Buying your first motorcycle is a wonderful experience. However, if you are a beginner motorcyclist who is looking to buy your first motorcycle, your decision comes with a fair share of questions and doubts. One of the questions that are most common among beginners is what size bike should I get? And this is usually followed by, is a 750cc motorcycle will be too much for them?
A 750cc motorcycle is too powerful and heavy of a bike for beginner riders. And therefore, it can be a little intimidating to first-time riders. Of course, there is nothing stopping a beginner from buying a 750cc motorcycle but it will no doubt be too un-wieldy for your first bike. A 750cc motorcycle is undoubtedly a hefty machine that can be daunting to a beginner because of its sheer size and weight.
However, riding a motorcycle without compromising one’s safety ultimately boils down to the fundamentals of the skillset. If you are not sure on your own that you can handle a formidable vehicle like a 750cc motorcycle, it’s better that you start your riding life with a smaller bike and then gradually master the skill to move to a more speedy machine.
This article is your comprehensive guide to a 750cc motorcycle and what beginners should know about, before buying an expensive & more powerful motorcycle. Let’s dive deep to learn more!
Build to Last – The Advantages of Buying a 750cc
A motorcycle can be a huge financial investment for anyone and anything more than 500cc is definitely going to hurt your pocket. So while buying a big bike like a 750cc motorcycle or even more, it’s better that you weigh the pros and cons of such a purchase.
The first and foremost advantage of buying a 750cc motorcycle is its longer lifecycle. A bigger motorcycle usually lasts much longer because it has been built from stronger materials to support the load of larger engines. In most cases, the average lifecycle of these motorcycles exceeds up to 15 years without any major problems in parts availability and quality. With this in mind, you might want to consider paying an additional amount on a bigger bike if long-term ownership is what you have planned for.
Other than having a longer lifecycle, buying a bigger motorcycle will have you spending less time at the mechanic’s shop. A 750cc motorcycle is much easier to maintain and it has fewer problems because of its larger size. This ultimately means that their maintenance costs are higher, but the overall cost of ownership comes down for beginner riders with bigger bikes.
If you are someone who is going to take long rides and trips on Highways, then buying a larger bike like 750cc will definitely be a boom for you. When you ride on a freeway at high speed on a lighter and smaller bike, the force of the wind can make your bike shake and cause unnecessary nervousness in you. But with a 750cc motorcycle, you will have a better time cruising on Highways even at high speeds, because of their bigger size and weight.
So if you are someone who is going to take your bike for long trips frequently, it’s best that you go for a bigger machine like a 750cc motorcycle instead of spending a lot of bucks on small motorcycles that last only up to 5 years.
So, for longevity and comfort on long speedy trips, a 750cc motorcycle is your best choice over other nimble and smaller bikes. The big 750cc bike is formidable and you will feel much protected in it while riding, that too for many many years.
Start Small – The Disadvantages of Buying a Large Bike
Of course, a 750cc motorcycle is not all roses and sunshine. Bigger motorcycles have some disadvantages too for beginner riders.
First and foremost, if you are a new rider who has just mastered the art of riding a smaller bike, it will take you a lot of time to adapt to a big machine like a 750cc motorcycle. For one thing, most people find moving around with such a bulky vehicle much harder than their previous smaller bikes until they become used to them.
Riding bigger motorcycles requires higher doses of concentration from beginner riders because there are fewer chances that these machines carry smaller engines which ultimately reduces chances of stalling in inexperienced hands. So for starters, it’s better that you opt for lighter and faster 600cc motorcycles before taking on beefier machines like a 750cc motorcycle.
Since bigger motorcycles require higher doses of concentration to handle them, it may take you longer than usual to master riding skills on such a machine if you are new. This can be tough for beginners and lead to accidents at times while learning how to ride. So if safety is your foremost priority, then we recommend that you should stick to smaller bikes until your confidence and experience level increase, and then you can master the skill to move to a more powerful bike.
So before buying an expensive bike like 750cc, make sure you weigh in all pros and cons of owning such a heavy vehicle. Because ultimately, this is going to define whether or not the bike will be useful for you in the future or not!
