ive got a buddy that just got his permit, looking into buying a motorcyle

hes looking for something like a sportbike, like a superhawk but not as much power, not a race replica

what do you think about an 97 f3, how is the power of one of those compared to a newer 600, less topend but hopefully more torque

basically he needs a bike he can grow into as he gets better at riding, but can learn on as well

he is also 6'3" 230lbs so hes not a jockey lol

if he wasnt so big I would like to see him on kawasuci 250, he might not even be able to get it above 60mph lol

 

There's no really easy answer to your question as it all depends on the rider. I once sold bikes. We tend to think that everyone else is just like us and will behave just like us but in fact they aren't and won't.

A harley is a good starter bike for a big newbie; big frame, low hp!:-P

 

I practically started on a F3 (6'0, 235). Nothing wrong with that bike as a starter bike. MSF, Gear, Insurance. Respect the throttle.

 

it all depends on what he wants out of a bike if he is 6'3"then a 250 wont hit 50 but he should get a bike that he can GROW into and enjoy for a while. if he gets an f3 and is riding with you on a hawk then in about two months of riding he is goin to want to go bigger and faster so i would say get the bike ya want and grow into it. just know the limitations.

 

he will be riding with me on the hawk but at the samw time wont be riding with me lol

he knows he is a total newb and wants me to teach him to ride from how to shift properly and on and on and on

the closest thing he has ridden to a streetbike is a 400cc sport quad, so hopefully he can shift and use the clutch

marmalade, how is the low end of these bikes for a 230 pound rider, hopefully better than a newer I4 600, dont want to have to put stunt sprockets on it so he can drive it around town

 

going to test ride a 97 f3 in a few minutes, I'll let everyone know how much it sucks compared to the superchicken lol

 

Try an SV650. Not as beefy as the SHawk but enough low-end grunt for your large friend. It's not a large bike but with bar-risers it can be made comfy enough.

 

A friend just bought a 599 for his GF, and loves it so much, he's thinking about keeping it for himself!

 

too late bought the bike today

unfortunately the bike market around here is a little slow as its a small area, the cheapset sv650 is over 5k

so I rode the bike for him, not my cup of tea thats for sure, it was light but damn did I miss the low/mid/and top end power of the hawk compared to that bike


Once he learns to ride well i think I am going to transition him onto a hawk

 

Unless you have unlimited discretionary income "most" people buy a bike they will keep for awhile regardless if they are new to riding on the street. Since your friend is a big boy he really couldn't start out with something smaller than a 600. The poor 600 will have an aching back carrying that load around

 

I'm 220 so i got a good idea of what he would be dealing with, the rear end seems fine, dare i say better than the hawk, although not hard to accomplish

the front end SUCKS

he has plenty of money to buy a new bike if he wanted to, he just doesnt want to hop on a bike and decide its not for him and be stuck with a brand new bike that is worth 75% of what he paid for it, so when he learns to ride better I will set him up with a much better bike, like a stock motor hawk with suspension mods