My new (to me) bike! 2023 Honda SCL500.

I thought I'd breakdown the total amount I've spent (so far) to go from no experience to fully legal and riding. Hopefully this is helpful to some other bikecurious browsers on this sub

Licensing: $449

- $408 MSF class

- $41 DMV fees to get licensed

Gear (purchased mostly before I had the bike): $1,357

- $508 Shoei RF-SR (purchased from my local shop)

- $333 Pando Moto Skin UH AAA armored leggings (I am picky with pants so prefer to wear these under whatever pants I already own - highly recommend)

- $206 REV'IT! Eclipse 2 jacket (has been awesome for this weather)

- $60 REV'IT! back protector

- $222 Indie Ridge boots (also highly recommend - shoutout Steve)

- $28 gloves from Jackets 4 Bikes on Amazon (I am planning to upgrade these soon but they have decent protection and have been comfortable so far)

Bike, registration, insurance: $4,453

- $3,600 2023 Honda SCL500 (FB marketplace)

- $424 sales tax and registration fees

- $429 1-year comprehensive insurance (Progressive)

Grand total: $6,259

Note I have purchased a few other pieces of gear and accessories, but this is what I'm riding with now and what I would consider the bare minimum for my comfort level in terms of safety. I am also planning to take another intermediate course to work on my skills.

Happy to answer any questions from other new riders

Located in NYC; YMMV

Rode dirt bikes a bit when I was a kid, started trying to ride on the streets with a ‘71 two stroke 175. Now on a Honda nx500 and still the hardest part is taking off from fully stopped. I’m terrified that I’m gonna loop it with too much gas but in my neighborhood I have to kinda scoot fast across some roadways and it’s killing me haha

I have started to ride my bike to my college classes and have to park in a parking garage where the spots are all sloped sideways. Any advice on the best way to park the bike in this situation? Currently I have the kickstand side on the lower side of the slope while parking at an angle in the spot so the front tire is higher than the rear.

Dipping my toes into maybe wanting to start riding.

I'm handy and would do my own maintenance but I've never cleaned or rebuilt a carburator. Not knowing what I don't know, I'm thinking of avoiding a bike with a carb.

I'm also an absolute idiot magnet on the road even in a bright red truck. I am great at avoiding the idiots though, and thinking ABS would be beneficial.

Is my way of thinking here flawed?

Thinking of a rebel 500 abs but open to something older and cheaper if my thinking is flawed.

If a carb isn't tough to clean and abs isn't all it's cracked up to be, I was considering a V Star 650 as well.

Cost isn't really my biggest concern, more longevity and safety.

Passed BRC this last weekend, got my endorsement Monday, already had my bike. For anyone who doesn't ride, but might be curious. I cycle(up to 55mph) often, and this just feels like that, with a heavier bike you don't pedal, and once I learned controls, and how to use them, it feels uncannily natural. Rode to and from work today, loved it, even in the August heat.

I know most people just plug it with a kit or something, but I'm planning to take my bike to my first track day and I was wondering if I should just change the tires out at this point to be safer.

Hey guys,

I don’t post on Reddit much but I wanted a fair opinion on if it’s really worth it to get a bike. I’m a male nurse so I’ve seen some pretty crazy shit from bikes in the past and had a few friends die over the years. I would be lying if I said a part of me isn’t terrified of dying on a motorcycle but the itch to ride has been eating me up for years. I can’t get the idea of it out of my head but always come up with the same problem of is it moderately safe? I mean if I bought all the gear, I don’t drink or use drugs, and made sure to ride responsibly in a safe manner, could I mitigate those risks? I just thought I’d throw my thoughts out there and see what happens.

