Top 10 Beginner Motorcycles for all Riders

okay so I know this topic has been done to death on YouTube but to be honest I've never been quite satisfied with the treatment as received these top ten videos are usually put together by experienced motorcycle riders who compile a list of the latest low CC bikes go over the advantages of each one and pick some favorites well I'm Way too type-a to settle for that I want to cover every type of beginning rider and every type of bike and let you know what you can expect when you buy any of them and as far as being qualified to talk about this subject I will refer you to my teaching my wife how to ride playlist last year my wife went from being a motorcycle passenger to getting her license first motorcycle and vastly improving in confidence and skill walking her through this learning process reminded me of the huge amount of information that a new rider has to absorb as well as the anxiety that taking up this amazing hobby can generate I basically saw the process through the eyes of a newbie rider which gives me a unique perspective on the kind of questions and needs you as a beginner may have so this is how we're gonna do this first I want to cover the six different types of bikes that you might be interested in as well as the pros and cons of each type these include naked bikes sport bikes adventure bikes retro bikes cruisers and duel sports in each category I will give you my choice of best bike as well as some alternatives for riders who are a bit more experienced maybe ones who have ridden on the dirt before riders who are price sensitive about the price of the motorcycle and insurance and riders who are physically smaller and who may be looking for a lighter weight bike with a lower seat I will include bikes that are new but I will also suggest some bikes that are commonly available on the use market and can be had for a fraction of the price of new machines I may mention more than 10 machines here but whatever the top 10 title looks good and will get more views consider the extra bikes a bonus one more disclaimer here just because I label a bike as appropriate for beginners does not make it a boring bike or lessen its value to experienced riders I'm trying to suggest bikes that you will not immediately outgrow as your skills and comfort level increases so I'm suggesting bikes that I as a 6 foot to 180 pound rider with over 20 years of motorcycling experience would want to buy and ride and find entertaining or useful before we start remember to absolutely obliterate that subscribe button and hit the bell to be notified when new videos are published and we're off naked bikes are awesome to start on they're light comfortable versatile machines and generally do not have overly tall seat heights my wife started on a Honda CB 300 F Honda has now replaced that model with a prettier and lighter CB 300 R as much as I like the Honda's my cop beginner naked bike in this category will be the kawasaki 0y simply because it is very light 364 pounds full of fuel has a bit more power than other bikes in this class 45 horsepower and has two cylinders for smoother cruising on the highway single cylinder bikes tend to get buzzy at highway speeds in addition it has a very comfortable neutral seating position and is Japanese for those of you not in the know that means it's high-quality reliable and has a large dealer network which is important in case your bike breaks down or you need parts ordered also does that for 100 looks good it's gentle enough at low revs to learn on comfortable enough to tour long distance and will handling and powerful enough at high revs to be entertaining on a twisty back road or even on a track day for a sporty alternative I'd suggest the KTM 390 Duke this thing is powerful fast good-looking and extremely well handling the drawback of this bike is the aggressive riding position which is meant to maximize the bikes performance but does sacrifice a bit of comfort if you're going to take your naked bike to the track often get this one if you want the absolute lightest in class go for the aforementioned Honda CB 300 R which weighs in at a helium balloon like 317 pounds keep in mind though that this bike has a thirty 1.5 inch seat height so if you're shorter of leg be sure to sit on one at a dealership before committing to buy if you've had some experience on the dirt or road and have a good head on your shoulders you could start on a Kawasaki 650 or a Suzuki sv650 or the SV 650 s will performing but aesthetically challenged cousin the Gladius these bikes have been around for a while and can be found used at low prices especially older as v6 50s keep in mind however that whatever you save on price you will end up paying in insurance because higher displacement bikes mean a higher premium especially in Toronto Canada where I live also on a faster more powerful bike you're more likely to plant yourself headfirst into the back of a semi or other equivalent so