Best Beginner Motorcycles

Everybody likes how a 600cc motorcycle looks and sounds like and immediately after taking a riding course they jump right on one of these beasts, without taking time to put the advantages and disadvantages into balance. Maybe you are a great rider and everything, but this doesn’t make you an experienced one. This is a few of those cases when smaller is better. Why Not Bigger?

It’s like in all of those cases when rich parents who buy their kids powerful sports cars to smash it in less than a month. You want to show off in front of your friends riding a 600cc motorcycle that sounds like a raging lion and die soon or do you want to first start with a smaller bike and enjoy your riding career longer?

Only imagine what it is like to keep more than 300 pounds balanced on two wheels... while also paying attention to the throttle, clutch, changing gears, cornering, swerving or breaking. Hard, isn’t it?

Why Smaller?

There are a lot of great motorcycles on the market for the beginning rider. So what should be the first question you should ask yourself when searching for the first bike? Is it too heavy for you? How's the bike’s maneuverability? Are the price and the insurance costs to high for you? Well, all of these questions are only a small part of the questioning. The key is to get something that fits your body, riding style, and budget as well. So, do yourself a favor and turn your attention to the smaller models. Moreover, the best thing with the small-sized motorcycles is that they really hold their resale value.

The biggest mistake a new rider can make is to over consider engine displacement when purchasing their first motorcycle. Most of the riders who started on a 600cc or on an 1000cc motorcycle (or anything between) soon realized they don’t yet have the skills to handle them properly. It is far more important to find a motorcycle that is comfortable and raises one's confidence in their riding.

The Size

When choosing your first motorcycle you should consider its size, physical, not the power of the engine. You don’t want to die fast or loud... The bike should be mountable with little effort. While on the bike, both feet should be on the ground, not necessarily flat, so the bike does not sway back and forth. Another sizing to consider is wheel length. For a new rider, a longer wheel length is more forgiving when a mistake is made entering a corner too fast.

The Power

Now that you’ve got the whole handling figured out, you can move on to choose the engine’s capacity. Most of you think that the cubic centimeter number gives away the power of a motorcycle. Wrong. It’s all about horsepower that gives you an idea on how ‘mean’ a motorcycle can be. Any new rider should limit their ride to less than 100 horsepower and no, it will not make you look cool, but at least it will keep you safe.

Brand New or Second Hand?

Well, if you have the money and you don’t care on how you spend it... a brand new bike will fit you just like a glove. The main advantage when going for a brand new bike is that it will break... later. Not never, but later than a second-hand one. However, a second-hand bike will help you save money, which should be invested in good riding gear. Plus, it will hurt you less when you crash and damage it than if it’s brand new. Since the first bike is only for learning and getting used to face the traffic on just two wheels, you will soon feel the need to change it for a bigger bike.