I’m thinking of purchasing a sport bike if I land a solid paying job since I am still pretty young I have no experience on a motorcycle and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what kinda bikes to look into. How much is a reasonable bike? Is it worth having a bike in the city if you live downtown? Is it that difficult to get a motorcycle license? Any thoughts are appreciated
I am also planning on buying a motorbike and I did some research on what kind of bike an inexperienced driver should buy. It turns out that if you never rode a bike before, you shouldn’t buy something too powerful unless you want to kill yourself. And buy something not too powerful, I actually mean not powerful at all because no matter how well you drive (or you think you are driving), you will fall. Think of this has a rite of passage or something. I guess you are probably living in the States and I don’t know what is the availability of bikes there but where I live, the Honda CB500 is a pretty popular beginner bike. I know it’s not the best looking bike but it’s only 60 BHP and you shouldn’t really need more when you begin. Moreover, you should really buy a second hand bike as your first bike because as I said before you will most definitely fall and it’s better to scratch a ± 4K bike that you don’t really care about instead of a brand new 15K bike that you love. So my advice is to get a bike with more or less 60 BHP and learn to drive for at least a year before thinking of going with something more powerful.
get you a 250cc honda, the look good, the are fast, but no so fast to where your odd surviving are near nothing… i suggest you go take lessons first, just for a few hours before you buy your new bike, you realy dont want to fall on your new bike… when i got my first bike, i decided to teach myself, so i suffered a few painfull accidents… but some of my friends learned on my bike and they were ridding nice from the start, no accidents… buy you a good helmet, not a $50 one, more like a $500 one i had a $50 helmet once, it feel down the stairs and cracked. do you think it can handle hitting asfult at 100mph+… go for it get a bike, if you turn out to be a biker guy, you would love it… if you are pissed you just get on your bike and speed(my country has no speed limits, you might have to pay a few tickets) if your happy you just go cruise and enjoy life…
Yeah, I’ve ridden for like 8 years on a variety of bikes. I had a 2005 Yamaha R1 that was pretty bad @ss as well as a variety of other machines of all styles. Honestly getting the license isn’t hard, but I’ve seen like a dozen people I know buy a nice bike / sport bike as their first bike, and end up laying it over, getting scraped up, and hating the experience (not to mention looking like a stupid tool). Every biker looks down on those brats that go out and buy gear above their driving level to try to look cool. You obviously have no experience (I’d almost argue you’re at negative) and seem pretty naive. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go out and buy a nice bike. Get an old Honda CB from the 1980’s for a summer for like $1,500. I’ve owned one, they’re super fun bikes (oddly enough, girls dig the retro). If you can’t bring yourself to do that, the Suzuki SV650 (probably cost like $3-4,000 is pretty much widely considered one of the best beginner bikes out there. Find the oldest one you can lay your hands on, with a few scratches already on it and learn with that. Also, spend TONS of time doing low speed (like 5-10 mph) figure eights and maneuvers in parking lots before you start hitting the road. Most of the overconfident clowns I knew skipped this because the instability made them nervous and rather than spending time developing proper safe skills and technique, they all wanted to rush to the “fun” part…they were “ready”. Nearly all of them laid over their bikes within a month. Best advice is also go to your local harley davidson dealer and ask if they or anyone local are offering the bike safety driver course (they actually lend you used buel’s for the instruction / driving portion). That’s the best way. The second best way is to make sure you don’t learn on your own or with your other inexperienced friends. I bunch of inexperienced @ss clowns acting overconfident is not in any way safer than learning on your own, which is not safe at all either. Find a 6-8 year experienced older rider and ride with them for the first month, no passengers, away from peer pressure.
I don’t know any bikers who haven’t had a serious accident, even the safest ones. I’d avoid getting one.
Muddahudda Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I don’t know any bikers who haven’t had a serious > accident, even the safest ones. I’d avoid getting > one. this is what i was going to say, but you can figure it out for yourself. sport bikes are very dangerous for people who don’t have any experience.
