I've been told that if this will be your first bike and that you've never ridden before it's best to start off with something < 500 c.c. The reason being that throttle control is extremely important and a larger displacement bike requires extra finesse, something that a novice rider just won't have. It's almost a guarantee that you'll drop your first bike no matter how much of a natural you maybe.

Also, insurance increases exponentially the moment you hit the >= 600 c.c. range because so many dumbasses + hot heads out there want to pick up a fast bike and drop 'em doing stupid stuff.

As far as a track bike goes, I'd probably stay away from it. Wouldn't a track set up on a pothole filled path in the sticks make the bike that much more difficult to handle?

 

I ing hate comments like that!

In fact it is this mentality that keeps me riding...

 

30k is a lot for SOME bikes, not all bikes. I agree 30k is more than I would want on a sport bike if I were buying it used, but don't label all bikes as being high mileage at 30,000k.

My '85 Nighthawk 650 has 80,467k (50,000 miles) and I know several BMWs that are well over 160,934k (100,000 miles).

My next bike will be an 800 Interceptor and that is clearly capable of way more mileage than my Nighhawk, and that thing still runs strong, very strong.

 

Personally Jason, I think a 600-class sport bike is all wrong for anybody's first bike. There is a reason you hear this all the time. A sport bike as finely focused, as that is basically a very serious track toy even in stock form. A bike like that takes very subtle inputs from the driver and translates them into immediate actions, and believe me, this is not a good thing for a new rider. Those sport bikes are designed to utilize the subtle inputs of a skilled rider to push the envelope, they don't deal well with the sometimes ham fisted inputs a newbie can provide.

I'm a very strong fan of buying a lower cost "standard" bike to start riding on. Get one that you can afford to have fall over in the driveway because the kickstand was not down all the way or you set it down in something soft or slippery. These seemingly silly/stupid errors are the kinds of things people do when they are first trying to deal with a 300+pound vehicle that does not stand up on its own.

 

Jay, do whatever you feel right inside.. you went from RSX to s2000 pretty much on your own, then you went from s2000 to a jeep pretty much on your own.. so simply continue to do so no ?

 

I will agree with Mike on this part. I have always claimed my bike riding has made me a better car driver because I pay attention to more things, the bike has taught me that. I also find bike riding to be "relaxing" and what I mean by that is when I ride I have only one thought in my head, riding the bike. My mind is so busy with a 100 different things all day at work that just putting myself in a situation where I only have one thing to think about makes me very much at ease. When I ride I take that focus with me, I don't think about anything but riding.

I have 50,000 miles on the Nighthawk and I have put 45,000 of those on myself. My first bike was a '73 CB350/4 and I put over 10,000 miles on that, so I have over 55,000 miles (88,513k) and I have never :knockonwood: had an accident or dropped the bike when it was moving. I will admit, I have had some damn close calls, but I saw them coming in advance and was able to take the appropriate defensive move, I have flown a lot of middle fingers in that time.

And to be 100% honest, the situation I had 3 years ago has drastically reduced the amount I ride. I had a close, very close call with a deer. Not a situation I could see or expect, you think other drivers in cars/trucks are bad, having a frantic 200-pound deer run right at you is no fun at all!


Do some more shopping, find a bike that is not such a sportscar to start riding on. IMHO.

 

Yeah, I think 600cc is way over the top for a starter bike.

All I know is that my friend hit some gravel on Skyline (south of San Francisco), fell, slid, and the bike hit a tree and was in rough shape. After that, he bought an NSX . . .

Just be careful, the roads up there aren't the cleanest.

 

Did anyone say to you to buy a Fiat with 40 HP before you bought the S2000 with 240HP? Why would you do this with a bike? If you respect the power of the machine, you will be fine. Think of it this way.... if you get an underpowered machine, you will find yourself pushing it to redline all the time trying to get the damn thing to go.

I've been riding for 6 years and can tell you it does not matter what the displacement of the bike is, if you become an idiot rider you will get hurt! You can die just as easy on a 400CC over a 1000CC bike. And thats just you. Most accidents happen due to other circumstances such as car drivers pulling out in front of you.

Just take precautions. Take the course; it is good know how and is inexpensive. Not just because of the insurance discount, but rather for the skills they initiate that you HAVE TO perfect over time.

I had a R6 and have since gotten a CBR600RR. Both nice bikes. Be prepared to pay as much as a 75% surcharge on insurance for having a super sport. My wife rides a Suzuki SV650s and is comfortable on it for both ride height and over all weight and insurance is much cheaper.

Do yourself a favour and don't get something you will be disappointed in after a season of riding. Trading in, as with cars, can be an expensive endeavor. Get what you like and want and treat it with respect and you should be fine.

If you go with Kingsway Insurance, goto CMGonline.com and become a member. This gets you a 15% group insurance discount.

 

That is not a valid comparison and you know it. Actually many people have said that the S2000 should not be a first car for most people, especially young ones because of it's high level handling dynamics.

As for the bike, I've crashed a Ninja 600 while I was a noob and I did respect the bike.. but it was too much for my skill level at the time. I was lucky to walk away with minor bumps, bruises and half my shoulder skin missing. You cannot compare the consequences of a driver error on a bike vs a car. You can spin out an S and walk away to talk about it, you can wipe out a high performance bike and be dead.

 

Triple-H is pretty much spot on but I will add my two cents as well.

30, 000 km is alot for a 99' but not for a sportbike in general. Look on the road, there are hundreds of early model bikes on the road that are still in excellent shape and have far more then 30,000k on them. I had a 95' Suzuki with 25k on it and sold it last summer for $5000. I never drove my bike too hard and the buyer trusted me and bought the bike, so this bike could still be a good deal if you shave a few hundred bucks of the cost.

The first bike that I bought (Though not the first I rode) was this sportbike and I had no issues with the bike's power. The bike only has as much power as you put into the throttle, you just have to go easy on it until you get the hang of it. But if you have never ridden before I would suggest something smaller.

Lastly back roads are just as bad as main roads, don't think because there are fewer cars that it is less dangerous. It is because of this fact that it is just as dangerous, it can take longer for people to find you and longer for help to reach you if you have an accident. More crashes happen on city streets, but more fatalities occur on country roads. (Statistical fact from my drivers education class)