Any advice would be great

Never had a motorcycle before but I will be getting one - I want something that I will be able to handle with out any problems - any suggestions?

 

Take the MSF or other comparable riding course and you will be able to form a better idea of what kind and size of bike you wantto start out on. It's usually a good idea to buy an older, used reasonably small bike to start on as it would be a shame to drop a brand new bike and if you're like the majority of beginners you will drop your bike, more than once. During this period of getting over the newbie status you again will have opportunities to gain more knowledge about bikes and you'll be able to form a better idea of what you want your next bike to be.

 

Do like whaap says. [sm=smiley20.gif]

 

I second that motion

 

So something like a used Sporty for learning would be good you think?

 

Really for a beginning rider I think a Sportster isn't a good choice. I would think something along the lines of a 600-750 Honda, Yamaha or something along those lines would be the way to go. You can buy one of them alot cheaper than you can buy a Sportster and when you go to sell it, to buy your real bike, youshouldn't loose nearly as much money. At least that's my opinion. Everyone will have a different idea of what a beginner bike should be.

One thing for sure is that no matter what you buy for a beginner bike itwill not last you long. Probably within 6 months you will have the experience, confidence and knowledge to know better what you want your "real" bike to be and you will be buying it and selling your beginner.

Good luck. It's a neat adventure.

 

# 1...take a bike course...
#2....go out and look around at all the bikes that are out there..
#3....in your mind at least for now decide what you want to do riding wise....
Make sure what type of riding you really had in your mind you wanted to do....(IE) mega highway
cruising or more city riding...Once you have an idea of what you are after, making a decision will be
easier...You may find that over the next few years you do a bike change as your riding abilities improve.
Good luck and we look forward to hearing how things are coming along....

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Like has been said, first and foremost, take the MSF course. As far as bikes are concerned, I'd always suggest a new rider get an inexpensive metric until they know what kind of riding they will enjoy. It makes a lot of difference in what bike you ultimately get. Good metrics include a Suzuki Savage or Intruder. Both will go highway speeds but are very manuverable for a new rider.

 

Definitely take a rider course. After that, it depends on your comfort level. If you are confident, get the bike you want. If not, get a used Buell Blast. Many are less than $2000 (only a few years old), and they are smooth enough to ride for a short while, then upgrade. I prefer the Dynas and Softtails over the baggers, and the VRod Special is a great bike (but you want to get riding experience before going the VRod route).

 

As othes have said, take the course first. This way you will know that you can actually ride and help decide if you like it. A 500 to 700 honda such as the shadow (or other brand) will do just fine to learn on, not as intimidating as a larger bike and good for most anything you may want to do. If you do not really know what you want and can handle the suggestions offered by others is a good way to go. It would be a damn shame if you put down $13k or more only to discover its not right for you.