Originally Posted By: David_g
Originally Posted By: dgunay
Some of my alternatives are (used or new, but it must have ABS),
ABS is overrated. I read so many tales of people claiming it saved their bacon. But we weren't short of bacon in the modern pre-ABS days. Not saying you shouldn't get it.
My rule is I don't want to buy a
new bike without it (and both my current bikes have it, but none of my prior bikes did), but I'm OK with buying used bikes that don't have it. I wouldn't worry about that if a bike comes along that otherwise looks good.
At 6'1" I doubt you're physically too large for too many bikes.
You probably don't have a great frame of reference yet, but you can get an idea here
www.cycle-ergo.com
Did the KTM 390 feel physically too small for you? Haven't ridden one, but I've read they're a bit frenetic--not a beginner's small displacement bike. Not suggesting you couldn't handle it.
All the choices on your list make sense to me. I don't think I'd be happy with a manual gearbox NC700--I think I'd get frustrated banging into the low rev limiter. With the DCT option the bike would take care of that for me.
I like a lot of this advice. I've ridden since I was barely more than a toddler in the 60s. Here's my advice, in no particular order: The OC says he's a cyclist. I don't know if that will help much (I made my living as a cyclist for a long time) but it sure won't hurt. Have you read John Forester's excellent "Effective Cycling?" If not, please get a copy and read it a couple of times. It will help you be a much, much better cyclist, and a lot of it (where to place yourself in traffic , for example) applies to motorcycling.
A lot of the advice you're getting on "which bike" while fine, seems biased toward the poster (IMO), which makes sense , but might not apply to you so much.
I would absolutely not advise you that any bike is "not enough bike" for you, considering you've never owned or operated a motorcycle before.
I've owned dozens of motorcycles, from little Vespas to liter sized race replicas. I've sold them as well, so I've been fortunate enough to ride a LOT of bikes.
You can ride a little, weak bike, say a vintage Honda CB350, and have a blast wringing its neck. Not unlike, say, a first generation RX7. However, even an experienced motorcyclist cannot exploit a modern 600cc sport bike, let alone a current superbike. My advice: there is no such thing as "too weak" provided you can easily keep up with traffic.
Advice #2: Consider a dual sport. It's really, really nice to be able to drop your first bike and not have to worry about expensive body work. It's also really nice to ride off road, where you can develop your skills and fall off without getting hurt. Every good motorcyclist I know has started as an off-roader. A dual sport is affordable, durable, and has a nice upright position. You can get cramped riding, for example, a Kawasaki Versys or 500cc Honda. I'm talking about a bike being physically too small for you, not too small power wise. Of course, if you look at a Honda XLR 650 (for example) you're giving up ABS. Which, IMO, is way over-rated. If it were an option on a new bike, I'd get it. But if it weren't on a bike, I wouldn't sweat it. But I get it: at your age, and coming from a car background, it seems really important.
The small V-Strom is a great bike. So are the new, smaller BMWs. But I'd wait to buy until I had an opinion. I'm not saying to wait a long time, I'm saying look and test until you know what you like and don't like. And I do recommend a used or cheap bike. It's the nature of learning. You're budget is too much for what you need. Save some for your second bike, is my advice.
There are literally DOZENS of great choices for you. Some are cheap as chips, but that doesn't make them bad.
My final advice: watch On Any Sunday, and every other motorcycle movie. Talk to real people (not to devalue us) and visit motorcycle shops. You can get your license after you take a course that provides a bike. Then look around and see what speaks to you. I've ridden a . V-Strom 650. It's a GREAT bike, and a better value. I just couldn't own one myself. It's too...scratch that. It's not enough of something. It looks are as exciting to me as a box of keenex, and although it is completely competent is lacks any sort of mechanical personality. FOR ME. Motorcycling, more than almost anything else, is a personal thing. You don't NEED to ride. So find what YOU like. Make the first bike easy to handle and devoid of expensive body work . And do consider, at some point, riding off road. It will develop skills and it's generally safer.
Have fun, good luck, and let us know what you end up doing.