New rider. Any suggestions for a first big bike?
Discussion
Zakalwe said:
Get the bike you want ... My first ever bike was a Panigale...I get a lot more joy from the bike than I would some raggy old Hornet I have to ride because people told me I had to earn the right to ride what I want, life’s short enough as it is
Well said! The bit about "earning the right" is so true "you must get a cheap middleweight...." etc. Mrs DSs first bike was an R1, and I remember some greebo coming out with "she doesn't deserve that"
hiccy18 said:
OP an '02 Fazer 600 could be a Mk 1 or a Mk2 and you can distinguish between them by the shape of the headlights and fairing. The Mk1 (wot I had) had squarer lines and rectangular headlights which are utter s
t, even after the headlight mod (mainbeam with dipped head) and fitting the brightest bulbs I could find. The Mk2 is nicknamed the "Foxeye" and the far superior lights are, well, foxy 
cracking bike in all other respects, I did 11k miles on mine from October to March so lots of nightime riding..
I had a Foxeye Fazer. It was a great bike. t, even after the headlight mod (mainbeam with dipped head) and fitting the brightest bulbs I could find. The Mk2 is nicknamed the "Foxeye" and the far superior lights are, well, foxy cracking bike in all other respects, I did 11k miles on mine from October to March so lots of nightime riding..Keep the carbs balanced and an eye on the exhaust manifold (most will have been replaced with stainless by now). A Hagon shock, shorter dog bones to raise the rear and stiffer fork springs made a good improvement.
Mine was fun around the Peak, Dales, Wales, IOM TT course and the Wicklow Mountains.
Try whatever you fancy and if it feels right, buy it. Like you I passed at 46 , a few years ago and bought the first bike that felt right (er6f) and still have it. As a new rider I dont think you can fully understand what you want from a bike yet. So if it is a ZZR1400 or Harley, if it feels right buy it.
I also dont buy this 'you'll drop the bike' bit, I've never dropped one.
I also dont buy this 'you'll drop the bike' bit, I've never dropped one.
thatdude said:
As you've seen OP, you get a lot of suggestions.
Rather than us tell you what you want, tell us what takes your fancy and we can help you with the pros and cons. Mostly pros, I dont think there is really a bad bike, just the wrong bike for a given intnetion (so no R1's if you want to go greenlaning often!)
I did, in my original post. Long-term, I want a bike I can stick my wife on and we can go touring on (weekends, maybe a little longer) and also one I can learn on and enjoy on my own. A bike I look forward to ride and find an excuse to get on it is the ideal but, when you have little experience of bikes and so much choice, where do you start - hence my original post. Rather than us tell you what you want, tell us what takes your fancy and we can help you with the pros and cons. Mostly pros, I dont think there is really a bad bike, just the wrong bike for a given intnetion (so no R1's if you want to go greenlaning often!)
Regards the newer bikes, I love the Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro as it has all the gadgets and the reviews say it is a cracking bike. I have sat on one and found it a good fit height-wise. I also think the BMW GS850 would be a good comparison for the Tiger and Bahnstormer is a short walk from my house. The F900XR I include because it seems from reviews to be a good mix of tourer and sporty, and apparently quite a forgiving bike for new riders. The Street Triple R I just love the look of but that may be too much for a new rider.
Regards the older bikes, the Fazer 600 and Hornet interest me because everyone I spoke to mentioned them as great cheap bikes for a first big bike. The MT-07 and Honda 700 interest me as they are reasonably priced.
Harji said:
I also dont buy this 'you'll drop the bike' bit, I've never dropped one.
That’s just you being lucky. I’ve seen police riders, RoSPA tutors and old git couriers carpark topple their bikes in front of me. It happens. Dropping it at speed is a different story; that doesn’t need to happen. Dog Star said:
Zakalwe said:
Get the bike you want ... My first ever bike was a Panigale...I get a lot more joy from the bike than I would some raggy old Hornet I have to ride because people told me I had to earn the right to ride what I want, life’s short enough as it is
Well said! The bit about "earning the right" is so true "you must get a cheap middleweight...." etc. Mrs DSs first bike was an R1, and I remember some greebo coming out with "she doesn't deserve that"
Iminquarantine said:
Harji said:
I also dont buy this 'you'll drop the bike' bit, I've never dropped one.
