Good bike to learn on | GTAMotorcycle.com

Good bike to learn on

statsman

Well-known member
I have been entertaining my brother for years about my touring travels.
Now that he's nearing retirement he's thinking about getting his M1 and perhaps joining me on the road.
I got my M back in the late 60's on a Honda 50 (the one that looked like a Vespa).
But my knowledge of the smaller bike market dates from then.
I would like to recommend a bike for him to learn on at around the 500 cc level.
It would be sold after he got his M2 so he could move up to a cruiser.
Any suggestions?
 
Kawasaki Vulcan 500. Nice little cruiser, same parallel twin 500cc as the ninja 500 with a little "retuning".

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lots of nice bikes to learn on...I had a 2009 (last year made) Kawasaki Vulcan 500...it wasn't bad but I didn't like the ergonomics...Honda is coming out with two new cruisers I believe, a 300 and a 500...Harley has a 750 that I've heard good things about...Kawasaki has the newish cruiser with I believe a 650 (similar to their sport bike just tuned differently)...lots of older Hondas and Yamahas and Kawasakis in the 600-650 range...if he's going to upgrade right away just start on one of those right off the top...motorcycle show at the enercare centre in Toronto next weekend...go with him and have him sit on a few to see what he likes...
 
having grown up on bikes I'm not fond of the smaller cc bikes but I can honestly say that my experience with them is that they all are very enjoyable and there are a lot of options. it used to be the ninja 500 (or so it seemed at the time) but now there is so much more. cbr 300, fz07, dr200, sr400
 
Dual sport anything.
 
If the goal is to get him on a big-ol' cruiser I'd narrow the list to small- to mid-sized cruisers like Yamaha's V-Star 250 or 650.

If he's never ridden before I'd suggest the 250 for a season or so to learn the ropes, then move up to the 650 once he's got his riding skills established.
 
Kawasaki Vulcan 500. Nice little cruiser, same parallel twin 500cc as the ninja 500 with a little "retuning".

Sent from my SM-A500W using Tapatalk

I have a Vulcan 500 and it's a good first bike. I love it. A little small though if you're a big guy. I couldn't ride it without raising the handlebars. Really good bike though
 
CB500x is not a small frame ...the F is tho.

OP - have your relative ask about insurance for that first year and find out the various levels.

He may want to start in a 250 area depending on the company. Something like a CB500x could easily be a longer term bike for him to ride with you touring. It's a swiss army knife bike with ABS for a reasonable price.

There are smaller cruisers tho and I can't comment on them at all. I favour upright seating /positioning.
 
F wheel base is 55.5 against X at 55.9. Not a lot of difference but seat height is where it is at 30.9 to 31.9.
 
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I'm sure your brother has an idea of what he wants no? If the plan is to eventually get to a cruiser of sorts, I'd recommend looking out for a middle weight cruiser from Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki. Sit on them, see what feels comfortable. Enroll in a motorcycle training course. Get some seat time. If he wants to join the wild hogs club, pick up a Sportster or something like that.
 
If it's cruisers your Brother likes, the Yamaha Vstar 650 is a very beginner friendly place to start that doesn't feel like a tiny kids bike. Lots of them available used too as they were made for over a decade unchanged. If you're looking for even older and less expensive, there is the Yamaha Virago 535. Lots of Kawasaki Vulcan 500's out there and the Honda VLX 600.
 
I personally like the vstar 650. Small enough to learn on yet big enough to be able to do the highway rides with you right away. A friend that rides with me bought one after not riding for many years. We took it to Pennsylvania and back with no issues on our last trip. He's had it for 3 years and has just now bought a vstar 1300. A few others I know have had 650's for years and no intention of going any bigger, the bike is capable of doing everything they want.
 
I'm still riding a Vulcan 500. Chain drive, no tachometer, and the seat starts to feel hard after a few miles. Other than that, it's a nice little bike, easy on gas, good around town and still strong enough for the freeway. Ninja engine, water-cooled, 6 gears, reasonably quick. The last production year was 2009.

Honda introduced a Rebel 500 last year. I haven't heard much about it, but it should be a nice little bike.

Somebody mentioned the CB500X already. There have been a lot of favorable reviews for them. I might like to trade up to one of these at some point.

Nobody has mentioned the Suzuki SV650 yet. A couple of years ago, it was one of the top picks for a first bike. Probably still is. A 650 VStrom would be similar, but with a higher seat.

I probably wouldn't recommend the Harley Davidson 750 Street for a newbie. A quick google lookup says the motor is about 57 HP. That might be a wee bit strong
 

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