Starting out Bike Advice

RandomGRK, if you are going for the Kawa, consider fitting a windscreen, it makes a HUGE difference.
 
If it were me, id buy a second hand 600CC. So if something happens you dont have too much to pay. Then later get a new or bigger one.
 
KTM 990 I know it;s not Japanese, awesome tourer and very good off road and can run at 180km/h all day.
 
600cc retro naked style bikes is your best starting out bike.... look at something like the Honda Hornet 600's. Doesnt have the peaky high revving performance charateristics that the GSXR's / CBR's / R6's / ZX6r's have, its also super reliable... not too much tupperware that could get damaged if the bike falls over etc.

Once you have mastered the basic's and you are fully familiar with it, you will know if you are ready for the big dogs. All modern day honda's are good for smooth power delivery (aka easy to ride), suzuki's on the other hand... they are a breed of their own :-)
No other brand on the market gives me the same level of grin on my face, than what a suzuki does.
 
I wouldnt buy a new bike to start learning on in any case... Gumtree has tons of hornets for sale... Secondhand bike to start of with for sure !
 
Pornolio said:
600cc retro naked style bikes is your best starting out bike.... look at something like the Honda Hornet 600's. Doesnt have the peaky high revving performance charateristics that the GSXR's / CBR's / R6's / ZX6r's have, its also super reliable... not too much tupperware that could get damaged if the bike falls over etc.

Once you have mastered the basic's and you are fully familiar with it, you will know if you are ready for the big dogs. All modern day honda's are good for smooth power delivery (aka easy to ride), suzuki's on the other hand... they are a breed of their own :-)
No other brand on the market gives me the same level of grin on my face, than what a suzuki does.
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If he needs to get a naked bike he should rather just get a Bandit 400 (Suzuki). They go for very cheap and if he puts it down there is hardly any damage. They are sexy too. Looks like a Ducati Monster :)

very quick search on Junkmail and found one for R 14k

http://www.junkmail.co.za/v-johanne...QYCatQX0572QYRgnQX0001QYAdQXF5500QYEdQX201135
 
Yea but its gonna look k@k !!!

Unless he is a short little dude... then its ok I suppose, but I still reckon a 600 naked bike is the best starting off bike.
The bike still has to feel comfortable and be in porportion with his body length / size.
 
Pornolio said:
Yea but its gonna look k@k !!!

Unless he is a short little dude... then its ok I suppose, but I still reckon a 600 naked bike is the best starting off bike.
The bike still has to feel comfortable and be in porportion with his body length / size.
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True. I however would rather learn on a cheap bike and get a decent one when I know how to ride properly.
A 600 can be very pricey to repair since they are through manufactures and not via the Grey importers. Grey Bikes are cheap to fix if you buy the correct bike of which there are plenty of. And the Bandits are allover the place.
 
Agreed... the retro bikes are best to learn on because you quickly misjudge the speeds you are traveling at on a superbike. Naked bikes still remind you constantly of the speeds you travel at, with the limited wind protection, and not too mention the easy steering / turning you can do with a retro bike in parking lots etc.

All depends on how much he is willing to spend.

The 600 also offers him the flexibility that once he is comfortable enough with the control / handling / power delivery, he can even start lifting his spouse / BF/GF whatever... thats one thing we always end up learning in any case sooner or later. The 400 I think will just loose its appeal quicker than say a 600.

Also like Pitbull mentioned, V-twins are awsome fun, I myself had a VTR 1000 + Aprilia RSV mille a few years back. Just a total different type of power. Just the thought of the sound those engines make... gives me goosebumps.
 
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Don't get a small bike. Definitely don't get anything less than 250cc. That presumes you're not going to ride like a 16 year old. Small bikes are harder to ride and significantly less safe than something with decent weight, power and braking. And you really don't want to be that poor sucker on the freeway riding some puny little machine that can barely make 80. A naked bike is the better option for starting out, so that when you drop it you aren't damaging a lot of expensive plastic.

Definitely buy used.
 
I am also considering getting a bike, never had one but I've always wanted a superbike. This is gonna be a completely new experience for me :) I'm a short guy and weigh around 80 kg. I went to a few bike shops and found that I could comfortably stand on most 600s without tip-toeing.

I'm planning to get a second hand CBR 600, less than 20K on the clock and don't really want to spend more than R55K on the bike.

