Sport bikes

[michowski]

Well after some research and estimating payments and such I have pretty much decided on buying a sportbike. Im pretty much set on getting the suzuki gs500f. I thought about getting bigger but this would be my first bike I owned and I dont want a power house. I just wanna get used to riding everyday. I do have a license that I passed with flying colors on my dads little crappy honda 600 cruiser. I also road that a few times a week for a while in the summer. Any opinions on the 500 zuke bike? Ive also been down to them and sat on the display 500 they had out and I loved the feel of it and all. Im about 140 pounds and around 5'7 I would guess.

[almostclueless]

Dunno anything about that model, but I think you're quite smart buying something smaller than a hayabusa for a first bike.

[99RangerKrazy]

I am also thinking of getting a biek to cruise around town. I'm looking at an 08 Kawasaki Ninja 250. I've never ridden a motorcycle before, so a smaller bike would be perfect, and from what I've been reading the Ninja 250 is the perfect bike for new riders. I'm still weighing the pros and cons. The more I think about it, the more I think I'm going to get one. I'm going to go look at one tonight. My main thing is..I'm in high school, graduating this year. I'm trying to sell my Ranger because of college next year. But then..we get snow during winter, and it gets pretty cold, so riding a bike is out of the question. So I'd need a ride for then, preferably a truck, but not necessary. I want to keep the Range and get a bike but I don't think it'd be possible right now. I don't know what to do right now.

[michowski]

Well I got some people telling me that sport bikes are horrible unless you are just doing small trips around town. Any sort of long distance highway driving im being told by some that its the most uncomfortable ride. I sat on the bike and loved everything about it. Arm length was great, legs and feet were comfortable and wether I was layin on it or sitting up it felt great. I know I wasnt riding it and the vibrations and bumps and everything werent there but I dont wanna spend 5 grand on it then take a small trip and never wanna ride it again. Its probly 75% of the time for around town, small 20 minute trips or so. Some 1-2 hours trips im sure will be mixed in on highway. Anybody go through this that can give me some advice.

[99RangerKrazy]

Yeah I've been torn with it. I've been reading tons of reviews on the Ninja 250 (which from what I have read, you should look into them). $3,000 brand new. I hear the same thing about long highway trips with them, but I will use it for town driving. I drive about....90-95% city driving, with that remaining 5% being driving on the highway for about 10 minutes. It's also great on fuel (estimated 60-70 mpg) and has plenty of power in the upper RPMS (8,000-9,000 RPMs) It has a 13,000 redline, if I'm remembering right.

[chico4554]

i looked into certain bikes for fuel mileage purposes. I found that if you dont want the sport style, the honda rebel is another option. It has the seating style of a harley, and also has a 250 engine. Its supposed to get around 70 mpg. I also looked at the bmw 600gs which has much more power, but is alot more expensive. The bmw got around 50-60 mpg. It seemed better for longer rides. I also looked into the zuki crossover sports. The one that looks like a dirtbike. It said they are pretty much indestructable so its good for first riders who may dump it. Those also got around 70 mpg.

I would love to get a bike, but i am just worried about another car hitting me or pulling out in front of me because they didnt notice me coming. If there were more bikes on the road, and people were more "bike minded" then i would get one in a second.

[broken2wd]

If you are looking for a good all around bike that is beginner friendly, sporty, and won't get old quickly, you should look at the suzuki sv-650.

[svtranger04]

STAY AWAY FROM THE Kawasaki Ninjas. especially the lower cc ones. ive known too many people that have laid them down, me included.

i have a '05 Suzuki DR650se, its a street legal dirt bike. it gets around 54mpg, it can hold its own on the high way also, ive had mine up to 100mph+.

your headed in the right direction with the lower cc bikes. too many people i know start off with a 1000+cc bike and wind up destroying the bikes, if not them selves.

[Sunk]

If its your first bike, Id say buy a used one for cheap. That way when you lay it down, you won't hate yourself for damaging you new shiny toy.

I looked around for a while then found my Nighthawk on Craigslist listed for $400. I picked it up for $300, cleaned the carbs, changed the plugs along with oil and filter, put new shoes in the rear and a new rear tire, and its great. I could turn around and probably sell it for around $1000, or if I lay it down, no big deal.

