Motorcycle beginner (suggestions needed)

I would like to try my hand at motorcycles. Looking to get my license next year.

I really like the look of cafe racers and vintage bikes in general. Single round glass headlight and semi upright seating position. I really like the look of bikes like Motoguzzi V7 or the older retro'd out gsf400 bandits.

What would MR recommend as a beginner bike of this sort, considering I don't want to dump a lot of money into this before I know I like it? 2-3k second hand on kijiji would do but I guess the cheaper the better.

First Bike : the Kawasaki EX500 / Ninja 500R

Light and really ez to drive

Duc monster, triumph street triple, Z750 are all good first bike imo
It's all in your wrist man, anything is good. Get what you like.


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Don't go with the Guzzi for your first bike. The engine's transverse position makes the bike a little awkward for a beginner. I didn't like the way it tended to "torque steer" for lack of a better word when I applied the throttle.

Suzuki TU250X
https://www.suzuki.ca/en/2015-tu250x

old school cb750 arent super expensive and can look pretty decent with a couple of mods.

Get the bike that you like, I assume it wont be your only vehicule so realibility is not a major factor exept for $$

Please gear up, cafe racer riders are pretty much all the time wearing no gear at all, maybe a leather jacket that wasnt made for riding but thats about it.

You can pretty much take any half faired bike and turn it into a naked bike with the headlight of your choice. Dont go for heavy motorcycle, it is hard to handle at very low speed and chances are you will drop it.

android25ua said:

I would like to try my hand at motorcycles. Looking to get my license next year.

I really like the look of cafe racers and vintage bikes in general. Single round glass headlight and semi upright seating position. I really like the look of bikes like Motoguzzi V7 or the older retro'd out gsf400 bandits.

What would MR recommend as a beginner bike of this sort, considering I don't want to dump a lot of money into this before I know I like it? 2-3k second hand on kijiji would do but I guess the cheaper the better.

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2K will get you a bike needing work, 3-5K should be your budget.

SV650, best bike for beginners and fun to ride even for experienced riders. It's a bike you'll grow into. 70hp, easy to modify and basically a cheaper and more reliable Ducati Monster

3.5 generations:
99-02 (carburated, curved frame)


03 (identical to 04-15 but some parts don't interchange. Last year to have classic SUZUKI text on the tank)


04-15


17-current

I can sell you my fzr250 for really cheap. More sporty but classic look and round headlights, lightest bike you can get in the >125cc range.

Otherwise, honda cb1 is cool and has a real engine.

Comme premier bike, ça te prends quelque chose de fiable, donc pas une antiquité convertie en Café Racer par un gars dans son cabanon.
Oublie les patentes exotiques
Oublie les cylindrées de bébé qui vont te faire changer de bike dans 6 mois.

GS500
SV650
CB599
CB919

AwayeKeven said:

2K will get you a bike needing work, 3-5K should be your budget.

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That is true for most >2000years & >400cc bikes but it's not true across the board. I just bought a 2011 CBR250 with 5000km for 2000$. Show room condition. I got it for my girlfriend who just got her license. When she gets done with her 11months and gets her full license, we will most probably sell the bike at the same price and then purchase >400cc model, if she so wish. But OP does not seem that much into this kind of bike.

Older Café'ish bikes are pretty much all overpriced now and risk having gremlins... not something you want to think about when learning.

Speaking of, I started on a Kawasaki ZR550 1992, they are a 90s motorbike built to look like the 70's classic. It was reliable to me until I left it in the rain without the tarp, gas tank then filled with water. The craze for café looking ride is soo strong that even with a half running engine, I sold with not much of a lost.

Soooo, OP, that being said there a few 90's bike that will fit your bill and still be cheap and more reliable then early 80s and 70s antiquity. Just don't expect modern bike performance. The Kawasaki Zephyr is one of them.

The best advice I'll give you is DON'T BUY A BEGINNER BIKE. You'll get tired of it in a heartbeat. Especially if you are naturally talented at driving. Buying a beginner bike, especially if new, will cost you a lot since they generally don't have a good resale value because everybody gets tired fast.

