Bike Recommendation for a New Rider - 88kg, 188cm (6ft 2)

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  salrock on 05/01/2022 - 02:22

  +1

  With that height…ride an elephant to work

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  zonra on 05/01/2022 - 03:24

  Vulcan S 650, just a smidge over your budget for new but demo or 1-2 year old bike should be within your range.
  Cruiser body with a sport engine, plenty of oomph for myself (~78kg) and sometimes with the missus (extra ~50kg). Nimble and very easy to handle. Have owned one for 3 years now and if I go back I’d buy the same bike again. Also haven’t felt the need to upgrade to a bigger bike yet.
  Pegs and seat can be adjusted (short-mid-extended) to suit different riders’ heights. Adjusting pegs is cheap (<$20), buying an extended seat not so much ($400-500 iirc) but I’ve seen people go custom for less.
  I’m 178cm and I find mid (default) seat and mid-positioned pegs comfortable.
  Only cons I can think of is because it’s a parralel twin (as opposed to V-twin), you don’t get that low rumble idles found in Harleys. No aftermarket exhaust will ever change that. I personally don’t mind but some do.

  • 

    ZachBlasphemy on 05/01/2022 - 15:42

    +1

    At least you have the option to derestrict the Vulcan if you haven't done so already.

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  cille745 on 05/01/2022 - 03:48

  I started on a Ninja 400, I'm slightly shorter than you and found that I was on the limit of what would be acceptable. Another thing to note is that while the R3/Ninja 400 are recommended as beginner bikes, they don't take into account that here in Australia, you're likely going to be stuck with it for 3 years due to LAMS restrictions.

  At your height and weight, if you think you're up for it, I'd highly recommend something in the naked 650 class instead

• 

  [Deactivated] on 05/01/2022 - 03:59

  +2

  @Julian King

  Given your budget try an MT03 they are classified as a naked bike, unfortunately the Ninja 400 wasn't around when i started so i went with the 250 instead.

  As someone with similar height , let me tell you honestly cause nobody else will. You won't truly feel "comfortable" until you get off your provisionals and you can actually buy a bigger capacity bike that is physically bigger in addition to actual capacity.

  Personally speaking sportsbikes arn't meant to be comfortable nor were they designed with tall people in mind , especially on longer journeys but particularly for stop-go, over a length of time your muscles will adapt to the torture but it won't be fun , a naked bike also makes filtering through traffic later on a lot easier.

  [Yamaha MT03]

  •Extremely Comfortable ergonomics compared to the Ninja , or any other sports bike for that matter.

  •Parallel twin engine design (not a V-Twin like the MT07)

  •ABS braking as standard

  •Easy "do it yourself" servicing if you wanted to , only plastic under-tray to remove which takes all of about 5 minutes if that and your oil filter is there as well as your engine sump plug.

  •Oggy Knobs/Crash knobs are super easy to install and if you drop the bike you can prevent a lot of damage , fairings are expensive to replace. and if you think you won't drop your bike think again , its only a matter of time.

  As an alternative option , if you can stretch your budget or don't mind taking out a small loan. Invest in a Triumph Street Triple 660 (The LAMS Version) or even a Yamaha MT07A , it will see you till you get your full license and provided you take care of it you won't lose much money on the resale , given your budget however i also recommend the Suzuki SV650 ABS ..bulletproof engines with a V-Twin design with more then enough torque until you get your fulls.

  From one rider to another if you do want the sports-bike aesthetic then follow your heart but i implore you to wear all your protective gear all the time and invest in a external rider training course as it may very well save your life one day. plan ahead when you ride and speaking from experience , try and only do one movement through traffic at a time and don't forget to head check often as people in cars can be unpredictable at times or these days , very distracted.

  P.S to secure your bike get a disc-lock alarm (Xena or similar) and always put it on the rear brake disc , much harder to remove. And don't forget to clean and lube your chain yourself regularly.