Black Swan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > … I had a 2005 Yamaha R1 that was pretty bad > @ss … Damn, respect for this. R1 is a beast and a half.
Muddahudda Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Stop discouraging people from joining my organ donation pool.
Make sure you get good instruction on how to ride properly because some of it isn’t intuative - like countersteering. As far as the licence goes, it likely depends on where you are but usually you have to pass a written part and then pass certain drills. Driving slowly without putting your feet down is usually one of those drills and a valuable skill to learn. My husband bought a harley dyna glide 1600 cc a couple of years ago and he’s such a happy camper. He said he would have regretted getting anything smaller. Having it downtown is great and really convenient on parking.
FreeRider Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > My husband bought a harley dyna glide 1600 cc a > couple of years ago and he’s such a happy camper. > He said he would have regretted getting anything > smaller. Worst advice ever for first bike. That being said, for all the haters, I’m still going strong on no accidents. *knock on wood* Well, technically, one time I took the 1981 Honda CB 750 (an ancient cruiser) high speed off-roading through my parent’s fields at their farm. I got cocky and caught some minor air off a grassy knoll on purpose, but when I landed the back end slid out on the grass and I was able to plant my foot and avoid a low-side (slide where bike drops) only to get high sided and basically sent through the air like a catapult. Long story short though, no injuries, bike was fine cause of the grass and low speed.
Black Swan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > FreeRider Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > > > My husband bought a harley dyna glide 1600 cc a > > couple of years ago and he’s such a happy > camper. > > He said he would have regretted getting > anything > > smaller. > > Worst advice ever for first bike. > > Oh yes my bad - this advice doesn’t apply to you OP since you’re new to riding. An experienced biker may find themselves ready for an upgrade after a year if they go too small but you should be good for a while before you’re ready for an upgrade.
robber07 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I’m thinking of purchasing a sport bike if I land > a solid paying job since I am still pretty young > I have no experience on a motorcycle and was > wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what > kinda bikes to look into. > How much is a reasonable bike? > Is it worth having a bike in the city if you live > downtown? > Is it that difficult to get a motorcycle license? > > Any thoughts are appreciated For me, I would get a bike if I had to commute to CT from NYC. I currently live downtown, so don’t want to get a bike right now until I have a real ‘use’ for it. I’m a real adrenaline junkie though too so it is why I would like one. I have outrun the cops twice in my life in a car and would like to give it a shot on a bike. Nothing like going faster than the boys in blue 
just get a dog doode if you wanna meet women. Besides Shia Leboufe is so last year.
FreeRider Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My husband bought a harley dyna glide 1600 cc a > couple of years ago and he’s such a happy camper. Everyone loves great happy campers. 
I abhorred to think of anything else.
Thanks for the tips. Solid info. Never would have thought accidents were so common. P.S.- I hate dogs.
Analti_Calte_Equity Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > robber07 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I’m thinking of purchasing a sport bike if I > land > > a solid paying job since I am still pretty young > > > I have no experience on a motorcycle and was > > wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what > > kinda bikes to look into. > > How much is a reasonable bike? > > Is it worth having a bike in the city if you > live > > downtown? > > Is it that difficult to get a motorcycle > license? > > > > Any thoughts are appreciated > > For me, I would get a bike if I had to commute to > CT from NYC. I currently live downtown, so don’t > want to get a bike right now until I have a real > ‘use’ for it. > > I’m a real adrenaline junkie though too so it is > why I would like one. I have outrun the cops twice > in my life in a car and would like to give it a > shot on a bike. Nothing like going faster than the > boys in blue Let’s hear these evasion stories guy.
I hope he is kidding about those cop chases. Otherwise, that is an indication that we should do the opposite of anything he says.
I went 4-0 against the police over a 3 month period in college using a ~450 hp Trans Am. That being said, understanding the limitations of motorcycle, you’d be fighting a major losing race on a bike and I would never attempt it. I have video of one of the chases but I don’t know how to change formats or put it on youtube or any of that stuff if one of you guys is familiar with these things let me know. I could mail a copy over.
I drive Ducati
I earned every point of my 2.5 undergrad GPA