Should I buy a 750cc Bike?
750cc motorcycles are the best choice for people who want to own a big heavy machine. Not only will you have greater chances of long-term ownership due to its sturdy nature, but also because it’s much easier to maintain in comparison to smaller bikes. This ultimately means that you will not spend as much time and money at your mechanic’s shop getting your bike checked up every once in a while.
But if you are a new rider who is just learning how to cruise on highways with speed, we recommend that you stick with 600cc or lower cc bikes until you master your riding skills and get more experience under your belt. Because bigger machines like 750cc motorcycles require more attention and effort from the rider when starting on a journey.
But if you are a veteran rider who has been riding for a long time and is quite confident of handling bigger motorcycles, then a 750cc bike will be the best choice over other smaller machines out there in the market. Because not only will this machine provide greater levels of comfort while cruising on highways, but also because it’s more durable compared to lighter bikes in its class. But make sure that your experience level matches with its huge bulk before investing in such an expensive big bike like a 750cc motorcycle!
For beginners, it is always advisable that they should stick to 400 cc or lower cc bikes until they become comfortable with riding bigger vehicles.
And once you are satisfied with your riding skills, you can easily move to heavier machines like 600cc or 750cc motorcycles because these bikes are much more stable and cause lesser accidents when compared to lighter bikes in the same category.
For a veteran rider who is confident of their riding abilities, a 750cc bike will be an exciting experience for sure!
Insurance costs – More cc Higher costs
One of the most underrated aspects that beginners need to consider before purchasing a big motorcycle like 750cc is that it’s much more pricey to insure compared to 600cc machines.
For example, if you own a Yamaha YZF-R6 which is quite popular among riders in the USA, then you can easily buy a 600 cc insurance policy for your motorcycle for around $100-300 per year. On the other hand, if you have taken a loan from a bank and are planning to purchase a brand new Kawasaki Ninja H2, then getting insurance for this machine will cost you around $300-$800 per year!
So before investing in such an expensive machine, ensure that you also factor the insurance costs into your budget and see if you can afford it or not! If not, then maybe it’d be better for you to look at lighter bikes which are cheaper to insure and cost much less than heavy 750cc motorcycles.
If you are a beginner rider who has just got your driving license, banks are going to charge you an extraordinary amount in terms of insurance cost if you are buying an expensive 750cc machine. Since in most cases, beginner riders are young, they do not have a lot of wealth on their end to meet the insurance costs and therefore, this is an important factor to consider.
Insurance companies often charge higher premiums from people who own powerful bikes like 750cc due to an increased chance of accidents and other chances of damages. So owning one such bike will definitely affect the insurance amount that you pay every year which is why we suggest beginners start with smaller cc motorcycles first until they master their skills and become more confident about riding bigger machines like 600cc or 750cc.
What Motorcycle Should a Beginner Buy?
The best riding position which will be comfortable for almost all riders is the one on a Sportsbike. On this machine, you are sitting upright with bent arms which can easily rest on the tank of your motorcycle. This position allows riders to have some upper body weight over their machine so they are able to take advantage of its acceleration and braking power more quickly during an emergency situation without any trouble.
On normal motorcycles like cruisers or standards, beginner riders often complain about their discomfort after riding for a long time because these bikes provide an uncomfortable riding position where most people end up having a hunched posture due to inadequate handlebar height.
Another thing that beginners need to consider is that they should buy only new premium models which come with better safety features. Normally, motorcycles that cost less come with very few safety features. So, it’s recommended that you spend some extra bucks to get a motorcycle that comes with ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and better brakes. This is important because braking distance on heavy motorcycles like 750 ccs can often be higher than expected especially if they are loaded with luggage or the load bed of the bike is poorly designed.
Best Beginner Motorcycles
Honda Monkey
Honda Monkey is one of the best bikes for beginner riders. It is mainly because of its small size, light weight which makes it easy to handle a motorcycle. It weighs only 124 kgs and possesses a fuel-injected single-cylinder engine that generates 8 bhp of power at 8500 rpm along with 8 Nm of torque at 6500rpm.
