bought my first bike last year at 51 years old. Picked the RE Meteor 350. Not fast but neither am I and loving it so far. Don't want to get sporty, or go to a racetrack or go off road.
Got my first bike at 52, after recovering from heart surgery, a 250cc cfmoto, did 11000 km in the first year, then went to a Vulcan 900, then a triumph Thunderbird storm, now riding a Valkyrie.
Great choice buddy. I've had everything from 200's to 1000's . I think I've finally decided at 57, that it's funner to ride a small bike fast than a big one slow.
I wish there were more "standard" style bikes out there. The truth is most new riders don't know what kind of riding future lies ahead of them and a jack of all trades bike could give them a taste of canyon carving, touring, cruising etc. and help them figure out what it turns out they love about riding.
@@postaroland2014 scramblers are awesome! One of my first coveted bikes in motorcycling was one of HD's oval track Sportster special models they had in the mid naughties. It was orange and white and had louvers on the front forks and I think even 50/50 tires. Today I'm blessed enough to own a couple bikes. A Royal Enfield Himalayan and a BMW R1250RT. The Himmy is a great cheap lightweight adv I don't mind crashing because I suck and the RT is stupid good at everything else.
@@postaroland2014 Hell yeah! Love scramblers for the rugged looks and versatility. Planning to buy a RE Interceptor and converting it into a scrambler style bike
I'm taking my first driving class on Sunday, after years and years of dreaming it. Well, after some thoughts I'm aiming at some ~2012 650 4cyl reliable all-rounder Probably a Yamaha XJ6 diversion/f6r
When I first started riding one of the things that got me saddle time consistently day in and day out was the ability to carry stuff so I could justify hopping on the bike to do various things (groceries, etc) or take it on the highway to commute with it. Saddle time is the best teacher, and a more practical bike gives you far more opportunities for saddle time. I feel like if I had a supermoto as my first bike my opportunities to actually ride for practical purposes would be severely limited and it would just end up being a weekend toy. To me the Sport Tourer just seems like the best option. It eliminates the weaknesses of the cruiser while retaining the practicality of a bagger, and you don't have to deal with the big price or tall heavy nature of an adventure bike, which is a serous handful as a beginner. And if I wanted to take a bike on the dirt, I think I'd far prefer just buy some cheap ass 150/250cc purpose built used dirt bike off FB marketplace for a couple grand instead of potentially beating the piss out of my nice clean street bike that is sporting street tires. I mean I get the appeal of a dual sport or supermoto for certain people, but I don't think that's what you should be learning off road riding on.... you're either going to baby the shit out of it or you going to dump it and feel way worse about it than you should.
At 41 I bought my first bike last august in ‘22 and it was a low rider ST, fast forward to January ‘23 I bought a ninja 1000SX. Sit on different bikes and go with what is comfortable to you. Take the MSF course, practice and be safe. Everyone focusing on what’s the best first bike is missing the point, the best first bike is the one you bought and got you riding.
My advice after reaching my second season of riding - buy something used. You don't really know yet what you like and dislike as a noob other than looks. And even that changes after some riding experience. So start cheap and figure it out on bikes that don't depreciate much. I lost 1400 usd on my first used bike after a full year. Not too bad. I went from an 800 cc cruiser to a 1730 cc cruiser, also used.
My first bike was / is a cruiser and I definitely didn't regret the decision to go down that route! For anyone else who doesn't care about performance, I can't recomment cruisers enough! Great bike to start with :)
I figured the supermoto was going to end up as your number one, originally born to be the perfect compromise of all types of riding. I guess I’ll have to reconsider my options.
I just got my first "real" bike and love it so much. I bought a navi 2 months ago to learn the super basics but actually riding it over 35 MPH felt super sketchy. I bought a Z400 last week and told myself if it feels the same I'm not going to get into riding. But the feel was literally a night and day difference. I was nervous hitting corners at their recommended speed limit of 30 MPH (45mph road) on the navi but with the Z400 I can fly through those same corners at 40-50 with literally 0 issue. The bike almost feels like its magnetized to the ground around corners like the g force just pulls me closer to the road where as on the navi I felt like the bike was going to slide out from under me at any second.
I think Bonneville style is the best. You get a bit more lean angle than a cruiser it’s comfy and it’s easy to Mount luggage without buying special bags.
