Need help with my first bike decision

Not gonna get a 600, 750 or 1000 don’t worry this isn’t that type of post. I’m stuck in between a decision of the 2026 Yamaha r3 compared to the 2026 cbr500r.

First things first,
I’m paying cash and buying from a stealership. The cbr is 7k “out the door”, and the r3 is 6k “out the door” in usd. I don’t mind the price difference as when I sat and looked at the Honda it felt way more comfortable, sounds better for still also being a 180 degree twin and has a very nice display, dual disk front brakes. It also has a heavier build which means it’s perfect for highway stability, especially on windy days here in Tulsa. And the looks oh my god, It looks absolutely stunning in my opinion, the r3 just cannot compare. I like how much torque it has low down in the rpm range, and the peak power hitting around 6500 rpm compared to the r3 having peak power at around 9k. And lastly this would be a great bike for long rides, since it’s more of a sport touring bike, while also looking like a super sport to the untrained eye(if you couldn’t tell I love that it looks like a fire blade).

My issues with the cbr are that it doesn’t(from what I’ve heard)let you tuck in easily, and that you can’t get much lean angle before scraping pegs even with the feelers taken off, I don’t know much about changing rear sets but I’ve heard those *can* fix it, though I’m worried if I’ll end up being turned away at the tech inspection. Obviously I don’t think I can jump straight into that until I get a good feel of riding in general but this is a bike I plan on keeping clean, garage kept and weekend ridden for many years as I learn and build skills and I want to make sure that it’s the right bike for me when I do get out on the track to at least have fun, because in every *other* way, it’s perfect in my eyes.

Then there’s the r3.
I consider the r3 for a few reasons, it can be flicked through corners on track way better due to it being lighter, it has higher rear sets and lower handle bar height so the riding position is more sporty, it can get more lean angle and it revs high. Coming from driving cars, having a vehicle that revs to 12 and a half grand sounds like it would be pretty awesome. My 04 Mustang Mach 1 only revs to 6800 so this seems in theory great. But it also means that the power band doesn’t hit until you’re high up and that seems like it would suck in every day driving because I’d constantly be shifting to keep it high. But would be great on track. The high limiter and needing to keep it near redline to have any power also means that I, and many others on the road will hear all the screams of a 180 degree twin, which doesn’t sound great compared to a 4 cyl. I really only consider the r3 because of how good it would be on track compared to the Honda, but I think in my normal life it wouldn’t be as good.

Side note,
The track I speak of is the Hallett Motor Speedway here in Oklahoma. It’s a great track, very easy to remember the turns and you can get some good speed in the straights. I’ve done some track days there on 4 wheels in the past. They do a ton of motorcycle lap days in the summer.

In conclusion,
I’m leaning towards the Honda, it costs a bit more but insurance cost is the same for both, it would fit my needs for the riding I see myself doing 95% of the time and *can* be used for some fun out on track for the 3 times in a year I’d go after I get the skills to do so, but could need modifications to improve how it is for more aggressive riding(rear sets and clip ons).

What do you guys think?

I'm looking for a bike, am a previously experienced rider who hasn't ridden in 5 years. I prefer the riding position of nakeds over supersports.

I have narrowed my search down to 3 bikes: Z900, GSX8S, MT-09.

Z900: Basic Analog Bike(Looking at older ones without IMU and Quickshifter)
GSX8S: Has quickshifter
MT-09: Has IMU and quickshifter

My last bike didn't have either IMU or quickshifter so i'm not sure how much those features are worth, but IMU sounds like a seriously important safety feature and quickshifter sounds very convenient.

I have a car so this is really just a fun machine.

I have the options of buying a 2020 Z900 for $6500 or a 2021 MT-09 for $8000. There aren't many 8S for sale in my area and they're all listed way above what i'm seeing in the rest of the country.

Is the extra tech worth the extra $1500?

Dear lovely community.

As the title says,

I tried mt07, hornet500 and Suzuki SV650 all amazing on < 80km speed limit roads. But the moment I get on highway, the wind is so much I felt like flying away. Lost confidence and really didn't want to continue riding, but when I was back on streets I felt so good.

