Need advice - buying my first bike

[ddduke]

I wouldn't buy a dated r6 for that kind of money. Prices are lower now (winter) and there's way better options, just don't jump on the first thing you see and be patient.

Here's a list of bikes I've picked up in the last 2 years in your price range or lower:
06 triumph Daytona 675 for $3300 (no issues, never dropped)
08 Yamaha r6 Canada edition for $4000 (needed tires, never dropped)
04 cbr 600rr heavily modded for $2700 (needed nothing)
04 ninja zx6r for $1100 (needed $300 worth of oem parts which I installed and a rear tire)
07 ninja zx6r for 3400 (needed nothing)

I'm all for learning on a 250 but IMO it takes about a month to out grow one.

[firebane]

Originally posted by ddduke
I'm all for learning on a 250 but IMO it takes about a month to out grow one.

Depends on what you expect out of a bike, where you ride the bike etc etc.

The same could be said about a person who buys a scooter but plenty of people still buy them simply for commuting purposes and are content with it.

If you feel that you need to go faster or want the ability to travel on highways and go for road trips then yes a larger cc bike will be warranted.

[Mibz]

Originally posted by revelations
Ninja 650r would be my first bike choice for a noob. They are SUPER comfortable bikes and low enough seat height to be appealing to everyone.

I will be putting mine up for sale soon - it was FAR easier to ride than my SV1000 bike, which also makes it feel like youre sitting on the tip of a spear in comparison.

It was my first bike, and what I'm still riding. No desire to replace it. I want a 2nd bike, but I don't feel like getting rid of my 650R.

[bashir26]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, greatly appreciated. I've read every post and thanks to everyone

I called Touch Stone insurance (I believe this is where Bandit works) and they have awesome rates. Much better than Co-operators.

I'm looking at a few bikes this weekend. I won't pull the trigger on a bike yet, but I'm doing lots of research before buying and there is a ton of awesome information in this thread.

Originally posted by Colin_R6
Last bit of wisdom I have heard over the years... Way more fun to ride a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow.

very good advice. thanks!

Originally posted by ddduke
I wouldn't buy a dated r6 for that kind of money. Prices are lower now (winter) and there's way better options, just don't jump on the first thing you see and be patient.

Here's a list of bikes I've picked up in the last 2 years in your price range or lower:
06 triumph Daytona 675 for $3300 (no issues, never dropped)
08 Yamaha r6 Canada edition for $4000 (needed tires, never dropped)
04 cbr 600rr heavily modded for $2700 (needed nothing)
04 ninja zx6r for $1100 (needed $300 worth of oem parts which I installed and a rear tire)
07 ninja zx6r for 3400 (needed nothing)

I'm all for learning on a 250 but IMO it takes about a month to out grow one.

Where do you go to look for bikes, Kijiji? At those prices, they are much cheaper than 650Rs and 500Rs. I'm honestly surprised that 250Rs are 3-4k.

[avishal26]

I think everyone has covered all the advice you will need.

You definitely don't want an R6 as a first bike - I had a 2000 R6 as my second bike. I started on a 250 ninja. WAY MORE FUN to learn on a nimble small less powerful bike because your skills will be that more developed when you move up to a faster bike.

I made a few mistakes when I was learning how to ride - glad it was a puny 250cc that weighed nothing - because otherwise I would have definitely crashed. Learning slow speed riding is a lot easier on a smaller bike.

650 is a good option because it only has 70ish hp - good to learn on. But I would go for as lightweight of a bike you can find.

Even if you are a really fast learner, it will take you a couple of thousand kms to learn proper riding technique.

Congrats on getting your license

btw - my insurance was about $50 a month for full coverage but I have a few years under my belt.

