[Closed] Can you recommend a sports bike suitable for someone who hasn't ridden before?

Supermoto is about light, flickable fun, not all day comfort. It's about grip, lean angle, wheelies, riding up ginels/snickets and just generally upsetting hand wringers.

Sports bikes are useless on the road - they don't work under 100. SM bikes are useless on the road - they don't work over 50. Combine the two and you get something useful.

You get a traditional road bike, which is why they're ideal - they work between 0 and 100.

We're riding different roads. Loads of B ones round here. I'm buying another one day..

If you want a bike for all occasions as with every all in one-er there will be compromise.

My YZ450 was geared to do 110 but that's why it blew up. They're not made for constant high revs. More corner to corner squirt

all the sports bike fans - do you enjoy thrashing the bike? Are you actually able to thrash your sports bike?

Me - even my 100 bhp 230 kilo BMW with uprated everything I got to the point where I could just about give it a damn good thrashing after 20 000 miles on it and hundreds of thousands of miles over decades on bikes. I have ridden a few faster bikes and no way could I give them a decent thrashing - when they wheelie off the throttle at 80 mph in third barely halfway up the rev range its just too much.

a cbr 600 is what - 110 bhp and 170 kgs?

I fail to see the point in getting sports bike to pootle around on. Tehy don't work properly for pootling and are uncomfortable.

Plenty of advice, so like mugboo I'll tell what I did:

learnt for a year on a Suzuki RG125F
did a 3 day DAS, with a Suzuki Bandit 600
passed the test at the end
bought myself a Suzuki GSXR600

The gixxer wouldn't normally be reccomended but I couldn't help myself. Then 18 months later had Kawasaki ZX9R, didn't like this so got a Yamaha R1 back end 0f 1999.

As of yet I haven't died, but maybe commuting 80 miles a day, day in day out, including the M4 at rush hour helped with the preservation.

Why my choice of GSXR600, well let's face ANY bike over 400cc will out accelerate a car, and has enough go to kill you - so I got what I liked the look of...

My first bike

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Can anyone recommend a bike which looks fast enough to attract the ladeez

IME it's like mountainbiking, a few 'laydeez' (unless you'r that way inclined, didn't accidently miss out the 'y' and were actualy after leather clad ladeez?) like bikes, however they tend to like bikes quite a lot and will know more about your bike than you do. The lady population at large will just view you as imature and after cheep thrills.

Go get some gear (George Whites in Swindon are like the CRC of motorbikes and you can actualy go int he shop and try stuff on (v.impotant, a loose helmet or leathers can cause more injuries than they prevent), £100 helmet, £100 jacket, £50 trousers and £20 gloves and some walking boots will be enough for the test.

Then get some lessons (big recomendation for North East Motorcycle Training if your in the Darlington area). You'll get to ride two or three different 500/600 CC bikes and see whether you really want more power (you'll probably find the answer is no).

Take the tests.

Then go shopping.

No point buying a bike before the test as unlike a car you can't ride it on L-plates without a fully qualified instructor behind you.

all the sports bike fans - do you enjoy thrashing the bike? Are you actually able to thrash your sports bike?

I've found wearing jeans and t-shirt makes me ride sensibly though, but that limits me to when I can ride.

I blame helmet laws.

Tuned ZX7 R being sold and 608cc Srx single cafe racer being kept, there's a reason for this, I quite like my licence 😉

The ZX10 R my mate bought to replace the Zx7 does 104mph in first 😯

The first time the Duc gets wet it WILL stop working

Utter, utter, UTTER shite.

(Says the bloke whos currently commuting on an ST3s)

Older ones might not like starting in the wet (early 90's) but they won't break if you look after them.
My friend's 900ss is beautifully cantancurous (yes I know sp!) if the air is slightly damp 😀

Utter, utter, UTTER shite.

Older ones might not like starting in the wet (early 90's) but they won't break if you look after them.

jhw - Member
Thank you all.

Very helpful.

May I phrase the question another way?:

"Can anyone recommend a bike which looks fast enough to attract the ladeez and has the capability to plonk one on the back, but which will not kill me as a complete beginner (with redmist/aggressive tendencies)"?

I don't care about it actually going fast but I want it to look like it's going at 90mph when it's stood still.

Erm, in that case can I suggest a Ducati Monster?

I have never owned a bike, but have considered it many times before deciding I don't fancy the risks involved. Sure I don't doubt my own sanity and 'fear' keeping me in check, but I would be concerned about other road users. Most of my mates who ride bikes have had accidents involving broken bits and pieces and everytime it was due to another road user 'not seeing them'.

Anyhoo - I digress....
A mate at uni had a relationship turn sour and to cheer himself up he bought himself a Monster 750.
Compared to other bikes, it wasn't that great in terms of performance etc. but the girls definitely liked it. He was forever getting people (girls) asking for a ride on his bike; a few of them were just random people who would come up to him in the bike park bit at uni....

