Kawasaki Ninja's

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Aj_UF, LoL where do you live?

 

[chipbgt]

Do you have to have any kind of license to ride a motorcycle? Or will a plain jane one work fine?

Found my answer :

http://www.ganet.org/dps/motorcycle/earnlic.htm

How hard are these tests?

 

[loogie]

The driving test is a pain because you have to take your bike as well as a friend with a car so he can drive around the proctor. Best thing to do is take a course. They'll test you after the course and let you bypass the driving test at the dps.

 

[ajskydiver]

Knightbreed, I lived in Gainesville while in college...just moved back to the Tampa Bay area.

 

[quaze]

I am thinking about getting a sport bike. I am 6'5 and 200 or so pounds, which bikes will be big enough? I am looking to spend under $5000. Would like a 0-60 in 4 or 5 sec. Can someone give recommendations?

thanks
quaze

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R would do that.

But, if you've got another $5K, you can get a better one... the RC51.

Seems like someone outside the cracking world likes the RC5 name sound too

 

[monckywrench]

Just a quick plug for Motorcycle Safety Foundation motorcycle riding courses. For those of you who are beginning to intermediate riders they are an excellent way to develop your skills. Learning to ride a motorcycle well is far less intuitive than driving a car. Being an MSF instructor is fun too. Contact them for more info. msf-usa.org

 

[Rogue]

Ahhh....all those bikes mentioned so far are weak. You should get a Yamaha V-Max 1200. Now that's a bike. It's the best of both worlds. Ride it upright like a cruiser and scare the $hit out of yourself with the alarming acceleration. I went to the local cycle shop a while back and asked the owner (her name is Honey, she's a Harley chick) about the V-Max and she told me outright that I had to have my mom's permission to ride it. I told her that I was 21 and didn't have to go to mom for permission to do anything anymore and she laughed and showed me a sign posted on it. The sign read, "It doesn't matter if you are 16 or 100 years old, you must have your mother's permission to purchase this motorcycle." Now that's a bike!

 

[SirFshAlot]

Rogue,
If all you want is horsepower, then go ahead with the v-max.
I have yet to see one in any race that veers from a straight line.
<<It's the best of both worlds>>
what worlds are you talking about?

I wonder why no one has ever created a street legal version of a dragster for pleasure rides.............maybe because there aren't many places to go in a straight line.

Bullet-bikes/Crotch-rockets represent the ultimate in technology for 2 wheeled vehicles. Period.

 

[chipbgt]

Exactly...I dont judge a vehicle by its top speed, but by how it can handle in the turns and accelerate out of them. That bike may be able to go 200, but what good is that in a turn

Which is why for me its a Miata, and a Ninja 250.

 

[Rogue]

I rode my uncle's Honda CBR-1100XX once. Now that's a crotch rocket! Almost pissed myself when I went from about 40mph to 120mph in third gear in a matter of seconds. That was scary! Rides very smooth and handles extremely well for it's capabilities.

 

[quaze]

FFMCobalt

I assume you are replying to my post. What year did you have in mind since a new one is above 5k?

What time can I expect on a ninja 250? I like the price, the fact that it weighs a little over 300 pounds, gets 60-70 mpg, and the 14,000 rpm. Doesn't the higher end bikes take about 3 seconds. So if i got around a 600cc I would be doubling engine size, but also weight so wouldn't the only thing different between the two bikes would be the top speed? What kind of rpms do the 600+ bikes pull?

Thanks
quaze

 

[ajskydiver]

quaze...doubling the engine's cc doesn't double the weight. Now there are bikes like the new '00 GSX-R750...lots of HP...less than many of the fast 600's...of course, they are rumored to have an engine problem that Suzuki is keeping under wraps...

 

[SirFshAlot]

forget the Ninja 250, I tried one once and they are gutless, and have a real crappy suspension

if you go as small as a 600, make sure you go for one of the top performance bikes, like the GSX-R 600, CBR600, or ZX6RR

otherwise, I wouldn't go for anything less than a 750

more times than not I have relied on raw power to get me past a possible incident

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Quaze,
well, since I just found out about the RC51 and haven't had all that much extra time, I haven't researched it yet. I don't know it's RPM's. But either way, 999cc's is more than likely better than a measly 600.

RC51's SRP is $9,999. That's a tad more than the price you were talking about earlier, but from what I've seen on that link (http://www.hondamotorcycle.com/models/2000/sport/rc51/index.html), the RC51 looks like it would do nicely...

 

[ajskydiver]

Honda's RC-51 will never sell new at the MSRP...many dealers, two in my area, are asking 12 and 14K for new ones...used they are still going over 10K.

Since the RC-51 is a v-twin, it makes power and torque much differently than the inline 4's such as the CBR, R-6, etc. Some like the mid-range power of a twin...others prefer the high revs of the 4's. You really have to ride both to compare.

 

[Rogue]

I must agree with SirFshAlot, the excess acceleration and power can get you out of some hairy situations. It can get you in trouble too....

 

[chipbgt]

The reviews I read on the 250 sounded good for me, a very inexperienced bike rider who still wants to have a good time at a low low price. My dad has a 1100cc bike and I woudl never be able to handle that thing.