Good bike decision for new rider?

Good bike decision for new rider?

I'm an extremely new rider. I'm taking the basic course at the end of May. I've never ridden one but have always thought they were cool and that I wanted one. I'm assuming that I'll pass the course and want my own bike so I've been shopping online for a bike to buy. I want something sporty so I was originally looking at the Honda CBR 600rr. My dad rode for years and has advised me that a 600cc would be too much to start on. So my second choice is a Kawasaki Ninja 250, but I'm afraid that I'll "grow out" of the bike like so many stories I've read online say I will, lol. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks in advance for your help! :)

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Good bike decision for new rider?

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Sep 24, 2010

I went backwards too!
by: Anonymous

I learned to ride two years ago. My first bike was a Suzuki Boulevard M50 (800cc). Was fine going on long trips but the stop and go traffic and tight turns in the city got me nervous and after dropping it for the 3rd time, I figured I better back up. Went looking for a used Ninja 250, found a brand new Buell Blast 500cc for the same price. It's about the same size as the Ninja and is fun to ride and easy to control. I finally have the confidence to take my bike out on my own without my husband riding with me!

Apr 23, 2010

Small is good...
by: BM6900

I totally rejected the "you'll outgrow it" scenario too. I was to take over my spouse's 1100 Shadow, but after I dropped it, I decided I wanted the little 250 Virago. She was nimble and cornered and really cornered and could stop when car pulled out in front of me (several times, did I mention I ride in Chicago?) We even made our son ride her for his 300 mile each way "rookie ride". Sure, highway speeds are a bit much, but great to learn the basics on and very forgiving of rookie mistakes (2nd gear at the light, shifting....)

I've graduated to a 750 Shadow that I loved from the first turn, which I credit to the 250. I was able to test the lean, really test..... so now I feel more confident....

Apr 12, 2010

Good Bike
by: Barbara - Tulsa

I agree with Judy on 4/9.

If you are wanting a sporty bike and not a cruiser the Ninja 250 is a great bike. That was my first bike. I did my first track on the Ninja and had a great time, it is very forgiving. My husband, who is an "old road racer" love this bike on the track, but is will do 90mph all day long and still get 60mpg. It is small, nimble, you can touch the ground and you can gain confidence.

Then if you want to step up, you will at least have gained skills that will need for a bigger bike.

Good luck!

Apr 11, 2010

883L Sportster
by: Janice

I also went through the 'trying out' phase when looking for a bike. I thought the Honda Rebel was exactly what I wanted to learn on. My intention was to buy a new one to avoid maintenance problems and move up to a Harley in a year or so. A friend who rides said, "If you are going to do a lot of riding, you are going to want a bigger bike." I listened to him and started looking at Harleys. The Sportster 883L seemed perfect, heavier than the Honda; the same size as the 1200cc Sportster but with the low seat(I'm 5'4"), about the same height as the Honda. I had already decided I was going to ride and decided to go "whole-HOG" so to speak and spring for the Sportster. I put an engine guard on it at an xtra $200 and it has paid for itself more than once. I have had the bike down (more than once) with no damage to it or me. I have 3400 miles on it and am looking at my next, bigger one. The problem? I like this one too much to get rid of it right now. She is my 'baby'. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I'm in my 60's.

Apr 11, 2010

..and I started with a bigger-ish bike, and love it still
by: Rachel

I completed the MSF course about 18 months ago, and bought a 600cc Yamaha Seca II about 10 months ago. I'd had the chance to drive a scooter a few times in that interim (maybe 25 miles?), and that's it. I sorted through beginners growing pains with relatively few issues on a 600cc because the bike didn't drive like a large bike at low speeds: it eased into the speed if I was easing onto the throttle, no surprises. I think the key to getting a bike above 400cc as a first-timer is to chose something whose low-end torque won't be the kind of thing to take off with you. I find I'm very happy now with a larger-side-for-a-5'4"-person bike. Of course, I'm a roller coaster junkie type, so I knew I'd love the highway speeds and ability to jet from a stop if I desired. If you're unsure, I think the girl who rode the 900cc right off has a point: start out smaller, you'll have more confidence in yourself long term if you don't up the ante too quickly. Plus I hear the Ninjas are a ton of fun, and built well for smaller-framed people (ie, many girls)! ~happy riding~

