[Ben]

Excellent point, I think I’ll have to write an article like that soon.

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

Mesh is a loose woven fabric that protects against abrasion but also has great airflow. It terms of moto gear this stuff is probably on the lower rung for protectiveness, but loads better than just a T-shirt. Textile is better than mesh, and almost as good as leather when it comes to protection. The only thing with textile is that generally they only survive 1 crash and then you have to replace them, leather on the other hand can last more than one crash depending on the severity.

In most situations you will face on the street I would say leather and textile are equally protective. I only think leather matters when you start getting up to the higher speeds that racers do. Sometimes leather or textile gear will have mesh parts to allow airflow into key areas while still protecting well against the pavement.

When it comes to boots I wear mine all year whether it is hot or cold, they seem to do fine. I also only have 1 helmet that I wear. During the summer I can open up the vents in the helmet, and during the winter I close them (except the mouth vent to prevent fogging!).

I would try and make your winter gear water resistant if you can, thats what I did with my overpants. Also, my Firstgear Mesh Jacket holds up a LOT better in the rain than my Leather jacket, plus it dries a lot quicker. I was pretty surprised about that.

In the end I wouldn’t go crazy buying all sorts of new gear right away. If it’s hot when you get your bike just buy your summer gear, then when it starts to get cold you will have an idea what you like and what you don’t like when it comes to buying your winter gear.

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

Can’t wait, the GS definitely looks a lot better with a smaller fender than the beast that comes stock.

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

I definitely recommend getting both a summer and winter set of gear although you can get away without it. For my first year of riding I wore a mesh jacket with a removable wind breaker liner and a pair of rainproof textile overpants. That way in the summer I could put the liner in, and I could even squeeze a sweatshirt underneath the jacket to keep me nice and toasty.

Now that I’m coming up on my 3rd year of riding I’m collecting more gear. I now wear a Shift leather jacket 90% of the time unless it is too hot, then I switch to my old First Gear Mesh jacket. I still wear the overpants in all weather, but at this point I”m thinking about getting some mesh overpants for when it gets really hot.

I would recommend trying some stuff on in a store and taking a note on the sizes of the different brands and then looking online to see if you can get last years model for cheaper. That’s what I did for my shift leather jacket and I got it brand new off ebay for only 150ish dollars when it normally costs $250+. It was a model from a few years ago, but brand new so it rocks.

One thing you should buy in the store is a helmet like Shannon said. Make sure they have a good return policy too. I bought one helmet, took it home, and after 30 minutes of wearing it I had a bad headache and my forhead was red. I took it back to the store and switched it out for a different brand (i’m a shoei head really easily. It would have been a pain to mail back a helmet and hope the next one that I get fits.

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

Both RobbieJ and ShannonG had some great advice, probably better than what I’m about to say.

In my experience people like that are ‘lost causes’ and will almost never be convinced that riding a motorcycle is an OK thing to do. My girlfriend’s parents are that way (but thankfull mine are not!) so whenever I go to their house I get a quip about, “You should get a car,” or my personal favorite, “You’re an organ donor right?”

I just try and answer them cheerfully but truthfully (I’m saving for a car, and yes I’m an organ donor!) and I try not to let the subject stay on motorcycles. Some people say i’m too harsh but when it comes to parents, but I say ‘cut the cord’. My parents only have slightly more weight in my decisions than my friends. If my friend Quinton said, “Hey, if you keep riding motorcycles then I can’t be your friend” then I would say, “That sucks, bye.”

Anyone that wants to limit what you choose to be passionate about after you have demonstrated how safety consious and careful you are does not deserve to be your friend in my opinion.

The same can be applied to parents, but I know a lot of people do not subscribe to my theory on that. If my parents did not support my riding I would say, “You know what, it’s my passion, i’m safe about it, I can explain it to you if you want and show you what I do to be safe, but I am not going to stop riding.” If they chose to give me the silent treatment then that is their problem. Once they grow up enough to realize that people need to make their own choices then they could be welcomed back into my life. Anyway, that’s my two cents and I realize that a lot of people let their parents have a lot of power over them, and that’s ok too as long as you realize you are giving them the power.

