I would like to hear some peoples opinion on a first bike being an f3. I have done the MSF motorcycle course to get my license and I was looking at F2/F3 CBR's and Ninja 250's. Pre 2008 ninjas are not my style at all and post 2008 I would only buy new because it's not worth saving $500 to buy someones used bike. There are plenty of CBR's for sub $2000 around here and a Ninja is $4000 brand new.

 

you dont want a new bike as your first.
f2/f3's are awesome because they are easy to take care of, hard as hell to break, and last forever.
parts on ebay are cheap, and help is easy to get.

it's a perfect beginner bike.

 

+1

 

The guys have said you don't want a new bike as your first. But not why (bad kitty! )

You won't cry as much when you drop an older bike. Some guys go forever without dropping their bike. But n00b drops are more the rule and those guys are the exception. Dropped my F3 twice in 5 minutes. Bondo + paint is an acceptable option on an F3. But just imagine... A cherry 2010 600rr. And you drop it, scuffing the side. You'll soul will scream during the slow motion fall

Then there's the performance issue. Though the newer bikes aren't significantly faster, the fuel injection systems make them more like half-brothers than blood relatives to their carbed brethren. Throttle control is a necessary skill, one you'll want to already have rather than have to learn. Especially coming from the MSF bikes. Damn near had to hold the throttle wide open AND get a push from someone to get them to start moving. My F3 got up and galloped a lot quicker. But there was still a bit of a sanity check before she finally said "Ok he's insane enough to ask for it so I'll give it to him". On my F4i, the throttle is pretty much instant. And sensitive enough that cruising in 1st or 2nd means just the slightest of wrist rotation. And having the ability to handle bumps and irregularities without the bike lurching madly from accidental inputs.

Another excellent reason is the fun you can have customizing it tho. My F4i is stock and prolly will stay like that until I'm forced to do something. I'm too afraid of messing up Ororo's clean lines and paint from Honda. My F3... one of the first things I bought was a compressor. Not to run any air tools but for paint guns

 

I just got my first bike, a f3 and i love it, get one they are badass and you will be the fastest kid in the neighborhood. + everything spicymeowmix said

 

This is the one thing stopping me from getting an F2/F3 right now. I don't want to get something that I might accidentally snap the throttle and watch my bike fly down the street in my first few weeks/months of driving it.

I'm not trying to get a bike to kill myself, just something to have a lot of fun riding. (I'm only 17.) And, my friends got a Ninja 650, either a 2008 or 2009.

Does anyone have any comparisons in throttle response between a 1300cc VTX and a 600cc CBR? I know, two completely different motorcycles but I have driven my dads VTX and the throttle response is definitely comfortable to me. Too bad the bike weighs almost 6 times more than me ( I'm 146 lbs, around 6')

Here is a couple I was looking at:
http://hartford.craigslist.org/mcy/1810960610.html
http://providence.craigslist.org/mcy/1795606257.html < beautiful fairings
http://newhaven.craigslist.org/mcy/1806802306.html < $1100, seems like a steal..

 

All I know is I have a zzr600 and it is WAY better than a ninja 650. I also have an F3 and love them both.

 

I will say this. It can be hard to find someone to work on your bike if it is older... lets just say carbs can be a pain sometimes, however I taught myself almost everything there is to know about the F3 so I can do almost all of the work myself, and if I can do it, it should be cake for you.

The f-series (including the f4i) are amazing bikes.
Honestly as a first bike, and for your size, many people would actually recommend you start on a 500cc bike or so... the 600 seems only slightly bigger, however packs a massive punch compared to the 500's.

One of the reasons I got my F3 was when I bought it, it was worth 2500.00
A guy here where I live offered me 3,000.00 for my bike (over a year later!)
They hold their value well for a motorcycle, and although 3k for my bike means the guy wanting it doesn't know bike prices (good for me) at least you know you could get it, ride it, and resell it and get your money back. take that money and add another 2500 to it and get a nicer fuel injected (dream) bike.

By the time that happens, (and lets say you stick with Honda) you know honda parts, places to buy from, you know how they work and how to take care of them. You also know how to ride them.

 

Spicy. Your motivational Honda speaker.

 

I'm going to see what I can look at for f3's today. A few months ago there were a TON of them on craigslist, it seems that there aren't so many any more which surprises me.