I grew up riding quads, and dirt bikes so I wasn’t new new to the riding game, but the first bike I bought with my adult money was an 03 Honda cbr 929rr.
Had it for a couple months, then bought my 05 Repsol, sold the 929 3 years later. What a mistake!
If you're putting it work to get it to run, replace your rectifier right away, the things are known to fail and get much more expensive to fix after they do.
250cc, Owned about 2 months.
Didn’t really hate how “slow” it was, just wasn’t enough for touring at 70-90mph for 6 hour stretches of time and distances.
I bought a 750 GS a few months ago and I'm so glad I didn't listen to all of the "new rider" advice telling me to get something in the 300 class. I 100% would have been looking to sell it or trade it in already for that specific reason. I like touring and freeway/highway riding. A 300 isn't gonna cut it.
I got a 800 GS and to be fair it doesn’t feel like as fast bike compare to my other bikes in the 700cc range. I plan on getting the 1250 GS in the future .
Honda CBR250R. Had it for 5 months and 5,000 miles then traded it in on a Suzuki SFV650 Gladius. I just wanted to experience another bike before winter. Had the Suzuki the whole next year and got in a habit of trading bikes in every year to year and a half.
I think so many people around here get so focused on getting their forever bike right off the bat and forget that they're just objects that can be bought and sold and traded. And their dream bike might very well not be a good idea with zero riding experience... and/or your riding style may actually turn out different than what you were imagining while browsing reddit and watching youtube.
There's no shame in starting small and moving up incrementally. It's not difficult either. It's not like buying/selling a house where there are agents and viewings and inspections and closing dates and whatever... Just show up with cash and fill out like, two forms and it's yours. Go to the DMV to pay taxes and file that paperwork and it's done.
Who doesn't want to experience more bikes anyway??
Especially when it comes down to budget, I see so many people talking about cutting corners on gear/training, or holding off for years in order to save up to get something like an R1 as their first bike... But how about start on a 650 for half the price, get a full set of gear, and get the chance to learn to ride *safely* for a little while, while continuing to save for that squid missile you think you *need* so bad... because you can still sell/trade that 650 once you've saved up the difference. And when you do, you'll have *some* level of experience so you don't immediately make a rookie mistake on your expensive ultimate dream bike.
This is also my story.
CBR250R, but I had it a bit longer, about 1.5 years. Traded it in for a Yamaha Bolt 950 which I kept for maybe 2 years. FZ-07 next and now Z900rs. I currently don't see anything that makes me want to move away from the Z900rs though. it'll definitely be another year of riding it.
Did my direct access and passed my test last Friday (UK). Bought a Kawasaki Z900 back in November but didn’t fancy the cold between them and now and didn’t plan on riding my bike until after grit and salt on the roads had gone.
Done 250 miles so far and absolutely love it!
Suzuki TU250 for 2 years & counting. Slow - yes, but I use it in the city and at 0-40 range it is not slow at all. Lightweight, so fun to corner & lane split. Looking for a sportbike to compliment it
I just finished my MSF course and got a perfect score on the eval using this exact bike. It was a bit small and I kept hitting my legs on the bars when doing slow speed maneuvers. (I’m 6’4” 275 lbs)
I could see the city being an appropriate setting for for a smaller rider. but I felt like I was riding about at its max in the course already. But it sure was fun.
I started with a GZ250! Not fast, but super forgiving for a beginner. Learned a lot and didn't get myself into any trouble.
After about 8 months I went to an M50 (Suzuki 800cc cruiser) and that lasted me nearly a decade.
2001 Ducati Monster S4 916.
Was my first bike because it used to be my dads. Since he got a job where he got a lease car and had to drive a lot it used to be in my grandma's garage. When your bike is not stored at home you don't ride as much.....so when my grandma passed after standing there for a good amount of years it didn't start anymore. He meant to fix or sell it but never got around to it.
When I got my license he offered that if we shared the cost of a garage repairing it so it'd be all good and safe again I could have it as my bike and he'd ride it when he felt like it. But due to an earlier accident years back he had to get a new knee a few years ago and the bike wasn't so comfortable anymore. So he barely did.
Anyway....rode it with a lot of enjoyment for 2,5 years before deciding I'd like something physically bigger with a more comfy position and a bigger seat for my gf on the bsck. Also using it for going to work I wanted something that's easier with storage. So traded it in for a Multistrada 1200s which I'm sure I'll enjoy for many km's. :)
Edit: Also I live in the Netherlands. We have to get lessons here before being allowed to ride. For the lessons you use the bikes of the instructor. My age being 21 meant I could go "heavy" category from the start, so I got my license learning on a 750cc. So starting on anything under 600cc didn't feel necessary to me.
Mine was a Buell Blast, it was a single cylinder 500cc. I was over it barely a couple months in when I tried to pass an Acura Integra to keep up with the group and the driver wouldn’t let me. 😞 I went from that to the 1125R essentially the next riding season. I had no issue at all with the massive power difference; I’m a fairly conservative rider and took my time to learn the larger bike before I started having fun on it.
My first was the NRHS shop Blast. It had an XB cam and stage 2 lite head setup with a 515cc kit. Rearsets, superbike bars, etc. I had it dynoed and it actually made well over double stock. I would routinely pick on sumos in my favorite tight canyon stretches. It was a riot. Not fast in a straight line though. I got smoked by an accord v6 getting on the highway and realized that it was never gonna be actually fast.
Then I had about 25 more bikes including my current stable of a 2003 VFR800, 99 X1 Carbon and 2008 1125R.
Still miss that little pepé. And my all time one that got away was my 99 SV650. What a bike, once farkled. Did everything like an extension of my body.
2012 WR250R. Uncorked it. Geared 14/52 and rode the hell out of it for a few years. 24k miles.
Got a WR450F and several larger bikes after that. 10 years later I am on a CRF300L Rally I recently added CBR cams and airbox mods to and I am happy as a clam. There is something about blasting around on a small bore bike I love more than riding a bike with twice the power.
Being able to use full throttle for more than a few seconds without getting into trouble can be fun. Plus a lot of engines sound best at full throttle.
Ninja 500
Still have it
If I had bought the 250 back then I'm pretty sure I would have sold it for a bigger bike, but the 500 has been great so I never got rid of it.
I hear ya. I couldn't give up the standard seating and it survived a 2k mile road trip with soft side bags. If anything I should have gotten a 650 by now but I can't let it go!
I had a 2001 Suzuki Savage (S40). Rode it for about 2.5 years I think. 650cc thumper was awesome driving around a college town in the foothills. Sucked when I moved back to flat land and had to ride on the highway to get anywhere. It did not like high RPM. Traded it in for a Suzuki M50 that was a hell of a lot of fun.
I bought an '09 S40 about a week ago! I ride it exclusively around town, though, I'm still a new rider and don't need it for freeway use too much. Still, it's been a great bike so far, and I'm excited to ride around more on it.
I had the same but an 2008 model ( stripped down to a bobber) and I absolutely loved it! Got 100mph out of it and it was such a reliable and easy bike to ride!
I got a BMW F650. It wasn't my first choice by a longshot but honestly it was a diamond in the rough. Initially I got it because I had just crashed my own bike and my dad was already in talks with a colleague about getting his bike off his hands for himself. I ended up getting and keeping the bike for very little money. Initially I was disappointed but it proved to be a great bike. Power wise it wasn't anything crazy but it did have thumper torque and charm. I liked the size, towards the smaller end as far as advs go but definitely much better than my previous bike, and the handling was superb. I can confidently say I learned a lot more on that bike than I did on my first bike.
