by Abraham Botros

Created on: July 25, 2006   Last Updated: April 23, 2007

Alright, so you want a motorcycle, huh? Well, I think the first thing to consider is your skill level - not money, not style, not popularity. As experienced riders will tell you, you have to ride within your skill level. I assume that most of those viewing this topic are relatively new to the motorcycle world. That means you are most likely inexperienced, unsure, and still extremely interested.

The FIRST thing to do is take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course (MSF Course). This will teach anyone how to ride - great for beginners who have never even touched a motorcycle in their lives, empowering for more advanced riders wanting to return to the basics, hone their skills, and become better riders. You can find a course near you at www.msf-usa.org - in some states it is completely free and they supply you with everything you need. Most classes are 3 days (25 hours) and are well worth the time.

The MSF Course will introduce you to relatively small motorcycles (125cc and 250cc most likely). Try these out, see if riding is really for you. Then, if you decide it is so, see what you think of the 250cc class. Personally, I would recommend getting nothing more than a 250 (or maybe 500) to most people. These are safe in that they will not sling you off the bike with a miniscule twist of the wrist. Still, they will get you into non-legal speeds soon enough and will be more than able to allow you to keep up with traffic.

I would not really recommend getting a more powerful bike. Simply put, it is not safe for you. Too much power, which is quite unneeded for a beginner. The new 600cc bikes are all supersport and are much too powerful.

Keep in mind, the goal is to make it alive through the beginner bike in order to progress on to a more powerful and expert-deserving motorcycle. You don't want to die before you get there.

If you've decided that you are willing to go with a smaller-class bike, congratulations on a smart choice. Now you can move on to price, style, etc. Fortunately, 250's and 500's, being not as powerful or expensive to make, are cheaper. 250's run about $3000 or so brand new!

The most notable 250's out include the Kawasaki Ninja 250R, the Honda Rebel, and the Honda Nighthawk. Kawasaki also sells a Ninja 500, which is bigger but has not gotten the best reviews from either beginners or experts. Suzuki also sells a more popular and favorable 500cc bike. Check out the manufacturer pages (www.kawasaki.com, www.honda.com, www.suzuki.com) for up-to-date pictures of new

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>