i will get lot of hate here but i would suggest to completely avoid a sports bike and avoid a Kawasaki Ninja 300. Get a naked bike with atleast 400cc to 600 cc engine and you will have a bike u can enjoy for many years before upgrading to a supersports 600 cc or a litre bike.

i know its beginner bike for most guys but u ll get bored within 3 months as it lacks the torque, geared for linear pickup and sports bikes weigh a lot than naked bikes. they also designed to tilt over easily and handle weirdly on lower city speeds for beginner.

sports bikes also have fairing and more aggressive riding position which make it difficult to focus on other aspects of biking such as control, comfort and traffic visibility.
they cost lot more if u drop it as fairing repair costs a lot.

I would get something like a KTM Duke 390. (not very popular in america but look for availability around houston).


if u know how to ride a bicycle, a naked bike will feel more natural and easy to turn around.

but be warned..KTM bikes are also called Widowmaker for a reason as they are super fast, torque, shorter geared for commute fun.

Some Do's:
- do not get a cruiser unless u r 40 years old+..they handle horrible, need lot of maintenance and cant lane split.

- do focus on biking techniques such as counter steering, emergency braking, shifting gears (1 down, 5 up)

- do invest in a armored (C3 padding) leather motorcycle jacket ...leather wont tear easily if u slide on road...other materials tear off unless u going for kevlar.

Dont's:

- dont go in between cars on moving traffic...but depending on your local traffic laws, its good to learn lane filtering in standing traffic as thats the main advantage of a bike for a civilian.
- dont fukin tailgate or ride parallel to cars..u ll get caged...thats how most bikers die..they ride in blind spots of cars. follow 3 second rule..if u cant overtake a car within 3 seconds..then dont.

- dont drink and ride..not even after a beer...biking needs lot more focus than driving and even small amounts of legal levels of alcohol can be very very risky.

best of luck! ..motorcycling is the best activity a man can do and will be the most rewarding global brotherhood to be a part of....i had to sadly sell my bike to raise money..but gonna get a Triumph street triple next year.

Sort of on this topic, I'm looking at swapping to a Yamaha MT-09. Not usually a fan of the naked style bikes but something about this just tingles my dik every time I see it. Anyone own one or have any thoughts on them?



Would swap those ghey bug antenna mirrors and run black wheels, but otherwise yeah

What about gear? I'm going to eventually need to get a helmet, jacket, pants, and boots. Any tips in what to look for, or even recommendations. Thanks.

A good heavy leather jacket and you're gonna have to go to the bike shop and try out your helmet. I have a big noggin so mine was 600 bucks when I bought it at Hurst Yamaha before they moved to Katy.

Most important thing is that the gear fits you properly. First, you won't wear it if it doesn't, and second, it won't be effective if it comes off or shifts during a wreck (by shift, I mean the armor and such in a jacket). They are always coming out with new models, so you can usually get last years' styles on clearance.

Here is a minimum for me:

Full face helmet (I wear Shoei)
Armored leather jacket (currently have a Scorpion, lots of good brands out there)
Heavy jeans (plan on looking into motorcycle specific jeans)
Leather riding gloves (used to wear Alpinestars, got tired of a $200 glove lasting 2 years, now have Held)
Tall riding boots (Alpinestars are great, but currently have Cortechs as they look more like normal attire)

Forgot to add, regarding the jacket, I'd highly recommend perforated leather with a zip in liner.

Thanks. Are there any good shops that you guys like to either buy gear from, or go in and try it on and buy online for cheaper? I buy a lot of stuff online, but when it comes to this i'm sure that i'm going to need to try some things on in person.

revzilla

RevZilla is money. Helmet is super important. The difference I comfort between a 300 and 600 dollsr helmet is huge.

Icon has a lot of nice looking gear. The type of **** you could leave on at the bar and not look like a power ranger.
https://www.revzilla.com/icon-jackets
Although I prefer the power ranger look myself

in on this, plan on getting into bikes myself, will be repping all suggestions

My first bike was a Yamaha Vmax 1200.


In my opinion one of the coolest ever made, it's masculine and raw like no other bike. The power in that thing is crazy. Design remained the same from 1985-2008.

The second generation is even bigger, almost 200 hp, but expensive.


Most people will tell you that these are not good for beginners though.

Another note, after riding a 250 ninja for nearly a year. When I hopped on my cbr600rr leaving the dealership. The moment I got to feel what real acceleration was I couldn't stop smiling the next 3 hours I rode around.

damn I miss riding

As a tall brah and someone who enjoys adventure riding/occasional touring I got a klr650, have been riding it for 3 years now, love it.

But yeah just follow what the other guys said and don't forget to get a full set of gear, the first time you slide over 20 mph you will wish you were wearing gear instead of jeans and a tee. As for gear just read reviews... I'm quite comfortable in my ~$300 Shoei helmet.

Do your MSF course at a place that is gonna have multiple styles of bikes for you to try out so you can get a feel for what you might like.

This, naked bikes FTW.

although i ride an fz 09 (first bike) i wouldnt recommend it to new riders in general. I come from a family of 2 wheels and learned to ride on an R1. Check out the r3, ktm 390, or the new ninja 400s.

[QUOTE=SmAshmoto post_id=1546104891]Sort of on this topic, I'm looking at swapping to a Yamaha MT-09. Not usually a fan of the naked style bikes but something about this just tingles my dik every time I see it. Anyone own one or have any thoughts on them?

[img]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTD-q7MXZbU_KTgf5qG9dAGLS4ZFNd9n3xSXhPLmjuL3
Would swap those ghey bug antenna mirrors and run black wheels, but otherwise yeah[/QUOTE]Ya boiii, 2017 owner here.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/UNluDZG.jpg[/img]

SV1000 with full fairing

I'll spend $1k+ on gear if i have to. I'm serious about learning how to ride smart and safe.

