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i really appreciate it . it seems pretty clear of what the best option is especailly for the price of the 250r. i went and sat on a gs500f and i really didnt get the feeling from it that the 250 gave me. i feel like i will have way more control over the 250 then i would anything larger. my brother keeps saying go with a 600 but i dont think im ready , even a katana like he had, he says is a great starter bike. but im not looking to become nuts on the bike or do overly excessivie speeding. Considering the fact im militarty i dont really have a choice or i get in trouble. I was thinking if not the 250r new , maybe a used bike , but once again for the price i might at well start with a 250. as you can see im still a little unsure.

I'll agree that the Katana is not a good starter bike. Plus, and don't get me wrong, bikes are not a matter of looks to me, but the latest gen Katana has GOT to be the most hideous bike out there. Coming from a guy who likes weird bikes that's saying something.

I think you'll be surprised by the 250. I'm 300 lbs and my sister is 150 and it was able to take us both around without too much trouble. You'll like it, plus that thing will outcorner anything else with an equal rider on it.

used ninja 250 gets my vote. i paid $2800 out the door price for mine.

well i'll chime in. i'm also a new rider and just got a 2000 gs500e (no fairings). i haven't been able to ride much but i am loving it when i get the chance. haven't really gone on twisty roads or anything. just been riding it around the city. sometimes practice the dmv license test.

the sitting position for me is comfortable and the thing can definitely haul if you want it to. never did get to test ride a ninja 250 though, only sat on a 250 but it also felt like it would be comfortable to me. my main reason for going with the gs500e was the naked look and the all around positive reviews it got as a starter bike in general.

yeah, a lot of the folks here are big supporters of the GS500 for a starter bike. i honestly don't think i ever saw one at the shops i went to, though, so don't know if i'd like it.

either way, if it brings a smile to your face it's worth riding. that goes for motorcycles, too.

I'm a nubee of 57 years old and I have talked to mc riders several times about this very question. What bike should I buy. Almost to a man they said buy a bike you want. Drive slow and be careful. Read about safety and practice safe riding. After a few hundred miles you'll have a bike you want rather than a bike for sale. You'll still be inexperienced but the more you ride the more experience you'll get and if you can be responsible and safe then after a few years riding it won't be a matter of lane placement or gear but instead since one has control of their bike where do you want to go. Don't Panic ... ever.

thanks for pointing out that you were a noobie before sharing your advice.

dean owens wrote:thanks for pointing out that you were a noobie before sharing your advice.

+1. Of course not posting would have been better.

redwing wrote:I'm a nubee

redwing wrote:buy a bike you want

redwing wrote:a few hundred miles

redwing wrote:You'll still be inexperienced

redwing wrote:it won't be a matter of lane placement or gear

...

2008 BMW R1200R

My nickle...

lcurtis19 wrote:Well im active duty military just got my bike permit and i am take a MSF this week. ive been going to different dealers and sitting on diff bikes and i just cant make up my mind on wat to start with. my brother and all my friends that have been riding say not to get a 09 ninja 250r bc i was really close to getting that. it felt like it would be easy to manage and a good bike to START on, i just know that i would outgrow it pretty quick. and plus i absolutely hate the way they sound. even with exhaust it still sounds cheesy. no offense to the 250 riders i just dont like the sound. ive been really looking into the gs500f as a good starter bike. any suggestions or cxomments? im lookin for complete honesty as well. and im a little hesitant about a used bike because a lot of ppl BEAT on them bike a lot , especially higher cc ones. even a katana 600 would that be too much ?

I don't know anything about you physically so I can't will just have to wing it...

You're right about not getting a sportsbike. Yes, they're mediums as wieght and size go, but they are pretty finicky to ride correctly and (as a paramedic) I scrape them off the road a lot more than I should. I'm not trying to be mean here but racers screw up and crash them and they don't have traffic to contend with.

Now that I've gotten that out, I think I can be more rational about this discussion.

IMHO, there are two classes of bikes to learn on. The most common is the 250 class esp. the Honda Nighthhawk and the Kawasaki Ninja. And since you have said a preference for the Ninja, I would go for it. It's a great bike and very easy to learn on. This all about you and your choices. It's about freedom and being free of other people's ususally unknowledgeable opinions.

However, (I'll take the heat for my opinions) if you are of a certain size, then it can be a place to learn some bad habits. If you go on to further larger bikes, the basics are something that we all have to fall back on to become accustomed to the larger, heavier bike. If you learned some bad habits like muscling a bike around instead of letting the bike work for you, you'll be in for a problem when the larger bike doesn't like being forced to do something. For this I would suggest the GS500 "E" not the fairinged "F" model. That is if you can get one. They're hard to find on the used motorcycle market. But this is the other side of the coin for if you just starting out, it is a bigger bike and takes a bit more dedication to learn to ride correctly.

Anyway, whatever you chose to do, realize you chose to do this for what ever benefit you want to get out of it. Be real with you're self and relax. Take baby steps and learn them thoroughly. For the basics are the most important things you can learn if you want to keep riding motorcycles.

I'm just over a case of the scaries. I've ridden mostly Harleys esp Big Twins though I don't have a Big Twin tight now. I'm 5'9" and about 130 lbs. I was given the chance to get a Honda ST1300A and it scared me. It was bigger, heavier and more prone to be top heavy at times tha anything I had rode lately. I almost ran away from it. But I've gone back to the basics and don't ride over my head. So the impossible to ride motorcycle is now becoming something of a joy and it will get better a it becomes more like family.

So ride what you think is safe, learn well and don't ride over your head.