Motorcycle-Intelligence.com » first-bike

Recommending a First Motorcycle

MCg — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:46:18 +0000

1) What would you recommend as a “first” motorcycle for a newbie?

2) With a gazillion bikes to choose from, how would you advise a friend, new to the world of motorcycling, on which bike to purchase?

3) Should it be a used bike or a new one?

You and I will likely agree on this advice: “Do not buy the biggest and/or fastest bike available.”

OK. That’s obvious. Yet, according to an employee at my local motorcycle dealership, new buyers routinely purchase motorcycles they are not ready to handle. (And this is a LARGE dealership).

I’ve been at that same dealer when a guy bought a big, expensive bike, having never ridden before, and dropped it before he got 20 yards, breaking a lever and turn signal and causing other minor damage. (The rider was unscathed – just embarrassed). I asked one of the mechanics about it and he said, “It happens all the time” and repeated several recent examples of the same.

It’s not unthinkable that at least some of these new riders asked some rider friends about what they would recommend. What did those friends suggest?

Stated simply: If you are not an experienced rider, don’t buy a hyper-powered Suzuki Hayabusa, or Kawasaki ZX14. Don’t get a full-tourer, such as Honda Goldwing or BMW LT. Don’t buy any Harley Davidson bigger than a Sportster as your first bike. Do not purchase a sport-touring bike, such as a BMW RT or BMW GT, Kawasaki Concours14, Honda ST1300, or Yamaha FJR1300 as your first ride.

Would you advise a new rider to purchase a middle-weight bike?

Opinions diverge here.

“Middle-weight” still includes a significant variety of high-performance sport bikes, especially in the neighborhood of 600cc to 750cc.

A mid-weight could include an 883cc Sportster, which is “small” in the Harley Davidson family.

The supporting side of the argument for starting a new rider on a mid-sized bike is that once you get through your initial learning curve, you’ll be able to “grow into” the bike instead of buying another one. The idea is that there is an economical advantage to getting a bigger bike (midsize) than a new rider may be able to readily handle while he is learning to ride.

My view is more conservative: I recommend that men and women purchase a “small” bike as their first machine (250cc or smaller).

• Smaller bikes are easier to lift back up if you drop it when you fail to set down your side stand correctly, or if you lose your footing in some loose gravel at a stop sign.

• Smaller bikes are easier to handle and are more forgiving: Larger and more powerful bikes demand greater precision, skill, and smoothness to keep them controlled.

• Insurance costs are less for smaller bikes.

• There’s a fuel economy advantage with a small bike, too, although that will not be relevant to all riders. (Many riders would continue their bike passion even if fuel was more costly for a motorbike than a car).

EXAMPLES OF PRACTICAL FIRST BIKES FOR NEW RIDERS

This is not an exhaustive list of practical first bikes for new riders, but they do represent the concepts in this article:

Honda Rebel 250 (Cruiser)
Honda Nighthawk 250 (Standard)
Honda CRF230L (Dual Purpose)

Kawasaki KLX250S (Dual Purpose)
Kawasaki Ninja 250R (Sport)
Kawasaki Eliminator 125 (Cruiser)

Suzuki GZ250 (Standard)
Suzuki DR200SE (Dual Purpose)

Yamaha WR250X (Dual Purpose)
Yamaha WR250R (Dual Purpose)
Yamaha XT250 (Dual Purpose)
Yamaha V Star 250 (Cruiser)

Although not everyone I recommend such bikes to will follow through and buy a small bike (they’ll get a bigger one), I’m of the thinking that a gradient approach to learning and gaining experience will pay off in greater longer-term enjoyment and safety.

What about buying a used or new bike as a first motorcycle purchase? Click here.

First Bike: New or Used?

MCg — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:43:31 +0000

For most new riders, buying any used bike would be more practical than buying a brand-new motorcycle: Consider it as a training bike.

Be willing to drop it – because you probably will while becoming acquainted with it.

Be willing to damage a few levers or turn signals, scratch up some parts, and not care about it, except to replace them if needed.

The point is that a new rider has enough to learn without being concerned about keeping a brand-new motorcycle perfectly scratch-free.

You “do” want to ensure that your used motorcycle is mechanically and operationally in good condition. An advantage to buying from a reputable dealership, as opposed to a private sale from someone you do not know, is that often a good motorcycle dealer will offer a short-term warranty for a used bike.

However, you can often get a better price when buying from a private party. I have enjoyed positive experiences buying from individuals and dealerships.

If you do buy from an individual seller, consider bringing a knowledgable friend or hiring a motorcycle mechanic to check it out with you.

Also, keep in mind the availability of replacement parts when purchasing a used bike. In other words, buy a used bike that is modern enough that replacement parts are readily available.
Bear in mind how far the nearest motorcycle dealership is. If you are not married to a particular manufacturer, you can save time and hassles by owning a bike represented by a dealership that is located nearby to where you live or work.

DUAL-PURPOSE MOTORCYCLES

Ideally, as a first motorcycle purchase, buy a small, used, “dual-purpose” bike: one that can be ridden off road and is legal on the street. With this kind of bike you can develop your riding skills on soft ground or dirt.

Another advantage to a dual-purpose motorcycle is that while learning to ride more confidently on a dirt trail you can gain some experience accelerating and braking while purposely (or not) losing traction: such as locked/skidding tires, or spinning tires with little or no traction. Since that “can” happen on the street, it’s best to gain such experience in a safer off-pavement environment (even though losing traction on pavement is not identical to losing traction on dirt).

Finally, dual-purpose bikes are designed to be dropped and may sustain less damage than a small street-only bike. Simply stated, the new rider is gaining invaluable experience that is not as easy for a newbie to safely replicate on the pavement.

You will also save money on insurance by choosing a used first bike as compared to a brand-new motorbike.

In brief, when guys and gals ask me what I recommend as a first bike, I suggest a “used” motorcycle around 250cc or smaller (not larger than a 400cc) and ideally a dual-purpose bike.

Click here for more info and a list of small bikes.

Consider your first motorcycle as a training bike and realize that you will be getting another one after you have developed experience and confidence. In the process, you will have developed some real-world preferences.

NOTE: This article does not address an important point: MOTORCYCLE RIDER TRAINING. You can exponentially speed up your learning curve by investing in motorcycle rider training to help you develop safe riding habits from the start.

“FIRST” MOTORCYCLE SUMMARY:

For your first motorcycle, buy a small, used, lightweight “training bike” that is easy to handle and one that you won’t be upset about should you drop it. A small bike would have an engine size of 250cc or less. Do not buy your dream bike as a first motorcycle purchase (get that only after you have obtained considerable riding experience and confidence). Be sure your “used” bike is in good mechanical condition. Ideally, buy a lightweight, dual-purpose bike that will allow you to ride on the street and dirt while gaining more experience.

Have fun and ride safely!