What's Your Ride?

As a new motorcycle rider, it can be overwhelming to shop for a first bike.  New riders should look for a motorcycle that is lightweight and one where you can place both feet on the ground.  A lightweight bike will make it easier to balance and you'll feel more confident and comfortable being able to stop with both feet being able to touch the ground.

I'm definitely not the expert on motorcycles but I've done my share of shopping.  Here are some of my favorites.  I feel that these are great choices for newbies:

Standard Naked Bike: Intended to do a little bit of everything.
My choice is the Yamaha FZ-07.  It has a comfortable seat and neutral ergonomics.  It's a naked bike so there's less plastic to damage.  But that also means it doesn't have a windscreen which could be annoying if you need to travel long distance, especially on the freeway.  Other than that, I think it's a cool looking moto to cruise around in.

Cruisers: Built for comfort not speed.
My choice is the Honda Rebel.  This is the motorcycle that I learned to ride on for my MSF course.  It was so easy to handle and I could easily place both feet flat on the ground when I stopped.

Sport Bikes: Built for speed, not for long distance.
My choice is the KTM RC390.  This bike is built to go fast but at 390cc it's lightweight and easy to handle.  I personally want one of these for the track.  I wouldn't recommend it for long distance rides though.

Another choice is the Ninja 250r.  My first road bike was the Ninja 300 and it was so fun to ride!  It wasn't super-powerful but it still made for a fun ride on the track.  It was easy to maneuver through the turns but because it was meant to be ridden in a tuck position, it doesn't make for a comfortable long-distance road trip.

Dual Sports: For both road and off-road.  Dual sports are like dirt bikes that are street legal.
My choice is the Honda CRF250L.  I own this bike and I absolutely love it!  I mainly use it for off-road but the cool part is that it is plated so I can ride on the road if I needed to.  For example, we cruised on the roads in Zion and could easily hit the off-road trails when we wanted to.

Adventure Tourers (ADV): larger and made for long rides.
My choice is the BMW 700GS.  I also own this bike.  This replaced my Ninja 300 because riding long distance on my Ninja was causing me back aches.  The BMW 700GS has more upright comfortable position.  Plus, the built-in hand warmers and tall windscreen makes for a more comfortable ride through the mountain.


Okay, so my recommendations are little biased since these are motorcycles that I already own or would want to own but I did my research and these were the ones that fit my needs.  I suggest you do the same.  First answer, "What kind of riding will I do?"  Then, do your research.  Go visit a motorcycle shop, sit on the motos and ask lots of questions.  Then, when you've figured out what moto you want, look for a used one.  Craigslist is a great place to shop.  There are many great deals out there and why pay top dollar for your "first" motorcycle.  After some experience on your new moto, you'll have more information about what you want your second motorcycle to be!