[Razzy]

I'm intent on buying a sport bike for example a yamaha R6, Suzuki GSXR - 600 etc, pretty much a good 600CC. Now the catch is that im 17, and turning 18 in July. My parents ofcourse arn't keen on me getting one. I've never actually rode(?) a bike and i am a complete newbie (NOOB) when it comes to bikes. i have done some research i must admit. Thing is some reccomend starting with a 250CC, whilst others say a 600CC should be fine to start with. I'm looking to get opinions and any information from any of you who have any experience with bikes, i would honestly appreciate it. Please feel free to criticise me and give me some insight into this situation, as my 17 year old brain isn't wise enough compared to your guys'.

PS: I am litterally obsessed with getting a bike.

[JL330i_UT]

bmw makes bikes.

[TK-421]

I think it all depends on the rider. Bikes don't kill people, people kill people. If you truly believe you are responsible, get something that you wouldn't feel too bad about dropping. Also, don't skimp on the helmet because that will save your life no questions asked. But before you do anything, make sure to take a motorcycle safety course!! I understand your dilemma, take some serious time to think about this even if you think you already have. Good luck!

[Blake]

Originally Posted by JL328i

bmw makes bikes.

+1 for the home team

[radix]

I personally have no problems with bikes, although I've no interest in riding them... The subject reminds me of this though... funny and worth a read, it's JC's review of a Vespa with plenty of commentary on bikes. You might not agree with it, but it's pretty funny nonetheless.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/dri...cle4963194.ece

an excerpt:

A word of warning, though. If you use only the front brake, you will fly over the steering wheel and be killed. If you try to use the back one, you will use the wrong foot and change into third gear instead of stopping. So you’ll hit the obstacle you were trying to avoid, and you’ll be killed.

Then there is the steering. The steering wheel comes in the shape of what can only be described as handlebars, but if you turn them — even slightly — while riding along, you will fall off and be killed. What you have to do is lean into the corner, fix your gaze on the course you wish to follow, and then you will fall off and be killed.

[bmstyle71]

I'm you in the past. Back in 2005 I WAS DYING TO GET ONE. So my parents gave in and I got one at the age of 19. I was a noob as well. I said to myself I'm going to drive safely, speed limit, no wheelies and all this other shit and I really did. I did a mistake of taking it on the highway 2 weeks later, mind you I was going the speed limit but at the same time being a noob, I did not know the bike well enough to be comfortable to do everything. So this lady swerves 3 lanes because she doesn't want to miss her exit, doesn't see me and demolishes me. My bike flew one way and I flew the other. It hit the median and disintegrated and I skid about 100 feet acorss the highway and miraculously didn't get hit by any cars. I was smart in the sense that I wore a helmet and a leather joe rocket jacket. My helmet was dented in 3 places (that would have been my head) and the back of my jacket was melted. I was wearing jeans and my legs got burned BAD. I had about a palm size burn that was sticky and when you looked at it, it looked like flesh just sitting there. No broken bones. I got lucky.
My advice to you? Am I going to say don't get a bike? No I'm not but this is my advice.
0) Don't assume you're going to crash because of your stupidity, it's the people around you that you have to watch. You have to look out for yourself because you are the one who will get fucked in a crash.
1) If you are influenced by peer pressure DON'T GET A BIKE you will kill yourself
2) If you don't have patience and want to start popping wheelies DON'T GET A BIKE you will kill yourself
3) Be willing to give it at LEAST a year on regular roads getting a feel of riding.
4) The slower you go the harder it is to ride a bike. Don't think because you're doing 50 that your good.
5) Go to a parking lot and as slow as you can go, do 90 degree turns and other slow turns.
6) LEARN HOW TO STOP PROPERLY. If you get spooked and grab the right lever (front brake) which is what instinct will make you do, you will eat pavement. Use BOTH brakes.
7) NO HIGHWAY NO HIGHWAY NO HIGHWAY FOR A LONG TIME until you are 100% comfortable.
8) LIGHTS are your friend, the bitch didn't see me because my bike was titanium ( I had a brand new 2005 ZX 6R)
9) FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...WEAR....YOUR...GEAR.....WHATEVER YOU DO...WEAR YOUR GEAR....500 bucks saved my head and my life
10) Just enjoy riding at safe speeds minimize riding in traffic and don't take people with you at first.
11) Take a course and another and another to educate your self.
12) If you want to get a bike because it's FAST AND COOOOOOL AND VROOOOM infront of the girls....don't get it you have yet to mature to get a bike.
I'm 22 now and I myself want to get back on a bike as well. But I have my rules to keep me safe. Don't let what happened to me happen to you in order for you to learn. Lots of people emphasize engine size, personally I think that's bull. You will kill yourself on a 2cc bike if you're stupid. That being said, don't go out and buy a liter bike or a busa either....

