[ZukiFred]

Older & Smaller is good a idea. My first street bike was a 1975 honda CB360T plenty of power to learn with, No expensive plastic to replace when you drop it, and im sure you will drop it its part of the learning experience. and older bikes are cheaper.
Good luck.

[BISQ]

Bisq You need to get with the Teenage lingo. It is just a term. You know like we call Range the resident "B....."

I live the teenage lingo. Trust me on this. [/b]

[prep_it_up]

Bisq You need to get with the Teenage lingo. It is just a term. You know like we call Range the resident "B....."

haha this reminds me of me and my dad... he tells me most of the motorcycle terms and i try to help him comprehend the teenage "ligo" hahaha

[KatanaTX]

I started on a RM 125 in MX, you can pull wheelies and not bust too many bones on those tracks. You lose it in the streets and you hurt yourself bad or even worse someone else. A Gixxer is way out of your league in skill set and maturity. Have fun get a dirt bike then when your 16 you got the skills to get a nice sportster and not kill yourself.

[soccersteve]

just out of curiosity, do they make training wheels for the kat? maybe somebody could fab some that would go in the holes for swingarm spools.

[tdrcomm]

Dude *best Keanu impersonation*,

You kinda have to understand where we're all coming from.

Most of us have gone down once or twice. A few have seen it happen to others. And a small, unfortunate few have seen riders go down and not get back up again. Things happen to the best of riders through no fault of their own. We would rather not have it happen through sheer recklessness. I can't wait till my son can ride with me. But I want to enjoy that experience a long time. It's a sure bet he won't be around long enough if he rides with a stunter's attitude first starting out. When we see a post like that it gets fires burning because we know what will happen.

It's also a given fact: People ask questions for a reason. Not that we doubted your intentions, but it sends up red flags. No one want to have it on their conscience that they gave advice (or didn't) to someone that couldn't handle it. If I give good advice and the person still ends up wrapped around a telephone pole somewhere, so be it. I'll sleep better at night. I can't tell you how many 17 year olds or newbies I have talked OUT of buying a Busa. Be thankful that this is a good group that will tell it like it is and not hold back.

And we also read very well. In your post you made it seem as if you were looking to make the purchase once you got more information. No offense, but if you're 14 and checking out insurance rates it means that you've got disposable income that most 14 year olds don't have and you're getting a R1 no matter what we say.

"I hope to be able to do wheelies and stuff on a motorcycle." Those are your words, not anyone putting words in your mouth. Can you honestly say that that's not the FIRST thing you'd try as soon as you got your bike? Hell, at 16 that would have been the first thing I'd have done had I not learned better. Again, there's nothing wrong with stunting. But as anyone here that stunts will tell you: Learn to ride first, crazy stuff later. Nothing's worst than to get into trouble on the bike and not know how to get out of it.

I kinda doubt that irenekat or soccersteve really believed that you're heading down to the stealership tomorrow and following their suggestion. I'm pretty sure they're hanging around waiting for the fireworks to erupt. Stunting is a touchy subject. And given my experience on forums the "Troll-call" was warrented. You wanted a simple answer to a not-so-simple question. I, and no one else here, would give out advice that could get someone in a world of hurt. That's not how we are. Suppose someone got on a professional medical forum and asked: "I need to know what will poison someone faster, strycnine or cyanide? I checked into it and strycnine is cheaper but I can get cyanide in larger quantites. Your opinions, please." People on that forum would do more than just flame.

Highsight is right, too. Feel free to edit your post. You'd be surprised as to what the responses will be. Heck, even BlackFalcon might chip in, but I can guarantee that he's staying as far away from this one as possible.

Passion is wonderful. We all have it, that's why we ride. But with that passion comes responsibility. It's our responsibility to you & your dad to answer you truthfully and give advice. But we also have a responsibilty to ourselves, because we hope to safely share the road with you someday.

[tdrcomm]

sry if thats hard to understand i should really proof read my posts :P :P

You and BlackFalcon both! I tell him that they make spellcheck for a reason.
Welcome to KR. Dang if you don't know how to make an entrance!