On a sunny day, these naked bikes do great, but it's always raining here. Hence
I am considering NX 500, havent had a chance to test ride it.

What's ur thoughts.

I might be asking for a perfect bike that doesn’t exist, but I’m hoping you guys can get me close lol. I’m totally new, taking classes and hopefully getting my license this month, and I want to plan to get a bike I can take cross country one day. I’m prioritizing reliability, gas mileage, ability to load camping gear, and preferably a passenger. I’d like it to be at least somewhat capable off-road, but I’m not talking about blindly through the woods, just wide dirt trails/ gravel backroads. Does a bike like this exist for 3-4k? I’m not shy about having to do maintenance on an older bike myself if needed

Hi all,

I'm really confused between the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 and the Triumph Speed 400 and could use some advice from owners of either bike.

My usage would mainly be occasional city rides and weekend rides, including longer highway trips.

A little about me:

I'm 27 and 5'11" tall.

I currently have access to a Hunter 350, which my dad and sister use for their daily office commute, so I'm looking to get a bike of my own.

I have a decent two-wheeler riding experience.

I enjoy revving the engine and having some fun on the road, but I also want a bike that's comfortable for long rides.

Which one would you recommend for my use case? How do they compare in terms of riding comfort on longer trips, highway performance, handling, and overall ownership experience?

Would love to hear from the owners especially.

Hi !

I already own a sport bike (Aprilia RS 660), but I want to get a second bike to ride with my girlfriend as a pillion.

I saw the Bear 650, which I find beautiful.

But then, I saw an ad at the same dealership, for a promo on a 2025 Speed Twin 900. They are both at the same price...

Now I know the Speed Twin 900 performs better in pretty much all categories, not sure about confort though.

Love the Bear 650 look.

Will the Bear 650 struggle with 2 people (on the bigger side) on it ?
Should I just go for the Speed Twin ?
2027 Bear vs 2025 Speed Twin, for the same price. What do you think ?

Thanks !

Hey guys, I need your opinion.

I just got my unrestricted A license and I’m looking to move on from my 2025 Kawasaki Z650 (bought brand new for 8.1k, currently at 12,700 km). It's time for an upgrade, and I've been searching for my dream bike: a Honda CBR 600 RR.

I found one at a local dealership: a 2014 model with C-ABS in the HRC tricolor (white/red/blue) with only 9,500 km. It has an Akrapovic exhaust and a tail tidy. The asking price is 8,995 €, and it comes with a 1-year dealer warranty and a fresh fluid service. I inspected it in person, it looks super clean and sounds amazing.

I want to trade in my Z650 and pay the difference. The dealer is offering 4,600 € for my bike plus free registration (worth around 250 €), which leaves me with a cash difference of roughly 4,400 € to pay out of pocket.

What do you guys think? Is the 4,600 € trade-in offer terrible or fair for a dealership? Is my Z650 worth significantly more if I sell it privately, or is this a solid deal to just take?

I’d really appreciate your thoughts!

Hey guys

I ride a cruiser so recommending/helping with a sports bike is not my thing. But my best friend is driving me nuts.

We are based in the UAE. He’s got a solid 15k USD budget, and while I begged him to go the used route, he is dead-set on buying brand new.

I pointed (maybe wrongly) towards the zx6r, Aprilia RS 660 or R7. We even looked at the Tuono, but he hated the handlebars and ruled it out instantly.

He’s short, skinny, refuses a "big bike" to start, and wants something with stunning, premium looks, safety tech (even though he will never track it) and clutchless shifting. I showed him cfmoto 450srs but he doesn’t want Chinese (a little offended because my daily is a 600bhp Chinese SUV)

Now he’s constantly spamming my DMs with links, and at this point, I just reply "looks good to me"

Promised him some feedback from this group so I need your views and advice on these options so I can actually tell him something useful:

The 4 bike shortlist: What are your thoughts on the 2 upcoming bikes (attached) and the Aprilia 457/Kawasaki Ninja Zx4rr. I know the Honda CBR500R Four competes with the zx4rr and the BMW F450RR with Aprilia rs457.