please don't get a 650 if you're irresponsible immature or just plain stupid finally if the price of the bike and insurance are an issue the Honda CB 300 F and the BMW G 310 R are both easy on insurance and have been around long enough that used ones can be found for relatively lower prices I have a review of the CB 300 F on my channel so check it out after you watch this video so if you're not comfortable with going naked perhaps you might consider a sport bike the fairings on these provide more weather protection than the naked 's and the seating positions on entry-level sport bikes tend to skew more toward the comfortable rather than the aggressive my pick for top beginner sport bike is the Kawasaki Ninja 400 hmm as a theme emerging here this is basically the same bike as a Zed 400 except it has a fairing in a slightly different riding position and all the things that I said about the z400 also apply here it's reliable has a good dealer network is relatively comfortable for a sport bike has enough power to entertain his light and handles will Kawasaki has been making this bike since 1986 except that it was the ninja 250 then it became the ninja 300 and 2013 and grew to the Ninja 420 18 in fact this used to be the beginner bike most newbies learned on back in the day so Kawasaki has had a long time to dial this one in there's more competition in the segment now but the ninja just manages to hit that sweet spot of being a comfortable smooth sporty great handling bike that can run around town hit the twisties do a track day and be taken on a longer tour new ones are around $7,000 Canadian but there is a quintillion literally a quintillion of the 400 300s and 250 s to be found on the used market I've seen some 300s going for under thousand dollars you will not find a cheaper bike out there in this price range if you're going to spend a lot of time at the track the KTM 390 RC might tickle your fancy more than the ninja being a bit more of a committed sport bike this bike has the suspension and steering geometry to make you feel like Valentino Rossi at your local track day the low bar a stop riding position while great on the track might get tiresome on the road though if you're getting a sporty bike strictly for sport touring the Honda CBR 500 R is the best for that it's 471 cc engine will feel more relaxed at highway speeds it's a bit heavier so it will be less affected by crosswinds and passing trucks and it has a soft suspension which will eat up bumps on a long day now looks our subjective thing but in my opinion the Honda is the best looking bike in the class finally if you're not irresponsible immature or stupid and maybe have a bit more experience you could get a Kawasaki Ninja 650 or the fared version of the Suzuki sv650 called the SV 650 s tons of these on the use market please don't kill yourself though now on to the best adventure bikes for beginners these are great bikes especially if you want to go long distance touring their longer suspension travel makes them comfortable and rough roads gravel and even some dirt and they're tall seating positions give the rider a good view of the road especially in traffic they're also roomy and comfortable and the best for carrying a passenger however if you're shorter in a beginner the reach of the ground may be a bit too far for you to be at ease on these bikes as the seat heights tend to be on the taller side so the number one adventure bikes suitable for a beginner is the Honda CB 500 X it's no mystery that I like this bike check out my review of it from last summer this bike has been around for a while but was updated last year with a 19-inch front wheel and a new dash and improved looks it has a decent amount of power and torque can carry a passenger no problem as comfortable will built has a huge dealer network behind it and can handle oil at high speeds is it perfect no it's a bit on the heavier side 430 pounds with gas has a high ish seat height 32 point 7 inches and a new one will run you $8,400 Canadian however as I record this video in February 2020 some dealers in the Toronto area are selling left over in 2019 s for $7,400 so if you look you might get a deal this is my wife's favorite bike she's a Honda fan girl and I can see why now some of you may be asking what about the KTM 390 adventure that was just introduced well I like what I've seen on YouTube of the bike so far but I haven't ridden it hardly anyone outside of India has so I'll have to reserve judgment the KTM is lighter than the Honda and probably much sporty-er but reputedly not as comfortable both bikes come with cast 19-inch front wheels the KTM packs a ton of electronics not previously seen in this class like traction control rider modes and even lean sensitive ABS which can be turned off on the rear wheel for off-road use that's a lot of value for about seventy four hundred dollars Canadian but the engine is peaky and delivers most of its power at high rpm which causes the rear tire to break traction more easily off pavement most of the Indian journalists who have written one have also found the traction control system to be too intrusive on dirt even when it's supposedly turned off the Honda on the other hand is better-looking my opinion only and it's a Honda which means reliable so we'll have to wait until a chance to ride the 390 arrives before a final decision is reached but this looks like a choice between comfort reliability and dealer support on the one hand and zippy performance lighter weight and an unprecedented electronics package on the other one more recommendation if you are shorter and want an adventure bike especially if you want to ride offroad and the Royal Enfield Himalayan is a great beginner bike to start on it has a low seat height 31.5 inches as low as some naked bikes has a big 411 cc motor which is perfect for chugging around in the dirt at low revs and it's also relatively low price with new ones running about 6,200 dollars Canadian and older or even last year's left over models much cheaper than that the drawback to this bike is that we don't know how reliable it will be and dealers in Canada and most other places are few and far in between oh and it also has only 24 horsepower it's slow to accelerate though it can ride that torque curve up to highway speeds but not above them most importantly of all it looks super cool like an old Italian dirt bike from the 60s and as usual if you're bigger and more experienced blah blah there's the Suzuki v-strom 650 or the Kawasaki Versys 650 same drill with the 650s irresponsible immature stupid you get the message maybe you're into something a bit more traditional something that makes you feel like Marlon Brando in the wild one the classic triumphs and bsas populate your dreams there's the sound of a parallel twin growling through peashooter exhausts make your head turn you may in fact be a hipster which means that there's only one type of bike for you and no it's not a 1973 CB 550 cafe racer built in your buddy's backyard don't get one of those unless you want to spend three hours wrenching for every hour you ride yes my skinny jean friend you need a retro bike these are the epitome of cool yes but they're also pretty good bikes their seating positions are comfy their engines are pleasant and their looks are to die for before there were sport bikes adventure bikes and enduros there were motorcycles and they all look like these people commuted on them raced them took them off road and toured on them and you can still do all these things on retro bikes today so the top bike in this category is the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 yes it's a 650 but don't worry it's air-cooled and only puts out forty-seven horsepower I've ridden this bike and loved it so make sure you check out my review of it from last summer now why did I pick it as the top bike truthfully it's a great combination of just enough power good looks lightweight 445 pounds full of fuel is light for this class pretty decent handling and an unbeatable price in this segment this bike costs around $8,000 Canadian which undercuts the cheapest triumphed win by $3,000 oh and it comes in a cafe racer called the GT 650 which looks good and handles a little more sporty now granted Spyke isn't perfect I wrote it with my wife on the back and she found the seat was a bit short and she gets sliding off the back also when you look close you can see some cheap plastic bits and as mentioned before there aren't many royal enfield dealers and the majority of the world but come on just look at it and listen to it with the accessory SNS exhaust enough set this is a great low-cost addition to a class of overpriced bikes and it's the one I'd get if I was wanting a retro for my first bike if you feel that this option is too expensive or too large for you I will also suggest the Suzuki tu 250x this bike is powered by a 250 CC air-cooled single cylinder engine putting out a pavement shredding 16 horsepower it costs around five thousand dollars Canadian though I've seen leftover models from last year on sale for four thousand five hundred yes for a new bike now I wouldn't take this thing on the highway it has a rear drum brake though I hear that brake works just fine and if you want to carry a passenger both you and your passenger may want to consider anorexia but it's a new bike for four and a half G's and it looks damn good and it will probably last forever so you can teach your kids to ride on it someday it's worth a look now if you don't care about going overly fast or carving corners on a twisty road or track and you just want to kick back and chill better break out the chops beanie helmet and black t-shirt and pick yourself up a cool cruising machine riding a two-wheel recliner is a great way to spend the day so let's take a look at some of these rolling works of art the cruiser I'd most recommend for newbie riders to start on as the Honda rebel 500 this is