[ExcitedJoy]

My name is Yesenia - I'm a first time rider I took the riders course and got my license and now i need to find a bike suitable for a starter?

I have my eye on the 2004 SuzukiSV650S...how does that sound?? or The 2004 Yamaha YZF600 which one do you think is good for a chic.

thanks -
Yesenia

 

[Clint]

I'll give you an opinion - don't post in giant blue. :wink: Welcome to the forums, and congrats on your license and training.

Both bikes are high performance machines. Mature riders with experience will tell you to look to something a little less rocket-like for a first. You can get in trouble too easily on either. They'll also tell you it's foolish to buy a brand new bike. People have the misconception that they won't fall down if they're careful. Just ask around to find out how untrue that is. You will fall off. It's just a matter of how well your body is protected (you have a good jacket and gloves, right?), and how much plastic you have to replace.

The SV is a bike people often use as a trackday bike - it's that good. The YZF makes a lot of power, too. Many people will claim to have the restraint to keep the throttle at bay, but for most the urge becomes too great.

Here's a link to one woman's opinion. I'm sure there are many.

I'd look at the GS500. It has good ergos and good handling, and it's widely recognized as a great starter and more. Here's a second (and third, and fourth testimonial). You might also read the other recent thread on the same topic, if you haven't already. It's along the same lines.

Being a woman you might be reluctant to post your size, and that's always a factor, of course. You don't want to be tippy-toeing it as a beginner, and a heavy bike is a recipe for disaster, too.

BTW, it's "chick", not "chic", although you might be a "chic chick". :lol: Man, do the emoticons stink on this board.

Good riding,

Clint

 

[Uncle Bob]

I AGREE

 

[vstrombc]

rowdy red is right on - the GS500 is a great starter bike and even looks stylish with the redesign this year. Kawasaki's ninja 500 is a slightly sportier alternative. If you like to explore and style is not as important, consider the Suzuki DR650. Plenty of power up to about 90 mph and good ergonomics with the wide bars & upright seating. The low seat height makes it "flatfootable" for folks with a 30" inseam. With a small windshield, you can even tour on it.

happy shopping

 

[greatzippy]

From one newbie to another ..... DON'T get a SuzukiSV650S or a Yamaha YZF600 for a first bike.

My first bike is a 1994 Yamaha Seca II XJ600 and I think it was a great starter bike. But don't let the fact of it being a 600cc bike fool you ... the Seca has a lot less power then either of the bikes your looking at.

A good first bike would be around the 500cc range. You can get away with a 600cc as a first if you get an older, less powerfull bike like I did.
And getting a used bike is better cause you don't have that worry of wrecking you brand new shiny bike you just got.

And RowdyRed94 is right .... everybody falls at least once. I was coming out of a parking lot when somebody swung in right at me. My only choice was to take a quick turn or get hit. I didn't have enough speed for the angle of the lean I gave it and it the bike was any heavier then it was it would have hit the ground. So in a way you can either say I fell or didn't fall ..... but that's as close to it as I want to come. I consider it a fall myself since I had to lift the bike up to get going again.

And another note ..... I am just starting to look at getting a new bike sometime next season and am looking at a modern 650cc for a SECOND bike. If you read thru this post
http://www.suzuki-bikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=967
You can get a better understanding of what I'm talking about.

In short, sometimes the cc of a bike doesn't count .......
The 1200cc bandit has less Hp then the GSXR750

This is something I've been learning with research and help from the people on the message board. A supersport 750cc is geared towards speed so it is going to have more power then a "standard" style bike.

Also, wait till the spring to get a bike. You can probably get some good deal at that time. on "03" models from a dealer ( if you buy new ) or from a local seller who is either upgrading to a new bike or realizing after going out and getting his license last year doesn't want to ride anymore ( for some strange reason ??? )

 

[Guest]

I can't agree more with the previous posters. I work at a trauma center. We frequently see injured newbies, often finding out later that they were on a bike that far exceeded their developing skill level. You can't imagine how many we see that have been riding for a few months at most but were driving R1's, R6's and 'Busas!

So many of these riders are needlessly hurt in single-vehicle accidents simply because the capabilities of the bike they're driving far exceeds the skill and experience level of the rider.

When you're new to this, bigger and faster is NOT better! Buy a used bike, drive it daily for six months and then get a faster (650cc catagory for sport bikes, 800-1100cc for cruisers) bike on your evolutionary path to the 1000+cc superbike of your dreams.

 

[vstrombc]

I agree with you woofy. Not many new riders realize how fast even a tame bike like a DR650 can accelerate. Cycle world tested the old style dr650 (pre 97) and it ran 13.5 in the 1/4 mile. For comparison, a 1999 mustang SVT cobra with 320 hp does the 1/4 mile in 14.1.
the power to weight ratios are a big factor
dr650 - around 45 hp sae net - 324 lbs = 8.1 lbs/hp
mustang 320 hp - 3285 lbs = 10.26 lbs/hp
sv650 - around 75 hp - 380lbs = 5.06

or really scary bikes like the new R1 or honda 1000 or gsx 1000
all around 180 hp at the crank with weights around 400lbs
= ONLY 2.2 lbs per hp - novice riders should not be riding these until they have lots of experience - hell, I wouldn't want one of these and I have experience. I don't think I could hold onto a bike capable of 9 second 1/4 mile times

be safe & live to ride another day

 

[Uncle Bob]

In short, sometimes the cc of a bike doesn't count .......

Never as a truer word been said.

You must compare oranges and oranges.

