| Author | Message | ||
     Stevasaurus |
My vote is for the 250R as well. I have been riding mine for years. It is still a lot of fun, and as others said it will still hustle his butt up to triple digits if he is so inclined. And the insurance is DIRT CHEAP!!! Even if he outgrows it soon, the resale on them is good because they are so cheap to begin with and he won't be out much money if any. I had my first taste of XB12R this weekend at the Buell demo' ride in Harbor City. It was a lot more docile at lower rev's than I expected, but there is no way I would want to be a novice and whack on that throttle. Shoot, if you didn't live on the other side of the country, I offer you a smokin' deal on my 250R. If he really can't deal with the 250R (they may still be new, but the 20 year old styling is unmistakable), I agree with the 650R. There is plenty of time for a Firebolt. | ||
| Ceejay |
Fireblast  Buell are you listening.... | ||
| Jkkj |
This is young man who can go to war and die for his country, but not ride a 600. Please. 250 at 20 I would have walked first. When I had my zx7 I rode with a guy that had a 500. I was always scared for him. Everyone else would pass a car and he would be out in the passing lane forever. A lot of times well past what was safe, into corner etc. sv 650, He may go for that, but so are alot of the more experienced riders I know. Something about high corner speeds, and as fast as it will go anywhere. The last big outing we had at the first stop a guy on a GSXR 750 was talking about going as hard as he was comfortable around a tight corner and around the outside went the little sv. He said there was nothing he could do but watch him go. Dynasport you are his dad and know him better than anyone here. If he is to inmature at 20 to ride a motorcycle responsibly then do not support him at all, or get him something very small. If he is resposible enough then "My Advise" would be to put him on good equipment and trust his good judgement. It sounds to me like you are on the right track by making the comment that he has not had a saftey course yet. Makes me assume he will take one. His behavior will determin how safe he is not what he is sitting on. I started on a gpz900zx at 19yrs old. Against my parents wishes. I wish my parents would have supported me. I could have learned a lot in a couple of track days that would have made me a whole lot safer on the street. | ||
| Tiburondriver47 |
A used 9R gets my vote. You can be riding a 125cc and get run over by some nurd. | ||
| Ulywife |
Also please insist that he wears proper gear when he rides. I know that people get tired of me writing about this, but I am on a mission. Brian - I'd rather read your sentence than another tale of another rider that wished they had worn gear after the fact. Keep on that mission! Dyna - best of luck on your search and compromised with your son. I'll be in the same boat soon enough. My daughter (age 12) can already hold up the M2 and has claimed dibs on it when she turns 16. I'm already saying "maybe a Blast, we'll see in 4 years". | ||
| Rah7777777 |
at 20 i bought my first bike, an 04 Yamaha FZ6 (600cc I-4). first street bike i'd ever rode. learned on it just fine. i did have some off road experience, which in my opinion helped out a great deal. after having it for 2 years(21,000 miles), sold it to later buy my XB9S, which i love even more. Basically how smart and how much self control does your boy have? this will play a great deal into what he should/shouldnt be riding. common sense, self control and responsibility are the keys here in my opinion. if he lacks in any area, keep him off a bike! And the MSF course is a MUST!! get him to take the class and maybe he'll change his mind set. but seeing how he is a youngster, he probably wont :-) Oh and also MAKE him wear full gear! i see too many newbies riding around in a tank top and flip flops with a nike hat on backwards! dont let him be one of those idiots!!!!! (Message edited by rah7777777 on July 30, 2007) | ||
| Tm74 |
Oh and also MAKE him wear full gear! i see too many newbies riding around in a tank top and flip flops with a nike hat on backwards! dont let him be one of those idiots!!!!!  20 years old. I'd like to hear that conversion. I imagine the responses would be: A. But Dad, I don't want to look like a Power Ranger. B. But Dad, I don't want to look like one of the Village People. C. But Dad, I don't want to look like a space man. D. But Dad, I don't want to look like I'm riding around the Arctic Circle. Of course, Dads response should be, "We have to dress like ass clowns, so do you!" As motorcyclists, were screwed when it comes to gear. I've accumulated all the above over the years except the Village People look. Maybe I should get some just to confuse people.  | ||
| Damnut |
DO NOT GET HIM A NINJA 250!!! The kid will want to get rid of it in a week. My ex bought one and she didn't have ANY riding experience. 5'3" ~100lbs. After a month she HATED it, no balls. The bike that is. The main question is: Does he have ANY riding experience at all? Did he have dirtbikes? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, then a Firebolt will be just fine for a bike. Better than an IL4 600cc bike. I grew up riding a CR250R and (this is only my opinion) that bike will hurt an experienced rider faster than my Firebolt will. If he doesn't have any experience then the SV650 is a cool bike or like someone mentioned an older 600cc (carb model) IL4. | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
Make sure he at least takes a MSF Beginners course, wears gear head to toe regardless of how hot it is, and for god's sake, don't put him on a beater for a first bike. Used is one thing, but make sure she's plenty roadworthy. I too agree about starting out with something a little smaller if you have any sway with him. There would be a lot of temptation to act a fool while playing in traffic with a sexy and powerful bike like the 12R for a 20 year old. Remind me to tell you about coming within the circumference of a gnat's @$$ from wiping out on a wheelie because I knew a hot chick was watching me when I first got mine. I don't know you or your son, but I can say when I was 20, I had NO business on an I4 Crotch Rocket. I was mature enough to tote a rifle for Uncle Sugar, but not enough to keep my wrist out of the throttle. With that being said, my first bike was a XB12, but I was 33 and had tons of dirt experience. Even at that age, I was still a little immature at times...now that I think about it...I still am but got lucky enough to get some experience to temper my Buelliganism. (-: Just try to instill some respect for the road in your boy. It warms my heart that you care enough about him to ask this question. I wish him the best of luck and many years of happy riding. One more thing; the only times I've had any problems in traffic had something to do with people not paying attention and turning in front of me. I installed a Kisan PathBlazer (flashes headlights), and haven't had a single incident since. It's a quick install and the people there are very nice folks. | ||
| Wantxbr |
I have two sons and there is no way in hell I would allow them to LEARN HOW TO RIDE ON THE PUBLIC STREETS. I started riding motorcycles when I was 9yrs old on a dirt bike. Have him learn in the dirt first if your able too. Streets are just not a good place for a beginner to learn his clutch, shifting, breaking and so forth. If dirt isn't an option and street is your only choice get him a Kawasaki EX500. Great beginner bike especially if hes looking for sport type bikes. Its cheap, parts are cheap and insurance shouldn't kill you/him. Has plenty of power to make him happy for a year or two until HE IS READY for a bigger bike. DO NOT GET AN INLINE FOUR. too quick and too fast. 150+ MPH not for a beginner. (Message edited by wantxbr on July 30, 2007) | ||
| Vanvideo |
A Firebolt for a first bike? No. No. No. Too much torque down low. It pops you out at launches so quickly, a novice can get into deep doo-doo fast. I've ridden for 30 years and when I first test rode a 'bolt I was surprised at the sudden head-long rush these bikes create. Torque is lots of fun - when you know your limits. Newbies rarely do. | ||
| Midknyte |
Too much torque down low. It pops you out at launches so quickly Just as bad if not worse, downshifts with a noob at the clutch can land you on your ass in a turn very easily | ||
| Buelltroll |
This whole debate is stupid. IF your son is not a babbling retard. He WILL be fine. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
I had an 80's 250 and it could easily get into the triple digits. It could cruise at 70 no problem. Then I moved up to a Suzuki GS500. GREAT beginner bike!!! ULTRA reliable. Good enough for 125 mph. I cruised for an hour on mine at 95mph with no problems. After 20k miles of experience on that, I moved up to my Cyclone. I just turned 21, and I HIGHLY recommend a 250 or 500 first. Young people (like myself) have a tendency to make bad decisions on occasion. Some young people do this more often than others, but we ALL do it. Smaller low power bikes are MUCH more forgiving when it comes to these lapses in judgement. Sure he might get bored with the smaller bike.... but beginner bikes are in hot demand, and you can usually sell them for what you paid for them. This was true for me on both my 250 and my 500. Even if you lose a little bit of money, it'll be worth it for the experience he's gaining. | ||
| Cupp42 |
I have a customer that purchased a new XB9SX about two weeks ago. His dad is a big Harley guy. He is 23 and it was his first bike of any kind. He has ridden his dads old BMW 650 from time to time but nothing major. So far he has about 950 miles on his XB. Another first timer was 19 when he bought his XB9SX a year ago and he has about 3400 on his last time I saw him. I think if your boy has just a little common sense he would be just fine on the CityX. Best of luck. | ||
| Tm74 |
This whole debate is stupid. IF your son is not a babbling retard. He WILL be fine. I don't want to turn this thread in a wrong direction but I can't help myself. You show your age, mentality, and maturity with your posts. This is a serious matter and is worthy of debate. If you don't have anything constructive to say, just keep out of it. A topic like this isn't the place. Trust me, you aren't adding anything here. If you haven't noticed, some who gave their opinions have been riding for multiple decades. That in itself says something. I hope I'm still riding after that long. I think most would listen to them as opposed to some immature kid who wouldn't know his ass from a hole in the ground.  I'll get off my high horse now. | ||
| Slaughter |
At age 20, the insurance is going to BITE your hindquarters big time - I'd recommend doing some insurance shopping. Can make a few hundred dollars a month difference. Not just which company you get the insurance from but what bike. The under-650cc twins-class bikes are usually pretty forgiving on power delivery and handling. Many insurance companies have really weird insurance divisions but definitely the under 1000cc bikes will save you some insurance $$$. That being said, the SV650 or the new Kawi Ninja 650 twins are really great bikes for a first bike (assuming he's not too short/small). They're quick enough to be fun and there's a big following. The XB when ridden PROPERLY - and assuming some maturity on your son's part - can still work fine as a first bike. Bad news if he has to learn in a high traffic area though - can be a little rough - especially with a tendency to be a little ham-handed as a new rider. The XB riding position isn't easy to take on longer rides but you only have 2 hours fuel before you're DRY. We rarely would ride more than 100 miles between fill-ups. I guess all my blather above is not really an answer but I'd still steer him AWAY from the "typical" inline-4 type sportbikes. The XB is manageable with a little maturity on his part. (Message edited by slaughter on July 30, 2007) | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
There is not a single rider on here who doesn't have a minor if not major lapse in judgment from time to time. Misread a corner, misread a road surface, misread a driver's intentions. I had the unfortunate opportunity to misread the intentions of a minivan this weekend. Went to pass and OH SHITE! TURNING LEFT! All that to say, 30-somethings, 40-somethings, and even 50-somethings are capable of suffering from lapses in judgment. 20-somethings, and 10-somethings are acutely capable of lapses in judgment. I think there are few who have survived their teens and 20's who can't document a litany of lapses in judgment, on and off a bike (where do you think all those campfire stories come from?). What a smaller first bike will do is allow those lapses in judgment to have a greater margin of error and allow for a greater likelihood of survival. Lapses in judgment without dire consequences provide learning experiences. I will view EVERY driver differently after this weekend. Doing something dumb at 40-50 MPH with proper gear will allow that lapse to sink in really well. The same lapse at 120 MPH is not only a sport ender, but potentially a Grandkid preventer, widow maker, or orphan creator. That's just on the bike. A year in the mind of a 20 year old is an eternity. In the life of a 90 year old, it's a blink. There is simply no substitute for experience. (Message edited by ft_bstrd on July 30, 2007) | ||
| 1324 |
As others have already mentioned, take a look at the SV650. I started riding a year ago at 24...took the MSF and shopped around for a good deal on the sv. I was lucky enough to find a great deal at the end of the season and managed to get about 2500 miles out of that bike before I picked up my XB9. And to sweeten the deal, I made money on selling the SV. Beginner bikes will always hold their value! That being said, I'm still a newb, but I'm learning everyday. After almost 3500 miles of riding (would have been more if I didn't travel so often for work), I've definitely developed as a rider. My dirt experience was minimal, but road skills are road skills and need to be learned on the road IMO. I just recently did a trackday for the first time and had a blast...AND, I KNOW FOR A FACT my skills have increased many times over. I've ridden quite a few XB12's and they are great bikes, with gobs of torque. The XB9 is a bit tamer, but it's definitely no slouch, especially if you start modifying it. In the end, I'm happy with my progression and my choice of bikes. I know a 250R would have been too little for me, but the SV650 will get newbs in trouble easily if they aren't careful. 250R<500R<650R<SV650<XB9<XB12<I-4 600...based on my riding experiences, that is. I have several friends who started off on 600's and one who learned on an R1. They have not had any major issues, but I'm glad I took the smaller is better route. Most of those guys have a hard time doing simple things on their bikes like U-turns at parking lot speeds let alone using the bike's full potential. | ||
| Kyrocket |
A. But Dad, I don't want to look like a Power Ranger. B. But Dad, I don't want to look like one of the Village People. C. But Dad, I don't want to look like a space man. D. But Dad, I don't want to look like I'm riding around the Arctic Circle. I would happily dress up as the pink ranger if it meant not picking asphalt out of my forearm again! I was pretty good about wearing my leathers but the one time I didn't I got into some loose gravel and slid it off the road. If the leather was on I wouldn't have had a scratch. Luckily the gloves were on or my buddy would have picking out the road rash. It usually only takes once to make the leathers permanent. As far as a first bike, that's hard to say without knowing anything about experience/maturity but whatever it is a safety course is a must. Not only gives you some pointers but will usually decrease your insurance. | ||
| Buelltroll |
THIS JUST IN YA ASSBAGS!!!! MOTORCYCLING IS DANGEROUS!!! I'll stick to my ORIGINAL statement. IF your son is not a retard,He WILL be fine. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
The acquisition of wisdom is a longer process for some. | ||
| Prof_stack |
Make it stop... | ||
| Diablobrian |
why am I not surprised at the handle you chose Buelltroll? The advice given on this thread has not been given in a flippant manner by most of the posters. It was considered carefully and (for the most part) given with many qualifiers about the maturity level of the individual. Anecdotal evidence is not a good basis for decisions. Just because nothing bad has happened to you is no reason to assume that nothing bad will happen to another rider in similar circumstances. Just because I served 6 years in the military without being shot does not mean that no one else that serves 6 or fewer years will receive a bullet wound. The warnings about gear are heartfelt by many of us. As more mature riders we have "been there and done that" I was litteraly held together by soft tissue and my leathers when my pelvis was crushed during a <3mile ride in september of 2003. The fact I was wearing my gear is the ONLY reason my kids aren't orphans today. However the wreck was not my fault, nor the bikes so I REFUSE to live in fear of what others may or may not do. I wouldn't be me if I didn't do what I do. That does not mean that I won't do what I can to minimize the risk of bodily injury when the only down side is a little sweat when sitting still (I ride a lot more than I pose). My gear is not a Halloween costume unlike many RUBs or even stunters that are "too cool", or "too good" to need the gear. If that's you, I'm sorry but sooner or later it WILL catch up to you and you won't just be walking "funny" like I do. It will be much worse for you and/or your family. We don't get to choose when and where accidents will happen. They usually happen on those short runs where your guard is down because you are so close to home, and nothing bad can happen to you at home...right? If we could control all of the elements that go into causing one accidents would never happen. And yes, it's true, some people can't handle driving cars. Particularly younger drivers like the 18yr old girl that turned left out of a blind driveway and hit me and my wife on my GSXR750 head-on. She had a whole 300 miles of experience behind her in her brand new Honda Accord(? all I remember is a flash of white). | ||
| Buelltroll |
I guess I'll REstate the obvious. MOTORCYCLING IS DANGEROUS!!! The thread is about rather or not the firebolt would be a good starter bike. NOT why all you "old timers" THINK he should get a girl bike.. AB SO FREAKIN LUTELY let him get the bolt. The damn thing has less than 90 hp jesus you guys come on get off your damn soap boxes once in a while will ya. | ||
| Tkxb9sx |
let him buy himself a xb9sx. the cityx is great. i am 20. i just bought the bike two months ago and it is everything and more than i could have wanted. if he is smart and takes the course he will be fine. everyone has slip ups and spills. its all part of riding. i didnt want to get a 9r just because the insurance was a noticeable amount higher than the cityx. and i dont think i would like to ride in that position all the time. you know your son and you should do whatever you deem necessary. hope this is of some help. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
"Old Timers" Most folks commenting here are close in age to you or are younger. Motorcycling is indeed in inherently dangerous sport. Why compound the risk? | ||
| Buelltroll |
Everyone dies Not everyone lives I refuse to tiptoe through life Just to arrive safely at death Ride hard until you see god THEN brake Because brakes are for p**sys but its better than running over god If everything seems in control You're not riding hard enough All quotes from shirts ALL 100% true. Now lets all sit back and worry a little more shall we....... | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
You've never had a day that sucked until you've helped a friend put their child in the ground. I don't think that's a T-shirt slogan, though. Still 100% true. | ||
| Buelltroll |
EVERY day S*it happens That IS a t shirt and also true. You guys have done it AGAIN. Take one guys SIMPLE question and turned it into blablablablabla The dude hasn't even been back on the thread for like 80 posts. I think most of you have forgotten how to SIMPLY answer a question. IS the firebolt TOO MUCH bike for a noob? NO ftfgdg WAY. END of debate (Message edited by buelltroll on July 31, 2007) |
