Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Riding Technique Beginner bike recommendations before bonneville

Hello all,

I'm new here so if there is a more appropriate board for this question I apologize, and feel free to have it moved.

I'm a 33 year old male with zero experience riding motorcycles, but I've always wanted to learn how to ride. I've always loved the aesthetic of the triumph bonneville, and therefore it is me dream bike.

I'm starting this thread so that all of you experienced riders can chime in and hopefully give some recommendations.

Ok, so I'm looking for that perfect beginner bike to learn on before purchasing a bonneville. I've had a few friends tell me to just go ahead and by the bonnie as my first bike, I think that's crazy. So I'm looking for a 250cc bike that would be a good one to learn on, and in the same riding style as a bonneville. So more of a standard riding position I suppose.

Additional info:
- 6'2 with 32" inseam
- 230 lbs.

Somebody recommended the Suzuki tu250x, and I quite like that, though I haven't had a chance to sit on it yet. So if you have any advice on what classes I should take first, bikes you would recommend etc. please chime in.

Thanks in advance.

V star 250 from Yamaha.

But, at your height and weight why not take a motorcycle safety course. They use 250s. Learn the basics by falling off their bike.

I believe you are big enough to handle the Bonneville if you know the basics and go slowly for a few months.

Remember, there are two kinds of riders. Those that have fallen over and those that are about to.

Ride safe, good luck.

Oh yeah sorry, I will definitely be taking a riding course first. I meant to mention that. I also meant to ask if I'm too big for the bonneville also?

I am about 6'3" and a little heavier and the Bonneville seems to small for me. I never have actually rode one, just sat on them.

The america is the perfect beginners bike. Its not like its gonna stand up on ya ! Get something tiny like a 250 and you will be wanting more real quick and be stuck with a tiny little bike to sell.

Yeah, what he said. Very quickly you will own a little bike you don't want. Selling little bikes is not always easy.

To be honest you have the right build for a tiger. The bonny would be a great first bike to get your feet wet then later the tiger is the perfect bike for experianced large framed riders. That bike WILL stand up on you,lol

He typed he loves the aesthetic of the Bonneville. A Tiger ain't that.

It's pretty much a certainty that I'll be starting on a small bike even though I'll want something bigger fairly soon. I would like to live long enough to make the move to the bigger bonneville.

And yeah, the bike I'll eventually end up with is the bonneville. The tiger, while I'm sure a great bike, isn't for me.

Once you graduate from your beginner take a look at the 2000's thunderbird, Tbird
Great bikes and well suited for a larger frame.

Yamaha V Star 650. get an early 2000's one.They are perfect;stable on the road ,easy to ride,enough power for the highway.The other thing is when you sell it you will get your money back.Parts are cheap if you drop it.

My son has one and I thing its a great bike (for what it is)

I liked the aesthetics of the bonneville when I was new as well. I still have the bonny america and still love the aesthetics of it. The bonny is my love,the tiger is my carnal b!tch and I love it even more

This is an opinion of an ex-MSF instructor with thousands of graduates. Just my opinion.

In the class you will be riding 250cc bikes. Light weight, light steering. Given your size, the Bonneville would be a good first bike. It feels light and has lighter steering that the America or Speedmaster. In other words, your training will translate well to the Bonnie.

IMHO, a 250cc bike is too small for you on the open road. The Bonnie would be a good balance and you'll enjoy several years of ongoing training (aka road riding). When you feel comfortable, you can then move up if you so desire.

He's right when you get done with the class and learning on that 250 the Bonnie will feel just right and it will just right for many yrs after but the steering, power, and size will feel right after the 250

Agree with the theme of the posts above (you'll probably be just fine with the Bonnie) but if you have the time and the resources, you can't go wrong with starting smaller. I started with a 250 v-star, and then a yamaha 650, and then the America..... Only did about 300 miles on the 250, and got rocked by the wind, but it's also a great first bike to learn to throw around, and its harder to make mistakes on it if you mis-handle the throttle or do other things that can occur when you are first learning. My wife and I bought a used virago (v-star) 250 and sold it three months later for the same price, all on Craig's list. Maybe I didn't need it, but it helped increase confidence and build experience while moving up. Since the 650 my wife moved to a vulcan 900 and now an HD Softail deluxe, and I love the America. But I appreciate the 1000 or so miles I did on the 250 and 650 to get here...

Ernie

Welcome PhilipMarlowe. I did the 250cc to Bonneville route (the America) myself. For me, it was good to graduate from the smaller bike to the America. I only went about 2000 miles on the 250cc (a Korean-made Hyosung cruiser, which was a real good bike), and then sold it for the Triumph, but again, it was right for me to do it this way. I think the suggestions of the VStar 250 or 650 are good based on your height. Sit on a lot of bikes, and you will find the one that fits you best!

