astrahl

I am very interested in getting a motorcycle.

Two problems:
1) I've never ridden one before, and
2) I wouldn't know what kind to get.

Do any riders out there have suggestions about how to proceed?

I want to get on a bike because I've always loved them yet have never had the cojones to get one. I also think they are super sexy; just seeing a guy on a bike with the helmet, jacket and gloves gets me going!

__________________
Maybe it was over when she chucked me out the Rover at full speed.
Maybe Maybe...
~a-Ha

PDOUBLEOP

Keep in mind that even small c.c. bikes are very fast. Please consider buying a cruiser verses a sport bike. I've been trying to sell my modified FZR1000 for quite a while now because I turn down all the young kids looking for their first bike. I don't want that on my conscious.

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ef you-you effing ef

jvwgtr

My suggestion is to sign up immediately for Motorcycle Safety Foundation's basic riding course in your area (there will be one somewhere). It's pretty fun, and will teach you all the basic skills you need to ride (and get a license). It takes a weekend to complete, and costs about $150, but it's well worth it. You'll be a much more confident rider.

What type of motorcycle are you most interested in? A sport bike, or more of a cruiser?
A lot depends also on how tall you are. Many ladies with short legs have trouble balancing a heavier bike if the seat height is tall. This may be a big factor in determining how much bike or how big of an engine you can easily handle.

astrahl

Thanks for the quick replies. I'm 5'7" and looking to ride around town/commute etc.
About the classes, do you need a bike to attend? I don't wanna put the cart before the horse, so to speak.

__________________
Maybe it was over when she chucked me out the Rover at full speed.
Maybe Maybe...
~a-Ha

wisj2

I totally agree about the MSF course, tell them you need the Beginners Riders Course. They have motorcycles suitable for beginners (typically 250-400cc range), all you need to have is a helmet, leather gloves, over the ankle footwear, long sleeves and pants. They provide the rest.

I somehow managed to survive street riding for many years before I ever knew of it's existance, wish I had known back in the 60's when I was a teen learnning to ride.

http://www.msf-usa.org/

Another place with some excellent reading on the two wheeled world is found at http://www.msgroup.org/TIPS.asp

Good luck and let us know how you make out with the course and what you decide to buy.

GetRdone

how bout a Hayabusa....lol. All joking aside, a small cc bike would definately be the best, for commuting around town as well as for a newbie. You can get old Honda cruiser/street bikes for real cheap, 450's and 500's and such. If you want a new bike, or a crotch rocket type, go with a 600cc or less if possible, those things fly... DO NOT get anywhere near a 900 or a grand bike (1000cc and higher).

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StanT

My 5'5" wife rides a 800cc Kawasaki Vulcan. She moved down from a 1100cc Honda Shadow after her back surgery. More than anything else, you'll want to keep a close eye on seat height. You should be able to place both heels on the ground at the same time. The MSF is also a great idea, I've been riding for 30 years and I still learned a few things.

PayUp

Honda Rebel 250cc low seat hieght, Excellent beginer bike, handles nice and the price is right. 2005 new cost $2900.00 Good resale value. Google honda motorcycles, I think its powersports honda, you can get some good info there. They have info on the rider safety course there too. If you take the course, besides learning ALOT, usually you can take your completion card to the dmv and get your liscense.

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jorgelito

Size is definitely critical. I dunno if people still do this but "back in my day" we would lay the bike on its side on top of our person to see if we could pick it up off ourselves. Aside from seat height (absolutely critical), engine size and weight would be important. If you can't control your bike there'll be trouble ahead.

I second Motorcycle Safety Class and Beginner's Class.

Once you ride your life will never be the same again. You will even become a better driver (cars).

Good Luck.

bodypainter

One word - Sportster. It'd be perfect.

THGL

I think a H-D Sportster would be too much for a beginner. If you like the cruiser style, check out a Suzuki Savage (650cc if I remember correctly).

Ilow

Not only would i add to the recomendation for the rider training course (it might sound like a pain. but it's really nice to ba around a bunch of people with the same interest, and there's people there of all different riding levels). Although the 250cc bikes are what they generally use for the training courses, I would almost be hesitant to buy one as you might grow out of one too quickly, and they are far from exciting (not that you want too much excitement at the beginning, but that is part of the draw of biking). What about the Buell Blast that's being marketed to women and beginners? Also there are some nice 500cc bikes out there for very low money because many are using older technology and are not as tuned as their 600cc brethren. i wouldn't get much more than a Suzuki SV 650 (which are supposed to be great bikes for all riding experience).
I would also consider a "standard" style bike with a nice comfortable upright riding position, rather than a forward control cruiser, or a layed-out sport bike, it seems to be an easier style to get used to and get the feel of riding. Good luck with your search, and sign up soon for the MSF course--they fill up quick around this time of year!

