Buying a sport bike for the time being...
 

Does anyone have any recomendations on a sport bike for a newb... Something that isn't so powerful, I will go crazy... But something I can still have a good time...?

And where in town is a good place to look? I am gonna go check out Pat Clark's Motorsports today... Any others that are worth while?

I recommend a Katana 600 (aka "Canatuna") or Ninja 500. About everyone I know started out on one of these.....I personally started out on the Canatuna. It was fun and a good learning experience and not really fast enough to get you in too much trouble.

In a year or so, you can guaduate to an R6......and then a lil later an R1!:038:

I started out on a Ninja ZX-600R years ago. The R1 is my preferred bike though for a street sportbike

Me too! I have an '04.

I started on my SV1000S and I love it. If you're into the naked or half naked bike look (like I am :paranoid: ) the SV650 or SV650S are awesome starter bikes. Plus with a little suspension work it's not likely that you'll outgrow them in a year. Plus the insurance is less tha half of what it would have been on a gixxer or something similar.

If you have to have a full fairing the Ninjas are pretty decent. There are full fairing kits for the SVs as well though. I just kinda dig the V-twin rumble.

http://www.suzukicycles.com/images/P...ray_696C73.jpg

That bike looks sick... Is that what you mean by half-naked? Sorry I am new to this... But yeah I like that look alot... I want a bike that I can pay off within a year, that looks good (black or gunmetal) and that doesn't try to kill me... lol...

Well any bike can kill you. You just have to keep in mind that the bike isn't going to do anything that you don't tell it to. As long as you ride within your limits and respect the fact that any a$$hole in a car talking on his celly not paying attention can kill you you'll probably be all right.

Yeah, that's a half naked bike because it doesn't have the full fairing covering the body like a ninja would. Here's a Katana for example.

http://www.suzukicycles.com/images/P...ack_000000.jpg

This would be a naked bike. No fairing at all. But fundamentally the same as the S model.

http://www.suzukicycles.com/images/P...00/SV650K7.jpg

yeah fairings are alll the plastics that make the bike look pretty, naked means, not fairings sept fenders and a tank and maybe a scoop for the radiator. any 600CC bike will be a good starting platform for me ive ridden and raced around on all sorts of dirt bikes quads and basically, was raised on bikes and wouldnt be caught dead on the SUB 600CC ninjas or a canatuna, hang out with bikers more and youll see how they are looked down on, however if youve never really ridden motorcycles before get a ninja 250 youll learn your balance and proper driving skills and they cant get crazy on you if you tried, sept maybe smashing the brakes. as for me, im not getting a bike no more not this year, but when i do, aka have any sort of full time job R6 all the way.



Oh yeah, and you know my friend (mike) iv;e talked about that has the R1 and 05 i think, yeah his sister rides that shit every day, and she is pretty damn decent looking, thats hawt!

My friend Emily, some of you probably know her from the Wednesday night meets, is probably going to be getting a SV650S. Chicks on bikes are definitely teh hawtness. :055:

But Crabbey, if you already have your license and want to take mine for a spin to check it out just let me know.

license? psh those are for scaredy cats, so is insurance, you dont need any of that junk on a bike. lol.

Just tell me that don't you ride in shorts, a t-shirt and sneakers.

shorts. T shirt.... well, no somtimes, depends on whats up, quickie rides in town yeah, anything else no. and about teh license i do believe in that, lol the insurance though, im skeptical about it, insurance is good, but full coverage is damn expensive for good reason, but the liabilty is CRAP, its still expensive and you cant do nearly as much damage to other objects with a bike as you could with a car. thats my only opposition

Chris go big or go home bro...Yamaha YFZ-R1, lol. Perfect bike to learn on, lol.

i'd say learn on a 250cc, then move into the 600ccs and so forth

So I went out to Pat Clark's today and was looking at Ducati's and Triumph's... I gotta tell you I like their look alot better than the Japanese bikes...

For instance, this Triuph Speed Triple is sick as hell...

I also looked at the Ducati 695 in Matte black which is also very nice and in stock... I am kinda leaning toward that...

Will that be enough power to keep me happy? I am a 6'4" 195 lbs. guy... and I want to be able to ride some hunnies on the back when I get more comfortable... Any neigh-sayers?

ducati's are nice, a bit much/expensive for your first bike though.... triumph's taint bad of a choice though, and triumph makes bikes that look exactly like the japanese though. when it comes to sport bikes, gotta hand it to the japanese.

