Hey Mnhunter, what part of MN are you in? I agree with the majority, take the MSF course first. I took mine about a year ago and my first bike was a Sporty 883L. I only had it two months and traded it for a Softail Deluxe. I know a lot of folks start out with the Sporties, but just my opinion, they are not necessarily the easiest bike for a beginner. They have a high center of gravity and can be a bit tippy. Have a friend that just took the MSF course in April (62 year old woman, never ridden) and she just couldn't get the hang of the Sporty, dropped it several times when stopping and starting. Her hub bought her a Heritage and she does great on it. Good luck in whatever you choose.

 

Take a class,thenbuy a cheap metric and practice in the neighborhood and in parking lots, street savvy does not come cheap or easy, meaning your skin or other body parts. When you feel comfortable, buy the bike you really want.

 

A Honda Rebel 250 would be the perfect starter bike for you. You can find one used for very little money and use it to learn on. They are the ideal entry level cruiser type bike. Don't get hung up now on Harley's. There's plenty of time for those later. Right now it's all about the basics.

 

Foursuggestions for you ...

1. See if you can "borrow" a bike from a local bud. Several of the guys I know have smaller bikes "left over" from their kids or their own learning. In fact a new guy at work "borrowed" a bike for 2 weeks from one of the other guys. The deal was that he had to put insurance on it and pay for any maintenance. He got to ride the bike for a minimal investment, and as it ends up he didn't like it in the end. So he was only out the cost for a month's worth of insurance and a few tanks of gas.

2. Check with the local dealer to see if they have a guaranteed buy-back program. This is not as popular as it was 20 years or more back, buta couple dealers still do things like this. Basically you agree to buy the bike now for a set price and they agree to give you a guaranteed price if you trade it in within a set period. If you don't trade then you've simply purchased the bike outright; however, if you do decide to trade-in then you at least know your cost going into the deal. Remember, though, that a dealer is ultimately in "business" and that means they need a profit. How big a profit is a personal choice, so don't be surprised if the dealer works a deal to their advantage. The reality is that it's a good deal for them, so long as they make their profit at both ends. Just don't expect them to pay for your chance to learn.

3. Buy a small, used bike now with the expectation of riding it for a set period of time. If you do your homework on prices -- and take some time to shop -- then you can get a bike now and not lose too much money when it comes time to sell for the bigger bike. But that assumes you educate yourself on the prices as well as the art of buying a used bike. Otherwise, just assume you'll lose some money but know that it's well invested into the training/learning period. As a rule, my experience has been that losing 10% for riding 1 season is about right for most used bikes. The initial loss happened when it was purchased new, so if you get a bike that's 2 or 3 years old it will have already seen the biggest loss. The secret is to get a bike that runs well and won't cost you a lot in maintenance or value-loss.

4. Take the plunge and buy the bike you want to begin with. Nothing says you can't learn on the biggest, baddest bike out there. It all boils down to a combination of your inate talents and your overall willingness to take a chance. Assuming you've ridden a bicycle then you know how to balance on two wheels. And assuming you know how to operate a standard shift vehicle then you'll know the basics of clutch/shifting techniques.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that riding a motorcycle is as simple as riding a bicycle, but I am saying that the "learning" process is all about the rider as much as it is about the bike. Most modern bikes are well built and should do a good job with learning. Just don't go too far overboard on buying the biggest, baddest, machine out there. You can get a decent entry level Softail or Dyna that would be fine for learning, so long as you don't try to jump into it too fast.

With that said, two final thoughts that apply regardless of which way you decide to go ...

First, stay out of heavy traffic until you are comfortable on the bike. Last thing you need is Gomer in his jacked up hillbilly pickup riding your butt while you're trying to figure out how to release the clutch while still on a slight hill.

Second, don't get cocky! More riders go down before they get too sure of themselves and stop paying attention to what's going on around them. By nature a motorcycle wants to fall over, and if you're not paying attention it will do it in a hurry. The best riders are those that never let themselves ge

 

Thanks all - doc_cj nice post

Most of my riding would be on country roads that dont have much traffic so I can't see where getting comfortable with what ever cycle I choose would be a problem.

I think that I probably would buy a Harley to begin with just because I would rather get used to riding what I really want instead of starting with something that I really dont like.

 

I had the same issue a year ago March when I took the MSF course. What to buy? I only had a few general thoughts in mind. Because of my "senior citizen" status, I began looking at the more conservative bikes. The Harley Road Kings appealed to me but I thought it would be a mistake to plunk down that much money and then discover a few months later that I wasn't that interested in motorcycles. I ended up buyinga Yamaha 650 Classic with 977 miles on it from a dealer for $4,800. Now, 16 months later and nearly 10,000 miles cruising around the country roads in Northern Virginia, I'mhavinga blast. It's been a tremendous learning tool. The first week I bought it, I ran out and bought some tire plugs in case I had a flat out in the boondocks. Then I discovered, "hey, I've got spoke wheels with inner tubes". Plugs are no good for that. That's just one of the many things a newbie doesn't think about - what kind of wheels do you want. I've also learned to do all my own maintenance - valve adjustments, adding pipes, rejetting the carbs, etc., because I'm not afraid to work on something in this price bracket. Also added some things like a Mustang saddle, windshield, tachometer, passing lamps, etc., and still have less than $6,500 invested. Yes, the Harley Road King still appeals to me and that's why I've been lurking on this forum for several months to LEARN. Some day I plan to buy one. But even now I know that I don't needthe six-speed gearbox because 90% of my riding is on small country roads whereI would never see the speeds high enough for the 6th gear to be useful. So I will probably be looking for a low mileage 04, 05, or 06 model. Many other responders to you have recommended an inexpensive metric. I endorse what they sayand have given you a fewreasons why.

Jim

 

If ya plan on hangin out here on this forum pilgrim..............well... I guess ya know what brand ya need to buy then

 

i bought a '75 suzuki for 300 bucks to learn on. glad i did, and i would suggest it to any new rider. you learn to ride without caring if you damage it, and you learn how to work on it a little out of necessity.

 

Screamin' Eagle Ultra

 

For what it's worth, mnhunter, my wife recently announced she might be interested in getting a bike. We even stopped in the dealer yesterday to look at bikes. I started her looking at used metrics (250 to 650 cc) and she has jumped herself up to the HD Sportster (1200 C) already. She hasn't even taken the MSF course (next month) and she's already complaining her bike (which she doesn't own yet) is too small. By the time we left she was looking at a new Softail ...