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Quality In Bikes? First Time Rider....HELP!

3K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  Unkle Krusty 
#1 ·
Hi there and thank you for having me on Motorcycle Forum!
First off id like to start by saying i am currently 17 about to be 18, and i want to purchase my own motorcycle. I have a part time job so i am making my own money, and wouldt be digging into my parents account:)
So This is where i stand on which motorcycle i want. I read that New riders can outgrow 250-300cc motorcycles, so i would jump straight into a 650.In order of most favorite to least, but the first two are tied
1)Honda CBR 650F
2)Ninja 650 ABS
3)Yamaha FZ6R
4)Yamaha YZF-R6
5)SUZUKI GSX-R750

Couple of things i want/ have in mind:
-Preferred price is around 8grand
-I heard someone say stay away from these brands and buy a quality long lasting bike... why is that?
-what is the main difference between the R6 and the FZ6R, that makes it a 'supersport' bike.
-I want an aggressive, sporty look :p

I am also open to other comments on basically anything! I will be a new rider and plan on getting my license very soon, i will have paid for everything.

-I am Five feet 6 inches tall
Thank you and ride safe!:71baldboy:
 
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#2 ·
Most of us here are going to tell you all of your choices are to big and powerful for a new rider. You will be better off with something in the 250-300 range. You should be able to pick something up for less than 2k and sell it for around the same when you are ready to go bigger.

Oh and

 
#3 ·
Take the BRC, then decide on a bike, but there's no harm in going to the the dealer and sitting on them to see what fits.. I too thought those 250cc were too small before taking the course, but decided they were just about right afterwards. I may upgrade some day, but am still enjoying my 250cc.

Those are powerful bikes, which can be dangerous in unskilled hands.
 
#4 ·
OKay, yea i have my day set up and am eagerly waiting. I have thought about going to a dealership, but i fell like i would be treated unfairly just because I'm 17 walking in there without parents, even thoughh i could solely afford it on my own. and i will try the 300s out for sure, thank you!
any idea on the maintenance though> do these brands break down a lot or what are the 'reliable' brands in motorcycles?
 
#5 ·
They are all good name brands. But like everything, you are bound to find a lemon among a bunch of apples. I'm sure some others with a bit more knowledge might be able to shed some light on some known problems.

Like others have said, you will learn more on a smaller bike than you will if you are scared/intimidated by a bike that is too big/powerful. You take what you learn from the smaller bikes and it makes riding the bigger bikes a heck of alot easier.
 
#6 ·
I'm a new rider too, and let me tell you I fell in love with a 95 Honda VRF 750, but forced myself to pass it up. (Then again, I do pretty much fall in love with just about every bike I've sat on). I was even looking at a Gixxer for a while, but I realized that whether or not I thought could handle the power wasn't the issue. The issue is that jumping straight on to a 650 or 750 or whatever is a shortcut. By starting on a 250 or a 300, I'd be developing the skills I need to be a better rider. I feel like you can get hurt on any bike, no matter if it's a 750 or a 250, but a bigger CC bike is more likely to surprise new riders like us, which could leave us sitting on the side of the road on our butts, where if we were on a smaller bike it wouldn't have been as big of a deal.
Take a look at a few 500 CC sportsbikes if you're still wishy washy about the smaller ones :) Those don't have nearly as much power, but they'll still be fun for quite a while. A ninja 500 might be a nice option, but I know they don't tend to have a super sporty look like the newer sportsbikes do. I think the CB500F would be a great option for you, but unless you have a great credit HISTORY (not score - mine was great and I still got declined because of my limited HISTORY) it might not be an option for you unless you have a cosigner.
PLUS, 300 cc bikes are a hell of a lot cheaper to insure, which is something I almost completely overlooked when I was looking into the CB500F I tried to finance (and failed...)
 
#8 ·
You have everything backwards my friend. Just because you might outgrow a smaller bike doesn't make your time on it any less valuable. In fact, that time spent on the smaller bike is great training. Besides, this is your first bike, not your last.

Buying a new bike as your first bike is a bad idea as well. You will almost certainly drop your first bike, it is rare if you don't. So not only will your bike lose value due to depreciation, but you will take a big hit from the body damage from dropping it. Consider these two scenarios:

#1 You buy a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 250 in great running condition for $2500. You ride it for 2 years, dropping it lightly once along the way, and decide to sell it to move up to your dream bike. You sell it for $2100. Net loss: -$400

#2 You buy a brand new Ninja 650 for. You ride it for 2 years, dropping it lightly once along the way, and decide to sell it to move up to your dream bike. You sell it for $5500. Net loss: -$2500

ln scenario #2, the loss would be enough to buy the bike from scenario #1 outright. And you would be a better rider from riding the smaller bike because it is more forgiving and easier to ride.
 
#9 ·
At 5'6", go to your local multi-brand dealer and sit on lots of bikes. My bet is that many of them have a seat you will find is too tall for comfort. As others have already said, many of your choices are poor ones for a new rider but you are spending your own money so we can't stop you from making that mistake. The people who tell you that you will outgrow a small bike are both right and wrong. If you start out on a smaller bike you will learn quickly and may find yourself ready for a bigger bike fairly soon but if you bought used you can probably turn that bike over for almost no net cost. If you start out larger you will not learn as fast because the larger bike should make you more nervous. In the end you will be a better rider if you start small. This may give you some perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvYM2Z0usMg
 
#10 ·
Gixxer

A friend of mine and I agree the Gixxer 750 is a great bike.
I am 69 and have 54 more years of riding experience than you.
My friend is 66 and races his in WA.

Both of us would say your list is all wrong. The R6 Yamaha would be a disaster for a new rider. Get a 250 dirt bike and figure out how to ride in the dirt. Take a course on the pavement.

Your goal in life is to learn how to ride, then progress to other bikes, and when you get to be 69, you can walk straight and still ride, as I do.

Your brain is playing tricks on you. When you get out in the traffic on any bike, the distractions and reality are not at all like what you envision, especially if it is raining and semis are blowing by.

Unkle Crusty*
 
#13 ·
All of those "metric" brands are very reliable.

As for size, in the type of bike you've listed, 750 is probably as many cc as you want to take on right out the gate. 650 would be better. You'll get to ride 250s in the course.

Buying gently used is also a good idea. You're a teenager. Insurance is going to cost dearly. I'm not a supporter of tiered licensing. Buy a proper highway sized bike straight off, if you want, but motorcycle insurance for a teenager does make a good argument. A smaller bike will cost less to insure.
 
#14 ·
Highway.

IMO a new rider taking to the highway is not a good plan.
The graduated licence system works in many other countries. I realize the US likes to do things their own way. How is that working for yuse?
Frankly from the cheap seats, I see a few problems.

Care to check the MotoGP leader board for 015. First year kid from Ozz is ahead of the best US rider. The beginner ( graduated ) road race programe is certainly working well for the Spanish.

A new rider will never learn all there is to learn on a mid size cruiser type bike.

Unkle Crusty*
 
#16 ·
Care to check the MotoGP leader board for 015. First year kid from Ozz is ahead of the best US rider. The beginner ( graduated ) road race programe is certainly working well for the Spanish.

Unkle Crusty*
Ahem, Unkle Crusty... you talkin' about Nicky Hayden? 2003 MotoGP Rookie of the Year, 2006 MotoGP WORLD Champion? Ya know he's no longer on a factory ride, but he still leads the privateers in MotoGP, right?

I agree with your point about the graduated license, but don't go messing with Nicky. He's earned his place among the best. :p
 
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