That’s just you being lucky. I’ve seen police riders, RoSPA tutors and old git couriers carpark topple their bikes in front of me. It happens. Dropping it at speed is a different story; that doesn’t need to happen. ^ I haven’t toppled one for a while but last time was a big touring bike when I was pushing it around a sloped hotel carpark near the Nurburgring. It has about an inch covering of those tiny pebbles which are ok for cats but PITA on bikes. You can pick up a 300kg bike by yourself 
Almost toppled it once when I put my foot down at the lights and instead of solid road, it was a rotting banana skin.
Almost toppled it once when I put my foot down at the lights and instead of solid road, it was a rotting banana skin.
I'm in a similar situation, I've been on my 125 since July, doing lessons at the moment so hopefully full license in the next couple of months. I'm inclined to spend less on the first bike so I can chop and change as I want without finance to sort out, try out a few different types of bike to work out what I like and get some more experience under my belt. Hopefully by that point I'll know exactly what I want and can invest a bit more.
I kind of fancy a z1000sx in the long run but would like to scratch the sportsbike itch, currently leaning towards an cbr600f4 as it's a bit more relaxed riding position than most with plenty of power to grow in to. Who knows though, I could prefer the naked or adventure bikes but won't know for sure until I live with a few.
I kind of fancy a z1000sx in the long run but would like to scratch the sportsbike itch, currently leaning towards an cbr600f4 as it's a bit more relaxed riding position than most with plenty of power to grow in to. Who knows though, I could prefer the naked or adventure bikes but won't know for sure until I live with a few.
Zakalwe said:
I see it the same way as buying a house or a car - if you’re in your 40s buying your first house you don’t let anyone tell you “ooh, you know what, by a studio flat to start with, you need to get used to being a homeowner first”
That's right, because it takes real skill to live in a house. Iminquarantine said:
Harji said:
I also dont buy this 'you'll drop the bike' bit, I've never dropped one.
That’s just you being lucky. I’ve seen police riders, RoSPA tutors and old git couriers carpark topple their bikes in front of me. It happens. Dropping it at speed is a different story; that doesn’t need to happen. MC Bodge said:
Zakalwe said:
I see it the same way as buying a house or a car - if you’re in your 40s buying your first house you don’t let anyone tell you “ooh, you know what, by a studio flat to start with, you need to get used to being a homeowner first”
That's right, because it takes real skill to live in a house. I had a Yamaha Frazer Fz7, plenty of power but wasn't very confidence inspiring even though it was pretty forgiving, accidental wheelies, powerslides twice that I managed to hang on to!
I'd get a honda CBR 600F, good bikes, 100bhp not too high end power, decent mid and good commuter, sport bike that will allow you to learn.
You should be able to get a decent one for 3k maybe 3.5kk and they look pretty good.
I'd get a honda CBR 600F, good bikes, 100bhp not too high end power, decent mid and good commuter, sport bike that will allow you to learn.
You should be able to get a decent one for 3k maybe 3.5kk and they look pretty good.
Zakalwe said:
MC Bodge said:
Zakalwe said:
I see it the same way as buying a house or a car - if you’re in your 40s buying your first house you don’t let anyone tell you “ooh, you know what, by a studio flat to start with, you need to get used to being a homeowner first”
That's right, because it takes real skill to live in a house. Another shout for the SV650S if your looking for recommendations. Ive been riding bikes for a while now and think these are great little bikes. You will struggle to beat them for bang for your buck. Throw a set of michellen Road 5s on it and a can of some sort and show it some twisties. They crash well as well. Dont ask how I know...
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