Drop your wisdom below. Cheers!

Hi everyone, I got my license and I ended up on these 2 options: a 1999 CB600F hornet or a 2005 SV650N. I know they are fundamentally different bikes, being a 4 cyl vs a v-twin and carb vs injection, but I would like to know which one would fit me best. Obviously, I know the best maintained one is the one to go for, but which one would be best given they are both ok mechanically? Both are about 70k km on the odo, and look pretty well looked after. I will be doing 80-90% city riding, and sometimes going out for short trips or rides outside the city, probably not a lot of freeway (I am not from the US lol). Thanks!

I’m super duper indecisive. For reference I am 5’7 and weigh 115 pounds soaking wet. I’m stuck between the ninja 300 and z500 (and possibly a grom). My reasons for getting this bike is 1. It’s been a dream of mine since middle school to ride and 2. I’ll be using it for my 10 minute commute to work. I have no plan on driving it on the highway so I don’t necessarily care about speed, (the speed limit in my area tops out at 45mph) just looking for something that’s affordable and comfortable to ride.

Hi guys, I am looking to buy my first new bike. I previously owned a second hand RE Bullet 350 Electra. I am 5’9”, 100 kg, and I want bike mostly for city commute (Chennai), and occasional highway touring.

My budget is around 1.8L max. If I had larger budget, I would probably spring for Triumph Speed T4 or something, but sadly my wallet cannot handle it.

I have looked at TVS Ronin, Yamaha FZX, and RE Hunter on paper. (Yet to Test Drive anything).

I am leaning strongly towards Ronin. However, my FIL is facing many issues with his recently purchased TVS Zest, that I (and especially my wife) am feeling queasy about TVS.

Its only been couple of months since he bought it. Only finished first service. Yet in the last month he had to take it in 3 - 4 times, including today. The main complaint is that the rear wheel has a noticeable wobble. Concerningly, TVS first denied this was any problem at all, and only agreed to do something after complaints were escalated. Today we had to take it in because the rear wheel would not freeroll because the brake tightened against it.
And the wobble is noticeable again.

Honestly it is disheartening. They said they will look into it and get back to us.

I still think Ronin is good value for money, and a good bike overall. I just wish it was not made by TVS, and by a different automaker.

So, I am considering if there are any alternatives to Ronin that I should look at instead. Any suggestion that would fit my budget and use case would be helpful.

I have 15+ years experience on the road with roadbikes from 125cc to now i have a bonneville t120.

Just recently did a 2 week roadtrip in vietnam with a Honda XR 150. Did minor trail roads and dirt roads mostly just paved road.

Im looking into going dual bike. I guess i will do 50/50 road to off road.

Im a beginner so i cant decide whether to start with something i think i can learn best on Which is the Drz4s, or just go for the Bike im keen on which is the GasGas es700. Between promotion and overpricing of the drz the price difference is not much.

Im tempted to buy the gasgas but would it be too powerful to start with? Im liking the red color and the feel of the ride. Couldnt find a test drive for Drz yet.

Hey there!

New rider here and I need your insights about a topic I see a lot.

How are these "new" chinese motorcycles? Are they good enough for their price?

I am thinking about my first bike.

2 main options here:

Honda CBR650R which costs around 8-9k € used (couple of years old with 20-40k km) in my country. (Middle europe)

Benelli TRK 702 which costs around 6-7k € brand new.

Also, 3rd is Cfmoto which has been advised by some of my friends and they cost roughly the same as Benelli.

I know, different types of motorcycles but that's not the point here.

My main question is...

Are these chinese bikes, Cfmoto and Benelli in this case worth the price for what they offer for a beginner or just go for the safe option and buy a Honda?

I am really curious about your opinion on Chinese bikes in general, especially about Benelli and CFMoto.

If you use or used one let me know your experience.

