BMW for a new rider

[Dave P]

So as I expected, my 23 year old son wants to start the long fun journey of motorcycle ownership. I've been on BMWs since 1994. He wants to go BMW and attend rallies/ rides with me so that's cool, 

 

I always suggest a new rider buys something used and inexpensive to learn on. He's about 6' 2" and thin. I thought maybe s K75 or One of the 650 singles. Would a K75 make a decent first bike or is it too heavy? 
 

Other suggestions ? Thanks, Dave

[duckhawk64]

I taught my son on a 95 K75, because I had one. He also did some casual dirtbiking before he learned.

 

I think the K75 ABS may be too antiquated. I  would try to get the newest beemer  650 or 700 range bike  I could afford for the more up to date safety features. The best thing about the k75, was the smooooooth engine that wasn't overpowered. But my son struggled with proper braking. 

Of course he was required to take the MSF course. Just a few of my thoughts.

Have fun.

 

[9Mary7]

650 single would be fine, and should be economical to buy second hand..... Old "brick" would be too heavy and cumbersome IMHO.

Easiest to teach/learn on a lightweight single.

[Skywagon]

The 6-900 BMW range as 9Mary7 said, but if open to others, a Honda NC750x could be a good choice. It’s good for his height dependable, lots of dealers, and fairly  inexpensive. It’s only about $9500 new and should be able to find a used one for much less

 

[Dave P]

Yes beginner riders course for sure. I think his budget should be under $2500, maybe less. I've got a R1200RT and an 1100RT sitting right next to it but I think that 1100 would be way too much bike to learn on. It would definitely get dropped several times.

[TEWKS]

1999 F 650. A great starter bike as mentioned that’s in the price range. 
 

More road bike but still in the ballpark.

 

The K 75 (s) with the narrow handlebars and it not really being a light bike would make it one of my last choices for a beginner rider. I remember riding my friends and it wasn’t beginner friendly imo. 

 

 

[Dave P]

A local friend has an R1100R and loves it. I thought about one of those but again, probably as heavy as my 1100RT. 1100 doesn't seem like a beginner size anyway.

[szurszewski]

curb weight for an R1100RT is a little over 600; K75 and R1100R are both just over 500 - so, lighter but not nearly light. 

 

I agree that something like an F650, if it needs to be a $2500 BMW, is probably the best thing to target. 

 

 

[Dave P]

I think he has scoped out a few F650s, that's probably a good prospect.
 

Hes kinda an old school kid, has also sent me links to older airheads. An R80 or R65 (LS possibly?). But no abs on the old girls... D

[szurszewski]

I got a R60/7 the summer I turned 21. I had taken the MSF class when I was 17 and maybe had put a thousand or so miles on a 400cc UJM, so I wasn't a total noob, but I was sort of close. The R60 was a good mix of "real motorcycle" enough for general purposes including two-up touring or extended camping trips (Alaska, etc.) while being slow enough to not really get me into trouble. 

 

Yes, no ABS, so emergency braking should be practiced well, but...so should it be on a modern ABS bike. 

 

 

[Hosstage]

While abs is nice, I don't see it being a requirement.

I've felt that a beginner should be easy to handle, just a little scary at first (it is a motorcycle after all), mastered as well as possible, and is ready to be changed out for a different one when it becomes boring.

[Lowndes]

If you get a BMW that is too old you might have trouble finding a shop that 1) will do work on it, and 2) has someone that KNOWS what they are doing on it.  I've had the problem on a '00 K1200S here in Atlanta.  The shop said "nothing over 10 years old".

 

If you can do your own work and have the tools, time, and temperament, no problem.  It would be good F-S time together when you can't be riding.

 

Good Job, Dad!!  Enjoy every second of it!!

 

Safe travels, and keep us posted on what you end up with.

[Dave P]

Lown- MY plan (ha!) is that he solves and fixes problems, makes repairs as they are needed. Might make a good case for an older airhead. That's part of the hobby IMO. He's learning his way around a toolbox as he's an avaition maintenance tech (almost at least). About the only thing Ive hired out in a long while is tire mounting. This BMWST group has been very helpful in my repair journeys, will connect my son to it, probably next year.
 