Man, I seem to be getting on my soapbox a whole lot lately! I need to tone it down I think and stick to motorcycle stuff and skip the relationship stuff

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

Well it’s definitely a tough decision to start riding or not, but it is a lot of fun. Like I said, the ninja 650r does make a great beginner bike and it definitely looks cooler than the ninja 500. I think the best thing to do if your still on the fence about whether to ride or not is to take the MSF course, in there they let you ride their 250cc motorcycles and they teach you a lot of great skills. The course itself is over a couple days, so you will be able to decide if you have the riding bug or not.

Motorcycles are dangerous but there are a lot more dangerous things you could do out there. Hope I didn’t scare you away with my ranting

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

If you can drive with one eye you can ride with one eye.

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

I think I stumbled across a really good idea in my rambling. Ask her to the take the MSF course with you. Tell her, “I don’t think you are making an informed decision, just do me a favor and take the MSF course with me before you put your foot down on the motorcycles.”

That’s just my 2cents, it might work, it might not. I’m no relationship doctor!

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

You definitely got to pick your battles when it comes to significant others. My fiance` knows that if she says, “Either you give up riding, or we break up.” that I would break up with her. It’s not that I love motorcycles more than I love her, it’s that motorcycles are my passion and a huge part of my life. Anyone that would ask you to give up your passion is not the right person for you.

That being said, about a year ago I wanted to take up cigar smoking as a hobby…. well that did NOT end well. Even though I really wanted to do it, in the end I realized it was something I could live without*.

Some people will never get used to the idea of you riding, but others can be won over if you show them you will be safe and responsible. Show them all the riding gear you plan on buying, show them how you are going to take the MSF course and start on a small motorcycle. Maybe even have them take the MSF course with you that way they can see what it is really like. A lot of people’s fear comes from the unknown, so once you shed some light on the subject their fear will go away. Then again, some people are just unreasonable

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

*side note, we did actually come to a compromise that would allow me to smoke, but in the end the health risks, in addition to her not liking it just did not make it worth it.

[Ben]

After rereading my reply I think I might have gotten on my soapbox a little bit and come off sort of like an…. ass. I still stand by everything I said, but I could have probably worded it a bit better. I hope no one was offended by my post.

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

Alright I haven’t read all the replies yet, but I have read the original post so that is what I will reply to. Then I will go back and read all the replies and give you my opinion on them if that is required.

1) The reason I don’t recommend the Ninja 650r as much is because I haven’t reviewed it. I’ve heard on these boards and other sources that it is a good beginner bike, but I honestly have not done all the research on it like I have with the sv650. It’s the same sort of thing with the Vulcan 900, i’ve read a couple things that say that it is a pretty darn good beginner bike, but I have not done all the research on it so if people ask me I’ll just recommend the Vulcan 500 instead. Maybe they would both make good beginner bikes, but I KNOW that the vulcan 500 would.

I will try and review the Ninja 650R now that you mention it though. Look for that in the coming weeks.

2) Lighter bikes definitely do make learning easier, so its a plus that the ninja 650r is only 5 lbs heavier.

3) I don’t have time to confirm all your insurance numbers but they seem correct to me. One of the reasons the ninja 650 might not be listed is because from what I see it is not a very popular bike. People have heard about the ninja 500 or the ninja 250 if they want a beginner bike, or if they want something bigger they will go with the ZX6R. I’ve only seen one or two Ninja 650r’s in real life, but sv650’s are the Honda Civics of the motorcycle world, you see em everywhere!

Now, to switch topics to the Suzuki Katana. I’ve heard it makes a pretty good beginner bike but I have not done the research on it, the main reason being because that it is one UGLY motorcycle haha. I honestly think katana’s are the damn ugliest bikes you can buy, that is one of the reasons they will probably be one of the last bikes I review. I mean, they don’t even look good as streetfighters. That’s all my personal preference, but I know that quite a few people agree with me, which is why I’m in no rush to review it.

