What is the best starter motorcycle for a 17 year old.?

Question

I'm 6'3" and i weigh 200lbs. I have little to no experience on motorcycles. I want a bike that i wont have to pay too much for considering its just a starter bike. And i want a sport bike. Hopefully less than $1000 but no more than $1500. I want somthing that will do atleat 100mph. Also if you have any links that would also help. Thank You.

Answer 1

First off, you do NOT want a sport bike. Sport bikes are not starter bikes. That would be like learning how to drive a care in a corvette, it's just too much power for a novice. Besides, you'll get a much better deal if you get a used standard or cruiser style bike.

Answer 2

NINJA 250

Answer 3

a ninja 250...

if you can find one for under 1500 that is

Answer 4

Here is what I recommend. Check for a M/C safety course nearby. Here is why.

They provide bikes to learn on. SO you can sit a few and see what feels right. It's usually a 16 hour very valuable course. Most states use your cert from the class as your road test for your endorsement on your license. AND it will save about 20-30% on your insurance besides getting tips to stay alive. It usually runs about $300. But it pays back 10 fold. And what's your life worth?

Having said that. Make sure when you sit it that both feet sit flat on the ground. This is a must for balance, control and fit. Tippy toes will not cut it. Your center of gravity will not perform well with the design of the bike. For your size I would not go with anything smaller than a 750cc. I prefer the Honda Nighthawks. If you are short legged and long body then a Honda Magna sits lower to the ground.

And one more thing. Try and get a shaft drive instead of chain. Nearly zero maintenance as opposed to new chain and sprockets every 8-10k miles of heavy use, chain adjustments and the added expense of chain lube every week not to mention the mess.

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

your gonna have to go used for that price range. look for an older ninja 250 or 500. they are great for biginners.

Answer 6

250cc  2 stroke...   RD Yam..   RZ Yam..   RG  Suzuki...  KR Kawasaki...

air cooled are really old ones...  but you should be able to get a reasonable liquid cooled one for under $1500..

Model

Yamaha RD 250LC

Year

1980

Engine

Liquid cooled, two stroke, parallel twin cylinder

Capacity

247

Bore x Stroke 54 х 54 mm

Compression Ratio 6.7:1

Induction

  

Ignition  /  Starting

  

Max Power

35 hp @ 8000 rpm　

Max Torque

3.0 kg-m @ 8000 rpm

Transmission  /  Drive

6 Speed  /  chain

Front Suspension

  

Rear Suspension

  

Front Brakes

Single disc

Rear Brakes

Drum

Front Tyre

3.00-18

Rear Tyre

3.25-18

Dry-Weight /

139 kg

Fuel Capacity

17 Litres

Consumption  average

40 mpg

Standing ¼ Mile  

14.6 sec

Top Speed

98 mph

Make Model

Kawasaki KR 250

Year

1986

Engine

Liquid cooled, two stroke, parallel twin cylinder,  

Capacity

249

Bore x Stroke 56.0 x 50.6 mm

Compression Ratio 7.4:1

Induction

2x Keihin PWK 28  

Ignition  /  Starting

Capacitor discharge

Max Power

45 hp @ 10000 rpm

Max Torque

3.7 kg-m @ 8000 rpm

Transmission  /  Drive

6 Speed  /  chain

Front Suspension

  Air-assisted 35mm forks with 3-way adjustable AVDS anti-dive

Rear Suspension

Adjustable damping and 5-way preload

Front Brakes

2x 260mm discs 1 piston calipers

Rear Brakes

Single 350mm disc 1 piston calipers

Front Tyre

100/90 VR16

Rear Tyre

110/80 VR18

Dry-Weight

133 kg

Fuel Capacity

  

Standing ¼ Mile  

13.6 sec / 95.5 mp/h

Top Speed

112 mp/h

Make Model

Suzuki RGV 250  

Year

1988

Engine

Liquid cooled, two stroke, 90° V-twin, reed valve.

