So recently I have been taken by the mod bug and I realized for the money I was planning on dumping in the Z I could get a Bike and most likely fill the need for crazy speed.

So I am looking at a Kawasaki 250R and 500R as starter bikes. I like the price and it seems they are less hardcore then their Suzuki, Yahama, and Honda piers.

Ive always wanted to learn to ride so I plan on taking a motorcycle safety course and do the proper steps before I get my licenese and buy a bike.

Any input from riders would be much appreciated. Any suggested learner bikes? I have heard to buy a used older bike but alot i find are in the larger CC size and those two new kawasakis fall in the same price range as most used sport bikes.

 

Ride the dirt 1st learn there 1000miles in the dirt it well only take you 500miles to get to be ok on the road.



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heres my opinion, look into a used suzuki sv-650.. you can pick one up pretty cheap and theyre good starter bikes, v-twin too. anyway, the ninha 250 and 500 are pretty lame bikes IMO and you really cant improve that much with those. the sv has room to advance with as far as getting faster and whatnot. thats what i started out on a few years ago.

 

The weight of a 250 is way too light on the freeway. Your gonna feel like your getting blown aroung by the wind. That feeling will discourage you from wanting to ride. A 250 top speed is not very fast at all and the power is gonna feel slower then our 350z. I dont think you'll be happy with a 250 at all. Thats just the way I feel.

 

you can get a used 600 pretty cheap these days $2600-$3500 will be nice and plenty of power to start with. try to get one with lower miles tho.

ZeroG

 

+1 for the SV650, or if you want to go older a Honda Hawk if you can find one. Really great bikes. If you are willing to open up your search away from sport bikes, I really like the older gen BMW F650 as a starter. It's great for traffic as it sits high, very easy to ride, and is a thumper (single) to boot. Not the fastest bike I've ever owned but certainly one of the most fun. Only downside is BMW maintenance is fairly expensive for such a simple bike. Good luck in your search, and ride safe.

 

thanks for the input guys.

 

contrary to what everyone said, I would still recommend the 250 if you never been on a bike before. It's a lot easier to manuver and work on the basics than a 600. Just look for a used kawi 250, I'm sure there is always plenty on craigslist or Barf. You'll have plenty of time to upgrade to a 600 once you master the basics. Also you're not that deep in the hole if riding turns out to be not your thing.

 

A Ninja 250 is fine on the freeway and it easily does over 100mph (but not much more) if you are worried about going fast. (I know because I own one!) It is a great beginners bike. Definitely learn the basics first before you try to satisfy your need for speed.

Since you are looking for speed, I definitely would not start out on a 600 or bigger. You may want to push it too much too early and kill yourself. Buying a fast motorcycle is not like buying a fast car. The risk and learning curve are much greater.

 

Aamem ,amen good advice LOU!


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I am seriously looking at the ninja 500R as I might be too big for the 250r.

 

Oh and the SV650s is really sweet but is the engine size too big?

 

its a v-twin 650, not too bad power wise. thats what i started out on. they have around 65-70 HP where as alot of the 600 class inline fours have anywhere from 100-120 HP.

 

I am 5'9 and about 165lbs. If you are any taller or much heavier I would recommend the 500 over the 250. I have heard of beginners learning on an SV-650. It is a V-Twin and not an inline 4 cylinder like most 600 bikes. So although it is a 650, it is not putting out the same power as the inline 4 cylinder 600 bikes.

The SV-650 may be a step up from the Ninja 500, but what are you looking for? If you are looking for a bike to learn on then upgrade later, the obvious choice is the most economical choice. Ninja 500's are cheaper than SV-650's. If you want something you can mod, I believe there are more options for the SV-650 than the Ninja 250 or 500.

Just remember that pride will get you in trouble on a motorcycle. If you are learning, than LEARN. Don't worry if people think your bike is cool or how fast you can go, etc... That stuff will come in time.