New Riders, Here Are Your Bikes

[Banger]

I have gone through countless e mails suggesting what bikes friends should get who are just starting out. I will through the pics together. Others can add their two cents and I will update as per. It will also point new riders in the direction of good deals.
Help this thread out by posting your experiences with the bike and facts to go with them.

WR250X



Eliminator 125


Rebel 250



SV650







Ninja250R



Ninja 400




Ninja EX Series 250 & 500






CBR125



CBR250



GS500







WORK IN PROGRESS

[Sushii]

I have only ridden the Ninja 250,Ninja 500 and the CBR 125 but i feel that the Ninja 250 is the perfect beginner bikes if you plan on moving up to a 600CC SS. I'd say the other bikes are perfect as well if you plan on keeping the bike longer until upgrading, because you wont get bored with them as fast as a 250. Though i might have a different preference if i ride the others.

Try uploading your images to http://barwo.com and then just copying the BB code for forums.

[DemonPig]

If you mention SV650 you should always bring up the S version which is fully faired (or half faired if older) and will appeal to a different crowd. Also the Ninja 650, many people say it's a better starter bike because it's not as "torquey." And the "newly" introduced Ninja 400 which is a Ninja 650 with a smaller motor.
The brand new CBR250 of course and the Hyosung 250 are other options and so is the Hyosung 650.


And these are just sports bikes. There are other options. Plenty of 250cc cruisers to choose from, also Vulcan 500 was an amazing bike, just discontinued.



Suzuki SV650S


Ninja 650R


Ninja 400R


Honda CBR 250R


Hyosung GT250R


Hyosung GT650R


Kawasaki Vulcan 500

[psylocke24]

I would prefer to have SV650 and Ninja 650R, I agree that these motorcycles are good to new riders.

[Acadian1974]

Suzuki Marauder


Kawi Eliminator


TW 200

[MadPoet]

How about cruisers for a beginner?

[Dresden]

Come on, Don't be a pussy.

http://www.tradebit.com/usr/gearhead.../DUCATI998.jpg

[ride2rideagain]

Serious attempt to get thread up in the stickies.

Good work though, once finished, definitely belongs up there. Get personal experiences from a rider and put them with the bike and/or put in Pros and Cons with every bike. Will significantly improve chances of being stickied....OOoo....I mean, improve chances of helping others.

[getfunky]

Ahh you beat me to it. I was going to start a similar thread. I would categorize into 125-250cc and 400-500cc and have the bikes listed with pros and cons. Feel free to add this to your post if you feel its helpful.

Anyways, I believe the 250s and 500s are good starting bike. I dunno about the 650s....they could be a good bike to upgrade to after some experience on the 250s but thats upto the rider. I've broken down the battle of the 250's:

Ninja 250r: Most popular bike out there and easy to re-sell with minimum loss. Its a two cylinder, 4 stroke, liquid cooled engine. Its has the most power of the three but for some weird reason is not fuel injected. The europeans get F.I. bikes, why don't we? So that means you've to play with the choke to get it started and its a hassle especially during cold days where you've to warm up the engine for a good 5 minutes or more. This bike is slightly wider and heavier than the honda by 20lbs. This is good for taller ppl like myself (6 feet, 185lbs).

Honda CBR250r: The new competition for the ninja and it a strong competitor. Though its slightly slower than the ninja with single cylinder, 4 stroke, liquid cooled engine; its got an edge by being fuel injected. What that means is no worry's for cold starts or warming up the bike for a while before heading out. This right here would one big reason many people opt for the Honda over the Ninja. Also this come equipped with optional ABS which the ninja doesn't offer. Being single cylinder, its narrower and lower to the ground ideal for medium to short height people. Also this has the most torque of the three but also the least power of the three.

Hyosung GT250: Its a two cylinder, 4 stroke, air cooled bike. I've heard lot of problems with air cooled bikes and I usual tend to stay away from them especially if you have a lot of stop and go traffic. I've also heard the ride and fit/finish is a little below par. Hard to recommend this bike, plus the resale is hard. Power and torque puts this in the middle of the other two bikes.

