[gerarcm04]

Hello.
I'm new to the forum.
I'm new to the world of bikes.

I've thought about getting a bike for years, but I finally got my license and am about to buy a bike.
I was looking at the smaller Hondas, but saw the M50 and fell in love with it.
My only concern is... is there such a thing as "too much" power for a new rider?
I know I will not even dream of getting a race bike (not yet anyway, :smile: ) but the M50 feels comfortable and I think it will last me a long time as long as it doesn't want to ride on without me.

Might be I'm looking for words of encouragement/discouragement.
I just want to make sure I am fully informed when I sign the dotted line.

Thanks for your help. I love this community.

gerar

 

[inspiron]

My only concern is... is there such a thing as "too much" power for a new rider?

YES! Any more questions?

You just got your license, so take it easy. The M50 is a good bike, but there are some things to consider when starting out...

The most important thing to remember (you'll see it mentioned a lot around here) is that you WILL drop your bike. It happens to almost everyone. I wouldn't recommend starting out with a brand-new bike, because that just hurts (your pride) more when it kisses the pavement.

Have you taken the MSF course? Do you have some good, comfortable safety gear, that you will wear EVERYTIME you get on your bike? Are you sure that you are a "cruiser" type?

There are lots of bikes out there ... the looks are important, but by all means this is not the most important factor! You need to consider what kind of riding you're going to be doing - just getting across town, cruising country roads for hours on end, commuting to work/school, etc.

Before spending thousands of $$$ on a bike (any bike), take some time to consider how you want to ride ... the bike isn't running away, so take your time!

 

[bat4255]

I can't speak specificaly for the M50, from what I hear, this should be fine.
In general I think you would want something with:

Wide Power Band:
Usable steady power over 3,000 to 6,000 RPM in range

NOT Twitchy:
Like most high performance type bikes, sensitive to the throttle, with a sudden and unexpected increase in power.

Good balance and control:
Comfort and fit is also important.

 

[v0lusia]

In addition to what inspiron said.... I would bet.....30% of new motorcyclists who run out and get a new bike never really get in to motorcycling "big time" and end up selling the bike after a year or two with very low miles. I would look for one of these as your first bike. I've seen 2 and 3 year old bikes with 1-2K miles on them. That's not even broken in. Save your self a couple of K and use that money to take a class and buy good gear.

 

[stp1971]

You have the power to decide on how to use the power!!!!

Hi,, welcome to the forum!!!!!! :mrgreen:

First off,, I understand your concerns of whether or not the bike has too much power. I bought a VERY big bike as my first street bike,, but I have also riden dirt bikes and enduros for years. ;-)

What you need to consider is "How does the bike fit you"? Does it feel comfortable,, how big of a person are you,, can you handle the weight and size of that model?

As far as does it have too much power? Well ultimately the decision of how to use the power is in that right wrist. If you think you can't control yourself from twisting it too far all the time or in the wrong situations then by all means by a 250cc bike,, if you have a good head on your shoulders and common sense then you can get whatever you want as long as you can safely handle that bike.

I have a 1500 Intruder with more than enough power, torque, and top end speed to satisfy anyone,, but rarely do I tap into that power. That is the common sense and safe approach to riding a bike.

Someone told me this,, maybe it will help you in your decision,,,, if you are a good driver (cars, trucks, etc) and a safe cautious driver you will be a good motorcyclist. If you are a bad driver, unsafe and reckless,, then you will be a bad motorcyclist. A bad motorcyclist will eventually hurt themselves, someone else, and quite possibly they may not survive to become a good motorcyclist.

If you are one that will be a bad motorcyclist,, please stay away from a bike. The motorcyclist community doesn't need another death on their hands and we don't need the higher insurance rates either.

So judge yourself,, take a MSF course or a introduction to motorcycling,, assess your skills,, and if you are not comfortable or feel ready for a powerful bike,, then buy a used smaller bike to start on and learn the skills. Then later on when you are ready buy that newer bike. :mrgreen:

Because when you drop that nice shiny new bike and it gets scratched or tore up,, it sure does feel awful,,, I know,, I dropped my new bike after only 750 miles. crap:

Good Luck on your decision!!!

 

[Fishpart]

My first bike is a M50 I enjoy riding it, it feels perfect for myself, not to heavy just over 400lbs, plenty of power and looks great, gets many compliments from other bikers including HD riders, don't think I'll out grow it anytime soon. Love the shaft drive, EFI. Pretty much maintance free bike, except scheduled of course. Have not read one negative review on this bike as a matter of fact it out rates all other 805 cc bikes head and shoulders. You can't go wrong with this one.

