I am looking to buy my first motorcycle. I'm not a real experienced rider so I'm not sure if I should buy new since I may dump it. Question is, I've never ridden anything bigger than 500 cc. I am about 6 ft and 165 pounds so I'm not sure how big a bike I can handle, or if that even matters. Point being everyone I talk to said it is a must to get at least a 600 cc. So, being that the season is almost over, (I live in the New York) and I've been bothering the dealer at the motocycle shop, I have the opportunity to buy a brand new, still in the crate, 99 Yamaha YZF 600 in Yamaha Blue for $6100 out the door, INCLUDING tax and destination. Seems like a good deal to me. Any thoughts? Should I just buy used since its my first bike? I've read all the reviews in the mags which seem excellent. BTW, I also have the opportunity to buy a '97 honda CBR 900 (i think?) from a friend of a friend for around 6k. Is this bike going me too much power for me? Thanks

And don't buy the CBR900(RR). That is not a bike to learn on.

A list of good bikes to learn on would be :Yamaha Seca II, Kawasaki EX500, Honda Interceptor 500, Honda Hawk 650(hard to find but great bike) or pretty much anything else in that range. It might also be a good idea to get a cruiser as it may be easier to sell later.

Take an MSF course and get a good helmet and protective wear. On the helmet, get a full-face Snell rated helmet and make sure it's comfortable. As they say, if you have a $50 head, get a $50 helmet. Save money on it buy getting one with no fancy graphics. Also get a light color. Black helmets will fry your brain.

When I bought my first motorcycle, my brother told me there are two type of riders...those that have crashed...and those that will crash. He was right. I didn't stop dumping mine until the third one. Buy a good used one, with an upright riding position, instead of a sport bike. All the ones pdw mentioned should be great starter bikes. Always wear a helmet and get some good gloves (with long cuffs); I wear road racing gloves. Also, jeans, boots (with at least ankle coverage) and a protective jacket are good items to have. Have fun and ride safe!

CraigB
'98 A4 1.8TqM (w/mods)
'99 Z3 2.3
'92 Honda CBR600F2<ul><li><a href="http://www.users.uswest.net/~craiger/cwb_cbr.jpg">My current bike</a></li></ul>

My brother's first bike was a 98 Honda CBR600F3 (last year), and to my knowledge, he's never dumped it before...i dunno, who knows. I've heard the 500 Kawasaki Ninja is a great bike to start on; its faster than most 500's, and great fun, from what i've heard. Also, may i recommend a used Honda Nighthawk 750? Great bike to start on, kind of a mini-Harley, i guess. Good compromise between sport bike and cruiser.

-andrewt<ul><li><a href="http://freeweb.pdq.net/a41.8tq">My Waste of Web Space</a></li></ul>

It sounds like you want a sportbike. I know when I first wanted a motorcycle I had blinders on. I wouldn't have considered anything else. All the bikes mentioned by others are great motorcycles. But if you have your heart set on one of the two you mentioned read on...

Even though it is "only" 600cc the YZF is faster than you can imagine. 0 - 60 in around 3 seconds. Top speed around 150. It is ungodly fast... and the CBR is faster. The midrange, OHHH YEAAAA!

MY ADVICE:
The level of performance these bikes are capable of tends to make normally safe and sane people do very stupid things. BTW, I don't believe you HAVE to crash.

+ Respect your bike and its capabilities. Yes, you can wheelie is the first two gears, do burnouts all day, and smoke that Porsche Turbo off the stoplight. But if you ride like that I promise you will get hurt.

+ Ride like people are trying to hit you. You will expect every dumbsh!t thing people do on the street.

+ Take MSF course. You will be a better rider. Enough said.

WHICH BIKE?
Be honest with yourself. Can I handle either one? I don't believe it matters which one you get. Both the YZF and CBR can hurt you very quickly. If you are mature enough to handle one you can handle the other.

I personally would rather have the new bike. Sportbikes tend to get used very hard. I've never had a bad used bike experience but I still would prefer new. Also there is a size difference between the two. At 6' you would fit either one. Sit on both. One might be more comfortable that the other for you. Lastly, there is that midrange on the CBR. There is something to be said for being able to wack the throttle open and get a strong surge no matter what gear. I enjoy shifting and you will do more on the YZF. It also makes you a better rider.

I don't mean to sound condescending. I just want to make sure that no matter what you get, you are around to enjoy it.

jasont
1.8tqms
EX Triumph 750
EX GSXR750
EX NSR250

I think I made it sound worse than it actually was. My little spills occured when I was in my early 20s (before I knew better) and when I was either doing something stupid or just not paying attention. For example, remember when the fork lock used to be a seperate lock under the headlight? Well, I got mad at my girlfriend one day and left her place in a hurry, without unlocking the fork. Upon releasing the clutch and giving a good bit of throttle, the bike made a sharp left and I flew off the other way; at least I landed on my feet. I also laid it down a few times in some sand/gravel that I wasn't watching for on turns.

