Needs to have lots of future aftermarket parts. Also I don't want a piece of junk that going to sell after 1 year. But not one that is going to break the bank.
I can tell from your post that you don't want to hear it, but I'm going to say it anyway.
Get a 1980's Japanese "Standard", preferably one of the models with an air-cooled parallel twin engine. These are solid and reliable bikes that are simple to fix, cheap to insure, and have benign handling tendencies all of which combine to make them perfect for new riders.
A 250cc Ninja is also in this class if you want a newer bike.
I understand the desire to start out on a nicer bike, but it's virtually guaranteed that you will drop your first bike (at low speeds, like in a parking lot) and scuff it up some. It's also not uncommon for someone to buy a bike and then find out that they really don't ride very often.
You're better off all-around to start with an older bike and then trade up later on. Besides, the bikes I've recommended are holding their values. You can easily sell them after a year for the same amount that you paid for them.
ZV
Depends on the style you want.
Standard/Sport Bike - your best bet is to start with a Standard 600-650 with a more upright seating position. The engines in these bikes are designed for the road rather than a race track, so you'll get more usable power down low.
Cruiser - lots of lighter weight bikes in the 650-750cc range. Also look at a Harley 883. This is a bike you'd never really never outgrow, but, depending on your size, you may want one with a bigger frame. Chances are you'll want one with a bigger motor, but not out of need. Bigger motors just sound better.
I have a (Yamaha) V-Star 1100. Great bike, lots of power, great aftermarket ... but still not a Harley.
BTW, whatever you do, take a motorcycle safety class before you get a bike. I can't stress that enough. They'll typically have several different styles of bikes for you to try. You'll learn the fundamentals of riding and abuse their bikes in the process.
I disagree with your recommendations:
Standard/Sport - 600-650 includes the SV and kawi twins, which are both a bit too big for most new riders. An sv will throw you if you dump the clutch and they are ALL very top heavy.
Cruiser - IMHO *just about* any cruiser is fine as long as you can pick it up. The boulevard S50 is a water cooled 800 and imo it would be just fine for a first bike safety-wise. Confidence-wise I feel like cruisers are all around poor first bikes. No matter what you want to end up riding, a standard is the best first bike.
Seriously look at a GS500. You can get a pre-03 unfaired which will fit in with the cruiser riders, or an 04+ which looks like a sportbike. They are extremely cheap yet hold their value very well. They're balanced, easy to work on, and hard to mess up if dropped.
I disagree with your recommendations:
Standard/Sport - 600-650 includes the SV and kawi twins, which are both a bit too big for most new riders. An sv will throw you if you dump the clutch and they are ALL very top heavy.
Cruiser - IMHO *just about* any cruiser is fine as long as you can pick it up. The boulevard S50 is a water cooled 800 and imo it would be just fine for a first bike safety-wise. Confidence-wise I feel like cruisers are all around poor first bikes. No matter what you want to end up riding, a standard is the best first bike.
Seriously look at a GS500. You can get a pre-03 unfaired which will fit in with the cruiser riders, or an 04+ which looks like a sportbike. They are extremely cheap yet hold their value very well. They're balanced, easy to work on, and hard to mess up if dropped.
Won't any bike throw you if you dump the clutch? I love my SV650...
Won't any bike throw you if you dump the clutch? I love my SV650...
"Any cruiser is fine as long as you can pick it up" -- a naked SV is 364lb and an 800cc Boulevard is over 600!
I don't know about the top-heavy stuff...my SV was/is my first bike and I haven't had any problems. Then again, I haven't ridden much else to compare.
Is that really a fair comparison? There's a bigger difference between an SV and a supersport than a Ninja 250, no? You're essentially teaching someone to ride on a mini-supersport...one would think it's normal for them to be better on the same style of bike.I promise you - take two equally skilled new riders.. Put one on a Ninja 250 and the other on an SV. Give them 12 months of riding and put both on supersports. I promise you that the ninja 250 learner will be faster AND safer than the rider that started on an SV.
Is that really a fair comparison? There's a bigger difference between an SV and a supersport than a Ninja 250, no? You're essentially teaching someone to ride on a mini-supersport...one would think it's normal for them to be better on the same style of bike.
But hell what do I know...I'm just the new rider that no one should listen to. I'm also 6', so maybe that's why the SV works for me.
BTW, whatever you do, take a motorcycle safety class before you get a bike. I can't stress that enough. They'll typically have several different styles of bikes for you to try. You'll learn the fundamentals of riding and abuse their bikes in the process.
No matter what bike you list, even a 'busa, somewhere there is someone who started out on one and is still safe. That doesn't mean that those larger bikes are the best options for new riders though.
Even for something like an SV, which isn't as bad as starting out on a liter bike and isn't a horrible first bike, there are still other options that are objectively "better".
I started out on a 1982 Honda 450 Nighthawk. Great bike. Loved it. Big enough to feel like a "real" motorcycle, but maneuverable and light enough for the 150-pound bean pole I was in HS to handle when I dropped it in the driveway. Fast enough to just barely kill me if I'd gotten stupid but not so fast that it tempted me to get stupid.
Would I have survived on a faster or larger bike? Probably. I was a pretty responsible kid. But I think I'm better off for having gotten the 450 rather than a 750 or something.
ZV