MODERN starter motorcycles

[NF11624]

AFAIK, the Sportster is the sportiest (IE best handling) of the HD models.  Also, the Sportster 883 is roughly equivalent to the GS in terms of performance (engine-wise, so I've heard) - take that for what its worth.  I think the big, heavy cruisers are where the problems would be - those things can really take off on the straights.  There's a reason "You'll greet every straightaway with a smile" is the HD slogan

In all fairness though, you're probably 100x more knowledgeable than most newbies just from hanging around here

[The Buddha]

i didn't really nail the throttle on the 1200 sportster i demoed but i never felt over my head. cornered just fine without any issue. and i'm a new rider. (only real riding i'd done before my demo ride was my safety course. i liked the low seat height, made me feel a bit more confident with stops/starts. granted, i'm a new rider and i was only on this bike about 10 miles or so. i've sat on several 900cc bikes(cruisers) that were way heavier feeling than that 1200 sportie. 

Jserio - screw that sportster, buy my savage chopper.

You get a chopper that will be lighter than the sportster, be faster to accelerate and brake than it and run better for longer with less $ than the sportster.
And its a chopper. With a 43mm fork and 21 inch wheel.

The Jap crap has gone from normal, to fat, to cartoonishly obese ... much like the average american. HD OTOH has stayed as fat as ever ... but not the sportster except for a few years of that fat bob type tank ... 2003 was it. I think so.

Cool.
Buddha.

[jserio]

i think my age has a lot to do with my opinions as far as a bike is concerned. had i ran out and bought a bike when i was 18 like i wanted to, i doubt it would have had a happy ending. i'll be 28 this year. and honestly, i don't care about how fast the bike can go. i just want something to cruise around on that looks halfway decent and i don't have to constantly wrench on to keep riding it.

[trumpetguy]

i'm confused TG, are you saying my estimated CC range for cruisers is off for a beginner? 

Absolutely.  Pussyfooting around on a test ride is nothing compared to what you will get into without knowing it when you get a little confidence. A 250 or slow 500 would be much better for you until you have a year or two under your belt. 

Do larger displacement cruisers(900cc+) actually have any more HP than a 250 cruiser? I always assumed the extra HP was just there to make it louder.

If this was a serious comment, please slap your head and say DOH.  If it was a joke, you are a funny guy!

[jserio]

my demo ride took us through the country surrounding the dealership and then back through the city. (it was longer because i got separated from the group for a bit) the only real problem i had was with the shifter. my boot wouldn't fit under it very well. but all in all, i had a good time. i'd gladly do it again. can't wait till i got the spare dough to drop on a bike. 

[tt_four]

when i first started looking at bikes this was the first website i went to...

http://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/reviews/beginner_motorcycles

www.stuntlife.com/ is another good one, they're practically the same site.... 

[dohabee]

haha wow how does this happen?

http://www.stuntlife.com/forums/2-stunt-discussion/263973-epic-fail.html

[bombadillo]

Ninja 650r would be a reasonable bike to start on these days used.  I'll get flamed for this but a buell blast is decent, GS of course, CBR F2 wouldn't be too bad as long as its in good condition and cheap, Savage 650, DRZ-400, FZR 600, SV650, could all be managed by a responsible rider not looking to stunt and be idiots.  If you're looking for something to bring the front end up by twisting your wrist, you're likely going to get it regardless.  I wish I had started out almost on a bigger bike because i'm just tired of lacking the power that I wish I had.  No, i'm not out doing track days like some of you but I really wish I had some more ponies a lot of days out riding the back hills here.  My next will be an FZ6, SV1K, z1000, z750s, FZ1, or similar.  I will no longer worry so much after riding a number of years on a GS and knowing what its capable of.  I was scared of the horsepower of my little 500 at first but after a few weeks, I could comfortably ride it.  Now 3 years later, I am craving a bit more than I have.  I would start out on something that you can go COMFORTABLY a longer distance on than the GS. 

[bettingpython]

Get a shiny new gixxer 1000 be a man thats a real starter bike!

[trumpetguy]

Get a shiny new gixxer 1000 be a man thats a real starter bike!

You're a funny guy BP!  I mean that! 

[bettingpython]

Get a shiny new gixxer 1000 be a man thats a real starter bike!

