Fort Worth Motorcycle Riders

Yo what's up guys and gals? my name is Osaze (I just go by oz) I'm 20 and have been interested in motorcycles for a few years and plan on getting one either this year or the next.

I'm a student at A&M Commerce and decided to do a project over literacy in the sports bike community because it's a community centered around what I now love

the project is just how the group uses words and if they mean different things in that realm of context so it's nothing critical but if anyone would like to volunteer for a few small interviews that would be grand

back to bikes
I have never ridden a motorcycle but I know I want a sports bike. is it wrong that I don't want to start on a 250 before moving into the the bike I actually want? I want a Honda cbr600-f4i (hence the name) mainly because it does not have an aggressive riding position (no or less back pain=more riding) but its no slouch in the speed department considering I want to do a lot of high way riding and traveling in my spare time. as to why I think it's somewhat okay to do this is literally everyone I have met from a total of 3 cities has told me to start on something bigger (one friend offered to let me ride his busa and most people just said a zx6r or cbr600rr) plus I'm very cautious. Is it still a bad idea or is there a better alternative (has to be a common used bike on craigslist )

An F4i seems to be a pretty good all arounder as far as 600cc sport bikes go. I don't think that is a bad choice at all. Not wanting to start on a 250 is not wrong, but there is something to be said for buying a $1500 250, putting a couple thousand miles on it, dropping it 3 times, and selling it for $1500 3 months later to get an F4i.

Welcome. Get a bike. Now.

Welcome to the boards. It is ok that you don't have one yet and you are doing research on which one you want. Make sure you do sit on several different models to make sure you like how it feels.

Starting on a used 250 would be perfect - you won't cry as much when it falls over or goes skidding down the pavement (Just ask Monster) and it's forgiving enough that sloppy newbie mistakes won't cause the bike to become crazy. Some haters will talk smack about 250's but it's just ignorant talk, ignore them and pass them on the track later.

Don't rule out the 650 V's and Twins, they may be 650cc but they are only packing around 60 ponnies with a flatter powerband.

In terms of back pain, I ride an RSV4 which is pretty aggressive on body position and I think it's comfortable, the upright bikes tend to make my lower back hurt more than the aggressive sportibkes since I'm not keeping my core rigid.

Gotta agree with all of the above points. 250s are forgiving, cheap, not the end of the world to drop, and you get most money back when you sell. I know folks who commute on 250s and, while they aren't flying down the highway at 90, they're 70+ without much trouble.

Welcome. My .02...any bike is better than no bike, but good advice above on starting out conservatively. It makes sense for all kinds of reasons.

Welcome, i think they covered some of the basic points of a good starter bike and i tend to agree. Feel free to stop by bike night and talk bikes in person with us, even sit on a few peeps bikes.

What ever you get for your first bike, be prepared to drop it at least once. Something running and cheap is a good first bike. Then after a year or two sell it and get a "nicer" bike. My first bike was a CBR600, rode it for a year, then sold it for what I paid for it.

If you're thinking of doing a lot of highway riding you might want to consider something more like a VFR. They can hold their own at the track, just ask Sckego, but they are really nicely suited for long trips.

Hello and welcome!

Researching literacy on the boards??? (/e does quick search of all suggestive posts and edits!!!). Ha, have fun and enjoy!!! Really there are lots of community terms that are used and you can pick out easily (i.e. cage, squid, etc.).

That's awesome that you are looking into what you would like to ride-- have you taken the MSF yet? I ask this because I think you can better gauge what you are getting into as far as comfort with friction zone, braking, etc. (We won't talk about the box or u-turns. EVER. -- they just really suck is all ).

As for what your first bike should be- only you can answer that. Lots of awesome advice here. My first bike is my 2013 GSXR 600. I have dropped her at least 4 times, high-side crash once. I have a collection of broken clutch levers from the drops. No biggie. Get the best gear you can and wear it all the time so you can walk away laughing when you start dropping (and you will, it happens to everyone, no big deal). I personally decided not to go with a 250 because I knew I would want more power and speed sooner rather than later. I knew the risks of hurting my new bike but for me they were worth it. Now I open her up, have fun, keep learning and look back and smile because I am farther than where I first was, and I know I'm only going to get better and keep having fun. That being said, Fixxer and Telo have let me play on their 250 and it's a great bike, I had fun! So don't discount a bike based on size; base it on your learning curve, what you want to start with and work from there (okay, just maybe I'll throw this out there- you don't want an Abuser (Busa) for a first bike... ).