So i was looking at the ninja 300's and the new 400 and there isn't much difference in price on a 2017 ninja 300 and new 2018 ninja 400, so i guess ill buy a brand new Ninja 400 bike upfront cash. I know i'm guaranteed to drop it but ill just deal with it.

I'll probably schedule the class in a couple weeks, then go and get my license and gear, and purchase the bike. I'll be riding like i'm playing frogger.

have ridden for the past 4 years

people will say get a 300cc and that's fine, but you'll grow out of it very quick and will need to upgrade or you will be bored

a much better option would be a 600cc and to drive responsiblly. at least until you get used to the power

Kawasaki ninja 300 if you want a 300 still. I'm currently riding one as I moved country and using it temporarily until I get a bigger bike

rides well, has a bit of power if you want it, definitely good for beginner and most importantly for you looks great. easily confused for the zx6 and zx10

600
I have a sv650s back home. nicr looking bike. cheap reliable, pretty quick. sounds good with aftermarket exhaust. easy to ride. very upgradable.

if your pockets are deeper check out the yamaha r6, Suzuki gsxr 600, Kawasaki zx6 6, Ducati monster, I forget the cc but they have a 600, Honda cbr600. I recommend in that order

if you plan on riding for a long time don't waste your money and effort on a 300 go straight to 600

note I have mostly recommended sports bikes as I figure that's what you're after

cliffs

300: ninja 300
600: Suzuki sv650s, if you can afford it Yamaha r6 (but you have to ride sensibly)

Revzilla and sportbiketrackgear are two of the best gear websites IMO. They also have so many gear guides to help you out.

I'm having a blast on this bb. Might not have the largest power, but that makes learning to drive more fun! You really have to think about in which gear you ll enter a turn for max performance

- it looks extremely good
- it's actually super cheap where I live
- durable and parts are cheap


Yamaha r3

Oh and definitely try some suits, boots and helmets in different sizes first! Some brands' jackets are a bit smaller and longer than others, it's small things you notice when you try on different brands. I would not just order it, while I order most of my purchases online

Nice. Yeah that's the style i'm going for. I think i'm going to get a black Ninja 400 to start with.

Cool, thanks. Are there any brands that dominate the market that i should look into?

Don’t be a pussa get a Busa.

Can't go wrong then - I think its very well received by reviewers and it looks really cool and agressive, one of the best designs in the market right now imo (together with aprilia rs and yamaha r lines)

There are lots of good choices. I went from a Yamaha 80cc step through in Thailand to a Honda Goldwing (yeah a bit different) in the states and a Honda Steed in Thailand (aka Shadow 600). Something used and similar to a Honda CB300F, CB500F or Rebel 500 would probably be good, if it fits you. For me, I could never fit on a 600cc class sports bike, the liter class bikes (or a Ducati Monster) and larger (Gold Wing) just fit me better. Take the MSF course and try some of those bike to get a handle of what fits you best. Helmets are expensive, find one that fits. My head is very big (7 7/8) and their were very few helmets that fit me.

buy crash protection (frame sliders, fork sliders, crankcase covers etc..) and youll be good with 99% of low speed crashes. might get some dings on the plastics or screw up bar ends but that can be replaced. its more fun riding a slower bike fast than a faster bike slow.i usually just stick to alpine stars and dianese for gear (unless youre going for a full race suit then a cheaper cortech isnt a bad option).

AGV, shoei, arai, and shark for helmets.

edit: dont cheap out starting out like i did. get a quality pref leather jacket. if it gets blistering hot you can get by with a textile jacket with good CE rated armor. id recommend a good pair of gauntlet gloves and maybe a short length pair for the extra hot days. helmets, just take your pick on one you like. boots, id recommend the alpine star smx 6 v2 or the dianese nexus for a full boot. if you want a short boot take a look at what they offer (smx 3 for example).

SO WHAT IF THEY OUT GROW IT FAST? You buy a used ride it for 3 months and sell it for what you bought it for.

The point is growth. To teach a person to use a bike they aren't scared of in order to maximize their ability as a rider. You learn so much more trying to get every ounce of power from an under powered bike than worried that if your wrist twitches you will loop out. After that initial period they will have a greater idea of what they like and don't. It isn't about being responsible (though it is important.) It is about having a beginner friendly bike that wont punish you for bad throttle control when the unexpected happens.

harley sportster. good starter bike and it's a harley.

learn? if u know manual it's easy. watch some youtube videos. The hardes part is learning the clutch. Practice in a parking lot. Took me one hour since i alreayd knew manual.

When it comes to helmets, Shoei, AGV, and Arai are probably the top 3. I highly recommend you go to the store to try on a bunch of helmets because not everyones headshape is the same. If you don't get the right helmet you might get bad pressure points on the temple and the helmet won't be comfortable at all. My helmet of choice is the Shoei RF-1200 (hopefully it fits your headshape). It's definitely a premium helmet ~$485 but worth every penny IMO. Read up the reviews on Revzilla and you'll see many people agreeing it's one of the best. If that's too expensive you can go for the little brother, the Shoei RF-SR ($400).

In terms of gear like gloves, pants, jacket, etc, I stick to Alpinestars and Dainese. I haven't tried RSTaichi but I've heard they are also some of the best gear out there (not found on revzilla, you can buy on sportbiketrackgear). It's for slimmer people though. These are just a couple of the best brands, definitely not the only options if they are too expensive. The're all premium companies so price is a little up there.

Protip: The customer service at Revzilla is amazing. You can try to call them to see if they have any discounts they can hook you up with since you're a new rider. For example, you could say the shoei helmet is a little too expensive and ask if they have a 10% off for it. Doesn't work all the time but it's a worth a try.