New Rider

[Koss]

Any EX series from kawasaki would be great. Like the ninja 250r, 500r, or 650r.

As for the helmet face freezing comment, get a windjammer II and stick it on the helmet, or some kind of face mask that covers your neck and lower face like the cheeks and stuff.

[darsek]

A Ninja 500 is a great desision...speaking as the proud owner of a 2001 model (for about 4 months now and almost 1000 miles) It has enough power to keep you entertained for awhile but is very forgiving of your, inevitable, mistakes. I am already looking to trade up to a "Wee-Strom" 650 as my second bike though-maybe next year. But I am so glad I took the advise of all the folks on this site regarding a first bike.

Got a Shoei helmet because it was the most comfortable for me... in addition to the other things mentioned I think the padding in the more expensive helmets is more comfortable. It is awfully loud on the freeway though and I wear earplugs as often as I remember to.

Have fun on your future Ninja!!

[kunosoura]

I just put a down payment on an 06 ninja 500 last week. Am looking to pick it up in a week or so.. am assembling my gear now and should be done then. I enjoyed the MSF class immensly. Hope you have as much fun on yours as i plan to on mine.

[silentx]

Thanks for replies guys.

I think i'm gonna go ahead and get a starter street bike. I've been looking and i kinda like the ninja 500R. Is that too much for a newbie?

Its a great bike if you can find a used one. Better than ninja 250 if you plan to go on freeways. Good luck with the bike. Check craigslist.com etc

[WarEagle]

Thx for replies guys. I'm looking to sign up for a MSF course at my soonest convience.

Probably won't look into buying a bike till around the start of riding season. I'm looking at the 500R and 650R models. like the 500 but 650 looks like a model i would keep longer. But I'm assuming insurance would be pretty high on it.

Oh well i'll worry about it when the time comes. Thx again for all the help. I know you've heard these questions countless times but i appriciate the advice.

Hopefully i will be riding by this summer . Anyway I'll make sure to keep you guys posted on my progress.

[deejake]

silentx you live in la? is the place where you crashed called the angeles crest?

yea... Pretty close. Little T area... Why? Tell me you were recording I go down

Oh 'cause i live in sunland/tujunga...like one mile from where big t. canyon starts

[CajunBass]

My first helmet was a Bell that I got at Wally-World for about 80 bucks. It's a pretty good helmet, DOT approved and everything. Replacement face shields for it are pretty cheap (about $13.00). Not all Wally Worlds carry them, but you can find them on their web-site.

However the ventilation in it isn't as good as some of the slightly more expensive ones. I had a lot of trouble with the face shield fogging up in cold weather, and not getting enough air when it was hot, so I ended up riding with the visor cracked or open most of the time.

I've got a Scorpion EXO 700 (DOT and SNELL) now that cost about $200.00 with an extra tinted face shield. I think the helmet itself was about $180.00. A much nicer, and quieter helmet. I've heard good things about the EXO 400, which someone else mentioned here, that falls price wise right between the two I've had. Seems it would be a good choice for someone on a tight budget.