Any input....son wants his first bike

[The Lorax]

My first bike was a '77 kz400s which I still happen to own. my son (17) has expressed an interest in learning to ride, so I told him he could have the 400. fair sized starter bike, not too big, not too small and the price is definitely right. we have talked about giving it an old 50's vintage triumph cafe look. I think it's a good candidate for something like that as it will teach him some mechanical skills, some fabrication, and overall maint. on a motorcycle. plus, if you slap a triumph tank on it, it will be virtually indistinguishable from an old triumph (except for that big "Kawasaki" logo on the cases). hell that little 400 twin ran close to 100 mph with my 230 # carcass on it, should do fine for him for now. maybe later he will graduate up to as xs , wouldn't that be nice. have a nice day and ride safe.

[malber]

Originally posted by gisleDK
My main vice with the XS as a starting bike is the weight.
Hope your son has a boring time if he is ever sent out (meant in the best possible way)

You're right about the weight being an issue, it was somewhat for me until I built up those motorcycle leg muscles. But as a young Marine I don't think DJ's son should have a problem with it. I felt that the XS was much more stable at slow speeds than the puny MSF bikes, and even more so than my friend's VTX which I got to ride around the block a few times. Made me jones to get up on the XS.

The weight does affect slow speed cornering and tight u-turns, but this can be countered by plenty of parking lot practice.

[D. P. Larmee]

I think that with a little restraint, an xs1100 can be a great starter bike. The nice thing about the 11s is that if you stay in the lower rpms (4000 and below), they are pretty mild mannered, and if you do need a bit of extra power, it is nice to know that it is on tap at will.

I do agree that the hardest part about learning to ride is making reactions to your surroundings automatic, and that is going to take time no matter what size bike you start with. I always recommend finding a big open space and keep practicing until you feel natural with the controls. Then maybe move onto side streets with very little traffic for a while before jumping onto the main streets.

[customaxe]

i agrre with Prom.. has more to do with the rider than the bike .. my first was a cb 750.. dropped it twice ( being stupid ) .. didnt ride for years and jumped up to a ninja650.. drove from ft bragg to mass 1st day i got it .. flew home , sold bike and waited 10 more yrs to get my next one .. some folks get it ..some need to be kicked in the head a few times and some well .. its just better some dont even try .. so i guess you just need to let him learn on his own like we all did .. good luck ..lifes hard , so's the pavement !

[Grayfox]

my dad made me start on a 71 honda cb 350. [great little bike]. this was after he saw me try to go around a corner on his 82 cb900c and nearly fall over because i didn't grasp the concept of leaning the bike and controlling the speed at the same time.

i'm 24 now and started riding at 18.

[newc4]

My dad started me out on a XS 1100 and I mastered it pretty easily. I took the motorcycle safety course to develop some skills and now I am pretty confident riding the 1100. I believe the real issue lies with how the rider handles the bike as opposed the specs of the bike. I'm still learning to handle the bike but I haven't had any problems.

Chris

[CarolynS]

Just my stuffy opinion...

I had a Husky 125 enduro 20 years ago that I bashed around in the dirt on. I upgraded to a 250 Honda Quad and played with that for about a year. I haven't been on a bike since then except as a passenger.
I have been driving 50 ton trucks loaded with gasoline for the last 17 years in the city of Boston-fear of the motorcycle is no issue. However, a healthy respect for it is.
I have 125 paved acres to play on to learn my control locations, stopping distances and turning without cars to bother me. Plus around 300 cones to make into obstacles to test myself.
I agree with the guys here. It's the loose nut behind the wheel that can get you into trouble. First time I rode the 79 and I hit the throttle-she scared the heck out of me and the s*@! out of HWMBO-remember he's the one that said the little 400 I liked so much was too small-!
With the proper mindset an XS11 is a good bike for anyone to start on. I firmly believe that my little Husky would hurt me just as bad as the XS could. It all depends on me. And there's no substitute for a GOOD safety course and lots of practice before hitting the mean-and I do mean 'mean'-streets.

