Should I even be considering a 250cc bike?

[fuzzybabybunny]

I had a talk with my optometrist who has been riding for 20+ years and he said that I may want to move to around a 600cc bike as a starter because I may outgrow the 250cc in a month or two... I've gotten the same advice from another friend as well. So GS600 or (there was one made by Suzuki, don't remember which)?

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I would call "a month or two" to be rather exaggerating. A couple years maybe. But a Ninja 250 that you were looking at does have a comparable HP/LB ratio as a Camaro SS. Many of the 250's are a bit towards gutless. But Kawasaki did their job with this one.

If you do choose to go to a 600, don't get a super sport. An SV650 would be okay, but an R6 is just a mistake.

 

[amdhunter]

Screw that. Go with a 1000cc or better. Don't be a chump.

 

[Saga]

Short answer is no. For most adults a 250 is just too small. 500 min.

 

[ravana]

Get a 600, unless you are buying it for fuel efficiency.

 

[Throckmorton]

Short answer is no. For most adults a 250 is just too small. 500 min.

He's a rabbit, he only weighs a few lbs.

 

[Silex]

^ HAHA good one.

 

[Turin39789]

I'd stick with the Ninja 250. Really not all that painful to upgrade after a season or two.

 

[jlee]

Ninja 250's hold their value really well...pick up a used one, ride it for a while, and if you decide you want to upgrade, you should be able to sell without a problem. Also, if you decide you don't want to ride, you can sell it without being out too much $.

 

[roguerower]

Screw that. Go with a 1000cc or better. Don't be a chump.

What, you want him to be a bitch and get laughed at? OP, Hayabusa or bust.

/sarcasm.




FBB, I would have hoped you would have more sense than this. I weigh about 180#. You, if I recall, are a featherweight. My GS500 has enough power to propel me at 70hp all day in 4th/5th gear and get 55-60mpg...oh, and it tops out around 115mph. A Ninja 250 would have enough power to propel you to the moon. Even a SV650 would be overkill for you. And if my memory serves me right, when are you going to need the top speed/torque that a 600cc+ bike can offer? California is pretty renown for its shitty traffic.

Stick with the small bike, and stop asking retarded questions.

 

[Imp]

Screw that. Go with a 1000cc or better. Don't be a chump.

Ya, definately this.

A 600cc is for pussies. That thing can only go up to 70 Mph in first gear, and 0-60 in under 3 seconds. What a joke, no way you'll ever accidentally give it too much throttle with no experience.

 

[MiataNC]

Only your ego outgrows a bike.

The Ninja 250r is capable of freeway speeds, can out accelerate most cars on the road from a standing start, and people have competed in Iron Butt competitions with them. (1000 miles in 24 hours).

30-40 years ago the roads were filled with 125/250/350/400/450/etc bikes. These bikes shared the road with V8 muscle cars, and they were not as fast as the Ninja 250. It wasn't until the mid-1970s that "big bikes" (750cc Japanese inline-4s) became the "superbike" or high performance standard (think GSXR1000 or Ducati 1098 today).

 

[Zenmervolt]

I had a talk with my optometrist who has been riding for 20+ years and he said that I may want to move to around a 600cc bike as a starter because I may outgrow the 250cc in a month or two... I've gotten the same advice from another friend as well. So GS600 or (there was one made by Suzuki, don't remember which)?

With all due respect, anyone recommending a 600cc bike to a beginner rider is an idiot. That's all there is to it.

As far as comments about a 250 being "too small", well, if you're over 6'6" or 350 pounds, then that might be true. Otherwise, it's pure bullshit. A Ninja 250 will run at 75-80 mph all day long on the freeway; these folks who think that everyone needs a 100 hp 600cc bike are just plain fools.

ZV

 

[Necrolezbeast]

With all due respect, anyone recommending a 600cc bike to a beginner rider is an idiot. That's all there is to it.

As far as comments about a 250 being "too small", well, if you're over 6'6" or 350 pounds, then that might be true. Otherwise, it's pure bullshit. A Ninja 250 will run at 75-80 mph all day long on the freeway; these folks who think that everyone needs a 100 hp 600cc bike are just plain fools.

ZV

I'd agree with a sport bike, those things are crazy fast... and a 600 can accelerate too quickly for a beginner. So in this case, I agree with the crowd, Fuzzy if you want a sport bike you should start small, the Ninja 250 is perfect for you to start with.

If you were looking into a cruiser, I would be on the side that says start with a 600 or you could out grow it in a couple months time. Cruisers are a whole different animal though, you aren't doing to land on your ass if you give it a little too much throttle, even with the big boys

 

[Saga]

With all due respect, anyone recommending a 600cc bike to a beginner rider is an idiot. That's all there is to it.

As far as comments about a 250 being "too small", well, if you're over 6'6" or 350 pounds, then that might be true. Otherwise, it's pure bullshit. A Ninja 250 will run at 75-80 mph all day long on the freeway; these folks who think that everyone needs a 100 hp 600cc bike are just plain fools.

