My friend wants his first bike--A Monster 1100s

Hi all,

My friend really wants to get into motorcycling. He's been picking my brain over the last few weeks (I'm glad to help), and I've been encouraging him to (a) take his MSF BRC, and (b) get a 650cc twin or smaller standard as his first bike (in that order). He doesn't seem to be taking me seriously on either account, even after I pointed out that our BRC courses in this area fill up FAST: All of 2012 is almost booked already.

But here's what really bothers me: He has his heart set on a '10 Ducati Monster 1100s that has an $11,000 sticker at a local consignment shop. I can't seem to get it into his head that buying such a powerful bike as a first ride is a guaranteed crash.

Fortunately, on the phone this morning he told me that his wife nixed the bike idea--I'm assuming for financial reasons. So maybe his puppy-love w/ the Duc is a blessing in disguise.

So, how do I get him to focus on motorcycling and not buying a look? I have tried to tell him that fun can be had for a very reasonable cost, and I've pointed out options such as SV650's, Bandit 600's, Ninja 650's, etc, and explained how these "sport/standards" are comfortable and reasonable choices.

Perhaps I should point out that "lowering his standards" will allow him to get into motorcycling all the sooner.

Thoughts?

used suzuki SV650 naked.

you get a japanese 'monster' without all the retarded bullshit problems. its cheaper, its more reliable, and then he can decide if he really wants an 1100cc hooligan italian bike.

done.

Thoughts?

I think your statement "is a guaranteed crash." Speaks volumes about how little you know about riding.

I Monster would be an ok starter bike depending on the guys natural ability.

I'd not be so worried about the power, a Gsxr 1000 it aint.

But all the quirky reliability problems most Duc's have may be some discouragement for a rookie.

He could have just as much fun on a Versys for half the price.

I dunno, I think it speaks volumes about how little his friend knows about riding. The guy is a total noob and wants a bike that goes like crazy. Seems reasonable to me that his friend wants him to ease into riding. One of the first things to master is not going into turns too hot. Maybe not a "guaranteed crash" but any crash for a guy lighting up an 1100 Monster would likely be a bad crash.

OP - you can't make the guy use his reason. You can give him advice, whether type of bike or gear, but in the end he's going to make his own decisions. He might buy a hot bike, he might not wear a helmet or gear. But if he does that, he will likely find his friend - you - won't find riding with him a whole lot of fun.

On the other hand, you can look for a 400 or 500 cc older Japanese bike and tell his wife you found the perfect bike for him and she should buy it as a surprise for him.:eek1

Yeah, I want to tell him to go for a more reasonable bike (money-wise) to make it more realistic for his family and finances. I feel like he's missing out on what could be a humungous source of joy (motorcycling) just because he's aiming for way too expensive of a machine.

...Maybe the Monster isn't as powerful as I think it is. You're right--if he has a natural ability, it could be an appropriate bike. But that's why I wish he would take the BRC. For me, the BRC is where I discovered my own natural ability (if I do say so myself), not to mention my love for motorcycling.

Has he actually been on many bikes at all? If not, maybe if you could get him to rent or borrow or take a test ride on some smaller machine. Once he experiences how fast even that can feel, he might reconsider. Or he might fall in love with what he just rode, instead of the Monster that he just read about.

If your friend has NEVER riden a motorcycle before, it is ALWAYS best to start out on a "Beater" bike. Convince him to use it to become familiar with riding and dealing with other motorists before he graduates to his dream bike. If not, see if you can become his "Beneficiary".

Why would he want to be seen on a sissy Monster 1100? He should get a real bike, like a turbo Hayabusa.

If he has been on two wheels much, even on a bicycele AND if he has even a decent head on his shoulders then he should be fine.

Not that it matters but my motorcycle progression went from a honda cub 70 in the seventies, to a 1000cc sportbike in 08. I do get two wheel physics from cycling though and I am not a complete moron in general. I have had some close calls but no more than now that I have been riding daily for 5 years.

It all depends on what kind of guy he is. If he can handle it, he'll be fine. I would not have been able to convince the wife that I had "outgrown" a smaller bike when I would have wanted one. He might be in the same boat. This is his one chance to get a decent machine for a while?

What I always fear is the guy who hasn't even been on two wheels much since childhood, is in real bad physical shape and who drives a car like a moron. That's the guy that needs to take it slow: even though he is wired to make bad decisions. I have a 45 year old friend who is 300+lbs who decided that he needed a harley. Of course he's on his second bike after totaling the first. He's lucky to still be here.

Funny side thought: I am now thinking about a smaller bike for my next one, something adv-tour worthy.

Not everyone is a natural born professional rider with superhuman skills like yourself. Just because you were able to start out on a turbo busa with nawzzzzz riding on the darkside with no helmet or protective clothing and blindfolded does not mean that everyone can do it.

Why start out on something that is powerful and has touchy brakes when you will not be able to take advantages of 99% of the bikes capabilities. Why start out on a relatively expensive bike that you are more likely than not to drop it frequently? Even if a new rider has "natural skillz yo" <--- they are still going to be noobs about riding in traffic, how to handle gravel in a curve, how to handle panic stops and evasive maneuvers and so on and so on.

Maybe you could bottle some of that natural born magic you have flowing through your golden veins so everyone else in the world can have a chance at being as good as you.

Been riding since 1972. Only one accident (when another motorcycle cut me off). Monster is a great first bike.

Yeah all you have to do is not wreck and use your telepathy to control all the other people on the road and all the animals. It truly is that simple!

Let me guess, you ride a harley lol.

Don't think it's really like that.

It's more like, a first ride is a guaranteed (almost) crash. Doesn't matter a great deal what you're on, if it doesn't matter to you what you crash.

I can remember years ago someone in a club I was in bought a BMW R100/7 (for the younger folks, that's 1000cc) for his first bike. It was one of the most costly bikes you could buy at the time. He could buy it and so he did.

There was a club ride a few months later where we hit a bit of ice and half a dozen people came down, and he was among them. Not a big deal, but he had crashed his new BMW. Which, in its own way, was quite a big deal.

It seemed to take him an enormously long time to get competent. Longer than I knew him, anyway. But perhaps I was just jealous.

Monsters are good 1st bikes if you can afford them, and don't mind the risk of dropping it. An M1100 could be OK if he has a good head on his shoulders.

A Monster 796 would be a better choice IMO though.

In my experience with this type of thing, all you can do is make suggestions and arm them with a bit of knowledge. It's up to them to either take it or leave it. There's no special "trick".

If he's still set on a Monster, I'd point him to a used 620. They can be found for $3,000 just about anywhere and, despite what some think, are quite reliable. Not too much power for a beginner, but enough to grow into as his skills progress. Great online community for maintenance and how-to questions, too.

I think he should get a Hayabusa with a turbo.

Are you serious?

Turbo is way too much for a newbie, worrying about boost levels and such. The new Kawi ZX14 would be a better fit.

Seriously, if he can handle the aftermath of dropping a brand new Duck, which he will and probably more than once, he should be fine. The Monster isn't exactly a high strung performance machine, actually pretty forgiving to ride from my experience.

Riders who are still learning don't understand that eventually everybody goes down. And when you do, it will hurt.

After that happens, they start either understanding logic or respecting power on two wheels.

All you can do is try to educate your friend. After that, it's basically up to them. Oh, and ATTGATT.