Looking For the Best Beginner Bike

[JoeTM12]

I am currently riding a 90' Yamaha Jog Scooter 50cc (which can only make a lousy  :x 60kph ) and i have just passed my Motorcycle license and motorcycle training. I was wondering what whould be the best bike for me. I am very comfortable with a bike and know all the dos and donts and I was just wondering what the best bike would be for me.

Thanx 4 da help

[The Antibody]

Well, what kind of riding are you doing? We will probably be very bias twards the Suzuki GS500. Anyone ever heard of that bike? It's really fun, and light, and responsive, and a bang for the buck.

 -Anti

[JoeTM12]

Well Im looking for a bike that has some power but not enough so i wont kill myself but also enough so i can have a lil fun  and also something cheap to maintain, run, and keep. I know ppl in here will be a lil leaneant towards the gs500 but i was wondering what it has compared 2 other bikes.

[cjburke]

I definitely biased toward the GS500.  I had the same concerns - need enough power to ride in traffic but not enough to kill myself (which I would do).  It's also light and agile.  The only downside is that it's a bit buzzy, but this not a problem unless your traveling very long distances.

Carl

[Cal Price]

Like the man sez, it rests on what sort of riding you are looking for, and to a degree whereabouts you are but for anycome coming up from a scooter or a 125 I would say that 500 was about as big as you want to go. I am not sure exactly what is available in the U.S. but in Europe the favoured three middleweights are the Honda CB500, Kawasaki ER5 & the Suzi GS 500. They all have very similar spec but I think you'll find that on a GS500 dedicated site the answer is predictable. Two things to remember, you can kill yourself on any bike, try and avoid it and, secondly the 600s are a bit too zippy get some experience before even thinking about your next bike, you might even stay with the 500!
Good luck, good ridin'

[Yohan]

Yeah, the ZX-12R is a good beginner's bike- just go easy on the throttle

[WAP]

Actually i don't feel all that GS-biased giving you my opinion Joe because i was *strongly* considering a Buell Blast! as my first bike. Everything about it really screams beginner's bike: low seat, dent and scratch-resistant plastic, relatively maintenance-free belt drive, smooth accessible power, a strong aftermarket of go-fast parts, etc etc. Yet i was lucky enough to ride a Blast for my MSF course (i took the Rider's Edge program through a local Buell dealership), which actually helped me decide against it. I felt it was indeed too much of a beginner's bike, and that i would outgrow it much too quickly (a very common complaint with the Blast). For me, the GS500 was the perfect combination of a bike that's easy and welcoming to learn on, yet at the same time "ballsy" enough to hold my interest.

But in the end it really does come down to what type of riding you do/plan to do. As a commuter or big city screamer, you can do no wrong with either the Blast or GS500. However, if something reptilian in your left hemisphere just screams "sports bike SPORTS BIKE", go with the GS. You'll have a blast, so to speak.  

[The Antibody]

Yes, thats what I was getting at. Long, long rides. Consider a cruiser perhaps. If you are looking for a sport-inspired naked street bike, then comming from a scooter, it's huge. They can move, and with the right mods, they can really move. Very nimble too. These bikes can compete in traffic. Although not too overbearing. You'll still have to tear into it to accelerate from 60 to... say..... 80mph. She can do it though. I don't know what -cjburke- means by "buzzy". I think they are relatively smooth motorcycles. I also like the twin, air cooled motor. no worries. The engine is known for it's survivability. Ehh, I'm done.

 -Anti

[Rema1000]

Get over to BeginnerBikes.com , a whole website and forum dedicated to new riders picking the right bike, and learning all the stuff that everybody has to learn.  Basically, there's a beginner bike for every riding style.  My personal favorites are Virago 250 for cruiser, GS500 for standard, Ninja 250 for sport (looking), and XT225 for dual-sport.

Among beginner bikes, one thing I like about the GS500 is how flexible it is: if I take the fairing off and sit upright, it doesn't look too sporty, and even the Harley riders wave.  But with a butterfly windscreen, drag bars and chin-on-the-tank, it looks like a cafe-racer.  And with a few practical mods, it can be taken to the track, for some real racing.  So you're not buying into a style when you buy a GS: you change it to fit your style.

