Looking for motorcycle advice

[zesty]

suzuki sv 650...great all around bike.. 03+ are fuel injected and have plenty of power and are 3-4k in excellent shape

I had one and loved it. They're small and sporty, but you're not laying down like a sportbike. It's more like a dirt bike. If you want to lay down more you can get the S model. If anyone tells you that a 650 isn't strong enough, stop listening to anything else they say. Especially when you're talking about such a light bike. The biggest plus for the SV is that it has a V-Twin motor. Lots of torque and a very cool sound. It doesn't have the whine of a sportbike.

I'm 6ft tall. I added handlebar risers (just spacers to lift the handlebar higher), you can also just buy a new handlebar. I modified the seat myself by contouring and lowering it. It was easy. You could just buy a new better seat. They're popular bikes so there's lots of aftermarket changes you can make. Ebay has lots of parts.

A Buell would have been my first pick for the same reasons but they cost more.

WOW Motorcycles in Marietta is worth a drive. They have tons of used bikes to look at, sit on, and get a feel for pricing.

 

[wirepuller]

Bmw are BadA no doubt but hard to find for 3or4k ..SV's are good too.
Crotch rockets are really cool...fast as a bat out of ..Hell..
How about a BRP or BWP ....Honda XR650l Cruise 70+ all day 45/50mpg reliable as a Glock
Lots of add on's available
Likes gnarly forest roads ..bonus great bug/out vehicle ...Won the Baja many times !!
This is one up on Blood Mt. N.Ga. Mt.'s

 

[roryred]

You will learn quite a bit about what you like and don't like with your first bike. Expect to want to replace it after a year, regardless of what you get. It is like buying a gun without ever having gone shooting.

If you have an idea what you want to do, you can make a closer guess....
on and off road?
Long weekend trips?
Short commute to work and back?
How long are your legs?
How much have you ridden before?
Ever taken a riding class? What bike was it on? How did that feel?
Passenger?
Fair weather?

Even with all of that... I would stick with the learner bike approach. Something not to expensive up front, common enough to get repair parts, reliable, 600cc or so. Most of the above suggestions fall into that category.

My current bike is a sport tourer, Kawasaki Concours, which works for me but I've had all kinds from Harley to Goldwing, GSRX to YZ, ...

 

[zesty]

Your right, I shouldnt have used the word "outgrown". 600's are very nimble and great track bikes. I guess I meant for daily riders. a lot mov on to the 750 and 1000 for the ecceleration power over the 600.

A 600 can still blow away just about any car on the road anytime, from any starting speed. 1000cc motors probably make more sense in a heavy cruiser. On a bike that's less that 400lbs, I don't think it matters. Sorry to nitpick, you just make it sound like 600's are slow, lol.

 

[Laufen]

6 feet tall, 175 lbs, 33 inch inseam.
No previous experience outside of scooters
Just looking for something to ride for fun
Never taken a class

 

[fz1boxer]

loved my little 500 vulcan for a daily commuter,loved getting 60mpg when gas jumped up to 4 a gallon

 

[Zombie Ninja]

6 feet tall, 175 lbs, 33 inch inseam.
No previous experience outside of scooters
Just looking for something to ride for fun
Never taken a class

MSF approved course. It's a 3 day class but just do it. You'd never learn some of the info covered even after a few years of riding.

 

[dougiemac]

Yes... the MSF course is awesome. My buddy has done it and I'm going to do it this March as a refresher since I havent owned a bike in over 15 years.

Here's some videos of the course: http://online2.msf-usa.org/msf/videos.aspx

 

[twowheelz]

You did not mention your age ? If you are younger you need to consider insurance cost as well. My advise is to first take the MSF class. Then go visit shops and sit on a bunch of stuff and see what fits. I always recomend starting small , find something that is not to expensive and upgrade latter. Spend the money on gear and training. The sv 650 , Ninja 650 are great choices as is the Kawi Versys . You want to be "under" not "over" whelmed with your first bike.
The dual sport thing is a great idea. Learning to ride in the dirt can save you but on the street. Controlling slides and slips becomes second nature.I started on a DT175 and rode in today on a Ducati 1199S. I have been riding for over 20 years and probably have 7-800000 miles under my belt and NEVER been down on the street.Track and dirt .... welll thats a different story.lol. So take your training seriously and start small. Dress for a crash but don't think about it. And learn to read traffic. That 50 cc scooter will help for sure.
I have literally sold thousands of bikes and been in the biz for a long time. The guys who start with the right training and bike stick with it. The ones who start too big usually have some kind of "incident" and give up or get hurt. When you get back feel free to come see me I can show you lots of stuff and give you some good advise on anything used you may find.

 

[blakejohn]

A 600 can still blow away just about any car on the road anytime, from any starting speed. 1000cc motors probably make more sense in a heavy cruiser. On a bike that's less that 400lbs, I don't think it matters. Sorry to nitpick, you just make it sound like 600's are slow, lol.

Nit picking is fine, doesnt bother me. It actually makes me think about my comments more