What Bike for a 16 year old

[UselessPickles]

I would stay away from any of the 600cc Sportbikes.

Here's what I'd look at:

gsx650f

Ninja 650

FZ6

Be careful not to confuse the FZ6R with other 600cc sportbikes, and also don't confuse the FZ6R with the FZ6. Yamaha should have named the FZ6R differently to avoid this confusion. The FZ6 is probably NOT a good first bike (it's pretty powerful).

Even though the FZ6R is an inline 4 600CC bike, it is similar to the 650 twins (gsx650f and ninja 650r) in power and ease of riding. I think the FZ6R has the least sporty riding position of the three, even though it looks the most sporty. The riding position is much like the FJR.

Like others have said, much depends on his maturity, body size (e.g., a 250cc bike is just going to be too small if he's 6'2" and 220 lbs), general ability to quickly learn skills requiring coordination, reaction, etc.

I started on a 1982 Yamaha Seca 750 when I was 16. Not a bike I would ever recommend as a first bike because it was tall and heavy. I could manage the height/weight of the bike because I'm tall, and I could manage the throttle instinctively (not go full throttle and pop the clutch, etc.) due to other various skillsets involving fine, smooth control with my hands (RC cars, etc). My dad taught me some of the basics of the clutch and throttle in the driveway, then I took the MSF class with my mom. After that, I only rode with my parents for a while until they felt comfortable letting me ride on my own.

 

[Hudson]

Wayne,

Here's my two cents. A 16 yr. old has at least 2-3 years to simply get the hang of driving, and understanding traffic, learning about responsibility of piloting a powerful rig, experimenting with speed and braking and weather and distractions, and learning how to handle the boneheads around him. And that is just driving a car.

If he or you has to get him a bike, take the advice of others here and start on the dirt. He can master learning the extra issues of a riding a motorcycle, and the both of you will have tons of fun without worrying. When he's 22 and proven responsible, I'd consider getting him a road bike. It will motivate him to finish school.

I've got two boys 8 and 10, and can't wait till one or both can ride with me. Starting them on dirt now, and won't consider letting them ride on the road until they finish college. The DAY after, however, we are going shopping!

 

[Kevin_Ireland]

I would stay away from any of the 600cc Sportbikes.

Here's what I'd look at:

gsx650f

Ninja 650

FZ6

Be careful not to confuse the FZ6R with other 600cc sportbikes, and also don't confuse the FZ6R with the FZ6. Yamaha should have named the FZ6R differently to avoid this confusion. The FZ6 is probably NOT a good first bike (it's pretty powerful).

Even though the FZ6R is an inline 4 600CC bike, it is similar to the 650 twins (gsx650f and ninja 650r) in power and ease of riding. I think the FZ6R has the least sporty riding position of the three, even though it looks the most sporty. The riding position is much like the FJR.

There's nothing sporty about the riding position of the gsx650f. It's a Bandit 650 (that sold in Europe) with plastic covering the engine. Everything else on the bike except the fairing is interchangeable. You're sitting pretty much in the same position as the FJR. Only it's smaller, lighter and with a hole lot less HP.

Thank you for adding the "r" on the FZ6 (I also forgot in on the end of Ninja 650r). The FZ6 has 90hp the FZ6R has I think 20 less.

 

[JR'SFJR]

I also like the idea of starting off road. My son started riding dirt with BMX bicycles, an 80cc Yamaha, and rode thousands of miles around the U.S. on the back of my XS750 learning traffic lessons. At 16, took his riding test on the my 750, but purchased a 400 he used through his college years. About 15 yrs. ago, he upgraded to a K100rs, which I still ride when in CO.

My first bike was a BSA scrambler, which I rode off road on our dairy farms and rural WI roads. Knock on wood, we have both survived without accidents.

 

[Fred W]

I am glad to see that there are others who are as cautious with allowing their progeny to ride on-road as I have been. Like I said previously, you'll only get one chance to make the right choice, and there aren't any "do-overs".