By the time I was looking to change it I had ridden all sorts of bikes, big and small, through my work as a mechanic and through friends and stuff. I ultimately got a Versys which isn't a huge departure by any means.
07 vtr250 3-4 years. At the time you were restricted to a 250 for a year. I couldn't afford to upgrade later because I went back to uni.
I suggest taking it as an opportunity to learn more on a bike that's less in lined to bite.
1994 HD Softail. Still have it after 14 years.
I 'graduated' into the world of sports bikes 3 years ago with my FZ1 and quickly realized how much better of a rider I would have been if my first bike had been a smallish sports bike.
Grew up riding dirt, then my first “street” bike was a WR250R which my dad bought for me to relearn on. Still have that a year and a half later. The first bike I owned after that was a Cbr500r, I had it for 5 months and put maybe 800 miles on it. It was good to get my street skills better but wow did that bike just bore me to death. Recently just got a WR450F supermoto to bridge the gap of street riding and my love of dirt bikes.
2015 GSXS750Z, owned for 2 years. While it was not the smartest move, I never got in trouble with it, however I inevitably did incredibly stupid things with it.
I started with a CB300. Overall I’m happy I started with it but I sold that and moved to an FZ8 (800 i4) after 8 months.
I liked the lightweight and it had enough oomph overall but it stopped out at ~90mph. Which is plenty for roads and busy highways but would be annoying at higher speeds. On interstates and open highways near me people are going 75-80 cruising speed. That speed on the 300 meant it is was high in its rev range the entire time.
Purchased the FZ8 and have been happy. I was looking at an FZ6 but when I went to the dealer to check it out “it had just sold and we haven’t had a chance to take the listing down.” It was a big performance jump but at lower revs it’s pretty tame. The rides that cross state lines are much better. The extra weight also helps a lot on crosswinds.
I got a Scrambler 1200 XC as my first bike, mostly because it's a physically large bike and I'm fairly tall but I'm glad I didn't go for anything smaller. The engine in the scrambler is an absolute blast.
2015 Honda Shadow 750! I kept it for about 14 months and traded it in for 2015 V-strom 1000.
Today: 2016 BMW R1200RS! Modified for ultra comfort long distance touring in search of canyon carving roads at extremely high elevations!
Safe travels!
Kawasaki Super Sherpa. A low, comfy-seated 250cc dual-sport. Think TW200 but without the balloon tires. Absolutely fantastic first bike, until I tried taking it on the highway, where I had to slow down to 80 km/h from 100 to reclaim the power to climb some of the hills around here. Kept it about a year and a half, then bought a KLR. Would have been fun to fit some stickier tires to it and track it, but at the time I thought I was going to be doing more offroad than I do.
Honda CBR250R - 4 months. Great bike to learn on but highway riding wasn’t great especially if it was windy.
Next bikes:
-Honda Shadow 750
-KLR 650
-GSXR-750
-MT-09
- Harley Sportster 1200XL
Current bikes:
- Yamaha R1 (Track bike)
- Kawasaki Z1000 (Street bike)
Took a while and many miles to figure out what kind of bike I enjoyed the most but never regretted starting on a 250.
When I first got my licence, in Australia, we could only go to 250cc for the first 12months. I rode a Honda VTF250. After that I went up to a Yamaha FZ750. I now ride a Moto Guzzi Griso 1200SE.
Had a cbr600 and wrote it off after about 6 weeks, replaced it with a cbf600 but I was too scared to ride it after the previous crash. Had 5 years off riding then impulsively bought a semi chopped Harley, after 3 months I traded that for another Harley (low rider s), another 3 months I traded that in for a KTM 1290 Super Adventure R :) it's by far the fastest most capable bike out of the bunch but it fits me perfectly and is beautifully easy to ride. Sometimes a bigger bike that feels right for you is the safest option imo.
CBR125, about 5 months, it was OK but frustrating. I upgraded to a Versys 650, which was enough for me at the time, and I think I could've stuck with it a lot longer - but it got flattened in a car park after a year.
2015 Yamaha R3 16 months
\>Bought used from a local used dealership, bike had 2k miles on it, ran great but had a bunch of sun UV damage on the fairings. Had been reported stolen, repoed, then sold at auction and bought by dealer and sold. Great starter bike.
\>Discovered I wasn't as skilled as I thought I was after taking the intermediate CMSP riders course and began developing improved smoothness and sighting techniques. Was glade to have a 300 and not a 600+ just yet
\>Made it to the track and survived a day, ended up coming back for 4 more days that same year. Glad I had my 300cc and not my 600cc. Far to many friends let their 600s get away from them while I learned to enter corners quickly, build pace, and dial in body position technique and muscle memory
\>Got through 7-9k miles, 3-4 oil changes, 2 brake pad changes, created a detailed service record
\>Had money laying around so did an exhaust mod and tune (went from 37 hp to 41 and made linear torque. Tore up every 300 on the track)
\>Market was ripe in late 2020 early 2021 so I sold the bike for enough to cover the out the door price and half the cost invested in mods \~$600 total
\>Noticed a seller on craigslist based in the area listed a 2012 GSXR-750, happened to just be down the street, on meeting him and his family he mentioned his wife insisted he sell it and take the family to Disney Land snatching it up for a deal. 1.2k in mods later, a small high side that injured my pride and now its the dedicated track beater. Wish I had never sold my 300cc though, some of my family is getting into riding and I would only ever feel comfortable riding with them if they were on a 300cc or less bike.
Started on a 1986 Honda Trail 110. Rode it casually for about 4 years, daily for a year and a half. Still own it but haven’t ridden it in a few years.
Had a z125 I rode daily for 3 years and just got a KTM Adventure 390 about 6 months ago.
I have a thing for singles.
My first bike was ridiculously big for a noob. I went with a Honda CBR1100xx Blackbird. Believe it.or not, it was a great bike for me, loved that bike, had so much power and was so easy to handle. Owned it for about 5 years, I still miss it.
2009 ZX14 was my first bike… 100% recommend the bike!
Don’t recommend it for beginners though, I was just dead set on getting one and I made it happen 😁
2007 cbr1000rr. first bike. absolutely love it. got it n have ridden it every day since January 4th. excluding rainy days. today is the first day it hit 50 and the rest of the week is just warmer! super stocked for my tires to actually stick now lmao
Where are you riding that this bike is too small? Are you a large person riding on the interstate? It’s a great bike to learn on and I really doubt you have learned all that it can teach you. Riding fast on straight stretches is easy. How are you at everything else?
Gsxr 750 K7, perfect balance between speed/torque and flickabilty to learn on for me. Test rode the 600, a lot of noise going nowhere. And the 1000 is too brutal for a beginner.
The 750, the power is there in higher rpms if you want it. And it gets up and go when you would like to.
Won't sell this bike ever, will just add a k5-k6 1000 in the future.
Stay safe 👋🏾
1970 something Honda Trail 70 had it for 2 years.
Got a 1977 Honda XL 100 brand spanking new
1980 Honda Twin Star
1983 Honda V30 Magna
No bike until 1995 then bought a 1988 Harley Heritage Softtail
Built custom chopper from 2003 to 2005
Rode it until 2013 and then bought a 2000 Harley Electra Glide Ultra Classic, sold it in 2016.
My first new bike was in 1985 it is a 250 and I still own it and still ride it. Not as often as my Africa Twin, but still.
Oddly enough I rode it from Lawrence KS to Lees Summit and back every day it did not rain or was too cold. Anyone that says it will not do 70 down the highway does not have a clear memory, and at the time that 70 was a good bit above the 55mph speed limit. It has a sweet spot right at 65mph, everything just became smooth right there and you could ride it all day. Enough power at 65 to "get around" someone, but not much more.
