thinking of getting a bike...

thinking of getting a bike...

ok, so i see some of you here have bikes and have some knowledge of owning/riding/general idea of bikes. help me out here.
im thinking of getting a bike. ive ridden bikes before, but nothing big. and that was 10 yrs ago.
my questions:
1. what kind of bike should i start with? im thinking of getting either a kawasaki ninja zx6, yamaha r6, suzuki katana 600/sv650, or a honda cbr 600. used of course. good idea or not? should i start with something smaller like a 250 (afraid to get bored quickly...)
2. i'm definitely taking a course first. but should i buy the bike first or take the course first?
3. how much is insurance? i know diff states offer diff rates, but give me a ball park figure.
4. last but not least, tell me if this is a good idea or not. pros and cons, etc.
thanks guys. any help with easing my decision is greatly appreciated....
btw, i did see the "Stupid street bikers " thread, but it was more of a testosterone war than an informative thread....

i believe here in jersey for a bike under 750cc insurance is about 700 full coverage and anything over is i think 1200...not sure, i jsut remember one of my friends saying that

Well I'm buying a 98' yamaha yzf-600rj which is a good bike to start with, I'm taking the classes at the beggining of September and getting my license/permit w/e as soon as I turn 18. A bike might be dangerous but with these gas prices is the best transportation. I don't have great experience on bikes either, I have less than a year experience on bikes but planning to ride for a long time.

P.S >>> and like E-andree has mentioned before and goes to the general public, IF YOU EVER HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT RIDING A BIKE THEN A BIKE IS NOT FOR YOU!!!!..... it is the truth, it sucks ass but I've known many ppl that panic while riding and they either lay their bikes and hurt themselves bad or somethin happens since they panic, so please get informed on riding gear and how to properly ride a bike.

thanks guys...
D, i am having second thoughts, but not because i'm scared etc. its more of financial decision thing. do i need a bike. will insurance kill me. do i need to sell a kidney if I get a bike etc
E, do you think its too late to sign up for class this year. Because theres only one place I know thats remotely close to my area that offers MSF class. btw, funny sig you got there...appropriate...

thats what im afraid of....

...I'm sorry I have to pick on you for this one bro..

Ninja = Kawasaki.
YZF-R6 = Yamaha.

...Ninja = ZX-6R.


Couldn't help myself.

Okay, not to start a "i'm right you're wrong" like the last time, but i'll give my experience after 1 month of riding and after taking the MSF.

Start out with at least a 500cc bike, don't even bother with a 250cc unless you're gonna be serious about racing.

As a beginner you can get away with a 600cc IF you're only gonna be going around town and do not plan on going on the track. If you plan on going on the track, get a ninja 250 or a 500.

I've got a GS500, and for just riding around town, it's boring and gets old. For me personally, I wish I had a 600 just for the extra power when riding around town. That's not to say I want a 600 for racing or lapping days. A 500 is perfect to get on the track and build skill, it will make it easy compared to a 600.

For me personally, I wish I had enough money for leathers so I could do a lapping day and build up some skills there. I'm scared to death to get on the gas in the streets, but that's more because anything can put me down, especially if i'm leaned far over or really hard on the throttle. Unlike cars, I just don't feel comfortable riding hard on the streets.

If you do decide on a 600, don't get an "R" bike, YZF600R is probably okay, but I think the older model carburated ones are the kind to get. Not the fuel injected. Some older sportbikes will be fine, but keep in mind, they do weigh quite a bit and may be hard to move around in the garage.

As for the MSF, it will teach the basics for riding slow, but please don't look at it as a "know everything" course. They teach you how to ride slow, and that's about it. Trust me, first time on the street, you'll learn how much you still suck. It will take a year to get everything figured out and not look like a n00b still.

Also, take the MSF course before you buy your bike, that way you can at least test ride the bike. Out of the list, probably the best all around bike would be either a katana 600 or an SV650. I'd avoid all the other bikes you mentioned unless they're older (1997 and older).

Oh, and if you have any specific question about the MSF, just ask, I took it a little over a week ago, so it's still fresh in my mind.

And for insurance, my GS500 was $305/year for liability with progressive. Online I was quoted with $450 for R6. If you insure your bike, just get liability, comprehensive will bump it to like $2000/year, which is damn near how much it would cost to fix the bike. IMO, it's just not worth it if the bike costs $6k or less.

No, I don't totally agree, just my views has changed after riding for a bit.

The real thing I differentiate is riding on the street and racing or lapping days/racing, I still maintain any 600 will suck if you wanna go on a track and actually build skill, but a non-"R" bike would probably be fine on the street, just don't take it to the track. A 500 would still be better for the track.

Although I may be partially biased because my bike's a naked bike and personally I don't like naked bike, but it's a good all around starter bike for the street or track. Personally, i'd much rather have a sportbike, or sport-looking bike. Plus my gear ratios are too low when riding around town, they're only good when you get on it.

