When you grab the front brake in the middle of a parking lot maneuver (which you will), a small bike will be easier to hold upright.

When you mis-judge your speed going into a turn (which you probably will), a smaller bike will be easier to manage and usually has a better lean angle which will help you stay out of the ditch.

When you have to do an emergency stop because you’re not used to people not seeing you, a smaller bike usually has a shorter stopping distance.

I learned a lot of good lessons as a kid on a little 250cc enduro that I’m glad I didn’t learn on a FatBoy.

While a little enduro would probably be too small for an adult, a smaller bike has some big advantages when starting out, but with the right teachers, and proceeding with caution, you can learn on any bike.

 

Yes. Vastly different.

A small, light bike is dramatically easier to handle, to turn, to perform tight maneuvers.

(And yes, easier to pick up if you drop it, and easier to not drop in the first place).

You ever see videos of those police rodeos, where the moto officers are doing tight maneuvers on 800 pound baggers? That is impressive riding, but it is only impressive because they are doing those moves on large bikes. Any child could effortlessly complete those courses on a 16" bicycle. (At least they could back when kids rode bikes, but that's a different story.) And an expert rider on a 250cc dirt bike could pull maneuvers that the most talented moto officer could never begin to match on a bagger.

The reason people advise starting on small, light bikes is because that gives you the opportunity to develop skills in an incremental way. After a year or two, you will be a profoundly better rider than the guy who starts out on a heavy bike and never spends time on a small one.

 

Welcome to the forum.

Paragraphs are your friend.

 

To me personally, that's a con job. The cost of that class is basically whatever the price of the bike is, it's not free by any means. . There are cheaper ways to take the class. Then one good thing about taking the class, it lets you know if riding a bike is for you or not and if it isn't, you've saved yourself a lot of money that you might have spent on a bike and then learn that it really wasn't your thing after all.

 

Whatever you do, do not go out and select a bike because you like the looks. Since you have no experience yet, you probably don’t know what kind of bike you will be happy with. Certainly take the MSF course. But you could waste a lot of coin if you run out and buy a bike before even knowing if riding is something you will enjoy. The MSF course will provide that answer. After that then start considering purchases. Until then you run a great risk of wasting money if you buy something now, regardless of what it is.

 

Yes to all your questions. However, do as previously stated. Buy smaller. Take a course. You can sell the small ride to move up after you have experience.

Or you can buy a half ton bagger and either high side it or put it into a ditch. After all, it’s only money.

 

Welcome from Spartan Country Michigan!! Lots of good advice here. Basically my concern would be the financial side of this.... a 500/600cc road bike will be easier to handle and repair than a 1600cc big bike. I will warn you that you will drop your bike. Don't matter if it is large or small.....a large, expensive bike will be much more expensive to repair. That could be a factor on your "non-enjoyment". I have dropped every bike I owned. The HD's are heavy and easier to drop!!! If you do start on a Harley, just be prepared for the possibility that a) you may enjoy this and continue....and ride a lot. Or b) you may be timid and not ride much. Or c) you may be scared and not ride at all. I would much rather see you buy an inexpensive "starter" bike and ride that for a year, then decide if the bigger bike is for you. Good luck....and don't be timid about coming back here, even if you get a Honda/Suzuki/Kawasaki.....

 

Lots of good advice, knowledge and experience in the previous posts. I did things a bit differently, but with the same ideas expressed above. Details below:

I started riding motorcycles when I was 15 and continued until 26 years old. Divorce, tight money, career, many relocations, etc. were priorities. Thought about taking it up again, but never did anything about it until retirement at age 65 (March 2017; still do some consulting). I was down in Florida visiting my sister & her husband. Went to the HD dealer in Port Charlotte and bought a new 2017 XL1200T (Superlow "touring" Sportster). Had it shipped back home to Indiana which took a few weeks. Probably not a smart move, but I decided to make it happen.

Returned to Indiana & took the IN state learners test (written only) for motorcycles (allows daylight riding, requires helmet, etc.) and enrolled in the local MSF course ($100 or so). Book study 3-4 hours the first night at MSF (Friday), learning to ride the next two days (Sat & Sun) with nearly 7+ hours of watch/learn/ride each day. Rode a 250 cc Suzuki which definitely made the slow speed maneuvering and riding easier than on a bigger bike. About 30 people in the classes which were split up into two groups. I did not do that well, but I passed and got my full motorcycle endorsement. Only two people failed.

My XL1200T arrived and I started to ride it. Mostly short spins and quite a bit of time in a nearby large church parking lot. As my confidence increased I decided that I loved riding and increased miles gradually through the summer of 2017. Began riding on local Interstate and other highways after about 2-3 months. Did some additions/changes to the bike (front and rear suspension, new seat, crash bar etc.) and finished 2017 with about 1700 miles on the bike before winter set in.

Rode a lot more in 2018 including a couple of 100-150 mile jaunts before deciding on a trip back east to my home town in Mass. Ended up doing 1600 miles in 5-6 days. I then decided to upgrade to a new 2018 FLHCS (Heritage 114) in October after putting 5700+/- total miles on the Sportster. The XL1200T was just a bit lacking on the long highway miles for me. Love the Heritage and have 4500 miles on it now (July 2019). Heading out West soon.

Did I "do it right"? Probably not. But as Frank Sinatra sang, "I Did It My Way".

 

Like you I was in my 50’s when I returned to riding. I started on a Softail Heritage, and it was a handful, sheer luck that I didn’t injure myself or crash the bike. I still have the Softail, much later I bought a Sporty to ride around town on short quick trips, every time I ride it I still ask myself why I did not buy it as first bike.

It’s so much easier to learn and gain confidence on a smaller & lighter bike. There are tons of relatively cheap low mileage second hand bike available, lots of them from “bucket list” riders who packed it in when discovering riding wasn’t for them.

As suggested by others, do the course, see if riding is for you, start on a pre-owned smaller machine, once you have come to the conclusion you like riding you will see what kind of riding you want to do - daily commuting, weekend riding, cross country touring, this will all determine what type of bike(s) you want to own.
Good luck & safe journeys!

 

I started riding when I was 48. I took the MSF course and started off with a 883 Sportster. First couple of rides were exciting and scary as hell due to not really knowing what I was doing. I would recommend starting off with an 883 or similar bike, get a used one because after you get some time in the saddle and gain experience you'll probably want a bigger bike. After you have some experience riding, consider an advanced riders course like Ride Like A Pro or Pro Rider, you'll learn a lot more about riding. I went from a Sportster 883 to a Dyna Wide Glide with the 88" engine and then to a bagger. Still riding at 67 but not as much as I used to but still enjoying the hell out of letting the bike rip up the road when I do get out.