Roadbikes available from 1 to 6 cylinders ( not counting the car V-8's Boss Hoss shoves into their bikes or the new Dodge tomahawk ).

From about 125cc's to about 2,300cc's for the new triumph cruiser.

Now within a certain category of bike you can compare cc's but you can't only use size as a yardstick.

1,500cc's V-Twin cruisers only put out about 60-65 hp out of the box.

600cc inline fours ( GSX-R's) put out almost twice as much hp.

Use horsepower as your yardstick, first bike?. Keep it under 50-60hp more than enough to get the job done.

 

[Clint]

Some good points above that I hadn't considered, either.

ExcitedJoy, are you still with us, or did you find a squid site to talk you into that supersport?

 

[Uncle Bob]

Sometimes I wonder, had a newbie who said he had just installed a NOS system on his bike and wanted pointers before trying it out the next day.

Never did hear from him again.

 

[The Chad]

the sv has a lot of potential that most newbee's will never touch. A girl I know(Misty) ZRaces an SV650 and she absolutly rocks, known all over the place, she is simply amazing, and the bike takes what she can throw at it. Something calmer for a new rider would be advisable, I can't belive I'm sayint this, seeing as I did my road test on a 2002 gixxer750, and I now own a 2002gixxer1000. I'm just a little nuts thats all.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Why Chad, I believe you're getting mellower!

 

[The Chad]

NEVER, I'm just trying to make sure that unless people have the uncanny natural ablity that a lot, everyone I ride with, people tell me I have, that they stick to a bike that will keep them alive long enough to truly enjoy the whole biking world. Yes I know I have wicked bad sentence structure, but deal with it. I wrote off my first GIXXER as most here know. After all was said and done, I had a sore shoulder for 2 weeks and no scratches to speek of. The bike however, was totally messed. The front rim was broken clean through and one of 3 spokes broke off as well. The front forks were bent, the tire got stuffed int the rad and the frame was bent. The upper fairing exploded off the bike, the right side fairing was torn off, along with the tail section got shattered. tank was dented, masivly, the bike was so bad, when I took it to the cop shop the next day, in the back of my truck, the cop looked at me. "you couldn't have been on this, who was riding it?" I told him that it was me on the bike, he looked at the bike again and said, with his eyes bugging out of his head, " and you can still walk, god damn you're lucky" you know what? I was really lucky. I've got a scuff on my left sleeve of my jacket, and that's my only momento of the incedent. My helmet never even touched anything, even as the bike went over me in the air, I got really really lucky, don't let this happen to you. Then I went and bought a gixxer 1000 the next week. Don't worry, it doesn't make sence to me either, now I'm leathal on that thing. Hardly touchable, and I love it. Sorry about the length of the post. If you'r a woman you'll never hear me say that again LOL 8)

 

[Clint]

So, you claim you're the shiznit, and your friends (who may just be lousy riders) tell you that you're good, but do you have any real evidence? Sounds to me like your lucky crash has gotten you a bit of a god complex going. Could be trouble.

I thought I was a good driver, too, until I took the Mustang to an autocross event. Now I know otherwise.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Looking forward to the response to this post.

 

[The Chad]

someone needs to relax a whole lot, god complex, never. I don't think I'm all that good, but a few of the guys that I ride with are amazing racers, on the track. I asked a bunch of the boyz and girlz that I ride with what they thought about my riding on another web site. Everyone responded in a positive manner, commments from I love riding with you, you are one of the smoothest guys I know. To comment like wow, you really finess that bike into doing what ever you want it to, and you never go beyone 100% controll. Another guy I ride with, who is on a 2002 954, was leading, trying to drop me and in the process broke off his foot peg feelers, (the gixxer never touched anything but rubber) and I never moved off his tail. I never claimed to be the best, yes I am pretty damn good, but I'll never claim to be the best. If you were actually capable of reading, you would have seen the numerous mentioning of "LUCK" in my post. Another question for you, what was the reason for my post, was it to say I have a god complex, NO, I belive it was to hepl others out and to say that I got extreamly lucky, and don't let this happen to you. And my friends that may just be lousy riders, they include a guy that rode infront of me with a cast on his right foot, that he had to stick forward on right hand turns, off the peg so he didn't rub it on the ground. Another one of my friends who also races, can lose me aon almost any road with his left hand on the back of his helmet the entire way. he races a 98 cbr 900, he is a bike mechanic and spent 5 years putting the bike together the way he wanted it.


And a note to uncle Bob, drama no, I'd have to be concerned to creat drama, I know what I said and because someone took it the wrong way, that doesn't bother me at all

 

[Uncle Bob]

Gee, that was a reasonable response. 8)

Bottom line is that most riders with some experience under their belt know their limitations and/or comfort zones. It's this experience that newbies don't have that'll get them into trouble and the more power and responsiveness their bike has the more the inexperience is compounded.

 

[Clint]

Ok, ok, all's good. I just happen to think that if someone's a decent rider, and they know it, and their friends know it, there's no reason to go talking big about yourself. You just seemed a little self-inflated, if you know what I mean. I can read quite well, BTW, and there's really only one way to take talk like that.

If you're really that good, someone else will tell us about you. :wink:

 

[The Chad]

check out www.canadasportbike.com It'll take a while to get a serious responce, I'm a total smart ass and get a lot of razzing. Once you get a real opinion from people who know me, you will know.

 

[Clint]

I steer clear of the sport bike forums. Too many punk squids who with 6 month life expectancies and big mouths.