Thinking of getting my first bike
 

I've been looking to get my first bike recently and have found one i'm interested in. Any tips or suggestions on what to look for or ask about?

btw its an 02 954rr. He has it listed for $3500 but i'm actually going to trade him for my 05 TRX450R. Thanks in advance.

nobody has any tips? advice?

don't get a 954 for your first bike...

^nuff sed

Seriously?????? get the damn bike. u'd be a fool to pass it up. u can use the 54 as a starter bike.....ive taught my right hand man wit no cycle experience how to ride on my 54, as well as my twin brother and my older brother......the "its not a starter bike" is a f*ckin myth.......is it jealousy or what as why people tell new riders to stay away from 900cc and up bikes?????

I started on my 954 in November and have over 11,000 miles experience on it now. Its like any other bike just somewhat fast. By starting on a 954, you are not doomed to a throttle that gets stuck wide open and drives you into a building. Just ride it and enjoy it.

Otherwise, you could say the Marine Corps is not a "starter branch," don't join. Doesn't make much sense

Not jealousy or anything. The guys you taught are the finders of the Golden Tickets in their candy bar wrappers. And, whether or not you realize it, YOU were prolly the ticket: someone with the skill, motivation and patience to teach them so they didn't become a red skid mark on the road.

Most first time riders only have 2 people available:

1. The MSF BRC instructor that didn't have the time to focus on one student during the 16 hours over two days he had to teach them
2. The salesman / previous owner who stopped giving a damn once the sale was made.

With no experience and nobody to really teach them, a liter bike will surprise most new riders at the worst possible time.

In this particular scenario, saying Force Recon is not a "starter branch" is far more appropriate. How many people do you think could walk in off the street and survive that? Or SEAL training?

SEAL? Force Recon? remove those and replace them wit a nearly impossible special operations. Paratroopers, Force Recon, and SEALS are basic training compared to SFOD-D...... yes average guys can enlist for these training opportunity's but SFOD-D is a totally different story
NEXT!

This guys has a TRX400....excuse me TRX450, which (not the smartest guy on the planet) kinda hints to me he has some riding experience.....have you rode some of the larger 4-wheelers compared to the 200cc and below???? not comparable, so this guy can do it....
im 5'10 200lbs and the 954 feels tiny to me.......ive been here for several years and have seen plenty of newbies with 954/929's as starter bikes.....that go on to live beautiful riding lives....

It's not an argument you can win with me. You might as well be saying anyone can learn to ride a motorcycle (not consider engine size at all). And that's patently false. Some people just aren't meant for 2 wheels.

The bigger the engine, the fewer the people that can hop on and successfully ride with no bike experience. Just because you and the guys you taught did it is ignoring your own natural abilities (control, balance, awareness, self-restraint). And with the guys you taught: you.

I've never seen anyone complain about being told they're better than most people :icon_shrug:

alright, its not just about the power, its about the suspension as well. the rake angle on all sport bikes is so steep that its just NOT ideal for people that start out on. its less forgiving than a rake angle on an SV or something similiar.

and im not talking about getting someone on a 954 and getting them to go down the road and keep it rubber-side down (a monkey could do that). its about REAL WORLD riding. not going down the road once, but USING the damn thing. see what happens when someone gets in a situation. everything about riding is counter-intuitive. you have a very small margin of error on any motorcycle, but on a 954 its virtually non-existent.


and as far as the riding expirience with a tx450. its a 4-WHEELER. how do you relate that to riding? at all?

and besides, didn't we do this a few weeks ago in another thread? we were relating riding to school or something in there, apparently, in THIS thread, THIS time, the debate is going to be military. i find it very interesting that we brought up the marines.... do any of you know what the #1 killer of our marines is?

its literbikes... (nope, not combat or anything)


because they think they can handle them as first bikes. there's been a bunch of studies done.

the only debate you guys advocating a 954 as a starter bike could possibly EVER win is the simple one that this is America, and this is one of the only countries where you can get any bike you want as your first bike. so do what you like.

man, you guys are touchy. lol

anyways, its not like i've never been on a bike. i've just never owned one. I ride my buddies cbr600.

You will be just fine. Ask for maintenance records if he or she has them, I like to check the forks. There isn't much reason to take them off unless in a collision; see if the hardware looks worn. I find it better to buy from a person in their 30's or 40's than someone in their early 20's. Let in run for a while and check for leaks. Same ol' thing really.

when you say check the forks, what do you mean? sorry i've never owned a bike always rode four wheelers.

