[jeromethechicken]

Howdy everyone. I’m a soon to be new rider from western south dakota. I have some questions about what I should get for my first bike. I know everyone on here says not to go larger than 600 cc’s and I’m not one to buck the system here but I’m 6-4 240 lbs and I live in a very hilly and mountainous area. Can I still get by with a 500 or should I jump up to a 650 or 750.

Thanks for your responses.

[JackTrade]

…isn’t really about engine size, but mostly about configuration.

“No 600s” really means “no 4 cylinder engines.” Sportbike-style 4 cyl engines have peaky power delivery that requires some skill to handle properly…they’re designed for the high-rpm world of racing.

Twin cylinder engines (as usually found on cruisers) have less power per displacement, but it’s applied in a more linear fashion that’s easier for a beginner to handle.

I’m not a cruiser expert (I’m sure you’ll get better info from Elwood who will recommend an 800cc bike!) but I’d say you’d probably be fine with a 500cc bike, but a 650 wouldn’t be out of the question either.

[Gary856]

It’s logical for a new rider to think hilly terrain needs more power. I thought that too before I started riding – does a 500 have enough power to go up a steep hill?

If you’re talking about narrow, twisty, 2 lane roads, some times even 1 lane, some times very steep, the kind of road with a speed limit of 15-50 mph, interestingly enough, I find less power (such as a GS500) is just right, or better, than more power (such as a SV650). On those roads you don’t need wide open throttle. It’s all about applying just enough throttle, cornering, braking and technique, and something like a GS500, with it’s user friendly power and throttle response and quick handling, allows for a very controlled run, and has way more than enough power. I hardly ever had to use more than 3/4 throttle, and 99% of the time it’s less than 1/2 throttle.

The only thing a 500 may feel lacking is in a wide-open-throttle style acceleration on a wide open road. It’s still quick enough for any situation, but it’s just not the rocket ship ride that a larger displacement bikes can give you.

[CBBaron]

I’m very new to motorcycles but I am trying to figure out why so many riders think you need a bigger bike with more power. A 500cc twin motorcycle will have better power to weight than all but the fastest cars and be capable or 100+ mph despite relatively poor aerodynamics. Even my 250r is very comparable to a fast car in 0-60 acceleration. Only the little thumpers (<250cc single cylinder) lack enough power to feel comfortable on the highway and those will still pull you up a mountain just fine.

For someone your size comfort on the motorcycle will be a bigger issue. I havn’t tried many cruisers but I know that the 250cc cruisers seem very small to me (6’2″ 220lb). A 500 or 650 would probably be just fine. You may even find something like a Sportster seems cramped but Elwood probably has a better idea on that as he is a big guy that started on a Sporty.

Craig

[jeromethechicken]

I wanna thank all of you for replying. I’m more of a cruiser kind of guy so I’ll be sticking to that. Part of the reason I asked was I knew of a 650 VStar for cheap here and was thinking of getting it but I wanted to be sure that I wasn’t going to kill myself on it. Thanks again for everyone’s response. I appreciate it greatly.

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