Another good option in this class, if you want something just a little bit different, is Moto Guzzi V7 Stone. Beautiful and practical bike..nice and torquey for beginners and older non boy-racer types like me!😊
The best bike to start on hands down is a '79 Honda XL500 with basically no brakes. It taught me to ride super defensively and assertively. I had to anticipate what everyone was going to do because there was a big chance I wouldn't be able to stop in time if I didn't hahaha
I started on a rebel 300: a small, light, "sporty" cruiser that actually does decently well on forest roads. I learned a lot on that bike, and squeezed everything I could out of that bike. When I traded it in I got trade in value 300 less than what I paid for it with 10K miles on it. Currently I have a sportster. I am customizing that bike into the bike I always wanted. Its a cruiser, but I can still tackle the twisties - with some upgrades - fairly well. Lately, I have been looking at a KLR 650 so I can go off road and long distance adventures
I picked up a Honda XR80R for teaching my friends and family how to ride. It's got a reasonable seat height, light weight, and low power. It's a bike just about anybody could develop foot and hand control familiarity with in an open field or on some trails in a safe environment away from cars. It's also fun and never needs to get relegated to yesteryear. There's always someone else just coming into the picture that's about to discover the joys of 2 wheels and a motor.
Absolutely fantastic overview of the different general categories of bikes as they relate to beginner riders! This is the simple, but detailed comparison that I think a lot of people will find really helpful! I got a naked bike as my first and really enjoy it. it's stupid simple, easy to ride, confidence inspiring, and still fun. Plus yeah I think it looks pretty cool. I don't think a naked bike would really disappoint most beginner riders. I totally looked at supermotos and advs though. Priced out of the ADV space and I wasnt really into the hooligan energy of the sumo. so I went with a naked. What I love most is that you acknowledge that there really isnt a silver bullet here and that people should buy what calls to their needs and desires. Great video as always
This is pretty much what I've been saying to a bunch of people who've been asking me for advice for their first bike. All I'd add is to pick a bike with a neutral riding position so it's easy to control. Get something with foot pegs that sit directly below your bum & are far enough away to feel comfortable & not cramped, and a reach to the handlebars that doesn't make you stretch to reach them. Oh, and you will drop it at some point, no matter how careful you try, so get something naked that's easy to get cheap parts for. They'll usually end up on a Ninja 400 anyway, but at least I tried to warn them.
I think a ninja 400 or similar are in the spectrum of great beginner bikes :) Yes they have fairings and will be more expensive to fix but my cbr500r is a great great starter bike and it has a few scratches and such but i still love it and think it's a good beginner bike
@@atem8101 You're absolutely correct, and as Spite said, you should start on the bike that you want to ride. But, with 3 mates who've just gotten in to motorcycling in the last 12 months & another 2 who will be doing it later this year, I've seen my fair share of used beginner bikes recently. I'm yet to find a bike with a fairing that doesn't have a number of scratches in the plastics, and some of them are real horror shows. The number of bikes that have been "dropped by the previous owner" is absolutely staggering.
Triumph Speed Twin 900 (Street Twin), great for those of us with a very short legs(27inch inseam), I fall in love a little bit more every time i ride it - never fails to put a smile on my face.
I was ready to argue with your #1 spot, entirely because I'm a dual sport simp, until you unveiled it, and despite needing knobbies in my life, I totally agree. And as far as being miserable on the highway (my wr250 sure as hell is) that's all the more reason to find a more scenic way everywhere, making the journey just as important as the destination.
I was actually surprised how capable my WR250 is on the highway after I switched over from a KLX 250 a few months ago. Even at highway speeds, my WR pulls past traffic very easily when I need it to. The previous owner did some performance mods to it including a full aftermarket exhaust and Power Commander V fuel tuner, so I don't know how much that has to do with it, but I'm really surprised at how quick this thing is and how wide the power band is.