When I started, I paid $30 a month on the 250 because I had car insurance as well. When I moved up to R6 - that increased to $90 a month (basic) but that was in BC

[shakalaka]

The first bike I learnt on was a Ducati 748 which was my brother's bike. It is all relative and depends on the rider. A lot has to do with the height, weight of the rider. I took motorcycle school and my bike was a Ninja 250 and it literally felt like a toy under me. I am not abnormally large at 6.1 and 210lbs either. The first bike of my own was/is the Yamaha R6, in fact the one OP is speaking about in the first post. I've had it for one season and I already feel like I've outgrown it and want to get something a little bigger.

It is all relative and all depends on the level of your expertise and comfort. 600CC is a quick bike and can easily kill you if you're stupid on it. But so can a 250CC bike. Just get a feel of different kind of bikes and see what you find most comfortable riding.

[zaider]

I just picked up my first bike a few weeks ago.


07 Suzuki SV650. Already has the exhaust, replaced signals, and windshield. Never dropped and was quite reasonable off kijiji.

I've ridden an FZ6r and a Triumph Thruxton before and the SV650 is just so damn comfortable. Less pressure on the wrists, but still sporty enough.

[haggis88]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M
You should also take a look at the Ninja 500R's.

Its hilarious, the ones out now? Are literally unchanged since the very late 1980's. I used to have a 1988 EX500 (which is what they used to call them before the Ninja 500R) and its EXACTLY the same bike (exactly, down to every last part asides from the color schemes) as to what you can get today. Although the new ones may have EFI, thats the only difference I can potentially think of. Asides from Harley's (which are technological dinosaurs to begin with) the Ninja 500/Ex500 is probably the longest ever run without being updated at some point.

It was a great bike to learn on, I was 14 when I had it, but it was a lot of fun, and definitely enough power. You wont outgrow it either most likely, as its not like a CBR125 whereas you outgrow it in about a couple weeks tops.... the Ninja 500's can be used for anything really. Their engines are beyond bulletproof.

i have to echo this actually...

the EX500 (well it was a GPZ500S back home) was my first bike back home, a 1991 model with 55,000 MILES on it, used to belong to my gran before she stopped riding.

it had sat in the garage untouched for the best part of 7 years, before that my gran had been all around Europe on it.

New battery, fresh filters, new tyres and it went straight through an MOT (safety inspection) and served me so well to learn on!

[mslbebiz]

Originally posted by bashir26


My budget is 4-5k. I really don't want to be spending more than that as insurance would be $1300 for me (is this normal?)

As per your advice I called a yahama dealership. The quoted me $119/hr and they are going to do transmission test, compression tests and all the visuals such as chains etc.

Is it worth it to get the bike dyno'd?

I'll search for CBR 500R today. Didn't even know they made them tbh.



I'm average in height (6'0). I took motorcycle school last year and really enjoyed it. I'm not a speed demon, nor will I be using this bike on the highway. It will mostly be used in downtown and during rush hour.

Are there bikes that you suggest as an entry rider?

Only reason why I want an R6 is it looks nice, and the sound is awesome.

Thanks for the advice guys

If you took rider's training, then they surely explained how stupid a supersport bike is as your first. That's like jumping into a 458 Ferrari as your first car, but with a much higher chance of dying. Like 10x or something according to the stats.

Best advice I can give you is to buy something small, less powerful and cheap, and have fun while you learn. You'll have way more fun this way, learn a lot more about how to actually ride a bike in the real world, and live long enough to gain the skills needed to move up to a SS bike some day.

If you're using the bike mostly DT and in rush hour, I'd advise the Ninja 250, new Ninja 300 or CBR 250. Ride it for a season, gain some real skills, and sell if for almost what you paid to move up when you're actually ready.

I ride a 250 cafe bike to commute downtown. Not because I haven't owned bigger bikes or because I can't ride (I've taken the training as well and riding for years), but because it's simply way more fun in town than a bigger bike. I have more fun on this bike than the SV650 I had, or my brothers R6. It's more tossable and able to actually rev the bike out and have some fun with it. And unless you're doing more highway, that's just not gonna happen with a bigger bike.

