[63337]

Help out a old man with his first bike

ok here is the Deal I am 33 years old, 6 foot and 250 lbs and looking for a Standard bike. I was looking at 2008 Bandit 1250 or the SV650 or FZ6 mabye a Honda 599 or 919. I guess my real question is being that my only experiance is on a 50 cc honda about 15 years ago I am not sure what the best Weight/Size/ CC is best for me to get myslef into.. I dont want to kill myslef but I also dont want to buy a new bike in one years time either..

 

[seruzawa]

I usually suggest a light easy handling bike for a first bike. Your size person would easily handle a dual purpose bike like a Suzuki DR650 or the DRZ400. Maybe the Kawasaki KLR650. You can find them used and sell them back off in a year after you've gotten your feet wet again and you won't lose any money. Or, like many people, you keep the DP bike because they are so versatile. They are also great in traffic, simple, easily maintained and get good mileage.

Most important is to take the beginner's safety class and invest in a helmet and armored jacket and pants.

 

[63337]

ok here is the Deal I am 33 years old, 6 foot and 250 lbs and looking for a Standard bike. I was looking at 2008 Bandit 1250 or the SV650 or FZ6 mabye a Honda 599 or 919. I guess my real question is being that my only experiance is on a 50 cc honda about 15 years ago I am not sure what the best Weight/Size/ CC is best for me to get myslef into.. I dont want to kill myslef but I also dont want to buy a new bike in one years time either..

 

[63337]

thanks for a quick Reply.

 

[63320]

I am the same age, height (g'4") and weight. But I am a motorcycle noob.

I was recommended the Ninja but I don't think I would foot.

What's a good bike for someone my size and who is a noob (I am only commuting to work -- streets and highways). And I want to buy used.

 

[The_AirHawk]

I concur with Seruzawa on this one - take the MSF course, see if Motorcycling is really for you - then look at the bikes he suggests. Because of your size, a 250cc bike may be a bit too light in the "go" department for you.

While I myself have an FZ6 (and ride the wheels off it), I would steer you away from supersport-based bikes with the "hey, this bike ain't nothi-OHMYGODHELPMESOMEBODYPLEASE!!!!" throttle-characteristics as your "first" bike. Once you've a year or so, and some miles beneath your wheels - knock yerself out.

Being a bit older on your "entry" to the Moto-world, you may not be so susceptible to the Adrenaline-Junkie Syndrome. You also seem to have the spirit of self-preservation within you, something I myself suddenly discovered sometime around age 29..........

If I'd bought my FZ6 as a first bike, I'd probably have splattered myself all over some immovable object. Not that I never speed, or twist the throttle on occasion - but my first car was a 383 Roadrunner that I wouldn't hesitate to race at the drop of a hat. A supersport or literbike would have killed me, had I owned one instead at the time.

 

[The_AirHawk]

What's a good bike for someone my size and who is a noob (I am only commuting to work -- streets and highways). And I want to buy used.

See the other thread with this same subject.

 

[52944]

Would this be your first bike? get a ninja 500! I'm telling you it will be plenty of bike. If you will not get that.. I'd say SV650

 

[57152]

Lean towards bigger bike

For your size- if your sensible rider- and not intimidated- I'd get the big bandit. The weight will take a little getting used to however. I know I started small- I'm a short light guy and started with a ninja 250- great bike , but i had to move up -- and up- and I'm not sure I couldn't have started out on my present bike right away (Kaw Z750)-- been a lot cheaper.

 

[fumanchu]

"I guess my real question is being that my only experiance [sic] is on a 50 cc honda about 15 years ago..."

unconditionally enroll yourself in an msf course before you delve further into motorcycles. you'll learn some necessary skills to help you stay safe on the road, get to skip your motorcycle licensing exam, and possibly learn what kind of bike you might want to purchase next.

"...I am not sure what the best Weight/Size/ CC is best for me to get myslef [sic] into I dont want to kill myslef [sic]..."

all hail the kawasaki novice's triumvirate: Vulcan 500, Ninja 500, KLR 650. you will be able to find all of these used at bargain prices, and even new they are all about $5k.

"...but I also dont [sic] want to buy a new bike in one years time either..."

you can spend a few seasons gathering skills on a 500-ish bike, upgrading it and customizing it to your individual tastes. many people prematurely trade up to a larger displacement bike after they just feel confident that they're not going to kill themselves on their previous one - not only after they've tapped the "learner bike" for all the skills that it could impart. fashion consumerism.

cheers

 

[Dr_Sprocket]

Behold the Nighthawk!