Comfort, reliability, service cost, parts availability etc.

Both applies for Honda. If someone rides a 650R, let me know your experiences!

Cheers

Both my KTM and triumph dealership is having a sale. The 1390 is on Sale for 17k USD while the triumph is on sale for 15k USD here are some pros and cons for both models

Speed Triple 1200rr

**PROS**
Cheaper
Looks much better imo
Has better dealer support where I live
**CONS**
Older
Less comfortable
Less power

1390 Superduke R Evo

**PROS**
Better power
Better ergonomic
Familar to me since I already own a Husqvarna
**CONS**
Due to the changes in KTM. There still isn’t a local distributor and all dealerships don’t know when new stock is coming in
More expensive

I just passed my MSF course a couple days ago, and I'm hoping I will be able to get something around February, so I've been doing some digging to see what I should get. I've been thinking about getting a stretched S1KRR (I'm kidding, obviously) But on a real note, I've been looking at the ZX4RR. Funny enough my MSF instructor actually has one too. Just wanted to get some other opinions on how to bike fits as a starter bike. Also, I'm 5'5 with a 30" inseam, so I'm hoping I can fit on the bike with no issues. I was also looking at the Aprilia RS 457 as well.

I currently have a 2008 Triumph Daytona 675 that I am considering selling. I am looking to get a newer bike with technology. I have a 2017 KTM 500 on supermotos as well that I won’t be selling.

What bikes would you guys recommend that are naked bikes with similar power? Or any other bike suggestions?

I don’t feel like I need more power maybe just more low end. I’d just like a bike that has more technology. A little more comfortable would be nice but not a requirement, definitely not less comfortable though.

I do commuting to work on my bike and there are lots of city driving along with some faster areas on the highway. However, I don’t go on the highway a ton or for very long.

I was considering a KTM Duke, as I love KTM’s not sure what model though.

She wants to ride with me. She is 5'2" 120 pounds. I am 5' 10" 200 pounds.

Short Sunday jaunts around the countryside with occasional 2 hour round trip rides to dinner.

I have Honda dealership nearby and love Honda products but will consider other manufacturers.

Looking at 2 Mt 10s, one is 2022 6k km and other is 2025 12k km.

Assuming they are both equally well maintained what would be better.

I've been riding a Ninja 650 for 2 seasons and am looking to upgrade. I want something faster, I'm thinking over 100hp, cruise control is a must, comfortable on long rides (500 miles plus) and 80 mile commute to work. I also got the twisties with a couple friends a few times a summer and sometimes by myself, that's my favorite part of riding. I do like straight line rips, as immature as it is, I love the thrill of the acceleration. Reliability is important to me, I am mechanically inclined, but don't really have the time to fix a motorcycle. I'm a shorter male, 5'5" I was between a Z900rs Cafe and Tiger 800 sport. Now really considering a GSX-S1000gt+ Any advice between those bikes or any other suggestions. Being shorter, I don't want anything tall that I would have to get off the bike at intersections. Thank you

I'm 6ft 275lb. I've had a Husqvarna 701 Supemoto for a few years, and before that a KTM 390 Duke.

I'm looking at these two bikes both for about $8,500 on Facebook marketplace. Anyone had experience with both of these? Does it matter? Are they drastically different?

Hey everyone! I'm 24M from Mumbai. Height - 5'5 weight - 62 kg. Plenty of scooty riding experience but never owned a bike. I've ridden a shine, platina and fz but just once or twice. My current fav bikes - guerrilla 450, and honda hness.

Since ik that these are heavy powerful bikes I don't want to jump straight onto them as a responsible rider. Here's what I'm looking for -

1. Entry level bike for mostly city usage/ commuter with occasional long rides. ( I won't start long touring immediately)

2. Comfortable riding posture + pillion comfort. Not a fan of aggressive sports / super bikes ( I hate the riding posture).

3. Not too bulky like RE classic 350 because I can't lift that much so idk about handling it as well. Max ig hunter 350 I can handle something around its weight.

