My first name is Sara.

 

I bought a couple of CBR's last year. One was owned by a mechanic and was quite sound (though it does need tires) the other was a "normal" bike. Normal folks tend to let things go, and on older bikes, that can become quite a list. Since I'm pretty lazy, I took my newer old bike to a mechanic and looked to over with him and put together a list of what I thought needed to be done to get it back to a reliable and healthy state. That also turned out to be quite a list including tires, hoses, fluids (synthetic oil, new coolant, brake bleed), plugs, wheel bearings, lubing the cables, grips, inspection and probably some other stuff I don't remember. That was a cool $1,000. It can choke you. That's why these guys are asking if you are mechanically handy.

OTOH, it drives like new, smooth as silk. Purrs, roars and rips as required. Grips the road like crazy and stops NOW.

So chose wisely.

 

Hahaha.

I'm lucky enough to be in a family of mechanically handy people, with both bikes and cars, and I'm planning on learning a lot about whatever type of bike I buy, but as an inexperienced rider I want to be able to concentrate on the road and my riding, not the bike.

 

Now THAT is wise.

 

I never claim to be smart...but I do have my moments, haha.

 

Well you're already 2 up on most new riders

1. You know where to focus your attention
2. You came to a great place to help you learn

Welcome aboard!A suggestion I think most 1st time bike owners never appreciate:

Start buying your gear now if you haven't already. Just the basics (helmet, jacket, gloves and boots) can take a $500 or more bite out of your funds. Since most decide to wait till the day they pick up their new bike, they tend to be squeezing more out of their account than they intended ("Gear??? I just spent all my extra cash on the bike!"). Dropping $200 this month on a helmet and then $200 next month on a jacket and so on lets you replenish your funds a bit.

And it being the off season / end of year, most accessory vendors are trying to clean inventory before tax time. And dropping prices to sustain income.

 

Thanks for the advice.
I've been riding on the back for long enough so I already have a helmet, gloves and jacket (though the jacket doesn't fit quite as well a couple of pounds later, haha). I do have some cheap work boots I wore for the safety course and will probably wear those most of the time unless I find something new in the meantime. I may also pick up a new jacket along the way if I don't get to the gym soon!

 

Hey there Sara, that F2 sounded like a major bad idea. Hold out and shop around for something decent. Sure, this is going to be your first bike, but it doesn't mean it has to be a clunker. It's a buyer's market out there, so take your time.
Let us know how you do.
Welcome to CBRF

 

it sounds like you're excited to get something soon (hey, aren't we all), but since it's not really riding season, i'd say you'd do well to take your time and find the right one - you'll never regret investing thorough research in finding your ride.