My first bike; some questions.

[Joelseph]

Thanks a million Sev, Jack and hawk.

As of now it's looking like the GS500, because I'm not sure if my buddy wants to sell the SV650S yet.

Thanks again for all the help.

[Fast Eddy B]

They are NOT too small. They are NOT too slow.

Who you trying to convince, him or you?

[Sev]

Thanks a million Sev, Jack and hawk.

As of now it's looking like the GS500, because I'm not sure if my buddy wants to sell the SV650S yet.

Thanks again for all the help.

Glad to help for what I could. Offer still stands if you want a mechanic to take a look at anything you decide to buy.

[Joelseph]

Thanks a million Sev, Jack and hawk.

As of now it's looking like the GS500, because I'm not sure if my buddy wants to sell the SV650S yet.

Thanks again for all the help.

Glad to help for what I could. Offer still stands if you want a mechanic to take a look at anything you decide to buy.

Excellent, that's a relief to hear. If I do decide to either come up there, or catch you at a time in Calgary, I'll be happy to pay you for your time.

[Joelseph]

Hey again.

So I've been looking at a few more bikes, and something caught my eye.
http://www.bowcycleclassifieds.com/moto ... asp?ID=389

The biker here states to be a "1996 Ninja 500EX".
I was under the impression they stopped making the EX model in 1993, with a layover into the 500R in 1997.

My questions is this:
Is this a 1996 Ninja, an older 500EX, or am I just dumb and there IS such a thing as a 96 500EX.

[Sev]

Same bike, same basic design. Different badging. Basically irrelevant except for lettering.

[TorontoBoy]

Congrats on employment in Calgary. It's a beautiful city with awesome hiking and skiing close by.

One thing I learned when living in Calgary is that those Rocky Mountains are deceptively BIG and STEEP and LONG. A small car that's more than acceptable in the East will bog down when climbing the mountains in the Rockies.

While I normally recommend the Ninjette, I vote with your roomates on getting a 500cc bike. The Ninjette would be great for London, but you'll need to shift gears a lot more in the Rockies. Also note that weather conditions can change very quickly in the mountains. In the spring when there's pleasant sun on one side of the mountain, the shadow side could be hiding black ice! Err on the side of extreme weather caution until there's no possibility of ice on the road.

As always, ride with full gear, and if in doubt, slow the hell down. There's no rush and it's a beautiful ride in the Rockies.

[safety-boy]

Ninja 500-R is a great bike. You might, if money allows, look for something with fuel injection rather than carbeurators. Calgary is dry cold, right? Might not be so bad. I hear good things about the Ninja 650 - twin with fuel injection.

--Dave

[Joelseph]

Blackfoot has a nice Ninja 650R I'm looking into as well. Once I get some insurance quotes I'll be ready to make my final decision.