4. Something not too short as well ( I look really weird on the avenger ) and not extreme seat height as well. I tried the vstrom but was tiptoeing just to stay balanced. Xpulse was more manageable so ig my max limit is 810-815 mm.

5. Budget - not set yet. But since I'm just an enthusiast rn and looking to learn so I won't stretch my budget that much but ig 1.5L; where I can own enough for 3-4 years till I become a good rider.

6. Open to options like - cafe racer, cruiser, few advs and naked street categories.

Some bikes that I've considered ( and found ok to manage ) - xsr 155, yamaha fz-x, apache 160/200, hunter 350, pulsar n160, n160 ss, ns200, xpulse 200, triumph speed 400 ( found a little bit uncomfortable), ronin.

Ps- I'm not going to buy immediately, more of a survey as I'm planning for next year may.

Bike gurus please enlighten me and appreciate all the suggestions.

I'm a new rider trying to decide between a used 2025 Honda Rebel 1100 DCT and an older Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide (2010 FXD).

My situation:

I'm a beginner with little motorcycle experience.

I'll be riding in heavy stop-and-go traffic regularly.

I really like the classic Harley aesthetic, particularly the Dyna, but I'm not necessarily attached to having a traditional manual transmission.

I want something I'll enjoy riding without making my daily commute exhausting.

Option 1: 2010 Harley Dyna Super Glide

Bike price: $6,995

Rekluse Radius X auto-clutch: $1,179

Harley gear indicator: $232

Subtotal: $8,406 before installation labor, taxes, and fees.

The Rekluse would eliminate the need to operate the clutch lever for normal starts and stops, but I'd still shift gears manually. I'm also aware that a 2010 bike could need maintenance or repairs, depending on its condition.

Option 2: Used 2025 Honda Rebel 1100 DCT

Example advertised price I've been considering: $9,960 before taxes and fees.

Factory DCT means no clutch lever and automatic gear changes.

I'd potentially spend another $1,000–$2,650 customizing its appearance with things like a different seat, handlebars, blacked-out details, and fender changes to get closer to the Harley look.

So the prices could end up fairly close once I account for Harley installation labor or Honda customization.

What I'm struggling with:

For anyone who commutes in heavy traffic, how tiring is a Harley clutch in real-world use? Does it become second nature, or does your hand still get tired?

Has anyone used a Rekluse auto-clutch on a Dyna? How does it behave in traffic, at low speeds, on hills, and when maneuvering slowly?

Would you trust a 2010 Dyna as a daily commuter, assuming a good inspection, or would you prefer a newer Honda?

Can a Rebel 1100 DCT be customized to look convincingly like a Dyna or Softail, or will the differences in the tank, engine, and overall silhouette always be obvious?

If you were in my position, would you buy the Harley because you love its looks, or the Honda because the DCT is more convenient for daily traffic?

I'm not looking for a brand-war argument. I'd especially appreciate honest experiences from people who have owned both, used an auto-clutch, or commute daily.

Thanks!

Im turning 18 next week and have around $5,600 in my account. Im looking to buy a motorcycle and ideally I’d only like to spend 5000 max, is it better to go through a dealership or something like marketplace? Which bikes should I look for if I like sport bikes / supermotos?

Edit: I already got my license and stuff so I don’t need to spend money on that. I’ve ridden a handful of bikes with my buddies so I know the basics. Is a 650 too big of a starting bike?

I've been riding around on my TW200 for two years now and I'm ready for another cylinder. I live in the southern United States so it must have wind protection for winter time.

From my research, it seems like the 800 re is about 5-6 thousand used while the transalps are still 8-9 thousand. My use case will be mostly road use with some light-medium touring. I don't mind the idea of gravel roads on a bigger bike, but I already know I don't need what the 800 de is offerring.

I like Japanese reliability and inline 2 motors. I was going to get the V-Strom 650 but the idea of doing my own maintenance on that one annoys me.

My main two questions are: How big is the difference in vibrations between the two? Also, any other bikes you'd suggest? Thank you.