Not to be a dead horse.. but..

4422 Views 25 Replies 17 Participants Last post by Jesterrace, Apr 13, 2011

vegasEMT

Discussion Starter · Apr 1, 2011

So I realize that this question has pretty much been beaten to death but I haven't really found advice for my situation..

Everything I've read has told me to get a 500 ninja as a newb rider (which I am) but I don't want a sport bike.. I get that a Kawasaki Ninja is great for a beginner, but I have absolutely no desire to be hunched over that severely.

I'm looking for something that can be driven to work (45mins each way) and comfortable enough to be taken on weekend trips. Or at least won't make me want to be run over by a semi just so I can lie straight on the pavement.. It'd be nice to have something a little more on the forgiving side since I'm sure I'll be messing up while I'm learning. Used of course, under $10,000. Am I just dreaming that this can happen with a starter bike?

Does year matter? I was surprised to notice that some bikes from the 80's and 90's were suggested. Also is it an ok idea to get something higher than a 500 if I'm looking at something that isn't a sport bike?

Also in case it matters I'm a woman, 22, nearly 6 ft tall and 180#.

Thanks!!!!!

Save

1 - 3 of 26 Posts

Jesterrace

· #16 · Apr 4, 2011

vegasEMT said:
Thanks for all the suggestions!! I'll definitely be looking into them. I hadn't really considered a dual sport bike since I'm not really a fan of how they look (visions of :71baldboy: keep dancing in my head) but I'll shove my pride to the back and look at them as really great learning tools

No, honestly I haven't. All the guys I know that ride have FAST bikes. Above 1000 cc. One of them offered to let me use his Suzuki Hayabusa (he has two for some reason, 2008 and 2011) but after about 10 seconds of research I realized that it would take me about that long to kill myself on it :wink:
I'll go sit on the ninja before I dismiss it.

Any idiot who tries to offer a newbie a ride on a Hayabusa has no business giving advice to anyone about riding a motorcycle. There is a reason why virtually any ad you see for a Hayabusa requires you to sign both a legal disclaimer and have the cash in hand first. Unless I am missing something (noticed your user name) you should know first hand how easily things can go wrong and the horrible consequences of what can happen when inexperienced newbies try to ride high performance machines. Stick with the advice given here.

Save

Jesterrace

· #23 · Apr 12, 2011

The Vulcan 500 would be a good compromise. Get the performance of the Ninja 500 with the layout/comfort of a cruiser.

Save

Jesterrace

· #26 · Apr 13, 2011

Yup, the power and torque is quite a bit different in the larger engine cruisers versus the supersports. So while a 650 cruiser wouldn't be a bad choice for a first bike for a taller rider, a 600cc supersport is a bad choice all around for a first time rider.

Save

1 - 3 of 26 Posts

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 Contributors this Month