When I brought home my 2001 Yamaha YZF-R1 at the ripe age of 19 years old. My father, who had been riding all types of motorcycles for the better part of four decades, decided he wanted to take it for a ride around the block. It had easily been 10 years since he last rode a sportbike, so he wasn’t sure what he was in for. I was expecting him to pull up from his short test ride grinning ear to ear, but instead he pulled into the driveway shaking his head in disbelief. He promptly parked the bike and stepped away from it like it had bit him. As he took off the helmet, he looked at me and said, “You are absolutely crazy to ride this. If I had any machine like this when I was your age, you and I wouldn’t be here.” I remember those words when I see some new riders picking up used bikes far beyond their skill level. Here are five bikes that new riders should avoid while they hone their skills on the street.