Thoughts?

"ihm96" (ihm96)
07/08/2020 at 12:32 • Filed to: None

Would this be a dumb first bike? I have basically zero experience with them but from what it seems this shouldn’t be too hard to work on.

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DISCUSSION (14)

Tripper > ihm96
07/08/2020 at 12:37

It’s purp, therefore I like. Can’t be worse than a grom as a first “bike”.

ihm96 > Tripper
07/08/2020 at 12:38

90s bmw and purple are an iconic duo

Darkbrador > ihm96
07/08/2020 at 12:40

A bit on the heavy side, but otherwise not too fast and very reliable.

You can find lighter/easier bikes for way less $$, as a first bike, though

duurtlang > ihm96
07/08/2020 at 12:41

My father bought a K75 as his first bike a few years ago. He was alread y over 60 at the time. He quite liked it. It’s n ot a sports bike, but probably a good bike to learn to drive on and to drive long distances with. It’s not overly hard to maneuver on foot either, which is important when you’re inexperienced.

I don’t think he had any issues with it, other than with the ABS-like system it had.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > ihm96
07/08/2020 at 12:41

Seems pretty reasonable. It’s a bit on the heavy side, but that weight should be low in the chassis due to it’s flat engine. I t’s got adequate power - enough to get out of its own way but doesn’t get into stupid- quick territory. And it’s got dual front disc brakes. Overall I think it ticks the boxes.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > ihm96
07/08/2020 at 12:52

It’s a good looking bike, BMWs have a cult like rider group, and they are known for going many many miles without issue. It’s not a bad price either. It’s a good buy.

Now is it a good first bike? Depends...if you’re new to motorcycling odds are you’ll drop it at some point. And while not over powered, it still has enough to get you into trouble. It is still a 30 year old bike too, so things most likely will break and need attention (though it looks to be well taken care of).

I will always recommend a true beginner bike to a beginner. Get a cheap Ninja 250, Buell Blast, GS500, etc...basically something you won’t care about if it gets damaged. Plus the more under powered your first bike, the better you learn to really ride it at its limits, which really helps once you do have more power. This route does have you buying a bigger bike in a year or two though once you’re done with it.

If you really like it, go for it. It’s still fairly cheap and like I said looks like a good buy.

Dakotahound > ihm96
07/08/2020 at 12:57

Many people will disagree with me on this, but I think that it is too big for a first bike. It is not necessarily the power, it is the weight. I have known too many people who have bought a large (750cc and larger) bike and had a hard time learning the basic riding skills. Many of them ended up having accidents (thankfully, not severe) and most of them eventually gave up riding altogether.

For a first bike, something in the 250cc – 500cc range is nice. It is light enough to learn leaning, countersteering, and maneuvering. A light bike will also make it easier to pass your riding test for your license.

ihm96 > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
07/08/2020 at 13:11

Gotcha, so may be a little hard to learn to ride because of the size?

I don’t really plan on riding for speed or chasing speed on bikes at all, I just want to cruise and enjoy the nice weather and wind in the hair. I’ll save the speed demoning for the track :-)

My gf would be riding it too so if it’s hard to learn that’s definitely a consideration.

I know it will need servicing from time to time for sure but from what it seems they are a fairly accessible design and I’m used to working on old BMWs haha. Thanks for the advice man!

ihm96 > duurtlang
07/08/2020 at 13:12

Good to know. I would be mostly wanting to cruise, no speed chasing here. My gf would also be learning to ride on it so hard to tell whether I should just look for something smaller

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > ihm96
07/08/2020 at 13:27

Yea, you will learn a lot more on light bike. You may just be looking for an easy cruise but learning how to really control a bike is essential since you never know when you’ll have to swerve or emergency stop. Riding a light slow bike at its limits teaches you a lot about how a bike reacts.

Also, FWIW I’ve ridden 2 up on a Ninja 250 and it does surprisingly well still.

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > ihm96
07/08/2020 at 13:34

This really depends on a couple things.

Are you going to take a riding course? And roughly what’s your build?

It’s ~75bhp and 500lbs, I started on a bike at 90bhp and 450lbs with the same seat height after taking a course. I’m 6’ and around 200lbs. I had 0 teething problems with it, I low sided it being a dumbass by riding when it was freezing, was 12,ooomi and 3 years in.

The bike itself is believed to be pretty stout from what I’m reading but , I don’t have any experience wrenching on them. It is 30yo though so stuff will need a helping hand.

VincentMalamute-Kim > ihm96
07/08/2020 at 13:57

Everything MasterMario said in his second response but double it if you’re carrying a passenger.

Monkey B > ihm96
07/08/2020 at 16:08

BMW motorcycles, like the cars, require more frequent maintenance, are generally more expensive to do so and more apt to let you know if you didn’t do it. BMW ...well, all German makes really, love having special tools required for some repairs. Plus side is it’s more likely to be well maintained vs. many used offerings. You wouldn’t dislike riding it though!

oldmxer > ihm96
07/09/2020 at 06:47

also these beemers usually have a rather tall seat height, which can cause trouble at low speeds unless you have a long enough inseam