@Dave Moody Mine's had all the usual airbox, full fmf and a programmer, so it's plenty spunky, but I run a bigger rear sprocket for better woods performance, so at 70 the poor thing's revved out to like 9k anyways. I could make it way happier there going back to a stock sprocket (which I tried last year, UT switched back for this summer) and tossing a more comfort focused seat on vs my narrow offroad seat (gets real uncomfortable by the time you've been sitting an hour)
I recently began with a naked 125cc and I’m now sure that I did the right thing. The low weight, low power has allowed me to really learn how to properly ride (not there yet, of course). In 3 days I’m taking my A drivers license exam and, if successful, I can ride whatever bike I want, but I think that I will not go all over my head and continue to ride and practice with my “fast” Suzuki S125! 🎉
I started back in 2006 on a ‘91 Honda Nighthawk 750 which was the “big” version of the bike I did the MSF course on. I don’t regret it, but it only lasted me about 8 ninths as I recall before I laid it down in a field and bend the handlebars pretty bad. I then got a Suzuki Bandit 1250S which served me well for 55k miles. I don’t know, at the time anything smaller didn’t seem like a real street bike… times have changed.
Came back to motorcycling after 20 year break (used to ride CBR600/VFR400) and bought a 2012 SV650. Absolutely fast enough at the moment, easy to ride, if I drop it I won’t be looking at thousands to repair and it does 60mpg. Ultimately it doesn’t really matter what you start with, you can have fun on (almost) any bike. Also, Turbo Busa next..
3 weeks in on my Trident 660. Your reviews of it on that 'other' channel convinced me and I am so frickin happy bro. Even the negative comments of having a lazy throttle are a huge positive for a new rider like me. All the best to you my friend. Keep the good content coming
Dag nabbit, Spite. You almost had me in tears placing Dualsports that low. I've spent a minor fortune converting my '21 FE450 to a superlight ADV bike. Think Dakar-style less the rear tanks. That's not good enough for Uncle Spite?... Then you got me all giddy, because - as everyone knows - once you get a SuMo, no other bike is getting saddle time ever again. I'm currently at phase 3 of the transformation. 17" wheels and 320mm six-pots and some top-shelf rubber. All my kids are going to inherit is a garage full of take-offs and one tricked out Husky. 🙂
@@CaseyJones88 not a screamer engine. I don’t know what you’re talking about but not everybody wants to go off road.. you can’t get the same on road performance in an off-road machine.
Rode dirt bikes when I was a kid. 30 odd years later, finally got my endorsement, and I go right out and buy a husky sm610. And I LOVE that f'n bike. Longest ride thus far is 400 miles round trip. And that was a blast. Love your channel, love your content. Thanks for all you do, Mr. Spite!
Dont overthink it friends. If you really are someone looking to get their first bike get the one you really liked in the moto school when you got your license. Remember the one that felt comfortable? Yes, that one. These bikes are there for a reason. Get it, ride for a season or two, sell it, and by then you will have a good idea what you need or what you want. Thats assuming you hava a license. If you dont, go get one and dont buy anything until you do! Cheers!
First bike was a cruiser. While I don't regret it and even think it may have been the best choice for me, I think an ADV bike is the best overall style. Looking at getting an africa twin next year for that go anywhere fun and long ride comfort. Eventually I want that and a Harley road king and i'll be happier than a pig in shit
My first bike was a CB450k6 that I picked up as a project and have not yet finished. Fast forward another project later and I decided to pick up something that wasn't a project. My "beginner" bike is a 1976 Goldwing and there is definitely a learning curve to it.
Spite knows!!! I started off on a Tomos 50cc moped and an 1986 Honda Nighthawk 650 (yes, the old shaft drive ones) but now I've got a 2019 XT250 and a 2020 R3. They do everything that I need to do; they're cheap to run and maintain. I adopt a more European mindset when approaching motorcycles- utilitarian tools to get my ass to work and back, instead of fun weekend toys. Well, they're ALWAYs fun, but ya know what I mean.😎🔥
I have had 2 naked bikes 150 cc and 250 cc and currently own a dual sport 200cc. When you are starting out, choose a bike which is comfortable, cheap and spares are readily available. Remember, you want a bike which removes stress from your everyday lives rather than add to it. No motorcycle is wrong. It is just a matter of starting out easy and slowly upgrading as you gain more experience slowly. Ride safe, ride well.
