I started riding on a 1985 Yamaha Virago XV1000, which I'll admit was way too much bike and gave me a steep learning curve, but I only laid her down once and that was in grass. I was smart enough to learn and get a feel for the bike out in an open pasture rather than on the street where I might hurt somebody. People say "why did you get a 1000 cc bike for your first ride, are you insane?", maybe a little but I got it for $3 (yes only 3 whole American dollars) at a police auction in 2004. The auctioneer was calling out numbers and finally said "I'll take anything for this bike", I said $3 as a joke and won the damn thing.

most people way overthink it when they pick out a bike just go get one, it's hard to not have fun on a motorcycle.

I took the course a year and a half ago after I bought my first bike--a 1981 Honda CM400a. I felt for me that at 47 and female, I wanted something that I could ride right away, believing I would have a difficult time shifting and I could buzz around town w/out worrying about killing it at stop signs. I took the course and learned how to shift. I had to sell my bike because it had so many problems. I have been doing a lot of research on which bike to get next. Your video has taught me more in 16 minutes then all the research I have done. Thank you so much!!

My first bike was a '96 yamaha fzr600. I still have it and its now a streetfighter build. Stock it had 90hp at the rear wheel and as I got better I increased the hp and it now has over 110 hp with all the modifications I have done. Great learner

Great video and good knowledge on bikes. I was looking at a 250 but after riding one it will not work for me being 6'0 270lbs. So now i am looking at a 500 or 650 really liking the 500 ninja. Thank you for your time doing the more information for new riders like me is invaluable and the thing i am growing to love from the community.

Thank you! You have a great channel going on here. Keep up the good work!

great GREAT video. Brings back memories of the 4 bikes I've riden in the last 30 years. My 1st in '83 was my uncles '74 Suzuki 250 trials. Dumped it a dozen times but loved it. Then in '93 had a POS Kawaski 550 LTD. Didn't have that long due to crap loads of electrical problems. Then last year was my '85 Yamaha Maxim XJ-700-NC. GREAT bike! The 696cc inline 4 was super quick (rated 0-60 3.2 seconds) but good carb boots was next to impossible to find. Finally is my new '11 V-star 950 tourer.

I do like this video! Thank you. you helped me a lot to decide what bike I should go for:)...I may just try the Suzuki Savage...

Great video. For me my first bike was a Kawasaki vn 1600. I practiced a lot, never dropped it. It is all about what you want to accomplish and what you will sacrifice to success. Bikes are not different that any other aspect in life, work hard, play hard

I remember my dad told me about his first bike. He built it from parts from a junkyard back in his highschool days. Ended up with something like a 1000cc cruiser with a super shallow angle fork. He said the first time he rode it he flipped it backwards lol.

@mrmaxstorey I just want to thank you for your videos. It's taken me a year, your videos have been a huge confidence boost for me, but I'm almost done completely rebuilding a 76 cb750 from the ground up. I had next to zero mechanical experience to start with.

Good vid. I'm in my 50s and I hadnt ridden a bike since i was in my 20s. I'm glad I was talked into getting a little bit bigger bike than I was originally gonna get. I ended up getting a '99 Vulcan 750. I just rode a Honda Nighthawk 250 and it felt like a toy....I'm only 5'9" 160. Good advice.

Thank for your advice. Really good. I have a cruiser like you.

That old intercepter is way too cool, wish I could find something like that to play around with.

Lmao thought this was a puc until the dog came

My first bike is a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic

Started out with a Suzuki SV650 -04. Great starter bike! Good size for a beginner.

I started out on a 1983 Honda Nighthawk CB650. While it is pretty damn quick, I felt it was an awesome bike to start on. Aside from taking a safety course (which I highly recommend for anyone) I had never been on a bike before and I have learned pretty fast. Anyway, good informational video.

Its a pretty awesome bike, I definitely think its manageable, low speed cornering and maneuvering will be more challenging but with practice you can get it

British euphemisms never cease to be a source of entertainment for me :)

Good video! I have an Intruder 800 and like it. I think being able to put both your heals down is important on your first bike, it lets you balance easier and less likely to drop your bike at stops which is really common.

