Looking at getting my second bike, novice rider, litre bike?

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Aranate

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Hi guys,

I'm a novice rider, I'm currently riding a 375cc bike, the KTM rc 390. I'v been riding it for abit, I like it... its pretty fast and quite light, but I think I probably should have gotten something that was abit more comfortable as a first bike... the riding position is very aggressive, I"m constantly trying to keep my riding position just right to prevent fatigue in my arm's/wrists... but really its hard to do that after you've been riding for an hour+.

Its great fun and I do love riding it, but I like to go on extended rides often and I'm finding its not so good for that.

So anyways, I'm looking at options for a second bike, It will definitely have to be an upgrade in power/cc's... I picked a smaller bike to learn on, I feel pretty comfortable on it and I think I can handle more power if I'm going to be upgrading anyways.

There are SO many options to choose from, I'v been researching awhile, even when I was researching for my first bike I was still checking out the bigger bikes just to know whats out there... I figured that I would go up to a 600cc as my second bike, which seems like the logical next step in most cases.... but a bunch of the new liter bikes coming out now come with all sorts of electronics on them, that they seem like they can be very safe.... traction control... anti-wheelie modes... ABS... different power modes(ie reduced power via the fuel maps) electronic suspension adjustments, it seems like you could get a liter bike and basically start with all safety measures turned on and then slowly turn stuff off as you learn more/get more comfortable.

The one bike that keeps coming up for me, although I'm open to other bikes, is the BMW s1000r... looks like a hell of a bike, maby even a perfect bike, but everyone is different so can't be perfect for everyone... but it looks pretty comfortable, alot of people use it as/consider it a sport touring bike.... has something like 160hp I believe, might be closer to 200 on more recent models.. but that could be reduced with different power modes I believe... bike is also pretty light... I think 450ish wet..

So yeah I'm seriously thinking that this could be my next bike, there is a ton of other bikes I like to.. zx-6r... cbr 600/1000's.. duke 690... I think I'd probably be happy on alot of different bikes... I wish it was easier to try out different bikes, I wish there was some options for like renting bikes to try them out... I know there are some demo days and I"m looking in to trying out some demo's... but I'd happily rent some bikes to try them out to see what I like...

So what do you guys think is good second bike?
 
You are so gonna get flamed for wanting to move to a 1000.

Are you keeping the RC390 or selling it? If it's the latter, how much do you want for the RC 390?
 
Didn't you just get the RC390 a few weeks ago? There is always going another bike you want. Slow down, think logically or it is going to get expensive. Maybe try the RC390 at the track? If you want long distance touring, look for a bike that is designed for it.
 
If you think your RC390 has an aggressive riding position and is not good for longer trips, a litre sport bike (any of them) is not for you. They're worse.
 
I have a Tuono (third bike) and its a LOT of bike, jesus, not sure I'd recommend stepping up to an s1000 just yet man, electronics do help but they will not save you unless you know what you're doing. TC doesn't work off throttle :s
 
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Just got an Yamaha R3, my next bigger bike that I have my eye on for next year is the CBR650F if I can afford the insurance on it :)
Not too aggressive, nice riding position, good price, but I cannot imagine jumping on 1000cc from 300cc, that would just not be fun for me, constant riding in fear not to mess something up.
Have you check insurance yet, can you even afford 1000cc insurance cost ?
 
I recommend a Hayabusa. I hear they are super comfortable, like a couch!


All kidding aside...

I suggest you slow down, and enjoy the bike you currently have. Garnish some more experience before you jump to a 160+HP bike. Try to get on as many demo rides as humanely possible.
 
Brian P said:
If you think your RC390 has an aggressive riding position and is not good for longer trips, a litre sport bike (any of them) is not for you. They're worse.
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This x23985762765031465. I'd suggest more seat time and when the time comes think with the logical side not the want side. Maybe you're one of the few who could handle it, maybe you aren't. No one knows that except you. That said a jump to 160 or more hp being new is a little more than an eye opener for most. The cbr650f is a good suggestion. Comfort, some more power but not insane. I think it would be good for a long haul based on just checking out a friends before. The duke would also be a riot to ride. Good luck, just remember... logic > desires.
 
I wont be selling the RC 390 I like it alot... unless I buy a bigger bike and find that its everything I need and have no use for the 390... I might still keep it though, maby as a track bike?

Yeah I got it a month ago roughly, I'v put about 2000km's on it, I go out 2-3 times a day on it. Don't get me wrong I'm not bored with it, but it does have a very aggressive riding position and I think I would enjoy having a bike I could tour on... with this bike I feel like if I drove for 1-2 hours untill I started getting sore, I wouldn't enjoy the 1-2 hours riding back... and I want to have long rides like that... 3...4...5 hour long rides, this bike was designed really for track use... I don't agree with the comment that liter bikes are all going to have just as aggressive seating position, I'v been researching it and thats definitely NOT the case. If you look at pictures of an bmw s1000r its clear the handlebars are alot higher and closer to the rider then on a typical track style sport bike, like the RC 390, and its bigger brother the RC8.