KTM Corner Rocket (390 Duke)
KTM Corner Rocket is another great option for beginners. It is a new model and comes with many advanced features like ABS which makes it one of the safest motorcycles for beginners. It has a powerful 373 cc fuel-injected single-cylinder engine that produces 40 bhp at 9000 rpm and 35 Nm of torque at 7500rpm.
Harley-Davidson Street 500
Harley Davidson Street 500 is a dream for beginner riders. It is an entry-level motorcycle from Harley Davidson which comes with all necessary features like ABS, Head-lamp beam, electric start, etc.
It has a great fuel-injected 494cc v-twin (two-cylinder) cylinder engine that produces 48 Nm of torque at 4000rpm and 45 bhp at 7500rpm.
Kawasaki Z125 Pro SE
Kawasaki Z125 Pro SE is another great bike for beginners. It is basically a small motorcycle but you’ll be surprised to know that it can still produce up to 12 bhp and 10 Nm of torque. It has a fuel-injected single-cylinder 125cc engine but the only drawback of this motorcycle is that it does not have an ABS installed in it.
Harley-Davidson Superlow
Harley Davidson Superlow is one of the best touring motorcycles for beginners. It has a roomy riding position so riders can travel long distances without any discomfort. It offers a fuel-injected single-cylinder 373cc engine that produces 60 Nm of torque at 4000rpm and 50 bhp at 5000rpm.
Honda Grom
Honda Grom is a perfect package for beginners. It offers lots of premium features like LED headlamps, ABS, fuel gauge, and electric start which makes this bike highly recommended for new riders.
It has a 125cc 4-stroke engine that can generate 8 bhp at 7000rpm and 8 Nm of torque at 6000rpm.
KTM RC 390
KTM RC 390 is one of the best middleweight motorcycles for beginners. It shares lots of common features with its elder sibling – KTM Duke 390 which carries a 373 cc single-cylinder fuel-injected engine has a power generating capacity of 44 bhp at 9000 rpm and a maximum torque output of 35 Nm at 7500rpm. This bike also has ABS installed which makes it a safe option for beginners.
Ducati 899 Panigale
Ducati 899 Panigale is one of the best superbikes that can be suitable for rookie riders. It has almost similar power figures to other bikes in this list but its throttle response, braking, and smoothness make Ducati 899 Panigale one of the best choices for novice riders. This bike has an oil-cooled twin-cylinder engine producing 148.5 bhp at 10,750 rpm and 88 Nm of torque at 9000rpm.
Kawasaki 300
Kawasaki Ninja 300 is a great choice for beginners. It can produce up to 38 bhp and 26 Nm of torque which makes it a powerful bike on the roads. This motorcycle has a 296cc fuel-injected two-cylinder engine that produces 36 bhp at 11,000rpm and 25 Nm of torque at 10,000rpm.
Yamaha V Star 250 Raven
Yamaha V Star 250 Raven is another great option for new riders. It has a 250cc Carbureted V-twin (two-cylinder) cylinder engine that produces 24 bhp at 7200 rpm and 23 Nm of torque at 5500 rpm giving decent riding comfort to the riders.
Yamaha SR400
Yamaha SR400 is another great option for new riders. It has a 399cc air-cooled, fuel-injected single-cylinder engine that produces 20 bhp at 5500 rpm and 22 Nm of torque at 4000rpm. This bike comes with an electric start so there’s no need to kick it hard until it decides to give the desired result.
Kawasaki Versys-X 300 ABS
Kawasaki Versys-X 300 ABS is another middleweight motorcycle for beginners. It has a Direct fuel-injected parallel-twin (2-cylinder) cylinder 296cc engine that can produce 35 bhp at 11000 rpm and 26 Nm of torque at 10000rpm. This bike comes with ABS which adds safety to the list of its pros.
This list has been compiled keeping in mind the requirements of beginner riders in terms of engine size, ABS, seat height, handlebar height, and Windscreen or fairing capabilities that are there in a motorcycle.
Why 750cc is too much for a beginner?
The following are some reasons why a 750cc motorcycle can be a little too much for a beginner.