a great bike with a 471 CC parallel twin engine producing a respectable 47 horsepower check out my review of that bike from this past summer it's my most viewed video so far so I know that there are lots of people interested in this one why is this bike my recommendation because it's reliable good-looking light only 414 pounds wet easy to ride and still has a decent amount of power to cruise at highway speeds and have fun the rebel 500 costs in the neighborhood of $7,000 Canadian and it's pretty bare-bones out of the factory but you can outfit it with a windshield Highway pegs and saddlebags to make a great commuter or touring bike out of it other recommendations if the rebel 500 is on the pricier side of things you could take a look at the rebel 300 which is pretty much the same bike but with a 286 cc single-cylinder engine this will be lighter and less expensive but also we'll be working hard at highway speeds if price is an issue and you are looking for a cruiser then the use market is your oyster there are tons of cheap cruisers out there for ridiculous prices from the old rebel 250 and Yamaha v-star 250 to the Suzuki Boulevard s40 or the Savage as it used to be known to many other bikes in the 600 to 750 CC category that have soft throttles and low seats and can chug along and relax matter you can even find some used Harley Sportster --zf or reasonably low prices for Harley's that is these are fairly heavy bikes but the power on the 883 CC models is very manageable for beginners okay finally we've come to dual-sports these are bikes that are often confused with adventure bikes and that they are taller and can ride on dirt but the difference between dual sports and adventure bikes is that dual sports should generally be lighter and more capable off-road and not nearly as comfortable on a long-distance ride also despite the fact that they sort of look like dirt bikes they differ from them because they are road legal tend to be bigger and heavier and are generally not as capable off-road so these are bikes that you can ride to the trail and then ride on the trail you can also turn them into seriously capable adventure bikes with the addition of a few wheel chosen parts you can even turn them into super Moto's and indulge your antisocial impulses so without further ado the best dual-sport motorcycle for beginners is the Kawasaki klx 250 a third Kawasaki Wow I sound like a fanboy even though I've never owned a Cowie before the reason I picked this bike over its competition is it's the least intimidating in the class with the lowest seat height the seats it's 34.8 inches above the ground which seems tall on paper but with the bike being so narrow feels much lower it's also the lowest in the segment the power delivery is soft and it won't buck a beginner off if they're not smooth with throttle of course I have to mention that it will barely do highway speeds and you're not popping power wheelies on this bike at least not when it's stock but that's just fine with most beginners most want to explore the dirt on a bike that isn't going to be sapping their confidence with power slides and other unpredictable behavior oh yeah and at under two hundred and eighty pounds full of fuel this bike is by far the lightest motorcycle I've mentioned in this video so other suggestions for dual sports well if you're bigger and need something that will keep up on the highway then the Suzuki dr650 is a good choice it stole has a softer throttle for a 650 and isn't very expensive it'll cruise at highway speeds all day long to up and can do some lighter off-roading when the pavement ends this is a very versatile motorcycle so I realize that I mentioned way more than 10 bikes here but I'm big into providing good value for the viewer if I've missed any bikes that you think I should have included don't hesitate to mention them in the comments below if you're just getting into motorcycling welcome to this wonderful hobby and whatever you choose to ride ride smart and ride safe if you have questions about anything in the video don't hesitate to ask in the comments as always thanks for watching please subscribe and hit the bell to be notified when the next video comes out keep the rubber side down and may the spokes be with you you [Music]

Channel: Different Spokes TV

Views: 580,846

Rating: 4.8819699 out of 5

Keywords: Honda CB300F, Adventure Motorcycle, Motorcycle Review, Motorcycle Comparison, Beginner Bike, Top 10 List, Naked Motorcycle, Sport Bike, Retro Bike, Dual-Sport, Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, Royal Enfield GT 650, Ninja 400, Kawasaki KLX 250, Honda Rebel 500 300, Honda CB500X, KTM 390 Adventure, Kawasaki Vulcan S, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Suzuki SV650, Ninja 650, Kawasaki Z650, Suzuki DR650, Suzuki DR-Z400, Sportster, Honda Shadow, Yamaha XT250, Z400, RC390, 390 Duke

Id: jmZFT_tNPJw

Length: 19min 0sec (1140 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 24 2020