Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: starter bike, bmw f650, suzuki sv650s

Question
i was wondering what would a good starter bike iam 5'12 225. my uncle had a gsxr750 and now has a gsxr1000 i have road them a few times. iam assuming my answer will be the same as the last guy but iam saking because iam bigger and have a little more experns any answer is helpfull thanks

Answer
Sorry, Ralph, but you should not consider a sportbike for a first bike unless it's in the 250-500cc range. They are a handful. Most of their true value goes unused on the street. I've been riding for nearly 20 years, I have raced sportbikes even, and I don't think I could handle a GSXR750. Those things are firebreathers and way too much for a novice rider to handle.

But if you prefer a sport bike, a very good first bike would be the Suzuki SV650S or the Kawasaki Ninja 650R. Both are wonderfully fun bikes to ride, plenty of power to haul you around, adaptable/adjustable for ride height (you can customize it to your body), but are tractable and tame enough for learning. Another thought is the BMW F650.

Plan to spend at least 2-3 years riding a smaller bike before moving up to a larger sportbike...or one with an inline-four. After 20 years, I MIGHT be ready for a 600, but I still think I'm going to go with something more useful on the street like the upcoming BMW F800GS.

Good luck!

Pat