Motorcycle Help

[CalebTheEternal]

I am 18 and I'm looking to buy a motorcycle, but money is the issue of course... I was looking to get a 500-650CC sport bike. I have no tickets and no accidents so that will help me a little bit. I want liability only because I cannot afford the full coverage, it would cost me from about $3,000-$5,000 last time I called. I called insurance companies and got a HUGE range of prices. The quotes range from $13 a month to $50 a month for liability, they are all the same (I think). This is the minimum required by law in Colorado. 

 

Anyway I was looking to see if these are average prices for insurance and if getting the 500-600 is a good choice. I have talked to so many people with a 250-300 and they say they got bored of it within 3 months, and I don't want that to happen because that's just more money wasted. I am taking a motorcycle safety class June 12-13 and hopefully that will cut insurance prices a little bit more. I will have about $5,000 to spend on a bike and who knows how much on insurance. I already have a helmet (HJC CL-17), boots (Tourmaster Response 2.0) and gloves (Some Icon ones). Do I really need a jacket and pants? I don't plan on falling  and jacket/pants are so expensive. I was wondering if there is a way to get liability but also have theft protection on it, from the research I have done I couldn't find anything and the insurance companies were not much help. If I find a bike that I REALLY like, and it's cheap, should I buy it before I get my license? Lots of questions and hopefully they are good

 

No I cannot get my parents to help me with this, nor do I want my parents to help me with this. They do not approve of this at all, they say it's suicide. 

When buying a motorcycle should I use a check or take actual cash? I don't know how to write a check nor do I have any checks. 

 

Is it fine to leave the bike in storage over the winter or while I'm at school? It would be in a storage unit that I would pay monthly for. 

 

Is there anything I am missing at all? 

[Denned]

You should absolutely get some proper riding gear. Even if you don't plan to crash, that won't help you, when other drivers decide not to pay attention. You'll be the tiny one on the road. Almost no matter what happens in a crash, you will have the highest chance of being the one not walking away.

 

Can't comment much about US market and insurance. But atleast around here, something like a Honda cbr600 F3 or even F4 would be a decently cheap starter bike.

[TheMcSame]

+1 on the need for riding gear. No one plans to crash, and a lot of the time it's out of your hands, and given that bikes can be very iffy under heavy braking, it's a must. Want a reason? Google "Motorcycle Road Rash", but just a heads up, it's not exactly prettiest of sights.

[Real_PhillBert]

CRA rider here,

 

Take an MSF course.

 

Yes you absolutely need a jacket, pants are also a very good idea. No one plans on crashing but 90%+ of new riders dump their bike in the first six months. Shit happens, the huge majority of those are single vehicle accidents, but enough to rough up your day. I dumped my first bike within the first six months, you probably will to; plan on it. I know gear is expensive and not exactly sexy, but road rash is even less sexy. 

 

Take an MSF course. Seriously.

 

Yes you can leave your bike in storage over winter. I change my oil right before I store it, and make sure they're stored with a full tank of ethanol free fuel. A battery tender is a welcome addition but not really a necessity. 

 

Take an MSF course. I'm not kidding.

 

Now for the bike. You're not going to like what I have to say... 200-350cc really is the best size bikes to start out on. I know, they aren't exactly hyper bikes, but they are lightweight. The problem with new riders is that you don't have the proper technique developed yet, so you end up muscling the bike around a lot. Then you get tired quickly, and bad things happen. With a lighter bike you minimize that and have a lower change of being too worn out to react to a situation properly. Lightweight should be a priority for your first bike.

 

My best suggestion for a start bike would be something like a Yamaha WR250X supermoto, it's more or less a dirt bike with street tires on it. Body panels are cheap and plentiful for when you drop it, and it's very lightweight, plus fuel injected (I hate carbs but that's another story). The Suzuki DR400SM would be another good choice. If you are more into the sport bikes, there's the Kawasaki Ninja 250, or the Honda CBR250/300R. 

 

But before you buy a bike, take an MSF course. I'm seriously not kidding on that, you will be WAY better off. 

[CalebTheEternal]

24 minutes ago, Real_PhillBert said:

CRA rider here,

 

Take an MSF course.

 

Yes you absolutely need a jacket, pants are also a very good idea. No one plans on crashing but 90%+ of new riders dump their bike in the first six months. Shit happens, the huge majority of those are single vehicle accidents, but enough to rough up your day. I dumped my first bike within the first six months, you probably will to; plan on it. I know gear is expensive and not exactly sexy, but road rash is even less sexy. 

 

Take an MSF course. Seriously.

 

Yes you can leave your bike in storage over winter. I change my oil right before I store it, and make sure they're stored with a full tank of ethanol free fuel. A battery tender is a welcome addition but not really a necessity. 

 

Take an MSF course. I'm not kidding.

