Bike suggestions?

Hey, I'm a newbie about to buy his first bike and I had a few
questions.

I'm about 6'3, 220lbs, so I figure I can handle a heavier/taller bike,
but I'm sane enough to know to be scared of the power in the bigger
bikes. I've taken the MSF class, did very well, and am now in the
market for a sportbike. I'm not particularly concerned about price,
but I know to buy used for a starter bike, but I can't decide on size
and brand. I'll be riding daily around town, no long trips, just to
the store or to see friends (I work from home), so I know I'll
probably be replacing it in 6mos to a year, but I still want to make
the best choice I can.

Unfortunately, I just don't like the looks of the 250 or 500
sportbikes out there, which are what most people recommend, and at
least right now it's virtually impossible to find those on cycletrader
around DFW anyways. Even the SV650, which I've found highly
recommended on many web sites, is ugly to me. I'm considering a ZX-6
or GSX600, since there's lots of each available, but there's a bunch
of different models and I don't really know the pros and cons of each.
What should I consider beyond how it feels to sit on each?

I've wandered around a bit, kicked the tires on a few bikes, but one
thing I've found is that my feet are too big (size 13) to easily
manipulate the shifter; is there some sort of modification I can do to
the pegs and/or lever after I've bought a bike to make things easier?
I can't shift worth a damn in the oft-recommended boots, and it's
difficult even in sneakers (note that I didn't have any problem on the
125cc bikes at the MSF class even in boots, so I think it's partly an
angle thing with sportbikes)

S

 

Stephen, have you looked at older model bikes? Might be a good thing to
start with. If it were me, I wouldn't limit myself to just one type of
bike, as their are other options.
My son is over 6' and wears size 13 shoe. He had a (standard) Honda Magna
V30 and a V65 and loved them both. He had no trouble at all with the
shifter.

Try http://www.craigslist.org

Here's a V30 to look at:
http://dallas.craigslist.org/mcy/189099181.html

or a V65:
http://dallas.craigslist.org/mcy/177494136.html

Good luck and ride safe.

--
Sunny Williams
sunny will at tx vets period org
IRPK, ISRA #7123, Deerslayers
Director/Webmaster for
Texas Veterans Assoc., Chapter 3
http://www.txvets.org/
"... if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place
shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor
defeat."

~Teddy Roosevelt

 

Stephen,

Have you looked at the BMWs. If you can afford the finance, the newer sporty
models I think would do you well and last well into your experianced
years...

-David