My beginner bike was a Yamaha Zuma, LOL!!!! I looked funny as hell on that thing. I moved up to a Ninja 250 and I look a little less funny on it.

I definitely have to agree that maturity level is a big factor. Im 25 and just started riding january of 2010. I have a 93 zx7 jet kit and exhaust. Nothing fancy. I'm 6 ft about 280lbs so i didn't want to start out on something too small. been riding dirt bikes and quads since i was about 4 or 5. but let me tell u what. street bikes are a whole different ball game then dirt bikes or quads. it felt like i was learning to ride all over again. in my opinion i think the size of the bike should be based upon ur maturity level and your confidence level. If your a big wimp then you don't need anything above a 500 to start with. within a month of having my zx7 i already want a 1000 or bigger. like i said the zx7 was nice to start with but i think im ready to graduate to the big boyz.

25 going on 15. I agree about the maturity level. Yours seems very low. Get a moped.

Do you regularly ride at speeds in excess of 150 mph? If you don't, you don't need a litre bike, or even a 600 ss. If you do, and you do it on the road, revise my first sentence down to 25 going on 5.

Using the word 'wimp' to describe riders who start on a bike of the right size to let them learn all the required skills properly (something I suspect that you lack) doesn't give you any maturity points either.

I think that you're more likely to graduate to a wooden overcoat.

Rob

ok so apparently wimp wasn't the best choice of words. i can see it came off the wrong way. If you are not someone who has experience in riding then a smaller bike is probably better for you. As rob said there is a certain amount of skills you need before you go crazy. i do not ride like that. i have my sons first bday this week and i would like to see a few more before i go under. i've drag raced all my life(not the same as riding motorcycles) but i've learned to keep the dumb stuff on the track. I'm sorry if i came off the wrong way rob. Thank you for correcting me. i guess it really comes down to different strokes for different folks. do what you feel is comfortable.

Hello everyone, new guy here. I truly hope it's based on muturity level because I just bought a 01 ZX-7R today for $3,000. Still don't know if it was a good deal but too late now.

if its good condition, its a good deal. I started on the 750 and Ican say its a little much for a beginner, and hard to do the license test on as well. Be careful out there brother, and keep the rubber side down.

Welcome to KF bmac and use your maturity in this new ride. Gear up and ride safe.

I don't think it really matters what your first ride is as long as you stick to a couple of rules.

Firstly, it's up to you to determine if you can afford it, I could care less to be honest on what you can afford.

ALWAYS test ride the bike before you get it. Being your first bike, ONLY you will be able to determine if this is the bike for you. If you throw a leg over your hopeful new ride and suddenly realize that it has way more power than you expected....and in fact probably scared the crap out of you, you will look for a different bike.

Don't let somebody else decide for you. Sure, folks can recommend what they think is the 'perfect' starter bike, but this is also based on many factors....the largest of them being; word of mouth, one's own opinion (based on his/her riding style, way of thinking, and skill level), one's riding ability/style and skill level. You are not them, they are not you. You do the foot work and investigate your options on your own and you will be MUCH more satisfied with what you buy.

Keep your senses about you, remember that you are NOT 10 feet tall and bullet proof and you DO only have one life to live. Live it the way you want and ride what you want, just remember that it is YOUR life in YOUR hands and your decision on what is your first bike will have a GREAT impact on if you join the Darwin club or remain in the main gene pool like the rest of us clowns.

Ride safely is the biggest, most important thing. Speed is useful ONLY on a closed course and even then would only be safe if there were emergency response folks available as well. That being said, I ain't 'bout to tell nobody how to ride their bike. I pile it on and annihilate dead dinosaurs any time I know the road is clear of bystanders, traffic and good 'ole Johnny Law. Ride wheelies cause they are fun. I do it because mainly my skill level allows me to do so and I do my best to make good choices all of the time. The bike I ride is a bike I love. I am not intimidated by any means, but I sure do have a ton of respect for it. Oh.....it's only a 636 and I've been riding bikes for over 15yrs. Raced Moto-X for 9 years, 3 of which were on the expert/pro level.

I've seen first time owners go out and get a Liter bike right out of the gate...and do just fine. I've seen first time owners get 600's right out of the gate...and do just fine. It's all about the individual rider and his/her own preferences, riding skill and experience. I ride a 600 class because for my style, it's plenty. You might be different.

So I guess what I am getting at, drawing a long drawn out....over winded explanation to a brief, short and concise conclusion; stop asking others what THEY think YOU should get as a first bike. Ask away if you are curious about different bike attributes, am sure any one of us junkies would LOVE to just ramble on about anything like that, we all love our own machines. But YOU do the foot work, research and decision making on what YOU buy. Please please please, for the love of God for the Saint Christopher The Protector, stop asking what you need, find out with the seat of your pants! :cool:

What use is a test ride to someone with very limited experience? It's even less use to someone who can't ride at all. That's even supposing that you'd be allowed a test ride.

Just sitting on a bike is of no great use either, as a bike that feels good in the shop can start to feel uncomfortable very quickly on the road, and vice versa, but you should do this to at least eliminate any really obvious comfort and control placement issues.

For a first bike, much better to apply some common sense, and then avoid buying anything too expensive in case you get it wrong. Anything with too much power will always be the wrong choice.

Rob

I'll weigh in.... in my opinion, start small, develop your skills and THEN move up. When you honestly think that it is the bike holding you back then move up. And, I don't mean holding you back from going 300 km/h in a straight line. Anybody can do that! There are very, very few people who are skilled enough to need a big bike on the street. Having said all that, I started on an EX500 almost 20 years ago and, in retrospect, even that was too much for my experience/maturity level on the street at the time.