ZV

With all due respect the difference between a 600cc super sport and a non super sport is whole worlds.

 

[halik]

I had a talk with my optometrist who has been riding for 20+ years and he said that I may want to move to around a 600cc bike as a starter because I may outgrow the 250cc in a month or two... I've gotten the same advice from another friend as well. So GS600 or (there was one made by Suzuki, don't remember which)?

And you are 140lb asian kid, right?

 

[halik]

Ya, definately this.

A 600cc is for pussies. That thing can only go up to 70 Mph in first gear, and 0-60 in under 3 seconds. What a joke, no way you'll ever accidentally give it too much throttle with no experience.

Seriously; plus you don't want old tech like single action calipers and non-radial master cylinders. You will be the laughing stock of the kids that bought the full kit:

 

[ayabe]

Seriously; plus you don't want old tech like single action calipers and non-radial master cylinders. You will be the laughing stock of the kids that bought the full kit:

Man if that kit came with some barbed wire/asian character stickon tattoos then it would be totally worth it.

 

[Zenmervolt]

With all due respect the difference between a 600cc super sport and a non super sport is whole worlds.

There are very, very few non super-sport 600cc bikes. None that I can think of off the top of my head. Every current 600 from Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, and Suzuki is a supersport.

Now, a 650, which is usually a cruiser, a standard, or a tourer is indeed different, but a 600 is almost universally a supersport (I say "almost" because there's probably some weird Korean or Russian brand with a 600cc cruiser out there that no-one's ever heard of). Even a 650 is a bad idea for a new rider though. "Only" 70 hp is far more than a new rider is ready to deal with.

ZV

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I seriously don't see why a man with a little common sense can't start on a 600cc bike? You really need to take a motorcycle safety course unless you got a friend that can show you the ropes. 250cc bikes just have noob written all over them. Buy a cheap 600 used cause you're gonna drop it.

These guys act like a 600cc is a motogp bike that will come out of a corner doing 120mph and wheelie when you pin the throttle.

 

[ayabe]

I seriously don't see why a man with a little common sense can't start on a 600cc bike? You really need to take a motorcycle safety course unless you got a friend that can show you the ropes. 250cc bikes just have noob written all over them. Buy a cheap 600 used cause you're gonna drop it.

These guys act like a 600cc is a motogp bike that will come out of a corner doing 120mph and wheelie when you pin the throttle.

Sure some people can but the margin for error is much smaller and it will take longer to become a proficient rider.

That's more than enough reason for everyone to start small and upgrade when they are ready, trading little to nothing on the value of their starter bike since they hold their value so well.

Win-win IMHO.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I seriously don't see why a man with a little common sense can't start on a 600cc bike? You really need to take a motorcycle safety course unless you got a friend that can show you the ropes. 250cc bikes just have noob written all over them. Buy a cheap 600 used cause you're gonna drop it.

These guys act like a 600cc is a motogp bike that will come out of a corner doing 120mph and wheelie when you pin the throttle.

It's not exactly hard to wheelie a 600cc sport bike and wheel spin coming out of a corner is the LAST thing the OP would want to experience in his first couple thousand miles of riding.

 

[halik]

I seriously don't see why a man with a little common sense can't start on a 600cc bike? You really need to take a motorcycle safety course unless you got a friend that can show you the ropes. 250cc bikes just have noob written all over them. Buy a cheap 600 used cause you're gonna drop it.

These guys act like a 600cc is a motogp bike that will come out of a corner doing 120mph and wheelie when you pin the throttle.

Err you can loop a 600 in the first gear without problem...
But i would say the brakes are the bigger issue than throttle response. You will lock up the front wheel if you don't have the proper muscle memory.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

It's not exactly hard to wheelie a 600cc sport bike and wheel spin coming out of a corner is the LAST thing the OP would want to experience in his first couple thousand miles of riding.

If he's a dumbass he's gonna f@ck himself up on a 250cc too. I don't know what you guys don't understand about the rider controlling the throttle. If he's a dumbass and decides taking a 90 degree turn at 75 mph is a good idea, I don't care what bike he's on. He needs to seriously respect the bike and the fact if he's gonna be on a motorcycle he can be seriously crippled, disfigured, dead if he doesn't take it seriously and even then you could still get plowed over by some car. It's sink or swim on crotch rockets. You think some neutered 250cc is gonna prepare him for what a real 600cc can do?

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Err you can loop a 600 in the first gear without problem...
But i would say the brakes are the bigger issue than throttle response. You will lock up the front wheel if you don't have the proper muscle memory.

You're making my argument for me. So he's used to grabbing a fist full of front brake on the 250. 2 months later he gets on the 600 and grabs a fist full of some dual rotor going 60 he's flying mid air over the bars.

And I repeat this is a 600cc bike. I'm not recommending a liter bike. There is a some room for error. I can't remember ever a 600cc coming up on me unintentionally.

How many of you actually ride sportbikes? Not sv650's or vrods. I'm talking modern Sportbikes.