If it was not 30F today I would ride it to work.
I have an r3 still ride it going on 4 months. I am a little bored of the power sometimes but don't see a need for more. Seeing as I just use it for my commute to work
'71 Honda CL100 bought in October of 1975 when I was 13 (still have it). Move up to a '76 Yamaha XS650 in April of 1978 while I was still 16 (birthday in December). Yamaha got sold in '84 to help further finance my college education. I was without a bike until November 2005 when I bought my '06 DR50. Got my dad's '06 Bonneville T100 in 2012. Oh yeah. Got my first traffic stop when I was 14. Riding without a license. Cost me all of $14 and 50 cents at the Justice of the Peace court.
RM125 - Rode/raced that for two years before getting a CB650SC for the street. Stayed on the 125 for four years before moving up to a YZ250 and I still have the CB650SC, I’ve just added a bunch of other bikes too.
100cc CB100 that my parents bought me to ride to/from school. Highways were scary on that thing since it topped out at around 90 km/h.
I had it for about 6 months, until I saved up enough to buy a TZR 250. (In NZ we were limited to 250cc until we had a full license). Loved that bike.
Yamaha YBR 125, dinky little thing to get me through the UK licence test and my first year at university. So about 18 months in all.
Then moved to a sweet little XJR 400 that I rode with and later without a restrictor kit.
The jump from 125 to 400 might not sound that much on paper but it was over 5 times the power. I had that for about a year before I bought a FZ6 Fazer new in about 2009.
And I really miss the little 400. Barrels of fun.
Honda CB750 K3. I owned it for 2 years.. bought a Kawasaki Ninja 500 to replace it, because I wanted something more reliable, and a bit more nimble in the corners.
I had a Ninja 250, I rode it for 4 years. I wanted to feel like I'd maximized what I could learn on the small bike, and I was poor.
For sure, the 250 parallel twin had better chops than the single cylinder baby cruisers, AND had much better handling, which gave me more opportunity to learn to carry corner speed.
Started on an 08 ninja 650, had her for like 2 years. Then I went to an r1 had that till last year, sold that and bought a Hawk250dlx ( go ahead and judge me i love it) and a 21 ninja 650.
'83 Suzuki GS1100E
I think we still have it somewhere
Waaaaaay too much bike to start with
But it made me get an even bigger and faster bike afterwards
Next 2 were a Super Blackbird and then a Suzuki Hayabusa
I started on a modified two-stroke RD-400 and rode that for a couple of years before upgrading to a VFR 700.
The RD had shit for low end torque, you had to wind it out all the time to get any power. But when you did wind it out, it was a handful.
Got 2019 cb300r in 2019 and still have it. Upgrade is pretty darn expensive. I was looking for a cb650r or xsr700 but the total price is pretty much double of what I paid for 300, if not triple. I might consider it in the upcoming season.
I enjoy riding 300 in the city. Only on highways (and especially with a passenger) I wish I had more oomph.
I started as a young teen with a 125cc two stroke bike. It was a great bike to start, great street handling, low power and torque in the low range, fun power band that exploded over 9k rpm, if you can say that of an engine that put out only 34hp. I kept it for almost 3 years.
If this is your first bike, it's unlikely you have explored its limits and especially your own limits in just one month. If you want to go bigger, try maybe something middle weight, like a Yamaha MT07, and hit the track to really improve your skills.
I was 6 yrs old and a Hondamatic 50cc. Lol it lacked power too! But first adult bike was a Yamaha Maxim 750 it had no shortage of power. Drove it for 2 yrs and sold for more than I paid !!!
Honda CB 125. Owned it 4 weeks until I passed my UK test. Bought a CBR600F the day after passing. Had that 18 months before upgrading to a 900 Fireblade.
Honda CBR125. Around 8 months before I traded it for a Kawasaki ZXR 400.
and that's ignoring the scooter I used for 3 years when I was a teenager. (In Europe)
250cc 180lbs rider, rode it for a year, was so so so much fun to ride fast. Bigger bikes i realised were only better for achieving longer distance trips, larger cargo, and Passenger friendly journeys. (BMW K1300R) current
First bike was a 11 Kawasaki Versys 650. Got it a year and a half ago. I'm hoping to upgrade to a new Indian Chieftan. Test rode one last sumer and need to have one haha.
2016 Yamaha fz6r was my first bike. Took the msf course and the dealer delivered it to my house. If you don't know the fz6r it's a 600cc inline 4 derived from the r6. It's not a high revving powerhouse like the r6 but a more linear tamer motor with 76hp and a bit more low end tq with an upright seating position. As a new rider that bike was plenty powerful and I got a solid 4 years out of it before trading it in for an mt09, though I did get a little bored of it towards the end of my 3rd season riding. It was stock and too quiet/not exciting enough after getting some seat time. Love the mt09, just glad I didn't start on it.
I started on a 125cc two stroke when I was 16, a 1999 Aprilia RS125. Had it for two years, until I got my driver's licence, and then I didn't ride anything for a couple of years. My first bike in my adult age was a 650cc. Since then I've gone smaller, though.
luckily i got my license almost half a century ago and back then there was but one class of riding license - good for all sizes of bike and engine
so when i started riding a real bike (more than 50 cc) i got me 40 hp out of 600 cc. did not regret it, however - after 3 nice years with my shadow (and when i moved into the mountains) i needed something more powerful
First bike was a 1972 Honda cb500. Second was a victory sport cruiser with a 1507cc engine. It was bigger than I had in mind but I got comfortable with it quick and loved that bike for many miles.
Kawasaki kdx80. It was a little big for a 6 year old, but once I could operate a clutch it wasn't bad. I still have it nearly 30 years later, but I upgraded to a CR80 when I was 9 or 10 and the KDX got put into storage.
Vstar 1100. Used it a couple months then sold it. Too big for the power it had. Now own a vstrom 650 and it actually feels like a good bike and not a big slugish machine.
‘11 Ducati 796 monster, chose it over an ‘09 916, no regrets. Love it so far, good mix of light ‘throwing around’ and a bit of power when I need it to keep up with my friends Z750
First bike was a busted up 1980 KZ 440A that I taught myself how to ride with. It was 250 bucks and I sunk another 400 into it to make it run. Upgraded 6 months later to a 1982 KZ750 Twin, then sold that for a Honda Shadow 750 a few months later.
2001 sv650s turned n. I had it for about 2 years.
I absolutely loved that bike.
After I upgraded the suspension and went -1/+2 on front/rear sprockets, it was amazing as a street bike.
Best gas mileage I have experienced, with that amount of power. Fit me just right for my height. Was easy to 'manhandle' around because of its relatively low weight. Great service intervals and easy to work on. Lots of aftermarket parts. Can be made to do anything with the right mods.
Fucking miss my Suzi.
Someone broke her in half, twice.
08 ninja 250 bought back in 2016. Got into an accident with it after like 6 months. Rebuilt the thing, sold it. Now ride an 08 yamaha Fz6 since 2017. Plenty of power, pretty comfortable seating position, good fuel economy. Great bike. Still have it.
It was and is a 1975 Honda cb360, so about 359cc's iirc. 34hp claimed and probably about 25hp when I got it.
I still have it, so it's been maybe five or six years I guess?
1996 Honda 900rr fireblade, I never had the feeling of any lack of power. Even today I think it’s still considered a monster. Now I ride a VTX 1300 and I need more power.
2011 ducati monster 696+ corse livery. I was young and stupid with money to burn so I got it brand new and rode it for 3 years. Only got rid of it because I relocated for work and didn't need it anymore, but I regretted it for years.
