Hey guys just some quick questions from you biker fellows.

First of all my intro:
Big car guy, I race and the little money that I have goes into my daily driver/track toy. Know absolutely nothing about sprockets but have always had interest and respect for the bike guys. (I did read the noobie sticky). 6'2", 180lb.

The plan:
By an older, smaller bike to learn on and tinker with (400cc-500cc). Learn the maintenance, get a license on this bike, and maybe by next summer even try knee dragging or one track day.

Budget: 1000-2000$ total.

Thoughts:
1) Is it feasable on a budget? Im looking for a fun, simple, reliable learning tool.

2) I don't think it will be too underpowered for me, I have been always a fan of lighter, underpowered underdogs. (I drove and raced miatas for a while). However from the little reading I have done, bike technology moves and updates faster than car technology. So will such an outdated bike maybe teach me bad habits? Be hard to ride?

3)Anything to look out for? Any bike recommendations? Can I get away with maybe just a jacket and helmet?

Basically, I know you guys are slightly biased but is this just a bad idea and am I looking at headaches because I do not want to invest? My idea is if I like this enough, I can always slow down with the car thing and just buy a trackday bike eventually. But I want to make a small investment to try it out.

Thx for all the help, cheers

 

My first bike was a fairly new 1998 Kawasaki Ninja 500r which i paid 2800 for. I don't know if you can find a new 400 or 500 cc motorcycle for 1000-2000 but if u might be able to find one with some cosmetic damage but still in good mechanical condition for that price. Its dry weight was 406 pounds which is a little more than the litre Japanese bikes. In addition to a helmet and jacket I recommend gloves as your fingers may freeze during night riding. The kawasaki ninja 500 is pretty easy on the throttle, and not too difficult to take apart. I've replaced a headlight, fixed a broken cable on the speedometer, replaced a clutch cable, all by myself, and a bit more relaxing to ride compared to being hunched over on my R1. I am not too sure what you mean about motorcycle technology, but I haven't seen much sport bikes since the last 10 years that are short on power when you gun the throttle. Even 250s nowadays can give you an unexpected jolt if you gun the throttle too much. But most of the technological advances are in the handling, such as better motorcycle construction, swingarms adjusted to prevent unwanted wheelies, and stock steering dampers. I don't know if I would call biking an investment but its definitely a new way to travel and experience the road in a way you never could on a car. Even if its just for a couple years I think a cheap motorcycle is always a great way to have fun regardless of your age (metaphorically speaking, I don't recommend riding motorcycles for people under 18).

 

it would be possible but very very very hard. you can get away with used jacket, gloves, and find some construction boots and if you can find some used riding pants you may be able to fit all that into your budget. just make sure it all fits properly and isnt torn up. as for a helmet i would say never ever buy used. the lining could be worn and deteriorated, it could have been dropped several times, just not worth the risk. quality helmets can be had for cheap from kbc, shark, and some others for around 150. you can get a cheap 70-80's bike if you shop around a while for about 500-900, put about 200 in for a tune up and ride it like there is no tomorrow. late 80's to 90's dual sports seem to go for the cheapest. for an old cheap bike like that it can cost as little as 50 bucks per year for basic liability insurance.

 

It's very doable with your $1000-$2000 budget. Older UJMs (universal Japanese motorcycle) can be picked up for next to nothing, they're relatively simple to fix, especially if you're used to fixing cars.

Out of these older bikes, something like a Honda CB550, or maybe even a CB400F would be pretty cool. Suzuki GS550 and Kawasaki 550 inline 4s are also good bikes.

If you want something more modern, Suzuki GS500e parallel twins are pretty good options. I believe Blindstuff here on /26 has one, and has taken it to the track on several occasions. The GS500e is going to be significantly lighter than a I4 from the 70s, and probably faster (not to mention more fuel efficient).

 

^^^Listen to CivicWagonRUS, he seems to be the king of budget/semi-vintage riding around here.

One thing I would recommend is setting aside between $500 and $1000 for gear. Get a decent helmet (~$150), good jacket (~$300), good gloves (~$75), and some over-the -ankle riding boots (~$150). Those are ballpark figures and some items can be had secondhand for less, but make sure you protect yourself.

 

Cool, thx for all the replies. I know that for road racing most clubs do not allow me to use a motorcycle helmet, hence I do have a full face auto helmet. However, I assume this isn't legal for bikes?

But I have to say, bikes hold their value like no tommorow. I see used ninja 250s going for 400$ less than new despite being 2 years old. Or 10 year old sport bikes being sold for half the price or more. I sure know I could get a decent car running for less than that. But maybe I just havn't stumbled on a "deal".

 

You will probably learn more bad habits on a newer bike anyway. Just like when i tell people who want to get into autocrossing, don't bring a caged, suped up sports car with r-comps, bring your mom's taurus.

Now a Ninja 250 is no taurus, but it's very light, very inexpensive, easy to maintain and parts are plentiful (20 years straight without changing anything but paint color). It will beat just about any road going car in a straight line, and in the right hands will confuse someone on a 1000 who can't keep up in the twisties. They are very forgiving bikes too, since they are not knife edge sharp when it comes to responsiveness.

I picked mine up for $500, put about another $300-$400 into it to get new tires and get it back to running condition. Add about $800 in gear (lightly used stuff will help) and I have a great learning experience for within your budget.