Im new - trying to find out what to buy?

[techgesture]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Nope. No one.

Multi-quote is cool.

I did say I brought my own beer... right? which leads the sober people to wonder "has he been drinking?"

[SVZuki]

and he gets a nickname for the win!

[intimid8er]

Originally Posted by Bluebarron

Alright thanks for the advice. I am liking these Suzukis. the GS500 looks like it would be a god bet... But im leaning towards the Katana 600... Feedback?

Now you're looking good and a little smarter in your choices.

The common thread I see in your choices are "faired" bikes.

Personally, I'd stick with the GS500. You'll be able to sell that sucker in no time when you're ready to get rid of it. It'll have plenty of juice to keep you satisfied in your learning phase, and it has the faired look you are after. Hell....I think the new one resembles a GSX-R 1000 from the front I believe.

Do us all a favor and don't be self-taught, or learn from a buddy. Sure friends can give great tips, but do your own due diligence and get some proper instruction, and look at EVERY ride you make from your first until your very last ever as a learning ride. As RowdyRed said, "Bad habits are easy to come by." That statement is true as the earth beneath your feet. Want a good example of a self-taught rider. Read my recent thread about Demo'ing new bikes, and my experience at the H-D/Buell dealership. "Pops" as I mentally called him was quite evidently a self-taught rider. No throttle in the corners, trying to lean the bike to make it corner, couldn't corner in the same lane, rear brake only (if any at all..), it's a wonder someone with that skill set is still with us!

I may take the same route everyday. But I also learn something everyday. I may be a little more complicit sitting in the saddle, but I take mental notes of every foot of the ride, and critique myself on actions. (I got a good one from today, and may post it as it's own thread.)

[inspiron]

And another thing to consider, in case you hadn't thought about it ...

I was talking with a guy last night - he's just bought his second bike. A GSX-R 1000. He was "complaining" because he had to replace the rear tire after about 2000 miles - that's about all the mileage you can expect from a bike that puts 170 horsepower down on the street.

My GSX 1400 (not an "R" bike) gets about 4000 miles out of a set of tires.

A GS500 will get a lot more miles out of a set of tires (a couple hundred $$$) than an R6 or R1. And as Tim said, it's A LOT more fun to ride a slow bike fast than to be afraid to crack the throttle on a bike because it scares you.

Start small, take lessons, learn to ride properly (yes, you can have fun without risking your life in every curve) and think about stepping up to a bigger bike after you've put 20,000 or more miles behind you. You are young - and looking for your first street bike. It shouldn't be your last one.

[PhotoJoe]

Originally Posted by Bluebarron

Alright thanks for the advice. I am liking these Suzukis. the GS500 looks like it would be a god bet... But im leaning towards the Katana 600... Feedback?

Be careful. You are now showing maturity beyond your years. Asking advice from those that know 20x more than you and me put together, AND heeding it! The SV650s is a faired bike with a more sport riding position than the SV5650. Just giving you options.

about my tone earlier. In re-reading my post, I was a bit harsh. Not my intention, but...well, you got a cold beer out of it!

[blackie1491]

[DJuan]

I'm not an expert by any stretch. I started with a Ninja 636 and have since moved up to the GSX-R 750 (just got it yesterday). I think one thing that's been good for me is that I do almost all of my riding alone. Regardless of what most of us want to think, if you ride with someone way better than you, you will probably be tempted to imitate them, with predictable results. Taking it slow and getting a feel for a bike is never a bad thing, certainly in the beginning.

[wookie]

Just my personal opinion: the kat may be a little too top-heavy for parking lot slow speeds.

[SVZuki]

while we are on personal opinions....I think the moon is made of blue cheese...

Oh, and if you ride with a responsible rider with far better skills you will want to immitate them as they have good habits/riding skills. This is provided that they aren't carving corners with a newbie following them... I tried to show my buddy how to develop good riding habits and slow speed maneuvers...eventually he ended up dropping his bike twice at speed because he didn't listen...Every rider is unique and will develop his own set of riding skills no matter what you do.

[wookie]

I'm guilty of having taken a couple newbies out on canyon runs (worse yet, night runs).

I need to stop doing that.

[inspiron]

I take newbies on canyon runs ... but I adjust my riding style to "do as I do". When I'm riding alone (or out with my riding partner), my style is a bit less "disciplined". I may experiment or do some things that make the ride a bit more fun (or easier), but are definitely on the "not advisable" list for new riders.

But when I know that people are watching me (and I'm indirectly responsible for putting them in the situation to begin with), I tend to go into "safe" mode - being more obviously cautious than I would normally ride.