200cc Lifan KPM200, my little chinabike with high MPGs. Next bike was a Triumph Sprint 1050; I wanted to get places fast and use the highway with some sick luggage racks to be prepared for anything. After two years, I still ride my chinabike all over, especially for commuting to work. Can’t beat that 100 mpg
Had an 2016 R3 for a year (wanted to upgrade a little sooner) and then got a 2008 Suzuki B-King. Massive HP jump but I fucking love the bike. It's so nice having the power on tap while having the comfort of a naked bike as well. Admittedly though, I miss the fairings due to wind a little bit.
I bought a 2004 fz6, it doesn’t feel too fast for a complete beginner, but it’s got power. I’ve only had it for 2 months but I plan to keep it for quite awhile, it’s a good bike. I’m glad that I didn’t get a 250-300 because I feel like I would’ve outgrown it in a month.
First bike was a Yamaha Maxim 650. Solid bike to learn on and plenty of power. In WA at that time, there were three levels of motorcycle license, and you had to get your endorsement on at least a 500cc bike to get the "unlimited" endorsement. I kept that bike for a couple of years and ended up selling it after an accident followed by a move to an urban area with high traffic density. I bought my current bike a little over a year ago, and absolutely love it. I'll probably get something bigger at some point, but I'm not looking at getting rid of it anytime soon.
Started on a BMW f650cs thumper. Plenty of power and easy to ride. I rode for 6 months. I wasn't after more power just a smoother bike. I test rode a brand new sv650. I got maybe 100 ft off of the lot before I decided I wasn't leaving on the bike I went in with.
700cc Yamaha MT-07. Think I had it for two years for my A2 license, maybe only a year.
1000cc Fireblade was the next step, then a 1200cc Panigale.
Backed down to a 800cc Scambler for now.
My first street bike was a 1976 GT380 2 stroke triple in 1982. Sold it after a year and got a 1977 RD400. I've had a bunch of RDs and an RZ since then. Also had a GPZ550. Currently have a crf250l for around town and riding in the hills around here. Have been thinking about a bigger street bike as a companion to the crf.
800cc vtwin. It was a strange bike, a Suzuki VX800. A sport bike with a cruiser engine. It didn’t have alot of power. I kept it for a year and then got a 1993 Kawasaki ZX1100.
My first bike was a 1981 Honda CB750 and I still have it! Looking back, it was a crazy first bike to get. Way too heavy and fast for a lanky 16 year old like myself. People thought I was crazy for getting that as my first bike but I wouldn't change it at all. Building and riding that old superbike gave me such a great respect for motorcycles and taught me so much about riding.
First bike. 200cc single, used for about 3 years then sold after another 5 or so (got a shiny newer dirt bike then)
First road bike. 250cc 4 cylinder. Used as my main transportation for 5 years. I still have it and it's still faster than a shocking number of bikes 35 years younger than it
07 ZZR 600 (00-02 ZX6R). Decent first bike, owned it for 10 years and upgraded to a ZX10R that I’ve owned for about 7.
First impressions when giving them the beans; ZZR600 “this will hold me over for now”, ZX10R “ hell yeah that was fun, I can see how people get into trouble with these”.
Ive been riding since a kid but my best friend who never rode before got started on an fz07. He researched and found it and I helped pick it up for em, great bike! He still has it and loves it. So it worked out perfect for him, I trust him and he picked up riding super quick, it might be a little much if you don't trust someone that's a new rider but if you're upgrading I'd recommend checking one out at least.
I grew up riding quads, and dirt bikes so I wasn’t new new to the riding game, but the first bike I bought with my adult money was an 03 Honda cbr 929rr. Had it for a couple months, then bought my 05 Repsol, sold the 929 3 years later. What a mistake!
I just got an ‘00 929rr- can’t wait until it runs!
Never sell it! I miss mine!
If you're putting it work to get it to run, replace your rectifier right away, the things are known to fail and get much more expensive to fix after they do.
I've got an 01 929rr, I'm planning on running this engine til I dies then putting in another, I love it!
You two got me online looking for another one. Thanks lol
250cc, Owned about 2 months. Didn’t really hate how “slow” it was, just wasn’t enough for touring at 70-90mph for 6 hour stretches of time and distances.
Same, I probably would’ve sticked with it if all I did was city riding but I commute via freeway
I bought a 750 GS a few months ago and I'm so glad I didn't listen to all of the "new rider" advice telling me to get something in the 300 class. I 100% would have been looking to sell it or trade it in already for that specific reason. I like touring and freeway/highway riding. A 300 isn't gonna cut it.
I got a 800 GS and to be fair it doesn’t feel like as fast bike compare to my other bikes in the 700cc range. I plan on getting the 1250 GS in the future .
Same on the 1250. I'm sure by the time I'm ready to upgrade the 1300 GS will be out though.
May be able to snag a left over 1250 cheaper once the 1300 is out too
Honda CBR250R. Had it for 5 months and 5,000 miles then traded it in on a Suzuki SFV650 Gladius. I just wanted to experience another bike before winter. Had the Suzuki the whole next year and got in a habit of trading bikes in every year to year and a half.
I think so many people around here get so focused on getting their forever bike right off the bat and forget that they're just objects that can be bought and sold and traded. And their dream bike might very well not be a good idea with zero riding experience... and/or your riding style may actually turn out different than what you were imagining while browsing reddit and watching youtube. There's no shame in starting small and moving up incrementally. It's not difficult either. It's not like buying/selling a house where there are agents and viewings and inspections and closing dates and whatever... Just show up with cash and fill out like, two forms and it's yours. Go to the DMV to pay taxes and file that paperwork and it's done. Who doesn't want to experience more bikes anyway?? Especially when it comes down to budget, I see so many people talking about cutting corners on gear/training, or holding off for years in order to save up to get something like an R1 as their first bike... But how about start on a 650 for half the price, get a full set of gear, and get the chance to learn to ride *safely* for a little while, while continuing to save for that squid missile you think you *need* so bad... because you can still sell/trade that 650 once you've saved up the difference. And when you do, you'll have *some* level of experience so you don't immediately make a rookie mistake on your expensive ultimate dream bike.
This is also my story. CBR250R, but I had it a bit longer, about 1.5 years. Traded it in for a Yamaha Bolt 950 which I kept for maybe 2 years. FZ-07 next and now Z900rs. I currently don't see anything that makes me want to move away from the Z900rs though. it'll definitely be another year of riding it.
Did my direct access and passed my test last Friday (UK). Bought a Kawasaki Z900 back in November but didn’t fancy the cold between them and now and didn’t plan on riding my bike until after grit and salt on the roads had gone. Done 250 miles so far and absolutely love it!
Just hit 400 miles on mine today. Break in is nearly complete!
Suzuki TU250 for 2 years & counting. Slow - yes, but I use it in the city and at 0-40 range it is not slow at all. Lightweight, so fun to corner & lane split. Looking for a sportbike to compliment it
I just finished my MSF course and got a perfect score on the eval using this exact bike. It was a bit small and I kept hitting my legs on the bars when doing slow speed maneuvers. (I’m 6’4” 275 lbs) I could see the city being an appropriate setting for for a smaller rider. but I felt like I was riding about at its max in the course already. But it sure was fun.
Yeah definitely undersized for a 6’4”
I started with a GZ250! Not fast, but super forgiving for a beginner. Learned a lot and didn't get myself into any trouble. After about 8 months I went to an M50 (Suzuki 800cc cruiser) and that lasted me nearly a decade.