__________________
"Religion is the one area of our discourse in which it is considered noble to pretend to be certain about things no human being could possibly be certain about"
--Sam Harris

Asuka{eve}

If you do take the MSF course be sure to know how to ride a motorcycle before you go in. If you are really short be sure to take care and not let the motorcycle fall down. Do it twice and you fail the course.

Ilow

Don't worry about knowing how to ride when you go in. That's why you are taking the course. They usually start you being pushed without the bike running at all. There is no better place to learn to ride than one of those courses. Also, she's not short, she's several inches above average for women.

__________________
"Religion is the one area of our discourse in which it is considered noble to pretend to be certain about things no human being could possibly be certain about"
--Sam Harris

MSD

Based on what you're saying, I'm going to die.

astrahl

I've sent messages to a few training places around town and I hope to get in touch with them about scheduling a course.
As far as buying a bike, I can be rather patient until I find what I want/what fits me best.
I just think a motorcycle (next to a bicycle) is the perfect commuting vehicle; not to mention how incredibly sexy and cool they are.

__________________
Maybe it was over when she chucked me out the Rover at full speed.
Maybe Maybe...
~a-Ha

wisj2

I know several MSF instructors, and to a person (they are of both sexes) they all say they would rather start with someone who has never even sat on a motorcycle as opposed to one who has started riding with possibly some bad habits when teaching their beginners course.

Motorcycles are inherently dangerous, there is no doubt about it, but so is life in general. It's a matter of assesing the risks and managing them to the best of your ability.

When my Son was 18 his best friend went out and bought a 600cc sport bike. He had no experience riding and zero rider training, but he, like a lot of teenagers, thought he was immortal. Within 3 months he was dead, ran up under a semi-trailer at something over 100 MPH. For quite a few years my Son thought I had a death wish for even riding at all.

I ride a 1200cc bike a lot of miles a year and am ever vigilant to the dangers out there. It is my primary mode of transportation so long as the roads are free of ice and snow, which is about 360 days of the year here in Oklahoma during most years.

GetRdone

mrselfdestruct, what kinda bike do u ride? and how long have u ridden it? If you have ridden for a while a big cc bike isnt a big deal, but if its like your second time out, and ur tryin to ride like a Honda DosEquis (XX Blackbird), you might infact die.

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Revere Jena Malone.......this is not a suggestion.

pixelbend

My wife (who is 5' 4") rides a Yamaha Virago 535. They don't make that model anymore, but you can probably find a good used one out there. Seat is low to the ground and it doesn't weight a ton but is still powerful enough to get you up the hills at speed.

But whatever you do, listen to everyone else and take a cycle safety course.

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NCB

1. Take the beginners MSF course offered at a local community college.
2. Don't get something to small; You'll want a bigger bike aftera month or rwo. Try a Honda Shadow ACE 750 or a Yamaha Vstar 650 if you like cruisers. If you like the sportsbikes or naked street bikes, try a Honda Nighthawk 750 or a Buell Blast 500 (made by Harley). Stay away from the Sportsters. Though they tend to be smaller than the big twins, but they're a whole 'nother animal to ride.

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NCB

Totally disagree. That's what the MSF courses are for...to learn the basics of riding.

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wisj2

MSF offers two courses for street riders.

The Basic Rider Course is for begninners and the riding is done on MSF motorcycles. I learned to ride by trial and error because I never knew of MSF's existence.

The Experienced Rider Course is for riders with 6 months or 3,000 miles of recent riding experience. The riding in this course is done on your own bike. This is the course I took on my Goldwing.

StanT

Ya, but motorcycles are unisex. I didn't notice any little pink ones when I went shopping for my wifes.

A couple more things to keep in mind. 80% of people that start riding, trade in their first bike within 2 years. I did it, my wife did it, you'll probably do it, too. Your taste will change. As you develop more skill, you will want more bike. I'd strongly suggest a used smaller one to start, with the understanding that you'll get exactly what you want when you know what it is.

As a beginner, you need to be able to man handle the bike (woman handle seems to have different connotatons). You will be stopping on a hill, sometimes on gravel. You've got to be able to manipulate the bike standing still. Size does matter. As you gain competence, you'll learn finesse; but you will use brute force to start with.

