Need help on narrowing down decision (Rebel or Shadow)

[CorySpaceCowboy]

So got some money saved up and can start exploring my options. I can't really spend too much over $5,000, and obviously would like to spend less. But right now I can't decide between the Honda Rebel and the Honda Shadow.

***One big thing effecting my decision is insurance. I have 2 DUI's, will liability on a motorcycle cost a substantial amount more than it would for a car? And would it be considerably cheaper on the Rebel than the Shadow?

***I'm wanting something primarily for riding around town and cruising, but the ability to go on the occasional long distance trip appeals the hell out of me. I've heard 250cc's aren't cut out for distance and that being air cooled doesn't help either. This is the only thing stopping me from just going with the Rebel. So how long would you drive at 65-70mph non-stop on the Rebel before you'd consider it as being rough on the engine?

***I can afford a new rebel, and like the idea of getting something new, but I assume used is a better value, and if I go with the Shadow I'll have to go used, but what would you consider to be low mileage? And what steps can I take to make a low-risk decision?

***And any opinions regarding longevity between these two bike?

[Motorcycle Forum]

[slozomby]

have you even ridden a motorcycle before? from your questions it doesnt sound like it. if you dont have your M endorsement you'll want/need (depending on state) to take the msf class. thats gunna run you a couple hundred. a helmet and some basic armor is another few hundred. AFTER those are aquired then look at what you can afford in a bike. buy something cheap to start. depending on your area you should be able to find something decent that runs well for a couple of grand in the 500-900 cc range ( cruisers) . dont buy a race bike (the ninja 250 and 500 dont count as sport bikes). stay with 1 or 2 cylinders. avoid salvage titles. when you get several thousand miles on something then look at something that will do long freeway's with ease.
and find a friend or mechanic that will look over whatever your looking at.

a rebel is a light commuter bike. its no good for the freeway ( at least in tx and ca where the bulk of my riding is) . it might do it but you'll have the throttle wide open for a while before you'll hit 70. the shadow is decent for a commuter bike that requires freeway capabilities but is underpowered for long trips, but its doable..

liability only on a bike is generally dirt cheap. 2 dui's wont help but bikes dont tend to do much damage when they hit other vehicles. there shouldnt be much difference between the 2 bikes.

dont even think of riding drunk/buzzed/only a couple . balance is very important when on 2 wheels. unless you dont mind random trips to the hospital.

i dont mean to pee in your cheerios, just trying to set some realistic expectations.

assuming your a starter one of the most common bikes is a ninja 250, yeah it might look sportish but its not a sports bike. its cheap, reliable, holds its value around $2000 assuming you didnt put it into a wall and take care of it, and costs next to nothing to insure. it'll do light freeway time about as well as the shadow will. and isnt considered a sports bike by most insurance companies. theres almost always a few on craigslist. theres a couple of folks that have done cross country trips on them. personally i think those guys are nuts. but i'd take one on ride down highway 1 here in cali.

good luck whatever you decide.
Sloz

[Easy Rider]

I've heard 250cc's aren't cut out for distance and that being air cooled doesn't help either. This is the only thing stopping me from just going with the Rebel. So how long would you drive at 65-70mph non-stop on the Rebel before you'd consider it as being rough on the engine?

You heard wrong. Having done a 1200 mile road trip on a GZ 250, I quite assure you that it is NOT a problem......IF.......you resign yourself to the fact that an Interstate at 65-70 is ***NOT*** a good way to make an enjoyable bike trip. My little beast was quite happy at 55-60 on major 2-lane roads........and so was I. Maybe not quite as comfortable as a bigger bike but adequate.

The "standard" recommendation for a new rider is a used 250-400 cc bike.
You can ride it for a year and then sell it for close to what you paid, if it is well cared for.

You probably shouldn't be considering a long road trip for at least a year anyway.

[fear_cartaidh]

I will go agaisnt the traditional wisdom here and say that midsize bikes (650-900) are fine starter bikes. Where forty years ago a 250 was a midsize and a 650 was HUGE now a 650 is small and huge well... that's for anothwer day. A 250 is fine for around town but will be strained on the highway. It's a great way to get to and from work or to classes but that's about it.

Don't buy a new bike your first go around! Buy something used that won't devalue by half the first time you enevitably lay it over. Plan on $500 to a grand for training licensing, gear and incedentals. With any used bike there is a big question mark that involves some cash to righten up; tires, brakes, minor mechanical etc. This will require less cash if you take it as an opportunity to learn to wrench on your stuff with the helpfull guidance of a buddy who has a little expereince.

I see plenty of 250 street bikes on craig's list with dozens of exclemation marks behind them. "Barely used! Only 600 miles!! Mint condition!!!!" These guys out grew thier 250s in less than a year and are hard pressed to get thier money back out of them. If you are commited then buy a used midsized and it will hold it's value a little better than a pint size and not feel like it comes equipped with training wheels. If you are a full sized indevidual even something like a Suzuki Savage 650 should be manageable and feel less toy like.