Ducati's are hot but they are pricey when it comes to maintenance. But if we're talking about all out hot sex nekkid bikes this is the one for me.

MV Agusta MV BRUTALE 910R

http://www.mvagustausa.com/web-mvagu...7/B910R_01.jpg
http://www.mvagustausa.com/web-mvagu...7/B910R_03.jpg
http://www.mvagustausa.com/web-mvagu...7/B910R_02.jpg

Regarding Duc's. DO NOT get a Duc as your first bike. First, Ducati's and Harley's are the two most expensive bikes to insure. Second, since this is your first bike... WHEN you drop it, replacement parts are going to be very expensive. Third, the 695 barely makes enough power for one person (about 65rwhp), nevermind two.

As for the Triumph's, They don't make any beginner bikes. Except for the 675, all of their bikes are liter-class bikes. Even the 675 is too much for a beginner. I speak from experience. Here's my last bike:

http://www.injecttech.com/i8acobra/s3-7.jpg

Anything more than 1/2 throttle in first gear had the tire pointing skyward due to the short wheelbase. Definitely not a beginner bike.

Honestly, I tell all new riders the same thing... your first bike should be a 650 dual-sport (XR650L, KLR650, DR650). Why? They get good gas mileage, won't spit you off if you hit a bump or pothole, are very cheap to fix when you crash, are great for learning the fine art of bike control (in the dirt), and when you drop it at the gas station/stop light/in your driveway the worst you'll do is break a mirror ($20) or bend a lever ($10). My first bike was a Honda NX250 dual-sport.

EDIT: spelling

^^^ Knows his bikes.

I see what everyone is saying but that Ducati 695 is only $7500... That is comparable to most of the other bikes I have been looking up... And they say that the 07's only need serviced every 6000 miles now... so have of the servicing... Hmmm....

Also, I understand where you are coming from and get the point. But the whole reason to get a bike is for fun and looks (for me at least)... So if I am gonna get a bike that I am not even excited to get on and ride, then what is the point...?

BUt then again, what do I know... lol...

ooooo augusta second time ive ever seen one lol. dual sports are awesome fun


edit: i8 that bike has a pretty short lookin wheel base. lol.

buy small and live to ride a bigger bike another day, and for the passanger thing , even a 500cc bike is fine . I actually liked riding my x wife on the back of her SV650 over my R1.

^^^ Knows his bikes too.

But the insurance is going to have the effect of making is seem like a much more expensive bike. Call your agent and get a quote on the Duc 695. Then get a quote on a Suzuki SV650 (also a twin but with 15 more HP).

Not saying to keep the thing forever. Just get a used one, ride it long enough to learn and then sell it for what you paid for it. Remember, that Duc isn't going to look very good with busted parts on one side.

basically, were all saying buy a 600 its got teh power the looks and you can still learn on them, jsut dont get anything along the lines of ducati, aprilia triumph, basically, anything from Europe, cause just like most cars from Europe, they are a bitch to fix, get parts for, and insure!

Bolded for emphasis. The SV is a great all-around bike, and it works well for beginners. You get the same, easy-to-ride v-twin performance of the entry-level Ducs with about 25% of the maintenance costs*. There is a cult following and there are aftermarket parts galore for these bikes. I regret to this day selling my 99 SV.




* a rough estimate

I don't recommend a 600cc sportbike (Katanas don't count...) for a beginner. Modern 600s have upwards of 110 hp and will do mid to high 10 quarter miles. Plus they have top heavy power bands with most of their power over 9000 rpm's which is probably not ideal for a beginner. I knew two guys that bought R6s for their first bike last Spring.....and neither made it through the Summer. I would get a small V-twin or as I said earlier the Katana or EX500. Start slow!! You have plenty of time to move up to the fast bikes...

get a busa or a ZX14 you'll be fine. i promise! lol, but what is your background on bikes whats your experience level? ever ride a dirtbike? crotch rocket? harley? anything really?

^^^ knows his bikes too.

Between the three of us , two are former racers and one is a trackday rider/president of the first vegas Sportbike Club ( www.scsportbikes.com ). All three of us have been around for years , and have seen the mistakes of new riders. For every rider that says he was fine starting off on a bigger bike , there are 9 that are never heard fron again. Some of the 9 are dead , others sold and never look at a bike again others ??? who knows.