Also i have heard that if you are in the 6' range, steer way clear of Ninjas, especially the smaller ones. The are way tiny.

[HIPCHIP]

The Zuke 500 and the Kawi 250 are both designed as beginner bikes. The power is really mellow and won't get away from you. If you start yearning for more power, the 250 will be limited, and the 500 has some stuff you can do to it, but not much.

I recommend taking a motorcycle safety riding course if you're not used to riding, and ride the snot out of the 250 or 500 until you are completely confident, then upgrade to something else. You can usually find used ones as folks get tired of not having the power, but for a new rider, not having power is a VERY GOOD THING! The 600 and bigger bikes can get away from an inexperienced rider very quickly.

The 250 and 500 aren't high revving either, so get good gas mileage and don't require a ton of maintenance, so are absolutely a great beginner bike. Insurance is cheaper too. You'll have fun, but will want something bigger in 6 months to a year if you're like most folks.

[lil red]

the best thing i can say is, if youre going to be tempted to play around,get a cruser
i have a friend that lost his liscinse,got rid of his gsxr 750 and as soon as he got his lisince back,took out his friends new gsxr (same bike ,diffrent color, doing the same stuff he did on his bike and did this
heres half
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll44/lilred85ranger/m_e743773b5a4d50d35e0a0b4c8886cd89.jpg
heres the rest
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll44/lilred85ranger/m_3cbef2e5354668512429629eb870fb8d.jpg

like i said,be careful and dont tempt youreself(also,dont run from flashing lights)

[dgarner08]

well i have a 2001 gsxr 600 and love it. great power very quick but not to big to handle (I'm about 5'8 140 lbs) and also gets 60 mpg. i bought it about four months ago and it is not bad to ride for several hours on. i am planning on riding it to college which will be about a 45 minute to an hour drive every day. I'm also only 18 but i don't try to ride wheelies or do stunts because i don't want to see my bike busted or myself hurt. i paid for my bike and i am proud of it, so I'm going to take care of it. this is my first bike but i have taken the MSF course and my parents ride. my mom has a 2007 Dana low rider and my dad has a 2003 fat boy
i got my motorcycle license the day i turned 16 and a half. sport bikes have a bad rep but a beginner can start out on one. its just like anything else
YOU MUST RESPECT IT AND KNOW WHAT IT CAN DO.
i started out just riding around a parking lot then started riding with my parents on short trips (parents would not let me ride it by my self for a couple weeks my dad did not know if i could control myself) I've never looked back:icon_hornsup::D:D:D

[spdcrazy]

i have rode motorcycles for a few years now. only bought 600cc bikes. had a cbr and then a ninja. no idea why someone said to stay away from them. they are great as far as i'm concerned.


as for a ninja 250cc. if you live in oklahoma great. if you have any kind of hills i would say a 500... but if you have any motorcycle experience and arent completely incompetent, you can prob start with a 600cc without problems. if you dont you will prob want to sell ur lil bike for a 600cc fairly soon. just keep ur head on straight and don't be stupid on it and it will be a great gas saver and alot of fun.

[JFA_Spyderman]

Yo,
Personally, I'm a Harley guy. My Sportster is 800+ccs and still gets 60MPG. Do keep in mind however that Harleys are generally heavier bikes, mine weighs ~600lbs. But it is a very stable bike as well.

[hihoslvr]

the best thing i can say is, if youre going to be tempted to play around,get a cruser
i have a friend that lost his liscinse,got rid of his gsxr 750 and as soon as he got his lisince back,took out his friends new gsxr (same bike ,diffrent color, doing the same stuff he did on his bike and did this
heres half
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll44/lilred85ranger/m_e743773b5a4d50d35e0a0b4c8886cd89.jpg
heres the rest
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll44/lilred85ranger/m_3cbef2e5354668512429629eb870fb8d.jpg

like i said,be careful and dont tempt youreself(also,dont run from flashing lights)

AND YA CAN'T FIX STUPID.

