good beginner's motorcycle?

[DrumminBoy]

A friend of mine has a 98 Kawasaki Ninja 250R for sale that im considering buying. I've been wanting a motorcycle for awhile, and i need something that is good for a beginner. btw, it has 3k miles and hes asking $1500 for it, is that a good deal?

 

[halik]

well those bikes are 3g new, so its pretty decent price

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: DrumminBoy
A friend of mine has a 98 Kawasaki Ninja 250R for sale that im considering buying. I've been wanting a motorcycle for awhile, and i need something that is good for a beginner. btw, it has 3k miles and hes asking $1500 for it, is that a good deal?

Sounds good, but take the MSF rider course if you havent done so.

 

[The Stigenator]

1. Take MSF course... www.msf-usa.org

2. Buy the bike.. its a decent beginner bike.. its good for learning how to corner and how to ride without really letting you worry about the weight of the bike.. its a tad bit underpowered but you know what it will get to 90mph.. and it will get to 65 before most cars on the road..

Its a decent bike.. for 1500 its not bad..

The bike rev's to 14K so make sure you dont get scared of opening her up.. the power kicks in only after 8K (most of the power). It runs fine under 8K.. for normal riding.

My bike the power kicks in at 6K .. but most of the time I am riding at 4 or below 7K.

 

[bmacd]

what's with all the motorcycle posts lately?

-=bmacd=-

 

[FrustratedUser]

If you like a highrevving MC then it's probably a nice bike to start with.
If you like more of a cruiser MC the Suzuki Savage 650 (or 500, don't remember) is a nice choice.

 

[Bulk Beef]

Decent price, but it will get pretty boring quick. Think about a GS500 or EX500.

Sounds good, but take the MSF rider course if you havent done so.

That can't be stressed enough. Take the course and, statistically, you remove yourself from the biggest group of crashers (riders with no formal training).

 

[BillGates]

I'd say that's a perfect beginner's bike. Not too fast, and you can still push it as hard as you want and never out-do what the bike is capable of.

I know a guy at work who has one and he gets about 60 miles per gallon.

(My TL1000R only gets about 30mpg in most cases unless I ride like a real wussy)

 

[bmacd]

this might be of help to you

-=bmacd=-

 

[Damage]

The 250 is a great bike.. I have a TL1000, and I am still looking for a nice '86/87 vintage 250 ninja for my garage.. (I thought they looked the best, no lower fairing). You will be revving the heck out of it..

I don't want to be rude, but how big are you and how much to you weigh? If your ahem.... "big boned" as I am, it may be a little small.

Remember though, the important part in learning to ride is not the bike,it's your BRAIN.. You "could" learn on a 1200, if you can control yourself.. (Big if for me.. I started on a $200 CM400t honda cruiser...)

 

[Damage]

Originally posted by: bmacd
what's with all the motorcycle posts lately?

-=bmacd=-

Because MOTORCYLES "OWN joo"???? Heheheh..

Their awsome, cheap, and some get over 50 mpg, plus you get to drive in the carpool lane here in CA.. That alone can take an hour off your drive.

 

[bmacd]

DrumminBoy: how much do you weigh and how tall are you? For my gixxer, you should be at least 5'10" (i think that was it) and no taller than 6'4" for optimal riding. If you're a big kid, a 250 is going to be too light for you...starting out on a 600 may be up your alley, but it all depends on how you do in the MSF course.

-=bmacd=-

 

[bmacd]

Damage: me and my sexy bitch

-=bmacd=-

 

[jfall]

I have been thinking about getting a street bike myself. One thing that always holds me back is that I always found it hard to find 1 person, just 1 person that owns a bike that hasn't gotten in some sort of acceident or has laid their bike down.. I know there must be people out there with flawless driving records that own bikes.. but the odds just seem stacked against anyone who owns a bike. And I know a lot of the times people show off and are careless with bikes.. but there are also other people who get killed easily because a car pulled out in front of them because they didn't see them

 

[bmacd]

Originally posted by: jfall
I have been thinking about getting a street bike myself. One thing that always holds me back is that I always found it hard to find 1 person, just 1 person that owns a bike that hasn't gotten in some sort of acceident or has laid their bike down.. I know there must be people out there with flawless driving records that own bikes.. but the odds just seem stacked against anyone who owns a bike

i'd be more skeptical of a bike with low mileage than a bike that'd been layed down.

-=bmacd=-

 

[jfall]

Oh .. thats not what I mean.. I just mean i'd be scared to buy one because I think I would end up killing myself

 

[BillGates]

Originally posted by: jfall
Oh .. thats not what I mean.. I just mean i'd be scared to buy one because I think I would end up killing myself

The ratio of riders who crash vs. riders who die is pretty small.

Then remember that at least half of the fatalities (and even non-fatal crashes) are alcohol-related. Scores more can be attributed to lack of any formal rider training.

