First sport bike. | GTAMotorcycle.com

First sport bike.

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gordoff

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Alright so I'm looking to buy my first sport bike over the next 6 months. I've been told not to look at anything 600 or over for a couple reasons. First the insurance is high for people with under 25 and second people buying their first bike should buy something smaller and maybe after a season or two look to upgrade.

However one of the bikes that I was looking at was the 2009 SV650s. Other bikes I was looking at was The ninja 400r as well as the 650r. I'm not really looking at 250's such as the CBR or Ninja because I've heard some negatives about them. Though this doesn't mean that I can't be persuaded lol

But yeah im just looking for a nice looking sport bike to ride for a couple years and also something that get's somewhat cheap insurance for a 21yr male with m2 and g2.. will be getting G next summer.
 
Welcome first off...Now plain and simple call around and get some insurance quotes on some of those bikes you mentioned. As for the size f bike it all depends on your maturity level in my opinion. I know people who started on 250's and are idiots and have dropped their bikes simply from being stupid and then I have a few friends who started on litre bikes or larger and have had zero issues whatsoever. If you ride within your means and practice and take a course size of bike engine wise I feel doesn't matter.
 
lol Title should be first bike ever:) The Ninja 650 and SV 650 are sport touring bikes. Out of the two I sugest the ninja is very forgiving and the sv is more torky(I think I spelled that wrong). I've tested out both of them as my friends have them.

I've also tried out the ninja 250 and brought it to highway speeds on the straight aways on the track so don't let anyone tell you it's not good for the highway.

I decided to get the GS500F for my first bike and no regrets and no I'm not bored of it yet.

Guessing cause of your age you will only be able to afford insurance for a 125:) Which are also fun bikes, rode that on a track as well. First track day ever so I didn't take it over 3rd gear but I've seen people in group rides take them on the highway no prob.

Happy hunting!!!
 
bump - the "get insurance quotes first."

As for you mentioning the 400r or 650r - here is my story...

i picked up my first bike this year - 2011 650r - and as a first time rider, i find it to be an excellent bike. (side note: i'm also much older then 21yrs - so i like to think i have the maturity to take it easy at the onset (not saying you dont) )
its no super sport, obviously, but it will definitely fill your need for speed when you get more comfortable with it. and if your an idiot, it will definitely hurt you.

Speaking with the sales rep i purchased the bike from, i asked what was Kawasaki's rationale for the 400r. At the end of the day, the price difference would amount to approx $650.00. (OTD) Where was the incentive to purchase the 400r? Insurance.
So i was told - with the age of 25 and under - the price for insurance is drastically different between 400cc and 650cc. Some could not afford the insurance on the 650 hence, they opted for the 400.

Virtually identical bikes - physically - i had a soft sport for the 400r. I really wanted to pick one up, I dont care about 0-300km in 4secs. I just couldnt get over the price difference. Financially, it didnt make sense for me, hence i opted for the 650r.

so with your age, and what insurance may cost - i would recommend looking into the 400r. Only major issue, and its a big one, cost. Your only choice might be to purchase new.
Might be hard to find one used, and if you do, it will cost you comparable to a GS500 or Ninja 500.

I guess it really depends on how fat your roll of cash is.
 
There are several threads in this part of the forum, where all beginner bikes have been discussed in the greatest detail possible, like this one, which is a stickie:
http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforu...Which-one-(Guide-to-choosing-your-first-ride)

Personally, I started on GS500F and loved that bike. It was so much more comfortable than my CBR600, even though F4i has the banana seat.

SV650 is a nice bike, but check the insurance on it prior to buying. It also has a lot of torque, being a V-twin engine.

One advice from me: unless you're buying a real beginner bike like Ninja 400R, GS500(F), EX500, and similar, do not buy the bike without riding it first. Many dealerships will let you ride their demo models so at least you will get the idea how different GS500 is from 650R or SV650.
 
Thanks for all the advice! And yeah I'm not an idiot.. I'm fully aware that you can't act stupid on a bike, especially when your a beginner!

And I'm not sure if I'm down for a 125 lol
 
First bike... buy used. Itll get dropped. Ride the hell out of a used cbr 125,cbr250 or ninja 250 or something. Once you ride it to a good skill level, then step it up to a newer or new bigger bike.
 
They are a lot of fun!!!

Start calling companies and getting quotes first then see what you can afford:)

I think Riders Plus is the cheapest for you, with a g2.

gordoff said:
Thanks for all the advice! And yeah I'm not an idiot.. I'm fully aware that you can't act stupid on a bike, especially when your a beginner!

And I'm not sure if I'm down for a 125 lol
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I noticed that the best insurance rates are for bikes that are below 500 cc with the CRB125 being the least expensive to insure.
If you don't need to go on the highway the cbr125 is a great bike to start on. Nearly bought one after 2 test rides, but instead bought a GS500F for riding on the hiway.
 
