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Crocket07 · #1 Unread post by **Crocket07** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:45 am

Hey, I'm looking for a bike to go to college with. My car is just to big and sucks to much gas (a 383 Stroker will do that

) and I've been paying alot of attention to your forums. I've been looking at bikes, mainly Ninja 205R's, and I've come up with a few questions I'm hoping you guys can answer for me.

1. What sort of condition (mileage, tire wear, brakes, etc.) should I be looking for in relation to mileage and for what price for a Ninja 250R.

2. I've done some construction work over the past month and bought some construction boots for that job. Is it possible that I can use the same boots while riding a motorcycle. They cover the ankles but they aren't steel toe (I've never really trusted steel toe boots because my Dad nearly lost his toes wearing a pair).

3. Since I'm trying to be conservative on my expenditures to afford college can I get away with a blue jeans jacket or should I really go out and buy a jacket? I know I have to buy some pants, if the latter where can I get some gear for a good price?

4. A relative of mine has a dirtbike that I can ride around on. I don't remember the cc's but would this be good practice for the MSF course?

I think that will get me started. I know for sure that I'm going to buy a helmet thats just common sense. I'm also going to take the MSF course nearby before I buy the bike... just to be sure I'm really into motorcycling. Thanks for your advice

Septimus · #2 Unread post by **Septimus** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 5:35 am

#1) The 250R gets great mileage and the bike would have to be in fairly poor condition for those things to have a substantial effect on that. The real world mileage has more to do with how you ride it. If your tires or brakes are in bad enough shape to affect your mileage, you have other problems.

#2) Ankle protection is really what motorcycle boots do. As a secondary perk, they can protect you from burns, but since you're typically trying not to burn yourself anyway, you can skimp on these if you have other decent boots. Steel toes are not necessary (though I have them myself). Ankle protection followed by heat resistance.

#3) I'd say the jacket is more important than the pants, personally. Better to buy good gear up front and treat that money as gone (rather then spending it on booze & women in college anyway) since it's one of those areas where a small investment now will save you $$$ on medical bills later!

http://www.newenough.com
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com

Both good places, and there are more if you poke around the forums.

#4) Any practice is good practice but dirt bike riding can also give you a couple of bad habits as there are some differences. The MSF course is really designed for people who have never been on a bike before, so I wouldn't worry too much about having to prepare for it (I did, and the "practice" I got was more mental piece of mind - I learned much more from the MSF than I did from private instruction, though private instruction varies quite a lot...)

Good luck!

Ian522 · #3 Unread post by **Ian522** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 5:56 am

You could probably pick up a nice, low milage ninja 250 a few years old for around $2k, give or take. Just keep an eye out for damage since being popular learner bikes, some may have been dropped by the previous owner. Check for scrapes on the exhaust pipes, turn signals, fairings, etc. that may indicate the bike might have went down at some point.

The boots should be ok since they have ankle support.

The jean jacket is better than just a t-shirt, but it wont hold up against pavement in a spill. Textile or mesh riding jackets are cheap enough to find for under $100 if you look around for closeouts. www.newenough.com has some pretty good deals in their closeout section.

The dirtbike might be good for teaching you basic clutch control, shifting, etc. but I would wait until the MSF course before you do any real riding. This way you are learning the correct, safe way from scratch.

darsek · #4 Unread post by **darsek** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 5:59 am

The boots you have are probably fine, just be careful with the laces!

dbrann11 · #5 Unread post by **dbrann11** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:07 am

We bought the ninja 250r as a starter bike, its great for learning and there are plenty of guys that ride them as daily commuters. It's very forgiving when you screw up.

My wife had never been on a bike before she took the MSF course and passed with flying colors, I wouldn't worry much about practicing before hand to much. She was nervous as can be for 2 days and still smoked the test.

From the pics I've seen regular denim jean anything doesn't last very long dragging on pavement. Dragginjeans.com has a kevlar lined one but its not cheap, i picked up the jeans and armor because it is too fricken hot for my joe rocket ballistic 5.0 pants. You should be able to get an ok jacket from leatherup.com in the $100 range.

tchaftantouri · Mon Aug 13, 2007 5:19 pm

Hey.
Just a thought, if you are planning on wearing jeans, grab some knee/shin guards.They are inexpensive and may save you some nasty knee rash if you come off.