[SeeBeR87]

Hey everyone,
I have been reading alot on these forums and decided a month ago to get into motocycle riding by taking the MSF. i have always loved sport bikes but never really got into them because i didnt know anyone with a bike here in tampa and of a slight fear of bikes, but i decided to take the test and did really well... (96% on the written test, and best score in my class on the driving range... almost perfect score :wink: ) i was wondering if i could get some tips on riding as well as recommendations of a first sports bike, i was thinking of a CBR600rr because i eventually want to upgrade to a gsxr 750, and want to feel a large different in performance. thanks

 

[trini0]

Congrats on the passing score.
Hopefully I'll be signing up for the MSF next week, for an early April course.
One of the *sport bike* guys/gals would chime in on your choice of bike.
And :welcomes:

 

[SeeBeR87]

thanks :smile: i learned a lot of important stuff in the course... like how start a bike, lol...

 

[SuzukiGirl1]

GS500F would by my recommendation...it's got all the sportbike look and feel, but yet is still manageable and easier to control! A GS500 was my first bike and I was sooooo glad for it!!

http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/GS500FK5/Default.aspx

 

[Clint]

Sure, get the fastest, most unforgiving 600 race bike on the market. I don't get it... you're sensible enough to take some lessons, but then you want a road rocket to learn on?

I wonder if your confidence is a little high due to your success in the course. Keep in mind that they were designed for beginners. RR superbikes were not.

 

[stevie c]

If you need to go for a sports bike,why not start on an older one,don't want to drop a new CBR600RR.
Its the same as your first car,its the one you make all the mistakes with before you upgrade to something better.

 

[Clint]

And while stevie makes a good point about dropping your bike (which you will), it's not the bike or your money I'm concerned about.

 

[stevie c]

I know what you mean Rowdy,but if someone has there heart set on a sports bike then a bit of abuse on here from a load of total strangers is going to make no difference.
Better to give advice people 'might' follow. :wink:

 

[SeeBeR87]

yea very good point on the bike dropping, its going to happen sooner or later, heh. My friends brother started on a gsxr 1000 a few weeks ago... said it scared the hell out of him. the idiot doesnt even have a license lol... now thats stupid. but suzukigirl suggested the gs500 and im taking that into concideration. thanks for the input

 

[SeeBeR87]

oh and im definetly not buying new, i unfortuntly plan on downing the bike... from what i hear its inevitable and happens to the best of us.

 

[SuzukiGirl1]

no problem!

 

[Trapper]

I guess we should tell you that most sportbikes with the letter R in it like gsxR , cbR , or zxR, yzfR , are race replicas or supersport bikes. These are bikes you may want to avoid. Great that you asked, I didn't know that either until I came to this forum. Up at the top there is a search function , type in beginner bike and see what comes up. Good luck

 

[Pinhy]

welcome and congrats on taking the MSF first!


i am also in tampa, and have a couple riding buddies, but we ride slow and easy on the cruisers.....

 

[SeeBeR87]

lol nothing wrong with that buddy, cruisers are sweet

 

[Clint]

...if someone has there heart set on a sports bike then a bit of abuse on here from a load of total strangers is going to make no difference.

...suzukigirl suggested the gs500 and im taking that into concideration.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I know what you mean Rowdy,but if someone has there heart set on a sports bike then a bit of abuse on here from a load of total strangers is going to make no difference.
Better to give advice people 'might' follow. :wink:

Probably a grain of truth in what you said but on the other hand, they do ask a bunch of total strangers for advice on what bike to buy so maybe what we say does make a difference.

I prefer to err on the side of caution.

Unlike cars that may get a spoiler and a few decals and maybe other cosmetic enhancements when identified as being "sport" cars, motorcycles identified as being "R" for racing are very close to actual race bikes used on the track. And are meant for experienced riders.

A GS500 is a great learning tool but if that is too tame for your liking there are many sounder choices for a first bike than a CBR?

Here's a way to visualize what we are talking about. Imagine a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is a scooter and 10 is a Hayabusa ( higher the number, the less forgiving the bike is to newbie mistakes and the more skill it requires to ride correctly ). Well a GS500 might come in at a 3 and a CBR600 at a 8.5 and your coveted GSX-R750 at a 9.

The step up from a 600cc sportsbike to 750cc sportsbike is actually a very small step compared to the step up from a 500cc to a 600cc.

Of course displacement alone doesn't tell the whole story, here i'm just comparing similar bikes. There are other bikes out there that don't fall into the supersportbike category that would also be better choices such as a Katana or a SV650 or a bandit. The GS500 would be my prefered first bike.

 

[themeatmanlandry]

There's at least a couple of GS500s for sale on this board alone. Great starter bike.

Dude, you have a long, full life ahead of you. Learn on a decent beginner's bike (preferably used), and upgrade when the time is right.

You don't want to kill (or maim) yourself just to ride a bike, do you? You sound smart, please follow your noggin.

 

[SeeBeR87]

thanks for all the helpful comments. the way i see it, is if i have the knowlege to even know how to operate a motorcycle, with a lot of responsibility i should be able to learn on a 600. its not like i would go about doing wheelies and taking turns in 2nd gear going 50mph. I know my limits as a newbie, and if i do not surpass them, i should be fine... on an off topic subject, a funny thing happened last night. I was at a friends house and on my way out at 2am, i happened to bump into one of my MSF instructors (very young guy), lol... needless to say, he was showing me his bike... (with a brew in his hand :wink: ) really cool guy... damn its a small world

 

[LayinLo]

Welcome SeeBer87.


I just might know someone with a GS 500 at a reasonable price...............


Where you from? How old are you? What do you do?
Get us some background details so we can get to know you better.

 

[SuzukiGirl1]

...i happened to bump into one of my MSF instructors (very young guy), lol... needless to say, he was showing me his bike... (with a brew in his hand :wink: ) really cool guy... damn its a small world

Not a very good role model for a big part of the class...not drinking and riding!!! :roll:

There's a thread around here someplace that a guy started, talking about how he had a few drinks and got on his bike, with a passenger. Needless to say, he got in an accident. They were lucky, and didn't receive too many injuries, but LUCKY is the key word there!

I'll see if I can find it again...

In regards to responsible riding...it's really easy to say that "I'll be responsible", "I'm not stupid, I know my limits", etc. But, just speaking from experience, it's a lot harder to keep yourself within your limits that you'd think! Especially when you're riding with other people that either are way more experienced riders than you or are just much more careless than you. You try to keep up whether you even realize it or not, and when you've got all that power at the trottle, it can easily get you into trouble.

The first time you take a corner wide because of target fixation or coming in too hot really is a reality check.

I'm really glad I started on the 500, plus I'm very glad that it was used. I dropped it twice, the first time in the parking lot the first day I rode it, and the second because I was on uneven ground and lost my balance. I would've been SOOO mad if that'd been my new SV that I'd dropped like that!!