i say start with a 600... dont waste your time and money on a 250 because you will regret it. i didn't know how to ride and wanted a smaller/older/cheaper bike to learn on, but in the end decided to pull the trigger on a brand new gsxr600.... it was delivered by the dealership at 8am and i learned to ride it by 815am.... now 8 months later im soooo glad i didn't get anything less. Riding really is very easy to learn especially if you know how to drive manual and ride a bicycle. But there is so much more to it.... PhilipMSPT was on point about trying to survive on the road because knowing how to ride around your neighborhood is not the same as actually riding on city streets and highways with all of the idiots on the road. In the beginning I remember the feeling of being so mentally drained after riding because your mind is always on high alert... always aware of every car, always analyzing every drivers moves... always prepared to react.... But then like anything, you begin to adjust and it becomes normal. i think i've become a safer driver now too because im use to anticipating other drivers around me...

i guess my point is... riding and riding safely can be learned fairly easily... but a 600 is so much more fun than a 250

 

anything over 600CC is not a bike for novice.. believe that. i'm also in search of a bike right now. i took a riding class last summer and the amount of information i gain was well worth the time and money. It's your life on the line, learn it from the pros... after that class i have greater respect for the ride and the speed... the hot babes and looking cool suddently come second...

 

Oh yeah, don't forget to save $500 for some decent gear (helmet, gloves, and jacket at the very least). It'll probably run closer to 750, but I haven't checked prices in a while.

 

If you have a track local to your area, definitely do a trackday, especially if they offer instructors. I was a track junkie and every day of track riding was worth months of street riding as far as building skills.

 

OK, I'll put on my MSF Instructor hat - NO you can't "learn to ride" in 15 minutes. You can learn to operate the controls. Saying you can learn to ride in 15 minutes is like saying I can operate WinXP so I'll make a good sysadmin. Very wrong.

Learning to operate the controls on a motorcycle is quick and painless unless you're really uncoordinated. Learning to ride on the street without endangering yourself and others has almost nothing to do with knowing which control does what.

You need to learn to be aware at a level few car drivers ever exercise. You need to understand you are invisible to them. You need to learn to Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, and Execute. For these reasons I told my wife no, she should never ride a bike except as a passenger. She doesn't see driving as anything more involved than a spectator sport. If you see driving this way, you'll be a statistic very quickly.

FIND AN MSF COURSE IN YOUR AREA AND TAKE IT! There is NOTHING you can do better to prepare yourself for the tasks of riding safely on the street. Before the track junkies get their panties in a wad about this, I've also held a competition license, not just MSF credentials, so I've got a pretty clear picture on this. I've also ridden over 250k miles on motorcycles and 100k miles on bicycles, so I've got practical experience - and I still have all 10 fingers and all 10 toes with full motor function.

You need to learn to handle the bike under controlled conditions - you need to learn threshold braking, and manuevering to avoid sudden events on the street. Riding safely is not something you can do after a couple of beers. You need your full faculties working.

Finally, you need to be prepared for the worst - helmet, gloves, boots, and jacket are absolute minimums unless you want to spread your skin across the pavement when you fall. Speaking of falling, the average new rider falls at least once in the first 6 months of riding, whether that new rider has completed a course or not. New riders drop their helmets in the first 6 months - unfortunately, your helmet is designed to hit the ground ONE time and ONE time only, so when you drop it on the ground you've just ruined it.

Last parting words - in any accident, the motorcyclist loses. It does not matter who violated the law, or who had right of way, the simple fact is, if you are on a bike and you have an altercation with a car, truck, SUV, -whatever- YOU LOSE because you are going to get hurt. NO MATTER WHAT. If you are really lucky you wake up the next day and ache a lot. If you are not lucky, you wake up in a hospital bed. If you are supremely unlucky, you never wake up.

Choose your risks wisely - having people tell you "Don't get this bike it's too small" is like asking your neighbor for marital advice. It may be well intentioned, but it really isn't in your best interest. Do what is right for you, your budget, and most importantly GET THE TRAINING BEFORE YOU GET THE BIKE!!!

 

I didn't know we had a MSF instructor here I agree with lobux and I actually thought the course was pretty fun

 

Five bits of gear you need:

Helmet : make sure it's DOT and/or SNELL approved. A good full-faced helmet is about $200, much less for half (cruiser) or three-quarter (scooter) helmets. Lightweight ones are $300-400.

Jacket : find one that is made for a motorcycle, with elbow, shoulder, and back protection. A good one is about $300-500.

Boots : fine one with excellent ankle support. Shoe laces are not your friend. You can get decent ones for $100-150.

Gloves : for comfort, they should be pliable, breathable, and have knuckle guards (and maybe wrist guards). Good ones go for $60-80.

Riding Pants : well, I usually use regular jeans, and wear knee guards above it. Otherwise, special protected-pants are about $100-150.

Eye Protection : goggles or wrap-arounds if you are not going with a full-faced helmet. You don't want anything to get into your eye(s) while riding...

 

And I agree with everything Lance (LobuxRacer) had to say...

 

I do too....smart side of the brain speaking of course.

The evil (retarded) side of me, that has also caused me to have pins, screws, plates, and lengthy hospital stays...says go big.

But yea...if your a new rider. Play it safe


I still believe I have learned more from the umpteen dirt bike accidents or avoidance of, then I ever did from daily riding. But then again Philip and Lance probably dont have arthritis, and clicking joints.

 

+1 On all points, joints and creaky joints included

 

wow thanks for all the input guys. Yeah i really want something to commute in, not shw off, so somthing basic will work. So far the 250 seems good. Ill leave the imrpessin to the 2gs4.

And ill be sure to do more reasearch, but at least you guys are helping me get started! 50+ mpg sounds reallly nice....but getting hurt doesnt haha.

 

I have arthritis and clicking joints. No pins or screws yet. I only count the times I've bailed at over 100 mph. There are six of those.

 

And if you want 70+ mpg, get a 250cc scooter...

I like the Piaggio MP3:

 

It comes with one of these....


To throw your jabronies in while you ride.

 

Jabronies?

Even UrbanDictionary.com didn't have that defined...