I love the way it rides with it's low stance and smooth ride on it's 942cc fuel injected V-twin. It doesn't have the acceleration that the old Maxim had but I chose comfort, style, reliability & versitility of cargo. It came standard with a semi-soft saddlebags & windshield. The bags by themselfs would have been over $400 each. That why I chose this bike over the Star Sryker 1300 that was $2k more with no bags or windshield. Just love it, Now I hope it gets out of the shop tomorrow lol

Love the videos! Another thing for people to consider on a first bike is where you are going to ride. My first bike was a zrx1200r.. I live downtown in a city.. what a waste. I will attest, no matter how much you try to tell someone not to buy a big bike, they will rationalize to themselves how it's ok for them to do. I just want to put in my voice into the basket of "just don't do it." It will wrack your nerves, and stress you out, and just generally take a lot of the fun out of riding.

Max I agree about the older bikes . My KZ750 is a heavy tank compared to a newer 750 . It is more of a crouser but it is like a small one . Friends has called it a mini crouser but it dose the job and a very fun bike . Great video Max !

I was serious about buying either a Fat Bob, Fat Boy or Breakout, all around 20 to 25 thousand dollar bikes. Went to a dealer and they would not let me test drive one. A few weeks later called one of the larger dealers 3 hours away and talked and they said yes, come on you can test them here. Made the long drive and salesman even sent me map on how to get there. Guess what, they would never let me test drive one!!! Put me thru this long drawn out sales pitch and sent me to Apparel, Parts, Service then finance. It was crazy. I kept telling them that "I'm here to test drive" and store manager comes and says "You are here to joy ride!" and threw me out of the store. The whole ordeal changed my mind on Harley-Davidson bikes and I will never buy one!

The Savage is completely able to handle any highway speeds, the Shadow is also a fantastic option I think either of those will be a fine choice. And no just because they are 80s bikes doesnt mean that you can't rely on them, maintenance is obviously important but I rode my 80s bike across the country and I would do it again

Finished the MSF about two hours ago. I'm definitely getting a rebel or Ninja 250. I have zero experience and the course gave me a reality check. I have ALOT to learn and practice.

i started in a yamaha 1100 classic but i had been riding dirtbikes for a long time before that so i already had a little bike experience

More than happy to oblige dude, do you have any videos up of the process?

A great vid for American viewers - problem is, us riders in the UK (and the rest of Europe, I think) are limited to 125cc and 14.6 bhp on L plates, and then 33 bhp on any other bikes for 2 years. I currently ride an Enduro - a Honda Varadero 125. It will reach 70mph, although it does need to be thrashed a bit to get there, but holds its speed well when there. It's a great bike; it has bike bike styling, and a very comfortable ride position. And all those who ride them love them!

The last group is the STANDARD group. Examples of sport touring bikes are Honda ST1300, Honda VFR1200R (interceptor), Ducati ST4, Moto Guzzi Norge, Kawasaki Concours, so on. Standards have the banana/breadloaf seat in the seventies and migrate toward a slightly stepped seat with a more cruiser look. These days Standards are referred to as Naked Bikes and look like a less aggressive sport bike. Cruiser/Sport/Standard is all about the seating. If you sit arms bent and legs out, it is a cruiser, if you have your feet a touch behind your butt or in line with your butt, knees bent, and with a forward lean, you are probably on a sport bike. If you are sitting up straight or have a mild forward lean, but not hugging the gas tank, and your feet are just under you, from middle butt to front thigh, you are riding a standard. The one exception is touring bikes. Touring bikes tend to favor a standard seating/riding position while the bike is tuned in as a cruiser or sport...or it IS a standard tour bike. Examples of each: Honda Valkyrie is a Cruiser with a standard seating position, Kawasaki Concours (about 2010 and newer, older ones were more sport and less tour) is a Sport bike with a standard seating position, and there there is the Honda Goldwing which is just an all around standard bike that was designed for the purpose of touring from the begining of the motorcycle revolution of the 1970's, although one might argue that the current installment F6B incarnation is a cruiser, but since 1974/5 when it was first introduce up till 2011 or so, it has been all standard. Love your vid's Max, keep 'em coming.

