IMHO, for a good cheap starter bike, try to find a 95 or newer Ninja 250. This is what I learned on...they're small, easy to handle, very 'forgiving' bikes. They don't have a lot of excess power, so you don't have to worry about wiping out due to that.

Brand new they're less than 4k, so you can easily find a good used one for less than 2k

Plus, they still have the 'street bike' look...

Kawasaki-Ninja-250R-1.jpg

I agree.

I know nothing about bikes but my friend mike was gonna sell me a 1200cc motorcycle he was getting rid of cheap. We decided I might kill myself on that bike and he said i should start with a bike in the 600cc range

First order of business...go find these people in your area and sign up for the rider course...

http://www.msf-usa.org/

Ok, that plug for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation aside (no, I'm not affiliated with them in any way, they just do good work and the course is worthwhile.) Kirkwood Comm College looks like your best bet.

Getting a old bike can be a double edged sword...some are in bad condition as to require more repairs. However, the 250cc to 550cc sport-bike is often under-appreciated as a learner bike. A 250 Ninja, EX500, or GS550 will be pretty cheap to lay your hands on and unlikely to be abused. On any used bike, set aside some money for new brake pads, battery, chain, and tires. A bike uses these up and they get neglected by a lot of owners. (This size of bike gets bought by a first time rider, ridden a little, then tucked into the corner of the garage or traded in...low miles, but some neglect is the norm.) I'd also expect to need new fork seals, heavier fork springs, and wheel bearings. These are normally done in conjunction with having the tires changed.

I like the SV650 as well, but it has a bit of an owner cult growing around it, so they are holding some value...not as bad as the Honda Hawk GT owners, but getting there. In 20 years of riding on the street and racing on the track, I've piloted a wide range of bikes from 100cc dirt bikes up to liter sportbikes. The CBR600'* are my favorite balance of power and handling, but the plucky little SV has a strange charm to it...once you get past how ugly it is

The middle-weight 600 and heavy-weight 750 sport bikes...great stuff, but not always right for the first time buyer/rider. They get ABUSED often...and wrecked..and rebuilt..and wrecked again..etc. Some owners are more adult about them..but the bulk of these sportbike owers are in the teens and twenties..and promptly start doing wheelies and stoppies on them. (Somewhere I read the average sportbike is involved with some sort of accident before the first oil change is due...it'* no wonder insurance premiums are so high.)

pshh.. go busa! lmao

1300cc'* of holy #%$@ im gonna die

Just a bit outside of his stated price range.

well, it was a joke

i thought i made it obvious :P