So Im looking at getting a Motorcycle

Macdaddy4738

Macdaddy4738

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
But the amount of choices are rediculous!

do I start out with the Ninja 250?

The Ninja 500?

Maybe the 650?

or the ZZR600?

So many bikes...Suzuki with the GS500F...Ducati Monster..

I have NO idea where to even begin. Should I start off with a 600cc bike right off the bat or start small at the 250?
 
A 600-650 twin has very tractable power and typically isn't high strung like an inline-4 600... ninja 500 is a very good bike.. light, too.

I like the Suzuki GS as well, but a Ducati? no way.

First thing you do is go through the MSF basic rider's course... ;)
 
get a old dirt bike one that you can trash into the ground. go have fun in the dirt for about 6 months. Splater your self all over the country side, it hurts less :) after about 6 months of that get a street bike and live a long happy life.
 
NINJA 500!!!

Best beginner bike ever. Ultra reliable, really cheap, plenty fast. I have two Ninja 500 trackbikes, one is for sale if you are interested, but it would need a bit of stuff to be street legal again.

If you do a search on this topic, it has been discussed twice that I can remember in the past year.
 
For a 1st bike I'd recommend something cheap, used, and without a lot of plastic because chances are you will drop it at some point. Dual sports are good first bikes due to the fact that they are light, agile, sit up right and usually fair better when you drop it.

Here's my opinion of the choices you listed:

Ninja 250 - Great starter bike. One of the guys I ride with started out on a used one that he picked up for $1,800. He road the piss out of that thing for a year and moved up. Sold the bike for $1,200 so he only lost $600 for a year of riding. The only draw back is that it's slower and you will want to move up soon. You have to get big revs to ride the highway, but it can do it.

Ninja 500 - Another good starter bike, and is plenty fast for getting into trouble. No trouble with highway riding, back roads, twisties, etc. Good all around and easy to find new or used.

Ninja 650 - Ok for a starter but used models are tough to find because its a new bike. You won't get bored with it for a LONG time.

ZZR600 - It's expensive and it's got enough top end punch get a novice in big trouble in a hurry. A newb can learn on this bike but self control is easier said than done. Trust me.

You are on the right path looking at starter bikes. Most newb's look at getting a race replica bike to start with and either drop their $8k machine, wreck it, or never get beyond their newbie status because the machine is more difficult to ride than say at more upright bike. Also most people don't realize how fast these "small" bikes realler are. My "small and slow" SV-650 can run the quarter with the likes of stock Vipers and Z06 Corvettes.

Like others said, take the MSF course and invest in some good gear. I never leave home without my full helmet, riding jacket, boots, and at least some jeans on. Don't be like these squids on the road in flip flops, wife beater & shorts. On a bike it's not IF you go down it's WHEN and by God you'll be thankfull for the protection when it happens. Who cares if it looks cool or not? Nobody looks cool in a body bag.

Ok enough of my ranting. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and are asking the right questions. Kudos!
:wheel:
 
I ended up selling my first bike, a Ninja 500, for more than I paid for it (I think I paid $1500 for it and sold it for $1800). All I did was put a set of tires and a bunch of miles on it.
 
So the ninja 500 IS faster then the 250?

I had read that the 500 wasnt very much faster, just heavier.

Im worried about revving that high on the highway, and I dont want to deal with the vibrations that come from that. What about wind? Does the 500 blow you around as much as the 250?
 
Oh man...
The 500 is MUCH faster than the 250, even by the numbers. 500 makes 55hp, 250 is about 35hp, plus the 500 has better torque and gets about the same gas mileage. The 250 is a little lighter, but the 500 is still pretty light.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Oh man...
The 500 is MUCH faster than the 250, even by the numbers. 500 makes 55hp, 250 is about 35hp, plus the 500 has better torque and gets about the same gas mileage. The 250 is a little lighter, but the 500 is still pretty light.
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Ah wow! Much better then I thought. I was worried that the 250 wouldnt do a good job on the highway, and Im gonna be heading up and down the mountain next year alot since im going to ASU.

Insurance wise..how much could I expect to pay for a motorcycle? I ran a quote at progressive but its coming up as 140 something a month which cant be right!

In terms of revs, i heard the 250 has to run very high (10k plus) on the highway to cruise decently. What about the 500? What do the revs generally stay at on highway speeds?

Whats the 0-60 time on it? IM kinda worried about blipping the throttle too much and getting thrown off or something.
 
MSF course I took had both 125s and 250s as the ones they provided. Will give you some ideas of the power they have available. Hands down best money I ever spent...

Enjoy the hobby, be careful, wear the right stuff...and again be careful. I am having a blast on my Shadow, rode it 3 times so far this week and getting 43.xx mpg!!

