How much should I be paying for my first bike?

[SwiftTone]

7 Years ago I spent all my money and spent $1400 on a 1994 CBR600 F2. The only gear I had was the free helmet HJC that came free with the bike which was 1 maybe 2 sizes too big, and some cheap AGV gloves. The bike was more than fast enough to have fun, but manageable. I ended up crashing it not even using it's power, but taking a blind corner too fast and hitting a patch of sand and low siding it. I walked away with just a bruised knee. I lacked experience.

If I had to do it again, I could and probably would go with a similar bike, or even step down to a 500cc. The bike was more than enough fun. Sure it looked a little dated, but it still looks good. It's your first but certainly not your last bike. I got lucky with my crash and it taught(scared) me to spend more money on gear.

I've dropped my bike 2 other times while not even acting stupid. Once moving it around in the garage while sitting on it, and the other turning onto a street going 2mph. Noth times just losing balance from lack of speed.

Also, all the people worth riding with will wait for you at the next turn off. Ride your own ride and you'll enjoy the sport longer. This is coming from a guy that usually rides last of the group and prefers it.

[Doc]

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

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

Oh did you now?

[tls25rs]

http://www.nestreetriders.com/forum/...ghlight=kurlon

Shameless plug for another forum member's for sale post.

As others have said, small displacement bikes that aren't too expensive are the way to go.

You mention $800 in gear but $800 goes quickly when buying quality gear. Good riding boots, good gloves and a decent helmet can eat that up quickly without covering a jacket or pants of any type.

Embrace the free riding course that the military offers you and build on it by choosing your riding partners wisely and even taking additional courses on your own dime down the road. I will not be the track/gear guy that can sometimes ruin the fun and joy riding by forcing their opinion on a new rider but the track and the courses that are offered there can be a life saver when riding on the street.

As you can see from multiple posts here from long time members, just as much enjoyment can be had with the smaller displacement bikes. Having roughly 70K+ miles under my tires I know that unless I buy a luxo sport tourer in the future all of my future bikes will be middleweight or smaller (650cc or less). The big displacement bikes are, IMHO, not as fun to ride on the street. Run a liter bike through first and second gear and you are typically well north of 100 MPH and on the way to a huge fine or a trip to jail if you do it in the wrong spot. Small bikes, wind that thing out through 3 or 4 gears and likely you will be doing 65-70 and having a ball riding the bike hard. My Supermoto is an absolute blast to ride just because I can wring its neck and still not be doing over a 100 MPH. Tight twisties are very satisfying on the smaller bikes as well because typically you can throw the lighter weight, less rotational inertia bikes around much easier causing them to typically get through the twisties at a higher average pace than the bigger displacement bikes that in some ways fight the rider every turn due to the physics of the larger engine. Yes the liter bike can twist the throttle on the straights but anyone can do that. There is a level of satisfaction as a rider that comes from being able to make a slow bike fast where making a fast bike fast is not really an accomplishment.

Wow, this turned into a short book. Just another opinion. Hope you enjoy riding as much as we all obviously do. Be safe.

Joel

[coolfir3pwnz]

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

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

Yolo! lol

[SVRACER01]

Yolo! lol

dont listen to him, hes slower than you and you dont even know how to ride yet

[coolfir3pwnz]

Absolutely. I'm not sparing any expense when it comes to gear. I asked one of my (many) bosses how much I should be spending on gear and he replied with "Well, how much is your head worth?" I'll post the gear I'll be getting after I get home. Currently looking at an 03 Honda CBR600RR with 13k miles for 2700 but keeping my options open.

[nhbubba]

What years/models should I be looking at? How old do you think is too old? Mileage?

If I were a noob right now, I think I'd be looking at one of those super-moto contraptions. A fairly mild one, like the DRZ400. Or maybe an upright standard like the SV650, Ninja 650r, GS-whatever, or even a Bandit 600/650 (der, that's a GS..). I would avoid anything european. I would avoid HD, mostly because they don't make anything I like. Buell would be fair game though.

Anything from the mid 90's on would be fair game. My only concern with age would be the condition of the bike and ease of getting parts.

