Good starting motorcycle?
I'm totally new to motorcycles in general. I'm 18 and plan on getting one for summer time to save gas. I'm not out looking for a thrill and I have slightly simple tastes. I have been looking around for a 250 and the prices are higher and I can't really find the "Cafe racer" style I want. I found an '01 250 Honda Nighthawk that isn't bad though. The guy wants $1900 though. On the other hand I found an awesome Honda Cm 450 for only $975. Just wondering the pros and cons of each. I will be learning partially on a dirt bike before riding either and I'm a very cautious person. It's not like I will be seeing how fast I can go. Just curious what you think. I'll post the links to the two bikes below.
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/mcy/4441743868.html
http://madison.craigslist.org/mcy/4448739066.html
Added (1). The 250 says low miles and the 450 says 17k miles. Both "say" they run great.
They both look kind of old and I wonder if they'd be reliable. How old is the 450 and how many miles?
Otherwise they're both nice bikes. The 450 would be a little bigger/heavier/faster and would serve you better on the highway. The 250 is really for around town and 45 mph backroads (I mean, yes, it will go faster but it won't be as fun, or as safe).
If you want a cafe racer you could spend a lot more money to change the seat, handlebars, shocks, etc. But I would just ride these bikes as-is. If you decide you just love riding and can't stop, then you could built a cafe racer for your next bike, out of a bigger bike.
Before you buy ANY motorcycle, sign up for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's basic rider's course. THEY will teach you the basics of riding a motorcycle, and completing their course MAY qualify as the driving test in your state for the motorcycle endorsement to your drivers license.
http://www.msf-usa.org
250 Honda Nighthawk has a better engine and a nice chrome design, but if you are looking for a first bike you should probably get the CM 450. However you need to ask questions like what is the Mileage on this? Any accident reports on this vehicle, etc.
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- What's a good first motorcycle? I'm looking for my first cheap, reliable motorcycle to get me into the city each day and back. I don't know much about them but I don't want anything too powerful so a 250 of some sort and preferably a japanese made bike such as yamaha and honda etc. I really like the retro/classic style bikes but I don't want it too old. Please help me out as I don't know where to even begin looking really.
- What's a good starter motorcycle? I've rode dirtbikes since I was 5 and I just realized I turn 16 in 20 days. So I worked all summer to get a car but f*** a car, is rather get a bike. I have about $2000 that I want to put toward a motorcycle. I really want something lower in cc like around 250cc. I want name brand no Chinese junk. I wanted a something like a cbr or a ninja but my parents say it's a death trap. So what we narrowed it down to is the honda shadow style bikes. What are some other bikes like that?