Here is quick link for video shootout and article -> link

[getfunky]

If you mention SV650 you should always bring up the S version which is fully faired (or half faired if older) and will appeal to a different crowd. Also the Ninja 650, many people say it's a better starter bike because it's not as "torquey." And the "newly" introduced Ninja 400 which is a Ninja 650 with a smaller motor. The brand new CBR250 of course and the Hyosung 250 are other options and so is the Hyosung 650.

Poor yamaha, its forgotten child the FZ6r is never invited to these party lists Also i believe the gsx650f is more in line with the 650r and fz6r. The sv650s had a more sportier position from what i recall when i sat on it. Not as upright as the others. Since i've been researching my next bike from these three, here are my findings. The battle of the middleweights:

All bikes are fuel injected and liquid cooled and upright ergonomic seating postions.
Ninja 650r: This comes with an engine specific to the 650r...no hand-me-downs here. Its a parallel twin engine so it doesn't produce that inline sportbike sound like the other two. Least power of the bunch 60hp but more torque than the FZ6r. This is the narrowest and lightest of the bunch - 450lbs - ideal of short people. It has an adjustable reach clutch lever....only bike to do so. Cost is similar to the yamaha at around $8000.

Suzuki GSX650F: The only one in this bunch to come standard with ABS. It comes with a reworked inline four engine from the 650 bandit. This makes the most power - 73hp and also the most torque but this is a heavy bike - atleast 100lbs more than the ninja and also the longest and widest - ideal for tall people. For the rest, the size and bulkiness of this bike maybe too much to handle. This is also little more expensive than the other two.

Yamaha FZ6r Another inline four cylinder engine - a retuned version of the 2003 r6 engine...not a bad thing at all. Second most powerful at 64hp but least torque of the bunch. It weighs 20lbs more than the ninja. Cool feature for this bike is that it has adjustable seat and handlebars - perfect for everyone. Also this is the only bike the have a rail around the backseat thats perfect to strap on bags or give 2ups something to hold. Overall my pick amongst the three and my next bike

Here is an in-depth article -> link

[DemonPig]

Yes, the reason I never mention GSX650F is because of the weight. That thing is heavy! 470lbs dry (SV is about 370lbs dry).
Unless you're a fairly big and strong beginner, it's better to start on a light bike. Easier to maneuver (or pick up).

FZ6R - it's just my personal prejudice - I always get ****** off how people confuse it with FZ6 or think it's FZ6's successor. It's Yamaha's fault really for giving the same name to two totally different bikes.
But yes, it would be a good starter alongside Ninja 650 and SV650.

[rideitlikeyoustoleit]

Good post! Can't wait to get my 650 =)

[FiReSTaRT]

You are forgetting this little sports touring bike:


Note to newbs: I'm just kidding, do not start on a Busa

[gpz1100]

111

[ViperZ]

Love my Suzuki GS500F. It was a blast to learn on this bike, and it is awesome to ride on - be it the streets, the highway or the Forks

[alaywa]

Aprilia 125 Lorenzo Edition (2 Stroke, so it performs like a 250 4 stroke).

Closest thing to a pure race bike under out there 600R. Extremely precise track scalpel.

There are a few kicking around the country. They were going for between $6000 to $9000 at Envy (before the closure) and a ****** bag store I shall not name. But I have also seen them priced at $5000 no kms recently!



Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind one myself to share with my nephew!

[fergie.g]

I'd recommend the FZ6, way better balanced than the other sports tourers mentioned on here except the busa! The FZ6R is just a plain waste of time and money.

[FiReSTaRT]

Yamaha WR250X is a nice option for a taller rider. I'm 5'9 and can't completely flatfoot it. In my case it's not an issue as I've got enough miles under my belt to still feel comfortable, but that could be an issue for a newb.

[DemonPig]

I'd recommend the FZ6, way better balanced than the other sports tourers mentioned on here except the busa! The FZ6R is just a plain waste of time and money.

It's a stretch to consider the FZ6 to be a starter bike though. I mean that thing was not that far off from an older R6 in terms of power and performance. Even the SVs and the Ninja 650s are not accepted by everyone as beginner motorcycles.

[FiReSTaRT]

Older 600's still give you that extra split-second to react and correct your error. 2000 and newer are a bit iffy though.