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Can’t decide between cruiser or sport bike.

I'd skip buying a starter bike altogether as you can rent a lot of the small bikes and bypass the buy/sell process. Try a few styles out and get a feel for what you like. It'd also help to consider the rides you want - a bike appropriate for Highway 5/101/280/80 is different from something appropriate for off-road or the many twisty mountain passages nearby.

It's also worthwhile to hit-up moto meet-ups as there will be everything from choppers to Ducati's. Most everyone is happy to talk about what they like and don't like about their rides when you are considering what to buy.

Have fun!
 
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rn00175 said:
2 very different type of bikes. My suggestion as a newbie who started about a month and a half ago, think what type of riding you wanna do first. What routes can you imagine? Do you want to come home from the ride sore, but pumped up? Or a relaxing, peaceful ride?

I can tell you as someone who owns a Ninja, long day rides are not the most comfortable on sport bike ergonomics. Even if their riding position is "more upright" or "less committed" than supersport bikes.
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Hi, thank you for your comment. I am a newbie and have never ridden before. I'm taking the MSF next weekend. Since you shared you started a month ago, would it be okay if I asked you some questions? like about your experience, about the road, etc.? Please let me know.
 
I think newer riders would benefit from having a bike that is more upright, middle controls (not forward or super sporty)... the bent over sports bike position sucks... and the laid back, feet forward position (scrapy pegs) of cruisers can make turns sketchy...

The SV650, Ninja 400, Duke 390, Kawasaki Z650, would be appropriate choices that are great for noobs.
 
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Joe_13 said:
I think newer riders would benefit from having a bike that is more upright, middle controls (not forward or super sporty)... the bent over sports bike position sucks... and the laid back, feet forward position (scrapy pegs) of cruisers can make turns sketchy...

The SV650, Ninja 400, Duke 390, Kawasaki Z650, would be appropriate choices that are great for noobs.
Click to expand...

+1. Noting the SV650 is being redesigned as the SV-7GX, possibly to be released before end of summer and under $10k. It "checks a lot of boxes" for a fun & reliable daily rider.
 
bmwbob51 said:
Find a buddy with a dirt bike first! I've watched multiple new riders purchasing their first bike and crash leaving the parking lot!
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Do you work at a dealership? I've never seen or heard of that. Not saying it doesn't happen and I can easily believe it does, I've just never heard anyone talk about that before. New riders crashing in their first few days, sure I know enough stories about that.
 
Coastside said:
+1. Noting the SV650 is being redesigned as the SV-7GX, possibly to be released before end of summer and under $10k. It "checks a lot of boxes" for a fun & reliable daily rider.
Click to expand...
Yeah I can jive with that. My first bike was a ninja two fiddy and that was mostly motivated by financial situation and practicality. I know two many people either friends, former coworkers or people I would just call acquaintances that asked me for advice and then ended up buying some bike a beginner should probably not be on anyway. I call these people askholes. They want my help but then just end up buying whatever is new and shiny with a lot of power.

A close friend mine ended up being one of those people. His first bike and only bike was an R1. After all the advice and help including searching for the right bike at the right price he just bought a new R1 anyway. His dad convinced him starting smaller was a waste of time. Guess what my friend's dad owned? A Hayabusa and that was his first bike and only bike he ended up crashing it and having part of his leg amputated. :rolleyes And my friend ended up crashing his R1 not too long after buying it and then decided motorcycles are too dangerous. :rolleyes At this point I'm kinda jaded with helping friends get into riding. I'll point them to some good websites or guide them to informative threads on forums like BARF but that's about it.
 
bikernew said:
Hi, thank you for your comment. I am a newbie and have never ridden before. I'm taking the MSF next weekend. Since you shared you started a month ago, would it be okay if I asked you some questions? like about your experience, about the road, etc.? Please let me know.
Click to expand...
Absolutely! You can go reply in one of my other threads just so you don’t flood this one (it’s probably somewhat relevant but idk about the etiquette). I don’t think you can send DMs yet.
 
thanks for the amazing suggestions everyone. based off all the comments, i might be leaning towards a used sv650 to start out. once i develop good riding experience, i’ll try renting out a cruiser and a sport bike and finally commit to one of those (or maybe just stick to the suzuki if i grow fond of it ;))
 
That sounds like you thought it through and really grasped the best advice given! :thumbup
 
And don't worry. Buying a bike is not as big a commitment as buying a house or...getting married or having kids.

If you've found you've made a mistake it's ok and relatively easy to move on to something else. Lots of us have bought bikes that turned out to be the wrong choice, no shame in that.
In fact, I'd challenge anyone here to state that EVERY bike they've ever owned was the right choice for them and they never had any regrets.

