Bike Help for a Complete Newbie

[p4tz]

Hi, this is my first visit to this forum, and I'm very impressed. There seem to be quite a few knowledgable people here.

In short, I'm completely new to the world of motorcycles and am looking for help on something to purchase. I've talked to some friends and read articles that suggest something small and reliable to learn on. I'm curious as to whether you guys think this bike would be a good choice or not. It's in the classified ads close to where I live.

2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250R
-Less than 1,400 miles
-Mint condition
-$2,795

http://www.motofinder.com/photo/ninjapics004.jpg

What do y'all think? By the way, thank you for the help.

[VermilionX]

test ride it or watch him ride if he won't let you test it.

and look at this site too if you want, it has some good info on looking at used bikes.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

also, you can buy a new 06 for $3000, so that price seems a little high.

[p4tz]

Thanks for the help. It seems to be overpriced, but is it a good bike to learn on? Should I look for that bike but cheaper, or would you recommend something else?

[VermilionX]

Thanks for the help. It seems to be overpriced, but is it a good bike to learn on? Should I look for that bike but cheaper, or would you recommend something else?

ninja 250 is a good, no great bike to learn on.

but if you will be doing a lot of highways then i suggest getting the ninja 500 instead, also a good beginner bike.

[kabob983]

That's pretty expensive for a 250, even a 2005 model. Try and talk him down a good bit, and if he won't budge then look elsewhere.

I had someone offer me a 2005 EX250 in like-new condition with only 1,000 miles on it for $2,300 the other day (didn't want to pay that much still, although that really was a pretty fair price).

[Dragonhawk]

Thanks for the help. It seems to be overpriced, but is it a good bike to learn on? Should I look for that bike but cheaper, or would you recommend something else?

Check out my page for new riders here:
www.CaliforniaBikeNights.com/learn

It gives you tons of info that you will need.

As for the Ninja 250 you are looking at, that is pretty high. You can get a new 2006 for $300 more.

I started with a Ninja 250. I would commute with it on the highway everyday and even took it up to San Francisco from LA. It's a very good, reliable, beginner bike. It will do 105MPH so it has plenty of power. It is not powerful enough to wheelie off the throttle, which is great because then you can't accidentally wheelie away from a stoplight or something. Very good to learn with. I put 16,000 miles on mine before I moved to my next bike.

[Scoutmedic]

and good luck finding your .

Don't forget to look into an MSF class in your area or, at the least, investing in some good books like Proficient Motorcycling (?). I went the MSF route and don't regret it.

[< I Fly >]

Thanks for the help. It seems to be overpriced, but is it a good bike to learn on? Should I look for that bike but cheaper, or would you recommend something else?

ninja 250 is a good, no great bike to learn on.

but if you will be doing a lot of highways then i suggest getting the ninja 500 instead, also a good beginner bike.

Why's it not great to learn on?

He'll get bored faster than on a 500 but the small size will force him to learn the intricacies of shifting a lot more.

[VermilionX]

Why's it not great to learn on?

He'll get bored faster than on a 500 but the small size will force him to learn the intricacies of shifting a lot more.

i meant it's not just a good bike to learn, it's great bike to learn on.

[< I Fly >]

Why's it not great to learn on?

He'll get bored faster than on a 500 but the small size will force him to learn the intricacies of shifting a lot more.

i meant it's not just a good bike to learn, it's great bike to learn on.

Oooh I gotcha.

Yeah, I agree with you on that.