Good, reliable bike?

[Racing Rice]

My turn...

IMO, a Race Rep 600 or bigger is a bad idea for a first bike. These things will run low 11s or 10s in the 1/4 mile. They are designed for experienced racers on tracks. Not n00b riders on the street. Do yourself a favor and look into getting something smaller. Look into a Ninja 250R, Ninja 500R, Suzuki GS500E/F, maybe even an SV650 (borderline beginner bike). These are a lot more forgiving.

Im not saying that its impossible to start out on a 600cc bike, but you will be a much better rider in the long run if you start out on a cheaper, smaller bike. Plastics are expensive. 99% of all new riders will drop thier bikes, either in thier driveway or in the streets. Plastics will cost you a bunch of money to replace. I highly recommend a naked as a first bike.

Do yourself a favor and check out the New Rider forums at www.cycleforums.com. Read through some of the posts. We get questions like this everyday.

Dont become another statistic. I recommend looking into an MSF course. These are awsome courses! I will be taking one for the second time with my wife this year. Its good for beginners and experienced riders a like. www.msf-usa.org

http://home.earthlink.net/~thebradfords/startsmall.htm