Jump to content

Soon to be new rider checking in


crb

Recommended Posts

I'm in NE Ohio and decided to get a bike. I am taking the riders edge course in May and hope to narrow down the bike search by then. I have zero experience riding and currently researching gear and bikes. I was planning on getting a cheap bike under $6.000 just for me to ride but my wife decided she wants to ride with me when I get some experience. Went to the local Harley dealer and my wife decided the budget is not sufficient. She found a used 2006 Harley Ultra Classic that we both liked. We aren't really wanting to buy yet so we are continuing to look and are not sold on that bike or Harley. We are going to check out gold wings and some other bikes.

Edited by crb
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome! My $.02.... get something smaller on the cheap. Learn to ride and maneuver, then sell it for what you paid. Starting out on a full-on bagger wouldn't be a good learning experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

welcome!

My advice: buy a intro metric cruiser (cheap as hell...like $3k cheap now less than 6yrs old), put some miles on it then upgrade when the comfort level is there

Oh and don't buy from State rape, they piss me off to no end

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you the guy from XD Talk? Welcome aboard!

Yes and also a member of Buckeye Firearms Forum.

I am so confused which direction to go at this point. I am not sure if I just buy a bigger bike or buy a smaller bike and trade it a year later for a bigger bike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes and also a member of Buckeye Firearms Forum.

I am so confused which direction to go at this point. I am not sure if I just buy a bigger bike or buy a smaller bike and trade it a year later for a bigger bike.

Just like me with picking a first gun! Way too many choices.

I'm not very knowledgeable on the cruiser side, but you can probably get a relatively inexpensive Shadow/Magna/Virago 750, ride for awhile & flip it later in the year (or keep it for your wife to ride next year after you get something bigger)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wife just got back from the store and said since she can't ride two up with me for a year she is interested in getting her license to ride and we can ride separate. I know what you mean about the first gun it took me 6 months to pick my first gun. It goes much easier after your first LOL!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wife just got back from the store and said since she can't ride two up with me for a year she is interested in getting her license to ride and we can ride separate. I know what you mean about the first gun it took me 6 months to pick my first gun. It goes much easier after your first LOL!

Sounds like you've got a keeper there!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wife just got back from the store and said since she can't ride two up with me for a year she is interested in getting her license to ride and we can ride separate. I know what you mean about the first gun it took me 6 months to pick my first gun. It goes much easier after your first LOL!

Nice wife! That would be the icing on the cake in my world. :bow:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a new biker but got tired of buying small and outgrowing after a season on other rec vehicles. Did it with boats and rvs because I thought I couldn't handle larger ones. IF you take a course and use their little Buell, you should have no problem advancing to a larger bike and feeling comfortable. Course my bike is like an SUV and I don't do the type of riding most of these guys do so for what it's worth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome! My $.02.... get something smaller on the cheap. Learn to ride and maneuver, then sell it for what you paid. Starting out on a full-on bagger wouldn't be a good learning experience.

Definitely agree. $6,000 is a VERY healthy budget for a first (or second, or third) bike.

hell, my brother's shopping leftover 2009 models for $5,000-$6,000 (suzuki and yamaha). The word "Harley" adds several thousand dollars to the price tag for no conceivable reason...

Cruisers aren't my thing, so my basis for prices may be a bit off, but there's no way a first bike needs to cost $6k... Spend $2,000, learn, drop, beat up your first bike, and then go buy the bike you really wanted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a new biker but got tired of buying small and outgrowing after a season on other rec vehicles. Did it with boats and rvs because I thought I couldn't handle larger ones. IF you take a course and use their little Buell, you should have no problem advancing to a larger bike and feeling comfortable. Course my bike is like an SUV and I don't do the type of riding most of these guys do so for what it's worth.

I hear this a lot - "I learned on a GSX-R 750, and I was fine." I would never contend that it CAN'T be done; only that it's opening yourself up to more expensive mistakes.

Very few cruisers on the market are going to overwhelm you with wheelie-popping horsepower or torque. The extra weight of a larger cruiser might catch a new(er) rider off guard, and the longer wheelbase on some models can make for shitty handling though.

Search Youtube for "learning to ride crash" or something similar, and check out what kind of bikes come up most often. Again, i'm not saying that buying a large® bike for your first means you WILL crash, but it definitely ups your chances by a significant percentage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I learned to ride on a Harley, literally riding it off Farrow's parking lot. It was heavy, slow, and on the more fun rides the floorboards will lift the backend off the ground. I went the other way, and got a smaller, more powerful, and cheaper used bike at that. I have never wistfully looked back and thought "Gee, I miss riding the pig. I just want less of a bike now..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...