I posted this is in the new members area but haven't recievied much info or advice.

Please don't mind the spelling errors I am kind of in a rush, about to head to class!

I am a fresh noob!

I will be taking my MSF course this weekend and am very excited. As of right now I have ZERO experince on motorcycles (limited experince on scooter and Quads)

Little info on myself:

1. 6-1 190lbs
2. 23 years old

I am currenty looking into 4 bikes. 3 are sport, and the other is a cruiser. From what I have read cruiser are much easier bikes to learn on and control.

Sport bikes
1. 2010 Hyosung GT250R (heard these had problem, and i am already aware of there crappy resale)
2. 2009-2010 Kawasaki Ninja 250R (Really don't like the riding postion on this bike, for a "sport" bike at least. It may look similar to its bigger brothers but it still looks you are riding a scooter LOL)
3. 2010 Kawasaki ER-6N (ok looking bike sporty but I am kind of worried about the 70+ HP it is putting out for a new rider)

Cruiser
1. H-D 2009 Iron 883

Now before anyone flames me for putting this bike on here as a potential first bike let me explain. I know it is considerably heavier out of the 4 and is going to be harder to nav at slow speeds. I have sat on two different one and really liked the riding position and seat height. I was blown back when the sales man showed me a 883cc bike! I was like hold it there buddy this is to powerful of a bike to start on. After a little research later I come to find out that it has 20 less HP than the Kawi er6n and on 10 lbs of torque more. Not bad... I have heard that the throttle is very smooth and is not completely wild. The warranty is incredible along with the service that the dealership provides (picking up my bike from my house and servicing it and than bring it back free of charge, as well as if I get a flat tire in the area the will come pick me up, get me where ever I was going in most cases this would be class and take my bike and fix it up!) As you can tell I have a strong bias towards this bike... I feel that the grin factor every time you see your bike is worth very much and if I walk out to a 250 that I really didn't want but bought because it had a smaller amount of HP I would have the feeling of regret.

Looking forward to your comments and critisism! Please be kind and easy on the girl bike comments, if you feel this is all you have to say than just keep it to yourself and find someone else to pick on.

Thank you

 

The Iron would be a good choice however...yes, it is heavier, but you are not slight of build (like a 110 lb person) so that is not a problem. Being 6'1" you may feel a little cramped on the Iron but fwd controls will help. Remember, it is one thing to sit on the bike in the showroom, but how will it feel after 60-100 miles.

Lastly, if you are set on the Iron, shop around for a used one. There are many out there with very low milege that will save you a few grand.

Bwana

 

I have been looking around and the nearest 2009 used iron 883 is 3 1/2 hours away and is $7000 which is not to much of a difference seeing as how i would get a full 2 years of warranty plus added bonuses from the dealership. I have also looked at an older sportster 1995 bobbed so it has been completely stripped of mirrors, signals, horn, and has a very tiny/thin little brake light mounted on the right side on the rear suspension. Priced at $3900 which isn't bad but I do not like the fact that I do not have the proper tools and my disposal to be seen as a new rider...

Is getting a new 2009 Iron 883 to ambitious? I know the whole dropping factor, And yeah the first scratch/dent is the deepest no matter whether the bike is new or used. But how much is the grin factor worth when you go out to your garage a year after purchasing and the bike still puts a huge smile on your face.

 

Hey man, no worries about an 883 as your first bike, if you got the money for it and its what you want, why not? Bikes get dropped, doesn't matter if its used, new or how many years you've been riding, mistakes happen. This is what insurance and a wrench is for. Whats cool about the 883, once you get used to the power, you can easily upgrade it to a 1200. The other bikes you mentioned are cool. I was riding a ninja 250 before I bought my sporty. It was a fun bike, but felt like I was riding a toy, and at highway speeds, I was being blown around like a toy too.

 

I bought my first bike right after my class, its an 06 1200 custom and I had no problems learning on it. Im about 190 lbs and 5'10". Do not get a 250, you will grow out of that in a week! The way I see it you dont have to use all those CC's, but I know it sucks to want more and not have it.

 

Simply Put, Dollar for Dollar Think the Iron is the Best Buy Harley has had for a long time ... Whether 1st Bike or last is a good deal .. Learn on a Sportster and learn right isn't a Bike made won't be able to handle, if the desire comes for a switch for some a Sportster was all they ever needed.. Been riding Sporty's 40 years and still own one ..

 

Take it from me, I learned on a Honda Shadow 750DC, it was the perfect size for me and had great power, but not much on the highway, and with my wife on it, forget about it. I got a nightster and I couldn't be happier. The other bikes were just to wide for me to be comfortable, my mom has a deluxe and I feel like I am driving a boat. I am also 5'8" and about 200. On the highway, it seems she couldn't keep up from a red light. Maybe I pushed it too much, and she doesn't really give it much gas anyway. I say go for it, and get the forward controls, I am, and I'm a lot shorter. You may even want alittle bit more of an extension. Another idea, have someone take a picture with you on it and see how you look on it, and your size. it may be to small, I don't know. I think my bike is perfect for me, and my dad is the same size as I am and he has a street glide. Different strokes

 

I just figured that I would chip in here. I bought my Iron last March before the free ride program was over, and I bought it before I had even touched a motorcycle or anything close like a dirtbike. My father-in-law brought it home for me, and I stared at it in the garage until the end of April when I got to take my MSF course. (and hoped that I didn't make a mistake) After the course was over I took out the Iron and just took it easy for a couple of days - started out with a school parking lot by my house just to get the feel for it.

Yes, this bike is going to feel a lot more powerful after getting off the scooters in the class, but since you're close to my size (6'2 220) I think that you will have an easier time driving the Iron because of how much better it works than those bikes. Everything is a lot more responsive, and the bike will fit you better. (you'll see what I mean) The class bikes were tough for me because half the time I had to sit on the passenger seat in order to fit on them lol. Trust me, if you respect the power of the Iron you will pick it up in no time...

 

I think you're heading in the right direction. By the time I was done with the MSF course (3 days) I was ready for something other than a little Honda 250 or 500 or whatever that piece of crap was from the class. I started with a HD stock 883C (fwd controls, bigger tank, etc.) and felt it was enough bike for me at the time and helped keep me from doing anything stupid early (like trying to set a land speed record on a crotch rocket). I then upgraded the exhaust to get a louder sounds a little more HP & torque, and then worked my way up to a Dyna (and I have a 883 Iron, it rocks!!) My thought was I wanted a bigger bike, but only when I was ready for it--I've read about too many accidents with newer riders and bigger bikes--a bad combinationa and sometimes deadly combo. I had time to grow into whatever I wanted, and my tastes changed over the years. The Iron is a great first Harley, get the FWD controls for your size, add some drag bars, upgrade the exhaust/air filter/tuner, and go for the 883 to 1200 conversion down the road and you can keep customizing it rather inexpensively compared to other HD models! Good luck, have fun!

 

My first bike is my Nightster, first day of riding it has stage 1, tons of power. No issues, just ride safe and live by what you learn in the MSF Course.