What type of motorcycle do you recommend to beginners?

Question

I'm taking a training course, and I've heard bad things about sports bikes. Why are they so bad for beginners? Are they too fast/hard to control? I really love the look, and I'd hate to waste my money on something I didn't like... If you really really really do not recommend sports bikes for beginners, is there something safer that looks like it?

Answer 1

Congrats.  I hope you do well in class.  You will be among the 50% of us who have a M on your license.  Safety is about unsafe acts combined with unsafe conditions.  If you are being unsafe, you will put yourslelf at higher risk, no matter what kind of bike you ride.  Control and speed is up to the rider's competency.  The lighter the bike, the easier to control.  More power just requires more respect.  Lose respetct for the bike and you will dump it.

Keep in mind that cruisers, standards, and sport bikes have ENTIRELY different design funcions.  Aside from the two wheels, it is pretty much all they have in common.

Let's define a few terms that you class will not cover.  Torque, Horsepower, top speed, and acceleration.

Torque is the actual force that makes you move.  If you have more torque available than you are using, you can change speeds.  The more torque avaiable, the greater the rate of change of speed.  The change rate of velocity is acceleration.

Top end speed is a steady state balance between drag and available power.  Horse power is torque times rpm divided by a constant (33000)

If you have constant torque, the increasing rpm will increase horsepower.  this type of engine is like a cruisers engine.  Lots of torque but little horsepower, it can't rev that much past 6000 rpm.

The sport bikes have "peaky" engines,  there is very little torque at lower rpm.  In fact most sport bikes have usable torque starting at 4K rpm all the way up to 12K rpm.  My 954 has all the torque as a Harley fat boy.  I have twice the horses and half the weight.  It is no wonder that I can go almost twice as fast.  However, you have to be in the right gear in order to outpace the cruisers.  Typical sport bikes have 6 speeds.  keeping in the correct rpm range by feel or sound comes with practice.

Sport bikes or any high power bikes are bad for beginners because most beginner do not have the discipline to take it easy.  The faster you go the higher the gyroscopic inertia.  In other words the faster you go, the straighter it wants to go.  The bigger the tires the more gyroscopic effects you will have.

Because sport bikes were designed for high speeds, they don't turn on a dime like standards or cuisers.  The handle bars run into the tank.

If the majority of riding is winding roads, get a sport bike.

If acceleration and high pitch engine noise gets you moist, there is nothing like a Honda, Yamaha, or Susuki in  a 600 cc engine.

If you want good gas milage, get a cruiser or standard. My 954 will barely gets 40mpg.  I know harley 1400 engines get 50.

Just remember, race replica crotch rockets are the worst bikes for slow cruising or riding at legal speeds.  Since you like sport bikes, start with the most upright position possible.  Get the biggest you can handle.  If you can't lift it off the ground, it is too big for you.  Statistics show that every rider will put their bike down.  It is just a matter of how sever you will injure yourself and the bike.

Answer 2

Don't do anything until you've completed the basic training course. You will learn on small bikes and that will give you some idea of what you need and what you can handle.

After the class visit all the dealers that you can and try all of them on for size. If you can't put both feet on the ground as you sit on the bike it is too big for you. I don't know how big you are but a good starter bike will be in the 250-400cc range. Find one you like and then look for a good used one. After getting some experience most people want a bigger, or at least different, bike. Don't waste money on anything new until you've owned at least 3 or 4 and you are sure of what you need and can handle.

After some time on the small bike you may want to move up to something in the 400-700 range. When you move up, do it a little bit at a time. This will give you a chance to get used to the extra size, weight, and power of each new bike. If you take it slow you can work your way up to any size bike that you want.

Sport bikes are not recommended for beginners because they are very powerful for their size and many people find themselves in over their heads. Their easy handling makes some people overconfident and they drive beyond the limits of their skill. Sport bikes are fun to ride but the seating position makes them uncomfortable for longer rides.

Answer 3

A used yamaha 500 or a used honda would be better for a beginner.

They are easy to practice on.

You should be an experienced rider before thinking of a crouch rocket.

Answer 4

two of my friends are beginner riders both bought sportbikes. a r6 and a gsxr 600. No problems learning to ride. Just respect the power these bikes have and you will be fine. cool thing about the gsxr 600 is it has a selector switch that allows you to use less power, there are 3 modes 250cc, 400cc, then 600cc. might want to look into that.

Answer 5

First off no motorcycle turns on a dime. Secondly, it's your money and your ace riding it so you buy whatever bike you want. If you like sport bikes, buy a sport bike. The basic beginners sport bike is the 600CC. Yes they are fast but they only go as fast as you tell it to go. Every bike 250CC and higher can go 100MPH so 600CCs are no more dangerous than 250CCs.

Congrats on making the smart choice to take the class. Buy a gently used 600 and get plenty of practice. Have fun and always wear your protective gear. Helmet, jacket, gloves, and boots at a minimum.