I read somebody elses thread recently that was considering a motorcycle. I'm thinking about getting a bike, mostly for inexpensive transportation. I have a 15 mile commute across HWY 92 from woodstock to roswell. I've never owned a motorcycle and have ridden very little. I was trying to get something inexpensive to own/operate. My top choice right now is the ninja 250R. I really like the looks of the '08 as it looks like a real sportbike, but doesn't have much power. I also plan on taking a motorcycle safety class as soon as it is offered this summer. Another consideration would be a suzuki GS500 or SV650. I heard this is a great handling bike (SV650) but I don't want to get to much bike to learn on. Any suggestions? Thanks for the help!
the sv650 is a great bike. its a v-twin so be careful on the throttle. it has alot of torq.mine is still for sale. u should consider it. i know its a 1000 but its different than a sports bike. you sit up on it like a dirt bike. a fast bike is like a fast car. you dont have to go fast but its there if you ever need it.
finally someone looking for a first bike that isn't saying "i never rode a bike before...i was thinking maybe a r1 or gxsr" any of those bikes will be plenty of fun/good mpg/reliable/safe (as a bike can be anyway)
Your bike is beautiful! How easy is it to learn on a 1 liter bike? What sort of MPG have you seen with yours? I have been eyeing since you mentioned it to somebody else. My jaw dropped when I saw the paint job and the pipes on there. It looks sick! It is certainly a consideration, I am just a bit scared of the raw powah! me -> ssh:
Not trying to sell-block or anything, but I wouldn't recommend starting off on a z1000. That's just as powerful as any sportbikes and that power can get you into a lot of trouble in an emergency situation. Sure, just riding around, anyone can handle something powerful, but when you have to make an emergency maneuver is when your experience shows and the people on a bike they can't handle get into a lot of trouble. I would stick with a 250 or 650 that you already mentioned. I've had my sv650 for two years now and still love it.
r1, gsxr????? a little much dont ya think. i would go to a bike shop that has a good selection of different bikes. ask to sit on them. leave the kickstand down and sit on them as if you were riding them. see what fits you.what feels good. a full faring bike is made for speed,arrow dynamics. leaning over on it can be a little difficult. i think would be more happier with a z or a sv. thats just my opion though.
thank you.easy to ride.you sit on it like a bycicle. not sure the mpg. its alot though. i put gas in it every 2 weeks or so. it cost $13 to fill it up on high oct.:wavey:
The new 08 Ninja 250 is a great bike and fixed the few things that have been wrong with that model. You can't go wrong if you can get one for list of $3499. I bet you could ride it a year and still get at least $2500 for it used. If you aren't doing a ton of freeway riding, it is a great little bike. Hell I have a V-Rod and I have considered getting one just for playing around on after riding my friends.
While a nice bike, for a first time rider I really wouldn't recommend it. It's not going to be light(4cyls, no way around it), big, and probably more powerful than would be wise. The ninja 250 is a great bike to start off on! It's not very heavy, gets good mileage, and is just a good overall package. However if your intending on doing highway stuff, then going up to around 500-600cc's would be better. Not necessary but nicer to have. Some people get tired of the ninja 250 quickly, but it really all depends on what your goals are for it. A simple city commuter bike and it's perfect for that job! You don't need much more to put around at 40mph. If your going to try and do trips on it or highway commuting it's best to just start off at a higher cc. I would recommend you take the msc before doing any buying though. Also visit the dealers and see whats comfortable for you.
how tall are you and what do you weigh?I hear that the new Ninja 250 is better than ever.The only thing is you might grow tired of it.it might be one of the few bikes that you can utilize most/all of its power(performance capability).I prefer a mid-sized bike.something in the 600 cc range.a little sportier..I do not think that the gas mileage will be hugely different from size to size.
I cant believe the input Im getting from bike owners. I have owned one bike in my past but it barely classifies as a bike (google aprilia rs 50). I am dead set on the cbr 600rr and multiple bike owners are telling me to 'not waste my time' and go straight to a liter bike. I think this is nuts. The 600rr and any 600cc sportbike for that matter feels very light between my legs and very easy to manage on the road.
your goals are to have an inexpensive commuter bike, stay away from anything 1000cc, your right you dont need it. Also be sure to research how much insurance is. Anything that can be considered a sportbike/superbike is going to cost ya. I was looking at honda 600rr last year, specifically a used one, 05 06 model. the insurance was close to 1200 a year, and that was with close to minimum coverage. Then for the hell of it I priced insurance on a Ducati Monster, a naked sports bike if you will. Ducati monster 695, similar year range. Insurance was a whopping 200 dollars a year. Just FYI,
you should check around for insurance companies. i have a 04 z1000 and my insurance is $30 a month.i have state farm.
who says you dont need a 1000cc???? you sound like my mom telling me i dont need the gt30r i put on my sti.now im already tierd of it. nothing is ever fast enough for me. my z1000 feels like a 250 now. i cant wait to get a hyabussa.then when i get used to that ill probably stretch it and put a turbo on it. a guy a my work just bought a 500cc bike two weeks ago. his first bike. i asked him yesterday how he likes it and he said he wish he would have bought mine. its only been two weeks and he wants something bigger!!!!