Apr 10, 2010

Do What's Comfy 4 U!!
by: veronica

Welcome,

I am a 4 month rider. I have a 250 Rebel and I don't think i will ever outgrow it. Many people said because I am tall (5'10") and athletic, that I should start out with a bigger, more powerful bike. I did not listen...thank goodness. Betty is perfect for me!! I am able to manipulate her and turn in tight corners. I dropped her in August and really hurt myself, but because of her size, I was able to pick her up, pop my joint back in place and keep moving. If she were a bigger bike, I think I may have (probably) been too intimidated to hop back on. I know I will eventually trade up- not necessarily because of the engine size, but because I AM too tall for her.

I say get what is comfy for you. I agree that we never really 'outgrow' bikes; but then again, I would not feel easy riding Betty on the highway. The wind does push me around a lot in Chicago just on the street; I can imagine on the expressway. My friend does have a Ninja 250 and she is really really petite; she cannot lift it but is able to feel comfy riding.

Good luck,

veronica

Apr 10, 2010

I started out with a bigger bike.
by: Fiddler

I took the MSF course, passed, got the "M" on my license and bought what I thought was my dream bike, a 900cc Triumph standard bike. It was beautiful... After a year I looked back and realized that is was just too much bike for me and that it worried me just enough to suck the fun right out of riding. I never had an accident, but it just wasn't fun. I could go straight and fast just fine, but I wasn't really learning how to ride well.

In January I sold it. I sat on bikes all over Austin trying to decide what to get next. I kept coming back to the Ninja 250. It just felt right. The salesman thought I was nuts going backward from a 900 to a 250, but honestly, this bike is a blast to ride! It is a nimble flickable machine in the twisties, it is a charming mild-mannered ride around town, it is lightweight, cute as a button, and yes you can take it on the interstate, no prob. I do it all the time - it will hum along quite happily at 80mph all day long and get over 60mpg doing it!

Apr 09, 2010

"Growing out" of a bike...a bad myth.
by: Judy

For the most part, that's a bad myth.

Riding a bike because "you want to be cool" is about the worst reason a person can start riding.

Listen to your Dad. A 600cc superbike is WAY TOO MUCH BIKE for a new rider. Period. END OF STORY.

Sure, you can find the occasional anecdote in which someone says, "I started on a 600 and did fine."

Most of the time a new rider who likes the look of Sport bikes will use this same old BS about how they'll "get bored" with a 250 soon or "grow out of it." Now, that may well be with a bike like a Honda 250 Nighthawk or Rebel. Those bikes have considerably less power, more primitive suspension and worse handling than the old or new generation Ninja 250s. But I've ridden on the street nearly 35 years now; I own a dozen bikes, from a 55cc mini Cafe Racer to a Superbike (Kawasaki Z1000). I can truly and honestly say that the '95 Ninja 250 I bought for my Nephew to learn on was one of the funnest bikes that I've EVER had the pleasure to ride and own. If I had the room in my garage I'd get another. The most common thing you find is when new riders get over most of their unease and start feeling more mentally comfortable on their bike...they mistake this comfort for mastery...a sometimes VERY big mistake. Unless you can truly ride that Ninja 250 to it's ultimate limit...no "chicken strips" (unused tread) on the outside of the tires, leaning it as far as it can be leaned in a corner w/o scraping the peg feelers hard or crashing, you HAVEN'T OUTGROWN IT.

Any stupid fool can twist a throttle and go fast in a straight line. But the differences in results from the input you give to a bike on the throttle, brakes, and chassis on a Ninja 250 and a 600cc superbike are enormous. What becomes a small mistake with a bit of scare on the 250 can be absolute disaster on a superbike.

Don't listen to the dipshits that try to tell you you'll "outgrow" the Ninja 250 just because it won't do more than 95-100mph in a straight line.
A 600cc superbike can scare you into never feeling comfortable and never really developing your skills to their full extent. But a 250 Ninja, which is far more forgiving to a sudden panic stop or a accidental throttle blip will allow you to be mentally far more comfortable while fully developing your skills.

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