How much should I be paying for my first bike?

[coolfir3pwnz]

Hey guys, new member from central CT, living in Orange County, NY (New Windsor.) I got it in my head that I wanted to ride around October of last year and now I can't shake it, haha. Nor do I want to. I'm going the DMV tomorrow to get my permit. I have enough to buy a new 2013 bike outright, but that's a dumb idea. What years/models should I be looking at? How old do you think is too old? Mileage?


I was originally looking at a used 2012 Yamaha FZ6R with 1,700mi on it, but I'd ****ing cry if so much as a scratch happened to it lol.

Thoughts are appreciated, gents and ladies.

[csmutty]

$300.

Busa.

[Jim]

depends what you like. sport bikes, touring bikes, sport touring, etc.
i'd never spend more than $5k for a first bike though

[GingahNinjah]

Grats and welome aboard TAKE THE MSC!!! there is nothing wrong with gatting a ninja 250 etc for your first bike for a season or 2 while you are learning how to brake, when to brake, how to ride, when to throttle, when not to throttle etc. it is also possible to get a 600 or larger def wouldnt get a brand new 600 to start on tho odds are you are going to go down. my first bike was a 17 yr old yamaha FZR600 went down on it but it only cost me $1600 so i didnt feel too bad. get something reliable for a good price with not too many miles, usually dependent upon the owner and how it was ridden, and get gear. atleast solid leather gloves, a good helm, mesh jackets are single use most of the time so textile or leather are your best choices, and min a sturdy pair of work boots above the ankle and have fun!!!

PS dont listen to Smutty hes a lolz

[jeantarrou]

Generally first bikes should be low horsepower and something that won't break your heart if (or when) you drop it. But, imho, motorcycling is about what get's you off, so the bike has to stir your soul too.

Do you have any riding experience, ie. scooters/dirt?

I'd say spend anywhere from $1000-$2000 on a reliable but aesthetically challenged bike.

[SVRACER01]

you want honesty?
here it is.....youre gonna crash it. possibly multiple times or at the very least drop it...possibly multiple times.
start small. there are a bunch of small displacement bikes out there (like the Kawi 250 or 500) on the used market for under $2k. chances are they will be ugly because...well....re rear my first sentence. they are a starter bike. the good news is you can ride it for a year or 2 and depending on how many times you drop/crash it you will most likely get most of your money back when you sell it to another new rider.
if youre one of those "fuck that shit! i aint riding no weak ass motorcycle! i want to do power wheelies everywhere i go and i dont want my other douchebag friends to think im some kind of wuss" kind of people...then get a Busa...always get a Busa.

my opinion....save the (apparent) $10k you have burning a hole in your pocket and buy a decent/nice 250 or 500 and drop a decent chunk of change on gear like a jacket with armor, a helmet that covers your whole face and cost more than $100 (so something SNELL approved), good gloves and its probably not a bad idea to get some good riding boots (not timberlands). you understand all this the first time you fall over at anything over 15mph. then ride said bike for a season and see if the sport is for you. if it is and you feel like its time to move up something else, then get an SV650 or ninja 650. youll love either of these and will most likely ride them for a few years before you yearn for something else (if you ever do). it will also help you figure out what you want in a bike.

thats it really. do it. have fun. ride as much as possible. and never stop trying to learn. take the MSF course and in a couple years take the advanced MSF course. do a trackday or 2 or 22. you can learn A LOT about you and your bike on a closed course.
good luck

[MikeyZ]

I spent $700 on my first bike. 92 Katana 600- Perfect for me; it had enough power to keep me happy as a beginner, but not to much to kill myself.

[coolfir3pwnz]

I'm partial to sport and sport touring bikes like the FZ6R. Getting a 250 to start with is definitely an option, but not one that I think I'm going to go with. I'm in the Marines and a part of the motorcycle club here, I would like to keep up with them when we go on rides and stuff. In addition, I tried sitting on a Ninja 250 and a Hyosung 250 at my local dealership and I felt like a giant on them, lol. I understand the capabilities of 600cc engine and have every intention of being a safe and responsible rider. What's cool is that my parents are willing to drop the $800 in gear so I have some leathers picked out!

[scubasteveRR]

one millllion dollers, muahahaha

[GearHd6]

Have you ever ridden any motorcycles in your life, like dirtbikes or anything like that? That goes a long way when it comes to not just randomly dropping your bike. If you haven't ridden at all then don't buy anything too pretty and put all the sliders you can find on it and hope for the best.

