First bike...???

[93rollaracer]

I'm pretty sure a few of you have bikes. Anyways, I'm seriously considering picking one up within the next few months. Trouble being, I've never driven a motorcycle before, so I don't want anything too ridiculous. These are the two I like thus far:
Kawasaki Ninja 650R
Suzuki SV650SF

The way I see it, neither is a slouch, but neither is a Hayabusa or something similar. At the same time, however, I don't know a whole lot about motorcycles. Thoughts on these two? Too fast? Too slow?

[Polygon]

All I can say is that they are the best bang for the buck but they are death traps and I'll never buy one. Good luck though.

[CassiesMan]

Pussy. Real men get Bussa's or ZX-14s for their starter bike. Gotta love the damned near McLaren F1 performance for under 15k...

I'm in and out of bikes. Sometimes I really want one, other times my survival instinct kicks in and I realize I'm not matrue enough to handle the power between my legs<-perfect example right there...

Go sit on a few, see what one fits you. When I was last seriously thinking about getting a bike, like, money in hand and all, I was dead set on getting a Yammi or Suzuki (R6 or Gixxer 600). But, only the R1 was remotely close to a decent fit. Oddly, I found that the CBR600 was the most comfy for me. And at the Honda place, they actually treated me like a customer. The only other place I got that treatment was when I wandered into a Ducatti/Triumph/Aprilla dealership. I can't justify spending more on a bike than my car, lol.

[-The Stig-]

Originally Posted by 93rollaracer

I'm pretty sure a few of you have bikes. Anyways, I'm seriously considering picking one up within the next few months. Trouble being, I've never driven a motorcycle before, so I don't want anything too ridiculous. These are the two I like thus far:
Kawasaki Ninja 650R
Suzuki SV650SF

The way I see it, neither is a slouch, but neither is a Hayabusa or something similar. At the same time, however, I don't know a whole lot about motorcycles. Thoughts on these two? Too fast? Too slow?

When you say SV650SF... what are you refering to? The SV650S with the fairing or the SV650 naked version?

I'm going to assume you're meaning the S model which has the half-fairing. In either case, both the Kawi and the Suzuki are good bikes for the beginner and expert. They're also decently cheap to buy and maintain.

Another choice for you to look into is the Kawi Ninja 250R. Although considerably smaller than the 650R it's half the price. And since they've upgrade the whole bike this year it's an awesome little machine. And it makes for a perfect learning platform for those who want to learn the 2-wheeled boogie.

I'll add more later. Gotta get back to work.

[93rollaracer]

I'm referring to this little guy right here...
http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products...8/Default.aspx

Thanks for the help so far dudes...it's gonna be summer before anything gets done, but this is definitely something to think about.

[-The Stig-]

That's weird... they state SV650SF. But in all the other text it's reffered to as the SV650S like it always has been. I'm willing to bet it's a typo... a rather big one.

ABS models are a bit more expensive, not a bad idea but bikes haven't had ABS on them for 100+ years. They've done well without them. But a little aid here and there won't hurt. It's rider preference, which is why manufactures offer with and without.

They're good bikes, those Suzuki's. Quite the 'cult' following. They sound awesome with an aftermarket pipe. I've been considering one for years. Infact, I was looking at buying one this last summer. Untill I saw the Triumph Daytona... then I sat on it... and well, after a weeks worth of homework and telling myself I didn't need the expensive Triumph and that the Suzuki was the better buy. I rode home on the Triumph.

It's hard to argue with 364lbs and 123hp with 54ft-lbs. Doesn't sound like much on a car forum, but in the bike world... izzz pretty good!

Here's the main thing about bikes these days, especially the Japanese bikes. They're all built pretty damn well, have good tight tolerances and you'll be hard pressed to find much wrong with them. There's always the given lemons out there for sure, but with bikes it seems less likely.

Not to mention they're all so similar in performance, that to the average person you won't really notice any differences between Brand A and Brand X. Just choose whatever fits your best, or what color you like, or what body style you prefer... they're that close.