Maby a liter bike is to much for me, having not ridden one I can't say that isn't the case... But research is suggesting not all liter bikes are the same and especially the cutting edge ones... ones that have come out in the last 4-5 years, have alot of safety measures that I think sort of like riding a 600cc bike atleast in terms of safety and being able to "handle" it. If a bike has anti-wheelie mode on, you couldn't accidently hit the throttle to hard and get thrown off the back, its impossible pretty much.

I'm waiting on a quote for the s1000r, I'm not sure I would buy another bike this riding season anyways just because, and if I did I don't think I could justify such an expensive bike... but it's not completely outside the realm of possibility either.

If it wasn't for the extra electronic safety measures I wouldn't be thinking I could handle a 1000cc as my next bike, its not that I think I'm some amazing rider, although I do feel very confident on the bike I have ATM, I was planning on getting a 600cc bike next, but if certain liter bikes can be just as safe and manageable, then I would consider them if that was the case.

The duke 690 certainly looks good, only problem for me is seat height, I'm abit short at 5'6, and the seat heigh is like 34" on the 690 so abit taller then I'm looking for unfortunately. I'v seen the cbr650f and it definately could be a good touring bike, they seem to be very reasonable priced to used... I would consider a honda based on maintenance costs alone... but yeah certainly alot of bikes to choose from...

One problem with going to the track is where I live all the tracks are like minimum 1.5-2 hours away.
 
My first 3 yrs of riding I was still learning things on the bike.... and I rode alot
 
You want a more comfortable bike but will only look at race replicas. You sound conflicted.
 
Only 2000k and you want a litre bike. You'll be one of them guys... Either with huge chicken strips or in the ditch..
 
OP barely had first service on his current bike and now wants a bigger bike? Take it easy bro you got the rest of your life ahead of you. I would suggest just ride the rest of the season with your first bike and you'll have all winter to faun over all sorts of bike.


2motors said:
Only 2000k and you want a litre bike. You'll be one of them guys... Either with huge chicken strips or in the ditch..
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Your bike is so new, and you still like riding it. How about trying to modify your existing bike for more comfort? There's probably a lot of mods you can do to it to suit your riding style. How about risers and a seat changes?
 
You are still a VERY VERY novice rider. You also "seem" to be relying on the "electronics" on a litre bike to save your butt if something starts to go bad on a litre bike.

Sure those "toys" may help if it is a VERY VERY VERY minor hiccup. But if things go wrong on a litre bike it is rarely VERY VERY VERY minor.

Although you may not want to admit it to yourself, (likely because you know it isn't the case), you say your doing this mainly for the "seating position", not because your bored etc with the RC390. If that were "truly" the case then you would be looking at bikes up to perhaps a 500 - 650 with a better ergo seating position. But instead your "trying" to justify a litre bike, because of the "electronics making it AS safe as a 600" Be honest with yourself you WANT a more powerful bike, (which may not be a bad thing, AFTER you have a LOT more seat time). "1 month, and 2000km" is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. You WANT a faster bike and if you are really honest with yourself, you "may" use thse electronics to "tame" the bike but that will last for a VERY short period of time. That isn't a reflection upon you personally, it is what young people do.

Someone earlier in this thread said "slow down you have the rest of your life" and another said "you might be one of the few that can handle a litre bike"

Problem is you won't "know" if you can't handle and harness all that power until it is too late. Then you won't "have the rest of your life" or that life may be in a wheelchair. I have been "that guy" who has had to knock on a parents door at 2 am, to deliver devasting news. Don't permit your "enthuasim" entice you into being the person that news which ends with THAT knock. Given that after 1 month and 2,000 km you have realized you made an error in the bike you choose, (likely based upon impulse and looks only without consideration of all factors, including seating position), don't make another error. Unless your going to be one of a VERY few, you will never ride even a 600 bike to it's FULL potential, (nor should you on a public road).

Best advice as a rider with 35 years and likely WELL over 1 million riding Km's, slow WAY down look at 3 - 500 CC bikes with the ergonomics to permit you do longer rides. If you haven't riiden much more than 1 hour at a time on the RC390 then you haven't even gotten to a decent twisties road, (becasue there are NONE within 1 hour of the GTA).
 
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Aranate said:
but if certain liter bikes can be just as safe and manageable, then I would consider them if that was the case.
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One problem with going to the track is where I live all the tracks are like minimum 1.5-2 hours away.
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You're thinking of the electronics the wrong way. They will not make a powerful litre bike safe and manageable. I think the better way to describe what they will do is that they will smooth out the most raw, violent moments on the bike so that you will have a split second to make a correction. When you haven't accumulated the skills to make the correction (through experience and training), you will display a bunch of "Survival Reactions", as Keith Code calls them, and this is when bad things happen. The bike's electronics will not save you from all of the potential bad outcomes of the Survival Reactions.

The majority of track riders live a minimum 1.5-2 hours away from the venues they attend.
 
RockerGuy said:
My first 3 yrs of riding I was still learning things on the bike.... and I rode alot
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I've only been riding since 2009 and still feel like I have stuff to learn/practice. Also, I think anything over a 600 (and even most of those) is pointless for the street. Even on my "slow" 650R I felt like I was babying it and struggling not to speed all the time.
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