I'm 6'1", 212 pounds and I just got a rebel 250. Fits fine, and it's fun!

I have a gv700. So much fun. Im new to motorcycles. I am 6' 2" 165lbs and its a little bit of a struggle to ride at first but its great!

Great vid, I'm looking into buying my first bike and this was helpful. I am looking at an 89 Yamaha Radian as a starter bike as I dont want to spend a whole lot of money on something I will most likely drop or damage. Are parts still readily available for this bike? It supposedly needs a carb job here soon, might have to replace the boots and sync the carbs. Where could I find the boots? I will use your video on syncing the carbs as a guide :)

Thanks for the quick reply man! I just watched the videos, lots of good information there. One thing you didn't mention was the frame, what should I look for to make sure it isn't bent or repaired or something?I'm looking for my first bike,I want to go used to save some $ and also because I know I wont keep it for too long,but I don't want it to be too old, so 2005 and up. I'm looking a for a 250 cruiser, probably a Suzuki GZ250 or an Intruder, I like the intruder more because of the V-twin.

I recommend the honda shadow 750 or yamaha virago, great starter bikes,

Great video! i was wondering if you have any suggestions for a 6'3" 210 pounds guy

Keep on it, if you are specific about the type of bike you want, it can be a real waiting game on craigslist

Right on man I'll try to get to it this weekend

Ok thank you. I appreciate the advice.

Right on dude, I love my enduro too. Sometimes I think that Americans could use some more sensible restrictions on their first bikes. I hear this all too often: "I'm a big guy so I gotta get a GSXR1000 for my first bike"

Hey thanks for the video, very good information. Im currently looking for my first bike and its harder then I thought it would be. Im thinking of getting a cruiser, so I wanted to get your insight on the v star 650 custom? Also, do you think it is always better to get a used or new bike when you start out? Thanks again!

My first bike which I now still ride every day to work and back is a Honda Transalp 700 cc (2010 model), easy to handle, power is very modest (60 HP), comfortable, reliable. Of course after about 1 or 2 months I felt a bit more power would be nice :-).

thank you for your input :), just been trying to decide on what bike to get whether to go with the s40 which is perfect for my size, or the fuel injected honda shadow which is a tiny bit on the bulky side for me but bearable

Pretty good bikes. Ive never owned one, just ridden a few. I think they are very well made

HOLY SHIT ALL THIS TIME HE WAS FILMING!! I thought it was commentary over pictures until he showed the dog!

If the bike fits, ride it!

I have a Vulcan 800 classic and its been alright to me. Its got a nice ride and it handles decently well. You are not gonna be able to blast through the hills too fast, but itll def. take you through them at a nice pace. I changed the mufflers to Vance and Hines cruzers and it sounds great. Good little cruiser and it was cheap. Hope that helpes! Cheers! ^^

Right on dude, good bike to start on. Parts are fairly available on ebay, thats my go-to source. You can also look up the forum for your bike, there are a couple and even some general Yamaha forums will be able to provide both guidance and parts. Good luck!

Sometimes frame damage can be seen, like a bike that doesnt track straight, or obvious metal damage. Sometimes it cant be seen but can be inferred, like damaged of a pretty bad accident, crack motor cooling flares, etc. For the beginner, if the bike tracks good and looks good, its probably ok

Great video. Thanks.

well here in Finland its about 29 fatalities per year and funny enough half of them is done on 50cc mopeds. But we have the 5-6 months of winter so it reduces them a lot

awesome thats a better answer then i was expecting....thanks

I agree with everything you said but Ive been around bikes since birth so im a exception. I learned on my dads Katana 600, then when he went to a Hayabusa and let me use it for awhile, my uncle gave me his 1990 GSXR 1100 and I dragged with that bike for awhile then used my stepmoms Ninja 250 for 2 weeks then banished it. Now I have a Sv650s that I love and right now im restoring the 1100. I believe that you can learn on any bike as long as you respect it. Im 21 and speak like Obi-Wan-Kenobi lol