I guess I'm dead and 1/2 with my 1520cc Valkyrie.

Long term, I'd disagree. While you want to start with a smaller bike, bigger ones come with better tires, better brakes, and are generally more fun. Get a feel for what kind of style you prefer and trade in you learner bike for exactly what you want.

Melka

Another good thing about the MSF course is that, in Montana anyway, if you pass it it satisfies the riding portion of your Motorcycle Certification. That way all I had to do was go in and take the written test at the DMV and then was ready to ride.

RallyEX

Not to thread jack, but I didn't deem it necessary to start a new thread...

What would you suggest as a beginner bike for me?
Male, 6 feet 5 inches tall, 300lbs.

I have ridden a few motorcycles, but not on the open highway. Mostly on gravel backroads and paved parking lots. The majority of my riding was on an old early 80's Honda Ascot.. I believe it was a 500cc engine.

Any suggestions? I need a bike that I won't look like a fat man on a tricycle while riding, but I especially like street bikes.. however I have a nostalgic flavor for old BMW's as well..

Sorry to thread jack astrahl, but it seems as though you attracted some pretty knowledgable folks here and I'd like to find out what a good bike would be for me as well.

pixelbend

I am right at your height/weight and I would say anything below an 800cc is going to feel like riding a tricycle, plus it won't have the power to get you up steep hills without losing speed. I have pictures of me riding my wife's 535 and they ain't pretty.

I would suggest looking at something like a Honda Shadow or a Suzuki Intruder.

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wisj2

This thread seems to be attracting both potential riders and active riders so I will throw something up for discussion.

I ride the streets (quit dirt riding many years ago when I almost killed a lady rider, but that is another story) and absolutely will not get on the highway without a windshield on the bike. Living in a large city I use the Interstates quite a bit. Once upon a time I was riding on an Interstate in fairly heavy traffic when a truck in an adjacent lane ran over a 3 foot long piece of 2x4. The board just bounced off my windshield but I'm convinced that I would have suffered a broken arm if not for the windshield.

Before deciding on what motorcycle to buy one needs to analyze just what type of riding one will be doing. Personally I am a touring type rider. It is not unusual for me to run 500 miles per day for several days as a time. I know people who ride 1000 miles a day for over a week on end. Most of those people ride either Honda Goldwings or one of several BMW models. One needs to consider if they need or want the onboard storage offered by this type of bike, or would they be satisfied with seat packs and tank packs.

A 600cc Sportbike will run circles around my 1200cc Goldwing but it has barely room for a tool kit much less any serious traveling gear. But the Goldwing will haul a surprising amount of stuff home from the grocery store. All bikes are a trade off in some way, I just choose to ride a touring machine.

Me and my 85 Goldwing

astrahl

Threadjack granted. I'm not territorial.

I'd rather have this be a discussion about the right bike for the right person anyways.

__________________
Maybe it was over when she chucked me out the Rover at full speed.
Maybe Maybe...
~a-Ha

pixelbend

I hate to agree with you about the windshields, but i will. i hate the way they look, but they will protect you from flying objects, plus they cut down on the wind noise.

Oh, and I am no fan of helmet laws. If you want to ride around and split your melon open, it's your business, but I will strongly suggest a full face helmet. They can save your life...if you're into that sort of thing.

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billege

Do not buy at little baby bike. If you're smart enough to respect that they're faster than heck, you'll live. Buy the biggest damn thing you fit on. They "shrink" real fast. I've had my '86 XJ-700 for 5 years now, and I'm still wishing I'd bought a bigger one. I found out real fast I like to ride long distances, and need a bigger cruiser for that.

Make sure you fit comfortably, and buy what you think will fit your riding style/needs.
But don't buy some 250 POS because you're afraid of a bigger bike. One season will go by and you'll be irritated you bought a toy, and not a bike.
A 1000cc sportbike is a fricken monster. If you buy one of those bad boys, for god's sake don't open the throttle all the way your first day. My god, Ferrari performance or better is what they deliver. People don't realize that when they get on them, and they end up dead, quick.
Buy what you think you'll like, and buy as big as you can.

I bought a windshield, and used it for the first year. Then I stopped needing i because I'd gained enough skill to comfortably deal with the wind on the freeways.

For sure take what riding courses you can. Nothing is smarter than a rider whose learned from the professionals.

