Hello

[therock]

Hi all,

I am from Boston and planning to buy a bike soon.
I have driven bikes for 6 yrs but in India (not in US).
This would be my first bike in America.
Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks,
The Rock

[Rossco]

Hi all,

I am from Boston and planning to buy a bike soon.
I have driven bikes for 6 yrs but in India (not in US).
This would be my first bike in America.
Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks,
The Rock

Welcome!

I would recommend taking the MSF Basic Rider Course (BRC) next spring.

I would also recommend getting a good helmet some good quality protective gear.

As for bikes, is there a certain style of bike (i.e. cruiser, sportbike, dual-sport) that you are looking for?

[martyk]

agree with Rossco, I had never ridden before but always wanted to learn and took the course in brockton about 5 years ago. not only do they teach you EVERYTHING you need to know, you also get your license out of it and a discount on your insurance
welcome and good luck with everything!

[oVTo]

Welcome!

'busa.

Well, someone had to say it...

[Slyder]

I have driven bikes for 6 yrs but in India (not in US).

Is the MSF really gonna teach him anything he doesn't know already? 6 years in India? damn...he can already out ride the majority of Americans

[therock]

@Rossco,
I prefer sports bike and I am planning to buy a CBR600 or Ninja650r or something around 600cc. Is that a good idea?

@Slyder
Thanks for the motivation. Even I think the same way - is MSF gonna be useful? I think that after 15-20 days of practice in US, I can go to the driver's road test by myself and clear it. I already got the learner's permit But I am not sure. I have friends who tell me that MSF is really important. So I still cant decide.

If anyone has any suggestion about which bike to buy, I would appreciate that.

[Doc]

Take the advanced class.

[butcher bergs]

If there's one thing I would change about how I obtained my street license when I first started riding, it would have to be taking the MSF course.

[therock]

Why butcher bergs?
Plz explain. Because I am still confused...
Thnx

[butcher bergs]

It's just one of those things that is a smart decision, IMO....that and the insurance discount can't hurt at all.

[Rossco]

@Rossco,
I prefer sports bike and I am planning to buy a CBR600 or Ninja650r or something around 600cc. Is that a good idea?

Yes, the 650r is a great bike for someone getting back into riding! The CBR600f4i is also very user friendly, the CBr600RR is a little more intense.

On top of those I would also reccomend the Yamaha FZ6, the Suzuki GSX650f, and the Suzuki SV650.

You want to get something you feel relatively comfortable and confident on. Something that might help you decide is a website called cycle-ergo.com. Once there, you can enter your height and inseam. then select the bike you are interested in getting. You can then get a rough idea of how you would fit with the bikes controls.

Another thing, the MSF is more than just a way of getting your license. It's a hands on course in rider safety. There have been people that have been riding for decades that take the MSF and come out with new skills. These are skills that can be used in the real world, and just might save your life! That alone is worth the $300.

By the way, what do you currently have for a helmet/riding apparel?

[Kenn157]

If there's one thing I would change about how I obtained my street license when I first started riding, it would have to be taking the MSF course.

Me too!

[Kenn157]

Why butcher bergs?
Plz explain. Because I am still confused...
Thnx

Don't be We'll get it all sorted out for you and you'll be riding the bike we want you to ride!


oh and welcome to NESR!

[Pigman]

You go buy NOW.....

[nhbubba]

If there's one thing I would change about how I obtained my street license when I first started riding, it would have to be taking the MSF course.

Or +2, or whatever the count is up to nowadays.

Yes, the 650r is a great bike for someone getting back into riding! The CBR600f4i is also very user friendly, the CBr600RR is a little more intense.

On top of those I would also reccomend the Yamaha FZ6, the Suzuki GSX650f, and the Suzuki SV650.

I agree with all of this.

[OreoGaborio]

Why butcher bergs?
Plz explain. Because I am still confused...
Thnx

The first day may be relatively boring to you, as it's mostly about things you already know... "Here is the throttle, here is the clutch, here are the brakes... Now here's what they do and here's how to use them". However, practicing those skills can be valuable for even experienced riders.

Where you may get the most benefit from the MSF Beginner Course is where we talk about risk awareness and strategies to manage those risks - the MENTAL aspects of riding that most people don't really think about, but should. This is the part that saves lives.

I've had a number of experienced riders come through my class and every single one of them learned something new.



