motorcycle people: good 400 cc beginer bike?

[Carbon]

So im search of a starter bike. Its seems a decent, used EX500 Kwak is a pretty hard thing to come by round here.

So im setting my sights on a 400cc. Right now i'm looking at a '93 Honda NC30 or a 90 honda CB400F as a commuter/ learner bike. If neither of those two pan out most likey a later model FZR400.

Opinions on those particular 400's?

[punkncat]

I am a big Honda fan, they are IMO very good bikes....however, I am not sure if one of thoses you mentioned is the "Hondamatic". If so avoid it. The trans. had a habit of locking up which results in a quick trip to the ground.

Kawi's are generally not hard to find, and are pretty inexpensive down the road. The EX has been around for a while and should hold up pretty well. Might also consider the GS500 from Suzuki.

Honestly I would go ahead and step into a 600. You will thank yourself later once you are used to it.

Most states have a driver course/racing school for motorcycle riders at varying levels of experiance. Many forgo the license test, and one completed you are licensed and legal. Will teach you many things it would take years to learn on your own and will also reduce your insurance.

GL and happy hunting.
Ride to live, live to ride....

[viper-mayhem]

Well, I might be kind of bias because I ride an old HD Shovel Head Chopper with long forks and Ape hangers. The Harley Buell Blast won the Bonneville Saltflats for fastest production bike under 500cc Single Cylinder @ 105 mph. Also, if you ever wanted to build a chopper out of it, you would have endless possiblilities. They can be found used for around 2Gs. Good luck.

[punkncat]

Well, I might be kind of bias because I ride an old HD Shovel Head Chopper with long forks and Ape hangers. The Harley Buell Blast won the Bonneville Saltflats for fastest production bike under 500cc Single Cylinder @ 105 mph. Also, if you ever wanted to build a chopper out of it, you would have endless possiblilities. They can be found used for around 2Gs. Good luck.

I ride a Sporty mself....lol.

Be wary that MANY of the Buell Blasts have been "school" bikes. They will have been treated a bit less than adult ridden, and probably crashed and dropped lots.

[Bear_Claw]

Well how bout a duel sport or a super motard tons of fun great comuters and porbly will not boare you too quick. The suzuki 400sm comes to mind.

[Carbon]

well, i've taken a safey course and all i have to do is get my MC license.

I've considered a motard. They are odd, weird fun and i like that.

At the begining i though about getting a sporty 600, crimney an R6, GSXR or a ZXR. Common sense told me what i needed was skill and experience and not a just a level head to operate such machines.

thnx for the info guys!

[FlawleZ]

well, i've taken a safey course and all i have to do is get my MC license.

I've considered a motard. They are odd, weird fun and i like that.

At the begining i though about getting a sporty 600, crimney an R6, GSXR or a ZXR. Common sense told me what i needed was skill and experience and not a just a level head to operate such machines.

thnx for the info guys!

The high end 600's do take not only a level head but some good experience and getting used to. I recommend picking up an older CBR possibly an F3. Really the most important thing to consider is your budget. If you pick up a 600 first, it gives you much more room to grow into it as opposed to picking up a 250 or so and 3 months down the road wishing you had more bike between your legs.

[kruger]

Another 600 to consider is the Kawasaki Eliminator 600. Stopped making them a coupla years back. They are a type of cruiser bike and pretty fun, and easy to ride. They still make the Eliminator in a 125, but that is just way too small. I had one in a 900 and just recently sold it. The 600 should be fairly cheap also. They never were very popular, but I liked them all the more for being un-popular

[kosmo]

Suzuki SV650

[punkncat]

Another 600 to consider is the Kawasaki Eliminator 600. Stopped making them a coupla years back. They are a type of cruiser bike and pretty fun, and easy to ride. They still make the Eliminator in a 125, but that is just way too small. I had one in a 900 and just recently sold it. The 600 should be fairly cheap also. They never were very popular, but I liked them all the more for being un-popular

YES, the Eliminator was the cruise version bike that hid the "Ninja" series motor in the frame. EXTREMELY fast!!!! Not what I would call a beginner by any means...sleeper maybe...

[Spartan X]

I started on a Suzuki Katana 750, and that was the perfect bike for me. I have a 2002 R1 now.


A Katana 600 wuld have been way to slow and I would not have been happy with it, seeing as the 750 has less power then todays 600's.


