Help me decide on a 1st bike

Well, it sounds like there are a ton of good choices. It's good to hear your WR250 is fine on the highway. That light moto comparison linked by Skierd also points to the Kawa KLX as a contender (if I can get one used, dunno the model history). I don't think the wife will be truly happy until she gets a dirtbike, so I'm kinda leaning towards this approach at the moment. I just need to find one in the sub-$2K range. I've lowered my price range, due to some of the good advice here. As suggested, we just need to get something decent to learn on. Besides, if the wife gets her preference on the first bike, then I get to pick the next one

skierd wrote: The Rider's Edge course is the MSF course, just with a Harley logo (and in my state $200 more expensive). About boring 250's and dual sports not liking highway riding... my WR is far from boring on and off road, and does just fine on the slab. Highways are boring though, much better to be on backroads. Used ones are popping up in the $3500-4500 range. They're tall bikes, 36" seat height unless you use the factory lowering link which drops it down an inch or two, but fuel injection is sweet, vibes are low for a thumper with a damn decent seat for a dual sport bike, cruises 70mph without a sweat, and so far they're proving to be just about bullet-proof. With the new bars and new rubber I put on today Another good option would be a DRZ400S or SM. The SM has street rubber and 17" wheels, so its a bit lower but still soft road friendly. Pretty simple bikes and good motor. They can be found pretty cheap too, and if you can deal with the seat height and get into dirt or dual sport riding you'll appreciate the ground clearance.

Plus there are tons of aftermarket parts available if you start to get bored and want to make it faster after you have got good at riding.

The DR-Z 400 is a good recommendation. They're capable, reliable, and inexpensive.

I have an 07 KLX250s. Its good enough on road that I put 1000 km on it last week, and they can also be had for the right price.

I used to be motorcycle tech and I have ridden just about every Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki there is! SV650s make perfect first bikes! If you bought one I am sure you would not be disappointed with it.

My first bike was a Yamaha FZR600, these days they can be found dirt cheap and are excellent motorcycles.

Another favorite of mine is the DRZ400SM, they are super light and easy to control "motard' style motorcycle. Lots of fun in the twisties and for zipping around town, but not very ideal for long distance freeway rides.

Ninja 250s are a good option too, but you would quickly get bored with it once you get saddle time under your belt.

Also an early Honda CBR600, either an F2 or F3 would be a great candidate.

Get some sort of rider training. The first tuning is the space between your ears..just like in autocross.

Then, I'd look into a bike you aren't intimidated by. SV650, Blast, Ninja 250. Get the newest thing you like and can afford. That way you'll worry about riding and not about wrenching or "Should it really do that?"

Also budget for gear. Get a helmet, jacket, and gloves at least. Go to a motorcycle shop that gets good reviews from riders who've been doing this awhile. They'll know the right shop to go to for gear and maintenance. You can buy online as www.newenough.com is a great shop. GREAT shop.

A great place to go to talk about stuff like this is www.advrider.com. A really good forum like this one.

Xceler8x wrote: Get some sort of rider training. The first tuning is the space between your ears..just like in autocross. Also budget for gear. Get a helmet, jacket, and gloves at least. Go to a motorcycle shop that gets good reviews from riders who've been doing this awhile. They'll know the right shop to go to for gear and maintenance. You can buy online as www.newenough.com is a great shop. GREAT shop.

I can't agree more with this statement, taking a motorcycle safety course is very helpful for novice riders! Depending on the course/your location passing the course may mean that you do not have to take any tests at the DMV.

Also like Xceler8x said, don't cheap out on gear! Good gear is necessary for any type of motorcycle riding. I have a buddy who was out test riding a motorcycle he had just repaired and he laid it down going about 35mph, unfortunately he was wearing shorts and a short sleeved t-shirt. Long story short he ended up in the hospital for 5 months getting skin grafts on a very high percentage of his body. Needless to say it was a long and painful lesson for my buddy!

Whatever bike you get, remember the most unsafe thing about it is the dumbass drivers that will try to kill you on the road. Make sure you have a good full face helmet, proper jacket/pants with armor, gloves, and boots. The MSF classes will help a lot but the main thing is to drive like people are trying to kill you wioth their cars/trucks. Watch the side roads, on ramps, etc. and be expecting people to not "see" you and merge into your spot. Go practice swerving in a big open lot or street, test your braking abilities, acceleration, etc. then you will know how your bike will handle a quick lane change or quick hard brake in an emergency situation. Once you mastered that, take your wife to the same place and do the same things with her on the bike to know how much the extra weight affects the bike.