Bike Dilemma

[...has left the building.]

Alright TAPS, I'm thinking long and hard about which bike I want as my first. I'm now debating whether or not I want a cruiser or a sportbike. I love racing cars and driving fast but I have absolutely no desire to go fast on a bike. I like both styles of bike but is there one that is easier to learn on? I guess what I'm looking for is to hear what each person thinks are the pros and cons of each type.

If I do go cruiser, I have my heart set on the Suzuki Boulevard M50, anyone know anything about this model?

[InfidelSerf]

Well my heart has always and will forever belong to Ducati
My baby..

[Jamisjockey]

Road.

[TarpleyG]

Don't know what your terrain is like but another consideration is an enduro.  Honda used to make a 600-700 cc with plenty of umph and it was comfortable.  If you could afford, best bet is a BMW if you go this route.

If you are against that idea, I'd get something you can ride for hours without fatigue.  Cafe racers stink.  I owned a couple of them so I know.  Yeah, they turn heads and are fast but everybody has one now.  (When I had my first, it was the only one on the road--'89 ZX7 with the green, blue, and white paint.  No one had seen anything quite that flashy then.  Closest they came was the old standby black Ninja.)  I'm partial to Harley's now, just need to get one.

Greg

[Dannyboy]

veloce, if that's your bike I am soooo jealous.  The 851 is my all time dream bike.  It has to be the best looking bike ever made.

[Werewolf]

The Suzuki Blvd is a good choice for a cruiser - both around town and on the highway.

You may want to look into the Kawasaki Vulcan line too. I'm partial to the 750 myself but many folks consider 750 too small for highway cruisin' (funny - back in the 70's 750 was plenty big enough for highway cruisin').

If you've got short legs then the Honda Shadow line is worth a look - lowest ride heighth out there. My current bike is a Shadow Aero 750 and it's a very well built bike - though my next one will be 1000cc + and will be either a Kawasaki or Suzuki.

[InfidelSerf]

veloce, if that's your bike I am soooo jealous.  The 851 is my all time dream bike.  It has to be the best looking bike ever made.

That was when I brought it home after buying it off a guy in CA back in 1993
She is going through a restoration that sad to say was been stretched to over 5 years now  (I hate being broke)
God willing I'll be completing her within the next 2 years

You can pick them up for 6-10K depending on their condition and the model (including 888s)
I paid $7500 for it back in '93 and that came with racing glass and other spares.  
*note the slicks on it in the picture*  I came home and put the stock bodywork on and took that picture.

[atek3]

This is speaking with broad brushes but, typically the average sport/street bike is much lighter than the average cruiser.  Sure you can learn on a 540 pound cruiser, but heavier bikes are tougher to keep standing upright for beginners.  Ask my friend who dropped his honda nighthawk 750 just standing around on it, not even riding.  Once you get a few degrees "too much" from vertical, if you are motionless, its "TIMMMBBEEERRRR".  Light bikes you can throw between your legs without too much fuss.  That's in a nutshell why I'd recommend a sport/standard as a first bike.  Too many people go in and buy the biggest baddest sounding cruiser only to find that a 600 pound bike is a 'b*@ch' to pick up, and embarrasing as all get out.

atek3

[DarkKnight01]

Id recommend starting with something mild, I know a few guys that ended up under semi trucks buying a GSXR 1000 or a Hayabusa for their first bike..... Get the basics of riding down... and by then decide which route you wanna go... Ive been riding since just after I learned to walk... Had a few different bikes in that time... I recommend starting out with something used... IE inexpensive... Coz if you do happen to lay it down you wont be as upset about thrashing your 9,000$ Honda, or your 20,000$ Harley.. Sure insurance will pay for damages... But people that dont ride just dont understand... Once youve damaged her shes damaged forever like a battered woman... Get some experience under your belt, and since you dont really want alot of performance theres some really nice cruisers/street fighters out there... If you decide you like the feel of a sportbike more, Id start out with an SV650 or something of that type... Has a GSXR motor, but a more mild transmission and its detuned a bit to be more mild... A better way to explain it would be... You gotta try a bit to get a wheelie out of one

Whatever you decide, Enjoy yourself, And enjoy the open road... Be VERY careful.. Buy good gear, Ive seen people spend 10k on a bike, then scoff at a 500$ helmet they opt for the cheap 70$ models... doesnt make sense... Its really simple when I shop for gear... I simply ask myself (Pete is your head worth XXX amount, or is your Flesh worth XXX amount.... the answers always YES INDEED!! ) Id rather get behind on a few bills than spend a year growing new skin coz I was too cheap to buy good leathers.... "Dont dress for the Weather Dress for the Crash" words that may save your life someday...

Good Luck And Have Fun !!

[...has left the building.]

I went to the dealership today and I was surprised at how much I liked the M50. I chatted with the salesman for a bit sitting on both an SV650S and the M50. Keeping either one up was no problem at all (I have pretty strong legs). I thought for sure that I would want the SV650S as soon as I sat on it but my body seemed much more natural on the M50. Regardless, I'm going to get one of those two bikes as my first. I'm signing up to take an ABATE class late next month and I'll probably make my purchase in August. Hopefully I can get in a few months of fair weather riding

[InfidelSerf]

Actually if someone is new to riding motorcycles.  I reccomend buying a dirtbike first.. learn the basics on a bike that can be dropped over and over without much damage. You can either ride it in the dirt or put street tires on it and learn on the pavement.  Either way you'll get more drops for the money
You will learn the basics of braking, balance, and handling.

