New To the Forum

[Guinness]

Hello! I am new to the forum and have enjoyed reading the posts. I hope to learn from the various experiences of the members. To start I will say I was bit with the bug for a bike in the summer. The MSF classes were full for fall and I plan to try again in the spring. But I am starting to get antsy, and am thinking about getting a permit soon. Let me start off with some background info and then some questions. A friend of mine at work has a bike to sell. Its a Honda CBR600. I went to look at the bike and after talking it over we decided it wasnt a good fit to start. He suggested getting a 250 and riding for a couple months then moving up to a 750. I am extremely cautious about the dangers of a bike and want to learn as safely as possible, but at the same time, do not want to outgrow a bike within a short time. Also, I am 28 5'9 and 175 pounds. Insurance costs are not a problem. Onto the questions: I am looking for a sport bike and considering Kawasakis. Its been difficult to find ninja 250's anywhere in my area. I have also considered 500's. I am concerned with riding comfort as this will be strictly a commuter bike. Maybe with a lot of experience long trips, but I am all about learning limits and technique for now. Do you guys feel the 500 is too much to start or a good fit...both for learning and comfort? I am trying to be economical, ergonomical and safe in my decisions with buying. I am concerned with the 250 and interstate travel since that is my primary route of travel. I have read about vibrations and wind gusts...thats what lead me to the heavier 500(growing out of power too). My idea with the 500 is that it will hopefully be all I would ever need. I am not interested in going 100mph like the people that fly past me on the interestate....just back and forth and the fun of riding. I have tried looking at this from several angles but would like some critical feedback. Thanks!

[Guinness]

Suzuki GS500 since they are similar in displacement and pricing. Is there much difference between this bike and the Kawasaki 500 in all aspects of riding, wear and tear, maintence, reliability, etc.?

[shane-o]

I am extremely cautious about the dangers of a bike and want to learn as safely as possible, but at the same time, do not want to outgrow a bike within a short time.

look mate i hate to burst ya bubble, but I doubt very much you would be able to outride a 250 in a "short time"............in fact, id go so far as to say, you would be lucky to out ride a 250 in a few years.


if you mean fanging it as hard as ya can in a straight line then yeah you will prolly look the shi.t, but if you mean ride will some skills worth some respect then I doubt very much you would out ride any machine in a "short time"....thats just squid talk.

[Wizzard]

Welcome to the TMW Forums .
Regards, Wizzard

[Kal]

actually I think I am going to step as Guinness' advocate, not only is it his first time on the forum but he has also decided that the CBR600 is likely to be too much for a begining rider without my blood pressure going through the roof.

That alone is good reason to be nice to him!

The consensous of opinion is that most 250-500cc bikes are good learning machines, the 500 shouldnt be too much especially if you can get yourself onto the MSF course and learn everything you can there.

However I will mention that consensous of opinion is that most riders are better of picking up a used unfaired bike to put the first 1000miles or so on. Unfortunately the only way to know exactly who the riders are that could have done with getting a Universal Japanese Motorcycle is by something unfortunate happening to it.

The earlier it is in your riding career the more likely it is you will make a stupid mistake, sometimes these mistakes cost us and sometimes they dont.

I nearly forgot, welcome to Total Motorcycle...

[Sev]

I'm going to step up and say that if you're looking for a comfortable bike, you probably don't want a sportsbike.

[Guinness]

Thanks for the reply and I wanted to add some clarifications. I would be more than happy getting a 250, I am not knocking its ability on the road or to kill me if ridden irresponsibly in any way. Through my readings on the internet I have become worried about the 250 as I mentioned in my previous post. I am not trying to look cool, or do tricks, or be like a lot of the other new posters that want to get 1000 bikes off the bat. But I am worried about getting blown off the road by wind or passing trucks which are plentiful in my area. The weight of the bike is my issue as is the smaller statue of the bike and comfort level. The only reason I began thinking of the 500's is because of all the information I have been reading which lead me to believe it would also be a good choice for a first bike. As I said before I hope also to just have one bike for a very long time.

[V4underme]

It's not all about the cc's, it's about the power and weight... consider a cruiser? The Honda Shadow 750 or Yamaha V-Star 650 (which crank out about 40 hp) have enough weight while having lower power-to-weight ratios than the lighter Ninja 500 (which puts out around 50 hp). Neither one will get blown off the road and are easy to ride and gain skill/confidence on.


by the way, where in VA are you?

[CNF2002]

I ride a 360 pound bike, and I'm only 150 pounds myself...I ride on the freeway all the time, and never get 'blown' around...there is always some wind, and somedays the horizontal wind can be very noticable, but even as the 18-wheelers pass me by, I do not feel a loss of control of the bike.

I've never taken long trips of several hours or more, but on the local freeways and roads (you said this was a commuter bike) I wouldn't worry about getting blown around. Might want to stay away from a 150 if you're doing freeway riding though.

[Guinness]

I live in Chesapeake. Most of my driving is on 64, 464, 264, and of course around town. I prefer the styling of the sportbike over the standard. And I am equally interested in the 3 bikes I have listed. The 250 seems to get a lot of mixed reviews on this board. Some say its perfect for learning and can reach 100(which i dont want to do) but that its affected more by wind etc and has a harder time on the interstate. Many posters have claimed the 500 to be a forgiving first bike which will keep me interested for years. But for now I am struggling between the 250 or 500 issue. I am trying to be practical and logical about this decision. Choicing between the 500's is another story.....but for now i am taking one step at a time and am confused over the 250 or 500 debate. I dont know anyone that has either size (only 600-1200) for me to get a better feel or to borrow to see where my comfort level would be.

To sum it up: I am worried about the 250 on the interstates and secondarily concerned with power issues. Although, I read in one post here that the 250 is similar to an integra (just sold my 97) which is plenty power.