Another Newbie, am I on the right track?

[dave0]

what's up guys, i've been checking out the beginner's garage here for the past few weeks and there is tons of great info here - thank you guys already! i have been very interested in getting a bike for the past few years and i am planning (scheming is probably a better word) to get one in the next few months. i want to be able to eventually ride 2 up with my wife onboard, but i am def going to put in some serious miles before she comes along, i want to make sure that i know what i am doing first. i am am about 6'4" and my wife is 5'11" combined weight around 400 lbs, so i dont think we would look too cool huddled up on a tiny bike. my taste leans more towards sports bikes and after i found this site i think sport touring is just right for me. i have limited experience on bikes, mostly have played on my brother in law's 125cc 2 stroke. i think i catch on pretty quick, but at the same time i dont want to get in over my head. i plan to take the MSF course and then pick up a Ninja 500 to start on. i think a 250 would be too small for me at my height and weight. i plan to then move up to a SV650 naked and then to a Bandit 1200. i dont think i would plan to 2 up until i got to the Bandit and probably keep the SV650 for solo riding (i live in east TN, close to the Dragon, so i think the SV's light weight would tear it up). does this seem reasonable to you guys and do you have any tips/suggestions for me going forward? thanks in advance!

[falconati]

That's a fine strategy, but instead of starting with a Ninja 500, why not a Suzuki 650F?  It's super cheap, light, has a comfortable passenger seat (so you can start to ride 2-up), and has the sport bike look you like.

Check a new one out at a dealership, and then look for a used one in your area if you like it!

[falconati]

(Just trying to save you some money by buying 1 bike instead of 2!)

[dave0]

thanks falconati, the reason i want to start on the Ninja 500 is mostly budget-guided. i can get one of those for dirt cheap (i would like to spend about $2k on my first bike) so that if/when i drop it, i wont feel as bad. also, i plan to sell the 500 to get the next bike. i really like the 650F and i think it is way more of a looker than the 500 (just about anything else is). i may even go that route rather than the SV650, i like the look of the 650F more and as you mentioned wld be better 2-up, thanks for the suggestion!

[UHOH]

That's a fine strategy

Agree  -  SV and Bandit are good choices.  

welcome.   you can edit your preferences if you want to show where you live...

[dave0]

thanks UHOH, i am also interested in the gs500e (on my quest for a cheap set of wheels). i have read on other threads here that the suspension is better on the gs than the ninja 500. are there any advantages to either that would better suit my weight/height? not sure what the riding postion differences are between the two? are there are any differences in the ease of cornering? i would like the one that would be most forgiving first and foremost. thanks again for the help and replies

[UHOH]

thanks UHOH, i am also interested in the gs500e (on my quest for a cheap set of wheels). i have read on other threads here that the suspension is better on the gs than the ninja 500. are there any advantages to either that would better suit my weight/height? ...thanks again for the help and replies

It's been so long since I've been on a 500 . ask someone else.

Your first bike: well, my son had limited dirt bike experience (probably less than 10 times) and his first bike was
an SV650 naked.  He loved it, became a good (even fast) rider on it too.  
SV naked is the biggest bike I recommend to a new rider who is controllable of his emotions; maybe you fit that bill.   Don't know.  You will be tall for most first bikes ...

[Atitalongtime]

Take the class first.

Take time to sit on all your final choices for a long time... make your dimensions and the bike's seat/bar/peg relationship are a match.
Not with your feet down, you'll have your feet on the pegs 99.7% of the time, how it feels with your feet down has little effect.
I don't think you can go wrong with any newer 500 to 650 scooters as long as you are comfortable.

[dave0]

You will be tall for most first bikes ...

yeah this is my dilemma, too big for most starter bikes, but at the same time, i dont want to get something that has too much motor for me starting out

[falconati]

yeah this is my dilemma, too big for most starter bikes, but at the same time, i dont want to get something that has too much motor for me starting out

I absolutely love this attitude (it was mine, too - so it's probably a little self-congratulatory...), but the SV650 or the 650F won't be too much engine for you - they make around 70 horsepower.  That might seem like a bit much given the other motorcycles you're looking at, but given your weight (just assuming based on height) it won't feel like overkill (promise!).  Also, both of those bikes use a twin cylinder engine configuration, so you'll have a lot of power off the bottom of the engine, and therefore you can keep your revs low while you're riding, THEREFORE not releasing all 70 ponies.  So, the engine configuration will allow you to keep the power under control as well.