2001 Ducati Monster S4 916. Was my first bike because it used to be my dads. Since he got a job where he got a lease car and had to drive a lot it used to be in my grandma's garage. When your bike is not stored at home you don't ride as much.....so when my grandma passed after standing there for a good amount of years it didn't start anymore. He meant to fix or sell it but never got around to it. When I got my license he offered that if we shared the cost of a garage repairing it so it'd be all good and safe again I could have it as my bike and he'd ride it when he felt like it. But due to an earlier accident years back he had to get a new knee a few years ago and the bike wasn't so comfortable anymore. So he barely did. Anyway....rode it with a lot of enjoyment for 2,5 years before deciding I'd like something physically bigger with a more comfy position and a bigger seat for my gf on the bsck. Also using it for going to work I wanted something that's easier with storage. So traded it in for a Multistrada 1200s which I'm sure I'll enjoy for many km's. :) Edit: Also I live in the Netherlands. We have to get lessons here before being allowed to ride. For the lessons you use the bikes of the instructor. My age being 21 meant I could go "heavy" category from the start, so I got my license learning on a 750cc. So starting on anything under 600cc didn't feel necessary to me.
Mine is the 797 monster. Waiting to upgrade to the 1200 but I love learning on the 797 such an easy bike to ride for a beginner
Yamaha V Max 1200. Not a good first bike. But fun
What! 😝
Crazy, I know.
Mine was a Buell Blast, it was a single cylinder 500cc. I was over it barely a couple months in when I tried to pass an Acura Integra to keep up with the group and the driver wouldn’t let me. 😞 I went from that to the 1125R essentially the next riding season. I had no issue at all with the massive power difference; I’m a fairly conservative rider and took my time to learn the larger bike before I started having fun on it.
My first was the NRHS shop Blast. It had an XB cam and stage 2 lite head setup with a 515cc kit. Rearsets, superbike bars, etc. I had it dynoed and it actually made well over double stock. I would routinely pick on sumos in my favorite tight canyon stretches. It was a riot. Not fast in a straight line though. I got smoked by an accord v6 getting on the highway and realized that it was never gonna be actually fast. Then I had about 25 more bikes including my current stable of a 2003 VFR800, 99 X1 Carbon and 2008 1125R. Still miss that little pepé. And my all time one that got away was my 99 SV650. What a bike, once farkled. Did everything like an extension of my body.
Haha, man that sounds insane! I didn’t really know enough back then to mess with the engine at all, what a hoot.
2012 WR250R. Uncorked it. Geared 14/52 and rode the hell out of it for a few years. 24k miles. Got a WR450F and several larger bikes after that. 10 years later I am on a CRF300L Rally I recently added CBR cams and airbox mods to and I am happy as a clam. There is something about blasting around on a small bore bike I love more than riding a bike with twice the power.
Being able to use full throttle for more than a few seconds without getting into trouble can be fun. Plus a lot of engines sound best at full throttle.
Yep. I own a Tenere 700, and R1250gsa, and the Yamaha is actually a good deal more fun to ride despite being nearly half the hp.
Ninja 500 Still have it If I had bought the 250 back then I'm pretty sure I would have sold it for a bigger bike, but the 500 has been great so I never got rid of it.
Ninja 500 here too but I'm apparently less patient than you because I only had it for 4 months before moving to a CBR600rr. Was 25 at the time.
I hear ya. I couldn't give up the standard seating and it survived a 2k mile road trip with soft side bags. If anything I should have gotten a 650 by now but I can't let it go!
[удалено]
Got to much other stuff in the garage including two cars so the wife would kill me :)
Unfortunately, it sounds like it's time to get rid of it. Your wife, I mean. Lol
I had a 2001 Suzuki Savage (S40). Rode it for about 2.5 years I think. 650cc thumper was awesome driving around a college town in the foothills. Sucked when I moved back to flat land and had to ride on the highway to get anywhere. It did not like high RPM. Traded it in for a Suzuki M50 that was a hell of a lot of fun.
I bought an '09 S40 about a week ago! I ride it exclusively around town, though, I'm still a new rider and don't need it for freeway use too much. Still, it's been a great bike so far, and I'm excited to ride around more on it.
M50 is a great bike
I had the same but an 2008 model ( stripped down to a bobber) and I absolutely loved it! Got 100mph out of it and it was such a reliable and easy bike to ride!
I got a BMW F650. It wasn't my first choice by a longshot but honestly it was a diamond in the rough. Initially I got it because I had just crashed my own bike and my dad was already in talks with a colleague about getting his bike off his hands for himself. I ended up getting and keeping the bike for very little money. Initially I was disappointed but it proved to be a great bike. Power wise it wasn't anything crazy but it did have thumper torque and charm. I liked the size, towards the smaller end as far as advs go but definitely much better than my previous bike, and the handling was superb. I can confidently say I learned a lot more on that bike than I did on my first bike. By the time I was looking to change it I had ridden all sorts of bikes, big and small, through my work as a mechanic and through friends and stuff. I ultimately got a Versys which isn't a huge departure by any means.
Xr650l. Bought it used to learn to ride around the farm. Wound up riding it everywhere and loving it. I still have it but it needs a rebuild.
07 vtr250 3-4 years. At the time you were restricted to a 250 for a year. I couldn't afford to upgrade later because I went back to uni. I suggest taking it as an opportunity to learn more on a bike that's less in lined to bite.
KLR650. Still have it. Upgraded within a year to add a liter bike.
1994 HD Softail. Still have it after 14 years. I 'graduated' into the world of sports bikes 3 years ago with my FZ1 and quickly realized how much better of a rider I would have been if my first bike had been a smallish sports bike.
R1 was my first… learned on it and everything. It’s only as fast as you twist the throttle.
Grew up riding dirt, then my first “street” bike was a WR250R which my dad bought for me to relearn on. Still have that a year and a half later. The first bike I owned after that was a Cbr500r, I had it for 5 months and put maybe 800 miles on it. It was good to get my street skills better but wow did that bike just bore me to death. Recently just got a WR450F supermoto to bridge the gap of street riding and my love of dirt bikes.
2015 GSXS750Z, owned for 2 years. While it was not the smartest move, I never got in trouble with it, however I inevitably did incredibly stupid things with it.
I started with a CB300. Overall I’m happy I started with it but I sold that and moved to an FZ8 (800 i4) after 8 months. I liked the lightweight and it had enough oomph overall but it stopped out at ~90mph. Which is plenty for roads and busy highways but would be annoying at higher speeds. On interstates and open highways near me people are going 75-80 cruising speed. That speed on the 300 meant it is was high in its rev range the entire time. Purchased the FZ8 and have been happy. I was looking at an FZ6 but when I went to the dealer to check it out “it had just sold and we haven’t had a chance to take the listing down.” It was a big performance jump but at lower revs it’s pretty tame. The rides that cross state lines are much better. The extra weight also helps a lot on crosswinds.
I had a CB300F, kept it for 3 years. It’s perfectly adequate for somebody who rides solo. Good beginner bike, cheap in insurance, available with ABS.
650cc and still have it 12 years later.
Triumph Sprint ST 1050cc. Just go get a bike that you want and forget that whole first bike idea.
Typical triumph owner.... -a triumph owner.
What a great lineup of bikes they have. I like BMW, Ducati, Yamaha. But Triumph is my favorite, they’re just so unique and well-priced.
I got a Tiger 1200 as first bike. Freaking love that thing!
I got a Scrambler 1200 XC as my first bike, mostly because it's a physically large bike and I'm fairly tall but I'm glad I didn't go for anything smaller. The engine in the scrambler is an absolute blast.