What I mean by that is check the hardware attaching the forks. See if they have been removed. If so, the hardware will look worn like its been unscrewed. That is a pretty good hint that its been in a collision and had to replace the forks.

I will say that it is possible to start on the 954. If you can ride a bicycle, you can ride any motorcycle, basically, except its easier in the fact that you dont have to worry about moving your legs to make you go. Just realize when you come to a stop that you have to balance a 400+ pounds.

The real issue with starting on a big bike is that you have to take a humble and halfway scared approach. Don't hammer on the throttle when you've only got 100 miles under your belt, cause if youre in a lower gear, youre going to find yourself on one wheel, and then probably the pavement. Constantly be looking for potholes, animals, other drivers etc cause they can easily put you on the pavement, and it only takes once.

I only had one bike before my 954, and it was a 1987 honda magna (700cc). I've only got my learners permit. I have never even taken a course or anything, but i know my limits, and i've taken it easy and I've never had an issue.

Just realize a 954 can do 1/4 mile in under 10 seconds. That is crazy fast! There are basically zero real production cars under $80,000 that can do that! It is a performance machine and if you dont respect the bike, you will wind up being a red streak on the road.

Thanks for the info.

How many "experienced 954 owners" on this thread have told u to get one over the ones who havent? takin advice from posters who dont have a 954???? come on now.......ive been on my 954 for 5 years, i speak from experience. i would feel safer if somebody started on a 54 rather then a 600 then moved to a 54 reason being:
1. owned a 600, experienced but has the attitude "im ready to upgrade...." instead of fearin and over-estimating the bike they get on it thinkin they are 200% ready for it......sure u get where im goin
2. start on a 954 as first bike, u understand that it is a power and light bike, you have that sense of fear knowin that it is a beast in a small package. you respect it and WILL NOT under-estimate it.......

Never blaim it on the bike, regardless of thee experience, a bike does not try to hurt you or kill you, that is "operator error". a piece of equipment is only a box of metal and plastic until u add man/woman.....keep that in mind when you begin the process of learning....

My first Bike was the 954.
I rode dirtbikes and 4 wheelers since I was 11 but the 54 is my first Street bike.
A friend of mine who just started to ride a year ago told me to get a 600, while a kid I grew up riding with told me to get the 954 I always wanted.

I got the 954 and am glad i didnt get the 600.
But, like what was posted before me. Without respect for the machine it will hurt you. Regardless of what you have and havent rode. Its not like a 954 will kill you any faster then a 600. If you get on these things and ride reckless or overstep your abilities you may spend the rest of your life wishing you didnt.

I agree completely, very well put.

:facepalm:
the fact that everyone is saying you CAN start on a 54 should slap you in the face telling that that it is possible to start on one but wouldnt be the best choice. this argument can go on forever and people with thick heads wont ever change their opinion because they have started on one and turned out fine so they think all is fine for everyone else.
OP: do as you please.... actually go get it because thats more potential opportunities for the rest of us on here for spare parts to buy and sell to you if u go down.

um,you can totally handle it man.... just "take it easy" and of course you "wont speed, especially when u first get it". silly us for suggesting the safe proper way to learn to ride!

ya, and i dont want to come off too d!ck!sh

but if you're trying to find ways around sweat (which believe me, as a motorcyclist, thats one of the smallest inconvieniences you're going to encounter), it just leads me to believe that you're not interested in riding for RIDING, but just to look cool or try something new, or you haven't decided if ridings really for you yet.

compound that with the fact that you're going to get a 954, you have no expirience (riding your friend's bike once or twice doesnt count for anything), you havent really made your mind up about what you're going to do about gear...

your odds aren't good...

yea and i think people dont realize the purpose for starting on a smaller bike isnt just the fact that its not as fast, but its more FORGIVING in unexpected situations. i think someone said before not to blame it on the bike and that its operator error if something happens........ well a smaller bike reduces that potential operator error.

BULLSH!T!!! My 954 and all other 954's are lighter than some 600's and less than most 1000's
as a matter a fact my brothers 06 600rr feels bigger. i look at my bike and it looks like a damn matchbox.....not to mention when it comes to brakin the bike has a set of massive 330's up front. dont think i can name another bike with bigger than 320's

Smaller as in engine displacement.

