Too fast = this:
I believe the driver of that bike is still looking for a place to land.
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Best Starter Sports Motorcycle for a tall guy
- Thread starter Vaziik
- Start date
I believe the driver of that bike is still looking for a place to land.
he might, but they will have to get him down from orbit first.
Go with what feels good when you sit on it. Who is going to teach you to ride? Go with cheap at first because you will move up fast. Whatever you get just make sure your sitting upright and it's not so powerful you lose control. People are going to make fun no matter what you get so with that saI'd maybe anything you can afford from 400-750 cc. I hate to say that but I am considering your size. Actually going with a used Suzuki 400 scooter would give you the basics, then make the jump.
I really like jabas input. I think you should try sitting on each type of motorcycle in a few different sizes to determine what you feel comfortable pushing around with your specific physique and dimensions. smaller bikes can be easier to learn on because you can move them around much more easily with your body and they are a lot easier to catch or pick up when they tip. they also typically lack the torque to whip you off the bike as you're learning to control the throttle. Sport posture is best for some people and other people feel like they have more control with the cruiser. It really is just that personal of a feeling that should guide your deciision. and your sense of comfort with a different size or style motorcycle may very well change as you log more hours. don't let the salesman pressure you into making a one time big purchase. Riding is like religion to a lot of people and you're talking about a lifestyle change – not buying a new coffee maker. understand that living this new lifestyle may mean a progression of motorcycles until you understand enough about how you like to ride to hone in on something that you really identify with. some people know right from the start and some of us take a while to sort it out – but I think your patience and willingness to try different types of machines will reward you in a long term.
I also agree that you should get a piece of crap to start with. not only are drops and accidents inevitable, but you'll feel more confident to push yourself a little bit when you're not worried about crashing a Ferrari. learn on it for a few months and then move on to something prettier when you feel like you've had a few close calls and understand the responsibility that you're taking on. entry-level bikes are typically cheap but also maintain a good resale value. You'll probably end up selling it for about what you paid for it so there's no harm in buying one as a starter and upgrading in the near future.
years ago I started on an upright posture 1985 honda saber. next bike was a ninja 600, about six months later. once you get riding, your posture preference may change from what you learned in the first few months.
and my last penny for your thoughts is that you really might want to learn on the dirt. no matter what type of bike you start with a lot of your close calls will have to do with knee-jerk maneuvers required when a car driver does something stupid. Learning to control your bike when you slide out, or are driving on wet oily roads, hitting potholes, sand or gravel- especially on high speed turns- Will mean the diffence between staying vertical and tearing the Mickey out of your bike. if you go out and learn on the dirt on a small dirt bike, you'll learn when to put your feet down and how do you use your bodyweight to move the bike and how to steer through slides. your falls won't hurt as much and the bike is much lighter won't be damaged nearly as much. luckily you live in an area where there a lot of opportunities for this type of riding and lots of small dirt bikes are cheap if you don't have a friend will let you play around with theirs.
I don't think there's a wrong way to learn though man. you're either going to be the type of person that "feels" how to ride, or it's going to feel contrary to your nature. if it feels right for you, spend your money on your protective gear and just take your time and enjoy.
good luck and good riding
I also agree that you should get a piece of crap to start with. not only are drops and accidents inevitable, but you'll feel more confident to push yourself a little bit when you're not worried about crashing a Ferrari. learn on it for a few months and then move on to something prettier when you feel like you've had a few close calls and understand the responsibility that you're taking on. entry-level bikes are typically cheap but also maintain a good resale value. You'll probably end up selling it for about what you paid for it so there's no harm in buying one as a starter and upgrading in the near future.
years ago I started on an upright posture 1985 honda saber. next bike was a ninja 600, about six months later. once you get riding, your posture preference may change from what you learned in the first few months.
and my last penny for your thoughts is that you really might want to learn on the dirt. no matter what type of bike you start with a lot of your close calls will have to do with knee-jerk maneuvers required when a car driver does something stupid. Learning to control your bike when you slide out, or are driving on wet oily roads, hitting potholes, sand or gravel- especially on high speed turns- Will mean the diffence between staying vertical and tearing the Mickey out of your bike. if you go out and learn on the dirt on a small dirt bike, you'll learn when to put your feet down and how do you use your bodyweight to move the bike and how to steer through slides. your falls won't hurt as much and the bike is much lighter won't be damaged nearly as much. luckily you live in an area where there a lot of opportunities for this type of riding and lots of small dirt bikes are cheap if you don't have a friend will let you play around with theirs.
