Looking to buy a motorcycle this year, mainly as a way to get out of the house on days i don't work.
First bike, but I've carried the endorsement for several years from a MSF basic rider class.
Is there any reason not to buy a Supermoto for a first bike? Looking at either a DRZ400SM or CRF250L with a rim/tire/brake conversion. I like the Honda for everything but the fact there is no factory motard option. EFI, 6 Speed, Economical, small displacement for beginner, good aftermarket.

I'm 6-1, 245, 34" inseam, if it affects recommendations. Most riding is 2 lane, turns, hills, etc. Little flat land around here. No freeway riding, so top speed of 60. No interest in doing dumb shit, just seems like the closest I can get to a UJM style bike while still being on something respectable. 3 DRZs in my work lot, but I have only owned Honda. Likely will buy new within the next month as both are <$6k for a '16 model.

I'm your same size.

Make sure you sit on the bike before you buy it.

I just don't fit on small bikes.

As a new rider, insurance is about displacement and bike type. Sport bikes are the most expensive, and displacement drives everything.

There's a saying...."no replacement for displacement". I learned on 500's and 650's (family bikes). My first purchase was a 900 cruiser. The first time I took a 1000cc sport bike out (1050ST), I was sold. Now I ride a 1200 with about the same hp as the 1050.

IF you're going to pick something up to learn on and it's going to be a smaller displacement bike....look at resale. Resale value would drive my decision more than almost anything, because you'll want to sell it after 1 riding season for a bigger bike.

That's a tough call. The DRZ400SM and CRF250L are both great bikes. You really can't go wrong with either. As someone who has been dealing with wonderful carb issues on my bikes for the past few years I find the fuel injection on the Honda to be tempting. (The Suzuki has a carb)

They are both great bikes. Go to the dealership, sit on both, look em over and see which one feels better. The Honda is smaller but it's a more modern design and has a 6 speed transmission. The DRZ400 is a bike BADLY in need of a refresh by Susuki.

I've been asking myself the same question as you regarding which of those two bikes to get.

With your size/weight you might also consider the Honda XR650L. It's owners seem to love that old air cooled machine.

True, Honda doesn't offer a supermoto style CRF250L but it wouldn't be hard to swap out wheels/tires to get it more like the DRZ400SM.

And to answer your question, no. There is no reason why you shouldn't buy a supermoto/dual sport(Honda CRF250L) as your first bike....they are FUN!!!

If you need insurance check out Dairyland, Allstate want $1800 a year for my S1000r and $450 from Dairyland.

Stick with the Honda.

quote:

If you need insurance check out Dairyland, Allstate want $1800 a year for my S1000r and $450 from Dairyland.

Does Dairyland check past speeding records?

250 just seems a bit small for a guy your size. I'm 6'4 and was at 235 when I rode that size, yes they were less powerful years ago. But I was 17 and it was the most bike I could afford at the time.

The learning curve will be pretty fast on that 250, and you'll be ready to move on very soon.

If you think you'll be on the hiway at 60mph very often consider how wrung out that 250 will be compared to the next step up.

Be mindful of the power you have and go ahead and step up at least one size. 650 is popular for good reason.

How old are you wolfe? Are you mature enough to not dick around on a "big" bike too much?

Do you ever see yourself going on a 200 mile ride? Sub 500cc bikes can be a chore on a ride like that. Also, I know you haven't been on a bike for a while, but I think you would be extremely bored with a smaller bike. Honestly, I haven't been on a bike too long myself but I think at 6' 220 lbs, I wouldn't have been comfortable on a smaller bike. I did my MSF class on a CBR 250. It was cramped but fun, just not something I'd like to do every day. Kind of boring after an hour or so.

Another thing to look at with a small cc bike is how quickly you can get out of trouble, not necessarily how quickly you get into it. A quick blip with 650cc's will pull you out of someones path much faster than a full on thrashing from a 250-400. Hills add another dynamic to the equation too. A small cc bike will not easily pull a long steep grade where a medium to high cc bike will make it effortless.

As to the insurance: shop around. Dairyland was about $100 more per year for the same coverage from USAA through Progressive for me. Geico was also more expensive.

Good luck

I would go with a 600-650 cc bike to start or learn on and feel a 750 is the ideal size for street riding as far as sport bikes go. You could even go with a 750, but just be careful with it before twisting the go handle to much.

