Buying a new bike? Here's a handy guide

[Dupo]

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

[patrick_777]

I ran across this while researching bikes before I bought my GZ and it was invaluable. There are a lot of things here that may not be possible with a first look at a bike, but perusing this list a little bit before you go is VERY helpful and can remind you of warning signs to look for at first glance.

...especially, if you're looking at a sportbike, the warning signs of stunting and racing are an absolute must read.

[Water Warrior 2]

Oh my this is a long read but chalk full of valuable info. About 10 years ago when I considered getting back into riding I found a good case for the "new riders info section". The salesman thought I would need a Ninja 600 because I wouldn't have enough power to pull out and pass on a Ninja 500 twin. Yup, that's what I would need. A 140 mph bullet on 2 wheels to get back on the road. I'm pretty sure if he had said starting smaller and upgrading later would have got him at least one sale instead of no sale. As it was I tripped over the Vstrom 650 one day and bought it. It had slightly more than half the ponies of a 600 sport bike and was plenty for me. For all the newbies out there: a smaller first bike is far better and safer. You don't need a lot of power to ride.

[mole2]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Oh my this is a long read but chalk full of valuable info. About 10 years ago when I considered getting back into riding I found a good case for the "new riders info section". The salesman thought I would need a Ninja 600 because I wouldn't have enough power to pull out and pass on a Ninja 500 twin. Yup, that's what I would need. A 140 mph bullet on 2 wheels to get back on the road. I'm pretty sure if he had said starting smaller and upgrading later would have got him at least one sale instead of no sale. As it was I tripped over the Vstrom 650 one day and bought it. It had slightly more than half the ponies of a 600 sport bike and was plenty for me. For all the newbies out there: a smaller first bike is far better and safer. You don't need a lot of power to ride.

I'll second what WW has to say. I started with the GZ as it was a great bike to learn on.

[burkbuilds]

Hey, that's a lot to read, but well worth your time. Thanks for sharing this and I'll add my agreement to the previous thoughts on starting out with a smaller bike and moving to larger bikes as your skill level improves and you understand more of what you personally want out of a bike, what you like and what you don't like.

[Vegas Street Rider]

Long but great article. Good information for my next bike.