It is humorous to hear all of the folks who pipe up and tell of their experiences, of starting motorcycling on-road, and with no problems at all. That is just faulty logic IMO. There is no doubt that the odds that something will happen to your son while taking this fast track to the street are very small. But they are not zero. For every hundred or more anecdotal cases of successfully learning on a street bike, there is always at least one case of the other possibility. Here's one:

My wife's cousin's son was a great kid. Never a troublemaker. Always a hard worker. Nice Italian kid. Loved his Mom and Jesus too. You know the type. He went through trade school and was becoming an electrician. Worked as an apprentice and saved up a few dollars. Responsible. Had a cute girlfriend. He had the world by the proverbial balls.

With no other motorcycling experience he used some of his savings and bought a crotch rocket, and after taking the appropriate mandatory MSF classes he was good to go. Until some inattentive cage driver turned left in front of him and about 3 of his riding friends, while they were riding down a busy suburban street at completely legal speeds. After sailing over the car, his helmet didn't save him. The cute girlfriend got off with only broken arm when she landed on top of him, cushioning the blow. The other friends also only got banged up. We saw them all at the funeral.

As sad as it is to hear of a tragedy such as this one, the depth of grief that his parents endure is unfathomable to me. My wife's cousin has to live the rest of his life saying... "If I'd only made sure that he was safer." I know that I love my son too deeply to endure a loss like this, if I had the ability to make it safer for him.

Now I know that this could happen to any one of us any day. After all, this is the risk that we take to enjoy the exhilarating experience of motorcycling. But the facts are that drivers, even of cars, are more apt to be involved in accidents during their first few years. And motorcyclists are far, far more apt to be killed or seriously injured when they get into any accident. Especially in this age of increased driver inattentiveness and distractions, we all need every edge.

Anything that can be done to make that transition to riding on the road safer seems like a really good idea to this old father. 'Cause even if it's only a one in a hundred chance that something bad will happen, wouldn't you rather make that one in a thousand, or one in 10 thousand? I know I would. I did. Your decision may vary.

 

[squeezer]

I snagged a beat up '98 Ninja 250 for my son to learn on. I picked it up for under a grand. Good choice because if he dumped it in the parking lot (and he did), it was no big deal. It also fits him well.

I also added a rule (based on great advice from rally pal Tony Lewis) that he couldn't ride it the first season unless he was riding with me. That not only got us out together a lot, but with a bike-to-bike comm system, I could give him advice as we were riding.

This summer will be season 2, and he'll get his first touring experience in June when we ride the BRP down to the Dragon together (his high school graduation gift from me). I think he'll be sufficiently experienced by the end of that to let him ride alone without worrying too much.

Those ninjettes are really fun to ride, by the way.

 

[MotorToad]

1. Kawasaki KLX 250S dual sport

2. Yamaha XT250

3. Kawasaki Ninja 250R or Honda CBR 250R

4. Kawasaki KLR 650

5. Kawasaki Versys

6. Yamaha FZ6R

I would suggest
1. Kawasaki KLX 250S. It's a decent dirt bike, ride more dirt than road at first.

2. GS-500E (they improved the seat in '01 or '02), and cheap used.

3. EX-500. Like the GS, it'll be a year or two before it's boring.

4. Kawasaki Ninja 250R or Honda CBR 250R. Too boring too soon, and not enough $1,000 used versions.

 

[GillaFunk]

DR650 / KLR650.

Both tried and true bikes. ******** easy to work on. Inexpensive parts. Easy to upgrade. Change front sprocket up for highway or down for dual-sport. 45+mpg. Not heavy, not too powerful, can do everything well in moderation. Good re-sale value. Avail on Craigslist everywhere for less than $3k

Stock the day I picked her up

After modification, loaded for a weekend dual-sport trip.

