First bike: scooter or... ?

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Originally Posted By: Robenstein
I have a Virago 250 and if you replace the junk chain and sprockets with a 17 front and 43 rear, the bike is much better on the highway.

How much does that cost (parts + labor)? And is it easy to DIY?
 
I'd say get a dual sport and do an msf course....Then spend a lot of time in an open field and get very familiar with using a clutch, throttle, front and rear brakes, and basically how a two wheeled vehicle operates until you can use all these things properly and automatically without having to consciously think about them...

You absolutely do not want to be on the street and encounter an emergency situation without having basic skills mastered...

The dual sport will allow you do practice away from drivers that do not pay attention, plus you'll have a versatile bike for those back roads and when you encounter an interesting off road trail along the way yo can go for a littler adventure...
 
To be honest, I'm not aware of any off-road trails anywhere around here where motorbikes would be allowed. Not to say there certainly aren't any, but again, I'm not really planning on that.

I already signed up for a motorbike class in 2 weeks. Looking forward to it.
 
Some thoughts, QP:

MHO, don't get anything under 500cc - while you're not interested in going fast, accelerating to normal speeds off-the-line is half the fun. Also, getting out of a driving mistake fast can save you from serious injury.

Warning: it'll grow on you. Pretty soon, you'll be riding everywhere you can, whenever you can.

I have a '83 Yamaha XJ550 Maxim, which does OK solo, but with two, not cutting it. It's pretty light, which made it good to learn on, but if I could do it over, probably would have gotten a 750.

And just say no to the scooter.
 
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Well, OK, so what's a decent starter cruiser bike with 500cc that I could get for up to $2.5-$3K?

I am very intimidated by big heavy bikes, so I would still like it to be relatively small, no bigger than Virago 250.
 
Sorry for the slow reply (Dump day).

I haven't been bike shopping in 15 years, so your guesses are probably as good as mine! Everyone I know who started on a scooter eventually got the riding bug and got a bike.

My 550cc is only 407 lbs. (according to NYS) and easy to handle, not heavy at all. (Sounds worse than it is. I have no problems picking it up from its side)

Some things to look for: a comfortable seat, someplace to put a small amount of stuff (rain gear, emergency tools, etc.), and an easily changeable oil filter (changing my cartridge filter brings out my French). My bike has a chain and it's a pain. My next bike, if there is one, will have a drive-shaft.
 
Personally, I really appreciate dual sport bikes. I have a KLR650. As much as I like them, I wouldn't recommend them to a beginner for one reason. Seat height. A DZR 400 has a 37". It takes a loooong leg to flat foot something that tall. A dual sport style bike with at 26" seat height would be better for a beginner. However, there is no such bike that I'm aware of. If practicality is paramount, go with a scooter. If you want motorcycle riding position and more extreme handling/power, go with any reasonable displacement, light weight motorcycle.
 
Just found out my neighbor's friend might have an '06 Suzuki S40 for sale. Any opinions on this as a beginner bike vs. Virago 250? I know the S40 has a much bigger engine (650cc), but from all I'm reading, it's not much faster than Virago 250. The S40 is about 50 lbs heavier.
 
The S40 is a 65o single If I recall. It has been around for ages and is simle and should be reliable. It will give you much more torque than either of the Virago or scooter. More torque = easter starts for a newbie. The s40 is still considered a small and light bike.
 
That's a sweet-looking thumper. What kind of price is he asking for it, what kind of shape is it in, just out of curiosity?

Suzuki-Boulevard-S40.jpg


http://www.suzuki-bikes.com/2006-suzuki-boulevard-s40-pictures-specs/
 
It has a belt drive which is simple to maintain. When I test drove one I did not like the fact it does not have a lot of highway power for its size. Vibration was also bade around 50-55 mph.

Simple, reliable, but not at all smooth on the highway and while the belt drive is nice it limits you ability to re gear a bike that may very well benefit from having a better gear ratio for highway travel.
 
I'm not a cruiser guy, but I've looked at the S40 (formerly called the Savage) and it's a nice looking bike. The seat height is low, it is probably one of the lighter cruisers out there, and it is very simple to work on. You can usually find lightly used ones at very good prices. There is a pretty good user group at this Web site: Suzuki Savage

Don't be turned off by the home page--head to the forums for help.

