Hi everybody, I'm new to the forum. Lately i've been looking into bikes. I've always liked and respected them. I'm 17 years old and looking into my first bike. I'm a beginner with no experience driving a streetbike. I'm familiar with dirtbikes, and I daily drive a stick shift car. Once its timeI will go and take the msf course.Yesterday I went toa kawasaki dealer here in town and went and looked atthe 650r. I fit pretty good on the bike. I'm almost flat-footedonit. I'm 5'6" and 135 lbs. I was looking into the 250r but looks like it's not good on the highway. I figured the 650r because it's a little more than the 500r and has great reveiws. Whichever bike I get I want to keep for a lot of years down the road, that' why i'm more interested in the 650r. Do yu guys think I would be ok with this bike? Sorry for the book I wrote . God bless.

 

Buy it with the understanding that you need to remain in control of your impulses and don't overestimate your abilities. It's a rather fast bike to be your very first, but I also couldn't suggest a 250 if highway use is a big part of your riding plans. It also seems silly to buy a 500 when a 650 is so close in price, but just please never let it slip your mind that you're going to have a lot of power between your legs, and from what I read here and on other forums, it's not hard at all to let a 650 get away from you. Be careful with whatever you decide on.

P.S. I don't think a 650 is substantially taller than a 250 or 500, but it may be wider, which will make a difference in your ability to flat-foot it. Go sit on all 3 and decide what's most comfortable.

 

I bought a 650R as my first bike and I would say it's been a great starter. There's plenty of power but you've got to twist
the throttle to find it and it runs great all day long under 4K RPM. According to my MSF coach, twins are easier for learning
to ride than I4's. From what I have found, that is true the 650R idles at about 1300 rpm and that is usually enough push
for low speed maneuvers.

17 years old, eh? Man, I wanted a bike so badly when I was that age. I got my first at 32, but I think my experience driving
serves me in knowing when someone is going to pull a bonehead move.

Let me save you the classic low speed fall: never grab the front brake with your wheel turned. You could be going 2 mph, you
grab that front brake with the wheel turned and down you'll go. Use the back brake or straighten up the wheel first. (You'll learn never to "grab"
the brake anyway cuz you can skid.)

I've only got 1100 miles under my belt but motorcycling is full of little tidbits like that that you'll wish someone had told
you before!

Just take it easy, the 650R is a great first bike. There's tons of fun in it, too, 0-60 comes in 3.8 if you do everything right.

-Stooxie

 

I would say the 650r is a perfect starter bike if you can control ur urges to go fast. good power but not too much to throw you off. Its the same bike i started with and i love it !

 

Thanks everybody! I will try and go sit on all three and see how it is. My exact thoughts about the 500r when the 650r is just a little more. The guy at kawasaki said that I should be fine too. Thanks for the tip stooxie, keep em coming haha. Yeah, i'm 17, but I plan to get the bike bynext spring. I'm an early shopper. Thanks for the replys guys.

 

The 250 is fine on the highway. It just makes you work harder, which will make you a better rider.

The 650 is too powerfull for a first bike, That's why there are so many used ones for sale. if you don't wreck, and you probably won't, you won't learn to ride as well as you would on the 250.

Naturally the guys on here who bought one as their first bike will disagree and will insist that they can ride well. Most of them are wrong.

Rob

 

if you take a motorcyle saftey course (as i did) there is no reason you cant start on a 650 they will show you a great deal of knowledge... though its far from all you can learn.
some places also offer an advanced class ( i took that too ) which will show you more maneuvers and better ways to corner. plus as a bonus your insurance company might even give you a discount for taking the class. i agree with learning on a smaller cc bike to an extent. but with the depreciation that comes with sport bikes it would almost be cheaper to but a bike that will satisfy you for a while in the longrun.

 

Best option is to buy a used 250 - ideally a naked one. You'll be over the worst of the depreciation, it'll let you build the confidence you need to ride it hard, and if (when) you drop it ,it won't cost much to fix.

Alternatively, the new 250s are hardly touching the showroom floor before they're sold, so the depreciation on those won't be high.

Rob

 

Im 17 as well. I got my 650 when i turned 17. I love my bike so much. Lots of power, I have never not been able to keep up with any of the I4's in town or on the roads around town. I made a few mistakes when i was first starting out..the whole not putting stand down all the way..ect. But iv done about 10K miles on my baby since I last dropped her.

I highly recommend this bike.

 

engine size does not determine how good a rider is or can get, but we all know where you stand, resolute that your opinion is fact and anyone who doesn't agree is daft.