I strongly recommend the Honda Nighthawk (CB750). You should be able to find the Nighthawk easily on the internet (eBay). They are cheap, easy to maintain (hydraulic valves), and have PLENTY of power to lose your license for a couple of years. The power deliver is smooth and consistent (unlike the FZ6). Insurance will be cheap. BTW, my brother gets >50mpg on his Nighthawk regularly. Check out the Nighthawk!

 

[52944]

I say get the ninja 500. Awesome bike. After riding dirt bikes for 16 years I tried my first street bike experience on a KLR650 That thing was in my opinion.. well ****ty. It was really heavy compared to a dirt bike and handled badly, bad brakes, etc. I mean for what it is and the price it's probably a good bike but it felt like the SUV of motorcycles - in a bad way to me for what I was using it for.

EX500 is a great all round bike, has some fairing so freeway wind doesn't beat you up too much. Brakes are it's only real weak point in my mine and of course 2 up at freeway speeds it could use more power.

I highly recommend it though. Buy used!

 

[acecycleins]

Words from the wise insurance guy. 1- Take a class. 2- DO NOT listen to friends for pointers- they most likely have been doing it wrong for years. 3- Have complete trust that your front brakes are what's stopping you- 80-90% of all braking is done with the front brakes.
On to the bikes: KLR650 (any year will do), DR650 (any year), the wonderfully simple NightHawk 750 or it's older brothers, Mid 80's FJ600 (it's a Yamaha), Any newer maxi-scooter if you're not proud and want economic, easy and storage, both Bandits will do (look for 2000-2005), and the last bike would be the Katana 600/750 (old technology but bullet proof and several insurance companies don't classify it as a sportbike any longer). My last suggestion is the BMW R850R- they only sold them here in 96-97 but they are great roadsters that make great daily commuters- you should be able to locate them for the mid $3k range.
BUY USED AND YOU'LL BE HAPPIER WHEN YOU DROP IT THE FIRST TIME- trust me it will happen. Better a $4k bike than a $8k bike.
Take your time and sit on as many of these as you can find. Think about the position your hands and feet are in and decide if you'd be comfortable for long haul trips. Hands and feet feeling as if they may fall asleep is not a good thing.
I'm 41, 6ft and 260- My bike is a K100rs and until I got my risers on my hands fell asleep A LOT. Now, I can usually put in 200 miles or so before the tingles set in.

 

[sarnali2]

Take your time and sit on as many of these as you can find. Think about the position your hands and feet are in and decide if you'd be comfortable for long haul trips. Hands and feet feeling as if they may fall asleep is not a good thing.
I'm 41, 6ft and 260- My bike is a K100rs and until I got my risers on my hands fell asleep A LOT. Now, I can usually put in 200 miles or so before the tingles set in.

For your size I think the KLR would be an excellent choice and something you can keep and mod. as your skills and focus improve. They have a vast amount of aftermarket support and are really a Jeep CJ like cult bike. The EX500 is also an excellent bike but I think it'll be phsyically too small over the long run.

I had the same trouble on my K-RS, I converted over to the more upright bars off the K100 C and went to foam grips and it made a world of difference.

 

[59791]

they have already given great advice and pointers on msf and bikes so i wont touch on that.. instead i will try to explain the first bike curse..

You WILL get a different bike within a year or so.. no matter how perfect that first one is somehow someway some crazy set of circumstances will transpire and you will ride a different bike from then on.. for me it was an issue of getting the parts needed to get the first one running when the second showed up in the paper for less than the cost of the first ones parts.. go figure..

get your first bike as cheap as possible. you WILL replace it within the first year or so and this way you won't feel bad.



now sure sure there are those examples where someone's been riding the same bike for 50 years now and its the first bike they've ever been on but thats pretty rare. almost everyone i talk to swapped to a different bike pretty early.


My point is.. get into your first bike cheaply so you can get out of it and into something else if you decide it's needed.

 

[longride]

"My point is.. get into your first bike cheaply so you can get out of it and into something else if you decide it's needed."

Great advice.

 

[55028]

"My point is.. get into your first bike cheaply so you can get out of it and into something else if you decide it's needed."

Great advice.

This can't be stressed enough. Until you are riding you're not going to really know what you want to do and what you want to do it on.

Accept that you are going to be addicted. Soon you will be letting the kids roam the neighborhood at night in search of food and clothing. This way you will have plenty of money to pay for the other bikes that you will know that you want.

 

[Kenneth_Moore]

Accept that you are going to be addicted. .

Or that you'll have the living sh*t scared out of you by some cager the first week, and yet another bike will be on sale for a fraction of it's original cost.