When you start to think about it, it isn't as dangerous as it's pegged out to be. Sure, it's not as safe as a car or flying on a commercial airline, but I'd also challenge you to find a car or commercial airline that would be more fun, especially for $5000-$10,000.

Don't go through life living in fear...

 

[DrumminBoy]

Originally posted by: bmacd
DrumminBoy: how much do you weigh and how tall are you? For my gixxer, you should be at least 5'10" (i think that was it) and no taller than 6'4" for optimal riding. If you're a big kid, a 250 is going to be too light for you...starting out on a 600 may be up your alley, but it all depends on how you do in the MSF course.

-=bmacd=-

I'm 5' 8" 115 Lbs.

 

[BillGates]

Originally posted by: DrumminBoy

Originally posted by: bmacd
DrumminBoy: how much do you weigh and how tall are you? For my gixxer, you should be at least 5'10" (i think that was it) and no taller than 6'4" for optimal riding. If you're a big kid, a 250 is going to be too light for you...starting out on a 600 may be up your alley, but it all depends on how you do in the MSF course.

-=bmacd=-

I'm 5' 8" 115 Lbs.

Yeah, you better stick with the 250 for now, you won't regret it. Those things have great resale value as well - you can probably ride it for 2 years and sell it for the same price you paid for it providing you don't smash it to bits.

 

[bmacd]

Originally posted by: DrumminBoy

Originally posted by: bmacd
DrumminBoy: how much do you weigh and how tall are you? For my gixxer, you should be at least 5'10" (i think that was it) and no taller than 6'4" for optimal riding. If you're a big kid, a 250 is going to be too light for you...starting out on a 600 may be up your alley, but it all depends on how you do in the MSF course.

-=bmacd=-

I'm 5' 8" 115 Lbs.

you're pretty scrawny to be honest. Get a light bike...like a Honda GS-500 or Kawa EX-500. Both are excellent bikes.

-=bmacd=-

 

[DrumminBoy]

Originally posted by: bmacd

Originally posted by: DrumminBoy

Originally posted by: bmacd
DrumminBoy: how much do you weigh and how tall are you? For my gixxer, you should be at least 5'10" (i think that was it) and no taller than 6'4" for optimal riding. If you're a big kid, a 250 is going to be too light for you...starting out on a 600 may be up your alley, but it all depends on how you do in the MSF course.

-=bmacd=-

I'm 5' 8" 115 Lbs.

you're pretty scrawny to be honest. Get a light bike...like a Honda GS-500 or Kawa EX-500. Both are excellent bikes.

-=bmacd=-

so you think its too big?

 

[The Stigenator]

trust me your fine with the 250.. dont listen to bmacd.. he has a 600.. so he thinks he is god.

Your learning to ride.. not trying to win a race.. that 250 will start u off good. You will have confidence.. and you will learn things that you cant learn with a more powerful bike . The thing with the lower powered bikes is that you learn throttle control.. if you have no experience I suggest teh 250.. throttle control is so crucial.. on the 250 you will have a wider throttle band and hence will learn how to adjust speed in a corner..

Even now I will take a 250 in teh canyons than my 500.. sometimes the 500 is a tad bit heavy for me and I weigh 155 lbs and about your height.

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: BillGates

Originally posted by: jfall
Oh .. thats not what I mean.. I just mean i'd be scared to buy one because I think I would end up killing myself

The ratio of riders who crash vs. riders who die is pretty small.

Then remember that at least half of the fatalities (and even non-fatal crashes) are alcohol-related. Scores more can be attributed to lack of any formal rider training.

When you start to think about it, it isn't as dangerous as it's pegged out to be. Sure, it's not as safe as a car or flying on a commercial airline, but I'd also challenge you to find a car or commercial airline that would be more fun, especially for $5000-$10,000.

Don't go through life living in fear...

Hold on now... Motorcycles are inherently dangerous. There's no way around that. However, if you're careful, you will minimize your chances of getting injured. But they're still very dangerous.

By the way, the only bike I've owned was a circa 1982 Seca 550. After 1 summer I already thought it was a bit small. Not so stable in the wind at 100 km/hr, and I'm only 5'7" 150 lbs. How do current 250 cc bikes compare under these conditions?

 

[The Stigenator]

the ninja is an absolute beginner bike.. thats why its so cheap.. (those panels are more expensive than teh bike) it has no adjustable rear shock its 250cc and its light.. but the thing is that its a good bike for city commuting and a tad bit on highway.. dont expect to do a 3000 mile trip on it (not like it cant be done).

I have kept up with a 250cc bike at 80mph.. and he was quite comfy.. infact I was getting a lot more knocked around because my bike doesnt have a fairing. However he did get knocked a bit when we crossed a big rig.. but then that's teh only time when the 250's weight is a problem.. but its not like you will totally get taken off track .. but it happens.. especially if you got a cross wind.. its more predominant.

 

[TrueBlueLS]

My buddy is buying a GSX-R 600 for his first bike... It should be interesting.