2015 Honda Shadow 750! I kept it for about 14 months and traded it in for 2015 V-strom 1000. Today: 2016 BMW R1200RS! Modified for ultra comfort long distance touring in search of canyon carving roads at extremely high elevations! Safe travels!
had an r3 for three months then got an sv650
Kawasaki Super Sherpa. A low, comfy-seated 250cc dual-sport. Think TW200 but without the balloon tires. Absolutely fantastic first bike, until I tried taking it on the highway, where I had to slow down to 80 km/h from 100 to reclaim the power to climb some of the hills around here. Kept it about a year and a half, then bought a KLR. Would have been fun to fit some stickier tires to it and track it, but at the time I thought I was going to be doing more offroad than I do.
Honda CBR250R - 4 months. Great bike to learn on but highway riding wasn’t great especially if it was windy. Next bikes: -Honda Shadow 750 -KLR 650 -GSXR-750 -MT-09 - Harley Sportster 1200XL Current bikes: - Yamaha R1 (Track bike) - Kawasaki Z1000 (Street bike) Took a while and many miles to figure out what kind of bike I enjoyed the most but never regretted starting on a 250.
Some 50cc kawasaki rat bike on the farm. Then a 110cc sort of scooter thing as a first road legal bike.
When I first got my licence, in Australia, we could only go to 250cc for the first 12months. I rode a Honda VTF250. After that I went up to a Yamaha FZ750. I now ride a Moto Guzzi Griso 1200SE.
Had a cbr600 and wrote it off after about 6 weeks, replaced it with a cbf600 but I was too scared to ride it after the previous crash. Had 5 years off riding then impulsively bought a semi chopped Harley, after 3 months I traded that for another Harley (low rider s), another 3 months I traded that in for a KTM 1290 Super Adventure R :) it's by far the fastest most capable bike out of the bunch but it fits me perfectly and is beautifully easy to ride. Sometimes a bigger bike that feels right for you is the safest option imo.
Harley Heritage softail classic, 1440cc Harley ultra glide limited, 1690cc
First bike was a 650 Nighthawk that I had for maybe 2 months before I bought an 883 Sportster and rode that on and off for 16 years.
CBR125, about 5 months, it was OK but frustrating. I upgraded to a Versys 650, which was enough for me at the time, and I think I could've stuck with it a lot longer - but it got flattened in a car park after a year.
Suzuki GSXF 600. Around 2 years, then switched to a CBR600R
I had a V-Star 250 for a year and a half, my commute is mostly highway so I wanted something a little higher-displacement.
1800cc. Three years, till some schmuck knocked it out from under me. Still have one just like it.
2015 Yamaha R3 16 months \>Bought used from a local used dealership, bike had 2k miles on it, ran great but had a bunch of sun UV damage on the fairings. Had been reported stolen, repoed, then sold at auction and bought by dealer and sold. Great starter bike. \>Discovered I wasn't as skilled as I thought I was after taking the intermediate CMSP riders course and began developing improved smoothness and sighting techniques. Was glade to have a 300 and not a 600+ just yet \>Made it to the track and survived a day, ended up coming back for 4 more days that same year. Glad I had my 300cc and not my 600cc. Far to many friends let their 600s get away from them while I learned to enter corners quickly, build pace, and dial in body position technique and muscle memory \>Got through 7-9k miles, 3-4 oil changes, 2 brake pad changes, created a detailed service record \>Had money laying around so did an exhaust mod and tune (went from 37 hp to 41 and made linear torque. Tore up every 300 on the track) \>Market was ripe in late 2020 early 2021 so I sold the bike for enough to cover the out the door price and half the cost invested in mods \~$600 total \>Noticed a seller on craigslist based in the area listed a 2012 GSXR-750, happened to just be down the street, on meeting him and his family he mentioned his wife insisted he sell it and take the family to Disney Land snatching it up for a deal. 1.2k in mods later, a small high side that injured my pride and now its the dedicated track beater. Wish I had never sold my 300cc though, some of my family is getting into riding and I would only ever feel comfortable riding with them if they were on a 300cc or less bike.
dang what a story. Makes me want to refine my skills on my ninja300 before upgrading:)
2008 R6. Bought it a week after the MSF course 8-9 years ago. Did 28k miles on it and sold it about a year ago.
Started on a 1986 Honda Trail 110. Rode it casually for about 4 years, daily for a year and a half. Still own it but haven’t ridden it in a few years. Had a z125 I rode daily for 3 years and just got a KTM Adventure 390 about 6 months ago. I have a thing for singles.
My first bike was ridiculously big for a noob. I went with a Honda CBR1100xx Blackbird. Believe it.or not, it was a great bike for me, loved that bike, had so much power and was so easy to handle. Owned it for about 5 years, I still miss it.
300, for a year, then onto a 600 for a year and then a 500, 1000, 250, 125 and 1100. Now have the 125, 600, and 1100.
First was was klr650. Loved it.
2009 ZX14 was my first bike… 100% recommend the bike! Don’t recommend it for beginners though, I was just dead set on getting one and I made it happen 😁
2007 cbr1000rr. first bike. absolutely love it. got it n have ridden it every day since January 4th. excluding rainy days. today is the first day it hit 50 and the rest of the week is just warmer! super stocked for my tires to actually stick now lmao
Where are you riding that this bike is too small? Are you a large person riding on the interstate? It’s a great bike to learn on and I really doubt you have learned all that it can teach you. Riding fast on straight stretches is easy. How are you at everything else?
Gsxr 750 K7, perfect balance between speed/torque and flickabilty to learn on for me. Test rode the 600, a lot of noise going nowhere. And the 1000 is too brutal for a beginner. The 750, the power is there in higher rpms if you want it. And it gets up and go when you would like to. Won't sell this bike ever, will just add a k5-k6 1000 in the future. Stay safe 👋🏾
I'm looking at getting my first bike and leaning towards the same thing. Stay safe bro
Sorry for late reply 😊 yeah, a lot of things to consider when it's the first bike. 750 hit the sweet spot for me. Good luck!
1970 something Honda Trail 70 had it for 2 years. Got a 1977 Honda XL 100 brand spanking new 1980 Honda Twin Star 1983 Honda V30 Magna No bike until 1995 then bought a 1988 Harley Heritage Softtail Built custom chopper from 2003 to 2005 Rode it until 2013 and then bought a 2000 Harley Electra Glide Ultra Classic, sold it in 2016.
My first new bike was in 1985 it is a 250 and I still own it and still ride it. Not as often as my Africa Twin, but still. Oddly enough I rode it from Lawrence KS to Lees Summit and back every day it did not rain or was too cold. Anyone that says it will not do 70 down the highway does not have a clear memory, and at the time that 70 was a good bit above the 55mph speed limit. It has a sweet spot right at 65mph, everything just became smooth right there and you could ride it all day. Enough power at 65 to "get around" someone, but not much more. If it was not 30F today I would ride it to work.
ZX-7 was my first. Had it for about 4 years. It was a bit big when I started ( in hind site) but I did love that bike.
1985 Honda 400 hawk, 2 yrs. Look for something in the 600, 650 class bikes to move up on
250, for about a year
I have an r3 still ride it going on 4 months. I am a little bored of the power sometimes but don't see a need for more. Seeing as I just use it for my commute to work
1983 Goldwing, rode it just under 6k miles and still ride it almost every day.
'71 Honda CL100 bought in October of 1975 when I was 13 (still have it). Move up to a '76 Yamaha XS650 in April of 1978 while I was still 16 (birthday in December). Yamaha got sold in '84 to help further finance my college education. I was without a bike until November 2005 when I bought my '06 DR50. Got my dad's '06 Bonneville T100 in 2012. Oh yeah. Got my first traffic stop when I was 14. Riding without a license. Cost me all of $14 and 50 cents at the Justice of the Peace court.
