Motorcycle Forum banner

Who thinks I should get a bike?

First Bike For a 16 Year Old

61K views 76 replies 23 participants last post by  pdcomm 
#1 ·
Hey, my birthday is coming up soon and I am planning on buying a motorcycle. I am 16 and a first time rider. What kind of bike should i get to start off with at a good price (Under $7,000)?

Thanks
 
#34 ·
If you want to do it right, you will learn to operate a vehicle by starting in a car for a couple years before getting a bike. And, when you get your first bike, it would be in your best interest to buy used.

If you want to waste a lot of time any money, go ahead and buy a brand new bike at 16 years old with neither riding nor traffic experience. I wish you the best but expect the worst.

How do you know that you HATE cars? You don't even have one yet. For all you know, you HATE motorcycles. You're going to feel pretty foolish if you spend $8,000 to get a new bike and insure it, then find out that riding isn't what you expected and you don't want to do it.

If you absolutely MUST have it now- though you would still need an attitude adjustment- at least do yourself a favor and get a cheap, used bike. An older ninja 250 would be fine, mechanically it is near identical to the new one. If you can't even do that, if you think you need the shiny new stylish bike, I advise you not to ride at all because you don't have the right mind set about it.
 
#35 ·
Evertime I ride in cars i get HUGE headaches I dont know why. I just have a passion for riding. Its all i have ever wanted to do. i have road pocket bikes and the feel of the bike it jsut amazing. And what do you mean i need an attitude adjustment? And i plan on buying a used bike if i can FIND one. And how do you know i dont have the right mind set? Have you ever met me before? DO you know how determined i am? Or even who I am for you to say that i need an attitude adjustment and i need to get a right mind set. I understand were you are all coming from. You dont want me to get a bike at 16 because it is pottentially dangerous or some people are hating. I dont know. I signed up for this site to get advise on my bike or what should i do to help myself. I have made a desicsion and I am getting a bike. I dont care what anyone says or puts into my mind im blocking out all the people that say dont get it and just taking in the positve things. I know you all are concerened for my saftey and others around me.
 
#43 · (Edited)
Evertime I ride in cars i get HUGE headaches I dont know why.

I dont care what anyone says or puts into my mind im blocking out all the people that say dont get it and just taking in the positve things.
you just said you were not blocking, and were blocking out our advice.

and to the 1st statement above...the human body is fascinating thing...and a LOT of your simple sickness are just put into you because you want an excuse-its mind over body...and you need to know the difference from headaches and your mind making you sick

now-how do you know that they are not because just motion sickness, or maybe you feel sick in tight places(which if its that, you may not want to wear a helmet once you get "good enough"[your reasoning] when you should)

and by attitude adjustment-when you ask for answers, you will get them, good or bad...dont just say screw you all im doing what i want-ask why, and reason with yourself the pros and cons. so far this has been kind of an argument for you to prove to all of us on the forums that you deserve to ride, and you do, but most of us think just not yet.

ive said it once, ill say it again...im 17 dude, i get where your coming from on my way or the highway but you know what, what if you actually do get hurt? no more riding for you man. by learning in a car you really do see your surroundings from a whole new view.

"The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph."

that would be the speed on which you would be learning man.

"More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle, although the total street riding experience was almost 3 years. Motorcycle riders with dirt bike experience are significantly under represented in the accident data."

that's with three YEARS experience on the road, and under 5 months on a motorcycle

"The typical motorcycle accident allows the motorcyclist just less than 2 seconds to complete all collision avoidance action"

i would assume that's what the 5 months above would give you a chance to get used to(either way its unavoidable that you have to learn for awhile, but the 3 years on the road before would greatly help)

Im going to answer your question again tho-250cc ninja USED(they are EASY to find from what ive read up on...give it a few hours and youl find one) if you want to get a new one, expect to pay for it in the end when you want to upgrade when it gets to "boring" for you to ride, and its resell has dropped to what a used one would have cost you.
 
#36 ·
That's what I mean by an attitude adjustment. Here you are receiving advice and you decide to "block out all the people" giving it to you. We see it all the time here: people come to ask questions but they have an expectation of the answer they will get. When our answers don't meet that expectation, they get upset and ignore the answers.

None of us here are giving you advice to gain anything for ourselves... we're giving you knowledge based on our experience, and we're giving it for free. You've received responses from a wide range of riders with different levels and type of experience, but most of us are saying mostly the same thing. And I personally find it offensive when someone with no experience convinces himself that he knows better than people with lots of experience.

To be fair, in your original post you asked:
"What kind of bike should i get to start off with at a good price (Under $7,000)?"

So here is my answer to your question: a cheap, used, small "standard" such as an older ninja 250. The benefits of buying a cheap used bike are that you won't lose thousands of dollars in depreciation, insurance cost will be lower, and if you damage it or total it you will lose less money. The benefits of buying a small standard are that it will be safer to learn on, and easier to learn on, and you will in fact learn more/better/faster on a bike designed for beginners than you will on a bike designed for experts.
 
