Welcome to The Motorcycle Journal Forum, New Member introductions welcome here.

[SuzukiGirl1]

Welcome!!

[SpeedQueen]

Welcome, Glen

[Hunter]

Welcome to all.

[handle_this]

Hi everyone, lately i have been hanging out with a few people with bikes, and i have found a new love for them. I am just wondering if anyone can help me, on what a good starter bike would be. I really like the design of the sport bikes, but i dont' need anything right now with a lot of power. I just want something that looks good that i can cruise around in.

[Hardware]

Originally Posted by handle_this

Hi everyone, lately i have been hanging out with a few people with bikes, and i have found a new love for them. I am just wondering if anyone can help me, on what a good starter bike would be. I really like the design of the sport bikes, but i dont' need anything right now with a lot of power. I just want something that looks good that i can cruise around in.

Hi Christina;

To recommend a good starter bike we should know a couple of things about you:1) height and approximate weight; and 2) do you have any past riding experience?

If you think you like sport bikes then there are a lot of suitable bikes in the standard category that resemble sport bikes in general style and even performance (to an extent).

In the Suzuki line, you should look at the GS500:



They're reliable and inexpensive.

Suzuki also makes the GS500F, however it has plastic body work that will get damaged (and be $$$ to repair/replace when the bike gets dropped):



Notice I said "...when the bike gets dropped...". Not everyone who's learned to ride has dropped their bikes, but the vast majority have. We're not talking crashing necessarily, just low speed dumps or even having the bike knocked over while parked.

My '04 Hayabusa was knocked over in a parking lot by an idiot in a car and that moment of inattention cost her nearly $4000 CAD in repairs.

Other sporting standards in the Suzuki line include the 650 Bandit:



...and the SV650:



These are a little more powerful and might be less appropriate if you're really petite (and lightweight). The Bandit has a 4 cylinder engine that likes to rev while the SV has a V-twin that provides torque. Of the two, the SV is probably a better starter...

I always recommend novices at least consider getting a dual purpose bike to start off with. They have torquey single-cylinder engines that pull strongly but shouldn't overwhelm you like a cutting edge sport-bike motor. They're as reliable as ball-pein hammers and they actually corner like demons.

A skilled rider on a well set-up dual purpose bike can leave most sport-bike riders way behind on twisty, paved mountain roads. They're also very versatile as you're not limited to staying on pavement. When you drop a dual purpose bike (remember, we've already covered that?) there's about a 99.999% chance it won't sustain any damage at all.

The downside is that most dual purpose bikes have high seat heights (hence the question regarding your height).

If you're not vertically challenged look at the DR200SE:



It has a seat height of 31.9 inches and weighs 249 lbs. Compare this to, say the GS500 which has a seat height of 31.1 inches (.8 of an inch in difference) and a weight of 381 lbs (that's a difference of 132 lbs!)

Two other CRUCIAL points:

#1 Buy the best protective gear you can afford (helmet, jacket, boots, gloves & pants) - wear all your gear all the time (well, at least when you're on the bike).

#2 Take the Gearing Up motorcycle course before you start riding.

[Trapper]

Great post, Hardware.

[Hardware]

Thanks Man!

[Grump]

Hardware, where in Tokyo? Are you military?

[handle_this]

Thank you soo much!! I really appreciate it!

[Hardware]

Originally Posted by Grump

Hardware, where in Tokyo? Are you military?

Meh...not really...

[inspiron]

Excellent post, Hardware ... the only thing I would add is to strongly consider buying a used bike to learn on.

Very few people start learning how to drive in a brand new car ... you know that you are going to have some fender-benders or parking "mistakes". Most everyone starts out with an old, beat-up car, and then moves up to a new car when a certain amount of experience has been accumulated. With a bike, this is even more important. You may not have an accident, but you will most likely drop the bike while practicing some slow-speed manuvers or trying to park it. All that's required is to put your foot down on some oil or a stone you didn't see, and whoosh, the bike is on it's side. If it's an old, cheap bike, you laugh and put it back on the rubber. If it's a new bike, you get mad because you've just scratched the plastic or the engine casing.

[Adrenalin_Junky]

Amen Hardware! I think thats one of the most thought out posts ive seen in a while! That didnt invovle some political rant of course!
Props once again!

[azsunsetangel]

Just thought I would say hi to everyone....while I am not new to being a passenger... I am new to being a rider... still trying to decide on what kind of bike to get and looking really hard at the SV650 due to my size.....(yes, it will have to be lowered... lol)

[MagnumForce]

Welcome to the forums azsunsetangel! Best of luck in finding your dream bike. We've got tons of knowledgeable folks here. You'll find the answers to many of your questions are just a search button away.

[1stZuke]

I have had my C50 Silver/black for about 4 months now. I love riding it, and look forward to many many miles. The items that I have added include Memphis Shade windshield, Willie and Max saddlebags, and an OEM sissybar.

[MagnumForce]

Welcome to you too, 1stZuke! Are you in the KS side or MO side of KC? I'm located SW of you in Wichita. Enjoy and ride safe!

[1stZuke]

On the south end of KS side

[MagnumForce]

Awesome! If you got twisties in your area, you gotta put the C50 through it's paces. There are none here in Wichita, but I do enjoy riding around the corn fields nevertheless.

[txdude35]

Hello everyone. New member, posting from El Paso, Tx. Currently riding a 96 Intruder 1400 with some modifications to it. As soon as the object of my other obsession (Canon Digital Rebel) gets out of the shop, I'll post a current pic.
Looking forward to active membership.

[Trapper]

Welcome Dude, glad to have you an board!