New to motorbikes

I would like to get into biking because I am a bit of a speed nut. :evil: But I honestly have no idea what is required of me in terms of getting a license and financing, or what would be a good bike to start with. If anybody knows a good tutorial or forum I can join to teach me all the tricks and give me a leg-up that would be great. Would you gents please help?

Don't start on a 1000cc, you will end up in a tree somewhere. Buy a bike that fits your frame, small engine... 600cc or so, and go to a Superbike school where they teach you how to ride.

I have lost 20+ friends over the years because they starting off with the wrong info and big bikes then cant handle it, and end up in a barrier dead.

Go for schooling, pay the fees, and respect the bike. She is the boss, always will be.

Ditto @ Oupa.

BMW are known for their advanced riders lessons, but I am sure there are other schools were you can get quality help as well.

Also, the choice of bike really depends on the purpose it will serve you. You say you are a speed nut, but you'll be surprised how you can satisfy that with a small engine.

I'll be looking to buy a BMW Sertao in the next couple of years, because of superior balance and versatility.

I have a 1200GS. Are you really set on a speedbike as I think tar roads are generally dead boring and more dangerous with all the taxis and such. Maybe consider an adventure bike. They are not that slow but definitely more noob friendly.

I started off with a cheap 400cc cruiser, then moved to a Vstrom before I realised what I actually wanted to do. I would suggest a cheapie for you as well if you dont know what you want. And definitely dont finance your first bike.

m0lt3n wrote: I have a 1200GS. Are you really set on a speedbike as I think tar roads are generally dead boring and more dangerous with all the taxis and such. Maybe consider an adventure bike. They are not that slow but definitely more noob friendly.

I started off with a cheap 400cc cruiser, then moved to a Vstrom before I realised what I actually wanted to do. I would suggest a cheapie for you as well if you dont know what you want. And definitely dont finance your first bike.

All the advise is great and this ^^^ is what I wanted to know. Why not finance the bike please elaborate? I wouldn't mind getting an off-road cause I thought it would be okay if I let it fall a couple of times. Many of mates are big into the off road and motocross thing so it wouldn't be so bad to have an off-roader to use as well as a speed bike. Yes I am a speed fan so want a super bike in the end.

@Oupa thanx I am happy to be the submissive one in the relationship. I was thinking more of a 250 to start with I know a 600 is faster than a Ferrari and you don't start with a Ferrari as your first car you start with your mom's minivan.

@Furk I am born and bred BMW so wouldn't mind another BMW driving course. Didn't even know they had bike courses.

KTM 390 duke. A very nice starter bike for the money. A 2014 model is not much over R40k, will still be under warranty and they all come standard with abs. Don't waste your money buying new bro.

MA I LOOOOOOOVE the look of that bike!

Now go find one to sit on.

Are we talking about girls or bikes?

Pyroclasm wrote: Are we talking about girls or bikes?

You sit on the bike.
Girl sits on you. (or your face)

Dangerous territory to get into, but great fun.
I rode for about 10 years and lost several friends along the way, so start small and work your way up. Biking is probably one of the most addictive activities there is, you'll keep chasing the faster quicker bike.

Be careful and think FOR other drivers.

Not sure if you'd be interested in this? Husqvarna SM610, had one and it was a great bike, heard that parts are quite expensive now but you can pick them up for a good price.

I have been riding for 6 years now, I love it! Will certainly choose having a bike over a car if I could only pick one.

Personally I am not a fan of the off-road or dualies, however they have their place and purpose. That being said I find having a superbike a bit silly if you using it for commuting, especially if you are travelling longer distances. Not the best in terms of comfort and seating position.

However for starting out all you need to do is go and write your learners, once you have that you are all set to go and test ride bikes as well as purchase your first bike and even finance it if you so desire.
The only limitation is that with a learners you are not allowed to have a pillion (passenger) and insurance isn't as low / there is often an additional excess.

In terms of what to get for your first bike, something you can manage easily in terms of the weight and size and which you feel comfortable on. My advice is to go for a smaller bike to get use to everything then once you have some experience consider going for a bigger bike.

