Hello from Houston

Howdy!
Well just wanted to say hello, been reading the site for a few days now.

I don't own a bike yet, but plan on it soon
Instead of getting another car to cruise to work and back (a few mile trip) I thought this would be a good time to get a bike.
I know insurance is going to be high, but considering the overall cost I figured it would at least equal to getting another car.(correct me if I am wrong)

Was leaning towards a Rebel 250 as I read it they are good first bikes.
There are a few in Houston/surrounding areas, and they are pretty "cheap".

I drive the Tollway for a short trip everyday, would this size bike be ok? I normally don't go faster then 60ish.
Kinda a newb

Anyways nice to meet everyone!

Welcome to the site!

The Rebel 250 (or any of the other 250cc street bikes currently on the market) will be a great first bike. Once you get it, go ahead and ride it for at least a year, preferably 2, before you upsize. You'll be glad you did.

Don't forget to factor safety gear and MSF basic rider course into your calculations. These are vital to a safe acclimation to motorcycling, and can add in price up pretty quickly.

Welcome to the addiction!

Welcome to the site!

I would caution against commuting right away. You will find that it will take some time to adapt to riding a bike. You will experience new sensations that your brain is not used to dealing with. Better to get some experience under your belt on lightly traveled backroads until you are comfortable on the bike and with the controls. Then hit the traffic.

The rebel is a decent starter bike. However, you will likely outgrow that particular bike pretty quick. So if you do get one, be sure to pay as little as possible for it Think of it as a temporary bike. Once you have some more experience riding, you will have a MUCH better idea of what you want from a bike. Then you will be in a better position to decide what is the right bike for your kind of riding.

Other good starter bikes would include:

Suzuki GS 500, there is a naked and faired version. GSTwins.com for more info.

Kawasaki Ninja 250 or 500, faired and semi faired versions available.

Honda Nighthawk 250, standard bike with no fairings.

That is by no means an exhaustive list. There are other bikes that will do nicely. But these are all popular and bullet proof reliable. They are cheap to fix in the event of a mishap, small or large. Insurance will be cheap. They all get great mpg. And perhaps most importantly, they are relatively lightweight. As a new rider, weight can be your enemy

Well to the site....

and I agree with Tourmeister, back road for awhile then work your way up to heavier traffic situations...


Happy Riding

I suggest something bigger.

Two reasons:

1) The lighter the bike, the more you get tossed around in the wind, big trucks etc.

2) Sometimes you need power to get out of a jamb. And you don't have to use it just cause its' there.

Another thing...IMO, people that are the safest on motorcycles ride them because they like the feeling and that particular type of motion. It seems natural to them.

Many people get a bike for other reasons, romantic notions etc...and these days...the cost of gasoline is now a factor.

Houston is not a good town for bikes really, bad drivers, drunk drivers, people on cell phones, people that are more fixed on missing a freeway exit than what they might hit changing three lanes in a couple of hundred feet. People are undiciplined drivers here and there is very little law enforcement to encourage them otherwise, particularly on the freeways. Motorcycles and motorcycle gear offer little significant protection other than the actions and reactions of the motorcycle rider.

Make certain that you want to get out in all of that and can be comfortable doing so and can react to it.

by the way...I love to ride my bike.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

We have been riding about 9 months and are still not Houston freeway ready. I'm not convinced we ever will be. I don't have enough disability insurance. These people are nuts and pretty bad drivers. Once out of town its OK unless say on a Sunday afternoon coming in from the west on I-10. Stay off the busy freeways until your natual instincts and rider skills are really, really good.

ceddec said:

We have been riding about 9 months and are still not Houston freeway ready. I'm not convinced we ever will be. I don't have enough disability insurance. These people are nuts and pretty bad drivers. Once out of town its OK unless say on a Sunday afternoon coming in from the west on I-10. Stay off the busy freeways until your natual instincts and rider skills are really, really good.

Click to expand...

