I want to buy a street bike.

[Ben_in_Canada]

Unless you're built like a jockey you will hate the 125 after a day.
Anything from a 250 - 600 would be a good starting place for sports bike.
Also, having survived a nasty accident I can't emphasize enough to invest in a good helmet and leathers.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

They still make these in India, has a certain old world panache!

MY cousin had a new one in the late 60s. Beautiful bike. I think they are importing them to NA again.

[MickMcGeough]

Whatever your budget is, put aside around a grand for gear, or more.

I started on a Ninja 250R. It's an excellent beginner bike, easiest bike I've ever ridden. Tops out around 140km/h and obviously isn't a great highway bike. Bought it new and rode it for one season then sold it for about $200 less than I bought it for.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

They still make these in India, has a certain old world panache!

Originally Posted by Vulcan

MY cousin had a new one in the late 60s. Beautiful bike. I think they are importing them to NA again.

There's actually a dealership in Calgary.
http://www.royalenfieldcalgary.com/
They're pretty cool bikes, and not that expensive ($7000-8000).
I acutally thought about buying one last year just for kicks, but decided against it.

[Tron_fdc]

Stallion boot co on Macleod and 50th ave sells all kinds of motorbike gear for cheap (I think it's a Harley Davidson store). You can buy leathers that range from super cheap to expensive, and they have a full line of helmets, gloves, glasses and boots.

I bought a bunch of stuff there last year, it's quite reasonable for brands that aren't big names.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

Stallion boot co on Macleod and 50th ave sells all kinds of motorbike gear for cheap (I think it's a Harley Davidson store). You can buy leathers that range from super cheap to expensive, and they have a full line of helmets, gloves, glasses and boots.

I bought a bunch of stuff there last year, it's quite reasonable for brands that aren't big names.

You get the Shadow out on the road yet?

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

You get the Shadow out on the road yet?

Yup, a few times. The gravel on the road kinda concerns me, but I'm having all kinds of fun.

Ready for a bigger one though......

[Phanuthier]

I just found this thread, funny start to it. I started with a Ninja 250, everyone I know told me its a great starter bike and even though it has a smaller engine, it'll kick 95% of the sport car's ass and while you don't get the straight away speed, a good rider will kick ass on the corners. So even though I'm just a learner, I'm hoping to stick with the 250 for a while even though everyone tells me I'll get bored of it soon.

[3 Justin 3]

Thanks for the help guys. I've sat on both an R6 and a SV and the SV, while more comfortable, I think looks terrible compared to the R6. But, I'm 6'3" so I think I may get the SV for my first bike.

I'm looking at the 650, not the 1000+ ones. The highest I'll go engine wise is 750 and I haven't even looked so far for anything over 650.

My buddy said Kawasaki's are slow as well so I am staying away from those (unless someone can tell me otherwise as there are TONS of them on Kijiji).

And I am buying the bike off Kijiji more than likely. All the motorcycle shops I have been to only have new or relatively new bikes (oldest I saw was an 06), and I ain't spending $6000+ on my first bike.

Also to note, I plan on doing a lot of highway driving so I want something that won't top out to quickly.

For the equipment I put aside about $600 for equipment so far (depending on my loan) without jacket. Unless they tell me tomorrow that the one I have now is useless, then I'll buy another. But my dad figures my leather one I have now should be fine, so we'll see tomorrow.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

Thanks for the help guys. I've sat on both an R6 and a SV and the SV, while more comfortable, I think looks terrible compared to the R6. But, I'm 6'3" so I think I may get the SV for my first bike.

I'm looking at the 650, not the 1000+ ones. The highest I'll go engine wise is 750 and I haven't even looked so far for anything over 650.

My buddy said Kawasaki's are slow as well so I am staying away from those (unless someone can tell me otherwise as there are TONS of them on Kijiji).

And I am buying the bike off Kijiji more than likely. All the motorcycle shops I have been to only have new or relatively new bikes (oldest I saw was an 06), and I ain't spending $6000+ on my first bike.

Also to note, I plan on doing a lot of highway driving so I want something that won't top out to quickly.

For the equipment I put aside about $600 for equipment so far (depending on my loan) without jacket. Unless they tell me tomorrow that the one I have now is useless, then I'll buy another. But my dad figures my leather one I have now should be fine, so we'll see tomorrow.

Leather is what you want, but not just any leather jacket will do.
If the jacket you have now is just a plain old leather jacket, chances are it's not the best thing for riding.
If the jacket you have is nice soft comfortable leather, it won't do much for you in a crash.
Most motorcyle leathers are thick, heavy #######s. On top of that, good ones will have some extra padding for the elbows, back, etc.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

Thanks for the help guys. I've sat on both an R6 and a SV and the SV, while more comfortable, I think looks terrible compared to the R6. But, I'm 6'3" so I think I may get the SV for my first bike.

I'm looking at the 650, not the 1000+ ones. The highest I'll go engine wise is 750 and I haven't even looked so far for anything over 650.

My buddy said Kawasaki's are slow as well so I am staying away from those (unless someone can tell me otherwise as there are TONS of them on Kijiji).

And I am buying the bike off Kijiji more than likely. All the motorcycle shops I have been to only have new or relatively new bikes (oldest I saw was an 06), and I ain't spending $6000+ on my first bike.

Also to note, I plan on doing a lot of highway driving so I want something that won't top out to quickly.

For the equipment I put aside about $600 for equipment so far (depending on my loan) without jacket. Unless they tell me tomorrow that the one I have now is useless, then I'll buy another. But my dad figures my leather one I have now should be fine, so we'll see tomorrow.