Sure, in a straight line you can easily get tired of a bike's power. However, going around turns, and for learning on a bike commuting around town, especially if the area you commute gets decently busy, the last thing you need to do is get a big bike for your first. As far as taking twisties, it'll be hard to reach full potential on even a 250 for the average street rider. The only people that'll be able to reach full potential on modern day 600s, etc. are going to be your pro racers and your talented track day warriors. I highly advise against starting off on any supersport. Take my advise how you want.
Already got quotes, progressive wanted $2400/yr for 'full coverage' (mind you I pay them $82/month for great coverage on my wrx). State Farm quoted me $174 every 6 months for a 2008 600rr :naughty: Needless to say, State Farm > all when it comes to bike insurance. My local state farm agent confirmed what ive read (state farm only looks at displacement when generating a rate).
if its your first bike PLEASE dont buy a 1000 cc bike. ive had a lot of friends go that route, lucky there all alive but most people who buy 1000's out of the gate learn the hard way. SV650 are great bikes, 250 are ok but you will get very tired of that soon, buell blast are 500cc and there really torque but tops out around 105 (should be enough though). 250's are ok to learn on but thats it(plus there scary on the highway) if you buy a 1000 it could be expensive and your first bike should be a beater cause you will wreck it, we all do. 600's are the best way to go and it will keep you the happiest the longest. welcome to the drug of two wheels.
I'm about 5'10" and weigh about 175. Sounds like maybe a used 600 will be the way to go. I'm going to get my permit in the next few weeks, and then take a motorcycle safety class sometime this summer. Hopefully by then I'll have a better idea of what I can handle. And as nice as Jeff's bike is, I will be staying away from the liter bikes. Thanks for the input everybody. If I narrow down my choices a bit, I may post again to see what people think of the two or three top picks.
SV650 hands down! It's a twin so it's not as fast as a inline 600. The "S" model is the faster of the two and it tops out at 125, so it's really hard to be a statistic with one. It has torque so you don't have to hit 12K to get it to move. It's the perfect bike in my opinion. If you don't know how to ride, you won't be able to get it to go fast. You have to learn how to ride to go fast. And when you do learn, you'll discover a ton of unknown performance. I've had several sportbikes and this is still my favorite. When my friends and I would do a mountain assault I'd pull away from them in the turns, but on those straights between the twisty sections they'd come by me so fast it scared me. But every time I'd catch back up and pass them all in the turns. Trust me. Get an SV and put a great set of tires on it. Plus they sound unique and totally bad ass! Oh, and it you want to borrow my scooter for the driving test let me know. I took mine on a liter bike and it was a cinch, but on a scooter it's a JOKE.
A website you can check out on the SV's is www.svrider.com. There's a ton of aftermarket support for those bikes. Also, if you think you'll ever get the itch for trying out some racing, it's probably the best bike to start off on in racing.
I just want to say this. My first bike was a Honda SHADOW 1100 american classic edition. i was in high school when i bought it. that bike is much bigger and heivier than my current bike now and i was also alot younger and more stupid than i am now. i have NEVER laid down a bike!!!!!!
Well, you're lucky. The statistics show that the majority of bikers will lay down their bike at least once during their riding careers. Especially people who are into sport riding. Sport bike riders have the highest percentage of wrecks than anyone by alot. So, if this guy is interested in doing any sort of sport riding, which it seems he is considering the types of bikes he's interested in getting, it probably wouldn't be a good idea for him to get some new, expensive and powerful bike to start off on. I'm sorry if I and whoever else may have hurt your chances of selling your bike to him, but it's not a smart move for him to start off on a bike like that.
im not upset that he is not buying my bike. i was just wanting to let everyone know that i was 17 when i got my first bike (the 1100cc shadow).i live at the base of blood mnt. and go to the dragon alot with a group of friends that all have sport bikes ranging from a ninja 636 to a ninja 1200. my freind ully is the only one of us to get hurt on a bike and it was a 50cc pit bike. NOTE to buyer. just watch out, out there. it dosent matter if your on a 250 ninja or a turbod hyabussa spraying a 50 shot of nitro, a car can pull out in front of you and you can wreck on any kind of bike you buy. But i will say this. the bigger sport bikes like mine usually come with a better brakes so you maybe able to stop faster on a bike like mine vs. say the ninja 250.
Sorry. I took your post the wrong way. But props to you. Living there and never going down is an accomplishment.