Also I would say avoid a bike with nice pretty, expensive fairings for your first bike as dropping it will cost you a lot of money! One thing you need to realise when having a bike is that it is not a matter of if you will come off, it is a matter of when you will come off.

Spend money on proper quality gear / kit (helmet, jacket, boots, gloves etc. etc.), you need to be more aware and awake and pretend you are invisible, check your left and right before you pull off from a robot (I'd have died many times had I not done this), becareful of sand and stones and shit in the road as well as when it is wet and painted lines / pretty oil rainbows. When you are in a car it doesn't really make a difference, on a bike its a very different story.

The local Think Bike forums use to be great in terms of knowledgeable people who were very friendly and helpful, not sure what it is like now though.


For your first bike def get a 2nd hand one, also the cheaper the better. Heck, even consider something like a Kawasaki KLR650 at first. Not the fastest, however they are cheap and will handle a fall a lot better than some other bikes. Get use to that and then look at something bigger a nice 600 or 750 inline 4.


EDIT: Without a doubt, once you have your bike and are comfortable riding it really consider going for some track days / "advanced" riding courses. You learn tons, counter-steering, the correct foot positioning, how to enter a corner and exit a corner correctly and where to look when doing so, emergency braking, using your body weight only to move your bike etc.

Depending on how you feel, consider going for a lesson or two before even getting a bike or just after you have gotten it to learn the basics - it really does help but make sure you get someone who actually knows their shit.

99% of bikers I see do not even have the correct footing position, that alone makes such a big difference when it comes to taking corners which a lot of newbies will struggle with.

Outlaw #19 wrote:

Not sure if you'd be interested in this? Husqvarna SM610, had one and it was a great bike, heard that parts are quite expensive now but you can pick them up for a good price.

great bike but its UGLY :woohoo:

Good post Pyro +1 bruv.

But one question... ...why the f**k do you say

Heck, even consider something like a Kawasaki KLR650

That's the AK-47 of the motorbike world mate! No fancy electronics but ram yourself into a wall and the bike will be in better shape than the rider.

If you have no biking experience, you need to start smaller than 600cc though. Even in terms of size, for starting off and getting the feel of a bike it makes it easier if it is nimble.

Oupa wrote:

Outlaw #19 wrote:

Not sure if you'd be interested in this? Husqvarna SM610, had one and it was a great bike, heard that parts are quite expensive now but you can pick them up for a good price.

great bike but its UGLY :woohoo:

'Husqvarna' sounds like a non-alcoholic beer.

@Furk thanx for the karma. (See your previous post)

Ag sorry +1 to Psy.
Pyro your cool too only have 1 karma a day sorz.

Great post man that's exactly what I am looking for! But you shouldn't have done that cause now you have to answer all my question..

PsyCLown wrote: I have been riding for 6 years now, I love it! Will certainly choose having a bike over a car if I could only pick one.

Personally I am not a fan of the off-road or dualies, however they have their place and purpose. That being said I find having a superbike a bit silly if you using it for commuting, especially if you are travelling longer distances. Not the best in terms of comfort and seating position.

However for starting out all you need to do is go and write your learners, once you have that you are all set to go and test ride bikes as well as purchase your first bike and even finance it if you so desire.
The only limitation is that with a learners you are not allowed to have a pillion (passenger) and insurance isn't as low / there is often an additional excess.

So step 1 is to go and write my learners. I am a bit confused on step 2- should I finance this bike or should I make an effort to buy it cash? We don't always have R20k under a mattress.

In terms of what to get for your first bike, something you can manage easily in terms of the weight and size and which you feel comfortable on. My advice is to go for a smaller bike to get use to everything then once you have some experience consider going for a bigger bike.

Also I would say avoid a bike with nice pretty, expensive fairings for your first bike as dropping it will cost you a lot of money! One thing you need to realise when having a bike is that it is not a matter of if you will come off, it is a matter of when you will come off.

