Truth is, I'm new here, but not new to motorcycling just yet.

I have wanted a motorcycle for four years now. The only reason I haven't gotten one is because of insurance. When I was 16, insurance was $1600 a year. Now that I am 20, it is $185 a year.

I have some questions for those who are much more experienced than I am and I find that these forums are a great place to start. First, I am looking for a "naked" or "standard" bike. I don't want any frills, any chrome or any plastic fairings, so the naked bike seems right. Question is, what is a good starter bike and where do I find one? Should I really wait for winter to get a deal or is it not worth it? I am in college and am on a budget, so over $1200 is not going to work out well. I am leaning towards a GS500E, but I may be leaning the wrong way.

Also, once I acquire a bike, how do I go about learning to ride one? Motorcycle Safety Courses? Trial and Error? I have never ridden a bike before, but I know how to operate a clutch and I know how to balance a bicycle. Am I heading in the right direction?

Sorry for the amount of questions right off the bat, but splitting it up doesn't make much sense. Thank you in advance for your help.

Amanda

Sorry $ 1,200.00 is not going to get it You may find a bikecycle for that but not much of a motorcycle.You may get luckey and find one for that good luck.

Amanda,
The Motorcycle saftey course is a good start. The $1200 is not. Unless you are a good mechanic, I recommend you stay away from worn out bikes. It would be cheaper in the long run to buy something more reliable even if it requires making payments. (can't make payments, how are you going to pay for repairs and maintenance?)

If you must buy an older, cheaper bike, make sure it is thouroughly checked out by a competent mechanic. If you are looking for a cheap reliable starter, look at the 250 Rebels, these can be picked up reasonably from people up-grading after getting comfortable riding a motorcycle. They have plenty of power for comuting and playing, and get 80 plus MPG.

Good luck, and good hunting..............by the way, what type bait and ammo do you use when hunting mullets?

I am a fairly competent car mechanic. I bought my '93 318is for REALLY cheap and have fixed everything on it. I mean, the only place that didn't have a problem was the engine. So, I'm assuming that I can apply what I've learned to motorcycles. And the $1200 thing might be a little higher seeing as I just got an engineering internship with MODOT, so I might have a little extra cash.

As for bikes, any other models?

As for mullets, I use Wal-Mart for bait and a Fuji Finepix F20 for ammo.

Welcome and good luck in fulfilling your motorcycle dreams. A safe riding course is a great start.