Hey Guys, I'm new to the forum, and did a quick search but came up empty handed.

I'm considering buying a bike in the near future. I've always toyed with the idea of owning a motorcycle, but living in the city made it seem pretty scary. The way people drive around here, I would be terrified to take a bike on the road without much experience.

Currently I own a Jeep Wrangler. It gives me the open-air feel, but it's really not practical for me. I'm finishing up a 6 year college program, and as a gift to myself, I'll be trading my jeep in for a Pickup, and now I'm considering a bike to go along with it... I also plan on moving out of the area to live with my girlfriend (about an hour away)

While in her town today, we decided to drive around to enjoy a day of beautiful weather. There were tons of people driving their motorcycles, getting the gears turning again.


So, what do you guys recommend as a first bike? Would it even be a harley? I just want to get an idea of what I'd be getting myself into. Also, out of curiosity, what is financing like for a new motorcycle? Or do most of you pay cash for your bikes upfront???

 

My advice would be for you to take a motorcycle safety course first. They have courses that supply the bikes and you can see how confident you are after you complete it.
The size of the bike should go in step with the confidence in your riding abilities. You should expect to start off with a smaller bike and as you get more experience you would move up. A sporty is not a bad bike to start off with.
Ron

 

+1 After you take the course, think about getting a used metric which you can pick up at a decent price, & ride, ride, ride. Get your confidence up, then maybe think about a larger bike. We all have been there you are now at one time. Also, welcome.

 

Last spring, I was in a similar place. Very little experience on a motorcycle; but wanted one for many reasons. I ended up taking a motorcycle safety class and then buying a XL1200C not soon after. After some practice in parking lots, and spending some time with the Ride Like a Pro DVD (http://www.ridelikeapro.com/), I was in good shape and very confident. Now I've got about 2000 miles on the bike, I'm commuting to work, and spending long days in the Colorado foothills. Its been an awesome experience.

You'll find all kinds of opinions on motorcycle safety courses on the forum. I took the Riders Edge course from Mile High Harley here in Denver and had a great experience. For a complete new person on a motorcycle, the course is a bit of a challenge; two of the people in my class didn't pass the riding test. At the end, you get paperwork for your designation. I did have to put up with some salesman BS, but in general, it was a good experience. The instructors were very professional, safe and fun; one of them was a former motorcycle trooper.

As far as a first bike, my only recommendation is that you ride a bunch of different kinds before buying one. Your harley dealer will let you ride a couple; try a buel, an 883, a 1200 and a dyna just to get the different feel. Then go to the honda dealer and try a shadow. Try a few other metrics and maybe even a sport bike. I guarantee you'll know at the end of that which you want, which you fit on, which is more comfortable, etc. I think the "which bike is best for a first timer" question comes down to a persons ability to learn, their balance, agility, confidence, and the amount of money they have. I have been riding mountain bikes and road bikes for about 20 years, and feel very comfortable on two wheels. The 1200C has a lot of torque which, if you're not prepared, could be bad for a first timer. I didn't have any issue, and after about 500 miles, I could have easily moved to a bigger bike. Smaller bikes are definitely appropriate for new folks with less agility, confidence, etc.

Good luck!

 

Everybody is different when it comes to riding abilities. Some take to it very naturally as if they were born to it and others will NEVER take to it like my youngest son. I don't care how much practice he got he just couldn't get used to being on two wheels and his practice was in the dirt thank god. My older son took to it like a duck to water. Scary good skills in the dirt and has even taught this old man a few things. Very level headed rider also. So take the course and then see if you want to take the next step. Have the instructors be brutally honest about your abilities and it'll help you to make the right decision.

 

I take a somewhat different stand - buy what you want now.... don't mess around with little, cheap Jap bikes - if you want a Harley. and don't buy a Sportster if you really want a Dyna or Softtail.

HOWEVER, I whole-heartily agree you should take the motorcycle safety course before you buy anything. heck, you may not want to ride after that.

 

+1 on pretty much everything coffeeguy suggested. I don't anyone could go about it any better.

 

+1 on the safty course then sit and feel of them all but i would recomend
buying a used HD dyna they are like the middle of the road, bigger than a
sportster but smaller than a bagger and lots and lots of fun. good luck to you.
........kev

 

Back in '90, I paid $1200 for my 1st bike (a used Kawasaki EX500). Laid it down within 5 minutes of buying it (noobie mistake: killed 1st gear, bars twisted as I grabbed the front brake and forgot to put my gad dang feet down ). After 3-4 months of polishing my riding skills, I sold it and moved up.

Cannot emphasize the MSF course..saved my azz countless of times.

 

I agree with aviator. I bought my first Harley 11 days ago. I had been on motorcycles a few times over the years, and had ridden for a couple months about 16 years ago.

I took the Rider's Edge course at Henderson HD here in the Vegas area, and bought an '09 Road King Classic. I couldn't be happier, and I'm glad I didn't "settle" for a small bike or a used metric. I wanted the FLHRC, and I've had no trouble adjusting to it.

There are folks who will say a big twin is too much for a new rider, or that a touring bike is too heavy, etc.

The skills you learn on a 500cc Buell Blast are basically the same as what you'll use on any other bike. It is easier to wheelie by grabbing too much throttle on most 650 sport bikes than it is on my King.

My personal opinion - from an acknowledged novice - is that it has a lot more to do with your mental attitude and maturity than anything else. If you have the discipline to be safe, be conservative, and not grab a handful of throttle (or brake!) then the specific bike matters a lot less.

Three of 8 people in my class "washed out." One was a small woman who just had a hard time physically. I think a bike with a hydraulic clutch would have made her successful. She just didn't have the hand strength after a few days of 9 hours in the friction zone. One woman decided after 2 hours that she still liked being a passenger more than riding herself. The last was a guy who was too afraid to make a go of it. He wouldn't get the bike up to speed, and snatched a whole handful of front brake every time he got near it.

Take the class, make sure that riding is for you. Then buy the bike you want. Be gentle, take your time, and in a couple hundred miles you'll be thrilled - rather than in a couple hundred miles be calculating how much money you're going to lose trading up to the bike you really wanted all along.

Best of luck, and enjoy the ride!