The Big Size of the 750cc Motorcycle
At first glance, it is not that difficult to choose a motorcycle for yourself or your loved one. A beginner will think that the more powerful the bike is, the better it is for them. But this isn’t always true because bigger engine machines are more expensive and fuel-hungry compared to their smaller counterparts.
A novice rider who hasn’t had any experience with big machines might not be able to handle these big monsters in crowded streets of cities where traffic rules are openly flouted by most motorists or while traveling on highways where roads aren’t too wide which can result in hazardous situations for such riders.
Riding a 750cc motorcycle at very low speeds can be cumbersome due to its unwieldy size. It will take a lot of effort from a rider to maneuver the big machine effortlessly through crowded spaces with slow-moving traffic and sharp turns.
High Costs of 750cc Motorcycles
Even though there are some great bikes under 7,500cc that can be easily affordable for most riders but they lack features that the modern generation of middleweight motorcycles offers. So, it’s better to give preference to smaller machines with all the necessary safety features rather than spending lavishly on a 750cc motorcycle that has fewer capabilities regarding performance or fuel economy compared to its smaller counterparts.
The Heavy Weight of the Motorcycle
Another important factor that a novice rider should take into account is the weight of a motorcycle. The bigger the engine size, the more powerful it gets, and at the same time, it also becomes heavier.
This means that you will have to put in more effort into maneuvering such heavyweight motorcycles which can be very difficult especially for new riders who aren’t used to controlling heavy bikes. So, it’s better to opt for lighter machines with less power but more efficiency when it comes to fuel economy and speed. So that even if you have a smaller stature, you can easily handle them on roads during any situation.
The High Speed of the Motorcycle
One of the major reasons why a 750cc motorcycle is too much for beginners is its high speed. A rider who hasn’t had any experience with large machines might not be able to handle such powerful machines at higher speeds which can lead to dangerous situations and can even result in fatal accidents.
Therefore, it’s recommended that you start with smaller motorcycles like 300cc or 500cc with less power but more safety features so that you can learn the art of controlling your bike overtime before you move on to bigger, powerful motorcycles like those under 7,500cc.
High Insurance Cost
Insurance for a motorcycle of any capacity is more expensive than insurance for a car. And an insurance company will always prefer going for bikes under 750cc because there are fewer chances of them getting damaged or stolen compared to the bigger machines which might lead to high premiums and claims if the big built of the machines gets involved in accidents.
Therefore, a novice rider should opt for smaller motorcycles that cost less on both fronts-expensive machines as well as expensive insurance. This way they can learn how to control their machine before moving on to larger, powerful capacities.
When it comes down to choosing your first motorcycle, it’s best you choose something that’s budget-friendly, fuel-efficient with easy handling capabilities, and has lower weight so that you don’t have any trouble operating it. The perfect choice for a beginner who isn’t sure of what to pick would be a middleweight machine.
So, after knowing all the disadvantages of purchasing a 750cc motorcycle over 500cc one must understand that 750 cc is too much motorcycle for newer riders.
Even though there are some good options available under 7500 cc but it’s better to give preference to smaller motorcycles that have more features than costlier motorcycles with fewer capabilities regarding performance or fuel economy.
Which Factors Do I Need to Consider Before buying a 750cc Motorcycle?
There are some important factors that you need to consider if you are looking to invest your hard-earned money into buying an expensive and glamorous 750cc motorcycle. They are as follows –
Height and Weight of the Motorcycle
When you are buying a motorcycle, especially a sports or superbike that has power in abundance then you need to consider your height and weight before making any decision.
This is one of the most important factors that you need to take into consideration when you are planning to buy an expensive high-performance motorcycle. This is because the information on your height and weight will ultimately determine how easy or how difficult would it be for you to handle such a machine on road.
The taller and heavier the rider is, the more powerful motorcycles he or she can comfortably operate on roads without experiencing any kind of problem regarding balance or control. So, think about your size before choosing anything over 250cc because smaller motorcycles can also be difficult to handle if you are very tall or a little on the heavier side.