Mileage is almost irrelevant. You're probably going to be looking at a Japanese bike from the big 4. I believe most of them can go nearly forever, mileage wise. I would not rule out something with even 50k+. Although I would pay accordingly because other people do.


Be on the lookout for used gear. I'd buy anything except a helmet used.

[fineout]

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.

sorry for jumping down your throat, I wont say I wasn't but we do get a lot of people that go through the exact scenario I just described every time spring and summer come around.

I'd stay away from the RR

[SVRACER01]

id stay away from that RR. thats probably north of 100hp. i know theres cheap SV 650s out there. start on that. i think theres one in NY for $1800 that a friend told me about.

[Doc]

Yolo! lol

[backinthesaddle]

Buy the biggest, fastest bike available for the money and then watch someone on a smaller bike go by in the corner. I have a riding bud who has many years of road riding, track days, and a couple seasons of road racing, he just picked up a CBR250 to be a stable mate to his 250 motard. He gets the biggest grin on those things.

[shortbus]

I was never allowed bikes as a kid because they scared my mother after she had watched her brothers get hurt / put in comas / etc...

When I was 18 I bought a cr125 and rode the hell out of it for a few months, dropped it, jumped it, had a blast, and sold it for what I bought it for.

Then I bought a street bike. I really believe that the cr125 experience was almost necessary. I've never dropped a bike on the street, and attribute that to putting in some dirt time.

My first street bike was a 2002 cbr1100xx I paid about 3000 bucks.

[MikeP]

I was in the same boat as you last year, I had Dirt Riding which helped but its still way differnt being on the street.

I got a 2002 CBR600 F4i, Love the bike its much more comfortable then the RRs around town and you will never need/use the RR's performance on the street especially if you are just starting out.

That being said if I could have found a clean Ninja 650, or SV650 for the price I would have choosen one of those, rode a Nija 650 durring the Kawi Demo days event, and it was much easier to ride and is more fun to ride on the street since you can actually ring it out and still stay some what within the speed limits

[mzdagrl]

I'd stay away from the RR, an older F4 or F4i will quench that 600 urge, still have plenty of go to get you in trouble, and not be quite as torquey as the RR. I started on a 250 and rode the heck out of it for 2 months (about 5k miles), then upgraded to a brand new SV650. That was in 2005. It is still my only bike, though I am looking to get a new streetbike, and turn the old SV into a track rat. I doubt I'll ever part with her, as long as she stays in one piece.

To reiterate a few points that have already been made by people who are way better riders than I'll ever be:

-Spend your money on gear and education, not a shiny bike.
-You WILL drop and/or crash your bike. You probably won't know when it will happen.
-Good riders on a small bike can outride a bad rider on a big bike any day.
-You will learn more about what a bike can do by riding a smaller displacement bike.
-Don't ever try to "keep up." Learn to ride your own pace, and eventually, you won't have to try. A good group won't leave you behind.


Also, keep your eyes open for group rides posted on here. I do a newbie ride every year, but you're kind of far away (although more than welcome if you want to join). Sometimes, riding with the same people all the time can be a detriment to growth - fresh eyes can see things that those who know you can't, and advice is often better received from someone who is not close, like a friend/relative/etc.

[aldend123]

Riding position. The supersports like that RR look great, and are tremendously sporty. But usually at the expense of comfort. Is long-distance comfort important to you?

Powerband. Peak horsepower isn't the only determination on how the bike feels. A bike with a more linear power curve won't require you to wind out the gears. Supersports shift all their power close to redline to develop the most, while standards, naked, and street-aimed sportbikes have more progressive power curves.

[OreoGaborio]

Spend as much money as you'd be able to throw away and still be okay financially in the event the worst case scenario happens.

And as others have said, make SURE to budget your riding gear into that number!
Helmet: 1-400
Jacket: 1-400
Gloves: 50-200
Pants: 50-200
Boots: 50-200
Insurance: depends
Registration: depends
Sales tax: depends
Licensing: depends

It adds up quick. You can VERY EASILY spend another grand or two IN ADDITION to the purchase price of the bike.