#37 ·
First of all I asked a question. I only want an anwser for that question. And why should i take in negative comments? I asked a question, its like asking what type of car is that? THen the awsner is "it taste good"? Thats whats happening here. Im thankful for the advice but I dont need people adding comments that are negative. And how did i convince myself that in know better than everyone else. I have the right to state my own opinion and if you dont like it dont read it. Im not ignoring anyone. I have read everything and tryed to take in all the positive feedback. And now to conclude evrything thank you for your reply to my original question. :)
 
#45 ·
thanks alot. However how would you like it if people were always negative. I know the dangers i have seen alot and read alot about motorcycles. It is one of those decisions that everyone has to make wheather the outcome is good or bad im going to stay positive and hope for the best. My granddad had a motorcycle when he was my age and to make me resemble my granddad for my mom, who she has not seen it 6 years will make her happier than life. I just feel like this is the right thing for me to do. But everyone has there own opinion
 
#47 ·
for sure man-i personally dont like statistics, so hopefully your a quick learner!...and as long as you DO wear the right gear, youl be fine so long as you do get lucky enough to ride with the "good" cagers for your basic learning period :p...still think you should just try driving a car until you get your bike though!
:71baldboy:
 
#46 ·
Be aware though that we are only the first in a long line of people who are going to "be negative" toward you. We are doing it in the interest of advocating safety. In the future, if you do get a bike, you will get more of the same, as well as people who are negative toward you for countless other reasons... all boiling down to, because you ride, or because you ride whatever bike you ride, or because you wear what you do, or whatever. Successful bikers all have thick skins, so start growing yours.
 
#48 ·
this is my plan so far on my birthday Im going to get my m1 and maybe a couple days after the bike after getting the bike and ALL the proper gear im going to take the MSF course then get my m2 when i get my m2 i an them going to go for my g1 i will insure the bike sometime through all this ... You could call them being negatise or being haters
 
#49 ·
No one's hating man.

It's just that we've seen it a lot on here.
You're #230,948,541 teen rider who's stopped by for advice.
These guys on here know what they're talking about...
they actually own and ride motorcycles.

Look, I'm 26. I've been driving cars since I was 15. I've been pulled over 3 times in a car, twice by bored cops. Once when I got lost. I've never been in a wreck, ticketed, etc in the last 11 years of my car driving.
This last year I went down at low speeds on my bike. It's not fun, and it sucks. It can also happen to anyone. I get ribbed from my other bike buddy about driving like a grandma. I take things easy, but I still went down. That was months ago, and I still limp sometimes and my thumb is still broken from a 12 mph fall.
Just realize that the most careful and experienced rider can make one little slip and it will cost them their life. That's the risk we all take.
It's just that when you are 16 you aren't very good at risk management. I know...I was there only 10 years ago, I remember it well.
You can pull out all that about getting headaches in cars and your passion for riding, but it boils down to you wanting a crotch rocket. Nothing wrong with that.
Just admit it to yourself at least.

My suggestion is to get a 50-125cc scooter for around town.
That's how I started...I rode a gay little 50cc Tomos for months worth of fun, and I loved it. I am SO very glad that I got that scooter before I got my Ninja. What's more, gas is cheap and they don't require insurance on scooters in parts of the US.
Either that, or stick with dirtbikes.
Seriously, learn how traffic ebbs and flows from a safer view
point than the back of a bike you're trying to learn on.
Just my .02--and that's .02 in American cents. :D

Like I said, no one's hatin' here. They've just seen too many
kids get killed or hurt and it's not pretty. No one's out to ruin your fun.
Fun = staying alive long enough to ride a good long time.
That's where they are coming from.
 
#51 ·
on a 250 you wont be able to hit those 45 mph speed limit-hell on my 500 im barely able to stay at the 45 and keep my RPM varied.
? A 250 should do 45mph with ease... My en500 (cruiser) has no trouble at all at 45mph. Maybe I'm not reading your post right!?

My insurance-full coverage, $450 a year... <21. I have 22 year old friend with an 05 GSX-R 600, his insurance only cost him about $125 every quarter.
 
#52 ·
He's talking about the break-in period. On a 250 during break in, if you follow the manufacturer's procedure you will barely hit 40mph for the first 500 miles, then maybe like 60 for the next 500 miles. IMO it is fine to go a little above 4,000rpm as long as you do it gently and vary your RPM (meaning, don't just ride at 4,000rpm all day long, try to vary it between 2 and 4 as much as you can).

If I bought a brand new 250 I would ride it under 4,000 for the first one hundred miles, then take it to 6,000 for the rest of the break in period, changing oil at 500 and 1000 miles.
 
#58 ·
haha :p

and yes i ment the break in period, the top speed is in the triple digits for a 250, but just saying if bomb was buying new :D

and yeah bomb-what ever you choose, best of luck toward either decision, you'll need it both ways :p (1 for those menacing headaches you get! and the other for your bike :wink:)
 
#60 ·
Well, I have thought it over and I have made my final desicion. Im going to get my M1 however, I am not going to buy a bike. I am going to take the MSF course after i get my M1 to get a feel for riding. If i feel comfortable enought and confident enough I will proceed in getting my m2 and a motorcycle. But if I do not like the feel and feel that I cannot ride I will NOT get my motorcycle until I am 17 or get better.
Hopefully all goes well. :)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top