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I gotta chime in, if you're not into long long distances, 100+ miles, and you have any woods or trails. Get a dualsport, street legal on/off road four stroke.
62 here, riding since I was 17,
If you like exploring, or escaping if SHTF, a dualsport will get you places you'd never find otherwise.
I have a Honda XR650L, one big 650 cc cylinder, a bit of a monster on small single track trails but fire roads and dirt roads are a blast. Bike is bulletproof, it'll go where you point it, including into a tree.
Maybe not the greatest starter bike because it's so tall but it's a mighty stallion.
I can do 90 on the highway and rule the fast lane or take it up in the woods.
Suzuki makes the DRZ 400 which is a great choice. Little lighter and smaller.
XR650L though. 11.5 & 12 inches of fork travel. 12 inch ground clearance.
Honda has been making them since 93, ( mine's a 93) and still making them.
One of, if not, the longest running model for Honda.
Pages and pages and pages of used parts on ebay.
I'm 5'11" and I touch the ground on tiptoes, 350 pounds dry weight with an aftermarket Ascerbis 4.8 gallon tank and a Corbin seat.
I love my bike !!!
Had 11 bikes over the years.
Ones I loved as much;
1972 BMW R 60/5
Kawasaki KLX 650 (not a KLR) only made 2 years.
I have trials bikes for the woods. The XRL at 62 is just too much for me in the woods, BUT I KNOW IF I HAD TO, that bike would get me anywhere.
Don't forget Hondas legendary reliability.
I'll attest to it. I've had 4 single cylinder four stroke Hondas.
To sum up, consider a dualsport for adventure.
Bonus !! Learning on the trail makes you a better rider.
I can lose everyone I know on the 650.
Got my chops in the dirt.

I started riding when I was forty. I love it. But i'm a person who has always loved driving around and exploring. I started with a 500 then an 800 and finally to a 1500. The bigger the bike the more comfortable it is and the further you can explore. For me it isn't about speed. A 400 could blow it away. if speed is what you want then it'll do that. I don't find riding around in town much fun and to get to the country sometimes makes for a longer ride and hence the need for a larger bike.

I've ridden ATV's since before I could reach the foot shifter. Then dirt bikes. Then bikes and now a mechanic for all of them. There's no other feeling.

A Ninja 400? Great starter bikes. I'm a bike/atv mechanic at a dealership

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I would never get on a road with a speed limit > 40

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I had motorcycles for decades, and owned a dealership at one point in my life. They can be fantastic, but they do come with elevated risk. I'd never ride a motorcycle where I live now because people here take their half of the road out of the middle, or sometimes the opposing lane. We also have one of the highest incidents of drunk driving in the country. We also don't have lane splitting here, which isn't that important due to the fact that we don't have terrible traffic where I am. I would definitely consider riding again if I ever moved to a place with better drivers.

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You need a book called Twist of the Wrist, by Keith Code. Two volumes. Volume II is about riding a sport bike, and volume I is about road racing. These are the only books you need to learn about riding. And my advice is to get the bike you want first. Don't worry about dropping it. And don't bother getting a something like a 250 to learn on, because it's a waste of money.

I refuse to try it. I know without a doubt that im gonna get addicted to it and become the stupid retard getting caugh at 200mph. There's a good reason why my car is only 106hp...

Do I have an opinion on motorcycles? Do you have 7 weeks?

I absolutely love motorcycles. They are not for everyone but if you enjoy it then chances are you'll enjoy it a lot!

But they come with caveats. There is increased risk for riding a bike (ie. a motorbike) over driving a car. This is obvious but sometimes we get carried away and forget to factor in that. Even the most highly trained riders sometimes get maimed or killed in an accident because there is only so much that the rider has control over. You need to be prepared to accept the elevated risk or it will eat away at you and spoil your fun. And the reason why we ride is for the fun!

I'm going to assume that you are a younger rider. I'm not familiar with the Z400 but it looks like a good bike to start. People start on sport bikes or Harleys all of the time and often they are fine but the Z400 will be much more forgiving when you make a mistake and as a new rider YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES. This is how we learn. But even seasoned riders make mistakes. We are all human afterall.

You can do many thing to mitigate errors and their consequences:

1. Buy and wear protective gear. You will hear the term ATGATT (all the gear all the time) a lot and for good reason. The number of riders who are now minus a foot because they popped down to the 7-11 for a soda wearing shorts and flip flops is greater than you think. You probably don't have a lot of extra money to spend on gear but assume at least $1000 for helmet, jacket with some armor, boots, and gloves as a start. If you can't afford that then you should not be riding FULL STOP.

Tip: cheap gear usually does not last and will need to be replaced sooner, so in the long run will actually cost more than buying quality gear in the first place. If you can find good gear on sale then lucky you, otherwise be prepared to bite the bullet.

2. Take more courses, appropriate to your skill level. Remember that lots of miles in the saddle does not equate to lots of skill. You need to train and practice to improve. I know several long time riders who are only really competent to travel down the road in a mostly straight line.

After you get your license check out the MCRider channel on youtube. The guy has lots of training videos that you can work on to quickly make you a better rider. Start off with slow speed drills in a parking lot; they will give you a mastery of your bike faster than going right to the speedy, fun stuff.

3. Get Replacement Coverage for your bike. If it's stolen or totaled the insurer writes you a cheque for a new bike end of story. It's generally are not that expensive; mine is only an extra $15.

4. Get a copy of Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. It's like $25 on Amazon. It will go into detail on topics that you will only touch lightly on in training, if at all. There are lots of good books for riders but none are better.

That's enough for a start. Enjoy!

I love riding. I stick with cruisers since there are no tracks where I live. One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday morning is throw my camera, some food, and water in my backpack or saddlebags and cruise the backroads and see what I see.

I ride every chance I get, but I don't like riding in town too much. It's boring and car drivers can be oblivious. Keep your eyes on your mirrors when you're waiting at a stop sign or light and always assume the person making a left turn doesn't see you.

I love them, particularly if they have mufflers and aren't just revving outside my window. But I haven't ridden since... wow, gosh - 98-ish? Had my second big crash and the missus said "third time's the charm", so I just quit riding; traffic is deadly enough in this hellhole as it is, I suppose. Dunno what a Z400 is - I should look it up. Last bike I rode was a BMW R75/5; I loved that chuggy comfy old beast. It was like a cushy two-wheeled tractor.

Oh! THAT z400 - Some guy at the office has one of those, looks fun as hell. I kinda want one of those Triumphs. Or another BMW, but they got kind of pricey, for the price of something like I had before, I could just buy something brand new...

Anyone who says, "loud pipes save lives" deserves immediate buckshot to the face. But I digress...

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