The.Lunatic

I've got about 4k to spend on a bike, whats a good starter bike?

I don't want a chopper or anything like that.

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Moonduck

1) What do you plan to do with it?

2) What level of skill do you possess as a rider?

3) What level of skill do you possess as a mechanic, or how much money are you willing to spend on maintainence if you have no skill?

4) What style of bike most appeals to you (cruiser, sportbike, naked/streetfighter, standard, enduro on/off, dirt)?

Sorry, need to know more than just how much scratch you plan to drop.

rodgerd

So, you don't want a cruiser? What do you want? A daily rider? A weekend hero sportsbike?

I wouldn't go any bigger than 400-600cc ish for a starter bike, and I'd seriously consider a modern Japanese 250 (which can be plenty powerful, believe me).

Look at standard/naked bikes like the SV650, Fazer, Bandit 600 in the mid range as examples.

Moonduck

Forgot to add one serious question to my list.

5) How big are you, height weight-wise? (It greatly affects the size-class of the bike suggested, both in displacement and frame size)

ducati999

a great starter bike is a kawisaki (ninja)ex500....they have plenty of power to get you goin and are not intimidating at all.....you can easily find one in your price range....a sv650 is good but it might be hard to find one that cheap

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Lyaec123

Huffy 21 speed? No JK, but I hear that if you've never ridden much before and you aren't a huge guy its best to start out on a 600 or 650 cc bike. That way you won't kill yourself and you'll always be able to sell it and upgrade if you want to go nuts and get something like a 1000cc. Little O/T but I was trying to ride a 125cc Kawasaki dirtbike around at work the other day and damn guys, I have a lot of respect for you bikers, these things are tough to ride!

Moonduck

Personally, if you're new at this, try something in the 250-500cc range, unless you are a big guy. Do NOT buy something figuring that you'll grow into it. Buy something small and sell it when you are ready to upgrade. It is FAR safer.

Ducati's suggestion of a Kawasaki ex500 is a pretty good one, though their 250 Ninja is a great choice if you're smaller. Suzuki's Virago 250 is really nice for a small cruiser, and their mid-line Virago is also good, again depending on size. The ls650 is a good choice for a larger cruiser as it's single cylinder isn't that strong.

Another nice thing about the starter bikes is that they tend to hold their value well. Most of them sell briskly on the used market, so it is reltively easy to move up when you decide to.

rockogre

My sister got a Buell Blast. I don't know much about the cost but it is her learner bike and she said that it was a great choice for her. She loves the thing.

She's now talking to me about upgrading to a Triumph Speedmaster.

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The.Lunatic:
There is already a thread on this. HERE

Check out Beginner Bikes

Stinky Pee

Get a KYMCO scooter, and have your friends laugh.

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MacGyver

my friends and i all got started on old cruisers... got our motorcycle license and shortly after upgraded to better bikes. I don't think any of us spent more than $500 on our bikes. we had them for one summer... just long enough to get comfortable riding. then sold them. i took a motor cycle safety course too and that helped with my riding skills as well as lowering my insurance rates. in the end i still turned around and got another cruiser... a suzuki 800 intruder. i can see trying to start on this bike since it's small for it's engine displacement... but it's an expensive investment if you aren't 100% on being a motorcycle owner/rider. unless you are a speed junky i wouldn't go get a crotch rocket for your fist bike. the saying of crawl before you walk, walk before you run... that is a good reccomendation for bikes too. work your way up to it if you can contain yourself. if you have the itch for speed... at least start off with a small cc engine to limit your urges for a quick death. i had a shipmate in the navy who almost died because he started off with his first bike as an 1100cc crotch rocket. he almost died becasue 30 minutes after he got the bike he was doing 130+mph... tried to take a corner and couldn't... went into the ditch and wraped himself around a telephone pole. he was lucky... he lived with only spending 13 days in the hospital. as dumb as he was he was smart enough to have been wearing a helmet which was about the only reason he was alive. enough about that though... as for you... take it slow starting off... get something cheap to start the learning process... once you have the hang of it... upscale to something you like and sell the junker.

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