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Let me be the first to say: "Congratulations!" If you have decided to purchase your first motorcycle, you can be assured that your life will change for the better. As a biker of over 10 years now, I'm thrilled to share with you some sure fire ways to help find that perfect starter bike, and beyond.

CRUISER VS. CROTCH ROCKET. Within the biker community, you'll be hard pressed to find a rider that doesn't have a strong opinion on the subject. In the end, it all boils down to two things: Preference & Ability. Cruisers in general are much heavier bikes, and are primarily designed for longer rides down the freeway or through the winding country side. These bikes tend to be designed for long term comfort with the riders legs usually outstretched along the "pegs" and hands relaxed over the handle bars as they cruise along at a moderate speed. This make zipping in and out of traffic can a bit more difficult. This is where ability comes in; as acceleration and deceleration time are much slower on a cruiser than they are for a sport bike. Also a cruiser's overall frame tends to be much wider vs. the sleek and aerodynamic frame of its crotch rocket counter part.

So, in my humble opinion (and I'm sure I'll get some flack for this one) a cruiser will always be your best choice for a starter bike. A cruiser is slower, less maneuverable, and demands a greater degree of strength, concentration, and focus from the rider in order to ride safely. Especially as a novice, there are suddenly dozens of new road hazards, weather conditions, and riding techniques you'll have to mastera lighter framed and much faster bike will only add some extra danger into the mix.

ENGINE SIZE. Both cruisers and sporties range from 300cc to 2000cc engines. So choosing the most appropriate size engine for your first bike will depend on the design. Let's say you've decided to go with a sport bike for your first bike, since sporties tend to be lighter and more maneuverable, they don't require a large engine to get them up to speed. So for a starter sport bike, an engine size between 300-600cc is right where you want to be. Always keep in mind that as a beginner, smaller is always better.

For a starter cruiser, an engine size between 400-800cc is a great starting point. Again, cruisers are heavier bikes and require larger engines to get them at speed so it's ok to start with a bigger engine for now.

STYLE: As if choosing the right bike wasn't hard enough you got: touring bikes, sport touring, standard, cruisers,

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