NEWBIE with bike size question

Good Afternoon All,

I am brand new to biking. I am actually going for my permit tomorrow and then signing up for the state run safety course. I have questions about the size of the bike I should buy. I am 5'11" 225lb. From everything I have been reading about the internet the suggestion is 250cc to start with. Eventually I am looking to be riding up to the mountains on the weekends (about 90 miles) my wife will be going with me (5'4" 150lbs) Will this bike be strong/safe enough to ride that far? Little highway miles. If not what would you recommend? I am looking at a Honda Rebel or ??? Like the look of the Shadow, also the Magna and Vulcan. Eventually want to get a Cruiser and by retirment a Touring. But what should I start out with?

Thank YOU  ALL input welcome and appreciated!  

Hey Newbie,
Welcome to the world of biking. I'm gonna start out by saying that you are gonna hate spending money on a 250 when looking to buy a new scoot. I read all the same things when I started a year ago but ended up buying a Yamaha Vstar 1100 from a friend and loved that bike. Alot of power and easy to man handle if you need to. That made me fall in love with Star products and I now have a Road Star 1700. I made this jump in a year of biking because learning on the 1100 helped me to determine what I liked, and what I really wanted from a bike. If you're gonna carry a passenger, a 250 just won't cut it and after you get comfortable with riding and your skills, you're gonna hate that you wasted your money. V-star has a new 950 that has good reviews and you can get the touring package: windshield, backrest, and bags for a good price. Plus, it's fuel injected which is a definite plus. The Vstar 1300 has alot of good features as well and you can't go wrong with the 1100 (my first love). These are all middleweight cruisers. Fact is, whatever you start on, you're gonna get accustomed to usually quick, so don't settle. Get something that you're gonna enjoy for a while and that will serve your purposes. It's scary at first I know, but ride smart and learn smart and the size won't be a factor more than what your needs are going to be. I've rode Honda products and personally, they make my knees and back hurt how they're made. I have a friend who rides the Vulcan and it has good features but I prefer Star's controls and seat configurations better. Start looking by sitting on bikes and determine what configuration feels good to you (i.e. seat, handlebars, weight, etc) everyone is different and likes different things. If you're gonna do any distance, you're going to want a windshield. It stops you from getting fatigued at traveling speeds. If you don't get one on the bike to start, Memphis Shades makes a quick release with mounts designed for your bike, all at a great price. Also, if you're looking to buy new right out the shoot, look for last years models at the dealer. They mark these down to get them off the floor and remember to always ask for the "out the door price" otherwise, a seemingly good deal turns nuts when they tack on assembly and all that other garbage. Hope this info helps. If you have any other questions or want further opinion on things, just ask. Good luck to you and welcome again!

                      Tony_StarRider  

The 250 is going to be too small. They are good for learning on because they arent powerfull and they are light, so it is easy to correct mistakes that you have made. But it wont have the power you need to pull yourself up a mountain let alone you and your wife. I also wouldnt take a 250 out on the highway for anything. They are just too light and the big rigs will blow you all over the place. The problem with a bigger bike is they are not forgiving. If you make a mistake you will have alot of power to magnify it. I would suggest getting a small used motorcycle to practice on for awhile. you should be able to find one that isnt priced to high. Practice for awhile on short trips. When you outgrow it, sell it and move up. But dont take your wife with you until you get some experience and learn the bike your on. Also practice with your wife on short trips or in a parking lot before you try the mountain trip. Experience and common sense will save your life.

Best wishes: Doug  

Hi there. I just started riding last year. I took my MSF course on a 250 rebel and while I enjoyed it on the practice course, I knew I wasnt enough bike.  I purchased a Shadow 750 which I loved, but I had I hard time keeping up with my husbands VTX 1300.  In about 3 months I moved up from the 750 to the 1300 and I love it. (of course the hubby then moved up to a 1800 Goldwing)  You might want to get your wife to go the the course with you. It will also teach her a great deal about general balance on a bike. I had several women in my class that were there for that reason. They discovered that they loved riding thier own bike.   Our son who is 9 rides behind my husband. We have a 1000 mile rule in our house. You have to have at least 1000 road miles on the bike before you carry anyone. I am going to take the experienced rider course before I put him up behind me. Good luck on your new adventure and welcome to your new addiction.  

I would strongly recommend that you stick with 1000 cc or above , and fuel injected since you intend to vary elevations,  might be in order .

Plan to practice one up for a while and then once you gain your confidence , introduce a passenger for a few short rides, see if they are comfortable and up for longer ride.  Very important to advise your passenger of their responsibilities , that they need to grab hold and keep themselves securely planted (especially important when stopping)  and only lean when you lean , etc.


Terry  

First Take the MSF of Canadian Gearing up course, second I know you want a big bike, we all do when we start, but your not going to be comfortable enough to just jump onto an 800lb bike with you and your wife and just take off the first weekend.
I'm a big guy 250lb, and I agree with the comment that after the safety course the 250 rebels were just too small, but if you go too big you'll feel unstable and uncomfortable and just won't want to ride. You'll worry about leaning into the corners, wondering will you get the darn thing back up.
I started with an older 750cc and really like it, rode it for 4 months before I was ready to try a passenger, and maybe after this summer I might be ready to move up to a 1100cc or a 1300cc it will give us a bit more room for the two of us, and i will have a reasonable amount of experience by then.  Also don't forget wear all your gear, no matter how hot, I guarantee you will 'lay down' your first bike no matter what size it is.  In my own case I need to just visualize running over the squirl not trying to dodge the damn thing, LOL.  

