I was pretty much in your position. Took the MSF class on their 250 cc bikes, got my endorsement and bought an '07 Softail Custom with only 2,000 miles on it. The salesman drove it out to my house so I wouldn't have to ride in crazy traffic the first time. I put a couple of hundred miles on it in a 10 mile radius from my house. This gave me a chance to get used to how it handled in low traffic, low speed situations. Eventually, I started venturing out further and further from home. I would often get up on Saturday and Sunday and go out at 7am because traffic on the highway was light.

Cost of repairs and dropping the bike (which I have done already) were not factors for me. Spend enough time on this forum and you'll read about all kinds of things that long-time riders have done. I read all the posts about accidents, dropped bikes, etc... because I can learn from their experiences.

I bought my bike because I liked how I felt when I sat on it, I loved the way it looked, the price was right and my wife was excited about eventually getting to go on rides with me (it took about 2 months before I rode 2 up).

You'll learn a lot from the advice/experience of people on this forum, I know I have. But I learn more spending time on the bike. Good luck with whatever you choose and ride safe.

 

I'd also reccomend finding a bike that's comfortable for you. My first street bike was a Yamaha Virago 750. At 6'2" and 280+lbs, it didn't take long t realize I was too big for that bike and ended up trading it off within a couple months.

True smaller bikes are lighter and easier to move around but if you don't fit on it, you'll be miserable in a short amount of time.

And for the record, I never dropped it during my learning curve.

 

10 thousandth post of the same subject also congrats

 

After the course you will be able to ride the 1200 with no problem (and continue to learn and practice) as long as you stay within your limits. I don't believe in the whole "you're going to drop your bike" stuff. People drop them sometimes; doesn't matter if they have 10 days experience or 10 years. Some people drop them at stop signs and some people drop them in their garages. The thing is not to crash.

 

I started on a '83 Kawasaki 550 that I got off Craigslist for under 1k. I sold it a year later and got what I paid for out of it. IMO it was the best way to go.

 

I agree with previous post that Harley are some of the most rider-friendly bikes out there but you WILL drop your first bike. I did. I think we all did. I dropped my first ever street bike at 50mph on a freeway exit ramp and I dropped my crotch rocket three times at low/no speed.

If you are the type to shudder and quake about having dropped it (or you don't have the bones to fix the scratched chrome and that strokes you out), then get a "starter" bike.

If you, like me, bang it and bash it and just write it off as "wear and tear" then jump right in! Heck, that just means you get your new custom painted tins sooner, right?

-Sin'

 

I agree on starting on a lighter, cheaper motorcycle, but I would avoid the Ninja style because of the fragile, expensive plastic they come wrapped in.

 

My first bike was a new Yamaha 650. I wanted a Harley, but cost and fear of dropping the bike kept me off th HD. After about 3 months I was really bored with the Yamaha, it seemed underpowered for a freeway commute and I traded it in on a used Superglide. In hindsight I should have just bought the HD in the first lace, I tok a butt raping on the trade in and my HD payments were higher because of it. Once you get the hang of it, you will not be satisfied with the starte bike. I guess if you get a used one it won't be so bad. My problem was finding an affordable jap bike Harley clone that I thought would satisfy me and there is just no substitute fro an HD if that is what you want. My wife picked up a 1995 Sporty for 3 grand a couple months back, so there are some deals out there.

 

After I took my MSF course I went out and picked up a used Suzuki C50 (800cc) for around $4k. You can probably get one pretty cheap these days. This was a good learning bike for me, not too heavy but had decent power. After that I stepped up to a C90 (1500cc) and then got the current Harley Limited. I have to admit the Limited is a fun bike and the best from all of these bikes, of course a lot more expensive but to be expected. I wouldn't recommend the Limited as a first bike for obvious reasons...

I don’t regret getting the C50 however if I were to do it all over again I would consider a Harley Sportster 883 or 1200 as a first bike.

Besides going through the MSF course you should pick up the “Ride Like a Pro” and “Surviving the Mean Streets DVDs, a lot of good info and you will learn a lot. Good luck with your course and your bike selection.

 

I'd also say if you really want a Harley, get it. I used to be really paranoid about dropping my bikes, if it happens, it happens. It's not like the bike will fall to pieces and never work again if it does fall over. Fix it and move on or keep it as a battle scar, who cares.

I'm also not a fan of buying a smaller metric to start out on, just because of the hassle later on of trying to sell it or trade it in.