[Blake]

Originally Posted by bmstyle71

I'm you in the past. I WAS DYING TO GET ONE. So my parents gave in and I got one at the age of 19. I was a noob as well. I said to myself I'm going to drive safely, speed limit, no wheelies and all this other shit and I really did. I did a mistake of taking it on the highway 2 weeks later, mind you I was going the speed limit but at the same time being a noob, I did not know the bike well enough to be comfortable to do everything. So this lady swerves 3 lanes because she doesn't want to miss her exit, doesn't see me and demolishes me. My bike flew one way and I flew the other. It hit the median and disintegrated and I skid about 100 feet acorss the highway and miraculously didn't get hit by any cars. I was smart in the sense I wore a helmet and a leather joe rocket jacket. My helmet was dented in 3 places (that would have been my head) and the back of my jacket was melted. I was wearing jeans and my legs got burned BAD. I had about a palm size burn that was sticky and when you looked at it, it looked like flesh just sitting there. No broken bones. I got lucky.
My advice to you? Am I going to say don't get a bike?

excellent post man. IMHO, bikes are suicide machines for any male under 30. that's a scary ass story, pretty much why i won't be getting a bike anytime soon. i go fast enough in the M, i can't imagine if it was that much easier to go faster.

[TK-421]

Originally Posted by bmstyle71

I'm you in the past. Back in 2005 I WAS DYING TO GET ONE. So my parents gave in and I got one at the age of 19. I was a noob as well. I said to myself I'm going to drive safely, speed limit, no wheelies and all this other shit and I really did. I did a mistake of taking it on the highway 2 weeks later, mind you I was going the speed limit but at the same time being a noob, I did not know the bike well enough to be comfortable to do everything. So this lady swerves 3 lanes because she doesn't want to miss her exit, doesn't see me and demolishes me. My bike flew one way and I flew the other. It hit the median and disintegrated and I skid about 100 feet acorss the highway and miraculously didn't get hit by any cars. I was smart in the sense that I wore a helmet and a leather joe rocket jacket. My helmet was dented in 3 places (that would have been my head) and the back of my jacket was melted. I was wearing jeans and my legs got burned BAD. I had about a palm size burn that was sticky and when you looked at it, it looked like flesh just sitting there. No broken bones. I got lucky.
My advice to you? Am I going to say don't get a bike? No I'm not but this is my advice.
0) Don't assume you're going to crash because of your stupidity, it's the people around you that you have to watch. You have to look out for yourself because you are the one who will get fucked in a crash.
1) If you are influenced by peer pressure DON'T GET A BIKE you will kill yourself
2) If you don't have patience and want to start popping wheelies DON'T GET A BIKE you will kill yourself
3) Be willing to give it at LEAST a year on regular roads getting a feel of riding.
4) The slower you go the harder it is to ride a bike. Don't think because you're doing 50 that your good.
5) Go to a parking lot and as slow as you can go, do 90 degree turns and other slow turns.
6) LEARN HOW TO STOP PROPERLY. If you get spooked and grab the right lever (front brake) which is what instinct will make you do, you will eat pavement. Use BOTH brakes.
7) NO HIGHWAY NO HIGHWAY NO HIGHWAY FOR A LONG TIME until you are 100% comfortable.
8) LIGHTS are your friend, the bitch didn't see me because my bike was titanium ( I had a brand new 2005 ZX 6R)
9) FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...WEAR....YOUR...GEAR.....WHATEVER YOU DO...WEAR YOUR GEAR....500 bucks saved my head and my life
10) Just enjoy riding at safe speeds minimize riding in traffic and don't take people with you at first.
11) Take a course and another and another to educate your self.
12) If you want to get a bike because it's FAST AND COOOOOOL AND VROOOOM infront of the girls....don't get it you have yet to mature to get a bike.
I'm 22 now and I myself want to get back on a bike as well. But I have my rules to keep me safe. Don't let what happened to me happen to you in order for you to learn.