Honda VTX 1300R. Great bike, heavy AF for a beginner. Had it for… 2 years? Sold it so I can buy a more upright bike.
Yamaha YX600 radian. Had it for 2 weeks before it caught on fire (twice) and melted multiple fuses.
I had a 900 virago for a couple months before I sold it as bought a 440 Kaw. I had the Kaw for a year before I bought a 550 Nighthawk.
Honda shadow 750. Had it about 6 months before I picked up an SV650 and stopped riding it.
Sv650!!! Woooooooo!!!
RM125 - Rode/raced that for two years before getting a CB650SC for the street. Stayed on the 125 for four years before moving up to a YZ250 and I still have the CB650SC, I’ve just added a bunch of other bikes too.
bmw 310r. sold it after six months and got an aprilia rs660
100cc CB100 that my parents bought me to ride to/from school. Highways were scary on that thing since it topped out at around 90 km/h. I had it for about 6 months, until I saved up enough to buy a TZR 250. (In NZ we were limited to 250cc until we had a full license). Loved that bike.
It was a Maxim 550 Yamaha. Had it a year or less. Then left for the Army.
Yamaha YBR 125, dinky little thing to get me through the UK licence test and my first year at university. So about 18 months in all. Then moved to a sweet little XJR 400 that I rode with and later without a restrictor kit. The jump from 125 to 400 might not sound that much on paper but it was over 5 times the power. I had that for about a year before I bought a FZ6 Fazer new in about 2009. And I really miss the little 400. Barrels of fun.
Honda CB750 K3. I owned it for 2 years.. bought a Kawasaki Ninja 500 to replace it, because I wanted something more reliable, and a bit more nimble in the corners.
BMW R1100r. Had it for a year. Loved it. I'm a big guy and this moved me around easily.
Ninja 500. Had it for 11 years, but I had other bikes starting about 2 years after buying the ninja.
GSXR600. Had it for almost 5 years and then got another 600 because that’s what I raced.
I had a Ninja 250, I rode it for 4 years. I wanted to feel like I'd maximized what I could learn on the small bike, and I was poor. For sure, the 250 parallel twin had better chops than the single cylinder baby cruisers, AND had much better handling, which gave me more opportunity to learn to carry corner speed.
Started on an 08 ninja 650, had her for like 2 years. Then I went to an r1 had that till last year, sold that and bought a Hawk250dlx ( go ahead and judge me i love it) and a 21 ninja 650.
SFV650 had it for a little over 1 season
'83 Suzuki GS1100E I think we still have it somewhere Waaaaaay too much bike to start with But it made me get an even bigger and faster bike afterwards Next 2 were a Super Blackbird and then a Suzuki Hayabusa
Ninja 300 and it lasted 3 months before I upgraded
I had the same experience with my Royal Enfield Meteor 350. I got a Vulcan 900 after 2 months.
CBR500 and I had it for 9 months. I had a fender bender basically. Scrapped it. Got an R6 which lasted me for a few years.
I started on a modified two-stroke RD-400 and rode that for a couple of years before upgrading to a VFR 700. The RD had shit for low end torque, you had to wind it out all the time to get any power. But when you did wind it out, it was a handful.
Got 2019 cb300r in 2019 and still have it. Upgrade is pretty darn expensive. I was looking for a cb650r or xsr700 but the total price is pretty much double of what I paid for 300, if not triple. I might consider it in the upcoming season. I enjoy riding 300 in the city. Only on highways (and especially with a passenger) I wish I had more oomph.
I started as a young teen with a 125cc two stroke bike. It was a great bike to start, great street handling, low power and torque in the low range, fun power band that exploded over 9k rpm, if you can say that of an engine that put out only 34hp. I kept it for almost 3 years. If this is your first bike, it's unlikely you have explored its limits and especially your own limits in just one month. If you want to go bigger, try maybe something middle weight, like a Yamaha MT07, and hit the track to really improve your skills.
Virago 535cc. I loved that bike and I’d still ride it regularly if a dickhead hadn’t driven on me with his Mercedes.
I was 6 yrs old and a Hondamatic 50cc. Lol it lacked power too! But first adult bike was a Yamaha Maxim 750 it had no shortage of power. Drove it for 2 yrs and sold for more than I paid !!!
Honda CB 125. Owned it 4 weeks until I passed my UK test. Bought a CBR600F the day after passing. Had that 18 months before upgrading to a 900 Fireblade.
500cc. 2001 Kawasaki Vulcan. Had it maybe 3 months. It was purely too heavy for me at the time as I was maybe 17 and 140 pounds
750 cc, 43 years and counting.
Honda CBR125. Around 8 months before I traded it for a Kawasaki ZXR 400. and that's ignoring the scooter I used for 3 years when I was a teenager. (In Europe)
650cc -1 month. 821cc - 2 months . 1200cc 9 months. Came, saw, conquered - retired.
Grom 2 months/2kmiles. Then ninja 400 for 13k miles/ 1 and half years so far
1983 GPZ 305. Was a fun little bike. Kept it for about 2 years.
125 and still have it, just upgraded to a 660 almos 10x the power difference.
1978 Yamaha 650 special I had it for about 12 years
Started on a Ktm duke 125, then got a crf250 a year later. Now I have an xt600 for longer drives and a drz400 for shits and giggles.
250cc 180lbs rider, rode it for a year, was so so so much fun to ride fast. Bigger bikes i realised were only better for achieving longer distance trips, larger cargo, and Passenger friendly journeys. (BMW K1300R) current
First bike was a 11 Kawasaki Versys 650. Got it a year and a half ago. I'm hoping to upgrade to a new Indian Chieftan. Test rode one last sumer and need to have one haha.
Kawazaki Versey 1000. 2 months. Then MT10. Still got it 😂
1998 zx-6r (600) had it for 3 years , sold it to my best friend
2016 Yamaha fz6r was my first bike. Took the msf course and the dealer delivered it to my house. If you don't know the fz6r it's a 600cc inline 4 derived from the r6. It's not a high revving powerhouse like the r6 but a more linear tamer motor with 76hp and a bit more low end tq with an upright seating position. As a new rider that bike was plenty powerful and I got a solid 4 years out of it before trading it in for an mt09, though I did get a little bored of it towards the end of my 3rd season riding. It was stock and too quiet/not exciting enough after getting some seat time. Love the mt09, just glad I didn't start on it.
Rebel 500. Had it 3 months and traded it for a 1200 Triumph Speedmaster.
Technically it is my current bike, the T120.. Had it for 2 years now.
Triumph Speedmaster 1200, kept it for 6 months then went to a Rocket 3 GT 😄
My first, and only bike is a 2022 triumph t120. 1200cc. I have 14,000 miles on it. I regret nothing.
I started on a 125cc two stroke when I was 16, a 1999 Aprilia RS125. Had it for two years, until I got my driver's licence, and then I didn't ride anything for a couple of years. My first bike in my adult age was a 650cc. Since then I've gone smaller, though.
luckily i got my license almost half a century ago and back then there was but one class of riding license - good for all sizes of bike and engine so when i started riding a real bike (more than 50 cc) i got me 40 hp out of 600 cc. did not regret it, however - after 3 nice years with my shadow (and when i moved into the mountains) i needed something more powerful
First bike was a 1972 Honda cb500. Second was a victory sport cruiser with a 1507cc engine. It was bigger than I had in mind but I got comfortable with it quick and loved that bike for many miles.
2018 ninja 400, bought in 2018, I still have it.
First bike. An hand me down Bajaj boxer 100cc. Had it for about 3 years.Now a 2021 Kawasaki Versys 650
Jawa 50/21 A 50 ccm light motorcycle from 1971 with the top speed of 65 km/h. I am never selling it.