However, the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 would be a much better all around cruiser with its smoother engine and better power. I have a Ninja 500 sportbike with basically the same engine and I love it. Plenty of oomph to keep up with fellow bikers.
 
Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor

However, the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 would be a much better all around cruiser with its smoother engine and better power.

Yeah, but it's another 100 lbs more than S40 and almost 150 lbs more than Virago 250.

As of now, I am still frightened of such weight. I don't mind starting out with something light and less powerful and then upgrading to something bigger next year if I find the need.
 
If weight is a big factor to you then I would stick to one of the 250s. The new Suzuki TU250 is really sweet, but probably not many on the used market yet. The Honda Rebel 250 has a big following and is nearly bullet proof. Don't let everybody tell you that 250s are too small. Personally, I think it is more fun to get the most out of a smaller cycle than it is to just twist your wrist on something with a big engine. A 250 is capable of taking you wherever you want to go.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor

However, the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 would be a much better all around cruiser with its smoother engine and better power.

Yeah, but it's another 100 lbs more than S40 and almost 150 lbs more than Virago 250.

As of now, I am still frightened of such weight. I don't mind starting out with something light and less powerful and then upgrading to something bigger next year if I find the need.


Really its all about the ergonomics. Some bikes weigh more than others but with the right seat height and center of gravity you would never know unless you had to pick it up. For instance my father has a 95 HD Low Rider and my cousin a newer Duece Softtail. They are both in the same ballpark as far as weight goes and the Duece feels like its 200lbs lighter when you are in the seat.

Go look and sit on the bikes if nothing else. I almost went with a couple other bikes and ended up with the Virago when I sat on them all. Sure its not a fast accelerator, but its no worse than someone driving a Honda Civic or Ford Festiva. It gets up to speed fast enough, its economical, and easy to handle. I just wish the seat was wider like on the Suzuki 250's
 
the honda scooter will have MORE get up and go than the 250 bike. i know this because i had a 250 rebel (12hp) it was my girlfriends bike and it could barely keep up at speeds of 55mph. where as my friends wife had a 250 honda scooter and it had NO problems keeping up at all.. the 250 motorcycles are very crude. bad rear brakes etc.. get the most bang for the buck. if you get a 250 motorcycle you will more than likely want to get rid of it soon after..

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I'm 35, 5'7" and starting to think more and more about getting a bike to ride, mostly on back roads on weekends. I don't want anything super fast. I want something that's easy to ride/turn and relatively trouble free. I am planning on taking a basic rider course offered by the state. I've never ridden anything bigger than a 50cc scooter, and even that only a few times.

So, I'm trying to decide between a nice 250cc scooter such as Honda Reflex or an upright bike such as Yamaha Virago 250.

The Reflex seems more practical - has some built-in storage (maybe not critical for me though), and it'd probably be very easy to clean since it's all covered in plastic. I've heard scooters are easier to maneuver/turn as well.

The Virago looks nice and I've heard that engine sounds really good and is torquey, but it's probably not as easy to maneuver as the Reflex and I'm not crazy about having to clean all this chrome... But I'm guessing it rides more like a real bike than a toy.

I'm looking to buy used... probably in the $2-2.5k range.

Any suggestions/recommendations for a beginner?
 
Originally Posted By: arkainzeye
the honda scooter will have MORE get up and go than the 250 bike. i know this because i had a 250 rebel (12hp) it was my girlfriends bike and it could barely keep up at speeds of 55mph. where as my friends wife had a 250 honda scooter and it had NO problems keeping up at all.. the 250 motorcycles are very crude. bad rear brakes etc.. get the most bang for the buck. if you get a 250 motorcycle you will more than likely want to get rid of it soon after..

I figured the 250cc scooter may be quicker just because of the CVT.

But from all I've read, Virago 250 with modified sprockets can easily get up to 75mph, especially if you're not a heavy driver, which makes me think that cruising at 55-65mph shouldn't be an issue.

I'll keep looking. I won't be buying for another month or so...
 
The local Kawasaki shop got a Ninja 250 up to 115mph and my Virago with me on it (6'0 and 225lbs) has gone nearly 90. I have no problem going 65mph when I have to, but I try to stick to 55mph zones when possible.

The Rebel is just about the weakest 250 bike out there (very durable though), heck its not even 250cc's, its something like 234. I think the Virago has about 18 more HP and more torque.
 
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