Dennis:

It is my understanding that the most common motorcycle accident is someone coming oncoming, making a left turn in front of you and across your lane, that for whatever reason..just didn't see you. That can't happen on a freeway.
Be careful on the streets too.

as for the freeway, some advice given to me that I have always observed when I have to be on it:

1) Stay on the left side of the inside lane..because traffic can only come at you from one direction.
2) Go slightly faster than the flow of traffic.
3) If there is an emergency pulloff lane consider that your personal escape route.
4) Be just as ready to accellerate away from danger as hit the brakes.
5) rememeber that it is possible to co-exist (survive) on the stripe with a vehicle on either side of you. In California it is a way of life..."Lane splitting"
6) And this is a very arguable point...I personally consider the outside lane the most dangerous because of people making last minute adjustments to exit.

I hope any of that helps. I suspect you already know it.

Thanks for the replies

I plan on taking a MSF course in Houston before I even purchase my bike (provided I don't find a really good deal between now and then).
I figure this will let me get on a bike and give me a feel for actually driving one.

I am in no rush to take it right on the highway..really can't afford to make a stupid mistake and get myself hurt. Since I have other options to get to work, I can take the whole learning curve at a safe pace


I appreciate everyones suggestion, if yall have any more please let me know.

Anyone know a good MSF place in Houston? I have read about Awesome Cycles http://www.awesomecycles.com/Main.htm and they seem pretty good.



-Jeff

to TWT,

Good luck on your search for a new bike. I would definitely recommend getting an EZ tag for the bike as well. I've encountered some slick areas while stopping to pay my way through the toll. Also, you don't have to worry about being rushed while trying to put your gloves back on or worry about get your coins out. I just carry mine in my jacket pocket.

Welcome Jeff!

I took my MSF course from A+ Rider and was quite pleased. They show several Houston locations. I'm not familiar with Houston so you'll have to pick which is closest to you.

I'd vote for the Ninja EX250 over the Rebel 250 simply because the EX250 has a bit more hwy cruising ability. I'm told the Rebel doesn't like much of anything over 60, it'll do it, but there's not a lot left "just in case"

Helmet, jacket, gloves and boots are what I would consider the minimum of riding gear. Its not cheap, but it will pay off in the event of an unexpected dismount from your machine.

Insurance varies greatly depending on carrier, your age, size of the bike, area you live in, phase of the moon, etc, etc. Call around and see what you can find. I'm with Progressive and I've heard great things about Dairyland as well.

My wife took the MSF basic class from Awesome Cycles and told me the instructor was excellent. She was able to go to an all girls class, to boot. Her first bike is 1986 Honda Shadow 500. It's light and small enough for a first bike, but has enough power and speed to head out on the highway.

kertain said:

Anyone know a good MSF place in Houston? I have read about Awesome Cycles http://www.awesomecycles.com/Main.htm and they seem pretty good.

Click to expand...

Personally, I think they live up to their name.

But whereever you decide to go, do not just go to the closest school. It's a big misconception that all of the schools are the same.

Compare their websites, check out student comments, and call each of them and ask the same questions.....then make your decision.

Challen
Lead Instructor

PS
Take the MSF course BEFORE you buy the bike. Talk to your Instructor about good beginner bikes.

Thanks for the input guys

I will be honest and say I am not much for the "crotch rocket" type bikes(personal preference).

I am getting mixed results from my research online and the comments here, regarding a 250 being a good freeway bike.

Since I will be traveling a freeway almost daily, I want to make sure I am not getting something that wont be enough to keep up.
I really just want something to get me safely to work and back, and don't care if it is a speed demon.
Yet, I also don't want to get something too large to learn on.

I am currently looking around and pricing all the bikes that have been mentioned, and I am sure once I complete my BRE I will be able to make a more educated decision.

Thanks again for everyones time! I am an information junkie so keep throwing it at me

Howdy,
Took my MSF course with Awsome Cycles..had a great time and learned alot.
I aced my written and did decent on my driving test.

Going to get my license this week

Getting ready to get my bike, and decided on a Honda Shadow VLX.
Spoke to my instructors and they agree that a Rebel would be way to scary on the highway..and a 600cc Shadow wouldn't be too incredibly large to learn on.

Wanted to thank everyone for their support, and ask if anyone knows of any other bikes that are similar to the Shadow that they would recommend.

Shadow 600VLX is a good choice to start on. Comparable cruisers are the Vulcan 500 and Virago 535 (out of production). But if you're average size or more, you may want to consider a 750/800 class cruiser. They're not too powerful for a novice, but they are heavier (around 500lbs) than the small cruisers. This actually makes them better suited for freeway travel.