Beginner Bike Reccomendations.

[delSol97]

Originally Posted by Culverin

What's a grey market 250?

These beauties....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CBR250

[BoostedBB6]

You should learn to ride on our Ducati :P



Yes, it it is all carbon fiber (including the wheels)
Yes those are FRG900 SBK forks
Yes the front end alone is $35,000

This is the bike everyone should give a try. :P

But in all honesty, do the school and ask this again if you need to. You will learn a lot and you will know whats right for you.

[josel_atr]

sorry to keep jacking your thread op.

when shopping for a motorcycle, how significant is the year of the bike? and the kilometers?

would the older bikes (around 2000-2003) require more maintenance stuff compared to like a couple year old bike in general?

[Cota4RT]

Originally Posted by josel_atr

sorry to keep jacking your thread op.
when shopping for a motorcycle, how significant is the year of the bike? and the kilometers?
would the older bikes (around 2000-2003) require more maintenance stuff compared to like a couple year old bike in general?

Kilometers certainly can reflect on wear and tear of the internal parts, if you can even trust the odometer, my Beemer had the entire instrument cluster replaced once and I strip my Trials bikes for competition as soon as I buy them, so the only honest one I own is my Honda Ascot's odometer. In my opinion the vintage has less relevance on the bikes value unless buying it as new. If you keep em' in great shape long enough motorcycles can even turn you a profit over the original sticker price. I paid $1,450 for my 1982 FT500 and I think I could easy sell it for that now.

It is note worthy that distributors such as Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda etc. only stock or attempt to order parts for about 7 years, so this can make some repairs difficult, things like pistons, rings and suspension parts may become unavailable, so it's a regular thing for restorers to substitute components or make parts that are otherwise unavailable. Outside of parts ordering 2000-2003 is not really old for a motorcycle, exhaust systems might rust but otherwise bikes are nothing like cars

For regular maintenance items, carbs require far more service than fuel injection equipped bikes. You need to assess the rest of the bike at time of purchase, examining the suspension components for wear, the chains (primary, valve and final drive if it has all 3) Stock up on oil, fuel and air filters, internal front fork parts, cables and clutch plates while you can still buy them.

If the original rider was really large or frequently rode 2 up, that can significantly impact the bikes mechanical integrity. I'm a featherweight myself so original items like seat, suspension and drive train are still in exceptional condition after 24 years. ...hope this helps some

[Titanium1.8]

Hi, sorry to hi-jack the thread. How much do I need to pay one of you mechanically inclined guys to 'inspect' a used bike before I buy?

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by josel_atr

when shopping for a motorcycle, how significant is the year of the bike? and the kilometers?

would the older bikes (around 2000-2003) require more maintenance stuff compared to like a couple year old bike in general?

Originally Posted by Titanium1.8

Hi, sorry to hi-jack the thread. How much do I need to pay one of you mechanically inclined guys to 'inspect' a used bike before I buy?

Guys, it is far less complicated than it looks. Trust me, I was in the same paranoid position last year, not wanting a lemon.

If you buy a popular model of bike, which most beginner bikes are, then the age doesn't really matter. Why? Cause the platform is sold for several years, and most of the parts interchangeable. For instance the model year range of my SV is 2003-2009, and even some parts on the previous Gen and next Gen are swappable.

Kms matter if your bike may need a major service soon. For instance my SV needs the valves checked every ~30K kms, and this costs a few hundred dollars. Thus when I bought a bike with 24K kms on it, I knew I was in for a big maintenance bill soon. Instead I could have bought a bike with 12K kms and not need this maintenance for years.

When I bought I based the purchase more on the seller than the bike. I contacted lots of buyers who were very anal, not friendly, ... then found an older gentleman who had documented every maintenance item on his bike, and even gave me a picture of it from the top of Mount Baker! Easy to tell he loved the bike and cared for it - so I bought it that day.

As long as the engine runs nice, the shocks don't leak, and the gears are pointy not worn, I'd say you're good to go. Bikes are pretty simple machines.

[BillyBishop]

I may as well jump in here to get some information for myself..

I've been looking into getting into riding for quite some time now, and have finally decided to have go at it. I'm going to get my 6L in the next few days and sign up for a PRS course in May. I've heard nothing but good things about them from family, friends, and forums.

In terms of gear, I've got to do more research/visiting shops and trying stuff out. I'm not going to cheap out on anything... if I need to spend $500 on solid, comfortable boots for myself, I'll do it hahaha.