[Terrance28]

Start with a 600 its a great bike to learn on. If you get a 250 or a 500 you will learn yes but you will be sick of the bike in about 2 months and looking for an upgrade. Anyway once you learn throttle control your golden and always ride defensively. When I got my first bike I told myself that I would never try any tricks. But after I got it 3 months later I couldn't keep the front wheel on the ground. Its fun to do tricks but only after you are comfortable with the bike and yourself as a rider. Don't let anybody talk you into riding out of your skill level thats how you get hurt. You are gonna fall but its all part of riding and it makes you a better rider trust me. I can ride a stand up wheelie for as long as the road is straight, but you don't learn it over night.

[mach330]

have you thought about insurance yet? it's going to be very expensive in your age. i would recommend in a 250cc as well as you'll learn the fundamentals. i'm sure you're the only person who can judge how responsible you are. but based on my experiences, most people your age are not mature enough to ride one and not kill himself. take the msf course.

[bmstyle71]

Originally Posted by Blake

I go fast enough in the M

Dude, back then I had a 320i Lmao I thought I was cool

[bmstyle71]

You're in Ontario? That's where I had my accident man. On the 401w right after the bayview exit.

[kevinbahnz]

You should definitely learn on a 250cc. You might not want to buy one , so if you have a friend or know someone who has one that will teach you how to ride is the best way to go. You're only 17and a half and have never been on a bike or know very little about it so you should start off small. I started on a 750 cruiser. I had no choice it was sitting in the shed for 2 years. I was scared to get on it at first, but i took it out once a week up and down the street(less then half a mile) until i got confortable to take it out on the road.

[2K5 325i]

Originally Posted by Terrance28

Start with a 600 its a great bike to learn on. If you get a 250 or a 500 you will learn yes but you will be sick of the bike in about 2 months and looking for an upgrade. Anyway once you learn throttle control your golden and always ride defensively. When I got my first bike I told myself that I would never try any tricks. But after I got it 3 months later I couldn't keep the front wheel on the ground. Its fun to do tricks but only after you are comfortable with the bike and yourself as a rider. Don't let anybody talk you into riding out of your skill level thats how you get hurt. You are gonna fall but its all part of riding and it makes you a better rider trust me. I can ride a stand up wheelie for as long as the road is straight, but you don't learn it over night.

Not.

Do you think telling this kid that you can do a wheelie for as long as the road is straight is going to help him in his struggle to suppress those idiotic teenage urges to show off? Use your fucking head man.

Most of the advice in this thread isn't very good, although the above post just makes me sick.

Start with a smaller CC bike. 600 is more than you need to learn on. Can you handle it? Possibly. Do you have a better chance surviving on a smaller CC bike in the first year of riding? Absolutely. Also realize that the smaller CC bikes hold their value MUCH better than the >500cc bikes. Why? Because there are always "newbies" entering the hobby/sport/what have you... and those newbies are always going to be needing a bike to learn on. That, and people crash and drop >500cc bikes more often. Most people get approximately what they paid for their learner bike back when they sell it, if not nudge up the price a hundred or so bucks to help pay for their gear .

