Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: New Bike, yamaha yzf, yzf600

Question
Hi
I am new to this hobby. I did drove bikes before but not in the states.I just got registered for a Basic Rider Course to get my license.
My question is where should I be looking to shop for a bike and insurance.I would like a Yamaha YZF-R600 or something like that.Dealers seems to be to expensive even for the used bikes.What should i consider before buying it online?
Thanks for your help

Answer
Andy,

Thanks for the question. When shopping for a bike, it's best to use all resources at hand. You'll probably find the best price for a bike online (watch the fine print, though). The best place to check out how a bike really looks and fits you is at a dealer. But like you say, dealer prices are higher than what you might find online.

When looking for a used bike, I almost never buy from a dealer unless the they agree to lower the price to what I can find online. Most will not do this, as they have overhead (lights, employess) and such to pay for. That's the main reason dealer prices are higher (the other is greed). And since they offer no warranty, you might as well buy from a private party. Just make SURE you take a bike you are serious about to a mechanic and have it checked out BEFORE you give the owner ANY money for it. If they refuse to do this, move on to the next bike.

When at a dealer, tell sales people you are "just looking" or just get pricing information. Don't impulse buy or listen to the hype. Sit on bikes and make sure you feel OK on them. As a beginner, that will be hard to do, but a general rule is that if you cannot touch both feet down when standing still on the bike, it's too big for you.

For a beginner, a YZF600 is a hell of a lot of motorcycle. Unless you have a ton of discipline, this is a bike that could get you into a lot of trouble because its engine and brakes are (at this point) outside your ability to fully control them. I'm not bagging on sportbikes (I own several), I'm just saying you might want to think about something a bit less hyper for your first ride. Most beginners crash their first bike within 6 months. It's a lot easier on the mind and wallet to crash a $2500 Suzuki GS500 or Kawasaki Ninja 500 than it is a $6000 YZF600. Insurance is cheaper as well. I strongly suggest you think very carefully about the costs involved with a first bike that you are likely to make a bad mistake on. I'd go cheap to start and then move up when you've got 5000 miles and a bunch of mistakes behind you.

Good move on taking the class, that's the best way to get started, but it won't make you ready for a hot sportbike. Be damn careful.

Bill