In terms of a bike though, I need some advice like all noobs lol
My dad was an avid rider owning several bikes, but he took a break ten years ago so as to not get me into riding when I was younger. He says I should keep the option of buying an old bike, fixing it up, and riding that. He also has "hook-ups" with Honda when purchasing new vehicles, so he's leaning towards me buying a brand new Honda bike.

The two I'm looking at are the CBR125R and the CBR250RA. (May as well fork out the extra $500 for ABS, right?)
Price-wise, I'm leaning towards the 125... also because it's a smaller bike, cheap, and helluva lot of fun I hear.
But I'm (slightly) over 6 feet tall and, with gear, I'll be over 160lbs. (yeah, I'm really skinny haha.) My dad says my height won't be much of a concern with any bike, but I won't know until I actually get on one.

When I do get my bike, I'll be using it during the summer for highway drives here and also on the Island. The 125 isn't too good for highway riding I hear, with it's ~110km/h top speed. I wouldn't want to be redlining it in 6th too often lol


Looking forward to learning lots!

[//RacingSpirit>>]

go for the 250.....if you get the 125, and do your class 6 road test on it, you'll be limited to riding only bikes under 200cc's.

[ky]

For those of you that started off on a 650cc bike such as a Ninja 650R after getting your license, how much did insurance cost?

Thanks

[BillyBishop]

Originally Posted by //RacingSpirit>>

go for the 250.....if you get the 125, and do your class 6 road test on it, you'll be limited to riding only bikes under 200cc's.

Oh, that I didn't know. Thanks!

[CharlieH]

Originally Posted by ky

For those of you that started off on a 650cc bike such as a Ninja 650R after getting your license, how much did insurance cost?

Thanks

your insurance rates will vary greatly depending on your coverage. i only have liability on my bike with no theft or collision and it puts me at around $1000 a year with a 35% discount. the reason i didn't get theft or collision was because my insurance cost would have more than doubled.

imo, it's really useless to get theft/collision unless the bike is worth a lot of money. the amount of money you'd be spending in a year on theft/collision ($1200 in my case) would be a huge waste considering my bike is only worth about $6500 now. I park my bike in the garage every night, and i rarely leave it anywhere unattended for long periods of time. and if i was ever at fault in an accident, the other party would be covered by liability and i'd just buy a new bike or fix it myself. i see it as the most cost effective way to go. i'd think twice about it if i had a ducati 1198r or something though lol.

[Ludepower]

If your primary insurance is on your car. How much does insurance cost if the motorcycle is your secondary vehicle?

[SoNaRWaVe]

Originally Posted by ky

For those of you that started off on a 650cc bike such as a Ninja 650R after getting your license, how much did insurance cost?

Thanks

i started with a 600cc bike. with 35% discount and with theft and no collision, for 7 months, my insurance came to $900. this is highly affected based on how much you declare your bike value at. comprehensive package is the most expensive part.

insurance is also based on the cc brackets. if i recall, there are a few brackets. i only remember 125cc - 399cc, 400cc - 749cc, then 750cc and up?
please correct me, i know something doesn't seem right here.

Originally Posted by Boundless

The two I'm looking at are the CBR125R and the CBR250RA. (May as well fork out the extra $500 for ABS, right?)
Price-wise, I'm leaning towards the 125... also because it's a smaller bike, cheap, and helluva lot of fun I hear.
But I'm (slightly) over 6 feet tall and, with gear, I'll be over 160lbs. (yeah, I'm really skinny haha.) My dad says my height won't be much of a concern with any bike, but I won't know until I actually get on one.

i would suggest the 250RA. not only do you get ABS, the 250 has enough power for the highway. the 125 might seem a bit low on the power once you get used to the bike. for your height, most bikes will fit you fine. but each bike has a different riding position and i find that the 250 is the most upright and comfortable one.

only way to find out which one you feel comfortable on is to go and sit on as many motorcycles as you can before you purchase. but for sure, the 250 has the easiest learning curve and can be most fun at the beginning.

starting at a 600cc myself, i find the learning curve to be quite steep and it was hard for me to get used to. The main factor of that was because the riding position was quite aggressive and the throttle was sensitive compared to a 250. Doing shoulder checks were also a bit hard to get used to

[BillyBishop]

