What Is A Good First Bike

[lightspeed]

Wow, damn this is old. I was just cruising through the motorcycle section and I noticed that I had posted here a long time ago, and got jumped-on by the opinion police. So, I have to respond. Probably no one is reading haha, but it makes me feel better.

No offense... but if you wasted thousands dollars trading around, then you have a lot more money than you do brains.

This is a BS statement, if you knew the conditions. First of all, the bike I wanted, the 600f4, had just come out in the specific color that I fell in love with. There really werent any used ones at the time.
Secondly, the bike I traded that one on was a completely redesigned model for that year, and there also were no used ones. I got one of the first ones to hit the the dealerships.
The next bike was used, and I didnt loose much on it, if any.
The Busa was new, but I actually ended-up selling it to a friend of mine for what I paid for it, so I lost nothing.
I used to trade bikes annually, and yes, I tend to buy new ones. Yes, I am impulsive and I buy what I want, when I want it. I also like to know that Im the person to break it in right, and I like knowing how its treated since day one. If this means I might loose some money on it when I trade it, so be it. Its worth the peace of mind to me.

Following your reasoning, all bikes below 600cc are basically useless as street bikes. Most every other country in the world disagrees with you, which is why pretty much every country except the US has
tiered licensing (meaning you have to start out with a restricted license and ride a smaller bike for a year or two before you are allowed to ride a 600cc bike).

:jerkit:
There are a lot of silly, "keep you safe" laws all over the world. Just because its a law in some European countries doesnt make it right.

People who give the advice you give aren't quite honest. Instead of saying "This advice isn't the safest route, but I ...", they *instead* say "Just ride it as cautiously as you want". I don't fault you for having your opinion.... but you should make it clear to the person the good and the bad of the course you are reccomending.

This is an ignorant statement. Im being 100% honest. Opinions and recommendations stem from personal experience and personal preference. I am not his mommy, and its not my job to make sure he makes the "safest" choice in motorcycles. Youre talking about something that is inherently dangerous anyway.
I gave my opinion, but its up to him to make a choice on what he buys.

Anyway, I would LOVE for someone to give me one intelligent reason why a, lets say, a Ninja 250, is any "safer" than a cbr600f4.
Can the 250 avoid an accident better? answer:NO. As a matter of fact, I can argue its more dangerous because the f4 has better brakes, handling, and acceleration ot be able to avoid an accident to start with.
Does a 250 provide any additional protection in case of an accident? answer:NO
If you fall-off of a 250, does it hurt you less? answer:NO
The 600 is a little harder to learn to ride due to the shorter clipons and more powerful brakes, but that is easily learned with a modicum of effort. All of the controls are in the same general location.
I admit that the 600 can also get you in trouble more if you cant control it. This is the only place where someone can make any sane argument, and to them, I reiterate....its totally up to the rider. The bike only goes as fast as you turn the throttle, and it only stops as fast as you make it. If you have the self-control to take it easy for a while, I see no problem in starting with a 600.
I used to ride MX a lot, but I had never owned, or hardly ridden for that matter, a street bike. My first bike was a 600, a fast one at that, and I had no issues and no accidents.

BTW, this is probably a moot point by now, since I hope you bought something. What did buy, if anything?

[jfman]

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[Tarzanman]

Wow, damn this is old. I was just cruising through the motorcycle section and I noticed that I had posted here a long time ago, and got jumped-on by the opinion police. So, I have to respond. Probably no one is reading haha, but it makes me feel better.

This is a BS statement, if you knew the conditions. First of all, the bike I wanted, the 600f4, had just come out in the specific color that I fell in love with. There really werent any used ones at the time.

Choosing a first bike for looks isn't the wisest way to go about learning to ride... at least not in this country where there are approximately 3 total models of good starter sportbikes.

Secondly, the bike I traded that one on was a completely redesigned model for that year, and there also were no used ones. I got one of the first ones to hit the the dealerships.[/quote]
Too bad. You made a mistake by getting a new bike as your first bike... especially with all the junk fees the dealer probably tossed on since you got one of the first. I aint been around long, but I do know that that is a bad way to go about getting a motorcycle if you are trying to keep costs down.

The next bike was used, and I didnt loose much on it, if any.
The Busa was new, but I actually ended-up selling it to a friend of mine for what I paid for it, so I lost nothing.
I used to trade bikes annually, and yes, I tend to buy new ones. Yes, I am impulsive and I buy what I want, when I want it. I also like to know that Im the person to break it in right, and I like knowing how its treated since day one. If this means I might loose some money on it when I trade it, so be it. Its worth the peace of mind to me.