[Rashad]

Well, whatever you pick.. theres one bike i would avoid. Its made by suzuki and its called the GS500 E? i believe? Its terrible on gas.. makes way too much hp and its full fairing is annoying. I hate the way it handles too!!! feels like a harley on steroids!! man, i hate those bikes!! They need a round headlight!

Also, id lean toward a harley. The more your bike resembles your couch, the cooler you are!! (and lighter your wallet!; extra weight reduction!)

[Zarathustra]

Also, id lean toward a harley. The more your bike resembles your couch, the cooler you are!! (and lighter your wallet!; extra weight reduction!)

well, with all that chrome you gotta get the weight reduction where ya can.     anyway, i think the gs is a pretty good beginner bike.  i bought it as my first bike, and i can't say that i regret it.  it's fun to work on and mod, it rides well, is forgiving in errors, and still has enough power to get you around well.  i ride the highways around minneapolis here, and i can jet in and out of traffic just fine with it, i'm sure the others out in LA can atest to that as well.  i'm kind of wishing i had something a little bigger now; but i wouldn't have wanted to make a jump to a bigger bike right away.  the gs is a great choice for learning, and some people who buy bigger bikes still like to throw their gs around anyway.  i'm sure you'd be happy with one.  (btw, get a 01 plus model, they're way cooler.   )

[Rashad]

(btw, get a 01 plus model, they're way cooler.   )

UH OH.... thats not good... i think we outnumber you 01+ers.. :nana:

[Zarathustra]

numbers don't count if you don't got style.  :nana:     i just think the 01+ models look a bit cooler.  different plastics, wider seat and tank.  the gs is thin as it is, i wouldn't want one thinner than mine.

[mrslush50]

'01+ models are definatly cooler. but due to it's far superior paint sceme, the '02 is even cooler than the '01.

[Pkaaso]

(btw, get a 01 plus model, they're way cooler.   )

I'm with you Rashad! You 01+ owners don't know what your missing.

All the 89' owners raise your hands in the air and say Yeah!!!

[mkenney]

Not to beat-up the Buell Blast as a first bike...but I also looked at this bike when considering my first ride.  My local HD/Buell dealer had five 2001's for sale...all with less than 1000 miles (used in their MSF course).  After picking the cleanest one, we attempted to crank her...no luck.  The salesman said it must not have any gas (we checked and it did).  We repeated this on the next four Blast until the last one finally cranked (but would only run for 30 seconds before stopping).  The warranty on these bikes was gone...so I asked the guy if they would kick in a 30 day warranty if I decided to buy one just to make sure I could start her.  He gave me a quick "No".  The next day I spotted a GS500 in the paper for sale and the rest is history.  

[Rod]

The gs is my first bike - had it about 2 months now - and I just love it. I looked at few others but everything I read and heard led me this way. It actually came down to the gs vs Kawasaki W650 (wife would have killed me if I bought a Bonneville). I love the standard. I'd highly recommend the gs.

[gs5oh]

i've had my 93 gs since early june as my first bike and i love it.  it is plenty fast enough for a beginner and definately fast enough for traffic.  it's not going to beat a gsxr but remember one thing, you have more money in your wallet than they do.

[cruisedaddy]

Those W650s look really sweet.  I dunno, I find them far classier than the GS -- I just inherited the wife's GS and it's super now that I've fettled it a good bit, but I'm a total sucker for classic-looking bikes.  The W650 is just yummy.  If they were anywhere near the same price, good heavens I'd certainly go for the W.  I personally think the W650 is a better bike than the new Bonneville, not that those are shabby by any means.

[The Buddha]

OK I am a huge GS fan and most people here know that...but I also have a variety of small to big sized bikes and here is what I feel....Its impossible to wad a cruiser. Believe me I have tried...The damn thing changes direction so slow you invariably correct it well before you lose it. I have had my foot slip off the pegs and hit the ground hard in the middle of a hard left accelerating to get to highway speed and nearly high sided. I also locked up the front when braking into a right turn after I decided to turn right instead of go straight...nearly low sided...but got my foot down, held it upright right to the edge of the road and let up on the brakes and had just about reached the straight section so I just accelerated out of the spot....It takes forever to wad one of these...you'd get bored and save the slide in any case. The GS makes more braking power but you also ride it closer to the edge and it prompts you to do that as well and it does change direction very very quickly...and that can be good and bad. BTW I have wadded a GS many times.
Cool.
Srinath.