As for bike suggestions, I recommend you head to as many dealerships as you can and just check out what's available out there. If you like the 650R then check out the SV650 as well as they're in the same class.

[Degsy]

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The more riding you did in India, the more you need the MSF class.

When are the 3 or 4 Indian guys that I know of one here gonna chime in?

[njsrikar]

Is the MSF really gonna teach him anything he doesn't know already? 6 years in India? damn...he can already out ride the majority of Americans

well, I have ridden in India for more than 7-8 years and have been riding here for about 3 seasons now (approx 18k miles so far) ....riding here or in india doesnt matter, what matters are the bikes you ride. All we get to ride in India are single cylinder 150cc or 220cc bikes, which are categorized as premium/sportbikes hehe. The bikes here are on a completely different level, the dynamics are different. i feel, for someone new to the bikes here, it is very very easy to crash them, a little bit of over-confidence and baam you are on the pavement. Whereas, in India, you could very well control and keep it from falling.

that said, I do think he is a little better off than a noob who never sat on a two-wheeler, but you still are a noob, maybe a sports-bike-noob.

the OP is my colleague. I tried telling him how different it is to ride the bikes here and suggested he start with a milder sub 600cc used bike (sv650 or GS500 or ninja500 etc), take the MSF course, put some miles on it....then maybe go for a newer one if he feels confident and knows what he wants.

But he sorta wants to get a new bike as he does not want to deal with repairs/problems that a used bike might have. Thats when I pushed him onto you guys, so that you will stop him from falling on his brand new bike! ;-)



In India, Honda,Suzuki,Kawasaki, Ducati started selling their 600cc-1000cc bikes around 2007. Guess which is the most famous among college going teens and youth in general? the busa, haha....hell, even I was a fan of it until I came across the Monster and then ZX10r sometime around 2005.

I heard from a suzuki dealer in my home town telling me that every busa/gixxer they sell comes back to them within 6 months in pieces, the rider mostly giving up riding! Almost 90% of people riding 150cc+ motorcycles in india are posers. They ride to pose or until they can afford a car! Forget the infrastructure, i dont think the people there are ready to own liter bikes.

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The more riding you did in India, the more you need the MSF class.

When are the 3 or 4 Indian guys that I know of one here gonna chime in?

.... hmm...i sorta agree with you and somewhat do not agree .... I agree that MSF course is definitely a good thing to take. but, I dont see what it has to do with riding in india?

[nhbubba]

I bought a new bike once.

Used bikes are where its at.

[therock]

Thanks everyone!!!
And Srikar, thanks for the advice. I think it makes sense now.
I looked at 600cc bikes and they are quite heavy and I don't wanna start with too much of risk.
So I decided, I am gonna start with a 250 cc bike first and get used to it on US roads and then switch to 600 cc level in maybe 1 year or so.

So guys, for 250 cc bikes - I saw that there are 2 major ones: Kawasaki Ninja 250r and Honda CBR 250r. Any votes on that?

After going through the reviews: it looks like CBR is better.
Please let me know your thoughts

[njsrikar]

cbr250r is a new bike from honda ...so you will not find any old/used ones. you might hv to get it brand new from a showroom.

the ninja250r has been in the market for a while, so if you want you can get a used one. there might be one on sale in the For Sale section.

both bikes are good starter bikes. maybe jimmy-2-shots can pitch in for the cbr250

[csmutty]

Thanks everyone!!!
And Srikar, thanks for the advice. I think it makes sense now.
I looked at 600cc bikes and they are quite heavy and I don't wanna start with too much of risk.
So I decided, I am gonna start with a 250 cc bike first and get used to it on US roads and then switch to 600 cc level in maybe 1 year or so.

So guys, for 250 cc bikes - I saw that there are 2 major ones: Kawasaki Ninja 250r and Honda CBR 250r. Any votes on that?

After going through the reviews: it looks like CBR is better.
Please let me know your thoughts

It really depends what you want to do with it. The CBR has fuel injection and is a bit more expensive. It has a single cylinder motor while the Ninja 250 has a parallel twin. This means that the Ninja will be better on the highway than the CBR. I have a 1987 Ninja 250 and the bike has plenty of power. The CBR is also much harder to find. Dealers were sold out and they are hard to find. Ninja 250's are plentiful and the 2nd gens are dirt cheap now that the 3rd gens came out.