Curiousity has gotten to me recently, and i've been wondering what everyone's 1st bike was. Several reasons for this exist, namely that i see many suggestions that a bike like an f4i, would make a fine starter bike. I've noticed over the last decade, that when a top notch sportbike is replaced by a newer model, last years bike suddenly becomes "a good starter bike". It's almost like having a new model, makes last years bike magically become appropriate for new riders.

Since I've asked the question, I'll give my answer first. My first bike was a new at the time, 98 Yamaha fzr600 (my current bike is an 06 600rr, silver thank you). In retrospect I wish I had bought a Suzuki sv650, but at the time, I just HAD to have a sportbike. I'd have to say I was lucky in that I never laid it down, but I'd be lying if I said I never came close. Three specific instances come to mind, two of which can be explained by the fact, that at 21, I wasn't able to control my lust for speed, and the third was purely lack of experience. The first time, was when I wanted to prove that my bike was faster than a Yamaha Fazer, despite the displacement disadvantage. To make a long story short, I ended up going WAY too fast and almost couldn't make a curve, that at sane speeds was barely identifiable as being one (a curve) at all. The second time was when I saw my girlfreind, in her car at the stop sign opposite from me. I took it upon myself to show her how fast I could take off from a stop, and were it not for the stepped seat, I would have simply departed the rear of my own bike, while it most likely would've crashed without me in the intersection. Third was one of the most simple things we should all know about riding. LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO! I was still uncomfortable with turning sharp corners at low speeds and made the mistake of looking right at the pavement instead of through the turn. My bike immediatly obliged my command, and tried to fall over in the exact spot I was looking. Thankfully, I was going slow enough that I was able to put my foot down and sort of "kick" the ground. This saved me from going over, but resulted in a painfull, carpet burn from my own sock!

Well there you have it, my first bike and the stupid things I did with it. I don't believe that the Suzuki would have saved me from being dumb, which I certainly was, but I'm positive I could've learned more with it's forgiving nature. Obiviously I was intimidated by the combination of my lack of experience and a bike I wasn't ready for.

I hope none of you take this as me saying that new riders can start out on sportbikes and live to tell the tale, cause that's not the message I'm trying to convey at all. Like most any other member on this forum, I encourage new riders to take all the safety courses they can, and to resist the urge to get a first bike that's beyond their capabilities.

I now look forward to reading what you guys and girls first bike was!

 

Good post, when people suggest my F4i as a great starter bike i tend to be pretty skeptcal. I mean ****... I've ridden for 4 years and had two bikes before my F4i and still have come close to laying it down. it only takes a split second and if i didnt have the throttal controll that i do from years of riding i woulda killed myself a few times already from inexperiance alone


Great post man.

btw my first bike was a 1973 CB350 that didnt top 60mph and i thought it was the fastist thing in the world.
and my 2nd was a 2001 kawasaki Zr750s which had 75hp

 

EX500 was my first bike.

 

My first bike was a 1997 CBR 600 F3.

 

hayabusa...then i crapped in my pants...and wifey said...oxy clean can't get this $#!T out...so either get more thongs or get rid of the bike....so i loaded up on thongs...then wifey said...it's costing you $10 for 3 pack everytime you hop on the bike, which was like 5 days of the week, so after $2000 in thongs...she made me get rid of it.

 

My first bike is/was an 06 600RR. Being only 20 I had a hard time putting off my "lust for speed" until I went....just way to fast. Was kind of a slap in the face when I thought about what I had jsut done. Realizing how retarded and unsafe going that fast is I keep it slow and dont ride near as hard. I dont think the 600RR is a bad first bike if you arent stupid with it. I wouldnt trade or give my bike up for any other bike out there....I love the RR models better than any other bike.

 

Whenever there's a discussion of what's a good first bike, it always deals with whether a new rider can safely handle a sport bike.

But there's also the matter of how well you develop as a rider. I think that with a less powerful bike, you need to ride well to go fast - you have to learn how to pick a line that lets you carry your speed through a turn, get on the throttle early out of turns, etc. You can't be sloppy and just rely on the bike's power, but you can also push against your own limits as a rider more without getting in too far over your head. It's too easy to fall into bad habits with a bike that's so powerful it can mask poor riding or inhibit good riding.

 

my first street bike was a Honda 86 CM 400 custom a big ol cruiser it was a fun little toy though

 

My very first bike was a honda XR 75 ala 1978. First street bike as a 1980 GS 750, then a FZ 750.. They were just really ridden, not hard or anything.. Then I had a FZR 600, now the F2.. Looking to get an RR over the winter. I've been bitten by the track day bug! I am getting an RR because I've ridden all the newer bikes and the RR is the one that suits me the best. I really don't ride to commute anywhere, it is my hobby, either at the track or riding the lap in Pa. (lap = 60 miles of back country twisty roads)

 

My first bike that I actually "own" is the 2006 600RR. (ridden a couple of buddies bikes for years prior to my purchase) If you have a level head, and aren't retarded (and there are a lot of them out there), the 600RR is doable as a first bike for a new rider. It's not the best choice, but at the same time, it's not a 1000RR either (which in NO WAY is a newbie bike). The rider just has to determine whether he/she is mature enough to control their impulses on it. As long as the rider isn't buying the bike soley for the image, and is really dedicated to learning the skill of riding, then that rider should be fine.

The people that do not deserve to own one of these bikes are people that ask "do I need to use the clutch to shift after 2nd gear." Those are the ones that worry me the most. (not for their safety, but my own.)