MM951

Hey Guys,

I'm lookin to get into some bike riding and I was wondering if this is a good starter bike:

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2417046924&category=6718" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2417046924&category=6718</a>

Looks small enough for me not to get into trouble with and the like

-Mike

Turby

Perfect. As long as your mechanicly inclined. My first was a yahama YSR50, they called them a "Mini Ninja" cause thats exactly what they looked like. Man I had fun on that bike.......

MM951

Hah, thanks Turby...Do you know what the going rates are for a bike like this? Any 125-250cc "sport" bike? I really like em...

Enzo's Nightmare

That's perfect. My friend had a 250 Kawasaki and it was a blast to ride. The only problem is that after about one week you will want to get something bigger. Still though, it will be a good beginner bike.

MM951

Hah, are they safe on major roads (not like interstates, but county routes and such) ? I dont think I'll be wanting anything faster for a while...I wanna master these suckers first

triscadek

Take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation rider course they generally do them at a Comm. college.

I have a neighbor that bought a new 750 Katana and dropped at least 4 times in the 1st month.

MM951

I will, thanks for the tip Paul ...any ideas on where to find some of these for sale? I'm looking but not finding much <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" />

Manning

Wow, that thing is funny. Does it come with a baseball card to put in the spokes

It sounds like a good idea to start with a small bike to me. I would definitely take a safety course first. My first bike was an 83 GS750ES, which I just sold. While it was big for a first bike, I had "bike" handling skills pretty well down from years of hardcore mountain biking and road racing. Confidence and skills come quickly as long as you aren't a spazz or a nervous little freak.

User 462021

right now isn't a good time to buy used bikes, you normally won't find great deals

just keep your eyes open, keep checking ebay for bikes that are close, check newspapers, check dealers, often, they have bulliten boards where customers can post bikes for sale and stuff.

sounds like you will be a level headed rider already seeing how you are looking for a good starter bike and now a liter-bike right away

and like paul said, take a MSF course

triscadek

<a href="http://www.traderonline.com/" target="_blank">Traderonline </a> is one there is also a link to Walnecks you may find something cool there. Ive always found mine through a local paper of some sort.

Tremelune

I had one of those, good bike. Always started, it was fun. Skinny *** tires, though...I scraped the pegs once. Make sure the breaks are good.

Acceleration is about on par with an NA...

Legoland951

Great starter bike. It has enough power to get going and not so powerful and heavy to overwhelm a beginner. I think its a great choice. Not much plastic to damage and its cheap. Good luck bidding. I am bidding on a couple gsxr 1100s but I owned many a bikes and been riding for about 20 years. Move to something bigger only after 6 months to a year as you will get used to being invisible to people who drive cars. One thing about a bike is that not only its small and hard for a car driver to see but it also comes up behind cars so fast that people don't expect you to be there. I figure from the description of the bike that its some kind of carburation problem and not engine mechanical. The battery probably sat around so long that it died and the gas gummed up in the carburator. Some fresh gas and a carburator cleaning is probably all it needs for it to start. Good luck.

Manning

Excellent point about visibility. I have had drivers look straight into my eyes when I was on either a bicycle or motorcycle and they still pulled out in front of me.

Also note that deer do a lot more damage to you and your vehicle when you are on a motorcycle than when you are in a car. At very least the soil-your-shorts factor is higher.

streckfu's

Personally, I think you'll want something a little bigger a few months after picking this up. I think a used Kaw EX500, Suz SV650, Honda VF500/700/750 would be better choices.

My first bike was a 1980 CB750F. Big and heavy and a blast.

When (it's not a matter of if) you take the MSF safety course, find a location that provides the bike so you don't scratch your own.

Good luck and happy ridding.

Daniel

Brian McCoy

Damn, there was a huge thread on this from a few months ago (can't find it since the search re index.. ) - TONS of great advice in there though.

That SRX would be a great bike - but if you could find one of the 500cc versions you'd probably be happier in the long run. It'll cost just about the same, still be a very gentle bike to learn on but not leave you wanting more once you get comfortable. The 250 might leave you yearning... they top out around 80mph (at least with a 6'4", 230lb guy riding). Parts and upgrades will be more difficult to find for anything Japanese prior to about 1993.

As was mentioned, this isn't the best time of year to be buying a bike - you'll pay at the top of the scale right now (not a biggy on a $1000 bike, though you could buy the same for ~$600 in 4~6 months.) Something to look at before you buy a bike is what do you want to do with it? All paved road riding? Dual purpose bikes are great things to learn on cause they crash VERY well ~ but what's the point if you don't ride any dirt. Whatever bike you buy will compliment the P-car.. do you want the car to become more 'sporty' (buy a cruiser) or more of a touring car (buy something sporty). How tall/big are you ~ if inseam deficient, you might want to lean more towards certain bikes known for their low seat height. Do you want to get onto the racetrack with the bike? It might be better to find a track-day legal and prepared bike ~ most are streetable at the same time. Or are you just looking for something that appeals to you so you can find out if riding is for you? In that case, just look for things that you like, and are in your price range. As with any vehicle, spend the $100 to get a PPI and let the mechanic know that it'll be your first bike.

God I love this topic.. Feel free to hit me up privatally if you want, I'm just an endless well of advice gathered from riding for the last decate, with 8 of those years as a motorcycle for my only means of transportation. Doesn't hurt that I'm a factory trained/certified mechanic either.. Best of luck....