And it sounded bloody great!

dont get a twin, they deliver their power in great huge dollops lower in the revs and you will probably end up flicking yourself off the back if you're clumsy with the throttle...and you will be to begin with.

More utter shite.

Have you ever ridden a twin? I suspect not.

4cyl vs Twins:
Some people find 600 4c bikes gutless. They can be hard work becasue you're always changing gear every time you need power. But some people like that, and the top-end rush. Which is good.
A twin, however, should have nice smooth drive from 3-4000 rpm and up, almost making the gearbox redundant, if you so choose. It's not "huge dollops", it's instant response whenever you need it. Which is good.

You won't 'flick yourself off the back' on a twin. I've never heard such bollox, to be frank.

You really should try a Ducati. I've never ridden anything with such beautifully smooth power delivery as out ST3s. It's completely linear, predictable and smooth. You get what you ask for, when you ask for it.

The two I had would stop working in all weather.

The 3 we've had have been the most reliable bikes we've ever owned.

(Monster 695, Monster 696, ST3s)

More reliable than my Honda, more reliable than our Triumphs.

Peter you've had quite new ones, I think the reliability thing stems from the earlier models as I'm sure you know which had slightly 'Italian' electric.
Similar vein to the Fiat reliabilty rep., I guess

+1 on what PP just said. That bloke I mentioned above loved his Monster for that reason - loads of torque and smooth power delivery. He could pootle in 3rd, twist the throttle and off you'd go.

And another couple of mates went to the south of France for a biking holiday; one of them had about 7 or 8 years experience and was on a Fireblade, the other was a relative beginner (6 months or so) and was on an SV 650.
Apparently the SV was loads easier to ride on the twisty roads due to the riding position and the power delivery. He said he was able to keep it in third and just wind the throttle on & off, while the bloke on the 'blade was constantly having to change up & down to keep the engine revs in a suitable range.

Sure, if they'd have been proper going for it, the 'blade would leave the SV for dust, but for cruising the SV was right up there. I think my mate with the 'blade was a bit put out by it, to be honest!

I've been on the back of a variety of bikes and the V-twins have always seemed a bit less frantic and more controlled.

Comprimise and get an italian tripple?

They have the most advanced traction controll ever, they wont start if it's wet.

They never need cleaning as thye never run long enough to get dirty.

They look good.

They impress bike geeks.

They make a lot of noise.

I give you.........

Laverda Jota!
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The 3 we've had have been the most reliable bikes we've ever owned.

(Monster 695, Monster 696, ST3s)

More reliable than my Honda, more reliable than our Triumphs.

The pre-2000 stuff is a hobby.

To the OP:

If you want a sports bike, go buy one! Life's too short etc....

But be aware of this -
A 1000cc sportsbike could be a real handfull. They will accelerate so hard you'll loose touch with reality, they can be uncomfortable, and expensive to run.
A 600cc sportsbike won't bite you so hard, but you might not like the gutless midrange. It can still get you into trouble very rapidly though, be just as uncomfortable, and cost just as much to run.
A Japaneese bike may be cheaper and more reliable. Or it may not. The more you look after it, the better it will be. It may look fantastic this year, but will it look so good next year?
An Italian bike may be less reliable. Or it may not. The more you look after it, the better it will be. If you like the look of it this year, it'll look just as nice next year.

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FWIW, I had a 955i Speed Triple for 6 years, 32,000 miles. I loved it. A big walloping bike with a real snarl and an addictive top end kick. It was very fast, but it was rare I could use the power, although it could be ridden like a scooter on the torque.

I traded it in for a Ducati Monster 696. 259cc and 30bhp down, and 40+ kg lighter.

In a word, that little 696 was wonderful. It never felt slow, it made the most astonishing noise from the airbox, and next to the Triumph it was tiny, like a little BMX. I could (And did) rev the knackers off it and feel totally in control, then brush the brakes and throw it into a corner as it was so light and flickable. That bike used to make me laugh out loud. It was fun. Never scary. My favourite bike ever.

Now we have the ST3s, I'm back to the big bike/big power thing again, but it's smoother than the Triumph. It doesn't have any kick in the power at all. It's cossetted me every day this week on a 130 mile round trip commute in some pretty nasty conditions, without ever feeling like it's too much, or too snatchy or too twitchy. But make no mistake, it's proper fast.

@real bikers' would ingore and dismiss the little Monster as a beginners bike. Motorcycling is like that. But if you can look past the 'tags' (Sportsbike, tourer, scooter etc) given to bikes and just find what make you smile, what makes you feel good, then you'll be OK. There's more than one person been suckered into buying a bike on the image, then been unable to handle it for various reasons, and given up.

