For those of you who know street bikes...

[2K1 300EX]

What is a good starter bike(but at the same time a good bike to enjoy after I've had it for a while and got use to it). What brand should I go with, and whatever else I left out.

[Juggalo]

either a ninja 250 or a 500 i would say are the best starter bikes. personally i am buyin a gsxr750 for my first bike and i am probably gettin in over my head but hey, it only goes as fast as you make it go right?

[remlapr]

A gsxr750 is pretty big bike Juggalo - especially the older ones. Are you a good size guy? If not I would recommend a 600 like a CBR or something. I used to ride an older CBR and my buddy had a gsxr and it felt like a tank to me - but he could walk away from my when we got on it though.

[Bretmd94]

definatly stay small on motor size. Heavy bikes take skill. Be carefull when going fast though. The light bike can get blown off the road easy. My freind got a 600 and the first day a gust of wind blew him off the freeway. He was in a coma for over a month. Died 5 times. He just didnt know how to react to the gust.

[400exstunta]

my opinion.

a honda f4I is a great starter bike. i personally love gsxr's but they are for the more advanced riders, or someone that rides pretty good. One big factor is sitting on it and feeling comfortable if you dont feel comfortable on it you wont want to ride it and if you dont want to ride then your gonna... it on different bikes and see how they feel. A great company called Triumph just remodeled their tt600 and its now called the daytona 600. this bike is comfortable and made very well. Triumphs are definately another bike to look into. i dont think you will be satisfied with a 250 or a 500. Just my opinion. and definatley stay away from all ninjas and katanas. they are junk in every sense of the word. this is once again my opinion.

[YZROOSTINYA]

fzr 600
ex500
gs500
ex250
older cbr600 f2's and f3's
older gsxr 600's(96-00')

don't get anything bigger than a 600. learn to ride the turns and don't look for a drag bike. Bikes are meant to turn not just go straight.

buy some gear(jacket/gloves/helemt) at least

These bikes have a good bit of parts that can be obtained easily and fairly cheap. Smooth power delivery yet still quick and agile.

[EHSRACING]

yeah stay away from the small ninjas and katanas i started on a cbr 600 f3 and loved every part of it i thought it was real fast until i stepped up to my gsxr 1000. i would stay with honda or or a gixxer i have rode with guys who have both f4i and new gixxer 600"s and both are definetly respectable if you are skilled enough and have the $ get something good and grow into are my thoughts but you defiently have to respect it because you can get hurt real quick. everything i ride i keep finding i want more power after about a month my gsxr puts out about 160 rwhp and it feels tame to me now so if your skilled enough get something worthy but if you dont feel comfortable get something slower and work up at your own pace there is definetly no shame in that anybody who is out on a bike gets respect from me even if its a ninja 250

[jerry-89-250R]

a suzuki sv-650, is a great starter bike, lightweight, handles great, fast enough, unless you ride 2-up you want out grow it

[400exstunta]

as you can see, you are going to get alot of opinions, no single one right or wrong. People are going to tell you what they know. If I were you I would just make generlizations from all these great opinions.

like:
- 600cc is large enough. (when are you ever goin to be rollin in 6th gear for more than 100 feet?)
- Safety Gear is a must. (i dont preach full leathers, but i would definately invest in a good jacket, gloves, and helmet.)
- Take a riders class before buying your bike, not only will you learn to ride, and be able to outride half the fools already on the road but youll save some money on insurance too.
- take your time...

do not worry about gusts of wind blowing you off the road, you definately do not have to worry about that. you do have to worry about other vehicles though. more than anything else id say...

[MoparTrav]

I bought a 93 CBR f2 for my first bike last year, I have really enjoyed it, it was a good bike to learn on, then as i started getting better it still had enough power to do some of the thing's i wanted to do.

[2K1 300EX]

Any more opinions?

[derekhonda]

ive had 1 95 cbr600f3; 98 cbr600f3, 1999 kawasaki zx6r; and now i have a 1998 cbr600f3 again

a Good beginner bike, would be a 95-98 honda cbr600f3, power is controlable, still sporty, and can be picked up for 3g-5g

[Zuki]

As previously stated, an SV-650 is a good starter bike. Plenty of power and nimble for a beginner. Yet, it's not completely loaded down with expensive plastics when you DO drop it the first time. Two types of riders out there: those who have gone down, and those who will go down. It's inevitable, whether your fault or not. Don't dump your money into the latest and greatest. I've been riding street off and on for around 11 years, and after a 4 year break I got back on a 600. 160 mph is plenty fast. Learn how to ride the bike and really handle it before going for an R class bike. And as the gear nazis say, get at the BARE minimum a jacket, gloves and helmet. Those 3 are the ESSENTIALS. Good luck man.