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My search for “my” first bike, Part 1
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September 21, 2009 at 5:48 am #3448Bob HarleyParticipant
Buying a new (or used) anything is an exciting, but stressful process until it is actually in your hands. House, car, appliances/electronics (don’t laugh, how much time did you spend researching that big screen TV before you bought it!) and now a motorcycle is on my list of life’s “Must Haves!”
My journey has not ended yet, but for those who are starting out like myself, I’d like to share my experience. My close friend told me I needed a 600cc bike, because a liter class bike would be too much. So I began with the Internet. Vast and all knowing, it showed me a world of all types of motorcycles. Most web reviews of nearly any bike is secretly an advertisement to get you to drool over it and want to buy it. However, at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course the final words of our instructor was, buy a 250cc and move up later when you are ready because you can always sell your 250 to a new beginner! Now I felt guilty, because I had set my heart on 600cc class bike based on my friend’s advice and having read many articles bestowing the glory and precision of bikes with names like SV650ABS, Ninja 650R, FZ6R, Honda 599 and Triumph Bonneville’s! So I looked up Best Beginner motorcycles and found this website. The more I read the more discouraged I became. So I looked up the ninja 250 & 500, gs500 and the Buell Blast. Well these all seemed “sporty” but civilized enough for a beginner. But an itch at the back of my mind felt so dissatisfied with “settling”, so I decided I needed to go look at as many of these bikes in real life as I could find.
Well I remembered the ninja 250 from MSF. That was way too small for me, as I’m 6′ tall with longer legs. So I found a ninja 500 and sat on it with great excitement. Up till this point I had only read reviews, and the ninja 500 was hands down the mightiest of the 500’s by performance. My stomach sank as I sat on it. It was small, my knees dug into the ridge of the tank and I did not care for the low set handlebars at all. So reluctantly I walked over to the gs500 and sat down. Eureka, it was comfortable, the handlebars were more of a standard posture, and I was impressed! My only complaint was the fairing looked like a cheap imitation of the faster suzuki bikes. While I was there I tried a honda 919, which felt nice, even if it wasn’t on my list. I tried an sv650f and did not like it at all, with the low forward sport bike stance I felt like I was falling over the front of the bike. Then for kicks, I tried the Gladius, and that bike felt great between my legs! I thought the seat felt nice, contary to reviews, and the tank and the foot pegs were perfect for my legs. Now, since I wasn’t buying the sales staff was not so helpful and as can be expected there were no test rides. So I moved onto another dealership and tried out the FZ6R and the Ninja 650r. Although the bikes look similar in stance and target market according to the web reviews, I found the bikes felt very different just by sitting on them. Yamaha has made a bike that feels aggressive, which was not my goal. The ninja on the otherhand, which as far as I can tell is a fair version of the ER-N6, felt very comfortable and the handlebars felt natural in their position.
I went home with more doubts than questions answered, but I had learned that I did not like the head forward sportbike stance and that I will not buy a bike that feels too small for my body. Although I’m certain I wasted much time debating the merits of Gladius vs. the Ninja 650r (notice I still want a 600+cc bike? Human nature is stubborn….), my next experience helped me in a way I had not expected.
I began riding my wife’s S40, a 650 single cylinder “thumper” cruiser. I was surprised that my wife had a 650! But I soon learned that not all engines are the same. I am certain that a Buell Blast would be good friends with a S40, as the bike produces it’s power at low to mid rpm’s. It is no racer and “CAN” be forgiving on the throttle. Just to be clear though, even the S40 can surprise you! My wife was caught off guard while practicing circles in a parking lot and grabbed a fistful of throttle. The nearby fence and the bike became close friends in a matter of seconds. It was a scary experience, where no serious injuries occurred, but it illustrated to me in no uncertain terms that practice was mandatory in combination with daily riding. I told her I’d rather see her have that experience at 10 or 15 mph in a parking lot than in traffic at 35 mph. We both learned a lot about the limitations of our little S40 that day and have a healthy respect for it’s low rpm torque.
My conclusions as I gain more experience with the S40 are the following:
-Practice, both the skills of the MSF course and becoming comfortable with driving in real traffic are important. For traffic I started with quiet streets and have been gradually moving up to busier streets for short periods. I have not attempted the freeway as of yet, as that seems the most intimidating at this point.
-I want a bike with a windshield or fairing that offers real wind protection. The S40 is getting some plexiglass love for christmas this year!
-After spending half a year on the S40, I’m certain that 650 cc bike will not seem overpowered, as I will have gained the much needed muscle reflexes and experience that I need.
