I would like an honest experienced opinion for a new rider

[Margucci]

I am planning to get my M1 within the next couple months and then take the safety course, and get my M2 (in that order). This is something i am taking very seriously. I know a few people with some bike experience but none who i would call experts. Herein lies the problem, i would like a sports bike.

Well, i guess i should say that i want something which looks like a sport bike but i want to stay at 500cc or under. going with a 500cc was recommended to me for highway driving. after getting my M2 and then when i feel comfortable with my skills i will be doing a lot of highway driving. I live in Georgetown and will be commuting daily to south Etobicoke. riding a bike is something i have wanted to do for a while and now i finally have the chance.

I have read the topic on here about why sport bikes are not beginner bikes and it just confirmed what i already know was true. So i guess my main question is will the benefit from having a more stable bike for highway driving (according to what i have been told) make a substantial difference. Originally i was considering getting a 250cc for the better mileage and to get my foot in the door.

I am looking to buy used and hopefully stay under the $3,500 mark. I have seen many 250cc's and a few 500cc's in that price range.

I am 25 years old, male, and have been driving a car since i was 16 so i won't get killed on insurance. so really, i would just like an unbiased opinion and to know if the information i have received is accurate. if i am completely off base please let me know. I have made no decisions, i am a blank slate.

Thanks for your time

[FiReSTaRT]

500 is an ok starter. Depending on your weight, you might even be ok with a 250. FWIW, I started on an older 600 at 5'9/180 so it's no biggie.

[Margucci]

I'm 5'11" and weigh about 220. I just want to make sure that when a truck goes by i don't have to fight for my life to keep it upright.

Thanks for your opinions.

[turbodish]

I am planning to get my M1 within the next couple months and then take the safety course, and get my M2 (in that order). This is something i am taking very seriously. I know a few people with some bike experience but none who i would call experts. Herein lies the problem, i would like a sports bike.

Well, i guess i should say that i want something which looks like a sport bike but i want to stay at 500cc or under. going with a 500cc was recommended to me for highway driving. after getting my M2 and then when i feel comfortable with my skills i will be doing a lot of highway driving. I live in Georgetown and will be commuting daily to south Etobicoke. riding a bike is something i have wanted to do for a while and now i finally have the chance.

I have read the topic on here about why sport bikes are not beginner bikes and it just confirmed what i already know was true. So i guess my main question is will the benefit from having a more stable bike for highway driving (according to what i have been told) make a substantial difference. Originally i was considering getting a 250cc for the better mileage and to get my foot in the door.

I am looking to buy used and hopefully stay under the $3,500 mark. I have seen many 250cc's and a few 500cc's in that price range.

If you're a new rider doing regular commuting in heavy traffic, you'll want something with predictable handling and a forgiving nature, and that rules out a lot of supersports.

You'll also want to have a bit more power than a 250 will give you. While a 250 is great in the city and suitable for occasional long highway stretches, your Georgetown to Etobicoke commute looks like its going to be the opposite with more open highway and fewer city streets.

A 500cc bike will give you that added bit of power so you won't have to thrash up and down through the gears as much every time you hit a traffic slowdown, and it will give you a more comfortable, less buzzy ride when traffic is flowing freely along the 401.

You say you want something that looks like a sport bike. Have a look at a Suzuki GS500F. It's essentially a Japanese standard motorcycle but with full upper and lower fairings to give it a sport bike look. The seating position is a bit more upright than most sportbikes, but that gives you a bit more visibility with a bit less tunnel vision effect than if you're laid out low over your fuel tank, and it's also something your back and wrists will appreciate during your commutes. It's older technology, but it's also proven technology easily maintained and fairly inexpensive to repair if you screw up.

For your indicated $3,500 bike budget, you'll probably be looking at a 4 to 6 year old GS500F if bought privately, and probably a 6 to 8 year old one if bought from a dealership.

[Margucci]

Yea, i have no brand preference at all. I will look into the GS500.

[turbodish]

Yea, i have no brand preference at all. I will look into the GS500.

With your size, you could also consider a 650 to start, but the 500 should be plenty especially if you're a new rider.

