Between two bikes. - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

SDSUsnowboards · 07-11-2004, 11:57 PM

Hey guys, this is the first forum I found since deciding I want to start riding bikes in addition to my cage (AKA Nissan Sentra). I followed it for a while and read up on tips and read sobering stories and whatnot. I'm trying to say I'm so impressed with the community I'm going to bless it with my first post in a motorcycle forum... and with a long multi question post to boot

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Firstly I'm 20 years old, 5 foot 3 or 4, a male, and weigh about 115. I have some experience dirtbiking too. I am torn between two bikes, both have qualities I'm attracted to.

Suzuki Katana 600: Low seat height is what I like best about it. I tried a 500 Ninja on, once, and it fit better than any other bike I sat on. The seat height on the Katana is only slightly higher so I can assume it will probably be comfortable (I havn't actually sat on one). The drawback of the Katana is that it is heavy. Very heavy, almost 100 lbs heavier than the other bike I am considering.

Honda crb600f4i: It's light weight is, to me, the biggest attraction of this bike. Plus I think it looks better than any of the others I've been looking at. Being one of the bikes I've "tried on" I can say the seat height is a little too high making it slightly uncomfortable. I could barely roll it around the smooth sales floor.

My question is, what is more important for a person's first bike, a forgiving seat height or a forgiving weight? I realise I can "lower" a bike by buying some shoes that raise me slightly, take some padding out of the seat, and even lower the bike an inch or two. The first two are cheap, and will probably make the cbr accessible to me but who can tell for sure?

Also, I am wondering if I should buy new or used. Used would be awesome because it's cheap and I'll be forced to learn how to do some maintenence to it on a more regular basis than a new bike. However, I figure a new bike will allow me to see how a bike naturally wears over time so that, when buying a used bike afterwords, I know what to look for and I'll know what wore naturally and what wore from abuse of some kind. I kind of like the idea of buying an older bike and selling it two years down the line for almost the same price I bought it. so, since I havn't asked a question yet: New or used? Oh, btw, I did look at the post that explains, in awesome detail, what to look for while buying used bikes.

My last question is, what is a reasonable price for a helmet/jacket/gloves? Will dirtbiking gloves suffice?

Thanks for your peoples time (even if you just read it).

Last minut ******* sneak question: If both feet can't touch the ground, even on a 500, is that a very bad thing or can it be ignored/overcome?