[FAST GSXR750]

My 2 cents. I ride an 04 gsxr750 that i bought in 05. I also ride a 1981 GS650 that i built. That being said i hardly ride the gsxr on the street at all, did probably 200 miles last season. I do however trackday the hell out of it. The old GS is just a shit load more fun without the urge to go balistic. It would hurt if i dropped the 650, but it would not be the end of the world. Always ride your own ride, never feel like you need to keep up. If they bail on you, get new riding buddies. 99.9% of the people on here will wait for you,maybe 100%. Where in Ct are you?

[coolfir3pwnz]

My 2 cents. I ride an 04 gsxr750 that i bought in 05. I also ride a 1981 GS650 that i built. That being said i hardly ride the gsxr on the street at all, did probably 200 miles last season. I do however trackday the hell out of it. The old GS is just a shit load more fun without the urge to go balistic. It would hurt if i dropped the 650, but it would not be the end of the world. Always ride your own ride, never feel like you need to keep up. If they bail on you, get new riding buddies. 99.9% of the people on here will wait for you,maybe 100%. Where in Ct are you?

I live in Cromwell, man, like right near Newington. So, I just got home from the gym. Here's the gear I'm planning on purchasing via Revzilla:

Helmet:
Icon Airmada Parahuman $250
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/i...rahuman-helmet

Jacket:
AGV Sport Dragon Leather
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/a...leather-jacket

Gloves:
Fieldsheer Apex 20
http://www.revzilla.com/product/fiel...apex-20-gloves

Boots:
Alpinestars Scout WP
http://www.revzilla.com/product/alpi...scout-wp-boots


Haven't decided on pants yet.


What do you guys think of this?

http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/mcy/3535864947.html

[vintage ex race]

I just posted a 99 Zrx in the for sale section , more of a sport tour naked bike but a good all around easy to ride bike . check it out.

[maxim_X]

This is great thread with lots of good points. I'd just like to add 1 thing that I think gets misunderstood with new riders. 600cc sport bikes are not beginner bikes. Graduating to a 1000 should not be a goal and is no right of passage. They are very advanced, aggressive, fast track machines. It takes years and years some times a lifetime of experience to ride a 600 at is limits.

Anyway. Welcome to NESR. Keep us updated.

[reks95]

As long as you don't plan on doing a ton of highway riding I would recommend a WR250X or a DRZ400 or something similar - Supermoto "inspired".
Stupid fun. You won't care if you drop it. It probably won't care if you drop it.
You can spend as much or as little time fiddling with it as you want.
Did I mention stupid fun?

[jasnmar]

I've not been on a fazer, but have heard good things about them. That seems a bit spendy to me for what it is.

This one is a bit spendy as well for a Gen 1 but is a potentially interesting bike... http://nh.craigslist.org/mcy/3577256439.html
(Not mine, no idea whose it is, just browsing).

Honestly if you are willing to spend some time, you should be able to buy a turn of the century bike for about $1500. You won't stumble over one, but they exist.

[jasnmar]

Or newer and a touch smaller... http://nh.craigslist.org/mcy/3596574264.html

[nhbubba]

I like your choice for gloves and jacket. I really like your choice for boots.

I am not a fan of the poly helmets. I would consider trying to find something that is fiberglass/kevlar or whatever. The Scorpion EXO-700 is an example. It is a discounted style and being closed out all over the place. I think revzilla has them for under $150. Although that icon does have the Euro stamps. (DOT is borderline meaningless in my book.)

If you are interested in doing track days at some point you will probably need something with a SNELL sticker. While a track day probably shouldn't be on your immediate radar, if it is something you think you might want to try, make your gear choices accordingly.

Ultimately, with a helmet you really need to go to a decent shop and get fitted correctly. A poorly fitting helmet is a bad idea. Unless you know wtf you are doing, ordering off the 'net is dicey.


That bike is overpriced in my (very amateur) opinion.

[carsick]

Gentlemen, we may be overlooking the fact that the OP might want/need a bike that attracts tail. SVs (and EXs!) don't attract chicks, they're FOR chicks! The only proper mating call is the gixxer on the rev limiter. And scars, chicks dig scars.





<--- SV. With scars. No chicks. See?