Recommend a good "starter" motorcycle

[bmyohn]

With diesel reaching upwards of $4.30 a gallon, and premium unleaded for the stroker in the jeep getting up there too, I've decided its time to start looking into a cheap reliable motorcycle to get me around. This summer I will be commuting about 13 miles one way (25-30 minutes with traffic) I figured getting a cheap older 250 - 400 cc motorcycle may be the way to go rather then firing up the Cummins everyday for the drive down there.

I've ridden dirtbikes and ATV's before so I am used to the basics of motorcycle riding. But I am looking for something cheap, reliable, and gets better mileage then my vehicles. It doesn't have to go 100 mph, just get me from point A to point B in one piece.

Where do you recommend I start my search? I'd like to keep the budget under $1,750 if possible. I have access to a full shop and cheap parts from carquest so a little work isn't a deal breaker. Point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

 

[XJLI]

13 miles one way? in indiana? get a road bike. i'd recommend a giant defy. no gas to buy. i wish it was safe to ride from my house to work.

 

[in4aride]

you can usually pick up a 98-02 suzuki vtwin or something similar for around that range. they are cheaper to insure, the riding position and the power will be more like you are used to as compared to the inline 4 "race" bikes.
gas milage on one of those ridden pretty easy should be in the 40's

 

[bmyohn]

13 miles one way? in indiana? get a road bike. i'd recommend a giant defy. no gas to buy. i wish it was safe to ride from my house to work.

It seems way longer then 13 miles trust me. When I google map'd the directions i was surprised. It takes me a good half hour to drive from my apartment to the lake. I would ride a bike if it was 5 miles away, but these roads arent safe to ride a bike on and would take me forever. Riding a bicycle at 5:00am to get to work would suck.

 

[bmyohn]

you can usually pick up a 98-02 suzuki vtwin or something similar for around that range. they are cheaper to insure, the riding position and the power will be more like you are used to as compared to the inline 4 "race" bikes.
gas milage on one of those ridden pretty easy should be in the 40's

Thanks! Thats exactly the kind of information I am looking for. I am not looking for the super sporty bike but something more like a "cruiser" I'm not the hot rod bike kinda guy.

 

[in4aride]

not best looking bikes. great visibility (no plastics) high bars and low seat give comfy riding stance. 650 vtwin is plenty of grunt in the mid range which is perfect for street riding. not easy to swap out lights and do all that crap on. around here a bike like that with average miles in good condition is at tops a $2100 bike...
:thumbup:

 

[bmyohn]

That's not a bad looking bike by any means. If it can get me around the county for 30mpg better than my Cummins I'll take it lol

 

[XJLI]

It seems way longer then 13 miles trust me. When I google map'd the directions i was surprised. It takes me a good half hour to drive from my apartment to the lake. I would ride a bike if it was 5 miles away, but these roads arent safe to ride a bike on and would take me forever. Riding a bicycle at 5:00am to get to work would suck.

nah it would be great. and trust me, your roads are heaven compared to where i live.. i won't even buy a motorcycle to ride on the road here.

 

[in4aride]

That's not a bad looking bike by any means. If it can get me around the county for 30mpg better than my Cummins I'll take it lol

i used to beat on my RC51 (1000cc vtwin) and got almost 53mpg so the 650 should do pretty good around town.

plus you can swap triples/forks/wheel/brakes for a gsxr model to get inverted forks and bigger/better brakes

 

[bmyohn]

nah it would be great. and trust me, your roads are heaven compared to where i live.. i won't even buy a motorcycle to ride on the road here.

This is probably true, I used to live in Amherst, MA the roads were terrible up there.

 

[raze1287]

not best looking bikes. great visibility (no plastics) high bars and low seat give comfy riding stance. 650 vtwin is plenty of grunt in the mid range which is perfect for street riding. not easy to swap out lights and do all that crap on. around here a bike like that with average miles in good condition is at tops a $2100 bike...
:thumbup:

+1 the suzuki sv650 is a nice bike

plus setup like this they look pretty good

love the way they look setup with the streetfigher/ hooligan look

 

[FunkRider]

Kawasaki Ninja 500R. Been around for a million years and hasn't changed much. Great starter bike, cheap to insure, fun to ride, good fuel economy. Oh and don't let the name or looks fool you into thinking it's too much bike for you.

