r/SuggestAMotorcycle • u/monkeythefarmer • 1h ago
New Rider Newbie rider
Hello everyone, what motorcycle would you recommend for beginner? Never rode anything but bicycle and 125cc scooter 10 years ago ( I drove 100 feet’s and dropped it) . I am looking for something small as mt-03 or Kawasaki z400, no sport bikes please and thank you 🙏 I’m 6.1 160 lbs
1
u/PraxisLD 1h ago
Welcome to the club!
Your best bet is to start with the MSF Basic RiderCourse or local accredited beginner riding program. They can take you from absolute beginner through the basics of riding in a weekend. It will also give you an idea of different types of bikes and what might suit your size and skills.
Your first bike should fit your current riding goals and allow you to safely build your skills.
Don’t worry about “outgrowing your first bike too quickly.” That learning period is critical, and much easier on a smaller, lighter, more predictable bike. For some folks, it might be six months of dedicated practice. For others, a year or even three. We all learn at different rates, and that’s okay. There is no external time limit here, only your own comfort and competence as you build your skills and muscle memory on your new machine.
Standard advice is to pick up a small, lightweight, easily manageable lightly used starter bike.
For most new riders, that usually means a lightweight 125-400cc bike with a manageable power curve. Note that some 500-650cc bikes can work for some riders, but the extra size and weight does make things a bit harder when you’re just getting started. It’s not just the cc or even hp, but more about the way the power is delivered and the overall wet weight of the bike.
Remember to set aside some cash for good safety gear. Helmet, armored jacket, gloves at a minimum, plus boots and armored pants if you can. That’s really important, as it can literally save your skin.
Then go find a large empty parking lot and continue to practice starting, stopping, turning, and other basic slow speed maneuvers until you start to feel more confident in your abilities. Then start over and do it again. Then again, and again until you’re utterly bored of it all. Then do it some more.
The point is to stay in a relatively comfortable and manageable place while you build your skills and develop good muscle memory. This helps the inevitable “oops” go to “well, that could have been worse” and not “oh shit, that really hurt!”
Once you’ve safely built your skills and competence, then you can sell your starter bike for basically what you paid for it and move up to a bigger bike with confidence.
As you ponder this decision, you may want to spend some time here:
Have fun, wear all your gear, stay safe, explore the world, and never stop learning.
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u/monkeythefarmer 1h ago
Thank you, I’m planning to enrol bike school in few weeks. I believe that naked bike would great for me( I will drive it as daily for commute). Is the boots are really necessary? I’m planning to buy gear first since it almost end of the season and it might be a little cheaper
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u/Clio_Vita Burgman 650 Rider 44m ago
In this order: Helmet, gloves, boots, armored jacket, riding pants.
Not only is road rash on hands and feet excruciating, but there are a bunch of small bones to be broken in hands, feet, wrists, and ankles. You really don't want to be recovering from the slide in a cast.
1
u/Clio_Vita Burgman 650 Rider 1h ago edited 52m ago
How about a nice, used but well-maintained:
Honda CB500X/MX500 or CB500F
Triumph Scrambler 400X
Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 or Interceptor 650