rivera573344
New member
what do you think about the S40 as a 1st bike? Should i consider something else. I am very new at riding. Took a MSF but could not attend the last day because of a cancelled airline flight. Gotta love those airlines!
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Suzuki S40
- Thread starter rivera573344
- Start date
we considered that for my wife's 2nd bike but ended up getting the Kawasaki Vulcan 500.
Reasons -
-less vibration than a single cylinder thumper
-larger fuel tank=greater range
-still more power than the Honda Shadow600 and Suzuki S40 and Yamaha V-Star 650, despite being a 500cc motor
-6 speed transmission
I'd probably still recommend you start with something used to begin with regardless of what you choose. My wife dumped her Rebel 250 in a parking lot and busted a bunch of stuff, but she was ok and learned from it.
The key is a balance between a bike that is light and forgiving enough to let you make mistakes while learning, but a bike that you will not outgrow within a month or two.
Good Luck!
Reasons -
-less vibration than a single cylinder thumper
-larger fuel tank=greater range
-still more power than the Honda Shadow600 and Suzuki S40 and Yamaha V-Star 650, despite being a 500cc motor
-6 speed transmission
I'd probably still recommend you start with something used to begin with regardless of what you choose. My wife dumped her Rebel 250 in a parking lot and busted a bunch of stuff, but she was ok and learned from it.
The key is a balance between a bike that is light and forgiving enough to let you make mistakes while learning, but a bike that you will not outgrow within a month or two.
Good Luck!
mmiller751
New member
That might be a good choice. What you should get is a bike that FEELS right for YOU. Right height, comfortable riding position and doesn't feel "too heavy". You should not buy ANYTHING without a test ride........if even only around the parking lot.
250-500 cc, non-super sport is the range to look at.
What size bikes did you train on?
If they felt a little small, then the S40 or similar would be a good choice.
As for vibration with a thumper.......my Zuki GZ250 has a counter-balanced crank and runs smoother than several twins I've had. Not quite like a 4 but close. Don't know about the S40 though.
250-500 cc, non-super sport is the range to look at.
What size bikes did you train on?
If they felt a little small, then the S40 or similar would be a good choice.
As for vibration with a thumper.......my Zuki GZ250 has a counter-balanced crank and runs smoother than several twins I've had. Not quite like a 4 but close. Don't know about the S40 though.
diane72112
New member
S40 as a first bike really depends on your size. It's perfect for my wife at 5'3'', but when I feel like toying with it 6'2'', I feel like I'm on a moped.
I got my S50 last year as a first bike, and here are the reasons:
Lighter than Honda, Kawasaki and yamaha by 100 Lbs
Cheaper than all three
low center of gravity = easy handling
Built on a platform that was in production for the last 20yrs
Twin Cylinder with less vibration
Enough Power to get you out of trouble fast (or get you
into one .....depending)
Any bike will be faster than a car from 0 to 40 miles/hr, its when you are in the freeway and you want to pass a truck quickly that you will need the power that I am talking about
The other consideration is that bike losses in the first year of the owner ship 30% of their value, and retain the 70% for a long time, so why buy an old clunker,when you can buy a state of art technology for 30% more.
The only thing I found difficult was to break-in the bike while I am learning to ride at the same time, but the advantage is that you will have to be very restricted regarding speed and engine rev'ing speed, and this will enforce discipline (if you are a speed nuts) that you will need at beginning as you are learning to ride
Smikail
Lighter than Honda, Kawasaki and yamaha by 100 Lbs
Cheaper than all three
low center of gravity = easy handling
Built on a platform that was in production for the last 20yrs
Twin Cylinder with less vibration
Enough Power to get you out of trouble fast (or get you
into one .....depending)
Any bike will be faster than a car from 0 to 40 miles/hr, its when you are in the freeway and you want to pass a truck quickly that you will need the power that I am talking about
The other consideration is that bike losses in the first year of the owner ship 30% of their value, and retain the 70% for a long time, so why buy an old clunker,when you can buy a state of art technology for 30% more.
The only thing I found difficult was to break-in the bike while I am learning to ride at the same time, but the advantage is that you will have to be very restricted regarding speed and engine rev'ing speed, and this will enforce discipline (if you are a speed nuts) that you will need at beginning as you are learning to ride
Smikail
clemintine
New member
Let's see........what other sweeping generalizations can we make? :roll:
Some people out grow them and some don't.
Some even downsize to an S40 to get something they are comfortable with.
These generally are people who care more about the ride than the "image".
(Some are even happy with our 250's). :mrgreen:
Some people out grow them and some don't.
Some even downsize to an S40 to get something they are comfortable with.
These generally are people who care more about the ride than the "image".
(Some are even happy with our 250's). :mrgreen:
Brett Andrews
New member
Many thanks for all the helpful tips
The S40 is a reliable bike, and a pretty good choice for a first bike to learn on. The bike is light, easy to handle, and uninimidating, and it has been in production for 21 years now. Ones made after 1995 have a 5th gear, while earlier ones have a four speed. Resale on them is pretty low, so used ones are easy to find at a bargain. Parts are easy to find also.
However, the bike is not very refined, does not have a lot of power, and is physically very small, so most people who buy them outgrow them fairly quickly and soon want something larger/ smoother/ faster- when I worked for a Suzuki dealer probably 80% of the people who bought one new were back at the dealer looking to trade it in after one year or less. So I recommend people buy a used one rather than a new one, so they can recover their money when they are ready to move up.
My favorite recommendation for a first bike is the Honda Shadow VLX. As a twin it is smoother, plus it is a physically larger machine that people tend to not outgrow quite as quickly yet still has a nioce low seat hieght. They are also readily available used, and parts and accessories are plentiful.
However, the bike is not very refined, does not have a lot of power, and is physically very small, so most people who buy them outgrow them fairly quickly and soon want something larger/ smoother/ faster- when I worked for a Suzuki dealer probably 80% of the people who bought one new were back at the dealer looking to trade it in after one year or less. So I recommend people buy a used one rather than a new one, so they can recover their money when they are ready to move up.
My favorite recommendation for a first bike is the Honda Shadow VLX. As a twin it is smoother, plus it is a physically larger machine that people tend to not outgrow quite as quickly yet still has a nioce low seat hieght. They are also readily available used, and parts and accessories are plentiful.
I picked up a used S40 for my first bike. I very much enjoyed learning on it for about a year. After that, I started to yearn a bit for a new and slightly larger bike so I moved up to the S50 which I am very happy with. The S50 is also probably not bad for a starter bike.
I also kind of liked the S83 but I just had to have that light blue!
I also kind of liked the S83 but I just had to have that light blue!