Definitely sit on a few different models and find which feels more comfortable for you. I almost got a Ninja but they just feel awful on the tuckus! After some parking lot fails and drops we lowered my bike because for me it was quite intimidating being vertically challenged and learning to ride. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. The point is you will definitely figure out what you like vs. what you don't like and most importantly have fun with it! Okay even more importantly- you find a group of people who love riding to and will give you epic support, advice, encouragement and heckling as necessary.

Yeah, I'm caffeinated and can type like a squirrel on crack.

fixxervi6 wrote:Starting on a used 250 would be perfect - you won't cry as much when it falls over or goes skidding down the pavement (Just ask Monster) and it's forgiving enough that sloppy newbie mistakes won't cause the bike to become crazy. Some haters will talk smack about 250's but it's just ignorant talk, ignore them and pass them on the track later.

Don't rule out the 650 V's and Twins, they may be 650cc but they are only packing around 60 ponnies with a flatter powerband.

The main problem that I see with the 650 twin cylinders is that they come with crap suspension. That is why I didn't buy a 650 back when I bought my GSXR.

Welcome!

Howdy!

Welcome
Wouldn't recommend the busa
for first bike

Stardog84 wrote:

fixxervi6 wrote:Starting on a used 250 would be perfect - you won't cry as much when it falls over or goes skidding down the pavement (Just ask Monster) and it's forgiving enough that sloppy newbie mistakes won't cause the bike to become crazy. Some haters will talk smack about 250's but it's just ignorant talk, ignore them and pass them on the track later.

Don't rule out the 650 V's and Twins, they may be 650cc but they are only packing around 60 ponnies with a flatter powerband.

The main problem that I see with the 650 twin cylinders is that they come with crap suspension. That is why I didn't buy a 650 back when I bought my GSXR.

100000% agree but the 250 is the same, crap suspension.

fixxervi6 wrote:

Stardog84 wrote:

fixxervi6 wrote:Starting on a used 250 would be perfect - you won't cry as much when it falls over or goes skidding down the pavement (Just ask Monster) and it's forgiving enough that sloppy newbie mistakes won't cause the bike to become crazy. Some haters will talk smack about 250's but it's just ignorant talk, ignore them and pass them on the track later.

Don't rule out the 650 V's and Twins, they may be 650cc but they are only packing around 60 ponnies with a flatter powerband.

The main problem that I see with the 650 twin cylinders is that they come with crap suspension. That is why I didn't buy a 650 back when I bought my GSXR.

100000% agree but the 250 is the same, crap suspension.

250 is also much cheaper to buy used.

I wouldn't steer away from the SV650 for a first bike though. I recommend it to a lot of first time bike buyers. And there are ways to improve the suspension cheaply with an OEM shock off of higher end bikes and some cheap fork emulators. Personally I would rather have an SV650 with some suspension upgrades than an inline 4 cylinder 600.

Real quick, if your going to be riding highway / highway speeds i don't know if a 250 will do it very well. Cruising 70-80 mph. Not to mention a + of a 250 is light weight, but on the highway I consider that a minus because of the way trucks and cars can blow you around. My $0.02 look for an SV 650. Good power, good highway.

U-Turn wrote:Real quick, if your going to be riding highway / highway speeds i don't know if a 250 will do it very well. Cruising 70-80 mph. Not to mention a + of a 250 is light weight, but on the highway I consider that a minus because of the way trucks and cars can blow you around. My $0.02 look for an SV 650. Good power, good highway.

250 will cruise highway no problem, I'm 230+ pounds and I've done just that two up - the problem at highway speed is lack of acceleration, not it's ability to cruise at speed.

Don't get us wrong, there is nothing wrong with a F4i and it can be a good first bike. There are just SO many options, want to make sure you have all the info. Suggested retail price on a 2006 F4i is $4225, so I would say if you can find one for $3500 or less would make for a decent first bike. Honestly though, any bike in that price range will make for a decent first bike. Few people keep their first bike for very long.

Very true. My first 3 years of riding was on 5 different bikes.

dat ninja 300.

Stardog84 wrote:Very true. My first 3 years of riding was on 5 different bikes.

slut

And you can keep the cool name, no matter what you ride.

and to answer the question I completely mis-read - not wanting to start on a 250 is fine - just don't start on a brand new ZX10.

My first bike was a Kat 750 - never rode before and I did fine. Tame motor with a big heavy frame, I assume an F4i would be pretty similar

F4i isn't too tame or heavy, but like any I4, keep the revs under 8 or 9 grand and it's pretty docile.

fixxervi6 wrote:My first bike was a Kat 750 - never rode before and I did fine.

Ditto