If I could sneak another bike by the wife it would be a Ducati. A Hypermotard 796...

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Unlike its big brother you can ride past the occasional petrol station. Cheap too.

5th, I fancy a Monster 796. I don't think I'd bother with the 1100, and I've had a 696.... I think that engine would be a lovely compromise.

They sip fuel too, those air cooled angines 🙂

I passed my test about 13years ago.

First bike was a VFR400 which I liked as you could use all of the power and the handling was superb. I am 5'11 however and after about 6months I got fed up of folding myself on it, it was deffo built for someone smaller than me. But great cornering and you needed to really thrash it to keep up with mates on bigger bike. It was a lot of fun.

So I then ordered a new CBR600F it took ages to arrive and they kept fobbing me off. So I went in one day and in a fit of madness I asked them if I could have the ZX9R they had in stock instead. Initially I thought to my self it was not that quick, then I realised I was short shifting into 6th and riding everywhere in 6th.

But...... not being used to a heavier bike I dropped it in the work car park picking my lid up off the floor and leaning the bike over too much. Really stupid but I was just not used to such a heavy bike.

Had it for 3 years after that and loved it an did many miles on it. It was a de restricted 140BHP model, which was pretty quick in its day. Quite heavy though so you really needed to learn to turn a bike properly if you wanted to ride fast.

Then had a load of other bikes including the must have R1 etc, really enjoyed them.

I then had a bit of a break for a couple of years and then bought a new R6. It was fantastic so light brilliant handling. I initially thought they had forgot to fit the engine coming from bigger bikes. Once I realised you had to wring its neck it was so fast and so much fun. Again had that for a few years before realising I didn't actually like going anywhere on it as it was so uncomfortable.

So now I have a triumph 675 street triple R and its great. Riding position is great. I also bought it as it did not have a faring so it would keep my straight line speed down. It does and thats good, but can be annoying on the motorway. Again though you do have to spank it to go anywhere so I am considering a bigger naked bike like a Touono V4R but need to ride one first. It might just be too much bike !!!

I am also considering a 1200 Multistrada I hired a R1200GS BMW this summer for two weeks touring in the Alps. I love how comfy it was and how effortlessly it covered miles. Think a Mutley might be similiar but a bit more sporty, but need to test ride.

Back to the OP question about a sports bike as a first bike. My mate is taking his test soon and did his CBT the other day. He hired a 125 for the weekend and we went out for him to practice. It was amazing and I am sure he learnt more than he would have on a quick bike. For a start he did not have to worry about managing his speed going into corners so he could concentrate on lines etc. He also did not want to loose speed that was hard gained. I got a lot out of it too as I followed him and tried to get my lines as spot on as possible, afterwards I went out on my own riding and the improvement was amazing and I have ridden a fair bit over the years.

So I guess I am saying sometimes you need to go slow to go fast 🙂

edited to add

God that's long sorry 🙂

Peter, I'm afraid I'm going to disagree. Both myself and friends have had Ducs before and all of them have had serious problems. The latest being a mate with a 1098S - whilst on a roundabout the bike literally died on him and due to the high compression of the engine it locked the back wheel up and lobbed him and itself down the road. The fault? A corroded connection in the ECU. This was a bike that had done 1800 miles from new, spent its life in Dubai and had a pampered life. It got to the point where he started commuting on his RD500 because it was more reliable!

There are other things - the headlight was comically bad, the steering lock a joke, the mirrors didn't fold in (doesn't sound much until you try to take it through a doorway), the list goes on. Mine had numerous electrical issues, a couple of other mates have had the same. For a premium motorbike in my book thats not acceptable. Don't get me wrong, they are stunning to look at and good fun to ride. But I'd never have another. I've had the same problem with Aprilia and a friend with his numerous KTM's, to the point where I'd never have another European bike ever. I don't doubt that the monsters and some of the SuperSports are good and I'm sure for every one of my tales of woe there are others who have had nothing but joy. But the OP stated he wanted a sports bike, which puts him in 916/996/748 territory and frankly I wouldn't touch one.

Chap above has a point - Triumph Street Triple. The only bike I've sat on that feels like an MTB and everyone raves about them. Definitely worth a look, and they're in budget!

The Street Triple R is a great bike. I in fact went in to buy a Speed Triple but the guy persuaded me to ride both. The street was so much lighter. Its pretty much a 600cc sports bike with no fairing and a comfy riding position.

I am really liking the Naked bike thing and as I said really fancy a go on a Tuono.

Now if you want a babe magnet here's mine and a very nice example can be picked up for <£1500, insurance is nowt (£79 a year for me) and it goes like stink - also one of the few bikes which flatters the female posterior.

Especially female Klingon posteriors.