Starting out

It’s only so appropriate that the first issue of Shift 518 will include an article on how to properly select your first bike. Since the dawn of time, the argument has been going on about what exactly is a good starter bike and what is acceptable to start on. Half the people will tell you that they started or know somebody that started on a 600cc superbike and have had no problem with it. The other half will tell you that 600cc superbike is too much of a bike and that you should start out on something smaller. But that difference also applys to bikers to be. For the people that are looking at bikes there are two kinds: The people who will research, ask around about bikes and listen, and therefore buy a proper bike, and then there are those that will disregard everything, and go with the bike that looks pretty (most likely blue and white). If you’re the latter, then stop reading here and go to your nearest dealership and put your downpayment on a brand new 600 or even bigger if you’re feeling that it’s “only a 600” and you need more then a nine-second machine to learn on.

Now for the sane crowd. I’m not going to tell you what bike you should start on, and what bike you should avoid. I’m not even going to tell you that 600’s are off limits as a first bike. You can start on them, but they are not good starter bikes. Can you get away with it? Yes. Will you? Maybe. See after years of seeing this argument and listening to both sides, I came to one conclusion. It’s all about the odds. Now let me elaborate on that. A brand new rider can start out on an R1 (horrible starter bike) and get away with it. Does that mean you can to? Probably not because there is probably 9 other guys that crashed or injured themselves on the same bike doing the same thing. So your odds are not good for that bike. Then there is always the guy that starts out on what many consider the ultimate beginner bike – the infamous Ninja 250, and crashes. Does that mean that it’s just as dangerous as an R1? No because for every guy that injured himself on a 250 there is a dozen guys flicking them around on the streets, and having no problems. So your odds are good. It is as simple as that. You can start out on any bike. Whether your odds are going to be good or not, that’s up to you.