Well if you're having second thoughts financially that's not a problem, it's normal but if it's like nerves and scurred wise lol I wouldn't suggest it OR if you eventually are a scared person (anyone in the board) take the classes and buy a bike and do ur first couple hundred miles around a neighborhood where there's not much traffic and not too much speed to start with so you can get comfortable as time goes by. That's how I started to get used to the bike, and practice safety procedures. Riding a bike is a process, just take it slow and let the good times roll hehehe

Hey guys, lets not start on the old thread. This thread is for a new inquire. Only just one more month to go, before I get my Gixxer6. I am a noob like you guys. To bad we don't live close to one another, we all could learn and teach each other and watch each others back.

One tip IMO, if you are just starting, find you a riding partner with experience for a # of years. And that's after you take the MSF course. I will take my course soon hopefully, and after that, I will have a riding partner (my mom's ex-b/f) who has been riding for years. So, don't ride alone, have someone to watch your back.

:yeadat: , I'm just giving advice really, not trying to make a Jerry Springer show out this thread lol j/k but yea conflict sucks mostly in thread cuz is too damn much to read lol

I put about 70-80 miles just in the neighborhood, then took the MSF, then rode another 5 miles in the neighborhood then started riding on the street.

Definitely stay in low traffic areas until you get confident (and you'll know when you're confident). Oh yeah, and stop and go traffic is pure TORTURE on a motorcycle, avoid it like the plague. I've done probably a total of 2 miles of stop and go, and I swear, each mile is equivelent to 10-20 miles in a car.

At least for me, that's what I was arguing about. Simply because I differentiate A LOT between just riding and racing and do see a lot more value in the skills a person can learn on the track, similar to the value autocross has for daily driving survival skills. But I do understand I am biased because my goals are to get into racing and i'm sure that's no most people's goals.

...I had second thoughts too about buying a bike...then I realized that my truck was getting 18 mpg...and my bike averages about 55. ...which for me...pays for itself in abuot 3 months. (1500-1800 miles a month)

...My friends have bikes...'01, '02...with 2, 3 or 4 thousand miles on them...then there is my '04 with 8600 on it. The bike D is looking at is a '98 version of my bike, with 100 less miles on it.

talking about that bike I have to call that dood today to see when I can check the bike out, it's a sweet looking bike and I really want it

buy a motor scooter...yeah, now thats sweet.

i want to ride my dad's ninja, but i'm scared of it, so i ride his 125 cc scooter. no gears to shift, now thats fun

haha those things are fun, I have a Vespa motor scooter thing, is kinda old but I have fun times in it tryin to eventually pop wheelies on it lol :haha: .... and well the bike that I was going to buy has been sold, sadly but in the search for another one . YAMAHA TILL THE END!

just a little update....
ive set my mind on a bike I want...after reading all the replies and discussions, im going for a Kawasaki Ninja ex250...i went to look at one last sunday and thought this is a good starter bike for me. Yeah some say its not a "real sportbike", but just so you know, Im 5'8" 155 lbs, so this is just "enough" bike for me...for now.
The bike I looked at was a steal, 1998 with only 1073 miles on it. The guy was selling it for $1500. I called him the next day to confirm the purchase, just to find out he sold to the next guy that looked at it after me...bummer. He only had the ad out for 1 day. I think it was e_andree that mention that selling this bike was easy. Knowing this is very comforting, just in case i do decide to go up later to a bigger bike.
Also, my MSF class isnt until the weekend of Oct 18, so Im in no rush to get a bike. Although it would be nice to be able to practice on it before it gets too cold outside.

So, thank you to everyone who helped me make my decision a lot easier.... :thumb:

not a bad choice man for a start...... I'm hopefully buying a 00' GSX-R600 with a few add ons the 29th which drives nicely and stuff so it's pretty nice for a start, my MSF classes start till Sept but I'm only doing neighborhood riding till then to get acquainted with the bike a little more and stuff, I'm excited.

Yeah, they get sold HELLA fast, especially during this time of year. You might also wanna look at Ninja 500's, bigger engine which leaves more room to grow so you don't get so bored. With my GS500, I outgrow the power after a month, on a 250, i swear, it couldn't take more than 2 weeks if you've taken the MSF already.

But still, the ex250 is still a great bike to learn off of, especially getting cornering down, which is something i'm still learning with my bike. I'm not even close to getting it down

yeah...after your other posts...i also considerred the GS500. It was one that I also was looking at. Before seeing the Ninja, I thought the naked look of the GS500 was so cool, but now I want fairings.. ...I know its for looks only but the Ninja 500 for some reason dont have full fairings like the Ninjette. I'm not too worried about power, I guess.
And if I do get bored quick (which I hope I dont), I guess it is easy to resell it...

Another update...
Got my bike, she's home...
Took her for a spin around the parking lot before she goes in to storage....
Here she is, my little Ninjette....

Nice and clean, good choice.