Triumph is making a nice line of Motorcycles these days

I would also go with a 650cc at least.
Geico was the cheapest choice for my bikes and atvs.

When my son started riding at 15 he started with a Magna V65 1100 and he was no where near your size.
He was and is under 6ft and weighed less than 150.

He just watched how he rode it and respected its power.

For your size, I would not go with a 250. They just do not have the power to keep up/get out of the way of traffic. For beating around in the woods, yes, but I would not want my butt on the line with a 20hp bike hauling around 500+ lbs. I have a Yamaha 250 dirtbike, and I'm 5'10", 185lbs. A minivan will outrun it.

The 400 is a nice compromise, and if I was spending your money, that's what I would buy. The 650's are pretty much bullet proof, have a large aftermarket, and very loyal fans. They can be top heavy though. Not really a problem on the street, but more so in the woods.

The nice thing about any of these bikes is they will hold their resale value extremely well, unless you bite the bullet and buy new. But even then, when/if you sell, you should get most of your money back.

2003 or new SV650 fun as all hell, fuel injected, good following for resale.

^^^^ good advice!

If you don't plan on going Offroad the SV650 is probably THE best motorcycle to learn on in existence. Great MPGs, decent power, extremely reliable and very affordable. That 90° high revving v twin sounds pretty good too.

quote:

Originally posted by ASKSmith:
For your size, I would not go with a 250. They just do not have the power to keep up/get out of the way of traffic. For beating around in the woods, yes, but I would not want my butt on the line with a 20hp bike hauling around 500+ lbs. I have a Yamaha 250 dirtbike, and I'm 5'10", 185lbs. A minivan will outrun it.

Not true. I would venture to say that you've never rode one - as a stock CRFL is the opposite, in much need of mods to tackle off road, and it shines on the street stock. Most common mod, 13 tooth sprocket, increases low end hp for off road, and decreases your top end on the street. The 2017 model has a few more hp due to airbox and exhaust header revisions.

Many CRF250L owners are over 200 lb. Find out for yourself with a test ride, and at these two sites: thumpertalk and adventure rider...

https://www.thumpertalk.com/fo...forum/351-crf250-lm/

http://advrider.com/index.php?...wners-thread.823409/

The second is the mega thread that starts with the first 2012 model on page 1, and 880 pages later - 2017.

Maintenance interval, per the manual - 600 mile first oil change, every 8,000 miles afterward. First major service, valve check inspection, 16,000 miles. You can't beat that with a stick. Fuel injection. Easy start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkCNV7Aaets
2013 Honda CRF250L vs. 2013 Kawasaki KLX250S - Lightweight Dual Sport Comparison

For a dual sport, it's hard to go wrong with the KLR 650, especially if you don't really want to do sustained riding much above the 70mph range. For commuting I've gone with a 16/40 sprocket configuration which is slightly too much. I'll be dropping back to a 15 tooth front this season.

My longest ride on my KLR 650 to date has been about 750 (highway / back road) miles in one day. Initial buy in is cheap, I consistently get around 50mpg if I keep it below 70mph, and maintenance is very easy.

This is my second bike, the first being an SV650 I hit a deer on through no fault of the bike.

quote:

Originally posted by guardianangel762:
2003 or new SV650 fun as all hell, fuel injected, good following for resale.

...or another option -- if you're not stuck on the Supermoto platform and maybe even want a bit more Cruiser'ish comfort -- is the new(ish) Kawasaki Vulcan S (650cc). Ergonomic adjustments to fit riders of all sizes, and from what I've read and seen, it looks like it would be a great first bike for someone looking for short commutes and hitting the country roads on the weekend. Friendly price-tag, too, at $7K new for the '17 models...probably be able to get from the dealer a leftover '16 for $6K and a leftover '15 for $5K, based on what I'm seeing in my local CraigsList ads. Sharp-looking bike to boot.

Do not buy a 1972 Yamaha R5C two stroke 350cc. It was a great first bike for me but technologies have progressed! I concur that a fuel injected SV650 is great. However, I had to modify riding position with bars and foot peg adapters for my 6'4" 210 pound physique.

4MUL8R, pics?

My 2003 SV650S has been a great bike.

As much as I love my SV I think Wolfe is on the right track wanting to supermoto a CRF250L.