Motorcycle advice-engine size

[tannat]

Need some advice...

I am wanting to purchase a motorcycle, and want to be certain I purchase an appropriately sized bike. I am 6'1" and 160 lbs.

I don't want too much bike as a starter, I'm thinking 500 cc or less. My question to the group is how small is too small? A glance at ebay showed some nifty Aprilia RS 50s... what is the top end on these bikes?

Also notice some 125s and 250s which seem a more reasonable. Despite the temptation, I do not wish to be riding around in top gear max rpm all the time as I do a bit of highway travel on my commute.

Cheers...

Tannat

[jim mcglinchey]

Dont get anything less than 125cc, even for a starter a 125 is small enough but you can still have some fun on them about town and on back roads, but on a highway you'll soon start missing the extra power, and you'll soon grow out of it.

[Hondo]

A 250cc ought to do the trick for you

[tannat]

Cheers to both.

Some of the 50cc post top speeds of 70 mph, which is actually almost enough, but I certainly don't want to run at the redline in top gear all the time...

There is an Aprilia 125 that looks quite tempting..

[MrJan]

Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

That's what you'll sound like on a two stroke.

Get any size engine and you'll be fine as long as the thing has 4 wheels ;) :D

[ChrisS]

First find the type of bike you want (standard, cruiser, sport), Don't worry about engine sizes yet. CCs isnt what determines a bike's level.

From the RD50 you mentioned I take it you are looking for a sporty looking bike. I think at 6'1" and 160 lbs the RS50 will be too small for you. Also top speed is about 60mph but as you said riding around in top gear max rpm is no good so think of 45mph as the top speed you can ride without stressing the bike too much.

The Kawasaki Ninja 250R is worth a look, It looks like a supersport but its manageable and easy to ride.

You may also want to consider taking lessons before buying the bike. it will give you the chance to ride a variety of bikes and maybe you will find something that suits you. It can also help you avoid making mistakes on the road and you may even become confident enough to buy something a notch more serious. I think a 250 will start feeling weak after a while.

IMO if you stay away from crotch rockets all other sport bikes are good enough for a first bike. The Suzuki GS500F and the Kawasaki Ninja 500R are nice beginner bikes and even the Yamaha YZF-R6S, Kawasaki ZZR 600 and the Suzuki GSX650F are good bikes that can be used as daily riders and commuters.

You said you are looking at ebay so you are looking for a used bike. Thats a good choice IMO because you wont have to worry about scratching or damaging it when you drop it ( Not having a go at you but you will drop it, everybody drops their first bike, its not a matter of if its a matter of when).

Just remember, do not buy blind. Go see the bike before you buy, try it on for size, and if possible, take it for a test drive and make sure you are comfortable riding it. A bike can cause great discomfort if its ergonomic dont suit you.

[tannat]

Cheers, Chris S.

Yeah-I want a sportbike. You mentioned a lot of bikes I'm considering, all fairly low in displacment.

And lessons are indeed on the table-sound advice.

Cheers,

Tannat

[MrJan]

Trees, cars and tarmac can also cause great discomfort :D

[Tazio]

I've got just over 500 miles on my 2008 Aprilia 750 Shiver. The bike is as good as advertised.
And with three distinctly different engine maps, it is surprisingly easy to ride.
In the "sport" map it is scary-fast :p :

[fandango]

If it's your first bike I'd advise you to get something well within safety margins, one that you may outgrow, with the idea to getting your "real" bike in a couple of years. Buy something that's been well looked after, and has a solid reliability record. This means you can sell it on and you'll know yourself what you want by then.

Outgrowing a bike is way better as a longterm, staying-alive choice than buying something you may regret. Aim to be an old biker, someday.

[Hondo]

Get a nice Harley.

[tannat]

Get a nice Harley.

Not the Harley type...

Gotta have a sportbike :burnout:

[Valve Bounce]

[quote="tannat"]Not the Harley type...

Gotta have a sportbike :burnout: [/QUOTE
You have not mentioned price and whether you would be interested in a used or new bike.

For a start, if you want something really worth owning and loving, then a Triumph Tiger 110 or Bonneville would be my dream bike.

I am sure you would be able to find a nice one in England.

[Hondo]

Not the Harley type...

Gotta have a sportbike :burnout:

I'd buy a Harley XR 1200 in a heartbeat but they aren't available in the USA market.

Sportbike? Why you want to ride around all hunched over with your butt stuck up in the air, looking like a house cat trying to get bred?

[Hondo]

Harley type....?

[fandango]

Harley type....?


Oh, they exist alright.

I mean, I understand that they have a lot of appeal to many people, but


I HATE F***ING HARLEYS!!!!

The jackets, the boots, the T-shirts.

We've had a couple of worldwide Harley meetings here in Barcelona. Lots of accountants who don't usually wear anything remotely tassly, getting all wild and, well, unaccountable, for a weekend. And - they can't ride. They stop like some awkward waterbird trying to land on the sea, legs askew. And when they go they wake up the neighbourhood - Born to be wild, me arse.

[Hondo]

I feel what what you're saying. Kinda like all the guys on the sportbikes with the huge, full-face, color coordinated helmets and leathers, all looking homosexual as hell. To each his own.

[Alexamateo]

I am sure you would be able to find a nice one in England.

psst..... Tannat lives in Memphis, TN....

Sorry Tannat, I had a nice CBR600 but I sold it already :( , then took the money and went to Disneyland :D

[Valve Bounce]

psst..... Tannat lives in Memphis, TN....

