Best First Motorcycle: How Much Is Too Much Bike??

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Originally Posted By: Silverado12
I like big bikes too. I have been riding for 30+ years, and my first bike was a brand new 1981 Honda XL 250. I wish I would have bought the XL-500 about 6 months later.


What do you ride now?
 
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: sunruh
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: sunruh
yes my 250cc puts out a dyno measured 42hp.
that 1800 is a wimp.


Yeah, but my 1800 makes 100 ft lbs of torque at the rear wheel...what does a 250 make, maybe 20?


28 actually, but cc vs cc your bike is a gutless wimp.

i have 1/7th the cc, but make 1/4th the torque and almost 1/2 the hp.

and my motor is not that impressive compared to say an 85cc yz/cr mx bike.

judging a bike by its motor is just like judging a book by its cover


Since when is motorcycling all about having the most HP per liter? Anyone knows that no big v-twin is going to be the HP champ in any comparison, they're all about lots of torque and running at very low RPMs while at highway speeds. BTW, how fast is your 250's engine turning at highway speeds? 6K? 7K? Mine turns 2800 at 60 MPH...in other words it's just loafing along, while your little 250 is screaming like a banshee at those speeds...


My Burgman is spinning 6200 at 65 & will run 70+ all day. In fact, it is designed to run 4000+ all the time. My wife's Comet spins ~8000 at 70, IIRC...but is designed to do so. (Its basically lugging below 5500.) RPMs are no problem if the engine is desighed for it!
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
My Burgman is spinning 6200 at 65 & will run 70+ all day. In fact, it is designed to run 4000+ all the time. My wife's Comet spins ~8000 at 70, IIRC...but is designed to do so. (Its basically lugging below 5500.) RPMs are no problem if the engine is desighed for it!


No problem for the engine, but very annoying to the rider...
 
grampi has a point there. Some engines tend to vibrate a lot at higher rpms, which can make your hands go numb after a while of such sustained rpm speeds.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
grampi has a point there. Some engines tend to vibrate a lot at higher rpms, which can make your hands go numb after a while of such sustained rpm speeds.



Not just that, but listening to a sustained high RPM whine spiking through your head is equally annoying...I'd much rather listen to the low rumble of a big v-twin, but hey, to each their own I guess...
 
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My Ninja 250 (stock exhaust) is WAY quieter than the wind noise on the highway! You don't hear/feel it as it's very smooth.
 
Originally Posted By: Sonataman
My Ninja 250 (stock exhaust) is WAY quieter than the wind noise on the highway!

Yeah, on extended hwy runs, I wear earplugs because the wind noise is more unbearable than engine running at high rpms.
 
Honda is also coming out with the CBR300R later this summer in the US, presumably as a 2015 model. I might hold out for a couple of months and see how that machine stacks up. It supposedly has many improvements over its 250R predecessor.
 
Originally Posted By: Clevy
I started my girl on a 450 nighthawk.


That's the same bike I started street riding on, nimble, kept up w traffic and very predictable. I kept it for about a year before getting an 1100cc Suzuki. I learned a lot on that 450 and it was actually fun to ride, even on a 750 mile trip.
 
I own a CBR250R and it is a great bike. It can easily go freeway speeds, gets great gas mileage, starts easy with fuel injection, has a balance shaft so there is little vibration. It has lots of low end torque, climbs hills well, doesn't buzz at speed.

I also have a BMW K75s and I'm thinking about selling it, the CBR is that good. I just wish the CBR had removable bags like the BMW for road trips.

I've heard about the new CBR300 coming out but it's just a stroked 250 with the same bore. I prefer the 250's shorter stroke. I'd shop around for a good deal on a 250.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Sonataman
My Ninja 250 (stock exhaust) is WAY quieter than the wind noise on the highway!

Yeah, on extended hwy runs, I wear earplugs because the wind noise is more unbearable than engine running at high rpms.


I have worn earplugs on every ride, short or long, since 94'.
 
Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
grampi has a point there. Some engines tend to vibrate a lot at higher rpms, which can make your hands go numb after a while of such sustained rpm speeds.


Not just that, but listening to a sustained high RPM whine spiking through your head is equally annoying...I'd much rather listen to the low rumble of a big v-twin, but hey, to each their own I guess...


All I can hear above 40MPH on the Burgman is wind...it's a very quiet engine.

With the stock exhaust, Liz's Comet is almost eerily quiet...hers has (bought with) an aftermarket pipe. While she reports she can barely hear it, it sounds vaguely like a wound-out dirt bike from behind.
 
Originally Posted By: Sonataman
I have worn earplugs on every ride, short or long, since 94'.

Me too. Earplugs are mandatory safety gear IMO.

jeff
 
My first bike was a '78 Suzuki GS750 that I bought from the original owner. I found it ideal to learn on. Plenty of fun, stable handling and the right size for me physically. The mufflers would scrape the ground way before you could exceed the bike's abilities. 20 years later and I still own that bike.

I would suggest a Honda 750 Nighthawk as a great learner's bike. Nothing to be afraid of and a good bike to grow with. Want something a little smaller? The Yamaha Radian is a nice, cheap bike. Small fuel tank, but otherwise a solid choice.
 
Originally Posted By: pottymouth
My first bike was a '78 Suzuki GS750 that I bought from the original owner. I found it ideal to learn on. Plenty of fun, stable handling and the right size for me physically. The mufflers would scrape the ground way before you could exceed the bike's abilities. 20 years later and I still own that bike.

I would suggest a Honda 750 Nighthawk as a great learner's bike. Nothing to be afraid of and a good bike to grow with. Want something a little smaller? The Yamaha Radian is a nice, cheap bike. Small fuel tank, but otherwise a solid choice.


Yup, the Radian was a great UJM... Alas!

John.
 
Originally Posted By: SwedishRider
I haven't scheduled the MSF course yet, but late June/early July is most likely. Why?

So, how did the MSF course go? And what bike did you decide to get?
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
So, how did the MSF course go? And what bike did you decide to get?


Well, I did take the MSF course, and about halfway through the course, I realized that motorcycling just wasn't for me. It's just way too much risk for not nearly enough reward, and I just didn't enjoy it.

I'm still glad I took the course and tried it, and I did learn a lot in the process, but I think I'll stick to four wheels and maybe look for something that you can drop the top on (like a Jeep Wrangler).
smile.gif
 
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