[Dsxs11]

I gotta toss the Honda Nighthawk out there. Tons of them around cheap, They seem to hold value of cheap and sell for what you pay for them. parts easy to find (unless you buy a 83 750) The nighhawk is easy to work on and that's a good lesson right there to do your own work.

[wa407mpp]

As I've stated before, I started my sons out on a xs650 and a cb750, as their first street bikes, although they had both been riding off road for years, and had promised they wouldn't, they both went totally nuts. So knowing this, all I can say is, dress them in the best helmet and leathers they can afford, then toss them out of the back of a pickup at 60 mph, then they might heed to your advice. Now don't everyone jump in and say their sons and daughters are different, because when they discover the power, it will take control. Just like it did with us.

[oseaghdha]

Let me tell you a story....

My son went for his first ride with me when he was about 5, up and down the street on a CB750 I had.
I got him a 80cc dirt bike when he was maybe 8. Rode 250s in the dirt for several years and joined the USMC when he was 17.
Off in CA, fresh back from deployment, he bought a zooky 600 unbeknownst to me. I had asked him to wait until he was at least 25, because the ball to brain ratio is all wrong before then.
Anyway, long story short, we get a call from the San Diego ER one morning. He now has a titanium rod in one leg and a plate and screws in his arm, and a Jeep ( and Sgt Stripes )

FWIW, I would recommend an F250 and dirt bike.

Semper Fi to your son.

[trbig]

Put me with the "Buy what you'll stick with and ride" crowd.

Put him on the 11. It's a bigger stable bike that doesn't get blown across lanes from passing trucks. As far as power... these bikes are OK, but they really aren't speed demons. Go test ride any modern sport bike in the 1000 to 1100 cc range (I'm not even talking a crotch rockets) and see what's happened in the last 30 years performance-wise. Sure, an XS will get you killed... just as fast and as easily as ANY bike, and they'll beat up on most V-twins, but realize that even some modern 600cc bikes have about 30% more HP than these 11's do and weigh less than half as much.

Put him on something he's going to be happy with for years. If you put him on something smaller and lighter, he'll basically have to re-learn how to ride all over again anyway when he does move up. Get him on a classic that he has some metal to polish, work on, and learn to love. Let him love the bike that you do.


Tod

[birch]

Like everyone else in here, I started on small dirt bikes/enduros. When I finally made the jump to street, my father helped me buy a 650 special.

What a great little bike. Powerful and nicely balanced. To me, the special handles like a dirtbike, but gets you used to the pavement.

The most important idea I learned from that bike was motorcycle maintenance. I worked the hell out of that little bike. I probably would be taking my motorcycle to the shop if it had not been for that little black beauty. It made me realize that motorcycles can be worked on by the backyard mechanic. Thus, I am not afraid to rip a head off to remove a bent valve.

I know that in michigan, the special is still one of the most popular motorcles in most salvage yards. Parts are cheap and easily found. You can probably pick one up easily for less than 1000 dollars, and if your son does not like it, he can sell it just as quicly as he picked it up

[wa407mpp]

It's been proven, beginning riders usually have an accident within the first six months, so it make more sense to wreck a $500. bike then a new $12,000. bike.

[SiP]

What trbig said!

[birch]

I can't belive you guys would put a newbie on an 11! I love my bike and will have it until something really, really, bad happens to it, but I would never suggest having someone learn to ride on one of these babies.

First, They are a very top heavy. Once rolling, it is hard to get them off balance, but a little clutch stall before total engagement and its off on one foot, possible a lean over. The same with turns. I have been caught off guard myself by cornering with a little bit of gravel or light sand on the road, and I have been riding bikes for 25 years.

Power: Yes there are bikes with tremendous amounts of power. Much more than an XS, but how many of you have been pleasantly surprised at the wrong time. Maybe there is a little bit of dew still on oily pavement. That one has got me a time or two.

The point is, I feel the XS is a bike that has to be respected a little more than other bikes. The sure footed feeling is at times a little deceiving. That is one thing I love about the XS. Some people feel that a horse should be completely broken before it should be ridden. My uncle looks for horses that have what he calls "Spirit".