Hey,

I would say go with either the SV650 or the new kawi 650. Twins have great torque curves that make them really easy to ride. More than half of the instructors at Jason Pridmores Star School were riding them when I went to there school at Thunder Hill and Pahrump (outside of Vegas) These bikes can haul butt and the insurance will be cheaper as well as the intial cost of the bike. With the money that you save you can buy all of the protective gear that you need, Gloves leathers, helmet etc.. and still have money to go to a good riding school. Check out BARF in the Gear section people are always selling good leathers and such that will save you a lot of cash. I bought a really nice set of Alpinestar one piece leathers for 500 bucks last year and have been really happy with them, they retailed for 1100.00 at cycle gear.

I ride a SuperHawk which is my 3rd motorcycle v-twin 1000 and even though it is not the latest and greatest technology it is still very easy to ride at a fast pace due to the broad torque curve. Insurance is also pretty reasonable.

Just make sure with what ever bike you buy educate your self on how to properly set up the susp. for your body weight. Have a friend help you set up the front and rear sag. it will make a huge difference in how the bike handles.

Good luck Dennis

 

I ended up with an 07 Ninja 650R that had been lowsides once and it was cheap

MSF, insurance, and full gear all taken care of as well. The 650R has some scoot! More torque and earlier than a 600 so yeah, i already puckered my butt once or twice

 

anyone on here buys full coverage insurance? my roomate works for mcgraw/allstate and can get insurance for you guys if needed.

 

I got everything but collision. $360/year with state farm, not bad for a first time rider with a semi-sporty bike, I guess those cockwads take into account my accident from 2002 as well. Next year it will be even cheaper

 

Great advice! This Nighthawk is my 4th, previous were a Yamaha 750 Vtwin, Yamaha YZF-600R, ZX-6 and then this CB750. I learned to ride on an '81 Harley Sturgis...

 

how old are you, and do you have your car insurance with it?
p..s do you own a home?

 

No home, my car policy isnt with them (I had them quote it, it was almost 3x what I pay now for my car), 23 years old with 1 accident in 2002 that I guess they count

So I didnt get my car policy with them, but I got the same rate as I would have if I did. I guess they will give you the discount still if you can prove you have auto insurance in your own name, even if its another carrier

 

Has anyone just taken the DMV Driving test instead of the MSF Course, if so how hard is it?

 

I highly suggest taking the MSF, even if you have riding experience, its well worth the $250 IMO

I had a one "experienced" guy in my group, acting like hot ****, and man he had some bad habbits, didn't know some of the basics, couldn't u-turn for ****, and one guy was 1 point away from failing

 

They just make you ride around little circles n ****. Pretty easy, although I remember seeing one guy drop his bike while trying to ride around the Lollipop. INSTANT FAIL!

 

Yep...

Here's the thing... It's worth it from many angles, but look at this one: you get 2 days of practicing stuff that is hard to practice without an open lot, and if you tip over only once (some people dropped the bikes 2-3x in my class) then the $250 instantly paid for itself. Myself, I have been riding since I was 15 and am 31 now - but I haven't ridden much in the last 4 years. It was worth it just to tool around on a bike and get comfortable again with the dynamics, know that someone is watching and will nag me, and that I can crash, as well as a chance to work out some bad habits. I really think it is valuable for everyone who wants to spend time on a bike even if (or especially if) you think you don't need it.

 

i recommend the MSF course as well. when i lived on the east coast i tried to take one of the 'experienced rider' MSF courses once a year each spring right when i took my bike out of storage.. IMHO you can never learn/practice enough and it is good to be reminded about good riding habits and defensive riding skills

i started out on a EX500. the lack of plastics was great. i tipped it over in the parking lot a few times and it was awesome to be able to go 'whoops' pick it up again and no harm done. i also took it to poconos raceway for a lapping school and it was fine. great for first time track users.

best of all, they are cheap and hold their value.. i recommend purchasing a used EX500 and reselling it after a year or so

 

Okay thanks for all your input, since all the good reviews I will sign up for the MSF Course in Sonoma.

 

just curious

im 23 and i pay 404 a year for full coverage on 4 vehicles, with a 250 deductable and 100/300/100 coverage.
no accidents, no tickets.

 

you pay 404 a year for four vehicles? is that even possible? thats like 202 every 6months? I just got into working for state farms, and have never seen rate, especially for a 23 year old. I'm 22 and the rates for good coverages is expensive. It gets better with multiple policies though. home, auto, biek, etc.