As far as your first bike, you will prob get what you can afford, if you get a 250 you will prob be tired of it after 6 months but if you get a deal on it you can sell it for what you have in it and take the next step knowing alot more about yourself as a rider.

Sam
 
Macdaddy4738 said:
But the amount of choices are rediculous!
do I start out with the Ninja 250?
The Ninja 500?
Maybe the 650?
or the ZZR600?
So many bikes...Suzuki with the GS500F...Ducati Monster..
I have NO idea where to even begin. Should I start off with a 600cc bike right off the bat or start small at the 250?
Click to expand...
Boy, is this a loaded question. It's going on 30+ years since I began riding, even road raced for a few. Most of these guys are correct in guiding you, ie: Protections a MUST ! It's HOT in the summer, but alot hotter wearing bandages after you've slid accross pavement at 65mph ! And true, it's not IF you fall, it's a matter of WHEN..cause everyone crashes eventually. Just think about your first bicycle ride when you were a kid...get the picture ? I'm pretty old school, I ride 70's Moto Guzzi's. But the Japanese bikes are known for reliability. They're just kinda like Bic Lighter's, disposable, in my opinion. I also agree that you might wanna think about buying something you won't care about getting dinged up, cause you're gonna drop it, even at a standstill, so the less body work, the better. I'd suggest an older Honda CB, Kawasaki KZ, Suzuki GS or something. They're dirt f***ing cheap, totally reliable, cheap to repair and great on gas. Regardless of what you get, PAY ATTENTION, cause people in cars DON'T !!!
 
motor_head27606 said:
even road raced for a few.
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Rich......PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE lemmie post pics? :lol: :D



Seeing Red Again said:
You seem to have a good head on your shoulders
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DANG...so do you!!! When we goin riding? :D (that is if I EVER get my bike back from the dealer :mad: )

macdaddy...you got your answer I believe. Now....don't let the wannbe icey hot stuntaz you may run into attempt to get you in over your head by telling you a "starter bike" is a waste of money. IT IS, if you buy new...NEVER buy new until you've graduated 4 or 5 bikes into the hobby and KNOW EXACTLY what you want to invest in and style you want to ride.

Buy a used Ninja 500 and ride it a year *(after MSF OF COURSE ;) ) and you can just about break even on the investment. Leaving you out only the insurance and gas you fed it. You WON'T lose money like so many POSERS try to say.
 
Thanks for the praise!

I think I will be getting the Ninja 500 now :D

im figuring about 3-4k for the bike? (I dont wanna go any lower then 2000 model year) then maybe another 1k on gear?

Any idea on insurance costs? Im 18 with a "Moving Violation" and thats it..

Concerning the Stuntaz, those people are crazy. Im not buying a 1000cc bike off the bat. I prefer to live for a while :driver:
 
Oh, last thing that's often overlooked.. the fit of the helmet. Screw the graphics, get one that FITS.. different lids have different internal shapes.. round, round-oval, long oval, etc..

Look at the ground and have someone describe the shape of your melon... Great info here: http://araiamericas.com/Sizing.html#

My daily use helmet is a Scorpion 700 - $179, and is one of the most comfortable lids I've ever worn, though it's a bit heavy. The next step up for me is a Shoei X-11, at $500+...
 
A few good places to check are cycletrader.com, iwanna.com, and ex500riders.com
 
I am assuming you are only interested in "crotch rockets" but I have a Honda Spirit Shadow the 750- 2003 model purple with purple flames for sale. We have been going back and forth on whether to sell it, but it is hard to have too many hobbies. I love it and it rides great.
Crystal
 
If you change your mind let me know. I just live in Valdese. You could come look at it if you like. It was only my 2nd bike. I just learned to ride about 1 1/2 years ago. It is pretty easy to handle.

Crystal
 
Macdaddy4738 said:
Thanks for the praise!
I think I will be getting the Ninja 500 now :D
im figuring about 3-4k for the bike? (I dont wanna go any lower then 2000 model year) then maybe another 1k on gear?
Any idea on insurance costs? Im 18 with a "Moving Violation" and thats it..
Concerning the Stuntaz, those people are crazy. Im not buying a 1000cc bike off the bat. I prefer to live for a while :driver:
Click to expand...
Here's someting that might be of interest to you and not cost you too much :
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/mcy/183041934.html
 
The easiest bike Ive ever ridden was a Ducati monster. The twin makes good torque low end but dosent want to throw you off like the jap bikes do. The riding position feels very natural and dosent make you lean to far forward. If I was getting a bike to learn on Id go with a monster. But Ive been riding dirt bikes for ten years so I didnt have to go through the phase of learning how to turn and brake and shift all at once. Go take the motorcycle course and depending how comfortable you feel go test ride a few. Pick the one you like the best. The Suzuki GS 500 is also a good mellow bike to learn on.
 
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