No offense but if you think length and weight are what this discussion is about, you're nowhere near qualified to give advice

You're all wrong. This discussion is about what to look for when buying a motorcycle, not whether or not the 954 is okay to start on.

Would any of us let our 18+ yr old ride a 954 as a first bike? 99.8% of us would say "NO".My son would not even sit on it a first.Taught him on a older 600 and still had fun.

Did you forget u were on a F4I? how are you gonna give any input about the 954?????? Your topic is further up the page on the main page.......ur dip'n a lil low......

And this topic started as "thinking of getting my first bike" but after all the negativity about the 954 being a bad starter bike it went were it went.......

but pimpin, every time you say something, you prove another one of OUR points. you talk about big brakes up front, well, if any new rider grabs too much front brake, their instinct is they freeze and pull harder on the lever causing them to endo the bike and land on their head.

Nobody was bashing the 954 as a bike. We're all stating a simple fact: the larger the engine of the sport bike, the more difficult and unwise it is to begin riding on it. Substitute ANY bike with a larger engine.

And yeah I ride a F4i. If it weren't for the time I had on scooters and 250s back in my teens AND the time on my F3, I'd prolly would've had a major wreck. The throttle response of just the measily little F4i can surprise someone with NO experience with it and NO throttle control.

And that's what gets new riders hurt and killed: they have no throttle control because that's a skill that must be LEARNED. Being unable to maintain an even throttle while leaned down in a turn when they hit a bump and accidently open / shut the throttle. On a 250: prolly won't even notice. On a 600: you'll feel the bike destabilize but prolly can ride thru it. Go bigger: they're in real danger of losing the rear. Same goes with manhole covers, gravel, water, painted crosswalks and any condition where the traction changes suddenly.

i did, n well i hav fallen twice

What caused you to fall off twice?

I just purchased my first bike (954rr) last week. People have told me to start with a 250, 300, 450, mayyyybe a 600cc bike. I think it's BS (for myself that is). Self-restraint is THE major key to staying safe, in my opinion. I just didn't want to go through so many bikes to work my way up to a 954, would cost me too much. a bike is a bike, yes some are heavier and more difficult to ride for a beginner, and this is why i chose the 954.

I have self restraint, and I think having this ability will keep me from getting into trouble. I respect my bike, I know it's fast and I know what can happen if i abuse it.

if you have control over your ego, and want to live as long as you can, then go for it! get a 954, you won't be disappointed. :)

From the Hurt Report
It's not just about being able to control the ego. 30 mph is hardly going WOT (unless they did it 2 feet in front of a brick wall). Its about knowing how to and being able to control the bike. Bikes with bigger engines are less forgiving of smaller mistakes.

And a new rider with zero experience riding a motorcycle is going to make plenty of mistakes.

when i was 18 i had a f4 for only 3 weeks got rear ended.one year later i got my 954 7.1/2 months ago and and i haveint crashed and died yet lol

i think it needs more power. if it aint scarring me i aint having fun haha
next is a turbo 954 now that will be fun

LOL! i didnt know this was a comedy forum, quit kidding around though!! we dont want people getting false information and actually listening to it cuz theyre stupid............... wait a minute....... oooohboy....

I would start on a smaller bike myself vs a 954. Not only are smaller bikes forgiving yet your still learning everything around you. Experience is the key for anything. I wouldn't give somebody a z06 with 500hp and let them go to town. I would rather have them start off something small like a focus or a mustang. That way they will understand and start to figure out there elements around them. I have seen people go to big on cars and bikes and wow did it end up bad.

The 954 is a great bike as said above i love them its all about personal choice i learned on a smaller bike and went down bad and learned but now i have a 929 and two 954 and still around to cause havoc and i wont ride anything other just be smart about it, and for 3500 or the trade if you have ridin before and are comfortable i would say go for it

just goes to show that it doesn't take 954, 1000, 1300 hayabusa to get into trouble. you can wipe out on a 125cc scooter.

it's all about the rider, not the bike. 600cc cbrs are fast bikes, definitely more than any regular joe needs on the road, but yet some riders say start on a 600, but not anything higher. It's been about a week now and i still haven't taken the bike on any highways, just riding it on the main streets and side roads to get comfortable with the bike. some people may not be as careful, but I like to limit my risks until i feel more confident.

awesome bike though! i just love everything about it.