Great advice my friend. The seca is strangely called a "diversion" over here and is thought of as a reliable but uncool workhorse. I quite like uncoolness so I might investigate them :)

Right on man sounds like a great bike for you

Yeah a Shadow 600 is a great bike to start out on, nice and low center of gravity, not too powerful, etc. I put a friend of mine, a girl at 5'5'' on a Shadow, and she took to it quite well.

My first bike at age 60 was / is a Spirit 1100. I am 6'-2" tall, 270 lbs. and even this bike needs a bit more stretch out room (possible by way of forward controls or hiway bars). Love my very reliable Honda Shadow. If I win powerball I'll buy a new Softail.

Honda shadow 600ccm for a beginner? Or should i go for lower ccm??? Great video!

Man I think a KZ750 is solidly in the big leagues, awesome bike

Here in Australia I'm pretty sure you have to start with a 250. Thanks for the info.

Get what you like. I want a '71 HD Super Glide FX 1400ccs with kickstart.

good,honest video. thanks

I am 5’-9’’ 185lbs and I bought a Suzuki Boulevard M90 for my first bike, what a beauty. let see how she will do for me...

My wife started out on a 2002 Ninja 250, lasted about 3 seasons then she moved to a Yamaha v star 650

You got it man, to each his own.

i got an xl 600 for my first bike and love it

started with a savage 650. Good bike Got a Harley Iron 883 now :)

Great info - I haven't ridden in 30+ years and am thinking of getting a bike. I do think you missed one important advantage of the trail bikes though - you can learn a lot riding fields/hills and get the mechanics of using the bike to the automatic level... without yet having to deal with the cars. Cheers from Canada.

I like old British and Italian bikes. I currently have a gilera 106 but eventually i want to get a BSA

I'm looking for something to ride daily. I've never owned or ridden a bike before but thanks to a new extremely short commute and high gas prices I want to switch from my SUV to primarily riding a bike. I'm 6,3" and just over 160 so my major concern is dropping the thing or not being able to handle it due to being a scrawny little person lol. Advice on style, size and anything else helpful?

great video. My first bike was a new 1996 Ducati 916. No I have never wrecked a bike or dropped one.... yet.

I'm 5'8" and 180 looking for a first bike. Either a Honda or a Harley.

Shouldnt be a problem I don't think, but if your bobber is a hardtail I strongly suggest taking it on a lengthy test ride before you purchase. You might decide you want a suspension

what kind of bike do you think would be good to fit a 6ft 3 person thats not a heavy set person?

I started on a 1993 Kawasaki Vulcan EN500, great starter bike for me, though it could feel a little cramped at first if ur 5'11" or taller. i'm 240 pounds, 6 feet tall.

I have a Honda shadow vt 500 But I am only 125 lbs I've layed her down a couple times but she is still a great ride

Good overall vid for beginners. Wow you really have an early 80's Suzuki Madura? Kind of an oddball that wanted to compete with the Honda V-65 Magna. Kind of odd kind of cool. I opted for the V-65 Saber. Keep up the good work.

Hello and first thanks for this video! Do you think starting on a Suzuki V-Strom could be okay? In France, "young" riders have to "downpower" (can you say that?) their bikes to max 48hp, and that bike can be "downpowered" via the CDI. Anyway, is there any reason why you would think this bike won't be appropriate for a first bike (i mean on road, i've already rided my dad's XT500 offroad in woods for years)

I hear ya man my XT550 is almost too tall for me, luckily I dont plan on doing much city riding on that bike.

I got my first bike last summer, and it is a 1450cc HD FXDB. It's more bike than my buddy's GSXR 600 (his words not mine). To each his own though, get what you can handle, afford, fit, and love

A light low powered bike with a low centre of gravity is a start,as you ride more you'll discover your limits,and learn to read traffic and try to look ahead of the machine the further away you can see a problem on the road the more time you'll have to avoid incident,you may be under convident at the moment but being over confident can have more severe results!this is my experience 15 years riding.