I used to do a 110km each way commute into Toronto years back on an old Yamaha 500, and riding two-up with a passenger for half that distance, every day for two years when I was in school. The 500 gave me more than enough power to move along with traffic on both the 401 and on surface streets even with a passenger on the back.

[Margucci]

i was trying to avoid going above the magical insurance number of 500cc for my first bike. i do see myself upgrading within 2-4 years though. then maybe a bit more. i will see how i feel. hell, maybe i'm actually a chopper guy and just don't know it yet.

[CBRJOHN]

With you age, Size and weight a 500 will keep you insurance reasonable until you get some experience.

With both the Suzuki GS500 and Kawasaki Ninja 500 good examples can be found around your price range. My nod would go to the Kawi simply for the liquid cooled engine since you'll be commuting. If you want something a bit bigger you can't go wrong with a older Suzuki SV650. In the 250 class, the Ninja is about your only choice.

If you're thinking of a cruiser there are plenty of choices, Yamaha 650 V-Star, Virago 535, Kawi 500 Vulcan LTD, Honda Shadow VLX. Cruisers generally have less power per CC of engine size and lower insurance.

The nice thing about a older beginner friendly bike is you can usually sell them for about what you paid after a few years.

[Rotten_Ronnie]

Your weight is a factor, as well as the engine size you specified, and the budget you set, so my reply is geared to that.

I started on a GS500e and found it to be a great starter bike, but sold it on the next season after putting 10,000 kms on it. It was short, I was tall and I got hassled with "girls bike" at times.

I found my friends Ninja EX500's to outperform it in almost every way.

I rode a friends Suzuki SV650 many years later after moving up to a Honda VFR800 and found that it would have been a great bike for someone my size and weight to start on. It has linear power delivery with no surprises and great handling.

I think you'd tire quickly of the 250, and the cramped riding position would prove brutal for longer rides.

Have a look for a used Bandit GSF600s, great riding position, and it's not billed as a super sport yet can keep up with them in the short haul.

Get quotes before you buy anything, then get three quotes on the bike you decide to go with.

Ninja EX500 would be my choice under 500cc, especially as a sport touring bike.

Cheers!

[dankyyz]

I'm 6 foot. 185 (for now...sigh...) and i ride a 2002 SV650S. A buddy started on a GS500, and thus i rode it a bit as he transitioned to my SV (after about a month on the GS). He found, and i concur, that the suspension on the GS, at my weight, on the highway, was REALLY spongy. It did not feel "solid" at all, and the thing that struck me the MOST was how unfit it felt as i passed through the wash of a medium to large truck.

Dont get me wrong. The stock suspension on the SV is nothing to be bragging about, but the GS was severely inferior at most speeds.

I think, if you are going to be humming along the highway most of the time, and want something you can grow into, and have for a few years (and is a COMPLETE BLAST to ride) you should consider a SV. Your feet will plant fully on the ground. The weight will not be overbearing for someone of your size. It's easy and FUN to modify. Awesome SV community in toronto, and on SVRIDER.com.

It insures as a "sport touring" bike, and is pretty cheap. You can ask one of the insurance guys here (Avi Singh is good) for a quote based on your digits.

http://autotrader.ca/used_cars_Motor...ributes=photos,,

That is a "first generation" (non fuel injected) model that is right at the fringe of your spend list. Not sure how good a deal it is as i'd have to go look at it, and the milage is a BIT high for that price, but that should give you an idea.

If you take your course, and find the process easy, and non intimidating, think "more CC's" so you can have a fun and challenging year with a bike that allows you to grow. If you get kinda spooked by the 125's, and 250's that they will have on your course, then perhaps the 500's are for you.

Either way you are going to have a BLAST.

[FiReSTaRT]

SV650 is a great option, but make sure you get the naked model. A lot of times it's not surcharged, so you could actually save some cash on insurance. One of my buddies got a naked SV650 after doing a couple of seasons on a GS500 and never looked back. We did a bike swap once and I had a blast on it, once I got used to the v-twin. He's been able to easily keep up with the SS group rides on that puppy.