Seems like a lot of you are suggesting the gs500f.. I checked it out and it looks like a great bike! Some of the sites I went to said that its classified as a standard bike and not a sportbike. Is this true in Ontario? Cause that would be awesome lol
 
It's clasified as a sport touring bike:)

gordoff said:
Seems like a lot of you are suggesting the gs500f.. I checked it out and it looks like a great bike! Some of the sites I went to said that its classified as a standard bike and not a sportbike. Is this true in Ontario? Cause that would be awesome lol
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gordoff said:
Seems like a lot of you are suggesting the gs500f.. I checked it out and it looks like a great bike! Some of the sites I went to said that its classified as a standard bike and not a sportbike. Is this true in Ontario? Cause that would be awesome lol
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Yeah, it's classified as sport touring, so no (400%) SS surcharge on this bike.
 
What are you looking to get out of a sport bike? I have a BMW R1100S boxer twin. If its comfort, incredible low end torque, tons of power at any RPM, and mind-reading handling you're looking for, these bikes are great. They are also bullet proof, and rated sport TOURING for insurance. My brother has the RT and rode through the blue ridge with 3 guys on SS bikes. They had their ***** handed to them.
 
SV650 is an amazing bike and you can find one cheap but yes, it does have that low end torque which could be tricky at first for a newbie.
SV650 and Ninja 650 are generally the fastest/biggest (cc) bikes recommended for new riders. Ninja 650 is not as popular as SV but the power delivery is easier to handle for an inexperienced person.

EX500 is an amazing option as well if you don't mind the classic look. Seat is quite low though if you're tall. More power and better components than GS500, which is still a good bike but really outdated, albeit with newer style fairings.

Ninja 400 is just a castrated Ninja 650, not worth it for the money, IMO.

Nothing wrong with the 250s. They lack some passing power on the highway and may struggle a bit up steep hills but great bikes overall, very easy to handle. Ninja is the faster of the 2 but is a bit cold blooded and the CBR has newer technology. Ergonomics are a bit tight on both bikes. You may get stuck with a 250 if money is an issue as your age will affect your insurance quote greatly.

None of these bikes are classified as super sport. They are all sport touring and insurance tends to be low.
My personal choice would be the SV or the EX500. They've been out there for a while - so you can find an older SV for under $3,000 and an older EX500 for around $2,000 in good shape.

What kind of riding do you intend to do? What's your price range and how much can you afford to pay for insurance?
 
Thanks for the advice. I'll probably try and stay away from the 401 the first year as I can get to work/school by using steeles/taunton or highway 2. Right Now I'm hoping to not spend more than 4000 on the bike itself. I figured if I buy a sport/touring I'm looking at about 1500 a year.

One of the smaller reasons that I want to buy a bike is because gas right now is ridiculously expensive and right now I'm driving a pick-up that sucks gas like it's water. Although I'm going to have to spend a little money to begin with, I'm hoping it saves me in the long run as gas prices aren't getting any cheaper.
 
It is true that bikes are more fuel efficient but unfortunately we don't have California weather here and a car will be still needed.
There will be also times when you're too tired or have to carry a heavy load or it's raining hard, etc.
My point is that you are unlikely to save money by owning a bike. You will pay for insurance, gear, new tires (every 10,000-15,000km roughly), new chain every 20-30K, same for sprockets, lots of other minor things.

Nevertheless, if you do intend to ride to work/school, you will offset some of the cost related to owning a motorcycle, especially if a truck is your daily driver right now.

My SV burns about 5l/100km, my truck - 17l.

And as for your price range, you should be able to find a 2nd gen SV650 in great shape. Probably like an '06 or slightly older.

Do yourself a favour though and take a personal look and sit on all the bikes that you're considering just to see if you like them.
 
DemonPig said:
It is true that bikes are more fuel efficient but unfortunately we don't have California weather here and a car will be still needed.
There will be also times when you're too tired or have to carry a heavy load or it's raining hard, etc.
My point is that you are unlikely to save money by owning a bike. You will pay for insurance, gear, new tires (every 10,000-15,000km roughly), new chain every 20-30K, same for sprockets, lots of other minor things.
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That's why I said its one of my smaller reasons of getting a bike :)

The only reason I didn't want to go with the SV, which was my original choice, was because insurance companies are not going to want to insure me on anything 600 or over. And if they do I'm going to pay heavy costs. But yes I do plan on sitting on a bunch of bikes to see what I like the most.
 
Insurance companies would love to have your business, for an appropriate fee that is.

With most companies, aside from StateFarm, CC doesn't matter. Being over 600cc is not where it's at - It's whether the bike is classified as super sport or not. There are litre bikes out there like Yamaha FZ1 for example that have 130-140HP and are classified as sport touring, without the surcharge.

This is from 2010 but gives you an idea which bikes carry the 300% surcharge.
http://cmgonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1893&Itemid=349
 
I think the 400cc was brought on because some areas (such as Quebec) have a special insurance class for 400cc. I think something similar in Europe as well and for places with graduated licensing (if that exists lol).

I would look for used bikes for sure. Find a good deal, fall in love (check it out) and you're set! The best way to decide is to go see bikes in person and sit on them. If possible have people ride you on them. I used to think SF bikes were the **** (and they are still really cool) but I found that I really love my stock SS. I also wanted a 250 when I first started getting into riding but I soon realized that I didn't and was Extremely glad I went with a 600.

State farm doesn't care about riding experience or if its a SS. I wouldn't be riding if not for them lol, I had quotes from $1400/year (SF) up to like $3,600 even $6,000 I believe. I spent hours scouring Kijiji and forums for used bikes, even months after I was riding lol.
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