Looking to buy a new bike soon

[Urumii-Previously ThePresident]

thepresident said:

So what is the best sport bike for the money nowadays? I'm prolly gonna buy one in a year or so. I've always loved fast bikes.

I will probably spend at the most 10 g's.

I posted this in another thread with no responses and lam suggested I start a new thread here for it.

[desmo2]

Yeah, I didn't want to respond in that thread since we would probably hijack it completely!

I'm going to warn you, though, I may begin to preach a bit! I'm a nut for motorcycle safety and responsibility, so forgive me if I don't tell you the Yamaha R1 is the best sportbike.

What prior motorcycling experience do you have, if any? Have you owned any kind of motorcycle before? Any street motorcycle?

Answers before answers!

[Urumii-Previously ThePresident]

I am only 18, so I haven't even had a beeter car for that long. My mom won't let me get a bike until I move out. Thats why it might be a year or so. I am planning on finishing high school, then I will get my own place.

I know next to nothing about any type of bike (including the ones with pedals and reflectors). I am just looking for some starting points so I can start to look into it. About the only thing I know is that jeans, leather and helmets are a must.

[desmo2]

You may want to look into taking a Basic Riding Course with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. You can sign up now, as you use their bikes. They will teach you very important fundamentals that you NEED to know, and I would highly recommend you find a nearby site and enroll. Do this before you start bike shopping.

Next, budget about $1000 for riding gear. You will need a good helmet (I recommend Shoei), which will set you back about $300. You can find amazing close-out deals on the internet for the rest. A leather riding jacket ($150-300), gloves ($100), boots ($150) are the bare minimum. A textile or mesh jacket for summer wear ($150-250) and textile riding pants ($200) are highly recommended.

Now we can talk bikes. Since you are 18 and have no prior experience, I would strongly recommend buying used for your first bike. The statistics say you will drop it within your first year, so it would be best to not have a brand new, $10,000 bike for that. Spending that much is crazy, anyway, as you have no clue what your needs are. Committing that kind of money for a new bike would be foolish. At 18, you really have no business making that kind of financial commitment for a motorcycle that is a luxury item. For $10k, you are looking at bikes that would absolutely kill you to insure, anyway.

My top recommendations for new riders are:
1) Suzuki SV650
2) Kawasaki EX500
3) Suzuki Katana 600
4) Yamaha YZF600R (NOT the R6!)
5) Honda CBR600f2

Once you choose a bike, you will have to shop for insurance. Bring Vaseline. What you learn may force you to rethink your choice of bikes. Be patient, you should be able to find a manageable middle-ground.

[Urumii-Previously ThePresident]

Thanks des for all the info. I didn't think a bike would be anywhere near 10k, but I have about 13k saved right now for a car, house/deplex/apartment, etc. I'll check out those bikes and see if I find anything I like.

I was also never considering a new bike, or car. I would much rather buy a car or bike that is 2 years old because they are still pretty much the same model and condition as the new model. But at a much lower price. I don't know if that applies to bikes too, but I know it does for cars.

I also have to wait until I move out to even start bike training. My mom (as I think most are) is very much against me getting a bike. One of the main reasons I want a bike is because they get so much better gas mileage than any car sold in the US. Europe might have some crazy little car, but I don't even think those small cars are legal here.

[Woody]

My first bike was a Honda CBR600 and I highly recommend it. Take that safety course before you do anything! I have been to way to many youths that have killed themselves on bikes because they feel invincible.

It doesn't matter how well you ride because all it takes is one driver that doesn't notice you and you are dead. Nothing cool about being dead.

Think long and hard before buying one. Anyone that has had one for a while will tell you that it is a unique experience and little compares, but they will also tell you about several close calls.

Anyway, if you choose to get one, have fun with it but be responsible because driving a motorcycle like a goof reflects poorly on the rest of us riders.

[Pvt._Michaels]

Hey President
Listen to Desmo... The bikes he suggests are super...
It's really not the bike , but your attitude that matters most at this point.

TAKE THE COURSE! I went to Harley's version of it...it was
outstanding! tilted towards big bike riders, but great experience and tips were terrific!
Even guys who had ridden for 20 years said " WOW, I learned a LOT!

I spent $1400 on rider safety gear..( Shoei, and Harley Kevlar re-inforced FXRG leathers)
Big bucks, YES..but it does wonders for your level of awareness and feel for bike riding..in my humble opinion....
Enjoy, but be the safest you can, Sir...

Pvt. Michaels

[Lamron]

As they have mentioned, take the Safety Course. I don't know how it is in other states, but here in IN if you take the course, you don't have to take the DMV riding test to get your license.

You can get by on less expensive gear than Desmo and Pvt.Michaels mentioned if you don't get fancy logos on it. One thing you can save money on by buying on-line is your helmet. Helmet sizes ARE NOT the same from brand to brand. So go someplace that has a good selection and find exactly the brand/model/size you want, then find it on-line. I saved almost $100 on my HJC flip-up that way.

You need to be looking down in the 5-6 thousand range for your first bike. Not because you'll crash it (contrary to popular belief, not everyone does!), but you'll need to ride it for a while before you find out what you like and don't like. Liking the feel of sitting on it isn't the same thing as riding for an hour or two. 600cc to 800cc is plenty of power, and you'll learn about how everything works while modifying it for better performance.

I would also recommend a cruiser over a sport bike. The fork angle of cruisers makes for a very stable bike. The bike wants to ride straight and upright. The steeper angle of a sport bike gives it more agility at the expense of stability, which is fine if you can handle it, but not the easiest to start out with.

Just remember, ALL motorcycles come standard with a Cloaking Device. It can not be turned off or removed. You are totally invisible to cagers. It doesn't matter if you have the right of way, you will always be the looser in a collision.

[daffy_duck]

my recomendation for you pres is to start off on a dirt bike even a dual sport (enduro to some of us) i got one for hot dog and i'm glad i did, he didn't have any experience but does quite well with it now. we ride in lots of road, trial, pavement, mud conditions even rock and hill climbs. its good experience and helps you too react to all types of enviroment. you can choose between a 2 stroke(oil gas mix) or a 4 stroke (separate oil and gas) they are also cheap and inexpensive to fix so you can get experience at fixing as well. oh and rule of thumb if you buy a bike by a repair manual as well.

[Lamron]

It has to be a 4 stroke if you want to take it on the road.