# What is the best beginner motorcycle?

> Seat height, weight and insurance decide this more than horsepower does. Ninja 400s and Rebel 500s against a Nightster that costs more and weighs more than either.

*By YPB Team · Published September 9, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-beginner-motorcycle*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Kawasaki Ninja 400** — score 1000/1000
   Light, forgiving and quick enough that riders keep it long after they stop being beginners.
2. **Honda Grom** — score 840/1000
   A 125cc minibike that teaches clutch control at speeds where mistakes cost nothing.
3. **KTM 390 Duke** — score 840/1000
   Sharper and more excitable than the rest, which is either the appeal or the warning.
4. **Honda Rebel 500** — score 750/1000
   A low cruiser that lets short riders get both feet down, which sells more bikes than any spec sheet.
5. **Harley-Davidson Nightster** — score 750/1000
   Milwaukee's pitch to first-time riders, and still heavier and pricier than most of this list.
6. **Triumph Speed 400** — score 680/1000
   A single-cylinder retro that undercut everything Triumph had sold before it.
7. **Kawasaki Eliminator 500** — score 600/1000
   A low cruiser with modern running gear, aimed at the riders Harley wants and rarely gets.
8. **Kawasaki Z400** — score 508/1000
   The naked version of the Ninja, with the same manners and a better riding position for town.
9. **Yamaha MT-03** — score 400/1000
   Naked, low-seated and cheap to insure, which matters more at this stage than power.
10. **Royal Enfield Meteor 350** — score 400/1000
   Slow by design, cheap to buy and hard to get into trouble on.
11. **BMW G 310 R** — score 400/1000
   A German badge at an entry price, built in India and aimed squarely at new riders.
12. **Honda CB500F** — score 273/1000
   A twin with no bad habits, restrictable for licence limits and almost impossible to outgrow badly.
13. **Yamaha YZF-R3** — score 273/1000
   A small sportbike with real track manners and a seat height newcomers can manage.
14. **Suzuki SV650** — score 120/1000
   A V-twin that has been the sensible answer to this question for a quarter of a century.

Tags: brands, motorcycles