What u guys think?
 
noxibox said:
I'm wondering what the point of post #2 is. Particularly the pictures showing cycling helmets.
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Think it's more to show what kind of 'bike' caused the oke that damage. Kinda crazy, actually. Wipeout on one of those leading to his face mashup...
 
haha funny reading this thread now i have also been thinking about buying a bike recently.. Fell for the Honda CBR600RR! Bike looks so damn hot! But have only ever had quad's with gears, and TW's and once a 450cc offroad bike as experience.. Bit skeptical bout getting a new CBR now coz i dont even have a bike licence yet.. Might have to look at learning first or going for some courses. =) Bikes always fascinated me so much and i have been more than intrigued by them lately! Always keeping the dangers in the back of my head coz a car just have notably lots more to protect you than the two breaks on a bike! But where is the fun in not trying hay! Goodluck with your hunt for a 2-wheeler! =)
 
TokoZAR said:
I am also considering getting a bike, never had one but I've always wanted a superbike. This is gonna be a completely new experience for me :) I'm a short guy and weigh around 80 kg. I went to a few bike shops and found that I could comfortably stand on most 600s without tip-toeing.

I'm planning to get a second hand CBR 600, less than 20K on the clock and don't really want to spend more than R55K on the bike.
Click to expand...
I don't know what the recent CBR600s are like. They were once renowned for being sporty, but easy to ride because they had a fairly small rev range for that sort of bike and fairly smooth power. I think they may have become more like the R6 which had the redline at something like 13500 on the one I owned, where my CBR600 was 9500 I think. But that doesn't mean you can't learn on something like the R6. My brother did, and he was riding it easily in no time.

Just don't drop that Honda. Their plastic tends to be scarily expensive.

Budza said:
Think it's more to show what kind of 'bike' caused the oke that damage. Kinda crazy, actually. Wipeout on one of those leading to his face mashup...
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Not really that crazy. You can get seriously injured while running if you trip and smash your face into the ground. Some people just lack basic protective reflexes. Anyway this guy's probably lucky he wasn't wearing a bicycle helmet.
 
TokoZAR said:
I am also considering getting a bike, never had one but I've always wanted a superbike. This is gonna be a completely new experience for me :) I'm a short guy and weigh around 80 kg. I went to a few bike shops and found that I could comfortably stand on most 600s without tip-toeing.
I'm planning to get a second hand CBR 600, less than 20K on the clock and don't really want to spend more than R55K on the bike.
What u guys think?
Click to expand...

Don't let the fact that I'm female put you off this, but I wanted to throw my thoughts into the hat.
I'm 1.7m, weigh around 80kg fully geared up and loaded. I have a Kawa Ninja 250R. It GOES. Sure, not like a 600, but it still goes suprisingly fast. I adore my baby! Some have mentioned that you don't lie down as flat on a Ninja as you do on your average superbike - this is true. You do sit quite upright, it is very comfortable, but when you're riding on the bike it still looks like you're leaning forward quite a bit. So it still looks awesome, but is much more comfy.

My rules for biking are:
1. Never buy a bike that you can't pick up by yourself. You will thank me the first time you fall over and are pinned under the bike or alone in the middle of nowhere.
2. ATGATT, as has been mentioned before - don't skimp on the gear. Don't be cheap when it comes to your physical safety!
3. Don't buy a bike that's too short for you - you'll look like an elephant riding a tricycle.
4. Don't buy a bike that's too big for you - you should be able to stand with both feet flat on the ground when on the bike.
5. Rain Suit. INVEST IN ONE FROM THE GET-GO. DO IT.
6. Buy the bike that makes your heart beat faster every time you see it. I've had my bike almost 2 years now, and my heart still speeds up when I look at her.

(Point #6 could easily be used to describe cars, cameras, and boy/girlfriends/wives/husbands too... heh)

As to learning - I learnt to ride on a scooter. That was what was available to me at the time, so I used it. Just to get the feeling of moving forward when you throttle, and the leaning feeling. I then rode a scooter for about 3 years. When the time came to get a real bike, I learnt on an R6. Good grief. I managed, but I decided I didn't need to kill myself that quickly. 100kmph in 2nd gear? No thanks. And it gets VERY hot. QUICKLY. So in terms of learning, use whatever you have at your disposal.

My Ninja was bought brand new on a special from Centurion Lifestyle in December 2009 for R42k roughly. 17L tank, and I get about 26km/L. I can easily push her to 160kmph, have pushed to 180kmph once just as a test, but I generally don't feel the need to ever go that fast.

All that being said... HOORAY! MORE BIKERS! :D I'm super-glad that you're getting a bike. Ride safely, and dress for the fall!
 
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