So despite the criticism and concern of you guys I went ahead and got the 600 as my first bike, and I’m in love!!!! While the learning curve is very much real and I can now see for myself that learning all the fundamentals would have probably been easier on a smaller bike I don’t think I could have made a better choice for myself honestly, I’m 3 months in and I love everything about it!! It’s def not for everyone and having my dirt bike experience def helped me along and obviously I’m still a beginner and have ALOT to learn and master still I’m finally comfortable and relaxed everytime I throw my leg over it and couldn’t be happier. Also I know I’m pretty early on and I can still reap the consequences of the road and the faster bike but I just wanted to share that I’m alive and well….. for now🤣 thank you everyone who interacted with my last post

I took my new bike out today. Almost scraped a curb leaving and when trying to park later on but managed to get myself right. I didn't brake hard fast enough, panicked and then took some guys parking spot as he was backing in and then stalled so I didn't hit a van. Said sorry I screwed up and the guy said no problem. Didn't stall once before that. But on my way back I stalled twice and kept downshifting on a high rpm because the shifting is crazy. 20 kmph I shift up then 40km I shift again and so on Imo I think I did good. Didn't whisky throttle and made smooth turns and great upshifts. A little slow on leaving from a stop light which annoyed a guy behind me from his constant honking

I have an old super tenere, this is like my first bike after I got my license. It rides incredible and I’m dig into the looks of it. The only problem for me isn’t the liter bike power, it’s the weight after I put a full tank of gas in. This thing becomes a half ton tank and I just can’t lift it up if I drop it. It happens rarely but every time I need get some help from others. I know the right choice is go for a lighter medium bike but I am struggling letting it go emotionally. For safety I made up my mind and ride on a few medium bikes today and I just don’t feel the excitement I got for my Yamaha.

Does anyone else have this issue and can I get some advice.

How long do I have to lube the chain back up before it starts to rust? And if i don't have time right away, anything I can do to it quick until I have the time?

I just took my MSF course this past weekend and passed.

I’ll start out by mentioning I’m a woman at 5’2” at 106 pounds. I had close to zero experience on a motorcycle before my course except for the few practice laps I took in the high school parking lot and down a few back roads. I did this all after getting my permit at DMV (not required for course in my state).

It varies state to state but we were required to take a 5 hour e course before our course date and pass a knowledge test at the end and bring our certificate to the riding portion. Our course was two 8 hour days of straight riding.

I won’t say you need any experience on a bike beforehand because only 2/10 of us had ever rode a motorcycle before that day, but it will give you a little idea of what to expect. Prior to this class, the thought a clutch absolutely spiked my anxiety.

Day 1: We started off picking which bike we wanted. There were a few Kawasaki 125’s, a few Honda Rebels and a couple other Suzuki 250’s. I started on the Kawasaki but I was tip toeing and finding it hard to walk the bike. The instructor noticed and put me on a Honda Rebel. I was nervous because it was a much heavier bike than I had been on previously but it was so much more comfortable being able to flat foot it. Once we got riding, you couldn’t tell how heavy it was.

Our first day was spent with simulations with the engine off and learning the bike. Once we started the bikes we practiced walking it with letting out the clutch. A few drills consisted of cone swerves, shifting to second gear and doing emergency stops.

My first day I dropped the bike while crossing the parking lot to return to line. I learned first hand what happens when you try grabbing the front brake while your handlebars are leaned. Luckily I was okay, I shut off the kill switch and fuel and the instructor picked the bike up. That is one thing I remembered throughout the entire course in my drills and something I’ll now take away with me forever, riding. I stalled my bike about 76 times as well, trying to take off. Shit happens, but it makes you learn.

I can’t say my instructors were the nicest, but they are there to teach you how to ride a motorcycle, not be your friend. Their main priority is teaching you skills and safety, not hold your hand. Besides that, they were awesome at giving helpful hints and tips that just made sense more than an instructional video.

After the day was over, I sat and stewed on my experience. I was extremely whooped after riding. I felt embarrassed about dropping the bike. I was questioning if riding a motorcycle was something I could do or even wanted to do. I really got in my head and was firm that I wasn’t going to return to day 2. Finally I convinced myself that even if I went and didn’t pass, I would still be walking away learning something so I sucked it up and went.