Capacity

249

Bore x Stroke 56 x 50.6 mm

Compression Ratio 7.5:1

Induction

2X Mikuni TN34SS carbs

Ignition  /  Starting

Electronic  /  

Max Power

49 hp 35.7 kW @ 9500 rpm

Max Torque

40 Nm @ 8000 rpm

Transmission  /  Drive

6 Speed  /  chain

Gear Ratio 1st gear: 2.454 (27/11)  / 2nd gear: 1.625 (26/16)  / 3rd gear: 1.235 (21/17) / 4th gear: 1.045 (23/22)  /  5th gear: 0.916 (22/24) /  6th gear: 0.840 (21/25)  

Front Suspension

41mm Telescopic forks, adjustable preload

Rear Suspension

Full floater, adjustable preload, 4-way adjustments.

Front Brakes

2x 290mm discs 4 piston calipers

Rear Brakes

Single 210mm disc 1 piston caliper

Front Tyre

110/60-17

Rear Tyre

140/60-18

Seat Height 755 mm

Dry-Weight

128 kg

Fuel Capacity

17 Litres

Consumption  average

30 mpg

Standing ¼ Mile  

12.9 sec / 400 mp/h 160 km/h

Top Speed

125.4 mph 201.8 km/h

Answer 7

I'd look for an older honda nsr250 streetbike if you like speed. There fast, there easy going and i had one my first bike it worked fine. Im not big on the beginner motor cycle scene, but id say that would the best bike for the money because you'd have trouble landing one between your price range and they've ran for years without trouble.

Answer 8

A Honda GoldWing

Answer 9

with that budget you're gonna have to take what you can get

Answer 10

If speed is all you're worried about, how fast it'll go, you aren't going to live long enough to worry about it.  You obviously don't realize that these things can and will kill you, QUICK.  Have your parents take out an insurance policy on you before you start at least, give them something to remember you by when they drive the new car you paid for.

A 250 Ninja is a great starter bike.  Nothing over a 500cc.

Answer 11

Dude, when you say "starter motorcycle" and "I have little to no experience" and then you say "I want... at least 100mph"- those things don't mix.  You want a sport bike? Sport bikes and beginners don't go together. The dude who posted the giant list of bikes (all the 2-strokes) forgot to mention that they are all old, and if they're ridable, will be out of your price range. Otherwise, you need to be a mechanic if you own one of those.

I'm a BMW Motorcycle Master Technician, have owned 61 bikes, and currently build custom choppers. I've been through Motorcycle Safety Foundation Instructor training and have ridden 4-stroke race bikes, ATVs, 2-stroke dirtbikes, and street bikes from 30cc to 2294cc for 28 years.

Someone mentioned a 250 Ninja.

I can agree with that one. It's liquid-cooled so you won't smoke the engine as fast as you would an air-cooled one, and its power is delivered in a very linear (well, flat) manner so it won't surprise you in a turn.  If you warm it up carefully (don't get into that stupid habit of blipping the throttle, especially with a cold engine) it is basically bullet-proof. One of my racebikes is a GPz250 (Ninja) and at TGPR in a 20-minute session I lapped a Ducati 900ss TWICE on my 250. If they do nothing else, they freakin handle!  And it will do 100mph with your big **** on it, only (and I know I'm wasting my breath telling a 17-yr-old not to do it) don't freakin worry about speed, man.  You WILL end up screwed.  At this point in your riding career, the last thing you need to be doing is 100mph.

For God's sake buy gloves (good ones, dang it- with a gauntlet over the wrist) and footwear that covers your ankle bone with LEATHER or some very tough substitute. Buy a jacket made for motorcycles (and not some cheap thin-leather c**p- if you dump the bike, that jacket's gonna be the only thing that keeps the street from scraping the skin off your forearms).

And forget about "less than $1000"= if you find one that cheap, it's either junk or stolen.  

I guess the good thing is, ridden responsibly, the thing will get over 60mpg.