Fuel Capacity
Another important factor that needs to be taken into account is the fuel capacity of the motorcycle. The more powerful your machine is, the more will be its thirst for fuel.
For instance, if you are looking to buy a machine that has a 750cc engine, then it would be better if you invest in some kind of an auxiliary tank so that you have enough petrol supply while riding on highways where there are no fuel stations nearby. This will also help you while traveling long distances.
It is worth mentioning here that sports bikes do not have good mileage. That means while touring with a particular sports bike, you may have to stop every hour or two hours for filling up petrol to get sufficient mileage from it.
It’s always advisable to buy motorcycles with smaller engines if you are looking for excellent fuel economy and low maintenance costs. Larger engines demand more care, service and cost more money on repairs as compared to smaller ones.
Horsepower of the Engine
The higher the horsepower of your engine is, the more costly it will be to buy and maintain your machine.
If you are looking to invest in a motorcycle that has horsepower above 100 then it would be better if you have some kind of an auxiliary kit installed with it so that you can scale any kind of steep incline or difficult terrain easily without getting into any kind of trouble.
For instance, sports bikes like Kawasaki Ninja or Suzuki GSXR 750cc require aftermarket kits for tackling hard terrains because their engines have good power capacity which makes them suitable for racing purposes but not street riding.
Power vs Weight Ratio
A motorcycle’s power-to-weight ratio is another important factor that one needs to look at before buying a 7500cc motorcycle. This will give you a good idea about how fast or slow your machine is going to be on the road.
For instance, if you compare Yamaha R1 and Suzuki GSXR 1000 K7 then it would be quite easy to understand the difference between their power-to-weight ratio as well as their price tags, along with some other factors. The reason is that there is a huge gap in both horsepower and weight of these two machines which eventually results in a big gap in their prices as well.
So, firstly decide on what kind of bike you want and secondly decide how much money you can afford to spend on your bike so that later on; it does not become difficult for you to maintain your riding life.
Price of the Bike
The final thing that you need to consider before buying a motorcycle is the price of the machine.
For instance, if you take Yamaha R1 and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R, both these machines share similar weight and power capacity but they differ in prices. So, depending on your budget you can go for either one looking at all the features and benefits, that both motorcycles have in offer.
It is also important to know what kind of accessories are compatible with your bike so that later on, it becomes easier for you to make some changes according to your comfort level. The best option would be to give a visit to an authorized dealer who can help you choose the right motorcycle brand as per your needs, requirements, and budget.
If you can’t afford an expensive super-powerful machine right now then there is no point in buying one just for the temporary gratification of owning something high-profile – it will not be possible for you to maintain such a machine properly and safely.
Hence, it would be better off to invest in something that you can easily afford within your limits without any kind of compromise on its performance capabilities or other related parameters which determine the overall safety levels it would offer while you are riding on the road.
Conclusion
The answer to the common question of whether a 750cc motorcycle is suitable for beginners is “NO”! Until and unless a rider is experienced and confident of their riding skills, they should not take the plunge or commit to a large displacement motorcycle.
At the end of the day, it’s all about safety and comfort. If you are not comfortable as a rider on a super-speedy machine, you won’t be able to experience the ultimate thrill of speed. Most importantly, if you lack in the skill department, with a 750cc motorcycle at high speed, all you will be doing is giving an open invitation to fatal accidents.
Again, there are factors like high costs, heavyweight of the bike, big size of the vehicle, and the high Insurance premium that comes hand-in-gloves with buying a 750cc motorcycle as a beginner rider. Make sure you think about each of the factors discussed in this article, before making a decision.
As a beginner rider, it is better to buy a bike that is less powerful as it will be easier to handle. A motorcycle with a lower level of power makes for a safer ride as this bike will not have the same horsepower as a bike with more power.
Beginner riders who want a comfortable ride should always consider buying a bike with a lower level of power. This will make it easier for the rider to learn how to handle a motorcycle. Interestingly enough electric motorcycles are becoming more of a thing so you might want to check then out!
Whatever bike you choose to buy or ride, never compromise on the safety front. Always go that extra mile to get a bike with top safety features and never forget to wear good quality protective gear while riding on the road.
