is your bike the only source of transportation?? and....

[Z_Fanatic]

Originally Posted by kenwood guy

if your not at fault and your bike is a lost would be taken care of by the other party involved?? assuming they have at least liablity

Assuming if they have insurance at all, full coverage or liability, you'll get very little compensation if at all. It's not like they'll write you a full check for the bike's book value as you'd get from your own full coverage policy. It takes months to years sometimes on small companies to settle in car accidents, imagine how reluctant they could be if they want to when it comes to motorcycles. To save on insurance, your best bet is liability, and if you ever get into an accident and the bike is badly damaged, forget about it, healing yourself is far more important. With a used bike, the loss of value is much more bearable than a new $10K motorcycle.

[kenwood guy]

Originally Posted by Z_Fanatic

Assuming if they have insurance at all, full coverage or liability, you'll get very little compensation if at all. It's not like they'll write you a full check for the bike's book value as you'd get from your own full coverage policy. It takes months to years sometimes on small companies to settle in car accidents, imagine how reluctant they could be if they want to when it comes to motorcycles. To save on insurance, your best bet is liability, and if you ever get into an accident and the bike is badly damaged, forget about it, healing yourself is far more important. With a used bike, the loss of value is much more bearable than a new $10K motorcycle.

yes i agree what would be a good price on a used sportbike first time rider????

[jeffcoslacker]

Originally Posted by jeffcoslacker

Here's an idea...stay away from sportbike models!

New rider, 20 years old with a sportbike. Hear that sound? It's your insurance company getting a woody.

Get a standard or a cruiser for a first bike. My liability insurance on a '95 Intruder 800 is less than $120 a YEAR. And it gets 45 mpg or better.

Why does everybody wanna start on a sportbike?

...talking to myself again

[beef_bourito]

if you don't take into account the health insurance (i live in canada so free health care for me) which is usually cheaper to ensure? I'm thinking of a 250cc kawasaki ninja.

I think people want a sportsbike because they want something that's lighter and will be more fun. well young people at least. i just want something that will take the twisties nicely and that will last me in terms of fun for a few years. i'm thinking 2-3 years on the 250 and then switch up to a bigger bike if i think i can handle it.

[jeffcoslacker]

Originally Posted by beef_bourito

I think people want a sportsbike because they want something that's lighter and will be more fun. well young people at least. i just want something that will take the twisties nicely and that will last me in terms of fun for a few years. i'm thinking 2-3 years on the 250 and then switch up to a bigger bike if i think i can handle it.

I can dig that, and I suppose when you're young you can deal with the ergos of a sportbike without suffering and hating EVERY MINUTE of the trip to the twisties...I can't anymore...

But there are so many great bikes that give you the best qualities of many styles, that I just encourage new riders to explore the possibilities a bit.

For instance. My neighbor just picked up a Yamaha Fazer 700, looks like a baby V-Max. $800. Handles like a sportbike, is more comfortable to ride, great power, etc. I've never heard anyone say they regret buying a Suzuki SV650. Guys buying them are the same ones that have been riding sports, cruisers, tourers, etc. They all love it, claim it does it all well, and wouldn't give it up for anything.

As far as my thoughts about going real small displacement for a first bike...you'll get killed just as fast on a small bike as anything else if you can't discipline yourself. I've very rarely (if ever) seen someone say "I wish I'd bought a smaller bike to start with..."

I see them saying they wish they'd bought a bigger one first all the time. But that's OK. My first was a Kawasaki 440 LTD, people tried to tell me it was too small, I'd be sick of it in a month, etc. Know what? They were right! Sold it two months later and bought a Honda 750 SuperSport. Then a 1200 Sportster. Then a 1500 Vulcan (sensing a pattern here? )

I am partial to my current selection, a Suzuki Intruder 800, I find it to be an excellent compromise of engine size. The bike itself is narrow and relatively quick handling (as cruisers go), has the satisfying low end characteristics of the v-twin motor, combined with high RPM thrill, pulls a 13 sec quarter mile (slightly faster than the Intruder 1400 due to lighter weight, and easily runs away from most other cruisers with twice the displacement), gets 45+ mpg, yada, yada.

But the amazing thing about the 800 is that it's size and weight are not intimidating to a new rider, even shorter riders can flatfoot it due to low seat height, the off-idle V-twin grunt is very forgiving to a new rider, tolerates sloppy clutch control without stalling, and still has tractable power even when run at lower RPM in higher gear (as new riders do until they get confident), all very comforting to an inexperienced rider.

But put a rider on one who's ridden it all, and they will get a big smile and say things like "Damn that thing's got balls for a little bike!" when they get off.

Indeed. Nothing like the look on the Harley rider next to you's face when you kick it back into first from second and pin the throttle, and loft the front wheel a foot or so off the ground and leave him wondering what the hell you got in that thing...

[beef_bourito]

I'm thinking of it more as an insurance problem. I'd like to get a 500-600 for my first bike but 1) i don't want to drop my good bike 2) it'd kill me on my insurance (i got a 4pt ticket) 3) i want something light and easy that i can learn on. so i think a 250 or 350 would be ok because insurance companies wouldn't go crazy over prices. i'd just get basic liability.

I'm wondering how much you guys pay for your bikes compared to your cars.

[Z_Fanatic]

Originally Posted by kenwood guy

yes i agree what would be a good price on a used sportbike first time rider????

You can always check out Suzuki SV650, Kawasaki EX250/500 (ninja), Suzuki GS500. And if you're feeling brave enough, there's older 600s like Yamaha Seca II, Yamaha FZR600, Honda CBR F2, Suzuki Bandit 600S, etc, and basically what's available in your area far as low displacement, light-handling bike, check out cycletrader.com

All of these bikes handle great for new riders, if they're in running order.