:D

Well, that's the place to get a Triumph Bonneville. :up:

[Tazio]

Sportbike? Why you want to ride around all hunched over with your butt stuck up in the air, looking like a house cat trying to get bred?

There is a whole group of sport bikes "Nakeds" that are designed with handle bars that are not articulated forward, and you ride in an upright position! Ducati Monster, Aprillia Shiver, (which I own) and if you want to spend a few more bucks,
MV Agusta Brutale :p

[ChrisS]

I feel what what you're saying. Kinda like all the guys on the sportbikes with the huge, full-face, color coordinated helmets and leathers, all looking homosexual as hell. To each his own.

I am into sportbikes but I also find some guys dress ridiculous.

You see some guys wearing One-Piece leathers with a race hump as if they are about to go out and race with knee sliders on even though they will never tilt the bike enough for their knees to touch the ground. And since the good racing suits are quite expensive they choose to buy a cheap brand that in the end offers much less protection


There is a whole group of sport bikes "Nakeds" that are designed with handle bars that are not articulated forward, and you ride in an upright position! Ducati Monster, Aprillia Shiver, (which I own) and if you want to spend a few more bucks,
MV Agusta Brutale :p

Its not just naked bikes there are sportbikes that are very comfortable to ride in an upright possition. The ones I mentioned above are few, the Yamaha YZF-R6S, Kawasaki ZZR 600 and the Suzuki GSX650F. They look similar to their aggressive racing cousins but they are comfortable like sport tuners.

[Hondo]

I believe I'd go with the handlebars that allow upright riding. I always feel sorry for the wives and girlfriends I see on the back of sport bikes, getting blasted by the wind while boyfriend\hubby is bent over, hugging the gas tank.

[TOgoFASTER]

We've had a couple of worldwide Harley meetings here in Barcelona. Lots of accountants who don't usually wear anything remotely tassly, getting all wild and, well, unaccountable, for a weekend. And - they can't ride. They stop like some awkward waterbird trying to land on the sea, legs askew. And when they go they wake up the neighbourhood - Born to be wild, me arse.

LOL! Hey, they keep the local officially licensed dealer's repair shop busy, plus Harley building replacement frames when they lay them down a city block or so after purchase. Plus think of all those bent up chrome extras.

[fandango]

I believe I'd go with the handlebars that allow upright riding. I always feel sorry for the wives and girlfriends I see on the back of sport bikes, getting blasted by the wind while boyfriend\hubby is bent over, hugging the gas tank.

Yeah, I see what you mean. I'm for the upright stance myself, too. A decent size saddle for the passenger's not a bad thing either.

[Hondo]

LOL! Hey, they keep the local officially licensed dealer's repair shop busy, plus Harley building replacement frames when they lay them down a city block or so after purchase. Plus think of all those bent up chrome extras.

Last time I looked, the mechanics at the other brands of bike shops weren't sitting around, playing cards, bored to death with nothing to do.

[TOgoFASTER]

^Bikers laugh at their riders as well.
But it's so much more funny to watch a Harley go down with the skill of a Walter Mitty weekend rider. Such outlaws...

[Hondo]

^Bikers laugh at their riders as well.
But it's so much more funny to watch a Harley go down with the skill of a Walter Mitty weekend rider. Such outlaws...

My previous Electra Glide was never in the Harley shop except for tune ups and tires. My current 2004 Heritage Soft Tail has been in the shop for a tune up, drive belt replacement (normal maint) and 2 sets of tires. Niether had or have been dropped. Prior to those I had a Honda SL 90, Yamaha 125 Enduro, CZ 125 MXer, Penton 125 MXr, CZ 250 MXr, Suzuki Cyclone TM 400 MXr (still have it), Honda 250, Honda 500-4, Kawasaki Z1 900, Suzuki GS 750, and a Honda GL 1000 Goldwing. The vaunted Goldwing had so much stuff on it fail that I considered giving up riding, until I rode that Electra Glide. Riding became fun again.

Maybe you've had bad luck with your Harley like I had with the Goldwing, or maybe you've never owned a Harley and don't have a clue as to what you're blathering on about.

[leopard]

If comfort is the point personally I prefer Goldwing offers more than any Harley that riding it distance wouldn't be a matter, Elctra glide perhaps the closest one, but any type like softail or fatboy offers different sensation that they are built for dashing people. After all, they are only a matter of preference.

[TOgoFASTER]

Maybe you've had bad luck with your Harley like I had with the Goldwing, or maybe you've never owned a Harley and don't have a clue as to what you're blathering on about.

All the crap aside. lol
It isn't anything a Harley has control over or any fault in design. It's the ability to ride vs the ability to buy an image for the weekend and wear it badly along or all over the roadways. That is clearly the point behind my first post in this thread. Clear enough now?
Never have layed down a bike once on the road. Yes, I did in competitions a few times. No harm, no foul.
I know more than a few that make a great living fixing Harleys after thier owners weekend excursions end prematurely. I can't speak to how other make's weekend riders make out in the repair shops on Mondays.
Harley has some very restrictive guidelines as to what degree can and cannot be straightened by dealers in the area of frame damage. It's a matter of strict standards, safety, as well as liability.
You may not have known that.
Never found routine maintenance to be anything I couldn't do myself.
Your weak assumptions carry no weight at all.

[Hondo]

I forgot to mention the Beta 250cc Trials bike. That one hit the ground alot.

[Hondo]

Come to think of it, so did I.