Looking to buy a bike. I know nothing about bikes.

Well, I don't think you really have to worry about any "wussy" bikes as such. As Steve indicated, most modern 600+ cc bikes are running sub 11 quarter mile times on stock suspension and tires. Not many cars I know are doing this stock. The king of the quarter mile right now are the ZX9R and GSXR1000 and both are doing sub-10 quarters.



I think if you are average height and build (between 5'8" - 6'2" and 170 - 210 lbs.) then most of todays 600's and 750's will fit you no problem.



Like Steve has, I know many people who started out on liter bikes, and had no problems. However, many of those have moved on to 600 sport bikes. I guess that's my bias. I am for quick handling, nimble bikes that can get around a road course fast. It's all about corner speed for me.



As for not outgrowing it quickly, most of today's 600's are topping out at 150+MPH, so you don't have to worry about the speed part. How quickly you get there, and how much torque you have is what you need to decide.



I know of no serious rider who didn't change bikes after 1 year of riding. It's difficult to know which direction you want to go in a first bike. I would recommend getting something which is fairly cheap to begin with, ride for 6 months or a year, and then decide what you really want. Since you'll be buying used, the depreciation won't be as bad.



Just as an example of what I mean by corner speed, here are two pics of me at Laguna Seca in the corkscrew:

corkscrew 1

corkscrew 2
 
Jngrbrdman said:
This isn’t exactly a car purchase question. I am in the market for a bike. I’m not a very experienced rider and I’m not looking for something to win races with. I just want a nice looking, nice sounding and nice riding bike. I’ve been looking heavily into the Honda Shadow Spirit 750. Any of you bike owners out there have an opinion on that? I know zip about motorcycles and don’t know if a 750 is too much bike or not. I don’t even know what the bikes I’ve ridden are called so I couldn’t tell you how large they are. I’ve been riding since I was a kid but I’ve never owned a bike and probably haven’t put more than 30 miles on a bike in any given year. I just would like something to enjoy the nice weather with in the summer. Any thoughts? I think it’s a really nice looking bike. Its not really that much either. I have seen used ones for less than 4 grand all over the web. That is a doable price.
Click to expand...



interesting you should be looking into this bike.... My neighbor had that exact bike, same color and everything at the beginning of this summer. It was his first bike ever, and he also wasnt extremely experienced. Just bought it to cruise, for fun. He had it brand new (2002 model) for about a month, and traded up to a new (again 2002) Shadow Sabre 1100 because he found that the 750 was actually not even enough power for what he wanted in the long run, plus at the time it wasnt that much more to trade up (dont know if this is still the case). Its definitely a nice sounding bike if you're looking for that "muscle bike" kind of sound. And they don't look at you like a weirdo when you walk into a Honda shop like they do at Harley shops. I wrode on his a couple times and was impressed....





I'll have to get some pics of the neighbor's bike, its a rather rare color on that bike, they don't even make it anymore...
 
I agree on the motorcycle forum.



Nagchampa, I actually know someone who had over 18 years without a drop on pavement. Of course, he is an instructor, and he crashed plenty when he raced dirt bikes. However, what bit him is getting brand new tires on his bike last year. 18 year record down the tubes....same thing happened to me last year too, but I had been down before, but not with my first bike, which was a GS500E (another great bike to start with by the way), but with my second, which was a '93 VFR.
 
Maybe I shouldn't have said you will drop your first bike, but I should have said Most people will drop their first bike.



I was at a bike show in Toronto on Sunday when some guy dropped a Honda ST1300 right in front of me. The salesman and a few other bystanders helped pick the bike and the gentleman up. The bike didn't even have a single scratch on it and it was dropped two times previous to this in the same day!!!!
 
Nagchampa said:
Maybe I shouldn't have said you will drop your first bike, but I should have said Most people will drop their first bike.
Click to expand...



:D True, very true.



Yeah, those ST's, goldwings and some of the big rig BMW's will take a really big crash before there is any significant damage. I guess it's because they don't really expect people to hold up an 800 bike when it starts to go!
 
Agreed - I've yet (fingers crossed) to drop a bike or crash anywhere other than the racetrack. Most drops are due to a lapse in concentration (just like most accidents).



While we were on the ride to DC (with 200+ other Harley's), I saw more dropped bikes than I could count. All but a few emerged completely unscathed, thanks to the drop bars, etc. that come with (or can be added to) bikes and most occured during very low speed parking lot manuevers.



That's where the MSF course will come in handy - they emphasize a lot of slow speed manuevering training.
 
I'm not sure how many miles I've ridden, but I've had one motorcycle or another for the last 35 years.



You say you want a cruiser, and you pretty much define your riding to be in the cruiser category. Before you buy, you need to do a little analysis of yourself. Much of the motorcycle community tends to have a "bigger is better" mentality, and while I might be biased, I believe cruiser riders are at the front of that line. If you think you're going to go that route, then go ahead and buy something like a Kawasaki 1500 Vulcan, Honda or Yamaha equivalent now. Big displacement cruisers (except perhaps the Yamaha V-Max) have power WAY down from sport bikes. Cruisers are all about torque. So starting out small isn't as important as it is with sport bikes. Of course if you're gonna ride mostly for the image, save your pennies cause Harley pretty much own's that property.



Current liter sport bike performance borders on the insane, a GSXR1000 will go 0-100-0 faster than a Corvette Z-06 can get to 100. FAR, FAR from a toy, I would never recommend one of these to a beginner.



For a novice, I think it's critical to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation beginner course. Not only may save you insurance $$, but will also teach you some things that cage (what biker's call cars) drivers never think about. Soon as you think you know how to ride, then sign up for advanced courses, they're fun and WILL have you do things you didn't think you could.



I only own one bike now, it's getting to be an old fart like me - a 1975 Norton Commando Roadster - I've own for the last 20 years.
 
I would like to add something. Never any topics i know something about that someone hasn't already said. I had a Yamaha R6 and a Yamaha R1. The reason i wouldn't say for a new bike guy to get a smaller motor is, The R6 (600cc) has a powerband. At 7000 rpms it picks up alot more power. So with the R1 (1000cc) it's a smooth powerband all threw the rpms. But since your not looking at sportbikes i would suggests getting the lightest one possible. Good luck.
 
That's the exact reason for the smaller bikes, when I recommended it. The 600's have a "peaky" powerband, so most novices never get the bike into the meat of the power band. So if a mistake is made and a handful is grabbed, then no harm, no foul. But if you make a mistake or panic and grab a handful on an R1, down you go, after the front wheel comes down.:(



That's the same reason why most guys will go faster on a tight track on a 600. They are making better use of the throttle. It's only on big tracks like Willow Springs where the big HP makes a difference. Around the Streets of Willow, the guys on the 600's were all making good time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top