My Son wants to ride...

[Grolli]

What would be a good recommendation for a "starter bike"? He is 6'3" and skinny. Fits and likes a Yamaha FZ-09 well.

 

He likes the crotch rockets, not sure if that is a good start.

 

Ideas?

[Brake Pad]

Cruiser, will keep him alive longer ( Straight to the point) make him take a safety course.

a 750 or better is a nice starter bike

 

the day I got my new bike, a young kid got a crotch rocket 250 first bike, the following week I came back to the shop to order my trailer hitch, and watched 3 guys pull what looked like a bike off the back of a pick up truck. it was what was left of that kids 250. ( he got killed on it early that week )

 

NO CROTCH ROCKET:thumbsup2:

[T.J.]

Eight years ago I bought my son his first bike. An older Honda 1100 CB. He learned how to ride and kept that bike for 4 years. He too is 6'3 225 lbs. He now rides a Yamaha FZ and takes it to the drag strip every now and then in Lapeer Mi. He has to wear the full leather gear because of the speed he reaches.

 

Here in Michigan you can get a learners permit and be able to ride with someone 21 years or older. We did that for 2 months and he went and passed his test and now is enjoying the love of the sport.

 

It doesn't mater what you ride, you still have to use good sense and that is what you need to instill in him.

 

Enjoy the time of riding with your son. We have had some great times together. I keep trying to get him to get a touring bike so we can go on those longer trips.

[RedRider]

http://grandforks.craigslist.org/mcy/4367370576.html

 

2nd the MSF rider course.

 

RR

[OrlinEngh]

I agree with a saftey course and something other than a crotch rocket for the first bike.

Get a nice bike to learn on and stay away for that need for speed feel of the crotch rocket untill he has miles under his belt.

Orlin

[djh3]

Might be a bit big but the Kawasaki 900 Vulcans have been out long enough now they should be approachable price wise. The 750 Honda shadows are a good starter. Ya kind of hate to throw them on something big right off the bat because of the power but if they like the more straight up type Buell made some really good bikes. Blast was smaller of them, once they jumped to the bigger 1200 range they had sportster engines in them. Maybe a Kawi Concur or FJR. You didn't mention age or driving experience. If like 16-17 I guess I would lean towards the smaller bikes.

Most states anymore the MSF is a requirement to get your endorsement. But not every state requires and endorsement. Silly as that is. Also riding without an endorsement in a state that requires it is like not having a license at all if the insurance company gets involved and they want to be crappy about it.

[Grolli]

MSF is a no brainer. Its mandatory in our household.. I re-take it every few years (the advanced course). Also counts as your riders test, road portion, here in ND.

 

As for the VStar... thats a newer bike then mine! But.. nice find.. thanks!

[Beau-Kat]

I have been teaching young and old, men and women to ride (pro bono, I'm not yet an MSF certified instructor) for a very, very, long time. Before I begin to work with them, they have to agree to take a MSF course when I'm done. I also will help them maintain their bikes as a fellowship and instructional opportunity.

 

I advocate an older standard type bike and generally liability insurance (with good medical coverage) for starters. If he lays his ride down, not much lost out of pocket. If he changes his mind and either wants a different ride or just doesn't like riding at all, same thing.

 

I like the standard bikes because they are more easily managed than cruisers. You have your feet under you and on pegs, not out front on floorboards. And, most standards can be ridden all day without much discomfort brought on by the body positioning of many cruisers or crotch rockets. A long, no hump seat helps to allow some wiggle room for someone with long legs.

 

My son began his riding on my 1981 Maxim, because that's what I had that fit him at the time. The seat isn't flat, but he wasn't over 6 foot tall, so that worked out well. He learned maintenance and safety checks.

 

He eventually bought his own Yamaha 1996 Seca II. Crotch rockety to his liking, but not front wheel lofting as some of the newer 600 bikes. And it got great gas mileage to boot.

 

After he joined the service, he bought a Hyabusa becuase it spewed testosterone at anyone near it. Eventually, he (possibly) made a bad decision on take-off and wrecked it, damaging his shoulder. He is currently without a bike and ok with that for the time being.

 

An older bike also mandates a certain amount of hands-on to keep it running well. This introduces him to the idea of checking over his bike often before riding. In many, that in itself forms a connection to the bike and to riding.

 

Education, responsibility, safety, and respect for riders and machines should be taught early on.

 

As they grow and mature in their desire and love of riding, they can try out what they like and then make the major purchase of a newer bike if they want.

[Beau-Kat]

Partial Quote:

"As for the VStar... thats a newer bike then mine! But.. nice find.. thanks!"

 

 

My wife's bike is a 2002 VStar Classic and we love it. Enouigh power, good fuel mileage, low maintenance, etc. She is 5'1" tall and likes it just fine.

 

However, I'm only 5'9" and can tell you, your son with his height would absolutely not be comfortable on this bike. When I ride it, I am forever begging for a longer stretch between the floorboards and the seat back.

 

Another note, I only rode one VStar 1100, but that one had a custom seat designed for a woman. So it seemed short to me also. I don't know about the stock VStar 1100 seat arrangement.