 

[gerarcm04]

Thanks!!
I took the MSF course last week. Was lucky enough to sign up last minute. One of the reasons I never got the bike before this year was the long wait times to take the class.
I like cruisers. The only race bike that ever appealed to me was a ducati monster. I am not too much into shiny things (i.e. chrome and tons of plastic) and the monster was a matte black that i found appealing. As far as cruiser's chrome, the M50 is minimal. Even the fork, with it's brushed steel look, gives it umpteen brownie points.

Yes I understand that I will lay the bike. I plan to use it mostly for work commutes, but I have family in southern VA whom I plan to visit often. The mountains beckon.

I do not have the gear, but will buy it together with the bike. As far as the bike running off without me.... well, let's just say a couple of guys at work have been left behind, their feet firmly planted on the asphalt, their bikes taking off into the unknown at an intersecction. (Well, the unknown happened to be about 20 feet in front of them) :smile:

YES! Any more questions?

You just got your license, so take it easy. The M50 is a good bike, but there are some things to consider when starting out...

The most important thing to remember (you'll see it mentioned a lot around here) is that you WILL drop your bike. It happens to almost everyone. I wouldn't recommend starting out with a brand-new bike, because that just hurts (your pride) more when it kisses the pavement.

Have you taken the MSF course? Do you have some good, comfortable safety gear, that you will wear EVERYTIME you get on your bike? Are you sure that you are a "cruiser" type?

There are lots of bikes out there ... the looks are important, but by all means this is not the most important factor! You need to consider what kind of riding you're going to be doing - just getting across town, cruising country roads for hours on end, commuting to work/school, etc.

Before spending thousands of $$$ on a bike (any bike), take some time to consider how you want to ride ... the bike isn't running away, so take your time!

 

[Shambo]

I had no experience on Street Bikes Prior to me purchasing my M50 a couple of Months ago. I was also concerned about purchasing a bike that was too big for a Novice. I am a Big guy(280 lbs) and the M50 has plenty of HP and it also has a low CG so it responds very nice. I would suggest taking a MSF also.

 

[hawker]

Having too much power is not a serious consideration since they invented the throttle. In the hands of a careful driver, having too little might be a problem. I can't fault the suggestion to get a learner bike to start with, but that may not suit all people.
If you want to bypass the steps, an M50 seems a perfect choice: it's not too heavy, it's got plenty of power, it's priced affordably, it should live up to Suzuki's excellent reliability record, and it's comfortable enought for moderate distance riding.

 

[stp1971]

As someone stated in another thread that if you hand a gun to a kid they may get shot,, if you hand a crotch rocket or any other strong bike to an idiot then you might as well be pulling the trigger.

As Hawker stated,, having enough power to get out of the way is a good point,, I agree with that completley,,but if you can't harness that power effectively and control it,, then maybe you need to get something less powerful,,and stay off the busy streets. If your judgement is not able to keep that power under control then maybe you need to reconsider the purchase of a bike al together.

But the bike you are looking at is a very manageable bike,, not too big,, but in the same token it is not too small,, plus it has that get up and go that is more than enough to get you out of trouble.

Roy (Roysclockgun) has made several good arguments for the purchase of the 800cc bikes and the fact that alot of people are buying overkill when purchasing the bikes. He has made several good points that the big cruisers like mine, VTX1800's, etc are not neccessary to enjoy motorcycling,, but the big bikes have their place. Nice on the freeways, torque for days, don't get blown around easily, and my personal reason is there is enough room to stretch out which is VERY important to me. I have a bad back that acts up if I am stationary too long,, my bike affords me the opportunity to stretch out and enjoy the ride.

 

[hutz]

I'm 53 today and have had my M50 for 3 months and enjoy it as much as any of the dozen or so bikes I've owned, Honda 125, Kaw 500 mach 1, Kaw 900, Honda 500 four,
360 yamaha enduro, kaw vulcan 800, suz bandit 1200S just to name too many! You won't be sorry if you respect the machine,watch out for the NUTS on the road and learn all you can about riding.

 

[gerarcm04]

Thank you

... all for your input. I like the idea of the smaller bike, but for those quick must-get-away moments I like the bigger engine. I got a chance to actually sit in one this morning and found it more comfortable than I thought.
I thank you all for your words of encouragement and advice. I will be careful and a friend will help me get the practice needed before I venture out in the real world.
I plan to keep this bike for a number of years. Whatever happens in the future this will be looked back on as my first bike, so I want the experience to be memorable. :smile:

cheers. I will post back with my experience, if you'll all take it.

Gerar

 

[stp1971]

Post away!!!!

As said earlier...... :welcomes:

I trust you will find this site can and will be totally helpful. I have gotten some really good advice from the members of this forum,, not always what I want to hear :evil: ,,, but sometimes we all need to hear it.