Baby Duc vs SV , the SV also holds its value a lot better , the baby Duc will be hell to get ride of and you will have to give it away.

like i said... 250cc is a great beginner bike. can be had for less than $5K, easily... not enough power to kick you off it or catch you off-guard. not enough power to have you carry passengers (you shouldn't ride with passengers until you got at LEAST a year's worth of experience).

Plus, dropping a new bike vs. dropping a used/beat bike is totally different. it's like buying a $5K car you crash into trash cans, back into poles, etc and care less about vs. the $30K car you buy that you clean everyday.

once you got the skill down, THEN get the bike that scares you a little (aka, 600cc+).

I had my 600 Ninja and I never dropped it. I came close once, but was able to maintain control. I think 600's are a great beginner's bike. I'd personally get a 750 to 1000cc bike now though. But then again, I don't think I'd trust others enough to even ride in Las Vegas.

Have you ridden a new 600 , they are under 400 pounds and have 110HP. The are much faster than the 1000cc bikes of 6 years ago. I would only recomend a 600 supersport bike to someone who has ridden the dirt there whole life.

Man you guys are making me nervous now... :paranoid: Do most people drop their bikes at some point early on?

Usually right away, most new riders do a lot of parking lot drops, and only a few take themselves out big in traffic. About 3 months into the learning curve the parking lot drops go away and thats when its gets really dangerious. This stage the new riders have more balls , they feel better ont he bike , some get complacent , some ride over there heads etc etc and have to potential of going down hard. This stage last usually till about the 1 year mark , from there its still about learning to master riding. The last stage of riders have the get offs once and a while and depending on there training are usually pretty safe to be ont he road.

No, I had an 88 Ninja back in the day (over ten years ago). The R1 must be be rediciously fast than! Of course it probably weighs more though too which will helps keep the bike down a little more.

The R1's weight about 75 to 100 pounds less than your 88 Ninja and have well over double the Hp of it . The new 600 weight only 5 to 10 pounds less than the liter bikes and will have 25 to 35 more Hp than your old 600.

A new 600 will run high 10's in the quarter , while a new liter bike will run high 9's to low 10's.

Thats insane!! I sold my bike while I was in basic (or my parents did rather).

Yes....

some drop their bikes after a year of riding... boot got stuck on the peg. :)

fyi, my 600RR is 370lbs dry (i thought it was closer to 350lbs)... the 2007 CBR600RR is 340lbs.

I almost did that a couple weeks ago coming home from sonic. I usually tuck my laces in when i ride.

biggest diff in old bikes to new ones is frame material, aluminum is the new weapon of choice. i had a 92 ZX600 for a while, thing wouldnt lift teh front if you hamered it in first gear. still moved decently quik though and was lots of fun.

So I have been checking craigslist like crazy... I found a 1993 Honda NightHawk 250 (same bike I rode at MSF) for only $800... and insurance is only $227 for the year... Not bad... lol...

On the other hand the Ducati's insurance came out to be $3377 for the year... That is more than I pay for my car... Crazy! Why does a bike that cost's 1/4 the price of the car cost the same in insurance?

Because A- Your bodily injury from a bike accident will be much more costly than a comparable car accident and B- Bike theft in Vegas is just out of control right now.

So they dont lose as much money. When your bike has a great chance of getting ripped off, or crashed within 6 months , they will make you pay. Another great reason to start small.

So how much is an SV650 to insure for a year. Chances are, it will be under $1k.

Like I said... Harley's and Ducati's get hit with a "bonus" because of the high parts costs. Almost any other similar bike will be 1/2 the price. I almost bought a 916 back in the day, but the insurance would've been 3 times what I was paying for my ZX-7.

I'm around $1200 on the SV1000 but that's with upped medical coverage.

My Aprilia Mille R was only $3 more than the GSXR750 that got replaced. They believe exotic bike owners will be more responsible with them( suckers ). Now combine a new rider with an exotic bike , they will bend him right over.

It's not on any exotic bike. The agent told me it's specifically on Harley's and Ducati's. I asked about Aprillia's and Bimotas and there was no surcharge on them.

The Harley Sportster i'm looking at right now , $275 a year full coverage , and the big twins will cost me around $300.

oddly enough, my cbr600rr was only $720/yr :shrugs: