Starter motorcycle

SlammedZero · Oct 9, 2021

Nice!!! Be safe out there DakPresgoat!

Funny this thread popped up. My bro-in-law built an old Harley from the frame up. I helped him with a few things on it during the build and he finally got it all done. He swung it by to show me. He then hit me with the "Well, I'm thinking about selling it. Wanna buy it?" Ugh, wish he didn't ask that because yes, yes I do actually want to buy it! LOL I just don't know though as my expereince as a rider is very minimal and I just don't trust other drivers. Good news is that the bike is not super fast. That's really good news for me. lol So, we will see. I'm undecided and he is in no hurry to sell it so I'm not super pressured. Either way, I think she is a beaut!

NorthoftheRedRiver · Oct 10, 2021

DakPresgoat said:
I bought a Honda rebel 500 today. Very excited.

I also ride a Rebel 500. Great bike and I find it pretty comfortable. It's power/weight ratio makes its 471cc's feel fairly potent, IMHO. And, it's a Honda, so it's also reliable. Enjoy your bike.

Vtwin · Oct 10, 2021

Congrats. I missed this thread somehow, or I would have given you my two cents.

Great starter bike. Easy riding bike that you can ride the hell out of i for a year or two then flip it to the next newb when you need more bike.

Have fun!

HungryLion · Oct 10, 2021

Vtwin said:
Congrats. I missed this thread somehow, or I would have given you my two cents.

Great starter bike. Easy riding bike that you can ride the hell out of i for a year or two then flip it to the next newb when you need more bike.

Have fun!

Lol honestly bro I was considering doing an @Vtwin to get your attention because I figured you would want to give feedback.

thanks though man I appreciate it. Makes me feel like I made the right decision. My whole goal with this bike was to get something that’s fun to cruise around town and will be easy to learn on so I can be as safe as possible as I gain experience.

HungryLion · Oct 10, 2021

SlammedZero said:
Nice!!! Be safe out there DakPresgoat!

Funny this thread popped up. My bro-in-law built an old Harley from the frame up. I helped him with a few things on it during the build and he finally got it all done. He swung it by to show me. He then hit me with the "Well, I'm thinking about selling it. Wanna buy it?" Ugh, wish he didn't ask that because yes, yes I do actually want to buy it! LOL I just don't know though as my expereince as a rider is very minimal and I just don't trust other drivers. Good news is that the bike is not super fast. That's really good news for me. lol So, we will see. I'm undecided and he is in no hurry to sell it so I'm not super pressured. Either way, I think she is a beaut!

That thing is a beauty. I like the color scheme. I also really like the white wall on the tires.

I hear ya on the not trusting other drivers part. Honestly the safety factor was the only thing that was making me hesitant.

but I’ll start off real slow and take a motorcycle safety course.

Vtwin · Oct 10, 2021

DakPresgoat said:
Lol honestly bro I was considering doing an @Vtwin to get your attention because I figured you would want to give feedback.

thanks though man I appreciate it. Makes me feel like I made the right decision. My whole goal with this bike was to get something that’s fun to cruise around town and will be easy to learn on so I can be as safe as possible as I gain experience.

You'll have a blast on that bike.

Keep tabs on your chain adjustment and tire pressure and ride it like you stole it. Safely, of course.

MWH1967 · Oct 10, 2021

DakPresgoat said:
Ok, so I am looking at buying my first motorcycle.

I have ridden dirt bikes and quads before. So I have some experience with shifting on that type of system etc.

but this will be my first street bike, riding on the roads.

I have been looking at the Honda Rebel 500

I also have been looking at the Kawasaki Vulcan 650.

I sat on the rebel 500 at the bike shop and I thought it was a little too small. I am 6’1” with relatively long legs.

the Vulcan 650 felt more comfortable.

I’m hoping to get a starter bike that is easy to learn on and good for just cruising around and enjoying the road. But also hope it’s something with enough power that once I do get comfortable I don’t get bored quickly.

Does anyone have any thoughts/ideas or their own experiences to share?

Please buy a used one to start with in that size range. Don't get on the hook for a large loan because you will out grow it quickly.

Bigger bikes are heaver and more stable. Just because they are more powerful doesn't mean you have to use it. I have one of these..

I never Twist it past 90to 100. I'm an old guy now and have no wish to. :laugh:

This on is almost 600lbs. It's about 180 HP but I will never see them.

One huge tip....Never ride over painted lines when the road is wet. I have a 6" scar on my right leg from learning that lesson.

MWH1967 · Oct 10, 2021

Hardline said:
My starter bike was a 1200cc Harley Sportster.
I rode it for 3 days and traded it in for a Harley Fat Boy with the biggest V-Twin motor they made.
The silver chopper is my weekend bar hopper and panty dropper.

Those are not motorcycles. They are works of art.

HungryLion · Oct 10, 2021

NorthoftheRedRiver said:
I also ride a Rebel 500. Great bike and I find it pretty comfortable. It's power/weight ratio makes its 471cc's feel fairly potent, IMHO. And, it's a Honda, so it's also reliable. Enjoy your bike.

Nice man. Thank you for the feedback. Yeah I figured the 500 was worth the little bit of extra coin over the 300.

HungryLion · Oct 10, 2021

NorthoftheRedRiver said:
I also ride a Rebel 500. Great bike and I find it pretty comfortable. It's power/weight ratio makes its 471cc's feel fairly potent, IMHO. And, it's a Honda, so it's also reliable. Enjoy your bike.

Good to hear from someone else who has one and enjoys it.

Yeah I am a little concerned about the leg space. But I’ve also read that some aftermarket seat upgrades or getting the seat re-upholstered with some extra padding can make a difference for taller riders is the leg space does become an issue. So long term I’m not worried about it.

HotDog37 · Oct 11, 2021

My daily ride is a 2014 Yamaha R1. She bangs.

HungryLion · Oct 11, 2021

HotDog37 said:
My daily ride is a 2014 Yamaha R1. She bangs.

Nice man. My father in law used to have an R1. Insane how fast they are. Lol

John813 · Oct 15, 2021

My first bike was a full titanium exhaust/tuned ZX-12 in college

Didn't die,drop it or get a ticket, so I consider that a success story.

Hows the bike a week into it?

CalPolyTechnique · Oct 15, 2021

DakPresgoat said:
Ok, so I am looking at buying my first motorcycle.

I have ridden dirt bikes and quads before. So I have some experience with shifting on that type of system etc.

but this will be my first street bike, riding on the roads.

I have been looking at the Honda Rebel 500

I also have been looking at the Kawasaki Vulcan 650.

I sat on the rebel 500 at the bike shop and I thought it was a little too small. I am 6’1” with relatively long legs.

the Vulcan 650 felt more comfortable.

I’m hoping to get a starter bike that is easy to learn on and good for just cruising around and enjoying the road. But also hope it’s something with enough power that once I do get comfortable I don’t get bored quickly.

Does anyone have any thoughts/ideas or their own experiences to share?

Take pics of the bike and post…

pete026 · Oct 15, 2021

I always felt that a ~500 CC "Sport" bike put you in a better position for control than cruisers. They also have you upright for better visibility of traffic/issues ahead. As long as you control your speed, they seemed the best for me.
I will date myself but my first streetbike was a Kawasaki GPZ550 (one of the 1st true sportbikes along with the Suzuki GS550). From there I moved on to a Ninja then a Hurricane.
But I no longer ride. Too much traffic and too many crazies where I live. I'm in to Sports cars now.

HungryLion · Oct 20, 2021

CalPolyTechnique said:
Take pics of the bike and post…

I just gotta get a site I can host the pics on. And I’ll post them.

it is the White 2021 Honda Rebel 500

CalPolyTechnique · Oct 21, 2021

DakPresgoat said:
I just gotta get a site I can host the pics on. And I’ll post them.

it is the White 2021 Honda Rebel 500

Just looked it up.

Dope.

I like the brown contrasting saddle on this one too.

HungryLion · Oct 21, 2021

CalPolyTechnique said:
Just looked it up.

Dope.

I like the brown contrasting saddle on this one too.

Yeah the black and brown they had one at the dealership too. I was torn between that and the black and white.

NorthoftheRedRiver · Oct 21, 2021

DakPresgoat said:
I was torn between that and the black and white.

I've also got a white '21 500. I wanted something different from all the black bikes out there.

HungryLion · Oct 21, 2021

NorthoftheRedRiver said:
I've also got a white '21 500. I wanted something different from all the black bikes out there.

Nice man. Yeah the white looks real clean on the bike. I like it a lot.

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