My first bike was a 2001 Triumph Bonneville.
Green and Silver, 790cc.
What a wonderful bike. I only laid her down once..

Sand + Front Brake Grab = Dummy

Just wanted to thank you all for the input.

It seems many of you feel that just a weekend msf course will be enough for a complete novice to feel safe enough to start with the bonneville. That would be ideal, but it just seems that learning on a bike that has a lot less power would be much safer. But with the comments here I'm torn now.

I guess the first step would be to actually sign up and take the class and go from there.

The safety of any bike does not lie in its lack of CCs but in the riders right hand and between his ears. My first real road bike was my 06 bonny america,within a yr I was on the tiger 1050 and rode a whole slew of bikes in between. Bikes such as my buddys busa,demo day rides on speed triples,daytonas,tbird big bore,rocket 3. I didn't feel in any more danger on the busa then I did on my bonny. Its not HP that gets new riders in trouble,its the lack of the wire edge awareness that is needed in traffic. If anything the tiny little 250 is a liability in traffic due to its inability to take off quickly when the need arises. Combine that with a top crusing speed of about 70 and highway use becomes a nighmare real quick when everyone I running up your a$$ and blowing by you because you have no more twist left in the throttle.

Like I would tell my students that are a little apprehensive as yourself, "You're thinking too much!" Having the apprehension (aka fear) is a good thing and is something that you should never truly lose. You will find, however, that a weekend on the little 250 will do a lot more to build your confidence that you may think right now.

If it really, really concerns you that a Bonnie is too much for you then by all means don't do it. Start with a 450 or 500. I really do advise, rather strongly, that you dismiss the idea of getting a 250cc. It's just not enough bike for someone your size out on the public roads.

Completing the class is simply your license to continue learning. I've been riding now for over 40 years and I still learn, and I'm still just a little cautious.

Very much appreciated.

MSF course on 250, maybe a used 400-500 if you can find one cheap, or directly to the Bonnie, very forgiving ride and enough power to keep you riding, 250, too small, you will get tired of it quickly and not be able to get yourself out of the way quickly.

Do you live where it is really flat, no hills and little traffic? Hills and traffic make a small 250 unpleasant.

I layed my 06 down while self training for my license while on my permit. dented the pipe, broke my clutch lever and gave my Romero jacket its 1st battle scar. Its all good, I passed the riders test on my own 3 wks later. Don't fear the pavement, it will go out of its way to introduce itself to you sooner or later.

The Suzuki Savage/S40 is a great learners bike. My wife loves her's. light and easy to ride with a bit more oomph than a 250.

I sure wish Suzuki would take that Savage motor and place it in their retro-styled TU250X, which looks like a classic '60s Brit or Italian single.

(...a baby like that would blow those Royal Enfield Bullets off the road, AND would most likely be a heck of a lot less temperamental to boot!)

Follow you instincts. If you feel the need to start off small, then do it.

The 50 or 60 hp available from a bonny IS small! Anything smaller makes for a nice scooter.

I think most people should start with a fairly good size bike in displacement but not in weight. A BA or SM are fine to start on or a classic style Triumph too. Trouble with starting small is you very quickly get tired of the lack of power and speed for the slab. If you want to start small take the motorcycle safety course, they provide a small bike to learn on.

Americas Speedmasters that Suzuki s40 is a great choice.
hard to go wrong with the advice given.

OK, my 2 cents;

Buy a cheapie bike of any displacement. When starting out, the bike is irrelevant. Learning how to read the road surface & anticipate the actions of other drivers is what will make riding fun (and keep you alive). Buy the bike of your dreams after you gain that confidence and you'll never look back!

It can also be more fun to ride a small bike fast than a big bike slow.

Good luck and have fun.

Maybe somebody already mentioned it, but once you are on the road, always focus on the path you want and or need to go, never fixate on an obstacle or a hazard, or you will unconsciously steer right into it. WWII fighter bomber pilots would become so intent on a ground target during a strafe, they would fly right into it. I believe it came to be called "crash by Target Fixation". So if you take a corner too hot for comfort, look at the path you need to take to safely get around the bend, not at the guardrail, as an example. See you out there.

I think a complete beginner should ride hard in the dirt for a few years first, that's what I did and I think it makes a better rider in the end. Not all can do that though. Saved my butt more than once knowing how to purposely skid my bike in a controlled slide.

There is a new Yamaha 400 standard that looks very interesting for newbe's you might think about looking at that? Seems to me that it would be very resellable when your ready to move up? Big enough to get you around nicely small enough to find comfort and the next buyer might be someone looking to recapture youth?

Although I'd ridden a few friends' rides in my youth, my America was my first bike 10 years ago. Been lucky, never been down, even when I was blind-sided by a deer a couple of years go. I think the handling characteristics and moderate power of Americas/Speedmasters make a decent jump in point.