SV SV SV SV SV SV SV!!!!!!!!!!! I can't say it enough. For first timers to daily riders to track junkies. The SV can do it all. but good luck finding one... I know of three people looking for one under $3K. In fact, I just spent more money buying an identical SV to my first that I sold 4 years ago. They're actually going UP in value. I have a scooter that does over 40 that you can come ride around and get the feel. PM me. I'd be glad to let you come to the house and we'll go riding (on different bikes!) for an hour or two. If you've never been on a bike in traffic this helps get your feet wet. You'll see that you can have FUN on an "underpowered" bike.
Be careful! Statistically, 85% of those are totaled within 12 months. :eek3: if you want to go cruise around up north doing the speed limit let me know. I'm always looking for a riding friend.
Jeff, AWESOME bike! I'd love to commute on that... Are those stock bars or dirt bike bars? Why are you selling? keep that shiz! Lets go ride! Just don't lay into that powerband and we'll have a ball. I quoted you because that phrase is used in different ways by salesman to get the 50+ y/o first-time buyers onto more expensive bikes they don't need. They don't care if the buyer dies, they just want the commission check. Yeah, what you said is a true statement.... But do any mid-life crisis guys have that much discipline? Factor in a young kid on a 600cc tempting them to race and they're as good as dead. Granted, your bike is a real commuter in the right hands, but it's still powerful and fast in a straight line (= bad for nOObs). :hsnono: This is a quote from the President of sales for Cobra Powersports (the people that import allllll those China scooters you see popping up). He sells more motorcycles to first time buyers that ANYONE you'll ever know. "You have to survive the first year of riding Never ride with ANY alcohol in you Don't be between 16 and 25 years old wear a helmet the other blatant statistic is guys over 50 who have been riding under a year. I think that has to do with the fact they won't take baby steps, have the money for giant motorcycles, think they can ride because they owned a trail 50 when they were 12, and drink." I ran into him at a bar and got to talking about bikes for my wife. (Ironically, I was on my bike and having A beer...) We decided that she won't be on riding her own bike for a looong time. And when/if she does, it'll be my Zuma. All that said: My best friend in life Andre had been riding since he was 15. (Ten years ago you could get a motorcycle learners on a bike less than 200cc or something like that...) He did track days, rode a bike every day, owned a shop that did VERY well (The Motorcycle Shop), and knew everything there was about things with two wheels. The day he bought his GSXR1000 I knew that was the bike that would kill him. I told him several times. It would keep me up at night knowing that THAT was how he'd die... sure enough, a month after he got it he was gone.
You're better off! Don't let someone tell you otherwise! Learn how to ride and you'll loose just about every rider on a faster bike on that GS. Maybe not on the 1/4 mile... but on a track or mountain road. Just be sure they don't take you out trying to keep up with you...
if you want to go riding up here in the mountains just give me a call. i know a bunch of good roads. 706 897 0734.
Good arguments tasty. Everything you're saying is definitely true. Also, if you guys ever decide to get a ride up, I'm sure I'd be up for it. I haven't been to the mountains since October. It's kind of sad.
You need to buy that bad boy... six pot brakes, inverted fork, Fox shock... that thing is NICE! You could do a parts swap for cash + stock and get some of the $ back out of it if you need to. I'll buy/trade a lot of it... hnoes:
My personal fav... The Ducati Monster http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e344/Motowheelscom/briansbike.jpg
My personal fav... The Ducati Monster http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e344/Motowheelscom/briansbike.jpg
I looked it up and it's already sold. Check out svrider.com. They have a for sale section at the bottom and there are always a good bit of svs for sale on there.
I like the new monster 696, but out of my price range They have a nice one at the dealership in Alpharetta, but I think it was near $9,000. I have to find something affordable as well as safe (for a beginner) to justify my purchase to the wife. Right now the SV650 is on the top of my list and the yamaha FV6 is second. I think the Ninja 250 would be fun for a short period of time, I'm just afraid I would outgrow it too quick. Most people that I talk to say I'll want to trade it in a month or two to get more power. Checking out SVrider and other sites seems to me that it would be a great bike for decent money, and save enough on fuel that I may be able to justify it. I'm hoping that by the time gas rises above $5.00 a gallon I'll have the skills (i'm taking the motorcycle safety class this summer) and the knowledge to just go and pick up a bike. Thanks again for all the input everybody. Gald to know there is such a good bike community within the Subaru community. Chris
just to let yall know. a couple of weeks ago i was disputing my case on it doesnt matter what size the bike really is 500 or 1000. beginer or not.you might remember me saying that a coworker here just got his first bike. its a honda rebel 250cc. it tops out at 80mph. mine does that in second gear.anyways he wrecked and totald it yesterday after work. my first bike was a honda shadow 1100cc. i never wrecked. just another sanerio that it is just as much as the rider as the bike. bottom line is get what feels right and what makes you happy.