The Katana makes for a great learning bike if you are a big guy. It's basically a cheaper, heavier sport bike that you can tore in because it's comfy and heavier ( because of the steel frame) It gets good gas milage and the 750 has plenty of a top end with out being to much power to handle (92hp)

Now tha I look back, I think I could have handled a newer 600. Although I would have gone for a older one. You need to watch out for some of them because bikes like the r6 put out a CRAZY amount of power for such a small bike...I mean come on 130 HP fr a 600 is just nuts.

I'd go with a Older version of the super 6's, maybe even one that hsa been dropped for cheap, learn on it, enjoy it, then sell it and buy a newer one. Buy then you can handle a 130hp r6 or gsxr.... It's only takes a week of hard riding to get used to a bike, My R1 is starting to feel slow after I put 500 miles on it in 1 week and that's pretty bad, hahaha. ( and yes I can handle it pretty well now) But never get cocky and think yo can handle a bike. Any switch to a new bike will be hard, they just control differnet...so if you learn on say a 1998 gsxr then yo buy a 2002 r6, it's almost like starting from scracthed because they control so different.(spelling sucks I know)

[Bear_Claw]

Spartan in some ways i tend to disagree with you. The 92hp 750 katana and even the 80hp 600 is still ALOT of power for a begginer to handle regardless what todays 600s make. I also just cant see 1 week of rideing is gona be enugh to TRULY get the feel for a bike. I guess it really greatly depends on the style of rideing you want to enjoy. If you just must beat everything to the next light your probly never gona be satisfied with power output. If streight line speeds your game well guess what a 400 or even some 500 arent gona sit well with you. But for those of us that arent speed demons their really is no need for exsessive hp.

For myself i like to play in the twisties but i also tour alot on longer rides. I have a little over 2 years rideing under my belt and am on my second bike. I have taken the street rider training course and have full intentions of takeing a off road rider training and a race training course in the near future. My first bike was a HEAVY cruiser and only made 40hp (2000 yamaha V-star classic). But this was PLENTY for a begginer and did everything i asked. It taught me alot and helped me see what area of this great pass time i most enjoyed and thus helped HEAVILY to influence my next bike destion.

Now i ride a more sport tourish ride a 2007 Suzuki V-Strom 650 (makes 70hp). Basically its a lifted oversized SV650. And so far its absoultly the perfet bike for my need and more importantly for what i want. Its comfy, handles great has more power and less weight with and extra gear than the old cruiser and most importantly its just plain fun to ride. Shure i aint gona be racing any race replicas but shes still pulling at 160km/hr witch is alot faster than neede to loose your lisence around here. And my self i have only had the bike 2 weeks (700kms) and i have not come anywere CLOSE to reaching the bikes abilities.

As the saying goes "its alot more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow".

Heres a pic of my new bike witch i too would reccomend as a more mature starting bike act stupid and even its 70hp will have ya sliding on your *** in a hurry. And let me tell ya from experiance 70hp is PLENTY to loft the front wheel (OOPPPSSSS).



AS i say to new riders "Motorcycles are idiot proof act like an idiot the bike will prove it" remeber that and follow it and you should be able to keep the rubber side down.

[trevorjk]

AS i say to new riders "Motorcycles are idiot proof act like an idiot the bike will prove it" remeber that and follow it and you should be able to keep the rubber side down.

what if the seat is made of rubber?


Also a great beginner bike to look into is a Yamaha YZF 600. very good beginner bike but still has a little bite. it is also a very nice bike for longer rides.

[Carbon]

well, upon further research it turns out pretty much anyone who owns or is selling a 400cc tend to be bike enthusiasts and tend to sell them an a higher than standard price.

AFAIK, most late 80's -early 90's sport 400 cc class bikes are grey market imports if not, a rare commodity. Now im just looking for something in the 500cc to 600.

Guh.

[Loguzzzzzz]

You have had some great suggestions here and your first post mentions the Kawasaki EX 500, an excellent beginner bike. What is you budget that is the best way to know what to suggest. the Buell Blast and the Suzuki SV 650 are also great bikes that will see you throught the learning curve and beyond (a little).

I bought my son a Kawasaki EX 250 for his first street bike when he was 16. Although he has out grown the little KAW he still rides it to and from college.

Three years later I have no reservations about letting him ride my Ducait 996. He his definately ready for at least a new 600 sportbike.

The budget is really the deciding factor here. How much do you want to spend?