[Crashtest84]

Well im going to 2nd on the SV650 its a great do it all bike even for a beginner I have been on bikes since I was 5 and have been on the street since I was 14 started with a dt125 then got a nx 125 till I was 16 then then got a 600cbr but the gs500 is a better bike in my mind then the kaww250 or 500

[Bray D]

don't go too small or you'll be bored with it real quick. the first bike I ever had was a '01 929rr. took the test on it and still own it to this day. at first I wanted to get a 600 but I'm glad I stepped up and got the 929. don't let people scare you out of a bigger bike. all bikes can go slower, but not all can go faster. they have throttles, use em.

[Redneckryder]

starting on a race ready bike is not a good idea for every one. 600 till you get used to riding.

dgarner08, it is dyna low rider, not dana....

[camma83]

Well i would tell you to get a suzuki Drz 400sm, its a great bike to ride around town and up in the mountain roads and some highway travel on. I have the drz400s which is the more dirt oriented, The sm you can wheelie off curbs and over speed bumps, run stuff over without much worry. gets around 50mpg and it has a lot of mods you can do to it...

[stock95ranger]

I have been riding on the stree for about 6 years now and have had 3 bikes. I started out riding in dirt on a KTM 125SX which was incredibly fast. Then once i was old enough I found a used CM400 Honda in good shape for 500 bucks i think. I rode it for about a year and then wanted something bigger and better. I found a 81 Honda CB750 that I rode until this march. The 750 was a great bike, moved good, comfortable to rid eanywhere and even handled pretty decent and i think it weighed around 550 with all the fluids in it. Now I have an 06 Buell Ulysses and I love it. It is not as fast as a crotch rocket but faster than just about anything else. It has power everywhere. If I were going to start riding I would start out on an older used bike like someone else suggested that way if you do lay it down its no big deal. If you want a new bike I have heard a lot of good things about the buell blast. Its a 500 cc, very user friendly and best of all its made in america. Hope this helps.

[86ford]

my brothers first bike was a katana 1100, it was an 89 so it wasent nearly as powerfull as the newer bikes and road like a pile of shit. 600lbs and a high center of gravity dont mix! i road that bike maybe 100 miles or so and hated every minute of it. he now has a yamaha r6 with just about any "bolt on or plug in" mod it can have along with larger rear sprocket. that bike will stand up in 5th with a little help but still rides VERY nicely but as stated before, NEITHER of the bikes my brother has owned are good learners bikes, the katana was way to powerful once you got going and the R6 is just nutts. if my brother wasent as incredably skilled a driver as he is he would of never been able to handle either of those bikes.

86

[michowski]

K well ive been doing a lot of digging around and I think my mind is now set to get the gsx 650f. Watched some video's of the bike and so far people have only said, its a great all around town bike or even just cruising down the highway. Its not to powerful that it will compete with an r6 or anything so the power should be fine for me. To be honest my dads vlx 600 bike is weak. I had that thing doing 80 down the street and was like ok this is really boring lol.

Im not going to be doing wheelies or any tricks or stunts either. I just want something thats gonna have power for later down the road for when im ready but I dont want anything now thats gonna leave me wanting more power down the road. Im liking everything I am seeing about the gsx 650f. Great for twisty roads in towns. Comfortable for hours at a time. But it also capable to take to a track and let loose once in a while. If anything its got enough to make ya smile. Sounds like exactly what im looking for. Anyone here ever ride one? Any thoughts?

[kevinsranger]

here is me on my 2000 gix 750, its real confortable on the back wheel, but i aint onto cruising long distances or anything

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/kkohlepp/leg.jpg

[michowski]

Ok well im gonna get the gsx 650f. 6,999. Been doing a lot of reading up on em and seems like this is what im looking for. Great for long trips, short trips, good power band. As soon as I can get a co-signer il be riding one.

[HIPCHIP]

They look like nice bikes. As long as you respect the throttle you should have no problems. I think this is the updated version of the old Katana. They had lot's of power, so just be careful until you get used to it.
Dan'o :}

[michowski]

Ya I remember reading that they were an updated katana. Same basic platforms with lots of minor revisions made more towards what the customers wanted. Cant wait to get mine. Gonna be nice to get like 60mpg and like 350 miles to a tank.