Originally Posted by SoNaRWaVe

i would suggest the 250RA. not only do you get ABS, the 250 has enough power for the highway. the 125 might seem a bit low on the power once you get used to the bike. for your height, most bikes will fit you fine. but each bike has a different riding position and i find that the 250 is the most upright and comfortable one.

only way to find out which one you feel comfortable on is to go and sit on as many motorcycles as you can before you purchase. but for sure, the 250 has the easiest learning curve and can be most fun at the beginning.

starting at a 600cc myself, i find the learning curve to be quite steep and it was hard for me to get used to. The main factor of that was because the riding position was quite aggressive and the throttle was sensitive compared to a 250. Doing shoulder checks were also a bit hard to get used to

appreciate your advice.

+$500 for the ABS model... still a bit undecided whether I should go for it.

[SoNaRWaVe]

you can always go to different dealerships and see if you can test ride a few models. i think the extra 500 for the abs will be a good investment and it will hold its resale value a bit better if you ever decide to sell the bike for whatever reason.

[BillyBishop]

Good point with resale value

[BillyBishop]

I'm going to be honest here... I'm actually wanting to pick up an old Honda Rebel to start now. Found a number of inexpensive ones on CL already

[Ludepower]

Originally Posted by Ludepower

If your primary insurance is on your car. How much does insurance cost if the motorcycle is your secondary vehicle?

I guess I'll answer my own question...since I got my bike insured today.
My car had 15% discount. I got into an accident a few years back.
When insuring my bike. I have 7 years driving experience. So the bike gets a 35% discount.
The car and bike have separate history.

[Tegra_Devil]

hey guys, bumping an oldish thread.

What are my best options for a 600cc Sport bike?

I have some riding experience....i rode my dads VTX1300 for a few weeks...

Im gonna head to riding school later in aug/sept hopefully to refine my skills and i will purchase a bike before then. I dont want to jump onto a 250, because ill probably get tired of it after a year or so and I feel like a giant on them (6'2 -195lbs).

So what are the best options for 600cc....I dont need a 600RR-A or anything like that :P...just a bike that will look sexy and keep me entertained for a few years

[CharlieH]

in my experience 06+ gixxers are the most comfy and easy to ride. R6s have the most aggressive riding position, and cbr600s have the least comfy seat. in terms of power/handling they're all pretty much the same.

[tool001]

i learned riding last year and bought a bike,, personally woudn't go below 500cc.

if u get a 250,,i can bet, after the first year, u'd wanna move up. 500cc u can keep for 2-3 years before you would wanna move up.

i got a gs500, because of riding position, parts..etc, cheap to maintain, insurance, gas.. etc etc.

ins. is 65 a month/ for just liab. no comp. no colli

[Jermyzy]

Originally Posted by SoNaRWaVe

you can always go to different dealerships and see if you can test ride a few models. i think the extra 500 for the abs will be a good investment and it will hold its resale value a bit better if you ever decide to sell the bike for whatever reason.

ABS is definitely worth it. As for people asking about insurance, I think if you have at least 5+ years of DRIVING experience, you can apply for private insurance through Beacon now, saved me about $700/year

[BillyBishop]

It's been a couple months... no more CBR250R or Rebel for me... I'm picking up a '94 ZX6 (not ZX6R) in a couple weeks.

[tegz]

Originally Posted by Boundless

It's been a couple months... no more CBR250R or Rebel for me... I'm picking up a '94 ZX6 (not ZX6R) in a couple weeks.

I have no idea how good the old ZX6's are but that's pretty old for a sportbike.

Most people get 50,000~100,000 out of their bikes, and if it hasn't been well maintained (eg. sitting in the garage for years) it will be alot shorter than that. Don't expect the engine to be putting out as many HP as it was back when it was new either.

As I've said, I don't want to shit on your "new" bike, but I just hope you're making a smart purchase!

[BillyBishop]

Originally Posted by tegz

I have no idea how good the old ZX6's are but that's pretty old for a sportbike.

Most people get 50,000~100,000 out of their bikes, and if it hasn't been well maintained (eg. sitting in the garage for years) it will be alot shorter than that. Don't expect the engine to be putting out as many HP as it was back when it was new either.

As I've said, I don't want to shit on your "new" bike, but I just hope you're making a smart purchase!

Haha thanks for the input, appreciate it. It's been checked out, I've done thorough research. Owned by an old fella. It's got 27,XXX on it