I'm not hating on you. I am grateful for folks who are willing to take the financial hit and buy new (if noone did that, then there wouldnt' be any used bikes for the rest of us). Personal preference or no, it isn't the best way to go about getting a good bike... its just the easiest. (Money makes most things easier, I find). I got my first bike, and DelSolxxx got his third bike from two obsessive-compulsives that took *extremely* good care of their bikes. It is very possible to find used rides that run better than they did off the showroom floor... but you have to sit and wait till you meet the right seller with the right bike.[/quote]

:jerkit:
There are a lot of silly, "keep you safe" laws all over the world. Just because its a law in some European countries doesnt make it right.

You'll find opinions running both ways depending on who you ask. My point is that there was obviously a reason/impetus for this kind of law to be passed in so many countries over there.

A LOT more people over there ride than over here. That alone should clue you in to the fact that they have more experience with motorcyclists over there. I bet that states here in the USA would adopt a similar law if more and more bikes started appearing on the roads. It would only take one or two seasons of new riders on bikes-too-powerful-for them causing accidents for it to happen.

This is an ignorant statement. Im being 100% honest. Opinions and recommendations stem from personal experience and personal preference. I am not his mommy, and its not my job to make sure he makes the "safest" choice in motorcycles. Youre talking about something that is inherently dangerous anyway.
I gave my opinion, but its up to him to make a choice on what he buys.

Anyway, I would LOVE for someone to give me one intelligent reason why a, lets say, a Ninja 250, is any "safer" than a cbr600f4.
Can the 250 avoid an accident better? answer:NO. As a matter of fact, I can argue its more dangerous because the f4 has better brakes, handling, and acceleration ot be able to avoid an accident to start with.
Does a 250 provide any additional protection in case of an accident? answer:NO
If you fall-off of a 250, does it hurt you less? answer:NO
The 600 is a little harder to learn to ride due to the shorter clipons and more powerful brakes, but that is easily learned with a modicum of effort. All of the controls are in the same general location.
I admit that the 600 can also get you in trouble more if you cant control it. This is the only place where someone can make any sane argument, and to them, I reiterate....its totally up to the rider. The bike only goes as fast as you turn the throttle, and it only stops as fast as you make it. If you have the self-control to take it easy for a while, I see no problem in starting with a 600.
I used to ride MX a lot, but I had never owned, or hardly ridden for that matter, a street bike. My first bike was a 600, a fast one at that, and I had no issues and no accidents.

BTW, this is probably a moot point by now, since I hope you bought something. What did buy, if anything?

A ninja is safer than a 600 because it is much more feasible to correct or recover from a miscalculation/mistake due to the lighter weight, slower throttle, enhanced flickability, and more standard seating position. I'd think that a seasoned rider like yourself would be able to figure that out.

You started on a 600? Definitely not the safest path to take. What would you tell your mom to start out on? A brand new F4i?

[lightspeed]

A ninja is safer than a 600 because it is much more feasible to correct or recover from a miscalculation/mistake due to the lighter weight, slower throttle, enhanced flickability, and more standard seating position.

OK...finally, here is a good point, and I agree partially, in the case of a ninja 250 and a cbr600f4. I agree about the lower weight in this exact scenario, but then again I picked an incredibly light "starter" bike for comparison. A lot of people buy more cruiser or "standard" bikes as a starter bike. A lot of those bikes actually weigh more than a cbr 600, even ones with smaller displacement and/or less power.
As for flickability and seating, I think that comes down to the rider. True, a more upright bike with longer clipons/bars is going to allow more leverage, but I think that is easy to overcome.

I'd think that a seasoned rider like yourself would be able to figure that out.

Im not sure if youre questioning my experience riding, so ill give you the skinny. First, I do not consider myself to be an expert rider. Ive only been riding for about 6 years now, which isnt a long time compared-to a lot of "seasoned" riders. I have been to a couple race school and track days, and I spend the majority of my riding time in mountains. I dont consider myself an expert rider however, and I am the first to admit I have a lot to learn before I would be viable in competition.
I have never owned a bike that wasnt a sportbike. Ironically, the bike I first rode on the street after I got my permit was a Ninja 250, but that was only because its the only thing that I had available (a friend let me borrow it.) I rode it two times before buying my cbr 600. Even more funny, I actually bought the new gsxr750, the second bike, while I still had my permit only. I actually took my motorcycle license test on a new gsxr750 LOL. That was a trip actually.
I ride motorcycles for two reasons. The first is for the adrenaline rush of acceleration and speed. The second is the desire of getting away from everything and everyone for a few hours on the weekends, without possibility of hearing my cellphone ring or having to deal with other people. I actually prefer to ride alone. I dont ride because I like to be "part of a group" or anything like that, nor do I particularly care about the scenery or other things that many other people like about riding. For these reasons, Ive never owned anything but sportbikes. I prefaced my original post with the disclaimer of "if you are speed-addicted like most riders..." Hence my opinion is based on this mindset, and I still stick to it. A sportbike can be an acceptable first-bike, if you can control it. If you like sportbikes and speed, dont waste time and money on a non-sportbike, just because someone tells you its safer.