 

[in4aride]

Oh and don't let the name or looks fool you into thinking it's too much bike for you.

:laugh2::laugh2::laugh2::laugh2::laugh2:

 

[zerogspacecow]

Don't bother with an SV650. They're terrific bikes, but have waaaay more power than you need.

If you're not planning on hitting highway speeds, then get a scooter. If you want to be able to ride on the highway, get something under 500cc.

You can get an 80's model Honda Nighthawk 450 for dirt cheap. That was my first bike when I was 17. I paid $800 for it, and I overpaid. But, it was a great bike. Super easy to work on, reliable as hell, comfortable, and great gas mileage.

But, really any of the the big four jap bikes (Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki) from the 80's under 500cc would be great. If you want something newer, check out a GS500 (not the "F" model which is fully faired).

You might also want to consider a "dual sport" like a DRZ400, which will do all of the above, but also go off road.


For the record, I've owned a handful of bikes. I started riding 5 years ago when I was 17. I've had a Nighthawk 450, Kawasaki ZR-7, a Suzuki GS450, and I currently own a Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.

 

[goodburbon]

KLR650. Enough power to get on the highway, not too much so that you'll get in trouble, MPG 50-60, 6.1 gallon tank. You're not going to win any races with one, but you'll get there.

 

[in4aride]

a vtwin 650 is in no way at all too much power. at all. the NEW 500's are too slow to get out of trouble if need be.
Yes, i have ridden one, it sucked.
the older ones are better and more fun to ride, but saying the sc650's is too much power is a joke. the power is great for around town riding.

 

[bmyohn]

Don't bother with an SV650. They're terrific bikes, but have waaaay more power than you need.

If you're not planning on hitting highway speeds, then get a scooter. If you want to be able to ride on the highway, get something under 500cc.

You can get an 80's model Honda Nighthawk 450 for dirt cheap. That was my first bike when I was 17. I paid $800 for it, and I overpaid. But, it was a great bike. Super easy to work on, reliable as hell, comfortable, and great gas mileage.

But, really any of the the big four jap bikes (Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki) from the 80's under 500cc would be great. If you want something newer, check out a GS500 (not the "F" model which is fully faired).

You might also want to consider a "dual sport" like a DRZ400, which will do all of the above, but also go off road.


For the record, I've owned a handful of bikes. I started riding 5 years ago when I was 17. I've had a Nighthawk 450, Kawasaki ZR-7, a Suzuki GS450, and I currently own a Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.

It's funny that you mention the Honda Nighthawk. I have a lead on a Nighthawk 650cc for $750. It runs, but that's about the extent that I know about it. It's a co-worker's neighbors bike. I may go check it out after I do some more research.

 

[zerogspacecow]

a vtwin 650 is in no way at all too much power. at all. the NEW 500's are too slow to get out of trouble if need be.
Yes, i have ridden one, it sucked.
the older ones are better and more fun to ride, but saying the sc650's is too much power is a joke. the power is great for around town riding.

I never said an SV650 is too much power, just that it's more than he needs. If he's not interested in going fast, and things like fuel economy and insurance rates are more important, then he should go with something smaller.

I don't really buy the whole "it's too slow to get you out of trouble" argument. I've never had a problem that would have been solved with more acceleration. Even a 250 or 500 is faster than the majority of cars on the road (especially an XJ).

The OP wants to know what a good starter bike is. While I think an SV650 is a great bike, I think there are better choices for a newbie.

 

[in4aride]

ive used to ride for work (merchandiser for pepsi and had to travel between stores) and i was out in rush hour traffic dodging crazy drivers that never knew i was there. there were plenty of times where gettin in the throttle to scoot out of the way of someone swerving into my lane with a vehicle thats too close and big to slow down enough if i hit the brakes the dodge them. so blipping hte gas to scoot up was only option. i think in a very heavy traffic situation where people are easy to lose you, having something with grunt to get up and go is a good thing...

 

[ILLXJ]

plenty of times where gettin in the throttle to scoot out of the way of someone swerving into my lane with a vehicle thats too close and big to slow down enough if i hit the brakes the dodge them. so blipping hte gas to scoot up was only option. i think in a very heavy traffic situation where people are easy to lose you, having something with grunt to get up and go is a good thing...

I agree. I used to ride in D.C. JIM.