[dhgeyer]

I got my first bike in 1963. I had just turned 16, and gotten my driver's license. There was no such thing as a motorcycle license in New York State at that time. I bought a 1954 Harley Davidson 165cc Hummer for $110.00. On a good day it could get up to 50. Rode that for about a year. Next I got a new Honda 150cc. Not sure what they called it, but it was a mini version of the 305 Dream. I rode that bike from East Aurora, NY (near Buffalo) to Far Hills, NJ and back. Thought nothing of it. Back home from college for most weekends, 75 miles each way. For the first 6 years I rode I never could afford anything bigger than a 250 Ducati. I rode that thing all over, 250 miles in the rain one day that I can recall specifically. You can do that stuff when you're young. And if you're on a budget, sometimes you have to.

A bigger bike for commuting would be more comfortable for sure, but "Need" is a relative term. I think that starting out on a small bike (no bigger than 250) is also a good thing. Safer. There's something to be said, too, for buying a first bike that isn't exactly pristine, cosmetically. Mistakes happen. I hate being the first one to drop a bike. If you buy something not too new, not too shiny, and look around and buy it right, you can ride it for a few months or a year and sell it for most of what you paid. If you do a little fixing up you might even get more than what you paid. Then get the newer, bigger bike that you've been saving for in the meantime.