Sportbikes are Not beginner Bikes

Forum Sponsor
Let's see first bike...hmmm...Less than $20/month for insurance, learned to ride, dropped it a couple of times, didn't get into any trouble with the throttle, learned to wrench on it, got a decent amount when I resold it...yes I think I picked well.
 
timtek said:
hey all, newest (?) member to GTAM..

my first ride?..... 21-speed 2-human-leg powered bicycle! >:] *evil laugh*
sorry, just wanted to post that... lol

can't wait to get CBR125...
Click to expand...

i laughed so hard when i read that.

Can't wait to get my own CBR125 very soon. I've been pestering the heck out of cute kill and a few others on here with a barrage of questions.

for the longest time i contemplated 125 or 250 but to be honest, im not comfortable with anything higher just yet. ill stick to a 125 for a year or two :)
First time rider ftw :)
 
ninja 250 isnt that bad of a starter bike. I learned on a 500 and seemed to do ok. 250 at least you can go on the highway whenever you feel comfortable to do so.
 
My first street bike was a 500, just 'cause it's a lot cheaper on insurance. Other than that I've been riding on dirt since 5 years old. Started on an old honda 50 mini trail, made my way up to the bigger 3 wheelers, then onto a 185s honda, now I like to rip around on my uncle 450. I don't think I could live with out some sort of bike in my life
 
dyno said:
You want your margin of forgiveness in the bike to be as wide as possible.
Click to expand...
Bingo... A friend of mine offered me his Katana 750 for a great price, but I keep thinking to myself that the 750cc is WAY too much considering that my riding experience is measured in hours.
 
Since I was bored this morning I decided to look through this thread. I seems everyone is contemplating the issue of 'is this bike too big? Is this bike too powerfull? All sound questions but in the end (as stated before) it all boils down to the person twisting the wrist. If you're a sane person that is able to infuse logic into a given situation, the bike- any bike, no matter the size, will be fine. Remember, its your hobby/ sport/ lifestyle so go with what you like. Anyone looking to ride is at least 16 and is strong enough to handle a given bike- again they are just tools. Use your head and you should do just fine. By the way, the kid pictured below is on a 600rr- he is 11, 85lbs, and 4'-11"- you'll do just fine.
 
Tonto said:
Since I was bored this morning I decided to look through this thread. I seems everyone is contemplating the issue of 'is this bike too big? Is this bike too powerfull? All sound questions but in the end (as stated before) it all boils down to the person twisting the wrist. If you're a sane person that is able to infuse logic into a given situation, the bike- any bike, no matter the size, will be fine. Remember, its your hobby/ sport/ lifestyle so go with what you like. Anyone looking to ride is at least 16 and is strong enough to handle a given bike- again they are just tools. Use your head and you should do just fine. By the way, the kid pictured below is on a 600rr- he is 11, 85lbs, and 4'-11"- you'll do just fine.
Click to expand...

Wrong question I believe.
The question should be "Is this appropriate for the intended purpose".

If your purpose is to race on the track, then maybe the bike is appropriate.
If your purpose is to learn to race on the track, then a smaller bike might be more appropriate.
If your purpose is to learn to ride on the street, a bike intended for racing isn't going to enhance that experience.

Also, I don't see how seeing a picture of a 4' 11", 85 lb, 11 year old on a 600rr will allow everyone else in the world to "do just fine", with learning to ride a motorcycle in Toronto, or London, or Bombay, or anywhere else in the world for that matter.
 
The point is just this- again just my opinion- people get hung up on the whole 'size, power, intimidation' thing when in reality the bike is just a tool. A lot of us learned to drive in our parents huge old cars and never thought any different; now people want to learn to drive in the smallest compact they can find as it 'is more suited to the maneuvers required to pass the test ie; parallel parking. Not everyone wants to ride a cbr125 as their first bike, and I'm just pointing out that this is ok, get what you want and be smart about it- the size, weight, power thing should not scare you into a bike you don't really want to ride. Physically and mentally it can and is done all the time.
Now insurance, well that's a whole different kettle of fish.
 
I believe it's all about the comfort level. Lower powered bikes often give you a better chance of learning, and allow you to get away with some newbie mistakes. It is never a good idea to learn to ride on a bike with tons of power, just as you will never learn to drive on a Porsche or Ferrari. We've all been through pretty much the same learning curves, and the matter is not whether if you could start off with a powerful bike or not, because any one could start off with a R1. It is more of lowering the probability of getting yourself injuried, or at worst, killed, on a powerful bike, which gives you a very little window of mistakes, comparing to a lower powered bike. Remember, riding a motorcycle is not just between your brain and your body, it's something to do with your muscle memory as well, and that comes from experience and countless hours of riding/practicing.

To be very honest, if I started to learn how to drive on a powerful vehicle, I would be limit myself to a certain speed limit for a very short period of time. After a while (let say like a month), I wouldn't really limit myself to that speed anymore and I would want to go faster because I would think that I am now capable of a faster speed, which truly I am not. Lower powered bikes don't even give you that option of going faster, so you are forced putting a limit to yourself. There is always a reason why we call certain bikes as "beginner" bikes.

A tool can be deadly, if you don't know how to use it. Start with a smaller tool would help.
 
Last edited:
Before I got my M1 last summer I had ridden a dirt bike on a farm maybe 2 times. That was the extent of my experience on a bike.

Last June I went for my M1 and took a training course at the local college. By July 5 I had purchased a 2003 Yamaha YZF R6. I am 31 years old have had 2 speeding tickets, both when I was 17. Not saying I don't speed I do. But I am afraid of losing my lisence and my insurance rates going through the roof. If I want to top the bike out there is lots of tracks close by.

I have not read the whole thread but I am sure it has been said if your mature enough and smart enough to know what a bike is capable of regardless of the size and have respect for yourself and others on the road, you can get on any size bike.

