Recommend Me A Bike

[stygz]

MSF may be required to get your MC endorsment depending on your state.

I worked on the motorcycle industry for 6 years (parts, sales, service writer) with that being said the SV650 would be top of my list. They have a full faired version and a naked version. The Z1000 or Speed Triple would be alot of bike for the first road bike (I had both). Other honerable mentions would be:

FZ6
Z750
Ninja 650, versys, EN 650
CB 919

 

[flstffxe]

Originally Posted By: 02SE
Originally Posted By: BusyLittleShop
You won't know for sure what suits you until you take a MSF safety course...

http://online2.msf-usa.org/msf/Default.aspx#&panel1-1

The best advice so far.


Agreed.

The MSF coarse is a good place to start. Before balking at it with the "I already know how to ride, why should I spend the money on it" comment that many have. Often time insurance companies will offer a discount for taking it and following courses. My MSF course paid for itself in the first year with the discount I got on my insurance and I have received a discount for it ever since.

You have the added bonus that you might learn something that you didn't know or may be able to correct bad habits you have started now that you are aware of them.

As for finding a bike that fits what you want. That is going to be different for every one. I truly suggest not just internet shopping but swinging a leg over as many as you can. Even if you don't go on a test ride that 30 second sit can tell you a lot in how comfortable you will be on it. As in; yes a good fit as is, absolutely not or the hmmm maybe with a few changes.

I have logged several hundred thousand miles on various bikes. All of them had some thing to offer. The bikes with the most seat time and what I enjoyed about them are:

'80 KZ650, Basic simple street bike. OK at just about everything but excelled at nothing. Put roughly 60K on it. Sold many years ago.

'76 Harley FXE converted to a FL with 12" apes, solo seat no luggage. Classic Harley cruiser riding position. Some performance work, runs strong and fairly quick for a 38 year old bike. Great bike for long solo day rides or running around town visiting people. Logged about 20K the first year and have averaged about 5-10K a year since I have owned it(16 years).

'99 Fatboy, Virtually stock appearance, large leather bags, more performance engine work than I care to admit to but when you are a mechanic it's just parts and time. Quick, fast for a cruiser with a rather light handling feel. The large bags serve well for week long camping trips. Really fun bike that fit multiple roles from around town picking stuff up/dropping it off to the longer stuff. Bought new, has roughly 65K on it.

'82 Maxim 550, just going to say this was the most un-fun bike I have ever owned. Sold. put 10K

'78 XS100, Way too much engine work, but was good for burning a back tire off. Fun big power heavy street bike(120+hp). Cornered like a brick and was only somewhat streetable when it was done. Sold after the work,
'96 Vulcan 800 Classic, Fun cruiser. 12" bars, seat and nothing more than gutting that air box, rejet and exhaust. Really fun snappy cruiser that would serve multiple roles for most anyone. Sold, put on about 30K

'82 Honda Ascot, 500cc single, works performance/supertrapp exhaust and a rejet. Otherwise stock. This overall is probably the funnest bike I have had. You could do a few hundred miles a day, again good for long day rides and a blast around town. Light, flickable, snappy. Not the fastest by any means but was in a size power range that allowed you to push your limits and its limits at a reasonable speed. Basically a XL500 dirtbike on street tires. Sold, roughly 25 - 30K

2011 FJR. Sport tourer(bought new this year). Good handling, cornering and almost a excess of power. Luggage off, makes for a sportier feeling around town, luggage on it is just big over powered long distance cruiser comfortable on those long trips. Owned for basically 3 months of our/my(work) usable riding season(July-Sep) with one ~2,500 mile trip and have 7K on it.



One thing you find when you get to street bikes is what many like me find out. Most all bikes will have something you enjoy about them and no one bike will fit all your "wants" all the time. What is comfortable for you may not be comfortable for some one of the same build as you. Take the time to think about what you want to use it for, around town bar hopper with no luggage, around town with some luggage, lazy cruises, attacking some twisties and what is comfortable for you in a sitting position. Riding a 250cc 2-stroke on a track 20 minutes at a time where you are standing up most of the time is a far cry from a leisurely 3-4 hour trail ride on a 450 4-stroke where most of your time is spent sitting. Likewise street bikes are another world apart.

You may like the looks and style of one type of bike but if it doesn't fit your uses you wont spend as much time on it as you would like. Suggestions from others are good to get random ideas you might not have othewise thought about, but you need to know what you are after first.

 

[whip]

As a former MSF instructor, I agree that taking the course is the first thing I would do. Tri-C and Polaris Career Center are the 2 closet to you in Cleveland. It doesn't matter how much riding experience you have, I guarantee you will learn something. Besides, It's fun, you'll get a discount on your insurance, and you'll meet some new friends to ride with. In Ohio, if you don't have your endorsement, passing the course will let you bypass the state's exam. It's a 16 hour course costing $50.00. Motorcycles and helmets are provided.
After that, living in Ohio, just keep looking for a good deal. There are hundreds of bikes to choose from. Many of the suggestions here are good. I would get at least a 500cc bike.

 

[Mik]

of course, some members here would argue that running open pipes negates the need for rider training..... lol

 

[cycleman]

I also endorse taking the MSF course.

Any of the Suzuki DL650's will more than fit your requirements. Do some research on them. They are a fairly tall bike, so inseam length can be an issue.

 

[quarterliter]

With you being a dirt rider a supermoto would be my first choice. I came from the dirt too and loathe the weight of all these big bikes. My suggestions for high performance high maintenance: Aprilia SXV 450 Husqvarna 510 SMR and your choice of KTM. For lower intensity a DRZ400SM isn't bad, but is overweight and underpowered when compared to the others I mentioned.

 

[stygz]

Yes DRZ400SM is very underpowered! It is a boing without lots of mods.

 

[whip]

Originally Posted By: Mik
of course, some members here would argue that running open pipes negates the need for rider training..... lol

Why troll? By bringing it up, you're no better than they are. Is it too much to ask that we all act like adults here?

 

[Cujet]

You could consider finding a late model Suzuki SV650 in very nice shape. They are troublefree bikes, with smooth and capable fuel injected engines and last forever. Plus there is good aftermarket support for them, so maintenance can be cheaper. The standard model is comfortable enough and fast enough to be fun. They do make a bit more power than the Ninja 650, and I feel they handle better too.

I ride a KTM 380EXC, A Honda 250 Reflex and a Suzuki SV1000s that I've converted to "high bars" for comfort and control. (The SV1000s is rather uncomfortable otherwise) The first picture is the current handlebar conversion. Perfect for a old dirt bike guy like me.

 

[Analyzer]

Originally Posted By: Brent_G
Definitely a sport touring type bike, as any super sport style bike will have many downsides for what you want. I am really fond of the Yamaha FZ6R. They handle very nice and feel light, an upright riding position, very smooth and fluid power band compared to the R6 the engine is based off.


Absolutely agree! To be perfectly honest, the Yamaha FZ's, either the 600 (FZ6) or the 1000 (FZ1) would be your best all around bike to go with in my book. You're going to average 40 plus on the FZ1, 50 plus mpg in the FZ6, inline fours with plenty of power (FZ1's will have the 5 valve Genesis head), can be used for commuting, canyon carving, or touring the states, low maintenance (26,700 mile valve adjustment intervals compared to less than half with the Suzuki SV650, or Bandits), the hp and torque to keep up with super sport bikes of similar displacement but with a much less aggressive and comfortable riding position. Plus, check out the forums for these bikes, as both are routinely hitting over 100,000 miles with regular maintenance, plus I can personally vouch for them as I currently have an 07 FZ1. Take one for a test ride and you won't be disappointed, hands down.

 

[Robenstein]

Originally Posted By: whip
Originally Posted By: Mik
of course, some members here would argue that running open pipes negates the need for rider training..... lol

Why troll? By bringing it up, you're no better than they are. Is it too much to ask that we all act like adults here?


+1

 

[Mik]

just curious, but where were you guys when the "Willie G is God" crowd were trolling other threads? Or is there an "untouchable" aspect to this site that I am not aware of?

as for my comment, forgive me for (awkwardly) expressing my surprise at knowing that there are others on this site who actually see value in rider training.....

 

[02SE]

Originally Posted By: Mik
just curious, but where were you guys when the "Willie G is God" crowd were trolling other threads? Or is there an "untouchable" aspect to this site that I am not aware of?



I doubt there's an "untouchable" aspect at work. I'd say it's probably a case of mature adults not wanting to waste their time arguing with unflinchingly loyal specific brand zealots.

I've met tools on every brand and type of bike made. I've also met good people on those same bikes.

Life is too short for me to get worked up over a derogatory comment or opinion from someone that has yet to grow up.

 

[Robenstein]

Indeed, the comment made had no real bearing on the question. It seems that some people on here look for any and every excuse to berate riders of one brand or another. Motorcycle are plain and simple cool pieces of transportation, and we should respect that like with all things, there are varying tastes. Just because some Harley rider is a total arse, does not mean that you should treat all Harley or cruiser riders like [censored]. And vise versa for those that ride any other brand or type.

jeez guys, let it go already.

 

[Spazdog]

My family and most of the people I grew up riding with are all about Harley Davidson.

I've ridden them all.

Heritage Softail to Street Glide to Low Rider to Sportster to Super Glide... I don't get it.

Black Sheep......every family has one. In my family, it's the guy not riding the Harley.

I just don't get it. I can ride an 883 Sporty and all I can think is how much this thing rides like a Yamaha....a 1975 Yamaha XS500....except the XS has more power.

It's not that I don't like riding. I didn't even own a car for years. My bike was my car. I've carried stuff on my Ninja or GSX-R like someone from Vietnam would on a Super Cub. I've ridden in rain, snow, and in single digit temps. One day solo ride to New Orleans. 12hours in the saddle. One day ride to Denver. 12 hours in the saddle. Too many trips to Galveston or South Padre. rode it all and loved it.