Start with your MSF course. I can't stress this enough. It may* make insurance cheaper and often will give you a motorcycle's endorsement w/o needing to road test with the DMV. The course runs about $350 in my area and most powersports dealers have vouchers for $50 off that they will simply give you. What's more, above having trained knoledgable indeviduals guiding you to ride safe and smart, It's fun! No really, where else could you plunk down three hundo and get to play on mini bikes for a weekend? Further they will likely have Rebel 250s to learn on and you can decide after that if it is big enough for you or if your learning curve would make one pointless after six weeks. Even better, if you dropp said rebel 250 there is no harm and you don't own it.

I'm not fully versed in DUI law (thankfully and luckily) I beleive any infringemnent on a bike has severe consequiences starting with the loss of you motorcycle endorsement. You may need to ask to see if you are even elligable.

Good luck!
NMc

[DrBob]

Buy used. Buy cheap. There is nearly a 100% chance that you are going to drop it at least once learning to ride it, and a near 100% chance that you will get bored with a small bike in just a year or less, and about a 50-50 chance that you are not going to enjoy riding at all. So buy something cheap to learn on, so you are not heartbroken/ bankrupted when you drop it, and you can sell it easily when you are done with it.

I'd look for the newest, lowest mile bike you can find used locally in the $2000 range. Buy a good helmet and jacket, do NOT buy any accessories for it. Keep it below 750ccs, looking at bikes like the Rebel 250, an older Rebel 400, the Suzuki Savage/ S40 650cc, the Shadow, the Kawasaki Vulcan 500, the Shadow 600, and other bikes like that. Ride it for the summer, decide if you really like riding, sell it for pretty close to what you paid for it and buy something larger for next year. If you get something at the larger end of the scale, like the 600 Shadow (my personal favorite beginner bike), you may enjoy it for several years before you want something bigger.

EasyRider is correct though, in that if you have no interest in the interstate or speeds over 70 MPH you can be happy on a smaller bike for quite some time, and take long trips on it also- assuming you are not a really big guy, as the Rebel or even the Shadow 600 is going to be too small for you physically. My girlfriend started on a used 250 Rebel she paid $1950 for, and rode it for 2 years. She rode to Daytona, Arkansas, and several other 1000+ mile trips on it, sticking to the 2-lane highways and having a great time for about 20,000 miles. She sold the Rebel for $1500 after 2 years to another beginner, and she upgraded to a 1300VTX. So for $450 plus insurance she gained tremendous experience in riding, bike ownership, and maintenance. Had she started on a NEW Rebel, that experience would have cost her more like $3000, because you just can't sell a used Rebel for very much, but once they bottom out around $1500 it does not matter how old it is.
So start small, start used, start cheap. Get your dream bike later, once you are experience enough to enjoy it.

[Easy Rider]

I will go agaisnt the traditional wisdom here and say that midsize bikes (650-900) are fine starter bikes.

Like a lot of things, the devil is in the details.

A midsize will be fine for a lot of people but something smaller will be fine for almost everybody; somebody being 6-9 and 400 pounds as the noteable exception.

Many who are "average" size and bigger have a hard time understanding what smaller folks find intimidating or limiting.

[QZephyr]

I would put my 2 cents in but from what I read here there is some great advice. I was new to riding and got street smarts on a Burgman scooter, then I got the M50. I almost bought an S40 but my cousin convinced me that I would be bored with it inside of 2 weeks. He was right. I used this forum to make my decision. Some of the best people you'll ever chat with are right here, and you've met a few already.

[Ironjoey]

I'd recommend starting as small as you can. I started with a Honda night hawk 250, then worked my way through 500 and 700cc sizes before settling on the vz800. I wouldn't have done it any other way.

I like to look at it this way. Imagine that motorcycling is like doing tricks on a tightrope. If walking is like being on your own on the tightrope, them imagine the 200 pounds worth of the 250cc bike as a backpack on your back while doing tricks on the tightrope. You should get used to additional weight slowly so you don't fall off. If you went straight to the heaviest bike, that would be like suddenly having 450 pounds of extra weight while trying to balance. It might be fun until you fall off.

Just my two and a half cents.

Joe
sent from my motorola triumph using tapatalk

[DrBob]

As for the other questions at the bottom of the original post, a Rebel will run all day at full throttle. They are legendary for lasting forever, and there are folks who have seen the entire country on a Rebel 250. Yes, used is a better value, especially now, where used bike values are dropping so fast websites like NADA and KBB can't update their listings fast enough. You take a beating on a new bike due to the drop in value the second you take it off the lot, they cost you more for insurance, and they are expensive/ heartbreaking when you drop them. But you do get better financing on a new one, with dealer cash and low interest rates offered on select models all the time to try and move the inventory that has been clogging up showrooms since the economy tanked a couple years ago.
Low mileage is considered anything less than about 1400 miles a year, which is considered national average for a cruiser in the 250-550cc range. The Shadow falls one catagory higher, 1925 miles a year on average for cruiers in the 550-750 cc range. But this can vary depending on location: a bike in sunny Southern California will rack up a heck of a lot more miles than a bike in snowbound Michigan will, so what one considers 'low miles' the other will consider 'high use'.