JOE asked:
I have looked at the Honda Rebel which is not that expensive ($3199) and reliable. The question is: Is this the best bike for a new rider or should I try to find a used one? I would also like to know if used ones come with a warranty or not?
I have looked at the Honda Rebel which is not that expensive ($3199) and reliable. The question is: Is this the best bike for a new rider or should I try to find a used one? I would also like to know if used ones come with a warranty or not?
Always buy a used bike for your first. Almost all of us riders eventually total our first bike – it’s part of the learning process (learning what NOT to do is almost always a little painful.) This way you’re not paying so much, and your insurance is cheaper. And once you get accustomed to riding, you’ll want a bigger bike anyway (but don’t make the mistake of starting on a big one, or you’ll probably total yourself as well as the bike.)
You can get a warrantee if you buy from a dealer, although I bought privately so I could learn about how to repair and maintain it as well. Each to their own.
Good luck!
one that has a protective guard around the whole bike and has knee pads elbow pads and a body guard around it with a huge helmet
I would HIGHLY recommend the Suzuki Blvd. S-40.
It is a 650cc single cylinder bike. It has a low saddle height. My wife is 5’3 and sits it comfortably. I’m 5’9 and sit it just fine. The motor has a long stroke and lots of low end torque, so if you are a gear to high a hand full of throttle will pull you on out of it without down shifting. Being a 650cc, she’ll do 85+ mph, so she is highway ridable. My problem with the rebel is most riders will out-grow a rebel in one season. The price is reasonable..think we paid $4300 for each of ours in 2006 (Brand new). It’s belt drive..no chain to maintain..single cylinder..one carb, no sync’ing. So my 2 cents..can’t beat the S-40 for a first bike. My wife is a new rider and enjoys hers. I’m a very experienced rider and enjoy mine, though I would like a bike that is a little heavier..but the S-40 is a relaxing and fun bike to ride.
JOE -BUY A USED REBEL. $1500+-, DRIVE IT FOR A WEEK, REALIZE THE UNHAPPY PLACE YOU ARE IN ,-YOU CANT KEEP UP WITH ANYONE, IT,S REALLY SLOW AND HAS NO CLASS.
THEN-SPEND YOUR $3000 –ON A HARLEY,–THE ONE YOU WILL END UP WITH ANY WAY, USED, DRIVE IT FOR A YEAR , -SELL IT FOR WHAT YOU PAID,,OH -YA ,AFTER TAKING A BATH ON THE HONDA,–THIS WILL MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD.
COME ON–GET YOUR MOTORCYCLE LICENCE , BY TAKING A= COURSE,-THEY PROVIDE THE BIKES, YOU ARE NOT READY TO RIDE, ASKING THAT QUESTION . YOU KNOW THAT..BUY THE BEST YOU CAN AFFORD, BUT SAFETY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE MODEL, AND THAT JOE IS THE GUY SITTING ON IT—YOU.
Check out vento.com. Gear bikes for new riders. Affordable, American made and better looking then the Honda Rebel. You can also pick one up on ebay cheaper. Good luck!
Get a Honda Rebel. My wife got the Honda 250 (20 years ago before they called it the Rebel) and she loved it. She had never ridden a motorcycle before. Really responsive and light and easy to handle.
Buy a used bike. We bought a brand new VStar and wish we had got a used one. Used bikes often come with aftermarket parts, like bags, windshields or pipes so you save money by not having to upgrade those on a new bike.
I know someone with a Rebel, in fact that was the bike I was going to learn on but a bunch of stuff came up and all I ever did was sit on it. I’m 5’8 and I felt like a giant on it, but maybe that’s just me. A lot of people get sick of them in a year or so of riding. They are reliable bikes though, the one I was going to learn on is over 20 years old and has never had a serious problem.
I learned to ride on a Kawasaki Vulcan 800. I was nervous at first since it is a good sized bike and had some aftermarket parts that increased it performance and stuff. I started slow in a parking lot and just was careful and I learned how to ride it in only about 5 hours. I still ride that bike now and absolutely love it. It’s a nice looking cruiser and is fairly easy to work on. The bike is a 96 and has never had any mechanical problems. I like the seat height on the bike too, its not really high and seems to be just right for me. It also has a low center of gravity which makes it pretty easy to ride too.
The Vulcan I have is pretty simple, no crazy paint or anything else like that and I have got tons of complements on it. It’s a nice looking cruiser.
The bike is fairly cheap for a nice used one, the one I have was $2500 and has nothing wrong with it.
Basically, you should learn on a bike that is comfortable for you and just take your time and be careful. If you are careful you can learn on anything you want to (within reason). I probably would not have wanted to learn on anything much bigger than the 800 but that’s just me.
As far as the first guy saying that most riders eventually total their first bike, that’s not right. I know lots of people who have learned to ride and never totaled their bike, so don’t worry too much about that. I mean, you could total your bike but if you are careful you stand a much smaller chance of that happening.
Good luck with you choice and ride safe.
I to looked at the rebel 3 months ago when I trying to figure out the best motorcycle to buy. I would have to do not get the rebel. Looked at it online, it was cheap, nice looking, and affortable. Checked it out and it was tiny, slow, and not worth half of what they wanted. If you are looking for something near that and is also affortable I would recommend the Ninja 250r. It is fast enough to keep up with cars on the freeway and has a nice upright riding position, it is easy to handle is a great starting bike. The msrp for the 08 is $3499 which is not that much more than the rebel. You can also get used ones for much less. The great thing about these bikes is they hold there value well, you could get a used one use it for 6 months then sell it and get most of your money back. The only downside is it is a pretty ugly bike, except the newly modeled 2008. A warranty all depends on who your getting your used bike from. Some people buy brand new bikes find out they dont like it of cant pay for it then sell with a 5 year warranty. Your best off asking when you find a bike you like.
I like the Virago 250cc for a beginners bike. I found an 07 for my daughter that had been traded in with warranty intact.
It’s light, sits low, handles well and makes decent power.
buy used!!!! your first bike should cost you less than $2,000, and you should be able to sell it for almost as much as you bought it.
the Honda Rebel would be great if you’re into cruisers.
a 250 or a 500cc bike is perfect to learn on, and you will not get bored with it like your friends are claiming.
You can scare yourself plenty on a 500, i promise.
Do some looking on your local craigslist and you should be able to find a rideable bike for under $1,000 this time of year.
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