Just need that big heated garage!  D

[randy]

find a nice used, well maintained, F800ST or F800GT
awesome first bikes

[profbodryak]

I started on a suzuki burgman 650 but that only lasted about 1.5 months. My first BMW right after was a R1150RT when I was 29. I am 6'3 and the weight didn't bother me at all. You just learn the weight distribution pretty quickly as 1150 RT's were pretty easy to maneuver. 

[Tron]

On 12/11/2023 at 3:06 PM, randy said:

find a nice used, well maintained, F800ST

Older post, I know, but I second that. The small 650 singles have horrible torque in the low rpm, and as a beginner it's one less thing to worry about if you have forgotten to downshift before a turn or so.

My first bike was a R1100S, can't say it was a bad choice.

 

But for sure something with ABS brakes.

[JCtx]

Yeah, I also wouldn't waste money on a crappy super light bike. I never had an issue with the weight, and I was a stick. My thinking is this: If you do something stupid, like stabbing on the (front) brakes with handlebars turned, bike is going down, be it a Duke 390, or an RT. Similarly, even a Duke 390 is going to be too fast if you're being stupid. And so on. So my point is teach your kid what he should NOT do on any motorcycle, and I bet he won't have any problems starting with an RT. I think an 1100/1150RT is a very light bike by modern standards IMO, and at least it has ABS, it's easy to ride and maneuver (low CG), and easy to maintain, so at least I wouldn't have any issues giving it to my non-existent kid (ha ha)... IF he feels safe handling it, which I'm sure a 6' 2" young dude would. Just install some protection (if not already done), and let him enjoy it. And you'll enjoy riding with him too. By the way, I'd make him read a book such as the excellent 'Sport Bike Riding Techniques' by Nick Ienatsch, so he's fully familiar with bike dynamics (including counter-steering), before letting him loose. And once with some experience, investing in a 2-day motorcycle camp would be the best gift you could give him. Good luck.

[Darbarian]

I just picked up a 2011 F650GS that may be the perfect bike. It is comfortable on dirt roads and quite competent covering long stretches of pavement, including multi-day trips. It is light, agile, strong, with good cruising range, and speed, yet easily managed.  This is the 798cc parallel twin successor to the F650 thumper - quite different and far better for highway use. 50mpg @ 80mph cruising. 

[Tron]

14 hours ago, JCtx said:

I think an 1100/1150RT is a very light bike by modern standards IMO

Definitively not.

Standards over here with that Harley majority may be different, but most European/Asian bikes built for riding fun are all below 250kg/550lbs ready to ride. BMW's, even the sports bikes, have been on the heavier side for a long time, true.

But built-for-fun bikes like, say, a Kawa Z900 or even a KTM Super Duke are only a smidge over 200kg/440lbs. The RT is, what, 280kg/620lbs or thereabouts?

[JCtx]

Older RTs were lighter than 600, I believe (for sure less without bags). Or pretty close to that, fully fueled and with bags. The new ones are not that light for sure. Ha ha. Mine was a 2014, and due to the low CG, it never felt too heavy to me, but definitely felt big (too big, actually). There's no reason to get a light bike as a beginner UNLESS you can't physically handle it, and that includes being able to flat foot to the ground. A BMW 800 twin would be a perfectly fine permanent bike, of course. And even an SV650 is more than enough (435 lbs wet), since it's big enough to feel safe and stable (especially with upgraded suspension, and a fork brace), and powerful enough that you don't need more than that. I rode one at the dragon and all over NC/TN, and had a blast, even catching sport bikes. Anything smaller just doesn't feel safe to me, especially on highways, but it's a matter of preference. Anybody can learn to ride on a heavier bike just fine, and not drop it, especially if the person learns of the typical mistakes newbies make that result in dropping their bikes. As a side comment, even now, after decades of riding experience, I don't feel safe on a bike that I cannot flat-foot (or almost). I consider it a 'safety' requirement, to minimize/eliminate the chance of ever dropping a bike at slow (or zero) speed.

[Rougarou]

My wife learned to ride on a Honda 750 shadow,....bike is over 500lbs (a GS weighs just over 500lbs).  She never dropped it and I had her braking hard in parking lots.

 

I'd recommend he learn on the bike he wants to ride, that way, as more experience comes, he becomes one with "that" bike.