In saying that my neighbor a little younger then me bought a 2007 yamaha YZF R6 and he is one that shouldn't even be on a 125 least of all a 600. Just my opinion but the maturity level of a person dictates what they can and should drive.
 
To be honest, it sounds more like it's the 'comfort' or 'friendliness' factor comes as much from weight, suspension and geometry as it does from the engine or bike 'size'.

I started on my current bike (Bandit 600), and it's large and top-heavy, but the steeing is not that fast and the suspension is really soft. In the first year I dropped it twice in parking lots, and it takes a bit of effort to back up into a parking stall. But at the limit, and in riding situations, it sure doesn't feel 'twitchy'. Braking a bit too hard, grabbing too much gas or leaning the wrong way hasn't sent me into the ditch. No crashes or tickets in 2 years and 10,000 kms, touch wood.

Now, I do wish it were lighter and a bit sportier, but I don't think the weight or the engine have really put me in trouble. Also, the bike is comfty and well-suited to the highway, with more than enough passing juice even 2-up.

There's lots of bikes of this type out there - the Katana, SV, FZ6R, YZF600R, ZZR600, CB600F2/F3 or most '90s 600's. These are not the same as a 15,000 rpm redline, on-off powerband Yamaha R6.
 
[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]I do think there is wisdom in learning on a smaller bike. I started on a moped when I was 14, then dirtbikes, and my first street bike was an old Honda CD175 (1972 if I recall). I progressed thru a few more bikes like the Honda CBX 250 before getting my first RZ350 which seemed like it was insanely fast (which it was... God I miss 2 strokes.)

I think many people weighing in here saying it's ok to start with a SS or 600 Sport are still relative noobs themselves (i.e. only a few years experience) so they really don't have the experience to be answering the question.

I think those that don't learn on smaller bikes probably don't even realize what they've missed out on.

I will also say that I'm one of those riders that's been around for a while (24 years riding over 28 bikes I've owned plus others I didn't own) who has gone back to a "smaller" bike. I 've owned a 98 CBR 1100xx Blackbird and 2000 Ninja ZX9-R among other larger bikes, and I'm having WAY more fun on my new 2006 CBR600F4i (which I purposely bought over a CBR600RR for comfort).

That said, I'm thinking of adding a 2010 Honda Shadow 750 Phantom to the stable too! :-)[/FONT]
 
Read my signature.
 
viper84737 said:
Read my signature.
Click to expand...

Like Matt said, you don't know what you missed. It's much easier to learn on a smaller bike (I had GS500F) than on a 600 (had to re-learn a lot of stuff on my CBR600). Smaller bikes are more forgiving, you don't have to 'be gentle and take it easy' with them. You can actually push those bikes and not be afraid that the bike is going to jump out from under you or do some other stupid thing. Riding around North America (solo or not) does not mean that you pushed that bike anywhere. So you toured, great, I might as well get a 1700cc cruiser and tour around NA on it too.
 
If I talk to a dirtbike rider, he'd say that I don't know what I missed not riding dirtbikes before going to sportbikes, too. It's all a matter of personal preference, risk tolerance, learning capability, and a variety of other factors most people don't have any clue about when they make blanket statements about their own experiences as they must necessarily apply to others. Everyone's adventure takes on a different path. Some people learn better in baby steps, other people learn better in larger steps. To say that sportbikes aren't beginner bikes is highly ignorant of how they can be.

If you knew the roads I went on, equipped as I was, and how I rode them, you might have a different opinion on just how much or how little I did or did not push my bike on my trip. You could not have gone to many of the places I went to in a reasonable manner on a heavy cruiser such as you describe.
 
viper84737 said:
If I talk to a dirtbike rider, he'd say that I don't know what I missed not riding dirtbikes before going to sportbikes, too. It's all a matter of personal preference, risk tolerance, learning capability, and a variety of other factors most people don't have any clue about when they make blanket statements about their own experiences as they must necessarily apply to others. Everyone's adventure takes on a different path. Some people learn better in baby steps, other people learn better in larger steps. To say that sportbikes aren't beginner bikes is highly ignorant of how they can be.

If you knew the roads I went on, equipped as I was, and how I rode them, you might have a different opinion on just how much or how little I did or did not push my bike on my trip. You could not have gone to many of the places I went to in a reasonable manner on a heavy cruiser such as you describe.
Click to expand...

The risk is when newbies assume that because some guys started on SS, then anyone can. Saying "I did it" does nothing to answer the general question; "should beginners start on SS?"

For example, a SS can be ridden off road yet it is entirely accurate to state that SS are not off road bikes. Same thing for SS and new riders. As a tool to teach new riders, SS are not at all meant for that. In fact they are probably the least suited to beginners of all the different types of bikes. Sure it can be done. So what? It would be irresponsible to recommend an SS to a newbie, without at least pointing out how very unsuitable they are for the role of a learner bike.
 
This topic has been beaten to death lol It all basically comes down to No a SS is not the best bike to learn on... will people still do it? yes of course they will... people are gonna do whatever the fak they want so who cares? You can get into trouble on ANY bike... a super sport will just get you there quicker lol
 
Someone should add. 50 Over law in Ontario makes any bike over 250cc almost useless. I own a 99 CBR F4 and to obey the laws it leaves me a ton of RPM room and throttle to play with. Why pay the higher insurance rates and risk a slip of the clutch and a sore ***** for nothing. These guys I see on the 1000RR's and such blowing 240 km+ are just asking for trouble and the single reason why the whole sport pays high rates to ride. Be smart and safe. Get what suits you best but also keep the laws in mind. To ride by the laws a 250cc can keep up with the fastest 1300cc on a highway. Just sayin :)
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom