about a few months ago my friend purchase a 2002 suzuki gsx-1000. this was his first bike ever and i seen him ride on it and IMO i think he is pretty good. i never know him to ride or yet alone talk about any type of bike. so my real question is no matter how careful you are on a bike do you think a gsxr 1000 is too much as a first bike? talking with him and a few other, they told me long you are careful and pay attetion you should be fine on any type of bike. im planning to take the Penndot motorcycle riding course in july. i won't be getting a bike till mid to late august. i want a 1000 (used bike) so if i lean to ride this bike there won't be no reason for me to change bikes later on. i seen a few gsx-r1000 for about 5-6,000 some even around 4,000 from 00-02. i never rode a street bike before so i just want some tips on riding and what to expect taking a motorcycle riding course (if anyone took it). i had my premit for about 1month now, i wasn't planning on riding till the class (no one wants to loan me their bike they scared i might wreck it ) like i said any tips or info for a first time rider, please share

 

130 horsepower for a beginner!?!? That's a Corolla engine on a bike!

I personally think that no matter how good you are on a bike the first time, it's best to focus on learning the "rules of the road" with a smaller bike, rather than "bike handling" with a big bike.

You should start of with the smallest bike possible; use a 250cc scooter even like the Reflex or Burgman, or the SV650, which is a great easy bike to master. Learn how to maneuver "with" traffic, not around it. When you master the "street smarts," you can then upgrade to a bigger bike.

TAKE THE MOTORCYCLE RIDING COURSE!!! This should not be an option!!!

As for "no reason to change bikes later on," it's better to start small and then upgrade. YOU WILL MOST LIKELY FALL AT LEAST ONCE! If you get a big bike and total it, it will be a big loss. If you total a small bike, at least it's more disposable than a big bike. You will also start off with less expensive insurance. As a starter bike, don't get anything that you will keep for a long time. You should not mod a starter bike as it will most likely be damaged/dropped, and you'll just lose money in the long run. Get a cheap bike, trash it as much as you need to learn, and then upgrade later.

Good luck with the motorcycle riding. No car can compare to that thrill! (Check out my sig... )

 

i saw your other post and i was going to sugest this but i think a gsxr 1000 is wayyyyyy to much bike for a beginner or somebody that doesnt have that much experience riding ill be the first to tell you i know for a fact the 1000 will come up (wheelie) at 140mph !!! i had a suzuki tl 1000 that is a v twin bike very smooth power delivery and it was very easy to ride kinda like a caddy of bikes . but like was said in another post i think a gsxr 750 will be more than enough for a beginner or a seasoned rider.soo remember its not how big your bike is or how fast it goes but how well you can ride it !! something to remember

 

i will say start with a 450 or 600
they are safer for beginners and
are still quick

 

no more than 600 for a beginner, 1000cc is asking for trouble

 

even 600 is too much for a beginner

 

I agree with most on here, a 1000 is too much for a beginner. Motorcycles are so affordable, he should go with a 600 first learn the ropes and then step up later.

I work for a motorcycle shop and see dudes come in all the time with busted this or that, they all think they can handle fast bikes

 

In some countries in the world, you can't import anything over 250cc without a special permit (usually rejected) or you have to fudge the paperwork.

 

YES. Start off on a 600 at the most. Part of the reason insurance is so high on bikes is that anyone can go out and buy a liter bike and not have any clue how to ride it. WTF? Other countries at least have the sense to limit new riders in how much bike they can buy.

For all intents & purposes, a GSXR1k has the same power to weight as a 1000 hp Bugatti Veyron. Makes a perfect starter car, LOL.

Besides, if you start off on a 1000, you pretty much have nothing to aspire to. It's more fun to get a smaller bike, learn it, master it, then move on to a bigger challenge. Good luck

 

I just bought my first motorcycle a month ago. I had a chance to buy a brand new 2005 HONDA CBR 1000 RR for only $8,999 + tax & fees..........but I past on that cuz it's just too much power for me. It would be the bike is riding me, not I'm riding the bike. Instead I bought a brand new KAWASAKI ZZR600 with only 1 mile for $7,200 OTD!!! I looked for used bike like the YAMAHA R6 or CBR 600, GSXR-600 or 750, and what amazed me was with about 10,000 miles, it's about $6,500 to $7,500.......... well, but I was shopping at a bike dealership though.
I can get around 45-50 MPG.....so with the money I save from gas pump, it goes to the bike payment & insurance

 

thats a nice bike ATSOU, that is so cute how it matches your car but thanks for all the input that everyone has given me on here. i was gonna start out on a use 1000, a friend of mine is selling his bike to me (if i want) for 4k or best offer. it's a 2001 GSX-R 1000 i figure this was a good deal for a bike like that. it's black and sliver, never been drop or anything. a price like that i thought it was a give away. well im gonna keep a look out on any 600 out there. hopefully i can find a decent one for a good price. one of my friend also mention it's good to learn on a 2000 and up model due to something or some kinda or part or feature they have, i don't know, i forgot. im gonna see if i can get in a late june or july class once school is over for me. i heard that you learn on a 250cc in those classes? so going from a 250cc to a 600cc do y'all think i will be ok with that. i know it's funny i was just talking about going from a 250cc to a 1000cc now im worried about a 600cc lol that's how i think some times. once again thanks for all the input if y'all have any more tips please share. im trying to have fun with this not kill myself. last question, how long you think it will take for me to graduate from a 600cc to a 1000cc, i know most people will be like "well it's up to u, and depends how much or how good you are"

 

i forgot to mention, is there any particular brand of 600's i should look into? will a cbr 600 be better then a gsx-r 600 because lets say it handle better or one might be lighter then the other? etc.

 

youre nuts. Can you put me in your will?

Seriously, get a 600. 0-60 in 3.5 not fast enough for you? That will utterly embarras every car on the road and hang with a 911 Twin turbo and McClaren F1.

As far as bikes, what do you plan to do:

Race: Yamaha R6 or Suzuki GSXR
Cruise: Yamaha YZF
Budget: Yamaha FZR
Little of everything: Honda CBR

You will NEVER meet a motorcyclist that hasn't dropped or crashed their bike. There is no if you eat it, its when

Take my advice and make sure you pony up for some nice full leathers or kevlar.

 

Suzuki SV650 (I learned on it and swear by it). Regular is lower than "S" version, so if you're short, get the regular. You can get a one or two year old used one for about $4k.

You can also try Katanas, Bandits, Ninjas, CBR, even a Ducati Monster if you want to stand out a little bit. I'm also a big fan of scooters: it ain't sexy, but you'll learn very very fast!

Notice that none of the above are cruisers. You'll appreciate the handling capacities of sport bikes.

 

As everyone else has suggested, 1000cc is way too much to start. As a beginner myself, i'm looking to get this thing once it comes to the states. A solid 250cc to start learning with, enough to get to 100MPH, so i thik it would be great to commute/learn/have fun on.

Cheers
Hyosung GT250R