Help me I'm new!!
 

Hey guys! I'm very new to online forums and riding in general - I was told this was one of the best places for information so I figured I'd give it a shot! So, yes, my questions may be silly but I appreciate all the knowledge you feel like sharing! I want to learn everything from which size bike I should be on to how to do routine matinence :) pity the new girl please!!

To elaborate, this is the beautiful woman that listens to me rant about bikes and occasionally cleans my garage when it gets too nasty.

She is currently looking for her first bike but has no experience on street bikes, however she will have plenty of experience on dirt bikes before riding season gets here.

I have a few ideas for her first bike but any of you guys have any recommendations?

250 VTR Spada!

Sort of like a mini VTR.

don't know if you get them in the States though.

Sv650
Gsf400 bandit
Ninja 300
Cbr600f2/f3


James

If you're new to riding then perhaps remain in the 300cc mark. Very low maintenance and operational costs, and easy to ride. As James mentioned the Ninja is one of the good bikes out their.

You may also want to look at the new Yamaha R3 or KTM RC390 if your budget allows. If money is an issue, then, a good used Ninja, CBR 250R, Hyosung GT250 are all good low cost options.

GLWS

My first bike was a Suzuki GS500E. Very good/forgiving beginner bike but will hold highway speeds. (I topped it out at about 110)

It's an air cooled parallel twin cylinder and very easy to work on. Pretty inexpensive as well. I don't know what years they ranged from, mine was a '99. At some point around 2004ish they changed to the GS500F and put a fairing on them.

At the time I knew NOTHING about working on bikes. A few youtube videos and forum searches later, I changed oil, air filter, and checked valve clearance.

Thank you guys so much for all the help! I'm pretty stuck on the ninja 300 or cbr250, money isn't really a factor I was going to buy slightly used anyways as this is my first one. Those two were recommended for me apparently because they are lightweight and easy to control but I also don't want to be stuck with a bike that I cant grow with! Scottie recommends getting a CBR600 but I'm afraid it may be TOO big for someone who only has experience on dirt bike. is this one of those situations where I have to just ride them to feel them out?

If you've got dirt riding experience then you won't be intimidated by power/gears/brakes, so if you are comfortable balancing the 600 at a standstill then go for it. The smaller CBR and Ninja would be easier in that regard being lighter/lower, but they can all go fast enough to get you in over your head easily if you don't pay attention.

Make no mistake, the older cbr600f2/f3 make great beginner bikes. About 85hp and 450lbs, they are fun, nimble, all-day comfortable, and they don't do anything weird. They are sewing machines. They don't wheelie with stock gearing, so they are not intimidating, but they have tons of upgrade potential after years in the supersport class at racetracks. They are cheap, ya just gotta find one in nice, unmolested condition. Plan on it keeping you interested for a good 3 or 4 years. (The sv650 is in the same ballpark as the f2/f3, but the sv feels a little lighter/newer)

I personally would pass on a cbr250 unless you weigh 110lbs and are deathly afraid of motorcycles. What i mean is, normal folks grow out of them pretty quick. Plan on being bored in 1 year.

The ninja 300 is a step up in power, and has good upgrade potential. Plan on it keeping you interested for about 2 years.

The other bikes mentioned, the gsf400 bandit and gs500e are in the same class, like the yamaha seca 2. They are older, dirt cheap, but are generally unfaired, which hurts a bit doing freeway speeds. Still good starter bikes, just a little older.

Words of advice:
1) Everytime you open the garage and look at your bike it should make you smile. If it doesn't get rid of it immediately.
2) Never buy your dream bike for your first bike. You will drop it, scratch it, etc. Work your way up to your dream bike.
3) It's better to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow. Everyone in America thinks they need 170hp and 1000cc's. Don't fall into that trap. Riding a slow bike fast shows ability, and gets you respect at the end of the ride.


If you can send me a location and budget i will scour craigslist for you and send you links :)

James

If the 250 or 300 may become too small too quickly, you can also check the Kawasaki Ninja 500, they are relatively cheap, light weight, simple maintenance, very forgiving and have plenty to give for beginners and semi experience, it can also keep up with the big boys pretty well.
Scottie, CBR600??? A little too much for beginners in my opinion, let her grow slowly but shorely.

Oh boy, girl on forum usually equals hundreds of responses.

An sv650 is a lightweight bike but terrible for beginners. Huge reach to the bars and high seat hight.

The best beginner bike IMHO is the ninja500. Not the 250 or 300. The 2 smaller ones will bore you in 3 (maybe 4) weeks.

So far every new rider I told this to that bought the 250 agreed with me after the 3 weeks.

If you get a 600 as a first bike you are making a really unwise decision. Its way to dangerous. Getting a bike built to win races at 150mph is not a way to learn to ride.

The ninja500 however is docile yet can move when prompted. It can also be a great race or trackbike.

My 2 cents.

Very well said, James!

How about the newer CBR500? They look like a very good package for a beginner.

Gotta be a Honda girl,

CB500 is a great bike with potential.

A guy in my village has one that he uses as a commuter through the week and still enjoys it on the weekends.

Last time I spoke to him he had done 30,000 miles on it with no problems, just routine maintenance and tyres.

Worth considering!

Yea I've been recommending a CBR600f2/f3/f4 for its rideability and future growth potential. The thing about 250/300 bikes is they are great to learn on but may get boring too soon...

Well.... shes with a Honda guy ;)

As Joe said and I said before, Ninja 500 is the bike to go with, no doubt.
I am a Honda guy, but I must admit that this bike is absolutely best for beginners with potential to grow, there is a reason why this bike is so versatile that it's even been used on the race track.

There are also tons of them, which means they cheap and plenty of parts on the market, plus very low maintenance required.
One last thing, ergonomically you will find it most comfortable, allot more than the newer bikes, they don't make comfortable bikes anymore... which also means you won't get tired riding it for hours of back roads, or highway speeds.

Scottie, call me please

And those of you who say a 600 is too big... Ive ridden many bikes in my riding career but my first bike was (and still is) my SH... so lol

Well handsome boy this bike isn't for YOU is it? It took me ages to even get on the back of yours! And from all the recommendations I'm thinking a 600 may be too much for me!

ninja500 it is lol

Kawasaki Ninja EX500D Great beginner bike!

2006 Kawasaki Ninja 500r for sale

2009 Kawasaki Ninja 500

so many listings its not even funny

One of the big reasons they made the 250/300 racing classes is that the sv650 was way too big for newbies.

Scottie, with all due respect, you can cross a busy street blindfolded but can you really say that's the right way to do it? Like they teach fighter pilots, survival is NO indication of proper execution.

Starting with a 600 or 1000 is a dumb move. Dumb enough to end in great unhappiness if not terrible crippling injury or death. (kinda like crossing the street blindfolded)

Ninja 500s also crash really well. My avatar is me on a ninja 500 if that matters either way.

hahaha

true...

somehow I survived though ;)

A cheap Ninja 250 that's already been dropped. :)
What kind of areas do you plan to be riding this bike?
If avoiding the "slabs" (highway miles) and budget is not prohibitive, a Grom might be fun. Or maybe a Rebel 250 if you like the cruiser look.

If you can afford new the CB500 is good, and they're chopping prices around here - retail is $6k, but they can be had for about $5k.


The used Ninja 500 is quite similar - but cheaper.


Two great choices. Good luck, wear all the gear all the time and enjoy it.

we've been eyeing the new CBR500 series, but need to see it in person and see how tall it is... but still open to suggestions