Maureen asked an excellent question in my call for topics:
I'd like to have your opinion on good motorcycles for beginning bikers. I've been in *WANT* mode for a long time now, and still don't have the permit or plans to take the class, but I drool over every bike I see and would like to know both from you and your readers what your opinion is of a good "first" bike to think about. Maybe having a narrow list to choose from would be good motivation.
This is an excellent question, and one that is fraught with peril. What might be the perfect beginner bike for one person might be absolute screaming death on a stick for another person. I'm going to offer a few general guidelines and suggestions, but the real bottom line is to ride whatever you're comfortable riding. I've known folks that have started out on 500cc Kawasakis and 1500cc Hondas; guys who have never ridden a day in their lives getting a $35,000 Harley or a $50,000 show bike; and, most often resulting in the tragic or the hilarious, a teenaged boy getting a 1,000cc sportbike.
In general, there's three main types of bikes for the beginner: Sportbikes, cruisers, and standard motorcycles. Touring bikes are simply too large and unwieldy for someone just learning to ride; superbikes are too much temptation; and dual purpose bikes aren't set up for the novice rider in mind. All three categories have reliable, affordable offerings that are forgiving for new riders and can be found in a multitude of configurations. I'll discuss samples from each category shortly.
A few caveats to start, though. First off, take the
Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic Rider Course. They're great instructors and offer classroom and saddle time instruction. Secondly, whatever style of motorcycle the new rider chooses, look for something relatively recent - in the entry-level market, even new bikes aren't terribly expensive and, as beginner bikes, can be very reasonable even 2-5 years old. The beginner is looking to gain experience riding a motorcycle, not spending hours turning a wrench on the weekend or waiting for their bike to be fixed. And lastly, most manufacturers hold "open house" events at their dealership where they offer demo rides - this is an invaluable way to try out a number of vehicles without plunking down the cash.
Sport bikes. A smaller (under 600cc) sport bike like the
Kawasaki Ninja 500 offers nimble handling without being more than the novice rider can handle. Even 600cc bikes can quickly get away from new riders, and the racey styling and go-fast power and handling increase the likelihood of a new rider trying to out-ride their abilities. Sportbikes are generally pretty light, so they make slow-speed maneuvering such as backing out of a spot easier; the downside is that with the tight rake (how the fork is angled to the ground), turns need to be more precise than a low-slung cruise with a more open rake.
Cruisers. Because of differences in gearing and torque, cruisers like the
Yamaha V-Star Classic with larger engines (up to 800CC) are often good choices for new riders. The cruiser often sits lower, allowing the new rider a more stable platform to learn to ride; they're balanced for more even cruising; and they are generally geared on the taller side for easier starts and lower cruising RPMs. Downside to getting a cruiser as your beginner bike is that they're generally more expensive than either other option; however of the three you're least likely to outgrow a 750cc cruiser too quickly.
Standard bike. The "standard" motorcycle, like the
Honda Nighthawk 250, is the least expensive of the three options, often only costing as much as a scooter in the grand scheme of things. When I took the MSF Basic Rider Course, they had Nighthawk 250s (and Suzuki GN125s!) for the new riders, and the 'Hawk was eminently controllable. Standard motorcycles are currently out of favor, as companies churn out cruisers to match Harley Davidson or sport bikes to catch Ducati, but there's plenty of used 250 Nighthawks kicking around to pick up. These will be the least expensive bikes you'll find, but they will also be the ones you outgrow fastest.
One last thing re: "outgrowing" a beginner bike. This is one of the danger zones for the not-quite-so-new rider, when they start to get comfortable with riding and start to push the envelope on their beginner bike. I actually went backwards, starting off with a Yamaha 850 as my first bike and upgrading to a new(er) Honda Magna 750; the Yamaha was in rough shape when I bought it (hence why I recommend looking for something newer than 15 years old!) and I spent more time repairing than riding; the Honda I bought in excellent shape and rode from Day One.
After about four or five years, though, the 750cc engine wasn't really cutting it for me, and I noticed myself starting to "push" things - winding the motor up in each gear, leaning the bike over more and more in each turn, gunning the throttle too much from take-off. I was starting to outgrow my bike, having five years of riding experience under my belt most of which on the same bike. The Honda sat in the back of my garage for a few years, and then in 2003 I fell in love with the black beauty FLHT that I'm still happily riding.
When you feel yourself starting to get comfortable on a motorcycle it's a good thing; complacency, however, can kill.That is all.
PS: Let me know what you end up getting - ideally with pics!
