Buying Your First Motorcycle

By: Kase van Rees

With so many choices out there and opinions all over the place, it's time we weigh in on the best first motorcycle for someone looking to get into riding. What bike you get obviously depends heavily on your budget, but two bikes stand out to me as great low cost machines you'll likely want to keep forever. There is a lot to be said for buying a vintage motorcycle as your first bike. They're simple, inexpensive, and when they inevitably break down you'll learn a lot by doing your own repairs. The Honda CB750 pictured above was the machine that taught me how to work on vehicles and find joy in doing so.

The CB is a great machine because they are reliable, respectably fast, and there are tons of parts made for these things to turn into any style build you want to make. Back in the day this bike changed the industry, and the term "super bike" was coined to describe it specifically. This was, and still is, a legendary vehicle. The only reason they are so cheap is because they were produced in massive numbers. As a result you can find a CB for sale in the 3k range anywhere, any time.

But not everyone is in the market for a vintage bike. You do put up with a lot of headache getting an older vehicle, which some people don't want. Luckily there is a fantastic alternative for all you newschool riders out there.

Few things in this world are as great all around as the Harley Davidson Sportster. Same 3k price range, tons of torque, 40+ MPG, and ground pounding V-Twin exhaust sounds. If you're still not sold on the idea of riding a Harley, just remember that no matter how ugly you can always make your bike look good. I've seen this proven time and time again, and it never fails. I turned a stock sportster into this brat/cafe style cruiser for well under 1k in one month. Although most young people are violently opposed to the brand, this is arguably the best bike you can buy on a budget and anybody who has owned one will tell you the same. You can happily ride a sportster every day, and like the CB there is no shortage of parts available to make it look the way you want it to.

Buy either one of these bikes and the more you learn about motorcycles the more you'll realize you made a great choice. Neither is so powerful that you won't be able to learn riding with them, but both have the speed to keep you interested when you start to feel more confident. Figure out what motorcycle is the best fit for you and start riding, it'll be well worth the investment.