4) In my article “Why 600 cc’s is too much” I was painting with a broad brush to help the uninformed. If someone goes to google, types in “Beginner motorcycles”, finds my website, and only reads that one article, then they will hopefully shop around for motorcycles that are smaller than 600cc’s. If I was to be completely accurate than the article title would be much too long!!:

“Why an Inline-4 600cc motorcycle is too much power for someone without any experience riding, but if you have dirtbike experience than you could do ok with a V-twin up to 650cc’s like the SV650 or the NInja650R (Oh yeah, and the vulcan 900 also makes a good beginner bike, but you should know it is a lot heavier and more difficult to move at slow speeds) oh yeah and in some situations even a bike like the Inline-Four powered Honda f4i can make an ok beginner bike etc….”

See….

Doesn’t have such a great ring to it.

People seem to be obsessed with pushing things to the edge. For example, you said:

“Do you believe the average person (me 5′ 10” about 180-185 lbs) with no riding experience, but is dedicated to learning to ride properly, wiling to practice, would not even get on a motorcycle without life and disability insurance (processing that right now)….”

If your dedicated to learning to ride properly than just start on a smaller bike like the 250 or 500 like you said! People want to say, “Oh yeah, small motorcycles are good, but i’m responsible and I’d do things right, so a 600cc bike would be ok for me.”

Well maybe it would, or maybe it wouldn’t, but if you are honest about learning to ride properly than why not just go with a bike that you KNOW makes a good beginner bike? The sv650/ninja650/ninja 500/ninja 250 / gs500 etc… all make good beginner bikes, but the bigger they are, the more difficult they will be to handle. I can say with 100% certainty that you will have an easier time learning to ride on a ninja 250 than you would the ninja650, especially if you have not ridden a dirt bike or anything before. That being said, it’s not impossible to learn on a ninja 650, hell I know people personally that have learned to ride on a Yamaha r1, and they aren’t dead (Granted they are slow as hell in the turns, and not very skilled rider in general, but hey riding fast in a straight line is cool too yeah?).

You can learn to ride on any motorcycle, but smaller motorcycles make it easier. Period.

5) Both the ninja 500 and the gs500 are great bikes. I personally started on a gs500, but if I had to do it again I would probably start on a ninja 500 or ninja 250. The GS isn’t a bad bike, but it was more coldhearted (hard to start in the cold) than a ninja 500.

6). See answer #4.

I realize that one of the cool things about motorcycles is they make you look cool. I also realize that a ninja 500 is not going to turn as many heads as a CBR 1000. You need to ask yourself who you are trying to look cool for. Most people can’t tell the difference between a ninja 500 and a GSXR 750. Sure they look different, but most people can’t go “That motorcycle is DEFINITELY 500 cc’s!!!” I’ve heard tons of stories of pedestrians mistaking 250’s for 600’s, 750’s, or even 1000cc bikes.

The people like me who really ride can spot the posers (Squids) right away. They are usually on some japanese 600cc I-4 with brand new dealer plates, a 500 dollar race replica helmet, some shorty gloves, and T-shirt and jeans. They ride with their arms locked out, can’t pick a line (and stick to it) to save their life, and take corners slower than a 56k modem. Real riders don’t think those people are cool, they are pissed because they will most likely crash and raise everyones insurance rates. Not to mention they give good riders a bad name to the general public.

Anyway, this rant is getting too long haha. Hope that answers some of your questions.

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

Welcome aboard Mike

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

25 bucks?

That sounds really cheap. My course was $250ish I believe and it was over a couple days. They provided the bikes, helmets, classroom instruction etc… Also all of the instructors were MSF instructor certified, are the instructors for the 25 dollar class certified instructors as well?

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

Damn thats super cheap, i might have to order a bunch of magazines

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Ben]

Great looking bike Nothings wrong with sport tourers, one of my favorite bikes is the Honda VFR.

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Author]

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