Oh yeah, and this:

"Last bit of wisdom I have heard over the years... Way more fun to ride a slow bike fast than it is to ride a fast bike slow."

[bcylau]

I echo what others say about 600cc "race" bikes. These bikes loves to rev, and if you are commuting then you are not going to be in the happy range too often. If you are learning, that mean stalling a ton. Those with low end are a bit more preferable.

Stuck in traffic, I had more fun on a ninja 250 than my cbr600. Make sure it comfortable to ride if you are going to in traffic for a bit. Also, in downtown, a lighter and more nimble bike is much more fun than a heavier bike. plus its easier to park while learning.

oh, and buy a bike that you can sell a year later for about the same, then you will be happy that you "rented" while you learned.

[ercchry]

these are super fun if you are taller... wouldnt lose a dime at resale either at that price

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-dirt-bikes-mo...ationFlag=true

[Colin_R6]

Originally posted by bcylau
I echo what others say about 600cc "race" bikes. These bikes loves to rev, and if you are commuting then you are not going to be in the happy range too often.

Also, those 600cc bitches run HOT!! My R6 fans kick on, and sound like a fighter jet coming in for a flyby, and dump that heat right onto my legs.

I would definitely debate this. In what way does a ninja 650 ride the same as an R6? Or a ZX6-R for that matter? Aside from the fact you accelerate and shift gears with the same type of controls haha.

I only made mention of that because it is someones first bike. I know I certainly wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between my R6 and someones ZX6-R at 10000rpms when I started riding! Other than fitment anyway. They both would have felt like absolute beasts to me at that point.

Hell, its been 5 years and 40000+km on my R6 and she still startles me sometimes when I rip her over 10000rpm! Puts a smile on my face, but man... I do NOT need to go that fast, ever.

[A790]

I started with a Ninja 500R. Loved it.

Then got a SV650S. Loved it.

Then a Katana 600. Loved it.

I dunno, I've ridden a bunch of supersports but I don't really see the appeal...

[Graham_A_M]

^ Oh dont worry, once you drag your knees for the first few times on clover leafs & on ramps at 100-130+ KPH, they'll really start to appeal to you. I guess you could have done much the same with all the above, but its just the added level of performance with a full on sports bike thats like crack cocaine.

As much as I want to move to a Triumph Thruxton from my 675, Its just so fricking hard to ever say goodbye to the performance and exhilaration of a sportbike, of which is on par performance wise to most exotic cars. Only..... for a small fraction of the cost & running costs.


Dont get me wrong at all, their a horrific idea for a first bike... but just so much fun when the experience comes.

[Masked Bandit]

If insurance costs are a factor then stay away from the R6, ZX6R, CBR600 & GSXR600. Another model that would be a fantastic city bike that I haven't seen mentioned yet is either the Yamaha FZ6 or the Suzuki Bandit 600/650. Cheap to buy, cheap to run and cheap to insure but still plenty fast enough to put a smile on your face when you have a chance to open up a bit. The Ninja 650 is also cheap to insure along with the Suzuki SV650 & Gladius. Here's a bit of a wildcard, Honda VFR. Quality machine and pretty comfortable.

[snowcat]

My r6 is at 40k. With proper maintenance they're great.

[bashir26]

^ that's insane!

Lots of great advice in here guys! Thanks alot!

I got really good insurance rates for a bike from http://www.touchstoneinsurance.ca/

Beyond Bike meet?

[16hypen3sp]

The first street bike I ever rode was an 05 Buell XB12r (my brothers). Learned on that for the first year. I grew up riding motocross so I wasn't completely new to riding a motorcycle. I was just new at riding on the road.

Honestly, I was scared. And it wasn't the funnest method for learning. I would have preferred a small bike as there is no point in being scared all the time while learning.

It would have been nice to use that thing to its full potential.

Bought my CBR 600 after that and have had it ever since.