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PDOUBLEOP

Older 700/750 Suzuki Intruders are excellent beginner bikes. Plenty of power to get ya going but nothing crazy to get outta hand. Plus they have a very low center of gravity so they're easier to hold up. I had an '86 700 that was a real sweet ride.

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ef you-you effing ef

flstf

My wife is 5'-7" and never rode a MC before except on the back of my Harley Fatboy. She took the MSF course and they furnished the little bikes to learn on. Then we bought her a Buell Blast which is a perfect bike to learn on. She rode it for a year and then bought a Harley big twin Deuce.

Cycler

I have friends who are in the same boat, both women they are looking at taking the beginners MSF course. They are looking at a minimum of 500cc and have looked at the Buell Blast and used Suzuki 500GSs. The MSF courses teach you the basics of how to ride and usually provide the motrcycles and I have never heard of the drop it you fail thing. I am going to take both courses this summer I taught myself how to ride on my first motorcycle a ZRX 1100 not the best choice but I manged to make it work. More of a sport tourer instead of an outright sport bike. I got out of riding for awhile (sold the ZRX, finances) but was able to get back in last July and purchase a R1 (the afore mentioned monster of a bike). But hey if you respect their power they can be docile or a Mr. Hyde type of affair. If I had to do it over again I would take the MSF course in the beginning (it can also lower your insurance). Start out a little smaller in the motor size and work my way up. Hey my 2 cents. Enjoy it.

Hey wisj2 good to see a fellow Okie, keep both wheels on the road.

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wisj2

Hey Cycler!

I'm in Oklahoma City as of now, but headed off on another biking journey on Saturday morning, headed for Truth or Consequenses, NM for a few days.

I don't know where you are located, or if you would be interested in meeting a 56 year old geezer biker dude, but if the idea appeals to you and you are not too far, drop me a PM here and lets hook up. I can ride a lot of miles on my Wing without getting a sore butt. LOL

I should be home by Monday April 18th.

RallyEX

Thanks for the friendly advice all... I saw a few suggestions for cruiser / touring bikes.. (BMW sounds really nice, if the price weren't so high...)

What is a good large street bike (for a large guy such as myself, read previous post)?

I was thinking along the lines of a Honda 996 Superhawk, an Interceptor, etc.

Any other suggestions or low cost alternatives?

htra0497

Women and bikes are always sexy.

Dont buy new as you'll probably stack it anyway. Buy used with something in the order of 250cc as they're the best learner bikes. Also sign up to a motorbike rider's training course as it will save your life.

astrahl

l have to admit that I don't know what you mean when you say "probably stack it anyway." Be gentle.

__________________
Maybe it was over when she chucked me out the Rover at full speed.
Maybe Maybe...
~a-Ha

cinnles

I reckon the sv650 is a perfect learner sportsbike. Not heaps of power (but enough to have a bit of fun) and a relatively flexible frame to tell you what's going on.

Overall I reckon the best bikes to learn on are dirtbikes though (on dirt of course). When you've got less traction learning to deal with a bike wanting to walk out from under you is a necessity. They're also better to learn to do wheelies on I reckon because of the engine configuration and the weight of the things (also handy when you're picking it up off the ground...)

And to all the people who are saying "don't buy a thou", the throttle twists both ways. I'd rather ride a thou around on the road because you don't have to flog it to get around fairly quickly. I'd rather a 600 for trackdays though.

and astrahl, most learners crash (me included in that one). It's part of learning, most of the time it's slow maneuvering and whatnot, or "parking lot crashes". Another reason to learn on the dirt. Dirt doesn't hurt as much to land on as tarmac (I know this from experience!)

lecas

astrahl: First step take the MSF course (as has been mentioned before) it's a great way to learn the basics of riding. I'll be taking the experienced rider's course this summer even though I've been riding for close to 30 years.


for the rest of my 2 cents:
for a learner bike get something in the 250-650 range, buy it used from a dealer if possible, plan on selling it in a year or two to move up.

RallyX
I'm about your size (6'4" 250lbs) and
I rode a yamaha 650 from the mid '70s to the mid '80s, then in 2002 bought a gs650 suzuki to re-learn to ride, bought a Kaw Vulcan 1500 classic in mid '04 and am as happy as a pig in a trough.

by the way one of the reasons I got the vulcan is my sister-in-law got a Nomad, and her husband now has a 1600 classic. couldn't be seen on a 23 year old 650 riding with them

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htra0497

Australian slang for crash.

"He stacked his bike on the weekend."
"I stacked it on the stairs and spilt my coffee"