[dankyyz]

SV650 is a great option, but make sure you get the naked model. A lot of times it's not surcharged, so you could actually save some cash on insurance. One of my buddies got a naked SV650 after doing a couple of seasons on a GS500 and never looked back. We did a bike swap once and I had a blast on it, once I got used to the v-twin. He's been able to easily keep up with the SS group rides on that puppy.

I had no idea there was a surcharge on the S models. Can any of the insurance gurus confirm that?

The N models are good if you want to be more "upright" in your riding position...that and if you like collecting bugs in your teeth. The blast from riding at 149KPH on the highway can be a bit much.

[ts]

Alot of people have already suggested a SV650...

Not considered a super sport in the insurance world...so i think its a good bike for you

[KRFDPSSTI]

If you buy into the 600 ss is not a good bike then go with a sv650. Personally i wouldnt even bother with the 250 or 500 but whatever floats ur boat

[Flashmonkey]

I'm definitely not an expert, but I'm familiar with the position you're in. I dunno if you've already stated your height and weight (I skimmed the first page), but I started out on a ninja 250 and I'm 5'11. At the time, I was about 220lbs, and the 250 was able to handle the highway with me on it just fine. A 500 might be more comfortable, but the 250 wasn't exactly struggling either. Just be wary of strong head winds.

Insurance is probably going to be the deciding factor in all of this. If you go with Statefarm, they dish out insurance policies based on engine size. If you have a relatively clean driving record, you'll probably be looking at less than $100 a month on insurance on a 250. Gas consumption on a 250 is also laughably cheap. I suggest getting insurance quotes first (from several different places, check out the insurance section) then decide how you want to proceed from there.

[Margucci]

i would like to thank you all. I have received more info in 5 mins reading the responses than i have been able to find myself in weeks. I am starting to form an idea now. I dont think i will go with a 250. looks like 500 is a good starting place. I am going to look into the insurance for a 650 as well.

EDIT

thanks for the state farm suggestion. before that TD looked like the cheapest option. state farm was MUCH cheaper. for a ninja 500 i am looking at under $100. my only concern is that i had a speeding ticket about 3 years ago. i cant remember if its a bit over or under, but either way its maybe a $25 a month increase.

[Margucci]

sorry for the double post. its s different topic so i thought it justified it.

I was looking around the bikes for sale section here. there were two which caught my eye. the first one is most likely sold, however i wanted an opinion before i asked the owner if it was still available.
http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum...d.php?t=103518

the second i have seen posted many times through different sites. any thoughts. it looks to be in good condition (we at least from the pictures of the body) but who knows.
http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum...d.php?t=105959

[cola_fiend2003]

With you age, Size and weight a 500 will keep you insurance reasonable until you get some experience.

With both the Suzuki GS500 and Kawasaki Ninja 500 good examples can be found around your price range. My nod would go to the Kawi simply for the liquid cooled engine since you'll be commuting. If you want something a bit bigger you can't go wrong with a older Suzuki SV650. In the 250 class, the Ninja is about your only choice.

If you're thinking of a cruiser there are plenty of choices, Yamaha 650 V-Star, Virago 535, Kawi 500 Vulcan LTD, Honda Shadow VLX. Cruisers generally have less power per CC of engine size and lower insurance.

The nice thing about a older beginner friendly bike is you can usually sell them for about what you paid after a few years.

The SV650 is a fantastic bike for beginners and experienced riders alike. The bonus is it is classed as a sport tourer. No ss or rr tag by the ins companies.

[Spizzak]

+1 For the SV650. Perfect fit for your needs and you'll have lots of room to grow learn on it.

[Flip]

The SV650 is a great bike for starters... alot of new riders considers buying that instead of the gsf500's. It's a tip I got from my instructors 2 years ago from RTI as well. but didnt follow it lol. I went out to buy gsxr600 instead haha. anyways good luck with the shopping bro...

And yes. I find that statefarm is the cheapest in the insurance for bikes.
TD offered me 245 for my bike while statefarm gave me 127 lol.