Great video! You hit a home run with this one! I was a super sport guy after moving from a ninja 250 to a Ninja Zxr600. Now I am a cruiser guy. I would have died if I started on that Zxr600. Now I tour on my Harley. 😊 😊😊
As an old codger who's been riding street bikes since 1975, and am struggling to cull the moto herd down to two dozen bikes, I am tempted to write a post longer than this video. Suffice it to say that after suffering sophomoric opinions the first 12 minutes (3/4) of the video, in Spite of being in a Corner, you snatched de-feet from being shredded between the bike and the pavement (so to speak) by recommending Super Motos. But I'm still going to "contribute" an opinion by encouraging any of Y'all beginner riders to reconsider the Dual Sports looked askance by the narrator. The OEM Super Moto has all the disadvantages enumerated of the Dual Sport, plus one more: they're expensive. So listen up newbies, buy a USED Dual Sport of your choice, pick up a couple of "dog bones" or the appropriate lowering linkage for the rear, slide the fork tubes up to level the bike, and mount a couple of 50/50 on/off road tires and you could have your own custom Marvelous Moto. If you're never gonna go off road, and you want to save even mo' money, git yerself a standard (a modest naked bike). Examples include the Nighthawk 750 and the Bonneville, there are sooo many great beginner standards. Also, there are cruisers that have slightly forward foot controls that handle more like a standard. Like the venerable first Gen Kawasaki VN750. A large selection of standards and cruisers under $2,500! I know Spite: start my own channel, right? But as a Subscribed fan, I did buy a Red 2006 Honda Hornet 919 on your advise... 😁
I feel that the DRZ400SM is not really beginner friendly, the seat height and torquey single could be a bit too much. Honestly naked bike and beginner sports bikes is where it's at, bikes like the Yamaha MT03, Kawasaki Z300/Z400, Suzuki GSX250, Honda CB300 and their sport versions are all SUPER approachable.
Spike. I took your advice back in 2022 and bought a kawasaki z400. Being 70 years old I love it ❤. I've been putting some ninja racing accessories on. 50 mpg top speed 120 mph. Cheap insurance. Just wìsh there was a better design wind shield. Love your views.
First bike I bought was a Monster 796...everything good on paper, low weight, lowish power. Besides the jerky throttle, it has been a perfect vehicle to learn on. I also bought a Z900RS and that bike used to get away from my throttle, a little too much for me
I started on a sports bike...loving it...i Don't feel confident or couldn't concentrate on lazy positions...hate naked bikes or those advs...couldn't even handle them...but oh yeah...a r3 is lkke omg...not a super sport but yeah for that committed position and am so comfy on it...went 650kms... 403 miles on it on a single stretch
argument against the DRZ 400... CB300R.. same wheels (essentially but CB is tubeless), same weight (3lbs in it) and similar power (DRZ has 3.5hp more at the wheel) except CB comes with a slipper clutch, ABS, fuel injection, better front brakes (slightly worse rear), 31.5" seat height (but half the ground clearance), 6 speed and looks damn smexy... plus it's suspension is nothing to sneeze at, it's pretty good even if you only get pre-load on the rear... and you can absolutely toss some adv/knobby tires on it and go hit some fire-roads or logging trails... won't be particularly good at it but it can do it. Edit: and the CB is about $1800~ give or take cheaper than the DRZ. (all prices in CAD)
As a 5‘5 rider i got myself a low naked bike (cbf600na) as my first bike.. i can flatfoot it with thick boots on and I was quite fine with it. Put around 1000 miles on it. But when ob vacation in thailand i had a little rebel 300. i just fell in love with the even lower seat and super easy handling in low speed and stuff like that. When i recover from my shoulder injury i will probably switch to either a rebel 500 or vulcan 650…. I am so lokimg forward to the next spring 😍
Your right about the ability to do a little off-road. That’s why I think you missed this new class of scramblers. Great price points and low seat heights.
CRF300L Rally is a pretty good beginner ADV bike if you’re tall enough. The larger tank and the Dakar styling makes it a little unique in this space, but it is still only a 300.
