[sharky b]

hey guys
people call me sharky or shark or any other random variation on that theme. i’m just starting out with bikes now and was hoping someone could help with choosing my first bike. i’m from england and we all have to do a riding course before you can own anything over 125cc. so i’ve ridden a little as i’ve done this course on a 500. so should i get a 500 or would a 250 be better? and why do people say you should get a 600 straight away? i could drive a manual car well before i got on a bike so shifting isn’t so new, i just haven’t been riding that long. i’m not looking for a sports bike with a big fairing, or a cruiser, i just want a good looking bike that’s fast enough but won’t greatly increase my risk of killing myself horribly. also i’m 6 ft 3 and weigh a little over 210 pounds so quite a big bike would be ideal, i thought i looked a little silly on a cg125. so yeh, any ideas?
thanks everyone

[eternal05]

I’m 6’4″ myself, and as long as you’re not very large (which you aren’t at all), weight doesn’t really matter, even on small bikes. Height is really going to be your bigger issue. Now technically, even my GSX-R600 is “too small” and I definitely feel a bit cramped. The downside is that motorcycling is not really a sport that takes guys like us into consideration, so you’re just going to have to deal with the size issue on anything but a dual sport or motard bike (which I HIGHLY recommend by the way).

So, for your first bike? It all depends on what you want. If you’re NOT looking for a sports bike, I would heartily recommend the Suzuki DR-Z400sm (398cc). This thing is a BLAST to ride (yeah, I’ve got one of these too), though I might recommend dropping the rear sprocket a tooth or two to make it less torquey and give you a bit more top speed. It’s super light, agile as hell, and handles almost like a push bicycle (in the good sense, not the bad). You won’t be scared at all to try crazy maneuvers (not wheelies, mind you, but more the “ooh I bet I could make that tight u-turn between those parked cars” kind of thing), and if you do drop it, there’s little to no consequence. The bike has sliders on everything (front/rear axle sliders, peg sliders), and if you get the obligatory-for-this-bike handguards:

…those will protect your levers and bar-ends from further damage in a drop. Really I can’t say enough good stuff about this bike. While you won’t be going over 90 mph on this thing without some modification, you will absolutely love riding at any speeds below that.

Now if you don’t dig this particular style of bike, just say so and I can suggest alternatives. I would, however, really encourage you to stay at 500cc or less for your first bike unless you have amazingly good reasons to do otherwise.

Cheers, and welcome to the forum

[CBBaron]

Most 600cc bikes are inline 4 race replica bikes with over 100hp. In addition to the very high power they also have very aggressive riding positions and are very responsive to control inputs. Not good things for a new rider.
I’m 6’2″ and found fitting on entry level bikes to be difficult. Not sure whats available to you but the old style (ninja)EX-250 (pre `08), and the GS500F fit me quite well. I also liked the supermoto and the taller dual sport bikes. The new (ninja)EX-250 and (ninja)EX-500 and most other sport or cruiser bikes in that size range felt cramped.

Some people start out on twin cylinder 650s. These bikes are less aggressive than the I-4s but still alot of bike. I just got an `06 EX-250. It was like new, cheap and plenty capable of any legal speed even with me on it. If I decide to trade up in a year or 2 I won’t lose much money. Atleast in the US a used ninja 250r is probably the best value for starter bikes, and they look good too

Craig

[sharky b]

thanks for the answers guys, really helpful. i realised i wasn’t making the most sense there though, by sports bike i meant a bike with a sport fairing, like a race replica kind of bike. i’m more looking for a naked bike, although having checked out the GS500F i have to say i think i’ll be picking up one of those. looks awesome and i’ve heard good things about them, plus they’re not too expensive on the used market over here. i’ve also seen the GS500K, would i be right to assume it’s the same bike but without the fairing? thinking about one of those too… for those bikes, what sort of mileage should you look for in a used model and is age a problem? are there any other kind of similar bikes i should maybe take a look at? i took a look at the dual sports idea, but don’t think it’s for me, and cruisers are still out. those ninja 250s seem a little rarer over here than in the US, don’t think it’d be the same deal for resale etc…
thanks

[Author]

Posts