Is a Sportbike the Best Motorcycle for a Beginner?

This question comes up alot when I'm out riding. People will either ask would I recommend a Yamaha R1 or Kawasaki Ninja or Ducati Sportbike for their first bike. Or would ask which one of those would be the best motorcycle for a beginner. If I were asked that 10 or even 5 years ago, I would steer them away from sportbikes and toward a standard motorcycle like a Suzuki TU250 or a Honda Rebel 250.

History of Sportbikes in the US

Years ago, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and other manufacturers were all competing with each other for bragging rights on who could produce the fastest sportbike.

Top Speed 248 mph, 0-60 in 2.5sec

This itself isn't a problem, until a specific consumer demand for this gets out of control.  This is what happened in the US consumer market.  Demand for these fast sportbikes were so high in the US because people were already conditioned to wanting fast sportscars.  The "bigger is better" American mentality about car engines drove the same demand for larger cc motorcycles. This meant that in the US, a 600cc sportbike was the smallest one could get.  In the hands of a beginner rider, a 600cc sportbike could seriously injure or kill them.  Contrast that with the European or Asian markets where small cc motorcycles have always been ubiquitous.

Demand for the Best Sportbikes for Beginners

Luckily, there has been a shift in the "bigger is better" thinking and demand has increased for smaller cc motorcycles in the US. Kawasaki and Honda released 250cc and 300cc sportbikes that are simply incredible. Yamaha has followed this trend with the Yamaha YZF-R3, which looks almost identical to the award-winning R6. The different tire widths is the only real appearance give away if you remove the badging. These sportbikes have many important features that boost confidence and encourage continued riding. For example, most of these have lower weight, lower seat-height, more neutral riding position, and more neutral power band. Some manufacturers go even further by incorporating a slipper clutch, ABS, and gear shift indicator.

More Choices for Smaller Motorcycles

As more beginners take to the streets on motorcycles, other manufacturers have released smaller cc motorcycles in different categories. In the modern classic or retro motorcycle category, Ducati has had huge success with their Scrambler line. These 400 and 800 cc bikes have become very popular for people wanting an urban commuter that can also handle the rigors of occasional light off-road exploring. Most people obviously buy them because they simply love the way they look. Triumph and Yamaha have also jumped on the bandwagon by releasing several different models for this segment.

Motorcycles Improve Traffic Problems

This shift in the demand for more practically sized bikes will continue to increase motorcycle ridership in the US. I'm a firm believer that increased motorcycle ridership will improve the traffic problem we face throughout the US.

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