Tips for getting first motorcycle?

YES, buy real motorcycle gear - boots and gloves too. Trust me, you never want this experience.

WR250 makes a great starter bike. As you get more skill you can keep it as an offroad play bike and upgrade to a mid size street bike.

 

They are actually quite nimble in town and hitting potholes and stuff won't throw you around as much,they soak up the bumps easier than a street bike. It is a dual sport,a buddy who is 6'6" rides one. A Harley is cool but you will cry like a little girl when you drop it. Reliable and low maintenance and if you drop it , it will most likely survive

 

Says everyone....ha. gear is great but riding within your limits and being aware of your surroundings is going to do more than gear ever will.

I haz a 690 and can confirm.

Drz is alright for highway. I had one in supermoto form and had no issue riding 4 hours of highway in a day (did it a few times). Ive even ridden my 690 8 hours of highway in a day.

Expect the unexpected on a motorcycle. Watch traffic and see what certain drivers are doing. I commute every day i can on my bike (some days have been in pouring rain, some in below freezing), just have to keep your head up and eyes open.

 

As with the rest of the information and course recommendation this is one of the best pieces of advice here. Do NOT cheap out on helmets! EVER!

 

Sit on as many types of motorcycles that you believe you could enjoy riding for many years to come; most times I hear of beginners selling their first bike within a year, but this indicates to me they've not experienced the spectrum of conditions their motorcycle can allow them.

I have owned an R3 for 1.5 years; not nearly enough time to replace just one set of tires. I adore my little 321cc parallel twin; I

In the CMSP class I took, I was taught highway/freeway riding was safer in that accidents happen less often, though the accidents are more likely to be fatal, because of the high speeds.

Also, the handling and braking characteristics vary from bike to bike; a dual sport will be overall mediocre, cruisers are comfy for long rides, and sportbikes are great fun on twisty mountain roads.

just buy the type of motorcycle that suits your riding and terrain.

 

Like others have said, sign up for an MSF course (or whatever it might be called in MI). Excellent way to learn basics.

Buy used. Under 400cc. Plenty of useable power. Home your skills first, worry about power later. The old adage “it’s a lot more fun to go fast on a slow bike than slow on a fast bike” is so true.

ATGATT. All the gear all the time. Helmet, jacket, gloves, jeans and boots. Whenever I hear someone complain about it being too hot in the summer, I remind them that you can always wipe away sweat. Sure beats them scrubbing gravel out of your skin in the emergency room.

Get out and ride, ride, ride. It’s like nothing else. You’ll never regret it.

Enjoy!

 

You mentioned the "Tacoma of motorcycles" That is only 1 motorcycle the Kawasaki KLR 650. Interstate at 95mph and gnarly single track are its weak points, everything in between it does ok at. It is cheap, crashes well, simple to work on, cheap to insure, the aftermarket is legendary, the bike was produced for over 30 years, I would get a second generation, it is a much better street bike thats 2008 or newer and for you height it will be all day comfortable with a seat upgrade, you can start simple and cheap and go as far as you like with the improvements as long as you dont have to have big HP because it just won't do that! Mine has 85000 miles and is very well equipped and I can ride with much more expensive adventure bikes, I just come up a bit short on the super slab, but its seen the ton a few times Death Valley and a really long down hill is Wyoming. I have never regretted buying a KLR.

Having said that if you were starting off and it was 100% street with NO dirt then I would say Honda CB 500X very tight little bike with good comfort and almost enough power, Maybe a 650 Kawasaki Versys too which has a quite A bit more power than the Honda, or a Suzuki SV650, or Kawasaki 650 Ninja which are a bit sportier. I am a big believer is low horsepower bikes, it is real easy to get in DEEP on a motorcycle without adding big HP, and with the power its a certainty. I have owned two truly fast bikes a Yamaha 1700 vmax and a Triumph Rocket 3 with a turbo and I rarely rode them without making a top speed run, it was exhilarating for sure but not something I would recommend for someone new to motorcycles.

Yes get good gear (and wear it), yes take a MSF safety class, and no dont ever think of riding and drinking.

 

Learn to wheelie chicks love wheelies

 

I ride a 2015 versys 650 now. Put about 30k on it. Great bike so far. I would say it is only for street use. The 17 inch front wheel is too small for off-road in my option. Fun and economical bike though

 

@gunnar#1 said is pretty accurate. The KLR is a super simple, easy to work and ride bike that works well for beginners. The only problem will be if you are short, it’s a pretty tall bike for general street riding. I enjoyed mine a lot and took it all over and rode dirt whenever I could. It’s main shortcoming will be any kind of highway riding over 70mph, at that point you’re really winding it out and it’s just not anywhere near as comfortable and stable as a more powerful bike. It might be a 650cc but only makes 36ish horsepower.

Buy a good condition used KLR (for resale value) because within a year or so you’ll probably ride a much nicer and more expensive dual sport and realize everything you’ve been missing on the road can be had without much sacrifice to offroad handling.

 

I've been riding 30 years and can't wheelie

 

I'm at 16 years....same.

 

I started riding at 14 on a Kawasaki 250. I was 6' 170lbs then so it only lasted 1 month before getting a 600. I bought CHEAP and did t cry when I dropped them or stalled the crap out of them. Once I knew what I was doing, I bought a 2nd hand zx636 that was only 5 years old as my daily. Over the years I kept upgrading until I bought a 0 mile zx10r...I miss it but I also love that I switched over to cruiser style for comfort.

 

I'm at 10, having never started on dirt bikes I only wheelie 1st for a short distance or by accident under full throttle.

 

Find your local MSF school.

 

Keith Code https://www.secondsale.com/p/twist-...Dhi-BxcqaRoT3zIrAYX4zj8W7Yx5LHM0aAtIBEALw_wcB

This book if you follow his advice will make you much less likely to have a wreck.

Mr. Hough will give you a tremendous benefit.

https://www.secondsale.com/p/proficient-motorcycling-the-ultimate-guide-to-riding-well/2516965

I started on a ninja 250 1st gen, 2 years, then FZ-6 second gen 4 years.

The Ninja 250 forum is full of cool folk that want to help new people.

I never took any training. I have my reasons and they make some people mad so I will keep them to myself.

I practiced a tremendous amount at slow speeds in empty parking lots. Extremely slow speed practice of very extreme angles is incredible method to build skills.

Buy very high quality gear. There is a difference between a Suomy helmet and a HJC. Held gloves are a totally different world than joe rocket. Always wear quality boots.

I crashed once and slid on pavement for 70 feet, then off across the road and into a ditch. My fault, way way to fast in the mountains. I got up with scarred up gear, but no scratches on me.

Sidi boots ankle armor, held gloves brass rivets, leather jacket and kevlar jeans all took a beating.

Gear can reduce a terrible accident to a minor inconvenience. Always always always wear it.

These are my opinions. Please understand that what works for me may not for you.

Responsibility for 8 other lives, has removed my ability to calmly ride, so it is no fun for me anymore. My wife rode with me untill our first baby made her too big for gear.