I prefer small bikes. My favorite bike ever is my GSF400 Bandit
A 400???? You can't even ride that on the freeway...

I could holeshot every 600 to 60 and leave everything on the Harley dealer floor but the V-Rod in the dust.

I'm really digging the BMW R-Nine-T.... but it is big and way over the $4000 Budget.

I think you can get on a decent, well cared for K75 or K100 in that price range. It'll have some miles on it, but those riders don't typically stunt and race a lot so second gear will probably be intact and you can get a lot more miles out of them. They are really nice bikes. They're heavy, but they manage that weight real well.

Probably find a Kawasaki Concours too. It feels a little heavier up top than the K100 (it's probably actually lighter) It's a sports bike, it's a touring bike...it's all things roadgoing.

Maybe a 10 year old Triumph Sprint. Or a Katana.

 

[Robenstein]

A Triumph Thunderbird(95-03), Adventurer, or Legend with the 885 inline three can be bought cheap and are bullet proof. Fun and sporty, but not too fast.

 

[Mackelroy]

One of my biggest enjoyments was Hunting 100 horse sportbikes with a 35 horse motard. However if your talking about flat road and top speed, true most motards only break about 100 mph or so. This is more than enough to compete with a Harley or gs 500, on road with any natural obsticles which keep the speeds below 90 mph. Ideally 50 mph road.

As far as sustained interstate, I agree 400 cc is about the minimum, if only looking for 75 mph sustained, true a 250 cc can do that but its a whole lot more stressed. On the Interstate to be compettitive, need to be able to sustain 80 mph with blasts post 100mph.

Even a 125 cc dirt rider, will have no problem with a 650 cc street bike, power wise.They just arent that abrupt in nature. Now there's more adjustment with fixed position sport bikes, for the lack of freedom of movement. But in general , most streetbike, have much less freedom of movement than the typical dirt bike.






Originally Posted By: bepperb
Even though the 250 and/or 450 bikes are fast offroad they are not on pavement. A 250 is the smallest displacement I would even consider on an interstate. So keep that in mind.

The Ninja 500 or EX 500 is a common beginner bike that will be easy to find used and cheap. A little more power than the GS500 (IIRC something like 54 to 40 or so). Easy to sell too. I bought mine, put 8000 miles on it and sold it for 300 bucks less five years later, FWIW.

Edit, keep in mind most 600 4-cyls put out 90-125hp, a lot more than the smaller bikes I'd recommend.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: Analyzer


Absolutely agree! To be perfectly honest, the Yamaha FZ's, either the 600 (FZ6) or the 1000 (FZ1) would be your best all around bike to go with in my book. You're going to average 40 plus on the FZ1, 50 plus mpg in the FZ6, inline fours with plenty of power (FZ1's will have the 5 valve Genesis head), can be used for commuting, canyon carving, or touring the states, low maintenance (26,700 mile valve adjustment intervals compared to less than half with the Suzuki SV650, or Bandits), the hp and torque to keep up with super sport bikes of similar displacement but with a much less aggressive and comfortable riding position. Plus, check out the forums for these bikes, as both are routinely hitting over 100,000 miles with regular maintenance, plus I can personally vouch for them as I currently have an 07 FZ1. Take one for a test ride and you won't be disappointed, hands down.


I'll agree fully! The FZ-1 was exactly the bike I wanted. I really liked everything about them, the old ones and the new models, makes little difference to me. They are both quite different but both "Rock". However, I was unable to find a nice one for a good price. It seemed that the lower limit was around $5K for a nice one without "issues" or corrosion.

The little FZ-6 is also a really nice bike. Smooth, very comfortable and capable. It's probably a touch faster in a drag race than an SV650, but does not feel as torque-y. I find the 600's and 650's to be a bit down on power/torque though for my needs on the open roads of South Florida. Hence my personal preference for 1000cc bikes.

I did have to spend $100 to put upright handlebars on my SV1000s. To "try" and make it feel like and FZ1000. If I had to replace my SV, I'd get an FZ!

By the way, my SV1000s was $3000.

 

[Ausfahrt]

[/quote]

I'd say it's probably a case of mature adults not wanting to waste their time arguing with unflinchingly loyal specific brand zealots.

[/quote]

I like that.

In one concise sentence, you have explained much of the strife on this and countless other sites. Well done.

To the OP:
I agree that a Suzuki SV650 or DL650 sounds perfect for you. Good luck.

 

[WANG]

On the light side: any 650c twin from Suzuki or Kawasaki would be great. Abundant, cheap, and they are a club racing and trackday favorite.
On the heavy side, FZ1, Bandit 1200/1250, or Kawi Z1000. Comfortable, plenty of steam, and good handling. I've had a couple of the 1st gen Bandit 1200s, not a marvel of technology, but a really fun bike that is enjoyable to ride and maintain.