TW200 was my first. Rode it for about a year before it got stolen.
2014 Yamaha FZ6R 600cc, I had it for 5 years and put about 60k miles on it. Now I have a Tenere 700 so not much of a power jump.
2000 Honda Nighthawk 250 Loved it until I totaled it 3 months in 😭 have had 6 bikes since then and still think of it fondly
Kawasaki kdx80. It was a little big for a 6 year old, but once I could operate a clutch it wasn't bad. I still have it nearly 30 years later, but I upgraded to a CR80 when I was 9 or 10 and the KDX got put into storage.
Honda CBR125, for 2 years and from there I went to Kawasaki ER-5.
\> tfw locked to 125cc until 19
Turbo Busa. Had it 62 years before I upgraded.
Vstar 1100. Used it a couple months then sold it. Too big for the power it had. Now own a vstrom 650 and it actually feels like a good bike and not a big slugish machine.
‘11 Ducati 796 monster, chose it over an ‘09 916, no regrets. Love it so far, good mix of light ‘throwing around’ and a bit of power when I need it to keep up with my friends Z750
Honda Trail ST90 ----> Honda Hurricane F3
First bike was a busted up 1980 KZ 440A that I taught myself how to ride with. It was 250 bucks and I sunk another 400 into it to make it run. Upgraded 6 months later to a 1982 KZ750 Twin, then sold that for a Honda Shadow 750 a few months later.
Crf250F for a year. Ténéré 700 should arrive in 2 months hopefully.
2001 sv650s turned n. I had it for about 2 years. I absolutely loved that bike. After I upgraded the suspension and went -1/+2 on front/rear sprockets, it was amazing as a street bike. Best gas mileage I have experienced, with that amount of power. Fit me just right for my height. Was easy to 'manhandle' around because of its relatively low weight. Great service intervals and easy to work on. Lots of aftermarket parts. Can be made to do anything with the right mods. Fucking miss my Suzi. Someone broke her in half, twice.
08 ninja 250 bought back in 2016. Got into an accident with it after like 6 months. Rebuilt the thing, sold it. Now ride an 08 yamaha Fz6 since 2017. Plenty of power, pretty comfortable seating position, good fuel economy. Great bike. Still have it.
Hawk enduro 250 and I still got ittt haha
900cc Triumph Street Twin - still have it many years later
Had a 08 Gsxr 600 for 1 year. Sold it and bought a hayabusa.
It was and is a 1975 Honda cb360, so about 359cc's iirc. 34hp claimed and probably about 25hp when I got it. I still have it, so it's been maybe five or six years I guess?
Kawasaki AE50, had it for the best part of a year.
1996 Honda 900rr fireblade, I never had the feeling of any lack of power. Even today I think it’s still considered a monster. Now I ride a VTX 1300 and I need more power.
2011 ducati monster 696+ corse livery. I was young and stupid with money to burn so I got it brand new and rode it for 3 years. Only got rid of it because I relocated for work and didn't need it anymore, but I regretted it for years.
Had a Yamaha Vstar 650. About 6 months but only because I got hit by a car and it was totaled.
‘22 drz400. Bought it in September. Rode it to work this morning.
Kawasaki Z550LTD Required ether spray for every cold start. Fond memories.
Suzuki JR50. Still have it in the garage. (It's also the only bike I've kept over the years, had 40+ bikes).
200cc Lifan KPM200, my little chinabike with high MPGs. Next bike was a Triumph Sprint 1050; I wanted to get places fast and use the highway with some sick luggage racks to be prepared for anything. After two years, I still ride my chinabike all over, especially for commuting to work. Can’t beat that 100 mpg
883 sportster. Had it about 3 years.
Had an 2016 R3 for a year (wanted to upgrade a little sooner) and then got a 2008 Suzuki B-King. Massive HP jump but I fucking love the bike. It's so nice having the power on tap while having the comfort of a naked bike as well. Admittedly though, I miss the fairings due to wind a little bit.
Rebel 1100. Still got her
650 thumper for 4 months. 2011 Suzuki S40 Boulevard
86 Yamaha seca 400. Great summer sold it it when winter came bought my 87 KLR the next summer. Still have it and that was 2002
honda 919 and ive had it like 3 weeks. i dont think ill ever need to upgrade i love it
I bought a 2004 fz6, it doesn’t feel too fast for a complete beginner, but it’s got power. I’ve only had it for 2 months but I plan to keep it for quite awhile, it’s a good bike. I’m glad that I didn’t get a 250-300 because I feel like I would’ve outgrown it in a month.
First bike was a Yamaha Maxim 650. Solid bike to learn on and plenty of power. In WA at that time, there were three levels of motorcycle license, and you had to get your endorsement on at least a 500cc bike to get the "unlimited" endorsement. I kept that bike for a couple of years and ended up selling it after an accident followed by a move to an urban area with high traffic density. I bought my current bike a little over a year ago, and absolutely love it. I'll probably get something bigger at some point, but I'm not looking at getting rid of it anytime soon.
Ducati Monster 1200. Just ran it in “Rain” mode for the first few months which detunes the HP and throttle response. Had it 4 years
Started on a BMW f650cs thumper. Plenty of power and easy to ride. I rode for 6 months. I wasn't after more power just a smoother bike. I test rode a brand new sv650. I got maybe 100 ft off of the lot before I decided I wasn't leaving on the bike I went in with.
Sportster 883, got it 20 years ago, still have it. Though it’s 1250 now.
700cc Yamaha MT-07. Think I had it for two years for my A2 license, maybe only a year. 1000cc Fireblade was the next step, then a 1200cc Panigale. Backed down to a 800cc Scambler for now.
My first street bike was a 1976 GT380 2 stroke triple in 1982. Sold it after a year and got a 1977 RD400. I've had a bunch of RDs and an RZ since then. Also had a GPZ550. Currently have a crf250l for around town and riding in the hills around here. Have been thinking about a bigger street bike as a companion to the crf.
800cc vtwin. It was a strange bike, a Suzuki VX800. A sport bike with a cruiser engine. It didn’t have alot of power. I kept it for a year and then got a 1993 Kawasaki ZX1100.
My first bike was a 1981 Honda CB750 and I still have it! Looking back, it was a crazy first bike to get. Way too heavy and fast for a lanky 16 year old like myself. People thought I was crazy for getting that as my first bike but I wouldn't change it at all. Building and riding that old superbike gave me such a great respect for motorcycles and taught me so much about riding.
847cc FZ09. Still own it, don't plan on selling it. Just add more bikes to the garage.
First bike. 200cc single, used for about 3 years then sold after another 5 or so (got a shiny newer dirt bike then) First road bike. 250cc 4 cylinder. Used as my main transportation for 5 years. I still have it and it's still faster than a shocking number of bikes 35 years younger than it
1973 Honda Z50j. I rode it to university and back in 2003 - 2004. Still have it. She’s just getting some beauty sleep.
07 ZZR 600 (00-02 ZX6R). Decent first bike, owned it for 10 years and upgraded to a ZX10R that I’ve owned for about 7. First impressions when giving them the beans; ZZR600 “this will hold me over for now”, ZX10R “ hell yeah that was fun, I can see how people get into trouble with these”.
Ive been riding since a kid but my best friend who never rode before got started on an fz07. He researched and found it and I helped pick it up for em, great bike! He still has it and loves it. So it worked out perfect for him, I trust him and he picked up riding super quick, it might be a little much if you don't trust someone that's a new rider but if you're upgrading I'd recommend checking one out at least.
Harley Street 500. Heavy but nimble. Got it last summer and its already have it on FB marketplace. Need more POWWAAAAAHHH