So far I have practiced a bit on the farm with my friend's KTM 450 off-roader. Only went up to second gear cause that thing is frightening. Which bike would you go for?

Spend money on proper quality gear / kit (helmet, jacket, boots, gloves etc. etc.), you need to be more aware and awake and pretend you are invisible, check your left and right before you pull off from a robot (I'd have died many times had I not done this), becareful of sand and stones and shit in the road as well as when it is wet and painted lines / pretty oil rainbows. When you are in a car it doesn't really make a difference, on a bike its a very different story.

That's exactly what I am looking for. I would never have thought I one has to look right and left before pulling away. I t the invisible thing as someone who drives often in the city. I am pretty sure I won't take the bike in the traffic ever just want a lekker weekend toy for the road and maybe even off the road. The stones and sand thing is probably my only fear cause I know that's how even the best riders see their noughts one time.

The local Think Bike forums use to be great in terms of knowledgeable people who were very friendly and helpful, not sure what it is like now though.


For your first bike def get a 2nd hand one, also the cheaper the better. Heck, even consider something like a Kawasaki KLR650 at first. Not the fastest, however they are cheap and will handle a fall a lot better than some other bikes. Get use to that and then look at something bigger a nice 600 or 750 inline 4.


EDIT: Without a doubt, once you have your bike and are comfortable riding it really consider going for some track days / "advanced" riding courses. You learn tons, counter-steering, the correct foot positioning, how to enter a corner and exit a corner correctly and where to look when doing so, emergency braking, using your body weight only to move your bike etc.

Depending on how you feel, consider going for a lesson or two before even getting a bike or just after you have gotten it to learn the basics - it really does help but make sure you get someone who actually knows their shit.

99% of bikers I see do not even have the correct footing position, that alone makes such a big difference when it comes to taking corners which a lot of newbies will struggle with.

@Furk you got me all excited and then you just take my ice cream away. JK you know I don't give a white butthole about karma.

Pyro just a quick add on the financing. I bought my first bike cash, brand new from the dealership. Long story short it gave me loads of problems and just plain didn't work 1/2 the time. To my understanding, if I had bought financed, I could resell it to them. I think it's the updated "Consumer's Act". But anyway, your not buying from the dealer so different law might apply. Just cover your butt and read up maybe.

Cheers. I actually hardly make use of the Karma feature, so recently I've been spamming it to people I think deserve it.

Pyroclasm wrote: Great post man that's exactly what I am looking for! But you shouldn't have done that cause now you have to answer all my question..



So step 1 is to go and write my learners. I am a bit confused on step 2- should I finance this bike or should I make an effort to buy it cash? We don't always have R20k under a mattress.

I was lucky enough to have my family help me out with my 1st bike, I was still in high school when I got it so had no income. My 2nd bike (which I currently have) I was lucky enough to stumble into some money and purchased that 2nd hand from a friend and that was back in 2011, it is a Kawasaki Z750S 2006 model and I love it and there really is no need for me to get a newer bike or "upgrade".

Sure I would like something newer, however mine is still respectfully fast at 0 - 100 in 4.5 seconds and is still great mechanically (around 75 000KM now).
My friend on the other hand had his family buy him a small 125 and then he financed his 2nd big bike (Honda VRF 800) and he does not regret it.

I am not sure why you would not want to finance it for any reason other than it is generally best to buy things in cash or try and save up. -shrugs-

So far I have practiced a bit on the farm with my friend's KTM 450 off-roader. Only went up to second gear cause that thing is frightening. Which bike would you go for?

A 450 isn't really big, the off-road bikes are often single cylinders as well although their gear ratios and sprockets etc. are quite different so they have a lot more torque and power low down and run out of steam quickly if I am not mistaken?
If that scared you, then maybe it is best you do what a lot of people on the Think Bike forum use to recommend.

Put your ego away in your pocket, go and purchase a cheap 125cc - 250cc and have that as a starting bike. Something old, cheap and preferably with minimal fairings (I learnt the hard way by coming off - they cost a fortune). Use that for a few months to get the feel of it, get use to a bit of traffic, get the feel for leaning the bike in a corner and to learn all the basics on.
The bike itself will be a lot smaller, lighter and just easier to manage in general.