It's part of the journey and makes for great stories around the campfire.
 
All good information above, but I wanted to highlight a few additional considerations. For me, total cost of ownership was a major factor when choosing a bike. Whatever you decide on, make sure you understand what you're getting into. I'd look at the following before making a final decision:

Depreciation: Different makes and models depreciate at different rates. Since a first bike is rarely your "forever bike," buying used can help you avoid the steep initial depreciation that comes with riding a new bike off the dealer lot. If you decide to sell in a year or two, the financial hit will likely be much smaller.

Insurance: This can be a major expense and often increases significantly as you move into higher-performance motorcycles. Once you've narrowed your choices, get insurance quotes for each bike before making a final decision.

Maintenance: Costs are affected by how easy the bike is to work on, parts availability, and dealer service rates. Doing basic maintenance yourself can significantly reduce ownership costs. Moto Guild and similar organizations offer excellent classes for riders who want to learn.

Gear: Don't forget to budget for a quality helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, and boots. Buying some items secondhand can save money, but personally, this isn't an area where I'd want to cut too many corners.

If minimizing ownership costs is a priority:
  • Buy a reliable used Japanese motorcycle (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, or Suzuki).
  • Be aware that high-performance sport bikes generally come with higher insurance, tire, and maintenance costs.
  • Get insurance quotes before purchasing.
  • Learn basic maintenance.
  • Buy quality gear once rather than upgrading repeatedly.
  • Ride enough to justify fixed costs like insurance and registration :ride
 
The day I bought my R90/6, I took the bus to Oakland, to bring it home.
Bike parked at the curb, Dealer told me to take it around the block, my operators test.
I poked it into first, both feet up, clutch out, and got that side twitch from the flywheel,
All before I moved, I counterbalanced that, away I went, back to Fairfield.
I knew how to ride, haven't experienced that torque response, of engine rotation.
 
cal scott said:
All good information above, but I wanted to highlight a few additional considerations. For me, total cost of ownership was a major factor when choosing a bike. Whatever you decide on, make sure you understand what you're getting into. I'd look at the following before making a final decision:

Depreciation: Different makes and models depreciate at different rates. Since a first bike is rarely your "forever bike," buying used can help you avoid the steep initial depreciation that comes with riding a new bike off the dealer lot. If you decide to sell in a year or two, the financial hit will likely be much smaller.

Insurance: This can be a major expense and often increases significantly as you move into higher-performance motorcycles. Once you've narrowed your choices, get insurance quotes for each bike before making a final decision.

Maintenance: Costs are affected by how easy the bike is to work on, parts availability, and dealer service rates. Doing basic maintenance yourself can significantly reduce ownership costs. Moto Guild and similar organizations offer excellent classes for riders who want to learn.

Gear: Don't forget to budget for a quality helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, and boots. Buying some items secondhand can save money, but personally, this isn't an area where I'd want to cut too many corners.

If minimizing ownership costs is a priority:
  • Buy a reliable used Japanese motorcycle (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, or Suzuki).
  • Be aware that high-performance sport bikes generally come with higher insurance, tire, and maintenance costs.
  • Get insurance quotes before purchasing.
  • Learn basic maintenance.
  • Buy quality gear once rather than upgrading repeatedly.
  • Ride enough to justify fixed costs like insurance and registration :ride
Click to expand...

For nerdy people who are in this beyond sentimental value, I would go one step further and suggest looking at total cost of ownership (Fixed + Operating) - including
1. Operating costs and how they offset your current mode of transport
2. Monetary value of risks in your specific riding pattern (for example, commuting on a busy highway during peak hours vs. weekend rides have very different risk profiles) - assign $ values to time lost, hospital expenses etc. and ways to mitigate those risks ( for example, buying quality gear, not riding like a total dick on public roadways etc. etc..)
3. And finally value of the reward (for example, time saved during commute - which is a huge factor for me).

Gemeni AI can help you get started on the value-cost model and you can refine it as much as you want

If buying only for weekend rides then it is essentially a hobby, albeit expensive one :ROFLMAO:
 
Elevader,
Welcome, is your picture sitting inside of a Citabria ?
lol, just sold my GCAA....
 
Just FYI, I'm not sure if I saw it mentioned, but you can always do things to modify the seating position to make any sort of bike a bit more suited to your body to increase comfort and/or reduce aches and pains. Also, keep in mind that your body is part of the suspension so fitness helps a lot to determine your comfort on a motorcycle. Core strength is particularly important on sportier bikes to help keep the weight off of your wrists.

Good luck with the decision! I hope you enjoy the world of motorcycling.
 
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