I read through the noob sticky.

Since this summer I've wanted a bike, and yesterday my friend let me take his R1 out. It was amazing. It's ******* up there with sex. You get going and all you hear is the wind. So I'm basically in love.

I don't want something as big as an R1, but I want something that not only can I learn on, but something that I won't outgrow quickly.

I want to get something in the 600-750cc range. Right now the two that come to my mind are a CBR 600 & a Katana. The reason I say Katana is because my friend's neighbor is selling one. It's used & it's at least a few years old, so the insurance won't be as high on it as a brand new bike.

I saw that you guys generally reccomend an 80s-early 90s bike, but are those generally pigs?

What other makes/models do you guys suggest in the 600-750cc range?

edit: My friend said I should look into BMWs because they are more comfortable & have some side compartments. (I plan on doing some 2-3 hours trips once I get a lot more seat time) But I don't know what models to look into.

 

You love the R1's looks, but you'll settle for a Katana??

j/k...at least it's not a Kawasaki. (again, kidding)

Ok, on to bike choices. Pick a bike, any bike. No kidding. Are you better off starting with a 250? Probably. I'd be willing to bet so. You are the one who is going to be riding it and making payments. Make sure you are happy with your choice.

With that said, RESPECT the bike. Take MSF, get insurance, and save enough money for some gear. Don't be ham-fisted with the bike - understeer and oversteer in a car can be controlled, but can have horrific consequences on a motorcycle.

The 80s/90s bikes are only pigs in comparison to the newest bikes.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marmaladeboy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You love the R1's looks, but you'll settle for a Katana?? </TD></TR></TABLE>

lol. No, I took my friend's R1 out. It's a beautiful bike, but it's WAY to much for me. He even admitted he wishes he had gotten an R6. I doubt I got near 1/4 throttle while I was riding it.

I'm going to assume you're saying that Katanas arn't all that great?

I'm definately going to be taking a MSF class. I want to learn how to properly ride. As far as insurance- In MD you have to have insurance & I live with my uncle, who is a police officer. He'd kick my *** if I didn't do things correctly. I'm definately going to go through the proceedures to make myself as safe as possible & do everything I can to cover my *** as far as being a rider, wearing the proper gear, and making sure that I'm covered when I go down (hopefully I'll just put it down at a stop light. )

I'm more or less looking for what bikes are out there. I don't want to walk into the dealership & say "I'm looking for a bike. Pick one out for me." I want to know some brands/particular bikes that I should look into.

 

Katana's are FUGLY, but to each his own. I don't care what anyone says, you can learn on whatever bike you want. As long as you respect the bike and your own capabilities you will do fine.

I started out on an F4 and now I have an F4i. I like the 600's

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thehondaguru &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I started out on an F4 and now I have an F4i. I like the 600's </TD></TR></TABLE>

Haha, dude, what 600s though?

I'm trying to find out what bikes to start looking into for insurance quotes, cost of the bike, ect.

 

For the money spent on a Katana, you could find an F3 (possibly even an F4 on the East Coast), which would be a much better bike to grow with. Not to say Katanas are bad, and typically the people who buy them are more responsible riders who also look after the bike (eg, maintenance).

Just keep an eye open and find out what YOU like. Some people will say bike A is better than bike B, and some see it the other way. Try and sit on many different bikes to see how they fit you. Sometimes sitting on them in the showroom does not tell you how comfortable they are once on the street, so get people's opinions too.

Insurance is the main killer - it can be cheap to outright robbery. Shop around at as many places as you can. Usually a motorcycle can be added to a car insurance policy for cheap.

 

f2/f3 ftw

 

Who makes the F2/F3/F4s?

Like I said, I'm the uber-noob.

 

good ol' honda

 

F2/3/4/4i are all from Honda. and they are 600's

here is my new F4i



and my poor old F4...wasn't my fault. Stupid people should drive motor vehicles.

 

You could always get a kawasaki ex500, decent power 50ish hp. Decent suspension and you could do an F2 swap if you want better handeling. Its a 500 parallel twin with more then enough for a beginner.

 

...or you could search and sort through the MILLION threads on this subject.

 

SV650?

 

honda cbr600's (minus the rr)
you wont outgrow them, and they are great to learn on.

 

I have a 92 Honda CBR600 f2. It's my first year riding and she's got plenty of speed (if you're into that sort of thing ) to keep me entertained for a while. The insurance is very cheap too. If you're going to commute for longer than an hour or so, I'd look into something with a little more of an upright riding position. Other than that you can't go wrong with an f2/f3--good bang for your buck

 

Get a cheap bike. Keep it under $3000. You are going it drop your first bike, it's a guarantee.

 

Hyosung 250.

 

GS500 anyone?

 

boo to banana seats
but thats jus me

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by detaude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Get a cheap bike. Keep it under $3000. You are going it drop your first bike, it's a guarantee. </TD></TR></TABLE>

That is taking it a little far. I've been riding for 18 months now - 2 bikes - haven't dropped either once.

But I still agree, get a cheap-o for your first bike. I sold my old F2 to my buddy 3 or 4 weeks ago. He's already dropped it twice and laid it down once. Ouch. Luckily it only cost him $1500 to buy off me so he doesn't really care.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

Yeah, I want to try to get a used bike for a couple grand. An older one won't hurt my pocket as much as a newer one with insurance.

I took the R1 out again today. It is such an incredible feeling.

 

if it is your first bike... def buy used first... at least a 97 98.... I love the suzuki. the yamaha r1 is an outstanding bike also but has a prob with the bike wanting to ride wheelies.... I currently own a 06 gsxr 750.... and love it... so good luck and wear a HELMET&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by guywitaDA &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">and wear a HELMET&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</TD></TR></TABLE>

haha, no durr?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Everyones Hero &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I took the R1 out again today. It is such an incredible feeling.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Heard a lotta bad stories on here about people letting their friends take their bikes out for a spin and then them dumping it. Guess if you can handle it then it's all good.

 

find a bike that fits you right.....comfort wise and a 600 is good id say..but not sure on your riding experince...( mine was pocket bikes and ysr50 ).... and whats the price diffrence between a new and old bike...somtimes the price isnt too much diffrent.....just get full coverage insurance....good luck....thats what i went by when i got my first bike.(06 gsxr 600)...good luck

 

ive got the exact same bike and color.... good choice..... very nice bike...