What Is The Best Motorcycle For Beginner Riders?
Anyone whose ever embarked on an internet search looking for advice on "whats the best first motorcycle for me" would be has probably gone down a very similar-sounding journey: you start off reading through with a dozen different takes on what the " Best Beginner's Motorcycles" are, then eventually you end up on a motorcycle forum, where everyone tries to shame you, no matter what your needs or riding style are.
Unfortunately, the search for information on what your first bike should often goes from exciting to frustrating really quickly. That's because there's not only a million different opinions on what the "best first bike" is, but there are actually a lot of different "best first motorcycles" - but it all depends on what your specific needs are.
Four Things You Should Consider When Choosing Your First Motorcycle
Sure, the Internet is telling you to start on a used 250 for your first bike (probably a Honda CBR300R or a Honda Rebel) but while that's not necessarily bad advice, it might not be right for you. The ideal first bike for you is going to depend on a combination of things you need to consider: we've narrowed them down to four, and here they are.
1) What's your style, and where do you want to ride?
All motorcycles are NOT created equally - not even for beginners. A Yamaha YZF-R3 might be someone's perfect "first bike," but that won't be appealing to you at all if cruisers are your style; and neither of those will sound appealing if you're just as excited about hitting the dirt as you are about cruising the streets.
First and foremost, determine what style of bikes you prefer: sport bikes, cruisers, or dual-sport/adventure bikes are the basic categories. If you don't have a strong preference, look at standards, which are "all-around" bikes that are about generic as two wheels and an engine will get. Determining your preferred motorcycle style up front will guide the rest of your search for the perfect starter bike.
If you don't know what your favorite style is, here's another way to look at it: what's the ideal ride to you: a long cruise down the highway, carving through a twisty mountain road, or riding on roads only as long as it takes to get to a trail where the real fun begins? Based on your answer, the "right bike" will be completely different (hint: cruiser, sport bike, and dual-sport, in order.) Cruisers are made for long-distance comfort and tend to be heavier for stability on the highway, while sport bikes are lighter and more "flickable" for quick handling. But neither of those will take you off-road; you'll need the knobby tires and tall suspension of a dual-sport for that.
2) Consider difference in size, age, and gender.
Many people giving advice on the web make the mistake of assuming every "beginning rider" is a young male in his late teens or early twenties, and give advice accordingly. But the truth is that both men and women take up riding for the first time at all sorts of different times in their lives, and the "right first bike" will be completely different between one rider and another.
Consider your personal style, your own height, and the dimensions of the bike you're looking at as you do your research, to find something you will be comfortable on. Physically sit on as many bikes as you can to get a feel for the height and riding position; some bikes that look great on paper will be ruled out immediately if you can't put both feet on the ground!
3) Differences in Cost and Budget
Money is always an issue, and right after considering the style of bike you want, you need to consider what you can afford. The big debate here is usually "used vs. new."
With used bikes, you typically get a lot more for your money. But more importantly, you get a bike you probably won't mind dropping or damaging as much - and chances are, as a new rider, you probably will drop it at least once. Many people recommend getting a used bike under the assumption you'll damage it making a few rookie mistakes, and that you'd be better of moving up to a new bike once you've really gained some skill and confidence on two wheels.
On the other hand, new bikes tend to have more financing options, more technology that can help you stay safe (like ABS and traction control) and will have fewer maintenance concerns. If you can afford it, new might be the way to go for you, but weigh the pros and cost of both, and decide what you're most comfortable with.
And don't forget this often overlooked component of cost - insurance! This can vary widely based on your age, location, riding experience, and model of bike; but generally, sportier, fully-faired bikes are more expensive to insure than standards or dual-sports.
4) Do You Really Want a "Starter Bike," Or Something You Can Actually Grow With?
A huge part of deciding what will be the "right first bike" for you is determining if you're really looking for a "starter bike" (in other words, something you plan to move up from as soon as you're ready) or if you want a bike that's beginner friendly, but will also give you room to grow as you improve your skills.
Most riders will move up from their first bike anyway, so starting with one you plan to get rid of is definitely not a bad idea. You can focus on learning and improving your skills, make your mistakes on it, drop it and not care too much, and probably sell it for close to what you paid when you're done with it. Not only that, you'll probably learn a lot more about what you do and don't like about your first bike as you go, so your second bike will be a lot better-suited to you.
But if you do want a bike you can grow with, the first thing you'll probably want is more power, so you'll want to go with something that has some grunt to begin with. The key is that the power be manageable - as you start, you want something that wont freak you out when you twist the throttle, but has enough power in the top end to give you a few years of satisfaction as your skills improve. For this, a single or two-cylinder engine between 500-650cc will fit the bill nicely.