Good starter bike

[turbo-tastic]

Hello Bikers!!

I am thinking of getting a bike, and have read through all the "new to bikes" and "getting started" type threads, so I know roughly what to do in terms of kit, and lessons/test etc, but can anyone recomend a good bike to start with??

I'm 24, and have had a car license since I was 17. I'm planning on doing my CBT and that Direct Access thing, so I was thinking of something along the lines of a 400cc. Is this a good idea, or should I start out with something smaller??

Cheers all,

Ed.

[Mikey G]

My first bike is my current Suzuki SV650. Very easy to ride and cheap to run and insure. Will hold its own against most 600 sports only lacking on top end. And as its a V-Twin makes pulling off interesting and has a nice rumble to it

[butchgti]

I was in a similar situation to you. I had a fair bit off of road experience though.

I went for a CBR400rr. Looks good and is fast enough for the first year of riding. Handling is forgiving and there isn't enough power to get yourself in to much trouble.

Plus its solid so shouldnt lunch itself if you give it to much.

[rsvmilly]

Suzuki SV650
Fazer 600
Thundercat
CBR600

All good first bikes and all capable of growing with your abilities. They are also physically larger than most 400s - essential if you are 6ft

[spdpug98]

I bought a CBR600 and it has been fine, the good thing about buying a 600 is that you probably won't need to buy another one in 12 months when you get bored of a 400, unless you eventually want a 1000. Ride safe

[adi]

I bought a Fazer 600 with a sports can a few months back as my first big bike.

Being using it daily - find it very easy to ride as it is not twitchy at low revs, but has the power if you crank up the throttle to make you swear in the helmet Bandit, SV650, Hornet, Fazer.... those are your main 4 choices I think if you are going to be sensible. I would have loved a monster but didn't think it was the best choice for commuting in winter.

Having the exhaust is a safety feature in london - dopey pedestrians can hear you coming...

>> Edited by adi on Friday 9th December 17:02

[YamR1,V64motion]

get a Honda RVF 400, great starter bike,keep it for a year or so then buy a 600 if you get bored,belive me those 200ccs make alot of difference.

[DennisTheMenace]

RVF is ok if your not 6ft tall , i looked at one and it was cramped as hell .ended up getting a ZZR 600 , its a good bike on of the 1st 600 to crack a genuine 150 ,comfy and the insurance was cheap.

[speed8]

SV650
CBR600
GSXR1000
GS1200
STriple-1050

All good bikes, depending what you like. Sports, trailie or naked.

[MrsMiggins]

Yam TDM might be a good bet, especially if you are tall.

[paul d]

My first and current bike is a KTM LC4, its very forgiving, easy to ride and its nice and tall so i can see further ahead.

[YamR1,V64motion]

DennisTheMenace said:

RVF is ok if your not 6ft tall , i looked at one and it was cramped as hell .ended up getting a ZZR 600 , its a good bike on of the 1st 600 to crack a genuine 150 ,comfy and the insurance was cheap.

i didnt find it particularly uncomfortable and im 6'1,however its been a long time since ive ridden one perhaps my memorys going

[tone]

I went for a Suzi DL650 (Wee Strom). It's basically the same engine as the SV650 but has a bit more room to stretch out. I find it amazing the way people contort themselves to get on the latest race-rep 600. My runs are generally in excess of 100 miles and I don't want to spend an hour and a half with my bum in the air.

[turbo-tastic]

Cheers for all the suggestions.

I'm about 6ft ish, and I'm on a budget.

I didn't look at 600's because I thought the insurance would cripple me. Just for reference, I got a quote for £500 for a VFR400, used for commuting.
I ideally would like to pay less than that (obviously, wouldn't we all).

As I'm not too hot on bike models, are all the ones suggested quite new? I'm not really planning on spending more than £1k on my 1st bike.

[tycho]

I had a GPz 500S and it was a great bike. Less to insure than a 600 but is quick enough for a beginner.

[Mad Dave]

I went for a Bandit 600 - £350 TPFT to insure. It's not always the cc of the bike that denotes the insurance.

FYI That very same Bandit is for sale - P plate for £1200.

www.davidhambly.co.uk/banditbeach.jpg

[Mark_SV]

Mikey G said:

My first bike is my current Suzuki SV650. Very easy to ride and cheap to run and insure. Will hold its own against most 600 sports

Yeah, after the odd test ride, I plumbed for an SV650 too. What a superb bike! I can highly recommend it. Yes, it is easy to ride as a new rider. However, as you get better you realise just how capable it is (track days included).

Part of the reason it remains so capable is the V-twin engine, because on the road it's not just how much power you've got, but where that power is delivered. The V-twin means you get plenty of oomph even at low/mid revs, compared to many other bikes that only deliver their punch towards the top of the rev range.

As others have said, a Bandit 600, Hornet 600, SV650, DL650, CBR600, etc are all worth a test ride. However, I'd definitely recommend a few test rides, because you could completely change your mind after riding a range of machines. (I did.)

As for the £1000 budget, what suggestions from others? This budget would seem to change the choice ... ? E.g. under a grand, there might be less SV650s but a number of older Bandits available ... ?

[hugoagogo]

1000 is pretty low budget, you could get something like a gs500

>> Edited by hugoagogo on Friday 16th December 20:45

[jaked]

my first bike was a vfr 400 & i loved it, great if your going to use it for sunday blasts, maybe not so good for commuting. Really easy to ride, im 5ft 11