I'm upset the 599 was dropped from the north american lineup.
The last generation did well in magazine comparisons for "budget bike" or "newbie friendliness" but they all said the same thing. It would be perfect if it was priced similar to an SV or 650R.
I think the redesign is really nice though, the "forgiving first ride" market is among the tightest in the industry and being a hondaphile I would certainly like to see an entry level offering (beyond the CBR125, I live in Canada) from Red.
Other than the 599, it is the present generation VFR800 that gets me hot and bothered. It was the styling that grabbed me and add to that the seat, engine, anyday ride manners (so I'm told) the hook was set. In some cases it's not a good idea to fiddle with something near perfect. However, my lust for it may be in vain for would I really want 800cc for my first bike.....
BigDoggie wrote: I'm upset the 599 was dropped from the north american lineup.
The last generation did well in magazine comparisons for "budget bike" or "newbie friendliness" but they all said the same thing. It would be perfect if it was priced similar to an SV or 650R.
I think the redesign is really nice though, the "forgiving first ride" market is among the tightest in the industry and being a hondaphile I would certainly like to see an entry level offering (beyond the CBR125, I live in Canada) from Red.
Other than the 599, it is the present generation VFR800 that gets me hot and bothered. It was the styling that grabbed me and add to that the seat, engine, anyday ride manners (so I'm told) the hook was set. In some cases it's not a good idea to fiddle with something near perfect. However, my lust for it may be in vain for would I really want 800cc for my first bike.....
An 800cc cruiser, maybe. But a 800 sport or even sports-tourer might be a big jump for a newbie... these bikes are heavy, fast, and harder to control at the limits. You're going to be spending more time trying to keep the bike from killing you, than to learn how to control the bike. Although maybe you take to bikes really well. I'd recommend something lower at or lower than 600 cc though, to be perfectly honest.
Off-topic, but I read somewhere that it was statistically shown that a first time rider (albeit a 16 year-old rider) with a CBR1000RR will last an average of 34 days on the road before being killed.
Well for a new rider I wouldn't recommend buying a new bike anyway. A lot of new riders will drop their bike at some point. I dropped my 600RR (only broke a mirror though).
CarPhreakD wrote: Off-topic, but I read somewhere that it was statistically shown that a first time rider (albeit a 16 year-old rider) with a CBR1000RR will last an average of 34 days on the road before being killed.
Hmm, I can't imagine that the sample size very big for something like that. I mean, how many 16 year olds have access to 1000 cc sport bikes, and of those, how many bought a 1000RR.
I would say a new rider probably should start with a 600 or less too. But whatever you start on take the MSF. That will help tremendously with low speed mistakes and has been proven to dramatically reduce the chances of getting in an accident.
To make your riding even better I'd recommend taking a day of the California Superbike School (they travel to different tracks). Even if you don't plan to do a lot of track riding or anything it will help your riding skills immensely.
BigDoggie wrote: I'm upset the 599 was dropped from the north american lineup.
The last generation did well in magazine comparisons for "budget bike" or "newbie friendliness" but they all said the same thing. It would be perfect if it was priced similar to an SV or 650R.
I think the redesign is really nice though, the "forgiving first ride" market is among the tightest in the industry and being a hondaphile I would certainly like to see an entry level offering (beyond the CBR125, I live in Canada) from Red.
Other than the 599, it is the present generation VFR800 that gets me hot and bothered. It was the styling that grabbed me and add to that the seat, engine, anyday ride manners (so I'm told) the hook was set. In some cases it's not a good idea to fiddle with something near perfect. However, my lust for it may be in vain for would I really want 800cc for my first bike.....
I don't understand why entry bikes are so expensive. IMHO since these bikes live forever, the manufacturers must believe the beginners buy used bikes and build for next level riders.
2007 FZ6 lookslike a bargain next level bike at $6849.
Ninja 500R and Suzuki GS500F are hugging the $100/cc level, IMHO these bikes are the beggining bikes.
The cruisers are not necessarily any better then the sportbikes in terms of beginner bikes. They're too heavy (way heavier then the sportbikes), the handling is trickier and less intuitive, and the power is still ridiculous given the penis-size contest that the cruiser market has become over the last 10 years.
Definitely take MSF... if you want a Honda really the only one that fits the bill is the Nighthawk 250. Otherwise go with the Kawasaki 500 or the Suzuki 500.
Honda's bike are just expensive period. No one who wants a cheap price ends up on a Honda, it's not the same as the car side at all, although Hondas cars are no longer really budget items either. In the bike world a given Honda is always going to be a little more expensive then the same bike from the other 3 Japanese manufacturers, especially Kawasaki and Suzuki. The one nice thing is most of us seem to think Hondas are the most reliable, they're always a perfectly good bet for a used motorcycle.
Used is by far the best way to go for your first bike anyway.
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