Good luck on your search and learn all you can. Check out these items....
Ride like a Pro III video/DVD,,, Proficient Motorcycling--book.

Take an MSF class or a learn to ride class..... I think you will be happy with whatever you decide,, you'll know the right bike when you get that ear to ear grin on your face!!!!!

 

[c50tiger]

Just to throw in another few comments, mostly just +1'ing a few others already made but hey, this is a forum...

First, I would never recommend getting a brand new bike as a first bike. I bought 3 bikes, ranging from very used to just slightly used, before I ever considered buying new. Contrary to what some folks seem to live by, it's not about having the latest, greatest, hottest ride out there - it's about getting out there and riding, whatever you're saddled on.

Second, if you're just going to curl up and die if you don't buy a new bike, the C50 or M50 is not a bad choice at all. Unlike it's sport bike cousins, although these 800's have more than enough power for a new rider, they aren't dangerously overpowered for a newbie. I haven't personally ridden an M, but the C is very well balanced and 'easy' to ride.

(caveat: ANY bike can get away from a new rider, and ANY new rider can get themselves dead quick if they exceed their education).

 

[simplegame]

S50?

There is always the S50, but it is smaller at least in appearance. Smaller front tire and small fenders. I always liked less on a vehicle, chrome is ok but I like a Spartan look, simple and uncomplicated. The C50 is not bad at all, it's just a matter of opinion about the look of the bike, and as far as the power and quality they are equal. Then there is the EFI which is very nice on the M. One big factor with me was the price. I needed that payment under 100 so the S fit the bill.
As far as laying the bike down........I'm on my 6th bike and have only laid 2 bikes down, if you don't count my first bike which was totally off road at the age of 14 and that bike was on its side often. The only reason the 2 were down was my own carelessness and a patch of oil on a curve and a patch of road sand that piled up in an intersection. You learn the hard way what to look out for. Neither accident was serious, but I don't like war wounds on my bike! I put 5000 miles on my last street bike and it never touched the ground. I hope I am that lucky with my new S50.
My second choice would be the C50 and the M50 if price was not a factor.

 

[Pinhy]

My first bike is a M50 I enjoy riding it, it feels perfect for myself, not to heavy just over 400lbs, plenty of power and looks great, gets many compliments from other bikers including HD riders, don't think I'll out grow it anytime soon. Love the shaft drive, EFI. Pretty much maintance free bike, except scheduled of course. Have not read one negative review on this bike as a matter of fact it out rates all other 805 cc bikes head and shoulders. You can't go wrong with this one.

M50 dry weight is 540 pounds...



i love my M50 and would rec. it to almost anyone...however i agree with general conscensus that a new bike is nto a great first bike...i had a beater for a couple months while waiting for the M to come out....so that was great practice.

.

 

[hawker]

I have the Intruder (S50) and it's a really great bike. Poster didn't mention it as a consideration. It's got more metal parts than the others in its family, also has dual carbs and a more vertical riding position as the pegs are further back. Will out accelerate most of the bigger bikes. Will cruise at 75 -80 without effort all day, but it is geared quite low so you know the engine is winding, This doesn't hurt anything as that's what it's designed for, just something I've noticed other comment on. Only other item is small gas tank means 100 - 120 mi. between stops normally.

 

[gerarcm04]

Thank you All

It was great hearing your input. Unfortunately I did not see the posts about the S50 before I went and bought it over the weekend. But it is also a fortunate thing. This weekend was great for me to try the bike over. I've put in maybe 50 miles so far and came away with a smile that my first car wasn't able to deliver. I am now more aware of the power of this bike, so no boneheaded moves for me (boneheaded drivers notwithstanding) I had buyers remorse 5 minutes after signing the dotted line. More buyer's remorse when the salesman had to take out his can of leather polisher to take out what I thought were bad scratch marks on the seat (which were only stains thankfully). That buyers remorse started going away on my first turn around the block. By the time i got the bike home, I thought it the best buy I've made so far this century.

Will keep reporting
Gerar

 

[Pinhy]

grats! nice choice and a good thing you didnt have the opportunity to let that TRAITOR hawker talk you into a big mistake with the S ! hahaha (hawker knows i jest. he was supposed to be getting an M but got impatient in mid February and bought the S)

the M is a great Muscle looking cruiser and I get people at lights saying "nice bike" or asking what kind it is and then saying "nice bike" all the time. though i didnt buy it for them, it makes my day when people compliment it. i feel like such a badass on it....i keep thinking i ride around on it like it is a 100k OCC chopper! haha

stay safe in yoru learning process on it, wouldnt want the bike to get scratched...



or you either i guess!

.

 

[ddarais]

Love my blue M50....Sold my Vulcan 750 to get it. Great Move.....