You're a funny guy BP!  I mean that! 

What I'm serious, just man up get the baddest liter bike of the bunch and start out on it. 99% of the time more throttle is the solution, the other 1% of the time it ends the suspense. I'm sick of pissy squids lately that post BS and then when one of their own goes out wads his crap up and dies they all want a in memory of memorial sticker and to post RIP all over the local forums and media outlets, yet don't accept responsibility for encouraging riding that way. In the most recent instance to piss me off more throttle did not end the suspense it was the solution. Mouth breathing retard that chose to tell the old fat slow guys who tried to help him FU and listen to the cool young guys gets splattered all over the highway. Sounds cruel and mean I know but suck it up thats life, I've actually gotten sick of trying to help people.

Now you want my honest answer STFU by a used GS500 or Ninja 250 and learn to ride, there is no such thing as a modern starter motorcycle and anyone who condones a modern 600 sportbike for a brand new rider should have their testicles chopped off because they obviously have more testosterone than brains. I have been riding 24 years to get to where I am at today.

[frankieG]

i have rode both the ninja and the sv 650's...they are not really beginner bikes.   both are torque monsters that will wheelie at ease and do 120 plus mps with 2 up.

[trumpetguy]

Now you want my honest answer STFU by a used GS500 or Ninja 250 and learn to ride, there is no such thing as a modern starter motorcycle and anyone who condones a modern 600 sportbike for a brand new rider should have their testicles chopped off because they obviously have more testosterone than brains. I have been riding 24 years to get to where I am at today.

+1000.  Learn to ride well, THEN worry about a faster bike.

[jserio]

you can only safely use so much power on the street anyways. so anything else is just a waste of money IMO.

[s0crates82]

starter bike should be cheap and slow.  surf craigslist and bring a buddy that rides or a mechanic to shop with.  i guess you can buy used at a dealer, too.  sometimes they throw in helmets and such.


if it's gotta be new:

TU250X
GZ250
GS500
Ninja 250
Ninja 500
Savage/S40
Hyosung 250's
Eliminator
Rebel
Nighthawk 250
Shadow 650/VLX
Triumph Scrambler
drz400
brammo enertia

buying a new bike as a first bike is really dumb though.

[bill14224]

you can only safely use so much power on the street anyways. so anything else is just a waste of money IMO.

Amen to that, and how much power is needed on the street?  Depending on the weight of the bike, I would say the HP number is somewhere between 40 and 80.

Harley knows this.  Even their big 1584cc engines only have about 65HP, and no one complains about it, do they?  It sounds like 200HP, so no one cares that it only has 1/3 as much, and they are the most popular bikes on American roads today.  I know, I know, the V-Rod is very powerful, but it's not selling well, despite the fact it's not Harley's most expensive model, is it?

[tt_four]

Look at that, I didn't even know that Triumph was making another vintage remake. The thruxton was a good looking bike, as is the scrambler, but it's still a 900cc bike meant for semi off road use. I just hate the thought of someone paying close to $9,000 for a copy of something you could get on craigslist for less than $1000

[bill14224]

Look at that, I didn't even know that Triumph was making another vintage remake. The thruxton was a good looking bike, as is the scrambler, but it's still a 900cc bike meant for semi off road use. I just hate the thought of someone paying close to $9,000 for a copy of something you could get on craigslist for less than $1000

Were you referring to their new giant 1600cc air-cooled vertical twin?  Ya gotta understand the British.  They are very nostalgic and loyal to their own stuff, especially the older guys.  Sound familiar?  Having said that, their product line has advanced much more than Harley.  They offer much more variety than Harley and they make many modern motorcycles.  Harley makes only one.  Adding belt drive and fuel injection to a pushrod engine with a single-pin crank doesn't count.  But that ancient design out-sells everything else, so who can blame them?

[tt_four]

Nope, 865cc. http://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/2009_Scrambler_9861.aspx

[bettingpython]

you can only safely use so much power on the street anyways. so anything else is just a waste of money IMO.

WRONG! you can only legally go so fast on the street. My only complaints about starter bikes is that as a rule they don't have enough get the hell out of danger immediately ability. When you have sufficient skill and proficiency to handle more bike there is absolutely no reason not to go bigger. I guess I haven't a different outlook on things at times.