  Good luck , ride safe

  • 

    theHMASfriendship on 05/01/2022 - 06:41

    (not a V-Twin like the MT07)

    MT07 is a parallel twin. It would be my pick, should be able to pick up a used one for your budget. Alternatively, CB500 or CBR500R is a solid pick as well.

    I am 186kg and I learned on a CBR250R single cylinder. Which in the city was perfectly fine

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  Dogs on 05/01/2022 - 07:11

  Ive just sold my Yamaha Tenere 700 and gone back to a Yamaha xt250.
  Just love the lightness and not being worried dropping it on the road or just maneuvering a heavy bike.
  Dont discount small capacity motorbikes. I would not have any hesitation riding my 250 long distances or commuting

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  Nugs on 05/01/2022 - 08:37

  DR650, or one of the other Japanese brands. Simple, comfortable, reliable, but perhaps uninspiring (an XR650R has near double the grunt). I didn't realise the new DR price has crept over $10k, they were 8-9 for a long time.
  You could likely find them from stock standard through to fully set up for touring.

  An example of a barely run in one.
  https://www.bikesales.com.au/bikes/details/2013-suzuki-dr650…
  .

  • 

    rambutann on 05/01/2022 - 12:01

    hahaha i dont think you'll convince someone who is looking at a Ninja 400 / R3 to hop on the ole pig.

    I started with a CBR125R, then went to a DL650, now im on a DR650.

    I reckon its great - but i feel like it takes a few years of riding for a rider to look at a DR and go 'hell yes'.

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  Hugh G Rection on 05/01/2022 - 09:27

  -1

  zx14 or hayabusa

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  iamherenow on 05/01/2022 - 09:59

  i wouldn't worry about height too much. if you stick with it, you will move to another bike when your restrictions end anyway. I rode a tiny scooter while I waited for my restrictions to expire (and had the bike I wanted to ride waiting for me in my garage).

  have to say it - be careful in traffic. I constantly see new riders trying to keep up with experienced riders in traffic. you can tell they are 100% heading for a crash at some point. once had a guy pushing hard purely to keep up with me. he came within centimetres of a stopped car in front of us with his rear wheel locked up skidding for metres. When you are new you just don't have the skills. Be cautious or you will crash.

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  [Deactivated] on 05/01/2022 - 10:09

  -3

  I understand the pleasure in riding motorbikes, I enjoy riding motorbikes, but the danger in commuting on a motorbike cannot be underplayed. You put yourself at a significantly higher risk of death or serious injury commuting in traffic everyday vs occasional rides or commuting in a car. And this isn't just about your mistakes as a learner, but more so the mistakes of other drivers. I kiss wouldn't do it. On my commute to work in the last 8 or so years, I've seen a lot of accidents. I've seen 3 fatal ones with bodies lying on the road. Two of them have been motorcyclists crushed under trucks which merged into their lane.

  • 

    cille745 on 05/01/2022 - 14:59

    +1

    If you have this kind of attitude, where you blame the mistakes of other drivers instead of yourself, you're likely to end up being in an accident. Part of being a rider is anticipating what others are going to do, and the overwhelming majority of accidents and deaths are caused by riders themselves, not other vehicles.

    While it is more dangerous than commuting in a car, statistically speaking you're more likely to die falling down the stairs, yet I don't see people avoiding them

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 05/01/2022 - 15:07

      -1

      In Victoria 18% of all fatal road accidents are motorcyclists, despite only travelling 1% of the milage. That is a shockingly bad statistic.

      https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/road-safety/statistics/summaries/…

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 05/01/2022 - 16:44

        -1

        @Burnertoasty

        I feel those figures are skewed , the way i interpret that statistic is purely by fact there is far less motorcyclists on the road compared to car drivers hence why the figure is there and the huge disparity between the 2 percentages.

        • 

          [Deactivated] on 05/01/2022 - 17:25

          -1

          @[Deactivated]: Those figures are not skewed. Those are facts. You just don't like them.