New to bikes and know nothing.

pugslyyy

Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
New as in 'have signed up to take the class to get the motorcycle endorsement on my license, but have not actually taken the class yet'. Not new to offroad (in my Land Rovers) or 2 wheels (human powered) if that counts for anything...

I'm going to be looking for a bike that I can carry with me on my RV - not for single track, more for getting around once the RV is set up and I don't want to move it. For me (right now) that means light/cheap/street legal. I'm 6'3" and 185-lbs.

Any advice for a complete noob?

Thanks!
 

Longtallsally

Adventurer
Yamaha WR250R if you ever plan on doing dirt. 250x if you want to be a street hooligan. Beyond that, there are a million bikes and threads out there- do some searching on various forums or general searches and one will speak to you. Get the endorsement, take an MSF course, and read "A Twist of the Wrist" by Keith Code.

Most importantly, budget a minimum of $2k for a full set of riding gear if you are serious. In the case of riding gear, IMO, you get what you pay for. Meaning; if it is cheap, it is cheap.
 

Ozrockrat

Expedition Leader
Check out the Yamaha TW200. Light weight, big tires for the soft stuff and enough inroad manners for grocery duty. An other alternative if only using as a short haul solo grocery getter is the old CT90 or CT110 Hondas.

Both of these have a cult following and parts are available worldwide.
 

ExpoScout

Explorer
I'm tall also and ended up wanting a 250. After checking out several options the super sherpa was the only sub-400cc bike I could find (in my price range...and good for a complete new guy) that fit me pretty well. Might be something to look at. Not only that but they have a pretty much bombproof reputation.
 

pugslyyy

Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
I'm tall also and ended up wanting a 250. After checking out several options the super sherpa was the only sub-400cc bike I could find (in my price range...and good for a complete new guy) that fit me pretty well. Might be something to look at. Not only that but they have a pretty much bombproof reputation.

Thanks I'll definitely consider it. I'm sure there are a lot of good options out there for experienced riders but easy/inexpensive/bombproof is what I'm interested in. The capabilities of any bike I get will be limited by the skill of the rider, not vice-versa. :)
 

Ray Hyland

Expedition Leader
Any cheap japanese street-legal 250cc enduro bike should work for you. Stay away from the Chinese knock-offs.

Buy it second-hand and then you won't be upset by the grime it picks up on the back of your rig, the times you drop it or just knock it over, and the future "backing into a ..." incident.

:)

Have fun.

Ray
 

FAW3

Adventurer
2x getting a modern 200-250cc Japanese thumper (single cylinder) enduro style (good ground clearance, good suspension range, aggressive tires).

I have a DR200 now and love it. It will go 55mph all day. Carry 2 persons if needed. Good size tank/range. Nice aftermarket rear racks available. Light weight for bumper hauling, rolling around, etc. Very simple to maintain/troubleshoot/repair if needed. This class of bike can be found often on Craigslist/Ebay for decent prices. XT225/250, KLR250 plus the previously TW200 mentioned are all good ones to consider. Some offer electric start...some kick start also (older)...some kick start only. Some offer 6 speed transmissions which give very wide range of speed/ability. Some are significantly taller in the saddle than others...the DR and TW being "short".

I have a '72 Honda CT-90 and although I love it...for your stated purpose it might be too small/light. Speed max is about 45mph. Very dated electrical system, brakes...etc. I have carried this on my RV and have many good memories...but it is a toy compared to the other bikes mentioned. That being said...I'll never sell it.

Be committed to wearing reasonable protective gear at all times riding.

You will love the fun of riding a small bike...it brings a whole new dimension to RV travel/exploration.

Quite a few of these bikes are sold due to "non use"...years old and few miles. Get good tires if the rubber is cracked/aged, get the carb cleaned, add an inline fuel filter and your good to go. AVOID used bikes with a lot of mods...trick exhaust/carb jets/air box mods. Many are just nightmares trying to get set up running right after such "work".
 
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pugslyyy

Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
I picked up a 2012 TU250X with 884 miles over the weekend. Thing looked absolutely brand new, couldn't find a ding or scratch on it.
 

MarcFJ60

Adventurer
As long as you're comfortable on that bike (given your height), I'd say that is a pretty awesome choice. Reliable, EFI, and from what I hear they do pretty well at higher speeds for a 250. And the bonus is it's a great looking bike too! (They look even better in person) It will do just fine on dirt roads too if you choose to explore a bit. You don't need a DS bike for fire roads and gravel roads. At least until they get too rutted to where you start really taxing the suspension.

Now how about a picture?
suzuki-1-1009.jpg
(but we want to see the real thing!)
 

pugslyyy

Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
As long as you're comfortable on that bike (given your height), I'd say that is a pretty awesome choice. Reliable, EFI, and from what I hear they do pretty well at higher speeds for a 250. And the bonus is it's a great looking bike too! (They look even better in person) It will do just fine on dirt roads too if you choose to explore a bit. You don't need a DS bike for fire roads and gravel roads. At least until they get too rutted to where you start really taxing the suspension.

Now how about a picture?
I'll get some better ones soon, these are from it sitting at the dealership. Absolutely bone stock. At this point the only things I have planned are 16T and bar end mirrors.

WP_20130403_020.JPG WP_20130403_021.JPG

WP_20130403_022.JPG WP_20130403_023.JPG
 

pugslyyy

Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
As long as you're comfortable on that bike (given your height), I'd say that is a pretty awesome choice. Reliable, EFI, and from what I hear they do pretty well at higher speeds for a 250. And the bonus is it's a great looking bike too! (They look even better in person) It will do just fine on dirt roads too if you choose to explore a bit. You don't need a DS bike for fire roads and gravel roads. At least until they get too rutted to where you start really taxing the suspension.

Now how about a picture?
(but we want to see the real thing!)

Sure, happy to show off what's parked in my garage!

tu 250 in garage - 1.jpg tu 250 in garage - 2.jpg

tu 250 in garage - 3.jpg tu 250 in garage - 4.jpg
 

CaliMobber

Adventurer
Damn , you dont look like your hurting for money. Should have gotten a new ktm :) lol

Looks nice, hope it works out for you. Should be a good bike to learn everything on. My guess is you will out grow it soon.
 

mike r

Adventurer
Yamaha WR250R if you ever plan on doing dirt. 250x if you want to be a street hooligan. Beyond that, there are a million bikes and threads out there- do some searching on various forums or general searches and one will speak to you. Get the endorsement, take an MSF course, and read "A Twist of the Wrist" by Keith Code.

Most importantly, budget a minimum of $2k for a full set of riding gear if you are serious. In the case of riding gear, IMO, you get what you pay for. Meaning; if it is cheap, it is cheap.

what gear list would you advise?
 

taco2go

Explorer
Reliable little standard, the tu250x
They had about 20 of these new, at the MSF range when I took the course last month.
 

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