Started just a few years ago at age 47 with a KLX250. Very few things to do during the Covid lockdown, and it was a great time to get out on the road and practice since there was very little traffic, since nobody had anywhere to go. Figured I would quickly outgrow it and move on to something bigger, but it just had so much of a fun factor and trail riding with it was perfect. I just recently switched to a WR250X. Almost the same, but I like having the supermoto wheels for the street and I have the spare dirt-style wheels with full knobbies for off-roading. For a 250, the WR has significantly more HP and torque which makes it a slightly better trail bike for me and I feel more capable on the highway for the few times I actually do get out on one. The KLX seemed to lack passing power in the higher gears when you're already at highway speed, but the WR's additional horsepower and torque makes it so I can maneuver past other traffic quickly without lingering in their blind spot. Fits easily in my small shed and is great on gas. Seat concepts aftermarket seat makes longer rides way more comfortable and a few performance mods and fuel tuner gave me a little bit more noticeable power to enjoy. The previous owner lowered it slightly and it seems to be noticeably more nimble and maneuverable for having the same weight as my previous KLX. Maybe I'll move on one day to an adventure bike but for now, this thing just keeps me smiling.
My first bike was a 1970 Kawasaki H1 triple 2-stroke. Talk about jumping in head first or thrown to the wolves. What a ridiculous choice for a "first bike"! Every bike I rode after that was a piece of cake. But to this day I remain a die hard 2-stroke fan. 😊
my first big bike is my hornet 900 2006, in red, found out after getting her that spite also had one haha, good to know he thought the same of her as i do
I think that a second hand dualsport with a few dents and not too many miles is the best learner bike. For the first six months you will have fun on anything with two wheels so style and performance are not that important. Pick one that fits your body, a 650 for a big man, a 125 for a boy or small woman and a250 or 400 if you have a medium build. The most important thing is to be able to put your feet on the ground and be able to dominate it and not be scared to throw it around. You will learn all the survival skills you need on it and they are designed to survive being dropped which you are going to do. Practice your skills in a car park, ride around in suburbia and go play in the dirt. Do donuts, learn how to powerslide, practice doing jumps and wheelies, all these are fun on a dualsport. After six months you will be ready to move on and you can trade it in on your dream bike or just park it in the back of the shed and keep it as a fun toy.
Bought my first bike in 2005, brand new klr650. Quickly bought my second bike, 2006 sv650. Kept that combination of bikes for a long time as they both satisfied my needs distinctly. Haven't been on a klr650 since 2014 but I am tempted to buy the new S version just to have something reliable and cheap to scoot around on. Currently own a duke 890 which I consider to be the spiritual successor/evolution of the sv650 type of bike.
Naked bike/Sport-touring style motorcycles would be my pick if I had to start all over again. I started on the Ninja400, and three years on I'm still riding it, carving up the mountain roads. I've worked on the bike, made adjustments/improvements to make it my own and I'm glad that I did that instead of trying to get something more powerful and being scared to REALLY commit because everything about bigger bikes were so much more expensive. That's the thing people don't really tell you. They talk about the performance difference, how it feels to ride, what it sounds like, but it's rare for them to tell you what the cost of maintaining different types of motorcycles are, especially when comparing smaller displacement bikes to bigger ones. Bigger bikes just usually means everything just costs more. Wanna slip-on for your 600-1000cc sportsbike? that will cost you nearly twice as much as a one for a 400cc bike. This applies to most aftermarket components. Oh, and if you get your motorcycle serviced, most places will have tiered service fee based on displacement. Just another thing to keep in mind.
I started out on dirt bikes first bike I owned was an fzr400 but used to ride 750's and kz900's all the time had a 78kz1000 for a few yrs as well but as I get older I went with the 636 plenty of power and fun to ride perfect for the street or track if you have a good back lol
If I had to do it all over again and start today, I would probably start on a scram 411, or a hunter 350. And yes, I'm saying that as a Royal Enfield Simp, but the price, reliability, ease of service, and accessibility to a variety of riding styles would let me figure out exactly what I wanted to do as a writer, without a huge investment, and on something that I would want to keep forever
A thing I tell people who want to start riding is not to get wrapped around the axle about what bike they want. Get one that is affordable and in working condition. The first bike is what you use to determine what you REALLY want as a motorcyclist. Statistically you arent going to keep it for very long, so dont worry so much about it. Get a simple machine, learn on it, and then start looking at what your next bike will be. Opinions change over time and I would never recommend going into debt for a type of bike you may not actually like in the long run.
SuperMoto is life! That said I got an Enduro because across the road north of me is farms and rural gravel roads and south of me us all suburban dense city streets. I have fully adjustable dual adjustable front and rear suspension and because of streets I can throw 80/20 adv tires on and if they ever bulldoze the farms in the next five years to expand urban spraw which is highly likely l could then toss on 17" rims and street tires and play Super Moto life. That said I still think keeping a separate dedicated off road bike is best because the optimum engine displacement and power to weight ratio is 350cc when riding off-road / trail riding on a 4-stroke and you want all your gearing very low to delivery all that power curve under 40 mph. That is an optimal off road machine build for optimum enjoyment. Getting 450cc or tall gearing to compromise and work on streets makes for a poorer off road experience and heavy adventure bikes with taller gearing, no. There will never exist the unicorn motorcycle because of this simple fact. You want tall gearing for streets and you want low gearing for off-road. You can't get something inbetween and slap a 450cc or larger engine on and ever be truly satisfied. Stick with two bikes. 👍
Learnt on a Z650 (UK A-licence rider training), ended up with a Ninja 650 as my first bike as someone was selling a used one locally for a good price (and it's almost the same as a Z650). Your recommendations make a lot of sense though!
Couldn't agree much more. Sumo/Dual sport would be on top of the list for those that aren't to short. Standard (naked)/scrambler would be a very close second. I started on a 83 Honda 550 Nighthawk for a few months, but quickly moved to an 07 FZ6 that I really consider my first bike. I love it so much I still have it 16 years later 😂. I got a Suzuki DR650 about a year ago and think it would have made a better first bike. It's versatile, fast enough and if needed can be lowered with factory built in settings. It's also a template bike like the Sportster with a huge aftermarket.
I started on a Honda cb250. Reasonably light and easily manageable power with comfortable riding position and excellent neutral handling. Around suburbia it was a fun bike to learn on. You had to work the gears and rev it out to go sort of fast but that made it more enjoyable. I dropped it a few times and it was generally only a brake or clutch lever or maybe a mirror that needed replacing. If you're new to riding a light bike will make life easier while you build your skills.
I bought my fiancé a CBR250 as her first bike. She had never ridden a motorcycle before, never sat on one, nothing. It’s very forgiving, it’s light, it’s got a very neutral seat/riding position which definitely makes it easier to learn on. And, while it isn’t that fast, it’s not slow either. Especially around town. The highway is manageable but definitely pushes it to it’s limit, but around town it’s a lot of fun to ride around on and for right now that’s what she needs. For the cost of about 3k, I think it’s really a great option. I’ve ridden motorcycles on and off most of my life and though I don’t ride much anymore and no longer have a bike of my own, that 250 is super fun and low stress to ride around.
I daily drove a supermoto for about 4 years. I came from dirt biking though my childhood so it was truly the best starter street bike for me. KTM 525sx modded into being a supermoto.
Ok thinking about first motorcycle. I would take an end goal split between current year of a BMW1250 GSA adventure bike or a Honda Africa Twin with DCT transmission. So for a starter bike before either of the other 2, a friend recommends my buying his 1993 Honda shadow 1100. I am the Swiss army type, hence the dirt/ highway type of the first two. But for starting out, I guess it could work (shadow). I live on the Pacific Northwest in the mountains. Terrain would be some gravel roads, paved 2 lanes, 4 lanes divided and interstate highways over mountain passes. Trips could be across town to a couple hundred miles at a stretch across the aforementioned road types in one trip, little of everything. By profession I am a long haul trucker, so 3,000 plus miles a week is normal. I have driven 8,9,10,12,13,and 15 speed transmissions with and without clutches, automatics/auto-shifts. Hence Honda Africa Twin with DCT, being a familiar frame of reference for transmissions. I am 6 foot, 300 lbs and wear a size 18 boots and 32 inseam. So I do not want to start with TOO SMALL OR TOO BIG of a bike and have zero interest in stunts, tricks, wheelies etc. I can watch RU-vid for that. So what would be a good bike before “graduating” to a BMW GSA1250 or an Africa Twin with DCT?
30 years riding bikes. Bought my first cruiser 3 years ago. It by far has been the hardest bike for me to learn to ride. They turn slow and stop slow. Hard to control at slow speeds especially 2 up. I never recommend a 700+ pound bike to a nnew rider.