I didn't mean to make it sound like you WILL crash. Actually, I guess you will if you don't pay attention and don't ride defensively. One of the best things that helped me be aware of my surrondings, was to take up road cycling. You HAVE TO be aware of situations on a bicycle and it carries over nicely to motorcycling.

CraigB

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I do have my heart set on sportbike. Rest easy I have taken the riding course. (BTW why are they all different prices if they are all run by the same people? All I had to do was drive 30 minutes farther and I saved about 130 bucks.) Oh and thanks for the warning about the black helmets, i didn't even think of that.

Just a little side note: the guy that owns the cycle shop, is the owner and apparently his family has a long racing heritage. He's got $$$. You can see a picture of his ferrari in his office and his 750 BMW (daily driver) with full out Alpina Mods approx. 30K alone. Point being, he's not really into making money, he just loves bikes. (races a ducatti) When I walked into the shop I said, I'm not looking for the M3 of motocycles but I don't want the honda civic of motorcycles. Thats why he recommended the Yamaha.

RTK
'97 1.8T - silver
future '99 Yamaha YZF600 - Yamaha racing blue (and I thought this color was sold out:))

Should a new driver have a Z28 or Mustang Cobra? I don't think so.

Seriously, a YZF600 or any of the top-line 600's are friggin' fast. I'm sure it out accelerates any Ferrari. I wouldn't be surprised if the EX500 or Seca out-accelerate any Ferrari. If you've never ridden before you really have no frame of reference for this. Seriously consider buying a used bike, riding it for one season at least, and then get a new bike. I don't mean to discourage you from eventually getting a bike like the YZF or am I saying they're bad things. I'm just saying there's a right way and a wrong way to start riding and getting a bike that does 11 second 1/4 miles is not the right way.

One more thing, get a protective jacket. Riding in a T-shirt is stupid(if nothing else, getting a june bug in the chest at 60mph hurts). I have a Motoport Kevlar jacket and I like it a lot. I've never really "tested" it but it is comfortable and it's actually cool while riding in the summer.

Sorry if I sound like a broken record. I've seen newbies run out and get a bike like a YZF and then scare the s**t out of themselves or worse.

Personally, I'm getting to the point where I'd like a BMW that I can put some miles on and be comfortable.

although giving a first time driver a mustang or a Z3 sure wouldnt be a good idea, but as long as they respect the car, and dont unleash the full potential, problems shouldnt be that bad. I know my aforementioned brother (98 CBR600F3) was scared to death of pushing to throttle too hard on his first bike. But just like driving a car, you get accomstomed to it, and you learn how to use the power and how NOT to use the power. I'm sure he's never tried a 10,000 RPM full throttle launch, but i'm sure he's tried out full throttle before, and scared the hell out of himself, and gained his sanity. i dunno, if you are a reasonable person with SOME brains, you'll do fine. Of course, if you're a guy who thinks there's only two positions of the throttle, full on and off, you shouldnt be riding a sport bike, or anybike, actually. use your good judgement, you'll be fine.

-andrewt

Great deal on the blue YZF. More comfy than an R6, but not as fast or sporty. The blue is the AMA racing color and most sought-after.

You're tallerl (and presumably longer-legged), so dropping the bike shouldn't be as big an issue if you are coordinated. Nonetheless, bikes with bodywork are expensive to drop. BUT...sportbikes are worth it. Just remember that the turning radius of a motorcycle is very wide, so bumping curbs due to underestimation is a hassle there.

Enjoy!

Man, what a bunch of conservatives.

While I agree that an 900RR is no bike to learn on, I don't believe that someone with a bit of experience should be relegated to a Seca II or an EX500. Some of us get into motorcycling exactly because we love the sportbikes, and the helmets the GP guys wear makes it all the much cooler.

I absolutely believe in helmets and MSF course, If the man has some cache to spend, and is a true adult not an irresponsible juvenile, than he should get a bike he enjoys. For Pete's sake, there's no such thing as a "practical bike" anyway--it's all about fun.

Even if cash is tight, I'd find a Yamaha FZR600 in decent shape before I'd settle for less than a true sportbike. Hawk 650s are indeed cool, but not sportbikes.

Incidentally, I have ridden 600-1000cc sportbikes for seven years without a close call, and ALWAYS wear a helmet (Max Biaggi replica!)

With out going into detail, I understand completely that the decision to buy a motorcycle could be a life and death one.

With that in mind I feel that me telling a grown man (I assume) that he can't get 'X' bike because he can't handle it, is not going to fly. He will get what he wants period. Rather than sounding like his mother, I'll tell him to get whatever HE thinks HE can handle. I can only hope he is realistic with himself and his maturity level. Next I'll offer my advice for staying alive on a bike with more power than he has ever experienced before.

With this approach I'm hoping my advice is more likely to be considered.

jasont
1.8tqms