[SweetLou]

I didn't start riding street till about 3 years ago. I started on a 750 Kat. Even I thought, at age 25, that a 1000CC Rocket would be to much due to the fact that I had never ridden street. Mind you, I am 6'5", and 300lbs+.

Those big bikes can be to much until you really learn throttle control and the little things that can make riding a challange. If you are truely set on getting one of the bikes you have listed up there in the poll, go with the Kat.

It will be much more fogiving, and a better learning bike, that will still give you lots of enjoyment after you start to master the art of riding. Those SV's can get a bit squirelly, trust me on that. Kongzilla has one.

Now, if you are willing to get something a little less than the Kat, something that will be even BETTER to learn on, then I suggest something like that Ninja 250 or 500. Maybe even a Buell 500. Don't think that just because they are small, that they are crap. My freind Janet has a buell 500 (She is barely 5 feet tall, and it is one of the few bikes that really fits her), and she can Rail and ride like the wind on that thing.

What ever your choice, let it be the wise one. The one that will really allow you to learn on. You have your whole life ahead of you to upgrade, and get better at, and to get the "Sweetest" bike of the time.

[soccersteve]

yea, as tdrcomm said, i'm not expecting you to go down to the dealer tomorrow and buy one. you wanted to know out of the three options you posted which one we thought, that was my opinion. and as you'll see, i am a kidder, which is why i posted about training wheels. everyone else was going the big brother route, and i didn't feel the need to do so as well. welcome to KR, enjoy the ride.

[prep_it_up]

thanks everyone these last few posts have made me happy... i just want everyone to understand that i do appreciate your concern and "mother like" wisdom, and trust me i never has intentions that the first day i ride i will try and stunt. Heck no, i truly have to be comfortable on the bike and learn to ride and enjoy it, then if stunting comes up... maybe i'll do it maybe i won't... but i get your points, i do need to be comfortable with the bike, and in the long run... I WILL GET AT KATANA! someday.... haha ..... hopefully whem i am 16/17

[ThAzKat]

Look son, does that sound like your dad. Hey bro, dude, peep, cuz, what else do we need to know? I think I am in the House on this one.

Anyway, as a 14 year old you are still not catching the drift bro, the DL is we all have been there done that. So what is it you want to know? How to ride? Where the best place is to learn how to ride? The in and outs of riding? Who here can help you ride or maybe be your Katana parent?

You said that you should have proof read your post before summitting it For someone to say "I am 14 and want to get a bike to do wheelies and stuff" that doesn't need to be proof read. You walked into a Japanese home with your shoes on, that is the wrong way to go about it. before you joined our youngest member was 19 and he gets nailed all the time. Just another parent giving some constructive critisism K cuz?

Maybe and this is a suggestion, start at the Introduction forum and try saying hello to everyone. Let us know where you are from. What you would like in the future. What your background is. Try reading through some of the post on introductions and maybe, just maybe you could get started on the right foot.

[Anonymous]

edit: deleted

[ThAzKat]

http://www.katriders.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=7dfb65e381b10344165b193adcfee6fe

[WildKat]

good call thom...the introductions forum has alot of good info in it for newbs.

Basically dude, its like this...the voice of experience speaks volumes, and motorcyclists everywhere who are smart, heed to advice of others when it comes to learning the art of riding. It's the most fun thing u can do on daily basis, IMO. It even makes running down to the local mini mart a fun time.

We at KR take riding seriously and we also have alot of fun here and out on the roads. We do it responsibly and we take pride in our bikes, our riding, and what riding means to us and others who enjoy it too.

[OldandReallySlow]

Hmmm, where's the eating popcorn smilie when you need it??? Come on dudes, how many of you mangs wanted a sweet ride when you were too young to ride??? I know I did, so I bought a dirtbike and learned the hard way (also pretty fun except for the hospital stays!!) Anyhow, if young Chris wants to ride on the street, GOOD!!! If he is responsible and learns the right way, even better. If I'm wrong then my bad but I say, the boy must grow to be a man!!! Oh, and by the way, welcome to KR!!!