Best starter motorcycle for 35 year old?

Question

Hey guys and gals, I'm looking for a starter bike at age 35. I have a 2-year old son and another child on the way, so no stupid pet tricks for me on the road, just riding for pleasure on nice days only, more often than not in the burbs. Everyone says get a 250 and trade up, but for those of us with kids, it's a little tougher to find the $ beyond the intial purchase (plus negotating with wifey...)

Is something like a Honda Shadow Aero 750CC too much, or a 600CC sport bike? I'm afraid of the 250CC class only b/c I am 5'10" and 225 pounds.

Also, is the sitting position of a sport bike really that much more uncomfortable than a cruiser? It seems like you can almost lay down on the sport bike's tank if tired. I know one really should sit on one or ride one, but which is easier to learn on, a sport bike or cruiser?

Thanks in advance as always!

Answer 1

Hi There! Good to see your thinking about your ride.

Unfortunately most people's preferences and ideal bike's may not suit you,

I started on an old English Bike a BSA 650cc it was a great all rounder with a bit of power to get out of trouble too. Since Triumph have come back their Bonneville or road rocket ranges might be similar to those older ones, sit up position with good flat or semi flat bars easy riding position for suburbs and windy roads too.

Personally I think anything from 600 to the mild tune 1000's are a pretty good starter tend toward the 600's until you get used to them  then move up to the bigger bikes.

Ultimately when you are ready to move up you should take yourself to the nearest bike shop and try out any of the bikes you think you like test them all and you should find at least one style /size you find you will like.

Always try to do any rider training courses and rider education possible, happy riding Good Luck and always remember

Live to Ride Ride to Live

Take opportunities not risks

Answer 2

I would suggest that you get a naked or cruiser in the 500cc to 750cc range. These are the easiest to ride, and are fast enough to give you the bike "hit". 600cc sport bikes are too fast and too uncomfortable to learn on. sport bikes rely on wind pressure at speed to take the weight off your wrists. they make your neck ache too. 225 pounds is a bit of a load for a 250. Ive been riding for 40 years, and ride EVERY bike I can, My current bike is a Vmax.

Answer 3

You are in the ballpark in choosing a 600cc sportbike or a cruisier with around 750cc-900cc.

It's difficult to define "comfort".   A laid back, foot forward cruiser position can seemingly be comfortable for some riders on long road trips, but a body forward, sportbike position can be comfortable for those who want the comfort of better handling and response.

I started off riding a HD Sportster 883C and after a few months traded it for a Ninja ZX6R.

While the cruiser position of the Sportster was more comfortable for longer rides, I am actually more comfortable riding the Ninja because it is a much lighter weight and extremely better handling motorcycle than a cruiser which is more important for me personally while I'm on the road.

I am 40 years old, but not the typical older guy who rather ride a cruiser.  I will probably be riding a sportbike well into my 50s

Answer 4

to learn on? a 250 would be a great starter bike. it also has good resale value to trading up would not be much of a financial lost with the 250. it doesn't matter what age you are for your first bike, it matters where your skill level is. start with a 250, learn to ride, and then trade up to what you can afford and what serves your needs. i'm 31 single, no kids and i've been a licensed rider since i was 16. i've had 8 motorcycles and have 2 now, one 02 RC51 and a 92 CBR600 and i would love to have a 250 ninja to commute on. i'm also 5-11 around 215 pounds.

Answer 5

There are sport bikes with a normal riding seating position where the handlebars and the foot pegs are a standard position where you don't have to lean over like a crotch rocket.

They call these bikes "Naked, or Standard Sport Bikes"

Most of these bikes use the same engine and frame parts as a crotch rocket, but the engines are tuned down for normal highway speeds.

The advantage of these bikes is they are lightweight, easy to ride and handle, offer excellent power and performance along with excellent gas mileage, comfortable seating position, along with some fairing and a windshield to block most of the wind from the rider and better aerodynamics slicing thru the wind.

The best, naked, standard sport bike if you want to ride a passenger would be the Suzuki SV650, also comes in a "S" version with full front fairing, this bike will do anything you want it to do, if you wanta ride long trips, or enough power and speed to keep up with any other bike, this bike will do the job, it also comes with a bigger gas tank with at least 55 mpg so there are less fuel stops

Note: Cruiser Bikes are much heavier, harder and take more physical ability to ride and handle, less power and performance, and have much worse fuel economy, BUT if you want a cruiser bike I would recommend either the Honda Shadow 750, or the Yamaha 650 V Star

Answer 6

hehehe well..

with a sports bike ur right.. you lean far forward with your head over the tank, but this causes problems.. those being that you have a lot of weight on your wrists transmiting up to your shoulders. after some time of riding its very uncomfortable. plus your legs on a sports bike are cramped up, even after 30 mins of riding you feel you need to take your legs of the rests and stretch them out. but for sure, as soon as you sit on the bike in the shop it feels quite a nice and cool position. if you plan on riding more than to the shops or the local biker bar this would be a bad choice.

  If you decide to get a cruiser you have a simillar problem, your arms will be high up on the big bars and far apart not to mention that when the crash the rider always gets mangled up with the bike coz legs are usually forward and the big stupid bars trap the rider between the road and the bike, the dont handle well on twisty roads and the suspention usually sucks not to mention they are expensive to buy, expensive for parts and always break down.

the most comfortable affordable and practical bike would be a sports tourer or tourer. look at something with a higher seat position so your legs arnt cramped after 2 miles, something that is going to stick to the roads and the handle bars are not in a stupid position. ideal choice would be a Kawasaki z750 or z1000. cheap, quick, reliable and comfy. supermotos are very comfty even though they have a thin seat, but they arnt practical because of small petrol tanks. anything like a suzuki bandit, yam fazer style would be ideal. easiest to learn on would be this type for sure. the wide STRAIGHT bars give good sensitivity in feeling what the front wheel is doing and easier to control at low speeds through towns and weaving though parked cars. if you want to learn how to ride a bike properly and for longer than an hour, these are your only choice.

Answer 7

I have a shadow 750, and I like it, but I would prefer a larger bike.  I would get an 1100, it is large enough to carry 2 adults comfortably, and won't be too hard to resell later.  As far as the discomfort of riding a sport bike, my little brother will ride nothing else, and I've got about a 45 minute time limit on them.  As far as the starter bike, take the class, they are free generally, and required to get a motorcycle endorsement on your license in most states.  It is also a good idea.