Kawasakis are slow?? does your friend know anything about bikes. Yeah the Ninja can barely break 100km/h..

[Mad Mel]

What Dirk said. Kawis have been known forever to have great motors.

Coupla thoughts...

If you can find a knowledgable sales person, try to figure out if you have a Shoei head or an Arai head. Seriously. It's a rule of thumb that most experienced motorcyclists use; Shoei and Arai have a different fit, and generally most people fit one or the other better. A good fit is important both for comfort, and wind noise. If you know which fits better, a good sales person can tell you if helmet brand X fits more like a Shoei or Arai.

For anyone looking at a 250 beginner bike, consider that Honda released the CBR250 this year, as a direct competitor for the little Ninja. Fuel injected, more torque, less HP. Looks like a baby VFR1200. http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/9/9134...inja-250R.aspx

Also, a good bike for a beginner to consider if they're doing lots of highway riding is a BMW F800ST. As beemers go, they're quite cheap.

[Ben_in_Canada]

to quote Shantz
Leather is what you want, but not just any leather jacket will do.
If the jacket you have now is just a plain old leather jacket, chances are it's not the best thing for riding.
If the jacket you have is nice soft comfortable leather, it won't do much for you in a crash.
Most motorcyle leathers are thick, heavy #######s. On top of that, good ones will have some extra padding for the elbows, back, etc.

I can't back this enough!! After sliding on my back (after finding some gravel on a corner) my upper body was fine. The jeans I was wearing however tore away and stayed with my lower leg that was shattered and severed lying several meters away from where I stopped.
Yeah, that was an 'oh s#!%' moment.

[Yasa]

Originally Posted by Ben_in_Canada

to quote Shantz
Leather is what you want, but not just any leather jacket will do.
If the jacket you have now is just a plain old leather jacket, chances are it's not the best thing for riding.
If the jacket you have is nice soft comfortable leather, it won't do much for you in a crash.
Most motorcyle leathers are thick, heavy #######s. On top of that, good ones will have some extra padding for the elbows, back, etc.

I can't back this enough!! After sliding on my back (after finding some gravel on a corner) my upper body was fine. The jeans I was wearing however tore away and stayed with my lower leg that was shattered and severed lying several meters away from where I stopped.
Yeah, that was an 'oh s#!%' moment.

That's terrible! Losing a pair of jeans like that...I can't imagine.

[Ben_in_Canada]

No kiddin, miss the boots too

[3 Justin 3]

Yeah, I'm not sure why he said that.

There are tons of them for sale, and in my opinion it looks way better than the SV650 does (I really don't like the look of it at all).

Either way, I have about $900 for gear and then around $3200 for a bike (this would mean getting a $3k loan).

[metallicat]

I've got an 09 Sv650, and I can tell you this, it isn't slow.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Ya, my 2000 SV650s (frequently) led the pack. In a completely hypothetical situation that doesn't involve any admission of guilt, I may or may not have topped out at 205. That wouldn't be too shabby for a "Starter Bike".

I hear what people say about it being average looking though. It's like the town fatty.....great to learn on, but you don't necessarily want your friends to see her.

[metallicat]

Meh, mine is all black with fairings on, and I think it looks pretty good. Then again, it doesn't really matter to me what it looks like. And I don't own it for its speed either. I just love riding it.

[TRIX]

3 Justin 3...

Personally I have an '02 Bandit 600s, plenty of power for city and highway cruising, sometimes in severe crosswinds you have to pay more attention than some heavier bikes, just lean into it a bit more though.

I am also 6'2" - 6'3" with a 36" inseam and find the bike very comfortable, even on longer rides. I can tuck out of the wind if I need to but can also sit up regular style and be fine. Nice thing about the naked style too is you can warm your hands up on the motor while stopped (for the morning rides).

For gear I purchased my jacket and pants at Walt Healy, found some good deals, not a sport racing suit style but a sport jacket and leather pants with some foam kneepads, which are removable and can be upgraded. "Shift" jackets I find fit slimmer longer arms tall people, which I have, white leather instead of a dark colour, great for longer rides in sunny warm weather. My pants are "Alpine Stars", great for highway riding, keep you warm, rocks/bugs of the knees don't hurt at all.

Boots, helmet and gloves I got at blackfootdirect.com, great deals there.

Boots are "Alpine Stars Sx-5" 's, comfortable, warm, okay for walking around too, such as at the mall or out for supper or something, don't go hiking though.

HJC Helmet with the cloth chin cover for warmth, also a snap on nose cover for wind protection and fogging issues, also has a tinted visor inside the helmet as well as a clear visor. Think helicopter pilot type, darker visor stored in the helmet and exterior clear shield.

I have two different pairs of gloves to adapt to weather conditions, although I really want another set for the cold morning so far this year, riding for 1.5 hours in 1-3 degrees above sucks on the finger tips. Get whatever fits, leather will "move and shape" too, so remember that, don't get something really loose.

Try everything on before you leave the pick up desk, if it doesn't fit you can get another size, they might have to order it in but while I was there I never felt like I was pressured to take what I had purchased without trying it on.

Anything else feel free to ask, I also have budget saddlebags from c-tire that surprisingly work great, a Givi top case, and modified hand guards to fit my bike (as they don't seem to make them for some reason) depending what you need to carry with you or how long of rides you are going on you'll need to decide whether you need luggage or not, or more wind protection for your hands.

cheers