So think of it this way: you buy a less expensive SMALLER CC bike and learn. You become more intimately familiar with the bike because you are not afraid of it and its power. You spend less on the initial payment. After your year (or so) of riding, you sell the bike to someone just like yourself, and then you start considering and shopping around for a more sporty bike that you feel suits you. GSX-R, R6, CBR... etc.

So starting smaller gives you this:

• Cheaper initial cost.
• Cheaper insurance.
• Becoming a better rider.
• Less dangerous. (More likely to survive)
• Less likely of being stolen. (it happens)
• More respect from veterans.
• A virtually FREE bike when you resell it for what you got it for.

"Trying to learn" on a 600cc bike gives you this:

• Hurt pockets. Bike note is more expensive.
• Insurance will rape you.
• Chances are you won't feel comfortable on the bike because you know (or at least should know) that you are not yet ready to yield such power responsibly.
• Increased chances of road rash, broken bones, Traumatic Brain Injury, and oh yeah... death.
• More friends. People love people who do stupid shi... I mean. People love people who drive like Terrance(28) up there. [/sarcasm]

Start small, live longer.
-Chris

[TK-421]

I started off with a used Ducati Monster. Not too powerful but was still a great bike. You don't necessarily need to start off with an R1 or a Desmo.

[TK-421]

Originally Posted by 2K5 325i

Not.

Do you think telling this kid that you can do a wheelie for as long as the road is straight is going to help him in his struggle to suppress those idiotic teenage urges to show off? Use your fucking head man.

Most of the advice in this thread isn't very good, although the above post just makes me sick.

Start with a smaller CC bike. 600 is more than you need to learn on. Can you handle it? Possibly. Do you have a better chance surviving on a smaller CC bike in the first year of riding? Absolutely. Also realize that the smaller CC bikes hold their value MUCH better than the >500cc bikes. Why? Because there are always "newbies" entering the hobby/sport/what have you... and those newbies are always going to be needing a bike to learn on. That, and people crash and drop >500cc bikes more often. Most people get approximately what they paid for their learner bike back when they sell it, if not nudge up the price a hundred or so bucks to help pay for their gear .

So think of it this way: you buy a less expensive SMALLER CC bike and learn. You become more intimately familiar with the bike because you are not afraid of it and its power. You spend less on the initial payment. After your year (or so) of riding, you sell the bike to someone just like yourself, and then you start considering and shopping around for a more sporty bike that you feel suits you. GSX-R, R6, CBR... etc.

So starting smaller gives you this:

• Cheaper initial cost.
• Cheaper insurance.
• Becoming a better rider.
• Less dangerous. (More likely to survive)
• Less likely of being stolen. (it happens)
• More respect from veterans.
• A virtually FREE bike when you resell it for what you got it for.

"Trying to learn" on a 600cc bike gives you this:

• Hurt pockets. Bike note is more expensive.
• Insurance will rape you.
• Chances are you won't feel comfortable on the bike because you know (or at least should know) that you are not yet ready to yield such power responsibly.
• Increased chances of road rash, broken bones, Traumatic Brain Injury, and oh yeah... death.
• More friends. People love people who do stupid shi... I mean. People love people who drive like Terrance(28) up there. [/sarcasm]

Start small, live longer.
-Chris

You may have just saved a few lives with that post

BTW, how long did that writeup take?

[FrankoQ]

get a 250 to start.

[Buschy]

first off , you need to do more research. What is a Dual Sport bike? not and R6 not a GSXR.
however, starting with a dual sport bike probably not a bad idea.
you absolutley don't want to start with an R6 or a GSXR 6. you need somethign less. I am not saying it has to be a 250, but you need a lower end 600 if you must get a 600.
My advise would be to start on a different kind of bike, such as a real dual sport or a honda rebel.
This type of bike will allow you to learn the basic features of riding a bike, they are not crazy fast and its a little harder to get "stupid " on them. Which you will eventually.
once you have mastered it you can move up.

