ride safe

Note:  I currently own an 800 CC cruiser.  Riding back and forth to work, I get just below 50 MPG.  If I do more highway riding it is closer to 55 MPG.  How you ride will also effect your fuel efficiency.  If you ride agressive, you will use more fue than if you take it easy.  This will be common on any bike.

Answer 5

You want at least 650cc, and Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki all  make acceptable models in that size range.

Answer 6

Stick with something in the 250 to 400 cc range until you get more experience under your belt.  The 650s and larger recommended by others are too much for a new rider.  I used to drive an ambulance years ago and we scraped up more new riders on crotch rockets than any other single type of accident.  Most of them were dead, by the way.  Telling a parent that their kid just snuffed himself hitting a lamp post at 90 MPH is not fun.

The Nighthawk should maintain highway speeds reasonably well riding one-up (unless you're a REAL lard-butt).  You don't want to ride with a passenger on the highway just yet anyway so this is a pretty good starting bike.