Im considering the Harley sporster 883 iron first bike

I am a re-entry rider. I have tried a Suzuki Savage and like it because it seems easy to control. My friends who ride bigger bikes are recommending something bigger, at least a Honda Shadow 750, or even a Harley Sportster 883. The Suzuki is the least expensive option. Will I be able to do some highway with it ( 1- 2 hours), or am I better with a slightly bigger bike? Also, alot of 80s bikes are around, just worried I'll be at the shop alot. What do you think?

thanks for posting this max. the less 1000cc sportsbike or harley first-time riders out there, the better IMO

Took the Basic Rider course. Rode a 125cc bike for that. After that I went with a 197 600cc VLX Honda Shadow for my first bike. I'm 200lbs, and 5'5". I can flat foot it, and it has plenty of power, and then some, for solo riding. To me, one of the biggest things is that you be able to flat foot the bike when at a stop. If you can't stand with both feet on the ground when stopped, it's the wrong size. Engine size is a personal thing. I would suggest sticking with a cruiser under 1000cc for a starter, or sports bike of 600cc or less. Sport bikes are geared differently, as well as having different weight distribution. Research your bike, and test ride it before you buy it.

You've put street bikes in the same category with sport bikes. :D Anyway really good vid, thanks.

I have a question...I am finally going back to the states and wanted to go through MSF and get into a bike. Prefer to use it for the weekends on the long road and for just going to work. What type of cruiser would you recommend ...I would like a bike with an aggressive sound too....

Sounds good to me, a good friend of mine got a shadow 600 for her first bike

Good review man

As a short individual (around 5'3 and around 120lbs) with about 27" inseam, I'd wager that cruisers are the only realistic option for me. As such, would it be wise to start with something in the Harley dyna line or Victory bikes with large displacement engines (103 cu inch and 106 cu inch respectively) for a first timer? Regular highway travel is more than likely. Or should I get something in the Harley sportster line like the Iron 883/ Forty-Eight? Thanks for your input.

It depend son what you are looking for. If you want an enduro, cruiser, or streetfighter bike, there are options out there for you in any of those categories. Just go sit on some bikes and see how they feel

awesome. very informative!

My first bike: Honda Nighthawk S 750 (canadian version), 1984, 44K miles (70K km) Paid 2000$, tires are brand new, front brakes are brand new and the bike has been ridden consistantly through it's life. Everything looks to be in order but the front wheel bearing needs to be changed. Thoughts? Anything I should be looking for? I know the guy I bought it from so I just wrote him a cheque and left with the bike and a smile on my face. Thanks for your input.

I'm more concerned with the safety than the money. The FLSTC just felt so much more stable than the smaller bikes.

thanks for ur input brotha....im new to riding and i would like to get something for a beginner that i could use to go from san antonio texas to corpus christi texas with....like a weekend ride with a friend....so i want something that i can ride for a good 2 hours and able to handle freeway riding for that amount of time...but not so fast i can control haha being new rider and all :)

Been riding a 2000 Honda Magna 750, would love to get a Yamaha Bolt 950!

I rode a zuma 50cc for 2 years then I got a 2002 Victory V92C. I'm not strong, 5.6, 145lbs. If I drop the vic I WILL need help. Other than that it is the bike I wanted, There is lots of mountains where I leave so the 1507cc engine helps. It is very comfortable and safe for the passenger. I really like her. Now if the damn cold snow could go away !!!! haven't ride yet this year... :-(

i was just telling a friend the other day about the 60cc bikes but i was referring to the yzfr6 and telling him about the shadow 600 Thanks fore the vid

My first bike and the bike I still have is a Honda CB900c. I didn't anticipate the torque and pulled out of an intersection on a wheelie and scared the shit out of myself. I was lucky I didn't crash. I'm lucky that I learned (manual on a car first) and was quick enough to pull in the clutch.