Not to mention they can RAIL in the corners

 

[FJRay]

+1 on doing the dirt thing first. Our kids spent many hours racing around our 27 acres before they ever got to the street and when they did we were on an island so they couldn't go very far or very fast. None of them ride now but say they will again.

 

[Bugnatr]

Get a used dual sport, great to learn on plus won't cost you much when he drops it (he will, we all did). My sons started on dirt bikes and the oldest is 21 and can ride quite well but I am still not crazy about him riding in town among the cages.

 

[wheatonFJR]

...I am still not crazy about him riding in town among the cages.

I'm not crazy about riding with you amongst the cages either... :clapping:

:lol:

 

[beachy]

I am glad to see that there are others who are as cautious with allowing their progeny to ride on-road as I have been. Like I said previously, you'll only get one chance to make the right choice, and there aren't any "do-overs".

It is humorous to hear all of the folks who pipe up and tell of their experiences, of starting motorcycling on-road, and with no problems at all. That is just faulty logic IMO. There is no doubt that the odds that something will happen to your son while taking this fast track to the street are very small. But they are not zero. For every hundred or more anecdotal cases of successfully learning on a street bike, there is always at least one case of the other possibility. Here's one:

My wife's cousin's son was a great kid. Never a troublemaker. Always a hard worker. Nice Italian kid. Loved his Mom and Jesus too. You know the type. He went through trade school and was becoming an electrician. Worked as an apprentice and saved up a few dollars. Responsible. Had a cute girlfriend. He had the world by the proverbial balls.

With no other motorcycling experience he used some of his savings and bought a crotch rocket, and after taking the appropriate mandatory MSF classes he was good to go. Until some inattentive cage driver turned left in front of him and about 3 of his riding friends, while they were riding down a busy suburban street at completely legal speeds. After sailing over the car, his helmet didn't save him. The cute girlfriend got off with only broken arm when she landed on top of him, cushioning the blow. The other friends also only got banged up. We saw them all at the funeral.

As sad as it is to hear of a tragedy such as this one, the depth of grief that his parents endure is unfathomable to me. My wife's cousin has to live the rest of his life saying... "If I'd only made sure that he was safer." I know that I love my son too deeply to endure a loss like this, if I had the ability to make it safer for him.

Now I know that this could happen to any one of us any day. After all, this is the risk that we take to enjoy the exhilarating experience of motorcycling. But the facts are that drivers, even of cars, are more apt to be involved in accidents during their first few years. And motorcyclists are far, far more apt to be killed or seriously injured when they get into any accident. Especially in this age of increased driver inattentiveness and distractions, we all need every edge.

Anything that can be done to make that transition to riding on the road safer seems like a really good idea to this old father. 'Cause even if it's only a one in a hundred chance that something bad will happen, wouldn't you rather make that one in a thousand, or one in 10 thousand? I know I would. I did. Your decision may vary.

Fred has good points,I have not encouraged or discouraged m/c license. I came close to losing my daughter to a car wreck when she was 17(lack of judgement on her part turned in front of a bus) and when one of your children is lying there in icu for 3days and your not knowing which way it will go, I wish no one had to go thru that. So I say do everything you can to have him ready for the road before he goes on the road.Time in the dirt sounds like a great idea

 

[Checkswrecks]

Did the same with my son 4 years ago when he was 17, he's lived with bikes on campus, and we're now planning a post-college graduation ride to Alaska.

Since your son is not riding/driving yet, I'll suggest a different approach while you can. Instead of buying a bike at this point, buy a set of intercoms and ATGATT. (Craigslist works well for beginner's gear.)

Then take him on the FJR and talk about what you are doing and seeing, as the two of you ride together. i.e. - Teach him to read the road for a month or so. Once he is driving you won't ever again have the opportunity and he won't be the open sponge that he currently is. Obviously and I'm dead serious, don't EVER show him what the FJR can do because it'll then be his goal to do it on his own. I know this one first hand from another rider unfortunately showing the older kid.

