Instruction: What is the best modern motorcycle for a beginning rider?


Response: If you have no or little experience with motorcycles, choosing a good first motorcycle can be challenging. While it is tempting to buy your dream supersport or touring cruiser, your first bike should be one that you can feel confident on so you can quickly master the skills necessary to ride a faster or larger bike more safely. Assess a new bike not from a place of desire, but from practical perspective, and consider these qualities:

- Seat height: For most new riders, confidence comes more quickly when you can place both feet on the ground with a little bend in the knees. If you have a 32" inseam, consider bikes with a 31" or less seat height. If you have a 28" inseam, consider bikes with a 27" or lower seat height. Note that some bikes have wider "waists" that require you to spread your legs farther apart, so visit a dealer and sit on a variety of bikes until you find ones that you can sit comfortable atop with both feet planted.

- Center of gravity: Bikes weigh from 250 lbs (dirt bikes) to over 800 lbs (large "dresser" cruiser bikes). Most bikes weigh between 400 and 600 lbs. However, weight isn't what makes a bike tip over easily -- rather, it's where the center of gravity is located. Sport bikes and adventure bikes carry their weight higher and more forward in the frame, where as standard and cruiser bikes carry it lower and closer to the rider. If you, as a new rider, grab a fistful of front brake during a low speed maneuver, what is going to cause the bike to start tipping over faster? Having a heavy weight high and forward. When assessing a first bike, look at where the engine and transmission mass seems to be centered relative to rider position. Sit on the bike with both feet planted and tilt it a little to the left and the right. Do you feel more or less strain on your shoulders as you bring it back it back to center? If you feel more, that sensation will become a danger when your learning low speed maneuvers and require more physical compensation, and will inhibit your ability to develop a good low speed riding technique.

- Ergonomics: Most people feel cool in a racer's lean on a supersport, or slung back in a feet-forward posture when riding a cruiser. However, starting in those positions as a new rider can lead to discomfort, or inhibit your ability to develop solid basic riding techniques. Ideally, you want to be upright, elbows loose and bent and even with the bars. Your back should be straight with about a 5 degree forward lean. Your feet should be below your hips with a comfortable bend to the knees. In this position, you have the flexibility to better compensate for a lack of experience and technique when you encounter challenging situations on the road.

- Engine displacement: Much ado is made about choosing the right displacement for a start bike. This is a bit of a myth: very few bikes, regardless of displacement, are fundamentally hostile to a new rider when it comes to engine performance: they are as fast or as slow as you treat the throttle. That said, smaller displacement bikes tend to be lighter, have lower seats, and are generally more newbie-friendly. However, some larger displacement bikes, including 650-900cc standards and 1100cc-plus cruisers can also be safe to learn on, as they favor low-revving torque over high-revving horsepower, with relatively gentle throttle response but plenty of grunt to push you forward from idle without extensive clutch feathering and rev management. Conversely, some smaller bikes, like the Kawasaki Ninja 250, require extensive revving and frequent gear shifting to get to street and highway speeds. Ask yourself: Do I want a light bike that will force me to learn good gear and rev management (a good idea if you have track aspirations), or a heavier bike that starts moving right off idle and requires less gear changing at street speeds? That's your answer to the question of displacement.

- Throttle and brake response. Modern fuel injection, ECU development, and environmental emissions regulations have led to a situation where many sportier bikes have notchy throttles at low speeds, where closing the throttle cuts fuel and causes the bike to lurch a bit. This can be unpleasant for new riders who have yet to learn partial clutch management skills. Additionally, powerful sport bikes with inline-4 or V4 engine configuration can stutter and lurch at very low revs, requiring careful clutch and rev management that might be unfamiliar or uncomfortable to new riders -- these are bikes designed to be ridden fast, high in their powerbands. Additionally, powerful supersports and "hooligan" supermotos have very powerful brakes, like Brembo's Stylema or M4 units, which can easily pitch a new rider over the bars if they haven't developed a light, progressive touch on the brakes. If you, as a new rider, are having to spend your riding time compensating for unpredictable throttle behaviors or aggressive brakes, you aren't in a place to quickly learn good techniques safely.

So with all that in mind, what are some good starter bikes?

- Kawasaki Ninja 400 or Z400: If your ambition is to ride a powerful supersport (like Kawasaki's own ZX-10R), start with a Ninja 400 or Z400. The Ninja is similar in style to supersport bikes, but has raised "clip-on" handle bars that convey the appearance of a racer but raise the incline of your posture to a more comfortable space. They also have a slightly lower seat height, and an accommodating 399cc parallel-twin motor with good throttle response and solid but unthreatening brakes. The Z400 is a more upright version of the Ninja 400 that shares the same engine and brakes, but lacks the plastic fairing and clip-on grips. Similar bikes include Yamaha's 321cc R3 and MT-03, Honda's CBR500F and CBR500R, KTM's RC390 and Duke 390, and BMW's G310. All of them perform very similarly, and are considered great gateway bikes to sport riding. Many track enthusiasts favor these bikes due to their light weight, engaging engines, and overall low cost of maintenance and insurance. If you really feel the need for speed so early in your riding career, Yamaha's MT-07 and Triumph's Trident 660 are relatively safe choices.

- Triumph Street Twin 900. While well over 400 lbs, Triumph's Street Twin 900 is a very newbie friendly bike with a smooth, slow revving 900cc parallel-twin engine that puts down a lot of grunt and requires very little rev management -- you can short shift it any gear and still have the torque to move away cleanly without any fuss. Its comfortable seat and neutral "standard" riding position, along with its traction control and ABS features, mean that riding it is effortless and you won't be sore when you step off it after a long day cruising the backroads. It carries its weight low and close to the rider, and has a low-ish seat height of approximately 30". Brakes are progressive without being intimidating, and a new rider will quickly learn good technique astride it. It also looks the part of a modern retro motorcycle, with clean curb appeal. Similar bikes include Moto Guzzi's V7 series, Kawasaki's Z650RS, and Royal Enfield's 650cc Interceptor.

- Honda's Rebel 500. While it may not be the most eye-catching cruiser at the local Starbucks, Honda's Rebel 500 is a great gateway to the cruiser world. The 500cc engine is tuned for torque, not speed, and its low seat height of around 26" means it is approachable by riders of all heights. It can keep up with larger bikes and serves as an effective commuter, with low costs of insurance and maintenance, and can be easily customized. Similar bikes include Royal Enfield's 350 Meteor and 650 Super Meteor, and Honda's 600cc Shadow line. For those not intimidated by weight, Harley-Davidson's 1700cc Heritage Softail is a surprisingly accommodating bike for new riders, with a low seat height and an impressive center of gravity that makes the bike feel a couple hundred pounds lighter once bumped off its kickstand. Avoid the older Sportster line, often inappropriately pitched as "the Harley for new riders" due to their relatively low displacements compared to KD's more upmarket models -- these bikes have very high-and-forward centers of gravity and weak front brakes that can easily inhibit your skills development.

Lastly, if you're looking at adventure bikes, Royal Enfield's 400cc Himalayan, Kawasaki's Versys 300X, and BMW's G310GS provide light weights, friendly engines, and reasonable seat heights all while being moderately well-equipped for gravel or graded dirt roads.

The most important thing, however, is to take the time to sit on the bikes at a dealer and think hard about the qualities discussed in this article. If you fall in love with the hobby, the bike you get today will not be the bike you have tomorrow. Focus on learning, not fashion, and make a choice that feels comfortable and safe to you.