[Hedges]

Originally Posted by bmstyle71

I'm you in the past. Back in 2005 I WAS DYING TO GET ONE. So my parents gave in and I got one at the age of 19. I was a noob as well. I said to myself I'm going to drive safely, speed limit, no wheelies and all this other shit and I really did. I did a mistake of taking it on the highway 2 weeks later, mind you I was going the speed limit but at the same time being a noob, I did not know the bike well enough to be comfortable to do everything. So this lady swerves 3 lanes because she doesn't want to miss her exit, doesn't see me and demolishes me. My bike flew one way and I flew the other. It hit the median and disintegrated and I skid about 100 feet acorss the highway and miraculously didn't get hit by any cars. I was smart in the sense that I wore a helmet and a leather joe rocket jacket. My helmet was dented in 3 places (that would have been my head) and the back of my jacket was melted. I was wearing jeans and my legs got burned BAD. I had about a palm size burn that was sticky and when you looked at it, it looked like flesh just sitting there. No broken bones. I got lucky.
My advice to you? Am I going to say don't get a bike? No I'm not but this is my advice.
0) Don't assume you're going to crash because of your stupidity, it's the people around you that you have to watch. You have to look out for yourself because you are the one who will get fucked in a crash.
1) If you are influenced by peer pressure DON'T GET A BIKE you will kill yourself
2) If you don't have patience and want to start popping wheelies DON'T GET A BIKE you will kill yourself
3) Be willing to give it at LEAST a year on regular roads getting a feel of riding.
4) The slower you go the harder it is to ride a bike. Don't think because you're doing 50 that your good.
5) Go to a parking lot and as slow as you can go, do 90 degree turns and other slow turns.
6) LEARN HOW TO STOP PROPERLY. If you get spooked and grab the right lever (front brake) which is what instinct will make you do, you will eat pavement. Use BOTH brakes.
7) NO HIGHWAY NO HIGHWAY NO HIGHWAY FOR A LONG TIME until you are 100% comfortable.
8) LIGHTS are your friend, the bitch didn't see me because my bike was titanium ( I had a brand new 2005 ZX 6R)
9) FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...WEAR....YOUR...GEAR.....WHATEVER YOU DO...WEAR YOUR GEAR....500 bucks saved my head and my life
10) Just enjoy riding at safe speeds minimize riding in traffic and don't take people with you at first.
11) Take a course and another and another to educate your self.
12) If you want to get a bike because it's FAST AND COOOOOOL AND VROOOOM infront of the girls....don't get it you have yet to mature to get a bike.
I'm 22 now and I myself want to get back on a bike as well. But I have my rules to keep me safe. Don't let what happened to me happen to you in order for you to learn. Lots of people emphasize engine size, personally I think that's bull. You will kill yourself on a 2cc bike if you're stupid. That being said, don't go out and buy a liter bike or a busa either....

This guys speaks the troof! Been on my r6 for over a year now but still got to handle and ride with extreme care!

[BMWdmk]

i love my r1
but i will never ride it in so cal again...

[Razzy]

wow, thanks for the replies. Well i honestly dont know what to say. I just am soo confused and dont know what to do. Its winter where i live and physically riding anytime before april will be very unlikely. I hear what you guys are saying about the 250CC's but i guess im impatient and dont want to wait for more than one season (pretty much April-September) to actually upgrade. I was hoping to skip the "250" step, but something in the back of my head tells me it might not be the best idea to skip that step. I just want to ride a good sporty bike, ever since i was a kid.

[gonzo]

First dirt bike at 6 years old. Last bike was a crotch rocket years ago. Owned 9 different bikes, dirt and street.

Then one day I saw my brother in a scene that looked just like this. A lady ran a stop sign. I was behind him. He was in traction for 3 months.

I put mine down, not near as bad, a week later. Have not been on a bike in yeeeeaaaars. They are no joke is a huge understatement.