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890 as a first bike

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37K views 38 replies 26 participants last post by  DranC  
#1 ·
New here and curious. I've been admiring the 890 and 790 for a few years now and I want to pull the trigger on one. I have never own or rode a street bike but i grew up on a few 2 stroke dirt bikes growing up. Im 28 and i drive for UPS for a living. Is it crazy to shoot that high for a bike? Im in northern VA (suburbs/traffic) but right near some nice windy roads. I feel like a 600 would be worse for a beginner atleast a parallel twin would have some consistency I think. Please let me know your thoughts, go ahead and grill me if you need to lol
 
#7 ·
Welcome to the site, it's a great source of info.
Always advised new guys to get the next bigger bike they were thinking about cuz you'll quickly adjust to it and yearn for more. You are in control of the twist grip after all.
If I could give any solid advice it would be to train yourself to brake using that front brake on the street. Dirt bikers usually have a habit of the rear brake for obvious reasons.
Do a search on this site for riding advice and go here too.
 
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#6 · (Edited)
I have just bought a 2021 890 Duke and this is my very first road bike. I was used to riding a Dr 350 years ago and haven't rode a bike for quit a while.
I will say when I first got on this monster the torque of this beast is scary, it will try and rip your arms off. The whole time though you will have a grin on your face that’s not removed very easily.
I’m taking things very slowly with this bike, taking small trips to get comfortable on it. I go to a local school and do some maneuvering on it to get used to it.
It is an absolute blast to drive and has added years to my life. At 53 I have no regrets getting this 890Duke. My suggestion is to just go for it. You won’t regret it!
 
#5 ·
Unless you're King Kong, you might want to do your learning on something smaller and less powerful. It's not that you couldn't handle it or could do something stupid, it's just that your learning curve will flatten and you'll never be able to take full advantage of the bike's abilities. Learn to outride 60 hp before you get on 120, which is substantially more than "a moderate amount" for a bike of this weight.

I wish I had started younger and learned to ride smaller bikes. It would have saved a lot of the re-learning I went through later.
 
#3 ·
(y) i appreciate the reply, helps more than you know. Ive been wanting a bike for years but waited till ive matured a bit (made more $ lol). I dont want the 390, because I know ill want to upgrade immediately. I know myself. People will call me naive but I drive for a living so I'm very aware of the dangers that other people pose more than myself. If i can control my outcome while applying the amount of training we use to look out for other drivers (i.e methods for intersections), I'm confident to pursue a bigger bike to learn on.
 
#33 ·
I was in the same boat. Rode dirt bikes as a kid, never owned a street bike. I did my homework, kicked the tires on several different models and bought a 2022 Duke 890R. All I can say is that the bike is beginner friendly and handles like a dream! It's a docile little puppy until you get on it and hammer the throttle, then it becomes a fire breathing demon! Its powerband reminds me of my Raptor- smooth, constant and predictable.

Just buy one, you will not be disappointed!
 
#2 ·
Some of the risk mitigators on this forum will tell you not to do it or you'll definitely die. The carpe diem risk takers will urge you to go for it and learn as you go along. My view is that it's a parallel twin with a moderate amount of power, amazing handling and electronic nanny aids to boot, so I think you'll be OK. But just remember this one rule: at the end of every straight, a dangerous corner lies in wait.