First bike, help/opinions welcome

[daphne]

A little background to start. I'm a smaller, 5'4.5" and 140lbs, female. I have very limited experience and am looking for a decent bike to start on. I've done a little bit of research and decided that I prefer the sport bike style, though I don't dislike cruisers. The issues I have with sport bikes though are the aggressive riding stance and the gas mileage. I'm looking for a good commuter, my drive is like half an hour, and for it to work for trips that last a few hours. I had been looking into sport bikes until I realized that it might not be thr best choice for me, and so I switched my attention to a cruiser. That was until I stumbled upon to the honda cb300f. It seems like it had everything I want: small bike, good gas mileage, more of an upright sitting position, and advertised as a good commuter. I could add additional storage and other such things. The big question is just if this would be a decent bike to start on. Thoughts and opinions welcome

[Trials]

Hi

CB300F great entry level street bike choice.
... the only better place to learn how to ride motorcycles is off-road and on an even smaller/lighter bike.

[Joseph Hanna]

CB300F or even the CBR300R. Both brilliant entry level machines!

[liberpolly]

And Ninja 300. Very comfortable.

[Shadow Shack]

I prefer the sport bike style, though I don't dislike cruisers. The issues I have with sport bikes though are the aggressive riding stance and the gas mileage.


honda cb300f.

You might also look into the sibling 300 Rebel that utilizes the same motor.

[Galaxieman]

Echoing what's already been said, that's an awesome selection as a beginner bike. Similar to the other entry-level bikes (CB300R, Ninja 250/300/400, R3), you're going to have plenty of power... I have ridden a LOT of bikes, and my Ninja 250 puts perma-grin on my face every time I ride it.

An advantage at your weight, is that Honda tends to under-spring their smaller bikes, which is a problem for my 220-lb self, but not at all for you. I remember reading somewhere that the spring rates on many Hondas run in the range that would work for 150-lb race jockeys... but not so much for bigger folks. I know my superhawk was pretty squishy up front before I re-sprung it, and have been on some others which are similarly soft for someone my size. Again, this is actually an advantage for you.

[NORTY]

What exactly is "very limited experience?"

Have you taken a class to learn to ride a motorcycle? Recently?

If yes, then continue your search.

If no, then let's get that out of the way before you go motorcycle shopping.

[daphne]

I haven't taken a course yet, but I am going to. Should I get the bike first, or take the class first? Cause I would rather not fail the course and have to pay to take it again

[liberpolly]

Take a class first, at least you will have a better idea what kind of bike you like. Because now, you don't.

[Sorg67]

I haven't taken a course yet, but I am going to. Should I get the bike first, or take the class first? Cause I would rather not fail the course and have to pay to take it again

It will be a lot less expensive to take the course twice than to buy a bike and then find out you want a different bike. Of course that will probably happen anyway, but if you take the course first, you will at least have a better chance of getting a bike you will be happy with for a while.

And if you take the course first, you will be less likely to drop your own bike. It does not take much of a drop to do more damage than the cost of taking the course a second time.

And taking the course multiple times will accelerate your learning.

I took BRC 1 almost 20 years ago but did not get a bike at the time. I re-took the course when I got a bike about three years ago and I took BRC 2. And I want to take the advanced rider course. I could go back and re-take BRC 1 a third time and I would benefit from the experience.

[Lezbert]

Take a class first, at least you will have a better idea what kind of bike you like. Because now, you don't.

This. A thousand times this! You have to try on bikes, just like you try on clothes. There are a ton of fashions I love, but after trying them on, I learned I cannot wear them. Better to try on a bike and find out it's actually not the one for when you're not paying for that bike.

[Repeater]

I haven't taken a course yet, but I am going to. Should I get the bike first, or take the class first? Cause I would rather not fail the course and have to pay to take it again

Hindsight is 20/20 with this one. I did it in the wrong order, but came out okay, by sheer luck. I signed up for my class, bought my first bike (2001 Ninja 250), then actually took the class a couple weeks aftewards. I took the class on a cruiser-ish Suzuki GZ250, which I loathed. I'm quite glad I'd gone with the EX250 as a first bike, instead, simply due to the seating position. So, while I got a certain level of vindication for my choice, it'd have been wiser to have competed the class first to help flesh out what I really wanted in a first bike.

It's the same reason I recommend a new or more recent (3-5 years old) bike over a 20-year-old bike as a first bike. A new rider doesn't have any reference point for what a well-maintained, perfectly-functioning motorcycle should feel, look, and sound like, and may very well ride around on a motorcycle with genuine issues, and not even know it.

Good luck, from another midwesterner!

[Shadow Shack]

MSF ranges never had the bike I always wanted when I started.

What they did have never would have changed my mind either.

[dave...]

I did the MSF first during which I rode a dual sport. I'm 5'5" and I barely fit on it but I owe a lot of my love of riding due to that bike I think. They might look the most bland but it was just so lightweight and nimble which made it incredibly fun to ride. Try to get on the lightest bike that you can. You'll be retraining yourself to ride the bike you buy anyway but having a lightweight training bike was incredibly confidence inspiring.

Edit: oops at the thread revival.