ALT-5 Recommended Motorcycles for Beginners
I would recommend a motorcycle or scooter that does not have an engine capacity greater than 250cc. In some countries this is an actual law and it makes a lot of sense. It is a smart idea to start off with a smaller bike because they are lighter, more forgiving and easier to handle.
When selecting a 250cc road motorcycle there are a number of things to consider such as engine type, engine configuration and bike styling.
Firstly what engine type will you choose? four stroke or two stroke. While the two stroke engine is more powerful and lighter than the four stroke for its size it is less fuel economical, suffers from poor reliability and power delivery can be sudden and dangerous at times. The four stroke on the other hand is slightly heavier for it's power, more economical and has smoother power delivery.
If decide to go for the four stroke the next question is whether to have an in-line four cylinder engine or the 2 cylinder twin. The in-line four has much better power and revs higher however it lacks torque down low and can be annoying in traffic with many gear changes required to get engine RPM in the power band. The twin on the other hand sacrifices power and RPM but delivers a more ridable engine with lots of torque available low down the rev range.
The styling is purely individual. The two main options are fully faired as in a race bike or the street fighter look of the naked bike.
When i purchased a learner motorcycle I went for a Honda VTR 250 which is a four stroke V twin naked bike. Was excellent for riding round the city and also a good cruiser on the country roads.