I'll second Darkknights reccomendations.   Spend as much on a helmet as you think your brains are worth.
I bought the best, an Arai when I was 16 and got my first street bike (1990 ZX-6)
Besides what's $400-500 when your spending 7K+ on a new street bike.  
Buy good gloves and boots. I highly reccomend riding with a leather jacket and at the least jeans.
I learned the hard way as a teen.. I was always good about wearing jeans, gloves, helmet and boots.  But wore tshirts while riding.
When I ruined my favorite silk tshirt and proceeded to give myself 2nd and 3rd degree burns I forced myself to wear leather from then on.
A pint of sweat is much better than a tablespoon of blood.

[...has left the building.]

I definitely don't want to waste money/time learning to ride a dirtbike. To me, that would be like buying a go-cart at age 16 then getting a car a year later. I want to ride on the road now dangit! Also, I'm planning on getting all the property safety gear.

So no one has experience riding both cruisers and sport/streets?

[InfidelSerf]

I've got experience on both.   I've just never owned a cruiser.  
I think its like comparing apples to oranges.  
They both have their qualities... I'm a speed addict so that's why I prefer sport bikes.  
And if your getting a "chopper" (raked back steering angle) then the riding style is so different you really can't compare them.

I think it really just depends on your style and riding preference.

As far as a dirtbike being a waste of money...hmm buy a used dirtbike for $1000 and learn. Then you still have a fun offroad toy.
Or buy a new bike and drop it..if you choose a sport bike you are easily into a $1000+ in damage.  

As the saying goes.. there two kinds of riders.  One that is has gone down and one that is going down.
You may ride for 10 years before you take a spill.. it may be 10weeks.  Either way its a simple fact of the experience.

Personally I think its better to go down while in the dirt so you know what to expect. JMHO

[Guest]

Dan, riding a dirt bike or dual sport will teach you more about motorcycle control in six months than you could learn in ten years on the street. and at a safe velocity. It is ANYTHING but a waste of time.
 
 There are two basics to safe riding one is motorcycle control, the other is street smarts , strategy if you will-

   The bike forums out there contain some great info and some VERY knowledgeable people IF you go to the right one- the sportbike forums tend to be filled with a bunch of squids. Try the ZRXOA or Adventure rider forums, these folks are by and large very experienced motorcyclists and actually have opinions worth listening to. Go there and ask about starter bikes, you will get a lot of good responses.
   Anothe great resourse is motorcycle consumer news, online and in print.

  My advice - buy a used dualsport like a suzuki dr400, or a kaw klr 650, or if you have short legs a klr 250- buy some gear and ride the hell out of it. Feel whats it's like to slide the rear under power and with the brakes. Lock up the front tire and feel it wash out. Jump it a bit . Spin some brodies. After a year go buy a street only bike and amaze your friends!  I cannot count the people i see riding big expensive bikes who cannot ride worth a damn- you see them duckwalking around slow corners, weaving and jittering all over. Remember, it is not BIKE, it's the RIDER.
  Stay safe and have fun, man.

[...has left the building.]

I tested out a Ninja 250 tonight. That is the bike I've decided on and hopefully I'll have it this weekend

[DarkKnight01]

the ninja 250 isnt a bad choice, snappy fast handling, and not quite enough speed to paste you to a brick wall like a bee on a windshield.... But still fast enough to kill yourself on.  The parts are fairly cheap in comparison to others, and you can beat the hell out of it... they got a good motor in them.. the accelaration is odd... You wind out gears and she screams like mad as you redline each gear... it accelerates fast but....you look down and your only doing 90... heh Its just odd as im used to bigger bikes... when you do this on something with letters ending in R (ZX10R, GSXR, RR, R1 etc ) and CC's over 750 or so..... the speedo quickly reaches numbers like 130....... 150..........170.......  and so on..... but for some reason on the little ninja its nearly just as fun, not a bad choice.... enjoy it and be safe.

[...has left the building.]

Thanks DarkKnight! The Ninja 250 is sitting in my garage as I type this. I was riding it around my subdivision with no problem. I still need more time just coasting around like that though before I get on the real road.

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

I think you'll enjoy the Ninja 250. Just keep in mind that even though it's not the fastest sporty bike you could buy, it'll still get you in trouble plenty fast.  

I dropped by my local independent (sport) bike shop a couple of weeks ago and looked at 4 SV650's. All nice, all reasonably priced.  The last bike I had was a Yamaha 650 Maxim that I rebuilt from a total- I grafed a new front end on it and while I was at it raked the thing a little and put 4 inch longer fork tubes on it. Handles like a dream, but the whole shaft-drive rear end jacking under throttle was a little weird for me.  Prior to that was a Harley XR1, a 68 Sportster, a '74 Honda CB750 with 12 inch over tubes, a '67 BSA Thunderbolt,  and (horrors!) a '55 Vincent.

I also recently looked at the middleweight Yamaha Star series and I may go look at the Zooks and Kaws as well.  Looks like I won't be buying anything new for a little while, though.  I might be moving west for a big new job and it'll take more time that I can spend with a bike.

Ride safe. Enjoy the new toy.

Regards,
Rabbit.