I don't think there's a wrong way to learn though man. you're either going to be the type of person that "feels" how to ride, or it's going to feel contrary to your nature. if it feels right for you, spend your money on your protective gear and just take your time and enjoy.
good luck and good riding
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Thanks for that post. And I think this weekend I'll go around to different dealers and sit on some bikes and see what fits me best. Being pressured into buying something shouldn't be a problem since I won't have the money for it till late September
right on man. just follow your gut.
dont get stressed out with decision paralysis- there is no one right way and you will love whatever path you decide if riding is in your blood. look at all the different stories in the thread above about how people learned and how they think you should. no wrong way. The hard part is figuring out who you are in the saddle, and that journey is the fun part
I hope you love riding and the brotherhood that comes with it. See you out there
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lots of good info. boil it down for ya:
1) take a class. MSF class and maybe even the dirt class as well. easiest way to get your license plus they teach you some good basic skills that you can build on as you get into riding.
2) find something that's comfortable and easy to ride that is used. I prefer to steer folks towards a "standard" or naked bike. Something like a Kawasaki Versys or even something older bike a Honda Hawk. Ok, my first street bike was a Hawk (NT650) and I"m biased. I've had 5 or 6 of them. street and race versions. I'm 6'1" and fit fine with a few basic mods you can make them do whatever you want. Plus they look cool. Or a used SV 650 (my other favorite bike to recommend). With some basic suspension modifications, it'll keep up with anything on the street and track with a decent rider (well except the squid race around 285). Used is good. pre-dropped is better.
3) get good gear. ask around and figure out what you want for your riding (commuting to work vs weekend rides). spend the money on gloves, helmet, boots and a jacket. add pants as your budget allows. don't skimp on quality here. it might save your life.
4) find good folks to ride with. One of the biggest thing is to find a group of riders that share your same values. Not like how you spend your cash values, but what are they looking to get out of riding? who is fastest in a straight line? who can hold it at 12 o'clock the longest? or just who enjoys a day in the saddle exploring back roads and good places to eat. I got lucky when I first started riding that I found a great group of guys in Chattanooga to ride with. They taught me a lot of what I know today and count many of them as some very good friends. Quite a few of my best friends were people I rode with a lot over the years. Make the right choices.
that's about it. just do it, and as you ride more you'll get a better feel for what kind of riding you want to do more of and then you can sell/buy what you really need. I started with a sporty standard, and have had pure sport bikes (R6's, CBR1000rr's), race bikes (SV endurance bike, Hawk sprint bike), cruisers, and mostly dirt and dual sport these days (KTM- the orange Kool-aid is good). It's all good, just take the class and get started. plenty of good riders and information on this forum and others depending upon what direction you want to go...
rubber side down!
Jeff
1) take a class. MSF class and maybe even the dirt class as well. easiest way to get your license plus they teach you some good basic skills that you can build on as you get into riding.
2) find something that's comfortable and easy to ride that is used. I prefer to steer folks towards a "standard" or naked bike. Something like a Kawasaki Versys or even something older bike a Honda Hawk. Ok, my first street bike was a Hawk (NT650) and I"m biased. I've had 5 or 6 of them. street and race versions. I'm 6'1" and fit fine with a few basic mods you can make them do whatever you want. Plus they look cool. Or a used SV 650 (my other favorite bike to recommend). With some basic suspension modifications, it'll keep up with anything on the street and track with a decent rider (well except the squid race around 285). Used is good. pre-dropped is better.
3) get good gear. ask around and figure out what you want for your riding (commuting to work vs weekend rides). spend the money on gloves, helmet, boots and a jacket. add pants as your budget allows. don't skimp on quality here. it might save your life.
4) find good folks to ride with. One of the biggest thing is to find a group of riders that share your same values. Not like how you spend your cash values, but what are they looking to get out of riding? who is fastest in a straight line? who can hold it at 12 o'clock the longest? or just who enjoys a day in the saddle exploring back roads and good places to eat. I got lucky when I first started riding that I found a great group of guys in Chattanooga to ride with. They taught me a lot of what I know today and count many of them as some very good friends. Quite a few of my best friends were people I rode with a lot over the years. Make the right choices.
that's about it. just do it, and as you ride more you'll get a better feel for what kind of riding you want to do more of and then you can sell/buy what you really need. I started with a sporty standard, and have had pure sport bikes (R6's, CBR1000rr's), race bikes (SV endurance bike, Hawk sprint bike), cruisers, and mostly dirt and dual sport these days (KTM- the orange Kool-aid is good). It's all good, just take the class and get started. plenty of good riders and information on this forum and others depending upon what direction you want to go...
rubber side down!
Jeff
