What is a Good Sports bike to start out with?

[Alex]

Hello everyone!

Im turning 18 here soon and thats when i can get a bike!! im super excited! i was just curious as to what a good starter bike would be? i want it to look nice tho. some of the lower cc bikes just look stupid and dont know why they are on the market. I do not have very much experience but hoping to ride for the rest of my life once i get my first bike! The bikes i want and are looking into are the yamaha r6, kawasaki ninja zx-r6, or the honda cbr-600rr. People have been telling me not to get these as a first bike because they are too powerful...ummm yea..a bit of a downer to me. soooo WHATS A GOOD FIRST BIKE THAT STILL LOOKS GOOD!??

Thanks! all comments are appreciated!

 

[DukeofURL]

That's easy!!!!! The one you like best, that's the one you should get! Of course, common sense dictates you should take a riding course, get an old bike @ 400- 600 cc and practice, practice, practice many miles and smiles before stepping up to a zip-splat...But how many newbie riders use their common sense? C'mon! Really!

Pick a bike that fits you and your wallet and go for it, man!

Just be careful out there...............................

 

[Gilmourway23]

Its all about you. I bought my first bike last year (June 2009).. At that time I had only been on my dads 450 dirt bike, and my buddies quad. I went out and got an R1. I do, and did not care what others say. If I am riding it and I am the one maintaining it.. Then its up to me. I could not be happier with my decision today. I respect te bike and think im more care full then people on 600's. The reason why is my buddies all say "I should ave just got a 1000cc bike" cause they are board with it.. But.. Its all up to you. Get what YOU like.

 

[lamarg]

Congratulations, I just got my first bike in may. Since I never rode dirt bikes or anything, I decided on the 2008 suzuki gs500. It's a great beginner bike if you've never ridden. It's fast enough to ride confidently on the interstate, it controls great, it's great on gas, very forgiving on mistakes and it looks pretty good. I mean i still get looks and the girls wave. I've gotten a few compliments, (not from any street bikers), but people who don't know much about bikes seem to think it's beautiful.

After about 2 months, i am still learning things, countersteering, leaning, clutch control, and all that, but now that i'm a little more confident, i feel that it's a little underpowered, even though i haven't ridden anything else (besides the 250cc msf bike) to compare it to. It says 130 on the dash, but i've only been able to get it to 110. It rides great at until around 80 -90, but u can start feeling the limitations after that. Don't get me wrong, it's still fun to ride.

It doesn't have that scare the sh1t out of u acceleration like i've heard about, but it feels pretty good. I dropped it twice, but just cracked the right fairing and broke the side mirror, it should cost about $200 for the fairing and that's very cheap for a fairing from what i'm told. Even with the small crack, it still gets looks.

Insurance is cheap around $34 a month full coverage. I'd recommend this bike to a beginner, because I've made many mistakes that i may not have been able to recover from on a less forgiving, faster bike. I feel that it will make me a better rider in the long run. I do wish it accelerated a bit faster, but overall, it's pretty good. It looks good, controls great, and fun to drive, but honestly, I think i'm ready for something bigger.

 

[YFZ450R]

If you already know and understand how to drive a manual transmission, it helps learning a motorcycle because it's one less thing you have to focus on when learning. The common saying is that if you can drive a stick and ride a bicycle, learning a motorcycle will be easy. If you can practice discipline and restraint when riding, you may be fine. It's not all fun and games on a sport bike. Even if you ride perfect you need to know how to react when other cars and bikes and trucks don't drive so perfect. That comes from building new instincts and reflexes, and driving habits. While I definitely recommend the MSF class, the class doesn't usually teach all you need to know. Many, many riders go down every summer due to overconfidence gained by taking the class.

When I ride, I act like I’m invisible to other vehicles. On the highway, I assume that every car I pass or that passes me, doesn't see me and is looking to come into my lane. I'm ready for any move that car makes half a second before he makes it.

You have to learn aerodynamics. If you get to close behind a rig, the wind can trap you there. When you pass along side of a rig the wind will pull you closer to the truck at one point and push you away at another. You have to learn all this and have counter balance and movements programmed into your body reflexes. There is so much more to it. You need lots of practice.

The first time I ever touched a motorcycle, it was a 1997 Ninja ZX-6. I rode it around a parking lot for 5 minutes to find out how to shift, then rode 100 miles home on the interstate. I’ve been riding ever since with a clean riding history. (Thanks to God) So it is possible to start on something other than a 250. Not everybody drops their first bike. You don’t have to drop yours and you probably won’t if you just take it easy.

Some people say that 600CCs is suicide for a beginner rider. That is simply not true. They make 600CC bikes that are suitable for beginners. In fact they make more entry level 600 bikes than they do 600CC race bikes. In no way does a 600CC bike remotely compare to a formula 1 race car. That is an extremist comment you should disregard.

Generally speaking, a 600 is a beginner’s sport bike. If it’s under 599CCs, it’s not really considered a true sport bike. The internet is the only place I’ve heard of anybody starting on anything other than 600 beside people who grew up riding dirt bikes. The Ninja 250R is a scooter with cute plastics. I’ve been to many, many track days, bike nights, meet-ups, and general bike cruises, and still haven’t seen one or even witnessed a conversation about them. They get no recognition in the sport bike community that actually rides. I'm saying this to make the point that they aren't as popular as the internet would have someone think. I don't hate the Ninja 250R but it isn't the absolute universal best choice for a first bike the way others would suggest. IMHO, the Yamaha FZ6R is the best entry-level sport bike. The newer Suzuki GS500F is a nice bike. I usually recommend this bike to the people who have been scared about getting a 600. It's got the power to scoot you around town and push you along the highway if you so choose. It doesn't look too bad either.

People recommend smaller CC bikes for beginners because most newbies are into it for the speed and flashiness of it and often underestimate the seriousness of riding safe. The temptation to tap into that power is usually too great to overcome. If you know you can and will respect the bike and get at least a thousand miles of practice before hitting the highway, and before group rides, then maybe you can start on a 600cc bike. Otherwise, help yourself out and start small.

It is also wisely suggested that your first bike be a used one. You may not drop it but the clutch, brakes, and tires take a beating in the learning stages. You don’t want to go tearing up a new bike.

Toned down sportbikes:
1. YZF600R (not the R6)
2. ZZR600 (not the ZX-6)
3. FZ6R
4. Suzuki GS500F / GSX650
5. GSX600 Katana (laughing stock of sportbikes) A.K.A. Can-O-Tuna
6. Daytona Triumph 600

Regular sportbikes:
1. GSX/R 600
2. YZF R6
3. ZX-6R
4. CBR 600RR

Sport Hybrids:
SV650
Ninja 650
FZ600
GSX650