Every now & then, I'd email my son a web-link to somebody with road rash. You want him to appreciate the benefit of ATGATT, not to see gore. Between the links early on, then seeing enough scooter owners on campus with rash, my son is a true believer in jacket & pants.

When it is time to buy, the 2 of you will outgrow the 250s awful quick. The 250s have their place as short term trainers, as run-arounds, or for specialized use but can be somewhere between painful and dangerous at highway speeds, and he is big enough for the bigger bikes. Buy used and for nearly the same money, I'm firmly in the DR/KLR650 camp. A benefit to the KLR is that it's heavier and less powerful, so a better learning tool. Plus, he can learn all the rest of maintenance and ownership cheaply (tires, fluids, insurance, etc.) When he does go to college, there is no way you will keep him from giving rides on whatever he has and the 650s are MUCH better.

We started Tim on a 20 year old well-loved KLR and he rode it for over a year before buying a DL650 VStrom.

 

[wheatonFJR]

...Obviously and I'm dead serious, don't EVER show him what the FJR can do...

Oops.

The summer before my son wanted to buy his own bike, we headed up to Cheeseland on the FJR 2up to ride the curvy roads. It was a good experience and he was a great back seater as we ripped along some curves...

He and I took a trip the next year out to Galena when he got his own bike.

He blew a curve on that trip...going across the centerline on a lightly travelled road...and we had a talk shortly thereafter to kind of walk him through what just happened, what could have happened, and what steps he should take to prevent that.

I don't know if I have always steered him right...some can say (my wife for one) I didn't steer him right when I enabled him on the path towards getting a bike. I think, however, that he is level headed and will tend to do the right thing when push comes to shove.

The main thing is that we give them direction towards the right path. He proved himself well in SE Ohio a couple summers ago...not getting lulled by FJR riders to try to "keep up" or go faster than his senses indicated. I was somewhat nervous on that ride...wondering if he was up to the test of his good senses. He passed with flying colors.

So with another spring coming up, we will once again try to exorcize the rust and relearn the proper muscle memories...and hopefully gain some more cherished motorcycle memories of a lifetime.

 

[RadioHowie]

Gotta throw my 2¢ into the fray....

I'd say stall the kid 24 months...then throw his *** out!

 

[NMRoadRunner]

I put my son on motorcycles (dirt bikes) early in life, and he took to it very well. Eventually he needed transportaion to school (community collage) and we found a nice Yamaha WR250 to purchase, (I financed it) things were going well, he got his operator lic, insurance, took the driving course. Things were going good for him, Until he was hit by a left turner who didn't see him. The call we got from the scene by a witness was horrific at best! We could hear him screaming in pain, that was until he passed out due to loss of blood. He almost died that day and was in the trama unit for 14days. You guessed it, IT WAS ALL MY FAULT for getting him started on bikes. We almost divorced over it, that and the stress of taking care of a young adult, as if he were a baby, feeding, bathing and toileting him were very difficult for us. He was non-weight bearing for 9 months. He made it and is actually riding motorcycles again, but not with my help, I just couldn't go through that again. Don't know if this helps or hurts, but it's what happened to me when I did what your about to do. Good Luck. I would do it again he were just starting out, I love motorcycles and so does he!

 

[wheatonFJR]

I put my son on motorcycles (dirt bikes) early in life, and he took to it very well. Eventually he needed transportaion to school (community collage) and we found a nice Yamaha WR250 to purchase, (I financed it) things were going well, he got his operator lic, insurance, took the driving course. Things were going good for him, Until he was hit by a left turner who didn't see him. The call we got from the scene by a witness was horrific at best! We could hear him screaming in pain, that was until he passed out due to loss of blood. He almost died that day and was in the trama unit for 14days. You guessed it, IT WAS ALL MY FAULT for getting him started on bikes. We almost divorced over it, that and the stress of taking care of a young adult, as if he were a baby, feeding, bathing and toileting him were very difficult for us. He was non-weight bearing for 9 months. He made it and is actually riding motorcycles again, but not with my help, I just couldn't go through that again. Don't know if this helps or hurts, but it's what happened to me when I did what your about to do. Good Luck. I would do it again he were just starting out, I love motorcycles and so does he!