[BigLenny]

A really great bike for a tall rider is the Suzuki 650 VStrom.

[bongobobny]

Hey Grolli make sure he watches several of the utube videos dealing with the downside of stupid riding...

[Guest tx2sturgis]

50cc scooter with restricter plate.

 

[Grolli]

50cc scooter with restricter plate.

 

 

Well.. Momma G does not even want him on that.. I am soooo in the dog house at the moment.

[GAWildKat]

Husband got a suzuki volusia as a 1st bike after the msf, he enjoyed it, but now looking for a bike that can deal with interstate for his daily work commute.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

[shmily]

+1 on the Safety Course.

 

Started my 17 year old son on a Suzuki Boulevard C50T last summer. It's a very versatile bike that makes decent power but not too much. Easy to transition to longer rides when he's ready, but very manageable around town.

 

We started trail riding together when he was younger, so this has been a pretty adjustment for him.

[Howard B]

What ever happened to the 250s for starter bikes? Assuming your son has no experience with riding. My first bike was a cb 160. I thought it was fast. To have someone who has no riding time at all to jump on a 1000c bike to start is asking for an accident. Just my 2 cents.

[djh3]

Although it is hard to do sometimes, just because you got all that power don't mean you got to use it all the time. I use to have a rule about cars and driving. When you learn its on a stick. If its a small underpowered car its should be a stick shift that way you can try to get out of the way. Sometimes smaller is better, and I can see the reasoning as far as weight. but I would hate to see someone start on a 250 and in 2 months be looking for something bigger. If you start around 650-900 at least they should be able to ride that one for a few years.

[Grolli]

If you start around 650-900 at least they should be able to ride that one for a few years.

 

Kinda what I was thinking. I was looking at the 500-750 range. Nothing really around here (that is road worthy in his price range) at the moment.

[cabreco]

For someone his size a 750 is a nice all around bike. My kid was not even 5'9" & 130lb soaking wet so a Rebel type is the only option for him. If you can find a 4 cyl Honda CB he'll love it. It's not a touring bike, but it is a nice cruiser. They were the 1st superbikes. I STILL have mine.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/album.php?albumid=1095

You can get a decent one under $1.5k

 

The MSF is a must. I rode as a teenager, never took the course. Gave up riding at 25 years old trade for career & family. At 52 I decided to take up the bike again & took the MSF course. I was AMAZED at what I learned. Things that they showed be made riding so much easier & safer.

[cowpuc]

Gonna sound like ol Pucster has gone off the deep end BUT,,, an old beater XR100 playing around in a field until shifting/throttle control/braking become second nature.. The skills aquired by riding a little bike in the safety of the off road environment are directly applicable to street riding on a big bike..

[stickhandle2]

I was in the same boat a couple of years ago but with my daughter as she wanted to ride. We made her take the Motorcycle training course, not sure what insurance rates are like in the US but up here in Canada they are silly for all ages even worse for people under 21, for that reason we started her on a 250 Marauder, yes way too small for someone over 6 feet, but a real good bike to get your feet wet on.

 

I would go along with a few others advocating a bike with an upright riding position especially for someone who is taller, and the older bikes are great bikes to start on, as mentioned they are pretty reasonable to buy, great way to learn about taking care of a bike, and generally a bit easier on the insurance.

 

Over this past winter, our daughter has picked up a 750 Virago which for her is going to be almost perfect as a second bike.

 

My 2 cents

 

Mike

[Barrycuda]

I tend to agree with DJH3/Dion on this. The Vulcan 800/900 or the honda 750 will give him years of problem free riding while learning about himself, the bike, the roads. I also would demand he take the MSF. IMO, should be mandatory throughout the country. When I took my MSF in 2003, I was the only one that NEVER was even on a motorcycle. Other hot shots been riding 420 years. Half of them failed the safety course. Have him learn safe, usable habits now that will keep him safe and possibly alive. Keep us posted.

[vzuden]

When my son, 6'3", was in college he had a buddy give him a non- running '78 Honda CB750. Over the previous few years he had hinted he should be able to ride one of my bikes. Remembering how I used to ride when I was that age I was not too keen on allowing that to happen. I must have been more forthcoming with expressing my desires about he not riding than I could remember because sought out his mother's advise on how to tell me he had a bike.

 

Anyway, I trailered the bike to my shop and it turned into a fantastic father/son project. We approached it from a restoration point of view. We tore it down to the frame and rebuilt, sandblasted, painted, and polished every component. While I funded the project, the time together and the education he received was priceless. He has since restored three more bikes of similar vintage and is now building a custom turbo charged 900+ cc engine out of 750 cc engine.

 

I share this story because it ties into some of the comments posted already: an older bike teaches the maintenance need, is typically lower cost, the 750 is a decent starter bike in terms of size and availability of parts, and isn't obnoxiously powerful when compared to the crotch rockets. Plus the investment in the time and effort in taking a junker and making it look and run like it did when it was new might lead to more careful riding to avoid damaging it.