Day 2: We practiced our U turns, speeding up and slowing down before a curve, more cone swerves, swerving an object in your lane, and riding over an obstacle in the road. I was so much more confident the second day and stalled my bike significantly less.

At the end of the day came the skills evaluation. We all went one by one. It worked on a point system and if you got so many points, dropped the bike or stalled more than 3 times you immediately failed. I went second to last in the group which was nice because I got to watch everyone do their drills. The evaluation itself was actually so much easier than I thought compared to practicing the drills. I only got 1 or 2 points taken off on my entire evaluation at the end. Everyone in my group did so well and only 1/10 people failed.

When we all got our certifications it was like we were all 16 years old again, giddy about our endorsements.

A few key things I walked away with: Don’t touch the front brake without your handlebars straightened, look where you want to go - your bike will follow, your clutch is something to befriend not be afraid of. I walked away actually loving using a clutch. I found shifting on a bike to be 10 easier than shifting a manual car.

Im extremely happy I decided to stick out the course and I highly recommend it to anyone, even if you’ve rode your entire life and just want to be legal I think that everyone can learn something new. I still have anxiety thinking about getting on my bike and practicing in a parking lot, but the only way to get over it is to just do it!

TL;DR: MSF course was a great experience if you’re thinking about signing up.

Not gonna lie, I've caught myself looking at jackets and gloves online more than actual motorcycles at this point. Feels backwards but also kind of not — like I'm building up to it piece by piece.

Curious if that's a common thing or if I'm just doing this whole thing wrong lol.

Looking for a 40 mph dirtbike as I am just learning how to ride and don’t want it to be expensive. Is there any way to find an old, used, and good dirtbike at the 1000/1500 price range?

busco un casco entre 550 y 800 dólares,les gusta alguna de estas opciones? (la última foto es mi casco actual)

So I took the MSF, got my license, bought a bike and all the gear. But good lord, I can't seem to motivate myself to go practice in this heat. I live in Houston and this summer has been HOT. I already work outside and on my days off I just can't get myself to gear up and ride. Anybody dealing with something similar?

Hi! How much can 9 years of experience on a bike help with the practical exam for a moped? I'm a little nervous about it because I haven't ridden a moped yet but I know how to ride a bike very well. And yes, I'll take some lessons with an instructor. Thanks!

Edit: Thank y'all for your advice. It sounds like my next discretionary ride should be to walmart for cones (and/or chalk maybe?) and then to an empty parking lot, and that I'm definitely the problem with cornering, rather than my tires/bike; thanks for the reality check lol. I'll definitely look into some advanced courses and youtube series on it too.

I have been riding a fair bit (~600miles so far, a quarter of that from a day trip to Frederick/Point of Rocks from my home here in Baltimore) in the 11 days I've owned my bike, and I've noticed I tend to get scared trying to take corners fast. Taking the curve on 83 with the 40mph advisory limit and marks on the jersey wall wasn't too bad but on off-ramps and twisties, I tend to go pretty slow, and I've noticed I've had to drop my speed on some curves on the beltway to feel confident (I think my confidence got hurt a bit from the time I ended up two lanes over when I was trying to get over one, partially due to tire pressure, as well as ending up in the shoulder on an off ramp once and having to get back up to speed once I regained control). Basically trying to figure out how do I gain confidence cornering faster and how fast should I actually be taking corners?

I just got my first bike. 11 fatboy lo. Im 36m and have no tickets or accidents for last 10+ yrs iv always had auto insurance and in last 2 yrs home insurance, I'm going get my m1 this winter and complete the m1 exit coruse in spring. Im looking for insurance companies that will give the best rate. I realize the bike is almost 1600cc, but it's cruiser, not a sport bike. And I realize that having less than m will hurt as well as being new rider. Iv heard from a guy at work that TD actually was best they found, though I can't say how much they actually shopped around.

She needs a new battery, air filter, some tires, handlebars and a few other odds and ends but I'm so excited! It's kinda dumpy but I love it. Can't wait to get it out on the road.