Lol my first one was a naked scrambler - cut my teeth fast on it. Only a 125cc, and that’s where I think everyone should begin (or below 250-300 at least). I then jumped to a 1250cc, 2.6 second 0-60 bike lol. I wanted an 850GSA at first, but couldn’t afford the silly finance offer.
Damn man, I wish I saw this 3 years ago. I totally rejected the drz to start on because the seat height was intimidating as a new rider. I’ll definitely get one in the future
Mini bikes. Personally, for the younger and/or shorter/cash-strapped folk, I'd also toss in Mini bikes. Sure they'll only reach highway speeds by pushing the engine more than you realistically should, but they're great for city or small town commutes, light, usually cheap, and surprisingly fun even for taller riders. I'm 6'1, a little on the large side, and reguarly ride Harley-Davidson's, but I still have fun going around town on our KSR110 and would love to have our old Z50 brought back to running condition. (Also the looks I get from other people when they see a huge guy on a tiny bike is *hilarious*
My first bike was a 2013 Yamaha Zuma 125. A year later I bought a 2023 Suzuki GSXS 750, and a broken 2004 Suzuki Intruder 800 as a project bike. I haven't found a bike I like more than my Zuma 125 and plan to ride that little scooter until it breaks in half.
The best one in my opinion is the Vulcan 650s it’s the best of both worlds. Cruiser comfort with handling and powerband of a sports bike. Throw some knobby tire on it and boom beach bum
I started last year on a sweet Shadow Phantom 750. Looked like the cool new blacked out cruisers, but for less than half the price and extremely reliable. Drove that for a few months and then discovered the Indian Scouts. I bought one as fast as I could. The styling, the high quality parts, the high power and the reliability still being there on an American machine was exactly what I wanted. I could not be happier with either of them and would definitely recommend a Shadow if you like the more classic styling. I've ridden Rebels and some naked bikes like the MT09 and they just aren't for me. Can't get enough of the cruiser style
That "kind of works" offroad capability of tourers covers 99% of user needs. Buy what you want, and adv bikes are cool as hell, but i never understood people buying one over a tourer when the rider never sees worse than a rough gravel road.
i wound up on a cb300r as my first bike and love it, but the best decision i ever made was taking a course that had lots of different bikes to try out. before ever buying a bike i already had time on adv, dual sport and cruisers.
Beginner motorcycles, well if you want a fully unrestricted License then you should start out on a big bike from day1. That is how it have been in most Europe countries and is so today as well. Milions of Europeans started on 750cc or even bigger bikes because the law requires it. But light and nimble bike would be nr1 recommendation, a street triple 675 is what I would say. Heck, my driving school bikes were suzuki izuma or was it isuzuma 750, zx700r(the aircooled naked one with rear monoshock), honda cb750f, honda cb1000ra and my bandit 600 mk1 when I actually took my license years later when 600cc was allowed to be used for unrestricted license in 2010 or something, before that the bike had to be 750cc and had over a certain power rate.
Contrary to all recommendations and to what I thought I'd get, I ended up with a carburated 750 sport bike from the 80's as my starter bike. No regrets. Though I wouldn't mind it being a bit lighter. And now I'm hypocritically trying to convince my brother to start on a 2 cylinder naked. But I know he'll end up on a GSXR 750.
75hp. That’s a really good call. Much more and you start adding power management into the mix. Never heard anyone put it that way. I’m a big size appropriate guy also.
never had much of a choice as a kid. you rode what someone let you ride, be it an xr80 or a yz250 or the harley... bit like cars in the paddock. you drove what someone gave you! or you made a gokart from a few planks of wood and an engine you scrounged up off someone, invariably by mowing their lawn for 6 months...(meant to be a year but after the first three months the shine wore off and the engine had already blown and yeah... ) but my advice to anyone without that experience? the cheapest second hand bike you can find, and dont care if you drop, and then go out into a carpark and learn HOW TO DROP IT. or how not to... LOW SPEED HANDLING IS KING! learn how to do a full-lock no-hands u-turn ;) no silly plastics or any bling. just something that can slam into the pavement, be picked up, and ridden for a few more hours til your legs are sore... and make sure it has a clutch. levers. and is common enough that parts are cheap cheap :)