[jasnmar]

... and a part of the motorcycle club here, I would like to keep up with them when we go on rides and stuff...

This is an error. Do not ever try and keep up. Ride your ride.

If you get a 600, someone in the MC will have a liter bike. If you have a liter bike someone will have a 'busa. If you have a 'busa someone will have a turbo 'busa with a double shot of NOS. As others have said, if you wanna keep up, go with the 'busa from the gitgo. If not, realize that a skilled rider on a 500 will keep up with an unskilled rider on anything they can bring in normal street riding situations.

[Chippertheripper]

You feel like you want bigger than a 250, okay. My next recommendation is the cheapest, most beat sv650 you can find. Get one. Drop/crash/or not to suit. Unlimited mods, enough zing to get you in trouble, and resellable for what you paid, most likely.
A motorcycle generally isn't a smart investment anyways, so for your first one, I recommend getting in and out as cheap as possible.
Busa.

[SVRACER01]

you can keep up on a 500. unless your MC is doing 150+mph runs up the highway. otherwise, a 500 can do 70 just as easily as any other bike. if youre dead set on a 600 then look into Honda F series bikes like the F2, F3 or F4. you should be able to get those in the $2500 range. actually just about any bike from the late 90s to early 2ks should be good. im partial to the CBR F3s. great bike with good power and very forgiving. like a typical honda they dont do any one thing great, they just do everything good.

[butcher bergs]

First off, don't let people spend your money for you.

You wanna spend $7k? Go for it! Just be aware of how you might feel when you see your $7k (first) motorcycle on the ground....which is very likely going to happen.

$700, $7000 or $70,000 doesn't matter because you get hurt (or die) just the same and my advice is to educate yourself rather than worry about what anyone else in your motorcycle club is doing...or anyone else on a motorcycle for that matter.



That said, I regret spending the $3k I shelled out for my first bike and had I knew then what I know now, $1500 and 500cc woulda been my limit plus a day or two at MSC.


Obviously results vary from person to person but the conservative route generally yields the best motorcycling experience overall.


Welcome to the forum and best of luck to you in whatever decision you make!

[PhilB]

I'm going to add another voice to a $2000 starter bike. Ninja 250, Ninja 500, Suzuki GS500, Honda CBR250. Take the course, learn to ride, get good gear, for God's sake DO NOT try to be keeping up with anyone else. If the riding group is good, they will stop and wait for any stragglers at any intersection where someone might turn the wrong way and get seperated. If they don't do that, they don't care about your safety, and you shouldn't ride with them at all.

PhilB

[Doc]

you want honesty?
here it is.....youre gonna crash it. possibly multiple times or at the very least drop it...possibly multiple times.
start small. there are a bunch of small displacement bikes out there (like the Kawi 250 or 500) on the used market for under $2k. chances are they will be ugly because...well....re rear my first sentence. they are a starter bike. the good news is you can ride it for a year or 2 and depending on how many times you drop/crash it you will most likely get most of your money back when you sell it to another new rider.
if youre one of those "fuck that shit! i aint riding no weak ass motorcycle! i want to do power wheelies everywhere i go and i dont want my other douchebag friends to think im some kind of wuss" kind of people...then get a Busa...always get a Busa.

my opinion....save the (apparent) $10k you have burning a hole in your pocket and buy a decent/nice 250 or 500 and drop a decent chunk of change on gear like a jacket with armor, a helmet that covers your whole face and cost more than $100 (so something SNELL approved), good gloves and its probably not a bad idea to get some good riding boots (not timberlands). you understand all this the first time you fall over at anything over 15mph. then ride said bike for a season and see if the sport is for you. if it is and you feel like its time to move up something else, then get an SV650 or ninja 650. youll love either of these and will most likely ride them for a few years before you yearn for something else (if you ever do). it will also help you figure out what you want in a bike.

thats it really. do it. have fun. ride as much as possible. and never stop trying to learn. take the MSF course and in a couple years take the advanced MSF course. do a trackday or 2 or 22. you can learn A LOT about you and your bike on a closed course.
good luck

I did not hack Oxx's account. Just clarifying.


EDIT:
Oh and as for my input... I bet a number of us could "keep up" just fine with your Motorcycle club on a 250 as long as it wasn't all straight line stuff. Just sayin.

Don't buy new for a first bike, Don't go over 100hp and as mandated by the Marines wear your gear ALL THE TIME.