Just learn to control your throttle and don't go beyond what you think you're able to handle, considering the fact you're new at driving bikes.

I started with a Triumph Speed triple. It's a 1050 cc. It's got a shitload of torque and a short wheelbase which means it's a wheelie bike. yes it's a handful for a newbie, but man, I'll never loose a dime with this bike and I'm not tired of it even after 3 years of owning it.

If you REALLY wanna buy a beginner's bike, then buy used, and don't bother with finding the ''perfect one'', because trust me, you won't even keep it 1 full year.

I would never start with a triumph triple, quite expensive and way too fast. And like ronin said, if you buy a used cbr250, the depreciation will be minimal.



But if you go in the 600cc class, the fz6 is the best imo. There are plenty of them, smooth power delivery, reliable. They look bland though, pretty much a Corolla that does 0-100 in 4 seconds.

Oh and an important tip, if you are serious about the process, get started as early as possible in the season, this way, you have a summer of riding with others with the classes fresh in your mind(hopefully) and get your full license early the next season.

Also, people are much more likely to want to accompany you early in the season.

+1 pour le conseil de ne PAS acheter un beginners bike. J'ai acheté un CBR250 fin juillet en me disant que c'était bien en masse pour commencer et je suis déjà en train de piler du cash pour le printemps prochain... Je vais probablement skipper les 500/650 et aller directement vers un 1000 pour pas avoir à rechanger encore le printemps suivant.

vildric said:

+1 pour le conseil de ne PAS acheter un beginners bike. J'ai acheté un CBR250 fin juillet en me disant que c'était bien en masse pour commencer et je suis déjà en train de piler du cash pour le printemps prochain... Je vais probablement skipper les 500/650 et aller directement vers un 1000 pour pas avoir à rechanger encore le printemps suivant.

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Un 600 est jusqu'à 5 fois plus puissant qu'une 250, pas besoin de passer à 1000 direct pour avoir du fun. Mais oui skip les 500 et les 650 cheap de 70hp.

Après tout dépend de ce qu'on cherche, j'ai acheté un scooter 80cc l'automne passé et j'ai eu ben du fun même si ça avançait autant qu'un 50cc 4t.

La marche est haute en tabarnak entre un CBR250 et un +1000CC.

Also factor in $600-1000 for riding gear and some tools

Bare minimum:
Helmet (150 for a decent HJC)
Gloves (50-100)
Boots (80-150)
Jacket (100-150)

Front & Rear stands (150)
Battery charger (30-50)


License is 800 bucks for courses and maybe another 250 total for tests and other fees.


100000% worth every penny, and when you buy a bike make sure you actually like it, don't buy something cheap you don't like the look of just becasue it's cheap.

Also remember the older the bike the more random shit you'll have to deal with... gunked up carburators, cracked vacuum lines, rotted hoses, dead rectifiers, clutch on its way out.... Really not a big deal but if you'd rather spend your time riding rather than wrenching, get something much, much newer. Personally I wouldn't touch stuff from the early 90s because I'd be worried about parts availability... though depending on the bike this may not be a big deal.

Lots of people advocating the 250CC class but honestly, if you're taller/bigger or even the least bit talented you will wanna switch up quickly.

I'm on a GSX-R 1000 now but I kept my first SV650 for a good 7 years and was completely satisfied, I just wanted a meme bike, and they don;t make 1000CC twins outside of Ducati anymore, and I ain't paying the VAG premium.

You need to tell us more about what you want to do with the bike.... for normal riding in and out of the city and short highway trips, the SV650 is unbeatable value for money and I challenge anyone to tell me otherwise.

AwayeKeven said:

You need to tell us more about what you want to do with the bike.... for normal riding in and out of the city and short highway trips, the SV650 is unbeatable value for money and I challenge anyone to tell me otherwise.

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Broody just said to stay away from cheap 650's with 70hp...

The SV has cheap suspension, rough engine and the clip ons are far from the seat which makes the position uncomfortable imo.





Cb599 may be a good choice but they only came with carburetor and are harder to find.

Ronin said:

Broody just said to stay away from cheap 650's with 70hp...

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Without any real reasoning