Recomend me a motorcycle

Im looking into getting a sports motorcycle in about jan. and want to start hearing some opinions. This is going to be my first bike since I currently ride a elite 80. I will be commuting back and forth to work which is sometimes a 15min ride or 1 hour ride depending what station I'm at. I will be riding mainly alone and one I feel good on the bike I will have my girlfriend also. I'm on the taller side and some of the lower end bikes seem so tiny. I'm also not sure if I should go 250cc or 600+. I'm 6'1 165lbs and girl friend is 5'3 110lbs.

 

I would recommend not riding with a passenger till you're comfortable on a bigger bike. I have no idea how you can call a 600cc bike tiny, when you ride an elite 80...
I wouldn't ride 2 up on a 250 either, get a 600.

 

I wouldn't ride two up for awhile actually. I would want to feel good on this bike before I risk having another person on it. It's one thing hurting yourself but I wouldn't rise that anytime soon. I mean little as in stand over heights not power wise. I guess I'm all legs for my height

 

they make adjustable rear sets. even the 1000k will only be slightly taller than a 600. If you want a taller bike look into the BMW GS series or a dual sport bike.

 

Whats your budget? A really smart way to go would be to get your self a cheap 250 and use that to get the basics down, once you feel you have mastered that, move onto a 600, you wont ever need anything bigger than 600 no matter what anyone says unless your going to be a trackstar or something.

The 250 wont cut it for two up at all for sure, learn on the 250, then learn a little more on the 600 and ride two up once your used to it.

I started off on a R6 and ended up wrecking pretty quickly, not because of the engine size but because of me being stupid, so if you feel like you can keep a 600 under control and not act like a squid on it, jump to a 600 off the bat because you will outgrow the 250 fairly quick and will probably save money that way. I do regret that I didnt start on something cheaper and smaller because if I had, I wouldnt have had to spend so much money repairing my bike,. All comes down to the rider.

EDIT: Oh yeah, <<<<<<<theres the wreck

 

There are two kinds of riders. Those who have been down and those who are going down. and those who say they haven't been down are liars or don't ride much.

 

Also, when you do finally go to buy a bike, dont get swept up in the specs or numbers. I did that, I wanted an R6 since it had more horsepower than some other bikes, I never even got close to using that bike to where the spec differences would come into play. So just get whatever you like or can find a deal on. ANY modern day Japanese bike will be fine, they are all pretty much tuned near 'perfection' nowadays. You'll find great deals on GSXRs, Ive noticed them to be cheaper than most, and you'll probably end up paying a bit more for an R6 or ZX6R. R6's I know are a bit uncomfortable, ZX6Rs are as well IMO. GSXRs and CBRs are much more comfortable IMO.

 

True that! Been down a few times. Wont be the last either.

 

At 6'1", you're probably fine on height for most bikes. More comfortable on something upright like a super moto or maybe a DRZ. Even a dualsport, like the KLR 650. I'm 6' tall and happen to like the 675-a lot. My daily rider is a KTM 990.

I would strongly recommend you take the MSF class before making your choice of bikes and that after you complete the class, you try and stick to a smaller bike for a while (less than a 600). Stuff happens a lot slower on a smaller bike. Find something with a few miles on it. The chances are good that the right used bike will retain its value and you can sell it for what you bought it for.

Sport bikes (like the R6 or Daytona 675) tend to have much better throttle response than say a KLR. They also tend to turn quicker, and have a pretty decent amount of horsepower. Although you're familiar with riding the scooter, it's not quite the same and sticking to a smaller bike or at least something with less twitch would be good.

As for riding two-up. I have no advice since I rarely ride two up. About the only thing I can say is it will take you a year of riding regularly to get to a point where you should consider riding two up. Might come sooner but that would be my suggestion.

Good luck on your choices and let us know what you decide.

 

Get a steering stabilizer if you're riding two up frequently. The front end will get a lot lighter with a passenger making the bike much twitchier. Also adjust the rear ride height to compensate for the added weight.

 

If you want a sport bike and are set on a 600, look into something like a Katana 600. They have a longer frame than the race bikes so they're a bit more stable, they are a lot more comfortable for longer trips, they are more stable with a passenger and still have enough ass to have some fun with on a back twistie road. The Katana is also a lot more forgiving than a race bike so if you make a mistake, you have a much better chance of recovering where as a race bike would just dump you off unless you're a very experienced rider. (When I say race bike, I'm referring to the GSX-R, R6, ZX6R or the CBR).

Check out the Suzuki SV650 also. It's a great beginner bike that you won't tire of easily. They're quick and very maneuverable plus the V-twin has a nice sound to it.

 

Steering stabilizer isn't going to help riding two up. Adjusting the shock will though.

 

X2

Been there done that.

 

http://www.ducatinewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Ducati_Panigale_1199_S_Finish_Line.jpg

 

I'm 6'1" and 145lb and I've owned an '06 gixxer 600 and an '09 cbr 600 and fit on both of them fine. I didn't ever change the rear sets or get adjustable ones or anything like that. My wife is about 5'8" and 130lb and she fit on the back of both bikes just fine. My gixxer was the first bike I owned and I just took my time and never had any problems, bought it wrecked though so if I did go down I wouldn't be messing up anything pretty.

Get yourself a 600, and just respect the bike and you'll be just fine. You can buy adjustable rearsets if you're really that uncomfortable, but ideally you need to get off the bike about once every hour or so just to stretch... Good luck and keep the rubber on the road!

Here's some pics of my CBR...

 

For a first bike, that would be a death sentence for both the bike and the rider...

 

Just a suggestion lol. I Skipped over the part it was his first bike. How bout this, Op buys panigale and trades me for my ninja 250 that's been sitting in storage for 3 years :-D

 

I have already taken the MSF safety course. I guess my height is that bad for a sports bike now that I see some of you guys feel good on them. I wasn't set on a 600cc it was just a option. I was looking at buying new since I really don't know to much about how to look a used bike over to make sure it is safe, a car yes but a bike is still new to me mechanically. I had been looking at 250cc because of the price range. The two bikes I had been looking at are the cbr250r and the ninja 250.

 

I would look into the Kawasaki Ninja 650, Yamaha FZ6, Suzuki Sv650 or katana 600. These bikes are sporty and forgiving for a new rider. The SV650 is a beast on technical tracks and held the record at the local race track until the new Ducatis came out. The SV is a great bike to start on and is more than capable enough when you get more advanced. The V Twin also has plenty of torque for 2 up riding.

 

my first bike was a cbr600rr. I'm 5' 10" and wished i was a little taller when I came to a stop light.

I think these guys are right, stick to a 600