Then after a few months sell it and go for something bigger. I personally feel as if smaller bikes can be more dangerous due to the fact that their tyres aren't as great and brakes are shitty, cheaper suspension, balance isn't as great (you are able to feel more of the weight).
For example my Honda CBR 125R was 125KG however my Z750S is 260KG and feels about the same, if not lighter than my CBR 125 did.

I have a lot more confidence on my Z750, the tyres just felt better and stickier, the brakes were soo much better, suspension was fantastic when compared to my CBR 125 (which is no cheap, shitty bike).


That's exactly what I am looking for. I would never have thought I one has to look right and left before pulling away. I t the invisible thing as someone who drives often in the city. I am pretty sure I won't take the bike in the traffic ever just want a lekker weekend toy for the road and maybe even off the road. The stones and sand thing is probably my only fear cause I know that's how even the best riders see their noughts one time.


If you want to be able to go off road, you need to look at a dualie of some sort - do not even consider a superbike at all and I would say avoid the street fighters and sport tourers as well.
Then you want something like most of the KTM's (pricey though), BMW have quite a few nice ones (also not the cheapest), Triumph have some nice dualies, Yamaha has a nice big one errm. Can't think of much more off the top of my head.

With regards to stones, sand and stuff you will get use to looking out and you will probably have your rear snake on your a few times (I have). Also NEVER skimp on a helmet, tyres and brakes when it comes to a bike.
Bike tyres are expensive, for a combo set of new tyres for my bike is around R3600 (Michelin Pilot Road 3's)

If there is anything else, let me know!

Furk wrote: Good post Pyro +1 bruv.

But one question... ...why the f**k do you say

Heck, even consider something like a Kawasaki KLR650

That's the AK-47 of the motorbike world mate! No fancy electronics but ram yourself into a wall and the bike will be in better shape than the rider.

If you have no biking experience, you need to start smaller than 600cc though. Even in terms of size, for starting off and getting the feel of a bike it makes it easier if it is nimble.

Yeah, I agree. It does not look fancy and is not super fast or anything but they are built to last and easy and cheap to maintain and are forgiving.


Reason why I suggested it was because he seemed set on getting a superbike (KLR is anything but) and seemed to want to get a bigger bike to start out on (the KLR is a 650cc but, you will be pushing it to its limit if you managed to reach 160 on it). It is fast enough to get away from traffic at a robot though and could make do as a beginner bike - however I still feel something in the 125 - 250cc range is best for a beginner.

I know people who have started on 1000cc superbikes and have been fine though, still not advised.

That KTM is so damn sexy that I will probably feel depressed for weeks if I drop her. Is it a bad idea to get an on/off roader for a first bike? That way I can keep the bike for the weekend bush trails my mates are into and then I can join them. Also off roaders are kinda designed to be dropped, no?

I think that's a brilliant idea. I wouldn't say designed to be dropped, but designed to be more rugged.

Pyro I have owned and been riding bikes from age 16(2002).

I still have my verry fist bike a 1988 Yamaha XT350 she manageg 125km/h with me and Lallie on we did it again this weekend.

Your idea of getting a scrambler/dualie as a first bike is good should you run into trouble on the road and you need to go "off road" to stay akive or avoid an accident then you know you have a machine that can handle your evasive manouvre. They are verry comfortable on long commutes and can be great fun. They also offer you good seating position and wide high handlebars this all helps you see better and makes the bike more manouverable.
Red Star Race Way just outside Delmas has a course where they provide the bike and instructors and teach you to ride in one day. They also offer K53 Rider License training.

Thnx gents. Rooibul I am gonna put you back to 0 karma cause it's not fair to get minus karma before you find your feet on the site. Could somebody suggest a good dualie to start with? Someone suggest a YZ250 what do you think about that?

@Psyclown: That KTM 450 is jacked to the max. Trust me when I tell you that thing is frightening.