About to by my first motorcycle, and new to the thread.
Title says it all. I'm about to buy a sport bike and I live in the foothills of North Carolina (perfect place to ride). I wanted to know which bike I should choose, a 95 FZR 600 (With 30k miles but is in great condition), or a 93 GS500E(15k miles, but in mint condition). I know, they're not Kawasakis.
I would consider getting the lower powered of the two, or a used 250cc Kawasaki Ninja- more reliable, easier to get parts for, lighter, and good power to learn with. A bike more than 10 years old with low miles might have mechanical problems from years of sitting, and it will likely be difficult to buy parts for it.
A 60cc to 400cc scooter is a very safe first street bike- no clutch or shift lever so you can focus more on steering and braking, then move up later to a manual shifter. The weak handling and braking and power are good learning tools and will prevent speeding tickets.
I rode and crashed an automatic transmission 3.5 horsepower minibike when I was 8 years old. Then I went to a 30mph top speed, to 60 mph, to 105 mph, down to 95 mph, then 155 mph.
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"He had never counted on anything except surprise and unpredictability and danger" from Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble novel (2007)---------------
"There's always the chance I'll screw up. That's what keeps it from getting boring."
from Dean Koontz's The Eyes of Darkness novel (1981)
I've been around motorcycles and ATVs with clutches. Fast ATVs and fast motorcycles such as kx250s and raptor 660s, so I'm no newbie to high power and controlling two wheeled motorcycles. My sister had a Ninja 250, an '09 model, which she sold but I found it super easy to ride. I'll probably go with the 500 because of it's lower miles.
Dirt bike and 4 wheeler experience is nice, but it's really not very relevant to riding a motorcycle on the street. There's a lot more to be conscious of on the road. Take MSF, get some good gear and get a good (tame)bike to learn on. Start your motorcycling "career" off the right way and you'll become a better rider much quicker because of it. Good luck with everything, let us know how it goes.
Thanks BP! Getting the GS Monday hopefully and I'll create a thread.
That's a smart and a good choice. I borrowed my friends gs500e to learn on, it was the perfect starter bike. I rode that thing everywhere, and took it on the freeway (70 mph) at least once. Although it will easily go that fast, it's pretty gnarly the first time since no fairings or wind screen.
Let us know how you like it. I'm sure you will be riding it all the time if weather permits.
Ended up getting the FZR600 Genesis. I think it's a good choice. I love the rush and have no problems whipping it around! I'm in a rural part of NC, so this bike is perfect for curves. The power to handling ratio is amazing.
About to by my first motorcycle, and new to the thread.
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