Whoa. That is very hard reading.

I know the scenario above is a possibility...I pray to God that never happens to my family.

Whoa.

 

[Fred W]

Nobody said that parenting was supposed to be easy. There weren't any guarantees that they'd even like us when we were done.

It certainly isn't about being "best buddies". It's about making the right (usually tough) choices and then living with them.

We all roll the dice, and we take our best shot.

The hands we are each dealt is different based on so many variables: The kid, the environment, the time and place... it's nearly impossible for any of us to give accurate advice on how to play their hand to someone else half a continent away, with a different kid, a differnet place...

The key thing is that we are all such motorcycle enthusiasts. We all love this thing we do, don't we? So, why not share the very thing that gives us the most joy with those we love the most too. Right?

I just think that sometimes in our fever of enthusiasm, maybe some of us lose sight of what makes good sense for those loved ones.

I know that I do sometimes. Hell ya, all the time. And I get away with it, and then kick myself in the *** later. Doesn't make it alright...

 

[Pilot2Wheels]

I put my son on motorcycles (dirt bikes) early in life, and he took to it very well. Eventually he needed transportaion to school (community collage) and we found a nice Yamaha WR250 to purchase, (I financed it) things were going well, he got his operator lic, insurance, took the driving course. Things were going good for him, Until he was hit by a left turner who didn't see him. The call we got from the scene by a witness was horrific at best! We could hear him screaming in pain, that was until he passed out due to loss of blood. He almost died that day and was in the trama unit for 14days. You guessed it, IT WAS ALL MY FAULT for getting him started on bikes. We almost divorced over it, that and the stress of taking care of a young adult, as if he were a baby, feeding, bathing and toileting him were very difficult for us. He was non-weight bearing for 9 months. He made it and is actually riding motorcycles again, but not with my help, I just couldn't go through that again. Don't know if this helps or hurts, but it's what happened to me when I did what your about to do. Good Luck. I would do it again he were just starting out, I love motorcycles and so does he!

Thank you for the reply.

I am taking all of this in, and have decided to be very patient. Although I feel anxious to get him on the road with me since I only have him daily for the next 2 years, I need to caution my wants vs his safety. I surely want to have him around for a long time, not just the next two years.

Keep the replies coming. Great learning tool.

Wayne

 

[garyahouse]

After reading the rest of this thread, I must disagree... with me. I totally forgot to mention that Kathy (remember the pic of the red Honda earlier in this thread) is 22 years old, and has been driving responsibly for 6 years. I should have pointed that out. My bad. You did say 16... what was I thinking? We were all 16 year old boys once, and nothing, I mean NOTHING on the planet is more exciting to a 16 year old boy than a motorcycle - with the exception of a beautiful new girlfriend.

But barring the female factor, the very fact that bikes are indeed soooo exciting seriously raises the odds that there will be an accident on the road. Good grief, I drive like grandma most of the time and I can't believe how often trouble ALMOST happens. Good thing I've got angels looking out for my hide. But we remember being 16 don't we? Sure, we were careful... but most of us would have to agree, there were many times that we were LUCKY. The question is, are you sure you wanna take that chance? Better to make the call now, than to regret not making it later. Consider this: would you have complained if you got a dirt bike and got to enjoy a trip out to the boonies each weekend when you were 16? As I recall, dirt biking was much more fun than streetbikin... and I had both when I was 16. And at 16, let's face it, fun is the name of the game... or have we all forgotten?

Gary

darksider #44