i need help buying my first motorcycle

well im in the market to buy my first street bike and i have been all over the internet and have visited my local dealers. i know that im looking for a 600 but no bigger then a 750.i have sat on all makes and have found them all to be comfortable. what is the best bike to learn on? the best bang for my dollar? also i will be paying cash so what are some games i can play to get the best price. thanks ahead of time  

i don't own a bike yet but i've done tons of research myself. i hope you don't mind my two cents. i would not recommend buying a 600 for your first bike. the newer 600 bikes have a lot of power...more power than a new rider can handle. you make ask how i know this since i don't own a bike...the answer is simple: homework. i've questioned guys on this forum, on the Sport Rider forum and questioned several dealers, friends, friends of friends..etc. i've decided myself that i'm going to buy a ninja 500 for my first bike. i think the two most recommended bikes for beginners are the ninja 500 and the suzuki gs500. i read a comparisson by motorcycle consumer news that entailed a detailed comparrison of the suzuki gs500 and the kawasaki ninja 500. bottom line was the ninja is the better bang for your buck. from what i could gather the biggest downfall it has is styling. the suzuki looks a little nicer. what ever you decide make sure you make the best informed choice you can. be safe. buy good gear to ride in. we don't want to see your face on the evening news.  

Mr Wentz, no offens, but many poeple feel it should be against the law to sell bikes like that to new riders.  These bikes are race-ready with 1/4 turn throttles that are very hard to modulate/control.  I would really recommend a used bike that you won't feel bad about when it falls over.  ride it for a year or 2 and larn the basic skills first.  An older GS500 or 550 is ideal.  Also older Yamaha XS650, Seca, bikes like that.  Pay cash and sell them for what you paid later.  Take the MSF course and read David Hough's "Proficient Motorcycling".  As you gain skill, you will find that anyone can go fast in a straight line, but skill will out-run any sport bike more than power.  

Okay, here's the deal.

Sportbikes are all torque-y, fast, and fun.  There are many different schools of thoughts on 'the first bike'.  Some say you should ride a 250 for years before getting on something bigger.  Some say if you know what you're doing, you can get on anything, and it doesn't matter.

Here's the deal, and I hate to be a broken record.  As PSC says, these stock 600cc bikes are using Formula-1 racing technology for a vehice that weighs an eighth of a car and is a lot cheaper.  And here's another truism: You will go down.  Period.

Get a bike that you like, yes.  Don't worry about hamstringing the salesguys--they are going to make money no matter what you are led to believe.  Get a used bike.  Get a naked, so if it goes down, you're not doing the damage to the fender that you would be on a full bent-ove sportbike.  Some frame slider and ta-da!  You've got yourself the recycleable bike.

Get in a class.  Do lots of slow turns in the parking lot.  Here are my thoughts on things to lok for:
Honda 599 (I'm partial)
Suzuki SV650
Even a used Ducati Monster 695.  

Most importantly, enjoy the RIDE, not the 'how fast can I go before I slam on the brakes?' routine.

Oh, yeah.  And practice your braking!  

Read the Mitch B. article on Aprils easue. Maybe could help.
Alf.  

Wentz, I agree with everything everybody has said here. A little food for thought. When I got back in the game I found an '89 Yamaha Radian for 1900.00. Thats a 600 cc standard. I rode it for 6 months and honed my skills. After that I picked up my current ride, a Kawasaki ZG1000. I turned around and sold the Radian for 1850.00. It was a fun little bike. I wish I had kept it because I have an 18 y/o son that wants to learn how to ride.

You can get a really good bang for your buck with the right used bikes. There are tons of 'em for sale.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.  

A 600 is fine to start out with...don`t get a 250 you`ll hate it