Whats a good beginner motorcycle for the road? Are dual purpose bikes any good?

Question

Well I have rode dirt bikes for several years and I just passed my motorcycle license test so now I am thinking about getting an on road bike. I was thinking about a Honda Nighhawk 250 but everybody tells me I should get somethings a little bigger. Would the 250 be a good beginner bike? For right now I would probably just stay in town with it so speed is not a big deal right now but I if I can I would like to get a bike that I wont get bored with for a while. I doubt I would ever take it on the interstate so if I can find a bike that will do 70MPH I will be happy. Will a night hawk do 70? Do they get up to speed reasonably quick with a 155lbs rider? I would love to get a dual purpose bike because I like to ride in the dirt but I don't know if I would be comfortable on the street with a dual purpose bike. Is a dual purpose bike a bad idea for beginners?

Thanks for any comments

Answer 1

a 250 will move you around fine in town...

but if you're ever gonna be jumping on the freeway, you'll need 500cc or bigger.... (minus crotch rockets)

i'm not positive if it will do 70, but somehow i doubt it... if it does, your rpms will be peaking and the engine will be whining while you're doing 70....

it's not a standard bike, but you could look at honda shadow 500.... a ninja 250r is also capable of doing high way speeds and is a good starter bike.

if you've been riding dirt bikes ever in your life, no ti's not a bad idea to get a DS... DS are geared towards onroad (unless you get one that's specificly more off road orientated) which makes them even easier to handle on road then a dirt bike off road.... i forget what make/model but there's a 450 dual sport.... klx/klr's are capable of doing between 80-100mph.... if you got experience on a dirt bike and are tall enough, you should be able to handle it np.

Answer 2

because you said you've ridden dirtbikes (how hard?) for several years, I am not sure you need to get such a modest bike.  But from what you are planning to use it for, I think a super-motard (supermoto) bike would be a good choice for that ype of riding and it would be similar and familiar feeling ride as your dirtbike.

You only live once man, so go for it!  buy something nice cuz remember this:  he who buys the best only cries once!

Answer 3

I agree. I just got myself a KLR650 as a replacement for my XT200 that got stolen last summer. Get something with at least 20 HP. 15 HP is around the breaker point for bikes that either can or can't hold onto highway speeds. Though this is one of many linked factors in terms of reaching speed. And a 500+ cc bike is definitely better if you plan on trying to town-hop along major roadways. The bigger the engine (generally), the more reserve power, which, without a doubt, will more than enough times make up for the expense and potential headaches when it lets you quickly accelerate from a particularly nasty and avoidable situation.