Newbie biker

[sfergusson1]

Hi All :)

I am a newbie biker approaching my 40th birthday and just finishing my DAS. I currently ride a YBR125 but have been doing my training on a Yam 600 Diversion - this was my first taste of big bike power. It was great ;D

I am finding it really hard to decide what bike to to buy. I have a budget of £5k to include training and clothing (so deduct £1k I guess). Everyone is pointing me in the direction of Fazers and Bandit 600's. I have to say I can be a bit stubborn and two things are making me resist.

I would prefer a fully faired bike to get more protection from the elements - but then I don't really know how much protection you are going to get as I have no experience of faired bikes (or big bikes of any description for that matter). If you get wet on all bikes to some degree then maybe this is of no real consequence. For example if someone on a half faired bike and someone on a full faired bike went out for a ride in the rain, would one be less wet than the other at the end? Sorry - i just have no idea at the moment :o

Secondly I am worried I might find a Bandit or Fazer 'boring' quite quickly. For example, £3k will buy you a nice Honda Super Blackbird 1100 - now that sounds like fun :)

A biker friend of mine said something that I didn't fully understand - I said about getting a bigger bike as opposed to a 600 and he said - 'There's a lot more that can go wrong on a bigger bike'. I presume he didn't mean they were dearer to service etc, but that perhaps things happen quicker on a 1000cc, or that mistakes are amplified? Could anyone elaborate on what they think my friend meant. I guess I am on the right lines.

What sort of things does a novice friendly bike do that a more difficult bike to ride wouldn't do - and consequently chuck you off? Could someone give me an example?

A bike shop has a really nice 03 plate Honda VFR 800 VTEC which looks really nice - do you think that may suit? The VTEC doesn't kick in till about 7000rpm so it may be quite docile up to then :)

Apologies for so many questions - I would really appreciate the benefit or all you guys and girls experience.

Have a great day!

[Si]

Welcome! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Im a big fan of starting at the bottom and working up. If I were you I would go for a 600 to start with as itll get you used to the power and you will learn more. They are plenty fast enough these days. The other thing is if you go for an 1100 as your first bike what do you do after that? There really isnt much else thatll be faster! I ride my R1 with mainly R6's & CBR600's and even if we are having a blat around quiet roads they hold their own. To some extent they are quicker because they are lighter and easier to manage. A decent R6 or CBR will still try and tear your face off under acceleration :D I had been riding 8 years until I bought something bigger than the 600 I owned and back then they were nowhere near as quick as they are today.

Oh and fairing or no fairing (unless you are gonna ride a goldwing) if its raining you are gonna get wet! ;D

Your insurance company will also take you more seriously if you start small and work up! ;)

Just my opinion!

[Gerry]

Welcome to the club youngster [smiley=thumbup.gif]

Apart from the very first sentence :-/ I think Si is spot on.

I would also add that it’s scientifically proved that fully faired bikes simply look cooler 8-)

G :)

[Si]

Welcome to the club youngster [smiley=thumbup.gif]

Apart from the very first sentence :-/ I think Si is spot on.

I would also add that it’s scientifically proved that fully faired bikes simply look cooler 8-)

G :)


;D ;D

[Nelly]

Welcome Stewart. I'm with the guys above on this. Get yourself a 600(ish) to get used to first. Steer clear of the Blackbirds for now. I've got one and it still scares the crap out of me from time to time.
Fazer, Divvy, Bandit, CB, all good bikes to find your feet on. You wont regret it for sure. :)

[sfergusson1]

Hi All,

Thanks for the advice. I will go for a nice 600 then :)

I look forward to having my face torn off - ha ha that made me chuckle Si. ;D

I'll see you all soon when I get it and we will go for a nice ride :)

[Dan505]

Howdy,

follow the above and shouldn't go too wrong

welcome to the club!

[Si]

[smiley=thumbsup.gif] Glad we could help mate! :)

[jj]

hello and welcome

[BB]

Hi and welcome to WB 8-)

Sound advice already given, although you don't need a big bike to get into trouble, you just get there faster! :o

BB

[Jon_W]

Welcome!!!! :)

[Wes]

Hi stu :) welcome to WB nowt wrong with a fazer mate, a really good all round bike.

[goz1960]

Welcome and hi, 600 for a start would be my recommendation.

[Kopite]

Hello and welcome :)

500 or 600 will do nicely, but buy something that you wont be afraid to drop! Sounds bad but it does happen and a shiny new bike with scratches all over is a real pisser!
An older bike with a few battle scars wont show minor damage as much.
Whatever you choose dont try and keep up with the "plastic rocket brigade" you wont have the experience yet, but it will come. Enjoy the bike for what it is and not what you wish it was, ride safe and stay alive.

[Last Train]

Evenin'

:)

[mick_benson]

hi and welcome :)

[Goldie]

welcome! I'm a YBR125 owner too who's looking to upgrade soon. So much choice out there, isn't there?

[andy_clark1]

I would go with much of the advice above. I got back into biking after many years last year and got myself a naked bike on the basis there is less damaged caused when you drop it but also speeds above 70ish become unpleasant and therefore it stops you doing anything stupid too soon. ::)

[Lou]

Hello and welcome to the wonderful world of WB :) :) :)

[Mark_Able]

Hi Stew... ;)

One of my old instructors used to have a Fazer 600 (as did I at the time), and he did a track day at Llandow on it, fully equipped with hard luggage, just for the hell of it. Still made a few others look stupid, whilst getting his knee down. As my Mrs always says, 'it's not what you've got, it's what you do with it'... ;D

[Toph]

Hello Stewart, welcome to Wiltshire Bikers ! :)

I ride a YZF600R thundercat, there's plenty of good used ones out there, faired and sporty for when you feel like a hooligan, but the riding position, being a "sports tourer", isn't as prone as a sports rocket....+ there's a nice big comfy seat for when you want to take a pillion.
...and it will "tear yer face off!!" when you wind it on !! :D :D ;D ;D

[Senna(Dan)]

Stew if you can get yourself to the H&C when it is decent weather I'm sure you will find we are all accommodating.
All you have to do is ask and I'm sure you can sit on our seats :D
No shame in riding that 125 to a meet, we have several turning weekly.
Get yourself down and join the madhouse!

[voodoo]

hi and welcome to WB

[DC]

Hi and welcome to WB !!! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Bonnielass]

Hello and welcome :) I ride a naked bike and I think I get as wet as others on faired bikes get in the rain! ::)

[Pidge]

WTWB :)

[Geordie Stu]

aalreet canny lad [smiley=thumbup.gif]

[wiltsdan]

My choice would be a CBR600 or a Hornet 600, go for a cheap bike to start with and get some miles under your belt then up-grade.

[Caz]

Hello and welcome :)