I am still unsure of whether I want to get a motorcycle at this point but if I do, what do you guys recommend?

Should I start out with something like a 250 or go straight to a 600 so I only buy once? Used would be the most likely route I would take either way. Of course I would get good gear as well.

Thanks for any insight for a newbie. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

You're going to get a lot of different replies to this and by a lot of people who are knowledgeable on the subject. It would be wise of you to take what we have to say seriously as with questions like these we have honestly your safety in mind.

But there are a couple of questions that need to be addressed first.
How much experience do you have riding motorcycles? Years of experience driving?
What type of riding do you plan on doing?
What does your financial situation look like as far as purchasing a motorcycle now and/or in the future?

 

-0 experience on motorcycles aside from the MSF class. Just the occasional moped and lots of time on a road bicycle. 10 years driving and I have done a little karting, autocross, rallycross, and track days.
-Plan on nice sunday morning cruises in the twisties, meeting up with friends, maybe take it into work occasionally. Would like to do a jaunt up to VT every once in a while.
-I could afford to do a used bike or something more entry level. I want to make sure I have a good amount left over for top of the line protective equipment.

 

Well, you certainly sound like you have your head on straight. That's good to hear.

Addressing what you said about 250 vs. 600, I dont think that your first bike being fresh out of MSF should be a 600cc sport bike. They are dangerous to begin with and are much more dangerous if they aren't handled properly. I'm not saying you couldn't handle it, but they aren't forgiving if you mess up. But seeing as you enjoy the thrill of things like autox, karting etc. I can see a 250 becoming a little lackluster quickly.

Personally, based off of what you are saying the bike I would recommend to you is a Suzuki SV650. It's a V-twin, and it's is by far one of the best beginner bikes on the market. It's great for everything from exciting sprints to commuting and it does all of that very well. The power delivery is manageable and forgiving, they are bulletproof bikes, and they can be had for relatively cheap. Not to mention the aftermarket parts market for the bike is one of the largest out there. It's also a bike that you can really hone your skills on and you'll be able to build almost every aspect of your riding thoroughly on one.

Don't let me decide what bike you get though. The best thing you can do is go out and try a few different bikes and see which ones you feel most comfortable on. It may turn out you don't like SV's and you want something else. So be it. But don't rush into buying a bike.

Hopefully this helps you some and best of luck to you in the future

 

^ he has lots of time on a road bicycle, he can handle it!

 

This if you want a more street oriented bike. I started on a used sportster.

 

lol

 

My advice is 4 cylinder roadster, along the lines of Z1000/750, FZ1/6, Hornet or CB1000R.

They're smooth, forgiving and very intuitive to ride.

 

Wow, what the ****? I sound like a weird pretentious asshole... Stupid substances.

 

The smaller the bike you start out on, the better your bike skills will become.

You will gain a better feel/understanding of what's going on. You will also have more room for throttle control error.