In my case, it was running over a tar snake during heavy breaking. Tar snakes have a habit of making your front wheel lock up. Goes downhill from there.

Fortunately, there were people around to get the bike off my leg, and the jacket and pants suffered no ill effect. Helmet didn't quite fit right afterwords.  

ya me too, light scrape on the jacket and gloves gave them character,  Was going slow so the jeans didn't rip through, and a scraped up saddlebags, and some scrapes on the highway pegs and one turn signal reflector were my only victims. Helmet didn't even hit the ground, and like you there were people nearby to help me get the bike back up.  

Some people take quickly to biking and some don't. Those who do soon want something they can go anywhere on, anytime, for as long as they want. Those who don't may never feel comfortable on any bike, no matter how small it is.

That said, there are 20hp 250's and then there are 40hp 250's. Even the wimpy GS250 can take a 200+ pound rider right on up to 70mph and the 40hp bikes will go over 100 easily. I spent a lot of years riding all over the country on full sized stock Harleys that only put out about 45hp. It only takes about 30hp to hit 100 mph. The wimpy 250's just require you to stay out of high gear and wind them out more on the highway. BTDT

As for the traffic turbulence blowing you around on a light bike, bah humbug. If you let the windstream push you back to arm's length, then every little bit of turbulence you hit causes you to give a steering input to the bike. If you lean forward a little and keep your elbows bent and use your torso muscles to keep you upright instead of your arms, that turbulence caused steering input doesn't happen. It's the steering input that moves the bike around so much, not the turbulence. It's the way you ride, not the size of the bike that makes the bike seem sensitive to turbulence.

The bigger, heavier bikes are much better for the long miles, because they soak up the road bumps better. If you're going to carry a passenger, they provide more passenger room and comfort, too. Unless you are very lucky, no matter how big the bike is, if it has only two cylinders, it will buzz you at some speed. Most twins do that at somewhere around 55 and higher, but some wait until you get up to around 65 to get buzzy. The single and twin 250's will start doing it about 50 mph.

Which bike to get is a personal choice and no stranger could possibly guess what you will want after you've been riding for a few months. Additionally, your wants will change as your skill and experience grows. Get something used and cheap, because no matter what you get, you'll want something different soon enough. There is no bike that is perfect for all levels of riding skill, all levels of riding experience and all types of riding.

regards,
Joe  

I was in the same boat your are in right now.  I took the MSF course on a burl blast and really enjoyed the class.  Also, by passing the skills portion and the written test I didn't have to take the state test.  I took the class through a Harley dealer and started toaling to the instructor about my first bike.  I wanted to know if I should start out on a Sportster to gain some experience.  His advice was to decide what bike I wanted to be riding two years down the road and go for it. His advice, and I agree, don't buy a bike that in siz months you are not going to be happy with.  I ended up buying a Harley FAT Bob, FXDF.  About 800 bounds of motorcycle.  The first time I rolled down the driveway I started questioning my sanity, but I learned.  I didn't try to exceed my skill level.  A lot of single riding and parking lots for practice.  Just my two dents worth.  Good luck.  

If you are new to biking then you definitely need to get some gear. You practically need to dress yourself in body armor to avoid any injuries on your hands, body, and especially your head. This site has some good deals on all of that stuff

compacc.com

It's great to see that you are starting to ride though! I've been riding for about 6 years and I love it! I'm glad it's starting to warm up again so I can hit the road again. Which reminds me, I need a new jacket...  

I have to agree with the others. I am 5.7 150 and ride a Honda Sabre 1100. I was first looking at a 750 but all the MSF club people said to get the 1100 since my wife will be riding with me. I also had her get her license through MSF just so she would be a better passenger. Go to a lot of dealers and sit or ride for some time. Don't get a bike to grow into but something you can ride for a while.  

probaly to small for what you would like to do, i started off on a Vulcan 800 and rode that for about a year, then went to the 1600 size, i felt more comfortable on the bigger bike. i am six three and 280 but the 800 heled me gain the confidence and experience before i moved up. good luck!!  

I'm another NEWBY. I've read on the Internet that you should start small and used. I'm 61 and never driven a bike, except in the safety class. Loved it and am now obsessed with owning a bike. What would you recommend? Does it matter whether it's a chain or shaft or belt drive?  

"I'm another NEWBY. I've read on the Internet that you should start small and used. I'm 61 and never driven a bike, except in the safety class. Loved it and am now obsessed with owning a bike. What would you recommend? Does it matter whether it's a chain or shaft or belt drive? "  


hfmarcum- Opinions vary , but generally the chains require more maintenance and can be messy . Whereas shafts are nearly maintenance free. Although some say they do not like the drive train lash that comes with shaft drive.
Customizers prefer the belt drives for the ease of customization and they too require little maintenance and are very durable.

Terry