Again, I'm just trying to save you from buying a beginner bike and then selling it in a year - I'm all for saving cash.  That said, safety is paramount.  I wouldn't recommend you either of the 650s if I felt it would be too much bike for you.  For a teenager, a 650 is definitely more than they would need (due to weight, but mostly due to the fact that teenagers have unchecked egos and an 'invincible' complex), but for you I think it would be great.

[ScottB]

Yeah, I hear ya!  6'5", about 230 over here, and I started two years ago.  No way was a 250 going to be any real use to me.

I actually started on a brand new Tiger 1050 (which, in retrospect, I probably wouldn't recommend, but which didn't exactly try to jump down my throat and kill me, either - controlling engine power is all about respecting the thing, heh.)  I have since ridden a Strom 650 (not an SV, but more or less the same engine) and it's a total howl!  I could see a bike like that lasting you a long time and returning large on your initial investment.  And it's different enough from something like a Bandit that you would probably be happy riding both in turn.

If it were me, in your similarly sized shoes, I'd start with the SV now and start to look at the Bandit in a year or two if that's financially feasible.

[Papa Lazarou]

The SV is an excellent choice-but have you thought about a Guzzi or a Triumph?

[Mastros2]

I would say that the 500 would bring you anywhere you want to go but I agree with others that the 650f or the sv would be a good choice. Remember, you will only go as fast as your throttle hand allows you to go. Respect is key!  

[dave0]

thanks to all that have replied, its nice to get perspective from someone the same size too. yeah i hated to start this thread considering how many other "pick the bike for me" threads there already are, but most could get away with starting on a 250 ninja, but i didnt find one with someone my size. i am leaning more and more toward the SV650 naked. i love the look of this bike and have heard nothing but good things about it (except for the budget suspension, but hey thats what the aftermarket is for). it def wins on the wow factor over the ninja 500. i like the 650F also, but for some reason the SV holds a special place in my heart, lol. i am going to start looking to get into the MSF class and keep looking at craigslist to try to get a good deal. it will probably be a few more months before i buy (i don't believe in financing toys) but i am trying to get a plan of action together to know how much i will need to save. i will be looking for both a 650F and SV650 and if i can get a good enough deal on a 650F i will go that route since it will be better for 2 up riding once i get some miles under my belt.

[nater]

thanks UHOH, i am also interested in the gs500e (on my quest for a cheap set of wheels). i have read on other threads here that the suspension is better on the gs than the ninja 500. are there any advantages to either that would better suit my weight/height? not sure what the riding postion differences are between the two? are there are any differences in the ease of cornering? i would like the one that would be most forgiving first and foremost. thanks again for the help and replies

Either the GS or the Ninja would be fine to start on.  I started on a 94 GS500E myself.  It was kind of a beater, but it ran.  I rode it for 5000 miles and got rid of it.  The ninja 500 is similar.

[Papa Lazarou]

A V7 Guzzi 750 would be a keeper...

[kevin_stevens]

My standard response to the "beginner too big/tall for a 250/500" is the adventure bikes, the Suzuki V-Strom and the Kawasaki Versys.  Taller and with more relaxed ergos (and better passenger room) than the SV650 and 650R, with the same engine detuned for better midrange, and definitely sport-bike enough for any beginner.

I personally wouldn't recommend anything but a Japanese bike as a first bike.  There are parts, service everywhere, you can sell them readily, all the online aftermarket stores "work", etc.

KeS

[dave0]

thanks guys for all the helpful replies! yeah i am pretty much sold on the SV. i really like the naked bike look and the upright seating will fit me well. i agree w/ kevin_stevens on the japanese bike vs the moto guzzi's, etc. there arent many bike shops around here that service those bikes and i can think of at least a handful off the top of my head that sell/service japanese bikes close by. i have heard moto guzzi's have lots of character, but i will stick with something simpler starting out. a couple of you have recommended the V-Strom and while i like that bike and actually dont mind the looks, i have heard it is a little harder to control at low speeds due to the higher center of gravity. it would be a cool second bike for sure tho and i might deck that one out as a long distance tourer. now its time to window shop for gear! once again, thanks for all your suggestions!

[bogfro]

Hey I saw you're thinking about a SV650, and you live in east TN.

I live in east TN and have a SV650 for sale!  
And it has lots of good upgrades, too.


http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,47692.0.html

http://www.easttnriders.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33500

[falconati]

RIGHT IN YOUR PRICE RANGE!  I think I see an ST.N marriage in the works