[dgarner08]

my bad candyman that's what i was trying to say:pray:

[michowski]

Does anybody know how I can get a loan without using a co-signer? I know il have high interest because im only 20 and this is the first loan ive ever taken. I am really hoping to get my loan by myself so I can seperate myself from my parents as far as money or any kind of liability with this. I went to a dealer friday and he ran me and said I had "limited credit" so I couldnt be approved up front on the spot. I did apply with capital one because they were the first place to ever give me a credit card and today I got an email from them about they want to start doing auto loans with me so I did fill that out. Im getting a blank check in the mail from them so what does that mean? Any idea's?

[HIPCHIP]

Does anybody know how I can get a loan without using a co-signer? I know il have high interest because im only 20 and this is the first loan ive ever taken. I am really hoping to get my loan by myself so I can seperate myself from my parents as far as money or any kind of liability with this. I went to a dealer friday and he ran me and said I had "limited credit" so I couldnt be approved up front on the spot. I did apply with capital one because they were the first place to ever give me a credit card and today I got an email from them about they want to start doing auto loans with me so I did fill that out. Im getting a blank check in the mail from them so what does that mean? Any idea's?

You need to have a good job, and hopefully you've been there awhile. Check with the local credit unions, they are usually the easiest to start with. Just make sure you can make all the payments, including insurance, maintenance, etc, or you'll get in over your head and really screw things up. It may not matter now, but in a few years when you're trying to buy a house, or even rent, it can really screw you up.

You may want to look for a nice inexpensive used bike and finance that. Something that won't go down in value that much that you can sell if you needed to, then once you get established credit, etc, then go out and finance a new bike.

[michowski]

Only thing with that is I dont want a used bike because I dont want other peoples problems. And there is nothing I want thats just a few grand. I might as well spend my 6 and get something I want. Ive had a steady job for 4 and a half years, I can do the payments, insurance, maitence no problem. I just really want something new thats mine from the start. At least this way if something happens its most likely gonna be my fault. I figure, its new, its mine after payments, I can make the payments and do everything myself, and its not a 30,000 dollar car im paying off for 10 years either so why not.

[HIPCHIP]

Only thing with that is I dont want a used bike because I dont want other peoples problems. And there is nothing I want thats just a few grand. I might as well spend my 6 and get something I want. Ive had a steady job for 4 and a half years, I can do the payments, insurance, maitence no problem. I just really want something new thats mine from the start. At least this way if something happens its most likely gonna be my fault. I figure, its new, its mine after payments, I can make the payments and do everything myself, and its not a 30,000 dollar car im paying off for 10 years either so why not.

Wasn't sure where you were at, so just making the suggestion, but it sounds like you are well on your way. I'd definitely check into a credit union then. If that does't work, go to E-bay motors and click on some cars. They usually have an on-line finance set-up, and you can apply through that company and see what they say. You'll probably do fine with a credit union though.

You might want to check with another bike shop to see if they have a better set-up. Back when I sold bikes we could pretty much get anybody financed as we had several finance companies to go through. Biggest problem with a young person with no credit is the interest rate will probably be much higher, but you can alway re-finance after a year or so.

Have fun, and keep the rubber side down.

[sycophuk]

oh my god some of the crap first off if you wreck a bike you wrecked not the bike as for the ninja its a far better unit then the suzuki plus they have been making the 250/500 since87 with little changes that means parts as for the sv650 to hell with any v type 4 a new rider and sportsters are fuel pumps for pan heads as for the ride postion on the ninjas is quite up rite not like real sports 600 or bigger now i'll say i hate ninjas 600 or bigger they are my mortal enemy so that should tell you something i have been riding since i was7 i ve been wrenching for 27 yrs so thats my input:pissedoff::bsflag:

[michowski]

You must have been in some bad wrecks to have a reply that long with no punctuations. I stopped reading it half way through because it makes little to no sense.

[jdunlop77]

didnt read all posts, just putting in my 2 cents on initial post, dont go to weak or small, youll master the "beginner bike" in no time and wish you had more power. if you really want suzuki then gsx-r600. even then youll want the 1000 after a riding season.