 

Now for the bike. You're not going to like what I have to say... 200-350cc really is the best size bikes to start out on. I know, they aren't exactly hyper bikes, but they are lightweight. The problem with new riders is that you don't have the proper technique developed yet, so you end up muscling the bike around a lot. Then you get tired quickly, and bad things happen. With a lighter bike you minimize that and have a lower change of being too worn out to react to a situation properly. Lightweight should be a priority for your first bike.

 

My best suggestion for a start bike would be something like a Yamaha WR250X supermoto, it's more or less a dirt bike with street tires on it. Body panels are cheap and plentiful for when you drop it, and it's very lightweight, plus fuel injected (I hate carbs but that's another story). The Suzuki DR400SM would be another good choice. If you are more into the sport bikes, there's the Kawasaki Ninja 250, or the Honda CBR250/300R. 

 

But before you buy a bike, take an MSF course. I'm seriously not kidding on that, you will be WAY better off. 

I will look more into the jacket and pants. 

I am taking an MSF Course, already signed up. 

 

I understand 250s do give more and are easier to handle, but I just don't want to get bored of it really fast. I wont be driving it very far at first, probably just to work, which is literally 2 turns and is exactly 1 mile away from my house. I might go some fast food spots and stuff, but nowhere too far away. 

 

I was saying with buying the bike before the course is to just have one if it's a good enough deal. I wouldn't ride it before I took the class. I was just wondering if it would be a good idea to buy one if I see the "perfect" one.

[Real_PhillBert]

7 minutes ago, CalebTheEternal said:

I will look more into the jacket and pants. 

I am taking an MSF Course, already signed up. 

 

I understand 250s do give more and are easier to handle, but I just don't want to get bored of it really fast. I wont be driving it very far at first, probably just to work, which is literally 2 turns and is exactly 1 mile away from my house. I might go some fast food spots and stuff, but nowhere too far away. 

 

I was saying with buying the bike before the course is to just have one if it's a good enough deal. I wouldn't ride it before I took the class. I was just wondering if it would be a good idea to buy one if I see the "perfect" one.

Excellent, I will stop harping on the MSF course now.  Good job on signing up for one already!

 

If people get bored of a 250 they don't know how to ride a motorcycle. Being fast on a bike is not about twisting the throttle to see big numbers, its all about technique. Every bike has its limits somewhere, and if all you're interested in is strait line speed you shouldn't bother with motorcycles at all, you're only going to hurt yourself. Plus the small bikes can feel a lot more punchy around town when you're lower in the power band than the 600cc fours. Single cylinder bikes give great low end oumph. 

 

The 600cc fours are fun, but they aren't all that noob friendly, their power band is very narrow, but comes on light a light switch. If you are unprepared for that (read, inexperienced) that can get you in a world of trouble. 

 

The best way to get comfortable with a bike is to ride a consistent route that you know and ride it often, so to work and school are fantastic options. 

 

To be honest I wouldn't buy a bike until after your MSF course, it may very well change your mind on what bike you want to start with. 

[CalebTheEternal]

29 minutes ago, Real_PhillBert said:

Excellent, I will stop harping on the MSF course now.  Good job on signing up for one already!

 

If people get bored of a 250 they don't know how to ride a motorcycle. Being fast on a bike is not about twisting the throttle to see big numbers, its all about technique. Every bike has its limits somewhere, and if all you're interested in is strait line speed you shouldn't bother with motorcycles at all, you're only going to hurt yourself. Plus the small bikes can feel a lot more punchy around town when you're lower in the power band than the 600cc fours. Single cylinder bikes give great low end oumph. 

 

The 600cc fours are fun, but they aren't all that noob friendly, their power band is very narrow, but comes on light a light switch. If you are unprepared for that (read, inexperienced) that can get you in a world of trouble. 

 

The best way to get comfortable with a bike is to ride a consistent route that you know and ride it often, so to work and school are fantastic options. 

 

To be honest I wouldn't buy a bike until after your MSF course, it may very well change your mind on what bike you want to start with. 

I'll keep that in mind. 

 

I don't think I'll change my mind on what I want, but yeah I might. What about insurance? Anything I should do? Liability good enough? 

[Real_PhillBert]

1 hour ago, CalebTheEternal said:

I'll keep that in mind. 

 

I don't think I'll change my mind on what I want, but yeah I might. What about insurance? Anything I should do? Liability good enough? 

Insurance is all about risk, the less insurance you have the more risk you take upon yourself. With liability only there is no coverage for any damage you do to your bike. Keep that in mind. 

 

I had liability only on my first bike too. It really didnt bite me, but it did bite some other people I know. Take that for what you will.

[CalebTheEternal]

4 hours ago, Real_PhillBert said:

Insurance is all about risk, the less insurance you have the more risk you take upon yourself. With liability only there is no coverage for any damage you do to your bike. Keep that in mind. 

 

I had liability only on my first bike too. It really didnt bite me, but it did bite some other people I know. Take that for what you will.

I understand the risks, but why spent $5000 a year on a $5000 bike? The only reason I would is to cover my health.