I’m now completely uncertain what “my” first bike will be when I am ready to buy, but I am certain that my wife’s S40 “IS” my first bike.
I now understand what the instructor at the MSF meant. It doesn’t matter what your first bike is or is not, but it should be light weight and not over powered to learn basic skills and reflexes. Moving onto the bike you want comes later. This has taken the edge off my desire to bike shop and allowed me to concentrate on basic skills.
I’m certain that I have written way too much, but I kinda needed to get all of that out.
Brian V.
September 21, 2009 at 12:58 pm #22451briderdtParticipant…that has you feeling like you’re falling forward… Did you try that with both feet on the pegs? Most times people will jump on a bike in the showroom and try out the handlebar position with one foot on the floor. It’s okay, I did the same thing. And like you, the only one of the “sporty” beginner-ish bikes that seemed comfortable was the GS500. But something happened on the way to the purchase that opened my eyes — I found a 600cc sport bike on a showroom floor that had a center stand. So I sat on that one, and actually got on the bike like I would IF I WERE RIDING IT. The difference was amazing. Why? Because with both feet on the pegs, you can use your core to hold you up, just like you’re supposed to when riding. Voila! That position suddenly felt comfortable.
I had figured that with my bicycle racing background that the sport bike position would be comfortable, and was initially dismayed that I didn’t find it so, until I made this epiphany. So, while you’re out looking, if the bike doesn’t have a center stand, have the dealer HOLD the bike upright so you can test it out with both feet on the pegs.
I did this for a co-worker who has been looking at bikes for MONTHS, convinced that a cruiser was his only comfortable option. After a group lunch outing, we stopped at a dealer along the way who sold Hyosung’s. I had him get on the 250 sporty, and he just shook his head. Then I held the bike up for him and told him to put both feet up. You could actually SEE the lightbulb come on over his head as he made the same discovery I did.
So don’t write off the sport bikes just yet.
September 21, 2009 at 2:42 pm #22452stuParticipantWell the Gladius is my first bike and I’m loving it so far
September 21, 2009 at 3:16 pm #22453CBBaronParticipantFinally sat on a couple bikes myself over the weekend (MSF is scheduled for October). Was at a Suzuki dealership so only saw those bikes. My opinion was similar to yours. The GS500F was one of the most comfortable in the initial seat test. The Vstrom was probably my favorite. Also like the DR650 and the TU250x was not bad though it was small and the handlebars hit my knees.
Looking at pictures the Vstrom and dual sports seemed tall but did not feel that way in person. I guess being 6’2″ has its advantages.I didn’t really care for the cruiser style, especially since even the mid-weight ones seemed wide. The Sport bikes like SV650S definitely were sporty (like a racing bicycle) but not what I think I want right now. Ofcourse I didn’t get both feet up. The DRZ400SF felt like the seat was a 2×4. I had heard complaints about seats on dual-sports but was surprised as how hard the seat was.
Still I think I will just try to find a cheap small used bike in good shape for my first bike then decide what I want after I am comfortable riding.
Craig
September 21, 2009 at 3:19 pm #22454Bob HarleyParticipantI haven’t ruled out the sports bike entirely, but on my mountain bike I replaced the flat bar with a 3.5″ riser bar because I didn’t like being leaned so far forward. Logically, I can see why it’s a good posture, especially for aggressive riding. Also, I know that a mountain bike is not a motorcycle ergonomically. However, my thought is that if you get a bike that is more of a standard, you can easily convert it to a flat bar or clip ons later. But if you start out with a bike in an aggressive posture, the cables and lines are shorter and you are stuck with it. I’m trying to plan ahead. But the next time I look at bikes I’ll give that sv650F a second chance.
At this point my top bike choices are Gladius, Ninja 650r, gs500 and I’d like to find a naked sv650 (those things sell FAST!).
Thanks for the support!
-Brian V.
September 22, 2009 at 2:26 am #22463JtownJJAParticipantAlthough I like my 2004 GS500F a lot, I was surprised how comfortable the Ninja 650R felt when I sat on it for the first time over this past weekend. It actually feels like you sit up straighter than I do on my GS500F. Right beside the Ninja at the dealer was the Er-6n, and there really wasn’t much difference between it and the Ninja as far as how the ergonomics felt. I was quite surprised at that. However, I have read an article on the Ninja 650 in Cycle World a few months ago where their only big complaint about the bike was that the seat itself was not comfortable for a long ride. Depends on what your average time in the saddle would be I guess.
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