no clue

[23beginner]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the motorcycle world; I know absolutely nothing about them (hence why I'm here) except that I have always dreamt of having one. Now that I got my tax refund, I am seriously looking into getting a beginner's bike, preferably second hand. I would appreciate it if someone could provide me with any advice on where to look for one (websites etc.)?

Thanks in advance.

[TMM]

Welcome to the darkside;)

I'd recommend looking on Craigslist for the best bargains. I'd also recommend figuring out what type of bike you want/need, what type of riding appeals to you? Once you know that you can start researching which bikes in that category represent the best value with a combination of ease to work on, parts availabilty, reliability, resale/desirability, insurance rate, etc.

There is a lot to consider but doing the research beforehand can really pay off and make your first riding experience more enjoyable than by trial and error. Of course, if finances are not that big of an issue then some of these things become less of a factor.

I'm pretty new here on the forum myself but I would say that you can learn a lot of info about bikes and riding in general just by reading through the various threads and using the search function, in my short time here I've seen nothing but a great group of people that seem to be genuinely interested in helping fellow riders out with problems / questions.

Good luck and happy bike hunting.

[Schneiderman]

Read some of this: http://www.motorcycleforum.com/showthread.php?t=75885

Then tell us more about yourself, height and weight, age, types of bikes you're into and what kind of riding you'll be doing.

[23beginner]

Thank you so much to both of you. I've been reading through the threads, and I have signed up for an MSF course already. Here is some info about myself:

Name is Yaman (Turkish), 23 years old, and just getting into the idea of MC's though I've had the dream for years. 6ft tall and 180pounds, type of bike? not really sure what types there are out there, but sportbikes i guess?

I'm just trying to learn at this stage, and not blow away my savings either. I will only be keeping the bike for two months, ride it around VA this summer, then I have to sell it as my parents are coming to visit for graduation - they'd probably kill me if they knew :) in short, i'll be buying nothing more than a 500cc, and probably a 250cc Ninja.

What do you think?

[Nitelord]

Ninja 250 is a great bike. The big benefit is if you decide to sell it, you may get very close to what you paid for it. Enjoy & ride safe...

[Schneiderman]

Yeah when you buy a 250 you're pretty much renting it, you could buy one today for $1500 and sell it in a year for $1400. It'll be a little small but not too uncomfortable for you, and you can not beat the gas mileage.