First bike? Buy a used Japanese import, 250-500 CC. No sport bikes, just cruisers. You can pick them up somewhere from $1,000 to $2,500. Light weight, dependable, and disposable. Ride it a couple years, put a few thousand miles on it, trash it, destroy it, or maybe not. If it is in good shape yet sell it for close to what you paid for it and then go buy the bike of your dreams. Worst case, you destroy it and you are out $2,500. BMW body parts will cost you much more!
-
Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password. If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?
-
Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.
The Election forum is here: Election Forum
Noob here.. First motorcycle should be a?
- Thread starter Titos750
- Start date
-
- Tags
- 750gs beginner first bike
pglaves
#13338
Real human body parts cost a lot more.
zimmermanj
JimZim
MSF Instructor at my beginner class 28 years ago: "What size bike should you buy?"
Class: 600! 850! 750! 1200! 900!
Instructor: "Whatever size you can pick up when you drop it."
We are way too hung up on size regarding motorcycles. Smaller & lighter = more fun! Start off with a good smaller bike and you might find that is all you really need.
Class: 600! 850! 750! 1200! 900!
Instructor: "Whatever size you can pick up when you drop it."
We are way too hung up on size regarding motorcycles. Smaller & lighter = more fun! Start off with a good smaller bike and you might find that is all you really need.
36654
New member
I think we all scared the OP away...
Considering that most MC sales in the US are HD's and it's really common for people to buy the bike then get a learners permit ........... a lot of people aren't following the advice offered on this thread.
Just saying
Strongly recommend the MSF course for beginners. You will learn on someone else’s bike. Whatever muscle memory residual remaining from previous riding experience will come back and be to your advantage. Test ride as many bikes and makes as you can - they’re all different and after awhile you can focus on what type riding turns on your lights.
Accidents suck. Falling over sucks. Don’t do these things. Get educated and smart before dropping a dime on a bike. You’ll think you’re ready, but only days/weeks/years in the saddle will tell.
Luck plays a small part of motorcyclist’s survival.
Wear a mask.
Accidents suck. Falling over sucks. Don’t do these things. Get educated and smart before dropping a dime on a bike. You’ll think you’re ready, but only days/weeks/years in the saddle will tell.
Luck plays a small part of motorcyclist’s survival.
Wear a mask.
lee
Debbie's Servant
Henzilla has a thread about rental electric scooters.
akbeemer
SURVIVOR
During one of the surges in the price of fuel, the sales of scooters in Fairbanks grew in response. Riders of scooters with an engine of under 50ccs are not required to have a motorcycle endorsement. The roads were blessed with grannies, teenagers and college students riding in traffic with no idea of how to ride and with zero protecticve gear. Forward thinking by the state government.
pglaves
#13338
Some people (not me) call that freedom.
When I was 15 I let my student teacher ride my moped. She had a low speed crash but came to work with bandaged road rash. I learned that lesson.
36654
New member
If someone tells them to get a scooter helmet.........that would be good.
My fear is the folks buying e-bikes (20~25mph, max) and wearing their 10mph bicycle helmet.
36654
New member
I’m more concerned with convincing everyone in the US to wear a mask
Let’s get this mess behind us.
OM
Can't argue with assigning priorities..
rangerreece
RangerReece
Displacement and power... subordinate to discipline.
My first bike in 2008 was a 2005 BMW R1200RT. All the nay sayers told me it was too much bike for my “first bike” that I would crash and die. 160,000 miles and 12 years later, I’m still accident free. I’m still waiting for the nay sayers to admit they were wrong, hadn’t happened yet. Regardless of displacement, weight, and size, lack of discipline and training will kill you every time. Buy the bike, get trained, wear proper gear and enjoy the hell out of it and connect with fellow BMW riders in the club, no regrets!
My first bike in 2008 was a 2005 BMW R1200RT. All the nay sayers told me it was too much bike for my “first bike” that I would crash and die. 160,000 miles and 12 years later, I’m still accident free. I’m still waiting for the nay sayers to admit they were wrong, hadn’t happened yet. Regardless of displacement, weight, and size, lack of discipline and training will kill you every time. Buy the bike, get trained, wear proper gear and enjoy the hell out of it and connect with fellow BMW riders in the club, no regrets!
My 're-entry' into riding after 25 years was onto a 2006 Kawasaki Concours. (1L/670 lbs)
Never an accident, only tip over was in my driveway... and it was my fault (Going up on the centerstand).
I think the question really needs to be answered by the rider. If the rider can
respect the power, and carefully learn (or re-learn) to handle the bike properly,
there is no issue, and the rider will be fine on the bike.
If the rider goes all hoonigan, and rides beyond their abilities, then a more
powerful bike may be a bad idea. This goes for ANY bike, but a more powerful bike
will likely be more of a hazard.
My answer was "No" in the poll because I really don't know the rider.
Never an accident, only tip over was in my driveway... and it was my fault (Going up on the centerstand).
I think the question really needs to be answered by the rider. If the rider can
respect the power, and carefully learn (or re-learn) to handle the bike properly,
there is no issue, and the rider will be fine on the bike.
If the rider goes all hoonigan, and rides beyond their abilities, then a more
powerful bike may be a bad idea. This goes for ANY bike, but a more powerful bike
will likely be more of a hazard.
My answer was "No" in the poll because I really don't know the rider.
Our first bikes, two 49 cc Honda mopeds, bought in Edinburgh and for three months on our honeymoon, we rode through Scotland, Wales, England, France (over the Alps), into Spain (crossed over the Pyrennes), all without incident or training. From Barcelona we returned to London, England. With a top speed of 35 miles an hour (or 45mph when pulled into the drafts of trucks), for the most part we did ride mainly back roads, but on occassion, large cities were unavoidable. Because of our medical backgrounds, we wore leather jackets, gloves and helmets (which were seldom seen in Europe at the time).
With the right attitude, some can survive without training. On our return to Canada, we both got our M licences.
Having written the above, when getting the K in 2004, it was a no brainer that I enrolled in a local college riding course before getting on that bike.
Unfortunately it seems as if many local riders have never taken a riding course, have little traffic awareness nor possess common sense.
Last edited:
pglaves
#13338
See Post #17.
I think we all scared the OP away...
lmao. No I just logged back in today and reading through all of the advice. I thought I would get an email when someone replied but I didn't.