Good luck, and if you haven't taken it already. I suggest taking a rider safety course to really learn some basic tips on riding on the street. Even if you've ridden dirt before and know the concepts, it's still a good idea. And it's cheap!

Stay safe... and remember to wave at the other bikers. We're all on the same team regardless of brand of bike. It's us Bikers vs Cagers (Cars).


Oh, and Track riding is the shit. Period.

[93rollaracer]

Originally Posted by -The Stig-

That's weird... they state SV650SF. But in all the other text it's reffered to as the SV650S like it always has been. I'm willing to bet it's a typo... a rather big one.

ABS models are a bit more expensive, not a bad idea but bikes haven't had ABS on them for 100+ years. They've done well without them. But a little aid here and there won't hurt. It's rider preference, which is why manufactures offer with and without.

They're good bikes, those Suzuki's. Quite the 'cult' following. They sound awesome with an aftermarket pipe. I've been considering one for years. Infact, I was looking at buying one this last summer. Untill I saw the Triumph Daytona... then I sat on it... and well, after a weeks worth of homework and telling myself I didn't need the expensive Triumph and that the Suzuki was the better buy. I rode home on the Triumph.

It's hard to argue with 364lbs and 123hp with 54ft-lbs. Doesn't sound like much on a car forum, but in the bike world... izzz pretty good!

Here's the main thing about bikes these days, especially the Japanese bikes. They're all built pretty damn well, have good tight tolerances and you'll be hard pressed to find much wrong with them. There's always the given lemons out there for sure, but with bikes it seems less likely.

Not to mention they're all so similar in performance, that to the average person you won't really notice any differences between Brand A and Brand X. Just choose whatever fits your best, or what color you like, or what body style you prefer... they're that close.

Good luck, and if you haven't taken it already. I suggest taking a rider safety course to really learn some basic tips on riding on the street. Even if you've ridden dirt before and know the concepts, it's still a good idea. And it's cheap!

Stay safe... and remember to wave at the other bikers. We're all on the same team regardless of brand of bike. It's us Bikers vs Cagers (Cars).

Good stuff...thanks. I've never ridden a legit motorcycle before (minibikes, but that's nothing close to a full size), so a rider safety class is definitely on the to do list.

And as far as the 123 hp thing goes, that'd be a step up from my recently wrecked car.

Anybody have any other suggestions for similar bikes?

[GForce957]

Shouldn't you be getting a starter bike first to get acclimated to motorcycles before you get on a 650 or similar?

I remember when I was thinking about getting a bike last year everyone said dont get something that powerful to start with.

[93rollaracer]

Originally Posted by GForce957

Shouldn't you be getting a starter bike first to get acclimated to motorcycles before you get on a 650 or similar?

I remember when I was thinking about getting a bike last year everyone said dont get something that powerful to start with.

I don't know...that's why I'm asking. As far as I can tell, a 650 is about middle of the road, but I don't know. I obviously have a lot of research to do before I buy anything, but this is part of that research. I still have several months before I'm buying anything, so I'll figure it out by then.

[GForce957]

Middle of the road bike is still fast im sure. Stig or someone with more experience will expand on this prob, I dont really know much about em, as I decided to get a car instead and stopped looking.

[-The Stig-]

My first bike was a Buell Blast, a 500cc single cylinder of raw unperformance.

Fast enough to get around and feel like you're a psycho, but slow enough to hold up traffic on the highway. Good learner bike. You can pic them up for cheap to... plus being it's a learner you won't feel too bad if you drop it.

And everybody drops their bike... it happens. I dropped my Triumph the 2nd day I had it.. I goofed and misplaced my foot on some greasy asphault and wooop! Down it went in ultra slow-mo. Minor scratches, nothing big... it happens.

Get something cheap first, perferably used... and in the 'standard' class of motorcycles. For one, they're easier to learn how to ride with a more natural situp position, wide handle bars and usually have a decent seat highth to keep you in good control. As opposed to a true sport bike that has a high seat and can feel a bit tipsy at low speeds.