[Dip Dungles]

Paid $4500 for a 06 cbr 600rr and honestly I wouldn't do it again. I would have bought a sv650 and probably would still have it.

[coolfir3pwnz]

Wow. Thanks for the brutal honesty, everyone. Tough love, right? I'm already signed up for a free MSF BRC course via military. Should be going in mid April. Alright, cool, so 1k-2k. Let's see what's around my area...




Busa.

[01xj]

No need to repeat whats been said except one thing. All my close calls have been trying to to keep up with guys who were faster than me. It's a tough mentality to break but really, don't try to keep up. Ride your own ride.

[Karate.Snoopy]

I would vote for a Ninja 500, I started on one which was fairly new (only 2k miles), relatively aesthetically pleasing. I never dropped the bike ,barely (stalled it plenty of times at a Stop signs/Red lights/Sharp U Turns/Being in 2nd gear and trying to go etc etc). I spent around 900$ on Gear, bought a decent Alpinestars jacket/Pants, good pair of leather gloves from high velocity,Scorpion helmet, knee/leg armor (Do not cheap out on gear)

The Ninja 500 is an amazing machine, the twin sounds awesome, its fairly nimble. The 250 I rode was very light and I got blown around on the highway but for the money it would be a very good purchase. You could find a used 250 for under 1500$ and in very good to good condition, and a Ninja 500 for around 2k. I sold mine a couple of years back for 2000$.

Good luck with the purchase and stay safe.

[fineout]

A lot of people come here and say "I want your guys' opinion, should I get (Insert name of bike that you probably shouldnt get)" and then try and justify it by saying one thing or another when everyone tells them its a bad idea. Face it, you didnt actually want anyone's opinion, you wanted to be patted on the back and everyone to say "good choice! go buy the coolest shiniest bike you can find so all your friends think you're cool!".

My versys was my first bike and I probably should have spent a little less and gotten a little smaller of a bike but even though its a 650 its a twin 650 so its not the same as a 600 4cyl supersport bike. I would reccomend an SV650 if you dont want something as small as the ninja 250, they can be found for pennies on the dollar and you can get a naked one that wont hurt as much when it gets dropped.

Good luck though!

[Point37]

I'm going to add another voice to a $2000 starter bike. Ninja 250, Ninja 500, Suzuki GS500, Honda CBR250. Take the course, learn to ride, get good gear, for God's sake DO NOT try to be keeping up with anyone else. If the riding group is good, they will stop and wait for any stragglers at any intersection where someone might turn the wrong way and get seperated. If they don't do that, they don't care about your safety, and you shouldn't ride with them at all.

PhilB

i agree with these guys...one of the bikes above or the sv650 or 650r which were already mentioned...if you go 600...look at cbr600 f4i and cb599...get on search tempest and start searching...

not in your area but just to give you an idea of whats out there...
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/mcy/3625710021.html
http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/mcy/3613856840.html
http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/mcy/3636029250.html
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/mcy/3626859597.html
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/mcy/3631484201.html
http://providence.craigslist.org/mcy/3574360135.html
http://worcester.craigslist.org/mcy/3583418907.html

[coolfir3pwnz]

A lot of people come here and say "I want your guys' opinion, should I get (Insert name of bike that you probably shouldnt get)" and then try and justify it by saying one thing or another when everyone tells them its a bad idea. Face it, you didnt actually want anyone's opinion, you wanted to be patted on the back and everyone to say "good choice! go buy the coolest shiniest bike you can find so all your friends think you're cool!".

My versys was my first bike and I probably should have spent a little less and gotten a little smaller of a bike but even though its a 650 its a twin 650 so its not the same as a 600 4cyl supersport bike. I would reccomend an SV650 if you dont want something as small as the ninja 250, they can be found for pennies on the dollar and you can get a naked one that wont hurt as much when it gets dropped.

Good luck though!

I wouldn't be posting if I didn't want opinions. Currently looking at a Ninja 500. How the hell did I never think of Craigslist? Wtf.

[Jim]

Buy a 600 for $5k. Wear jeans and a tshirt. Don't do MSF.

I managed just fine. Just learn to control the throttle.

[nhbubba]

I don't care if you've got 30 years riding, trying to "keep up" with someone else is just plain dumb. Don't do it.

I 2nd the idea of buying quality gear. Don't be like me, don't fuck around with cheap crap.

$3k is a solid bike budget, IMO... It doesn't have to be a 250 though.