Total Motorcycle Community Forums

To the insurance discussion:

I'm going to work out a budget for myself and find out some prices next weekend, if not this weekend. I have to see what kind of money I need to dish out and I just might be able to pay insurance if it's as low as some of you are saying.. but again, I need to see what kind of money, total, I'll need to dish out per month.

To the bike discussion:

A lot of these bikes look really nice. I gotta say, I'm really diggin' the Ninja 500r, but is it tame enough for a first bike? I've also been thinking a lot about the Ninja 250 and may consider it.

-Ryan

edit: I was just reviewing some specs from the 500r and the 250. Seems as the weight difference is roughly 80lbs. Does that make a huge difference? I'm not the strongest guy on the block. I'm 138 and 6 foot tall.

Just so you know, insurance on my bike (granted, it's a cruiser) is 422/year. That's with a 500 deductible and VERY high per person and per accident limits. I have a fairly dirty driving record (4 tickets, 2 accidents my fault) and I'm 20...
About the weight... I don't work out, although lifting 80 lb bags of chemicals is just another day at work for me, I'm 6'2" 280 lbs and my 550 lb. cruiser is no big deal for me. I have a friend who's '82 Katana 750 weighs 700 lbs, and he's about your height, maybe 150. So the weight shouldn't be a big deal if you know how to keep it straight up in the first place. Make sure before you buy it that you can straighten it up from it's sidestand with no problem, and sitting on the bike, have both feet flat on the floor, with those covered, you shouldn't have a problem!
Wrider

Ryannn wrote:To the insurance discussion:

I'm going to work out a budget for myself and find out some prices next weekend, if not this weekend. I have to see what kind of money I need to dish out and I just might be able to pay insurance if it's as low as some of you are saying.. but again, I need to see what kind of money, total, I'll need to dish out per month.

To the bike discussion:

A lot of these bikes look really nice. I gotta say, I'm really diggin' the Ninja 500r, but is it tame enough for a first bike? I've also been thinking a lot about the Ninja 250 and may consider it.

-Ryan

edit: I was just reviewing some specs from the 500r and the 250. Seems as the weight difference is roughly 80lbs. Does that make a huge difference? I'm not the strongest guy on the block. I'm 138 and 6 foot tall.

Sounds like a good plan.

Ryannn wrote:To the bike discussion:

A lot of these bikes look really nice. I gotta say, I'm really diggin' the Ninja 500r, but is it tame enough for a first bike? I've also been thinking a lot about the Ninja 250 and may consider it.

-Ryan

edit: I was just reviewing some specs from the 500r and the 250. Seems as the weight difference is roughly 80lbs. Does that make a huge difference? I'm not the strongest guy on the block. I'm 138 and 6 foot tall.

The 500 is within the begining rider guidlines, although interestingly some of the taller riders on here have found the 250 a better fit!

That 80lbs - don't worry about it. If you get the balance right and can get a foot flat on the floor then the bikes actual weight makes no difference at all. The disposition of the weight can make a huge difference which is another reason why Race replicas arent terrific.

The best advice I can give you is to get yourself to a dealer and go try them out... Sit on both - either on the stand or get the dealer to hold them steady so you can get your feet off the floor and see how they fit after 15 minutes.

While you are there ask about the dealer financing, insurance etc... Bonus!

I have an 06 500r, with full comprehensive insurance, theft, uninsured driver, and a 1,000 deductible it came out to a little less than $230 a year from progressive. Just this week, I got a letter in the mail saying they over charged me $28! I guess maybe its for my MSF course discount or something. Who knows. Oh, and in my state, you don't have to have insurance if you have a certain amount in the bank for property damage and a seperate amount for medical coverage if you hurt someone else and were at fault. Also, if you are fianancing a brand new vehicle, you need comprehensive insurance by law. Dunno how it is in your neck of the woods. I'd rather have a 1,000 deductible and really low insurance rates than no insurance at all. The money you have to set aside by law will only cover the most basic accident at best, and you can really be put into bankrupacy if it ever goes to court and they have medical bills. Lost wages from work. Rehab. Other types of damages like property damage other than the vehicle involved in the incident. And your bike still wouldn't be factored into the mix.

Oh, sorry for the long rant about insurance... but yea the 500r is great! Check out the 650r... since you have dirt bike experience you should be fine if you read alot of motorcycle saftey books and the like. Which I would suggest doing first before buying a bike or getting a license. Remember to don't be cheap when it comes to gear. Its probably a more important descision than the actually choice of bike.

Hey,

YES! The Ninja 500 is a great beginner bike! It is pretty comfortable and it is very steady and forgiving under the direction of my newbie self.

Just like others have said on here, make sure you have some cash for the gear you are going to need...it is EXPENSIVE! If you live in or near a city then craigslist is a good place to find used gear...except for your helmet. I believe there is a huge price range for helmets but my Shoei was somewhere around $400...ouch. This is not to mention the jacket, pants, gloves, and boots you will need. Just something to keep in mind, it's not just the bike you are investing in.
Good luck and have fun!

I think I'm going to go with the Ninja 500r at this point. I'm satisfied with everything that you guys have told me and now I'm just hoping it's a good fit to my body.

As far as the gear, I am going to go ahead and buy all the gear before I buy the bike. It might be a couple months before I've got everything, but atleast I got some sort of plan at this point.

Edit: Just out of curiousity, how does the 636 Ninja measure up to the 500? Obviously it's more powerful, but how does it work for a beginner? What kind of power does it have?

Edit2: What kind of power does the 500r have? Is it quick?

Ryannn wrote:Edit: Just out of curiousity, how does the 636 Ninja measure up to the 500? Obviously it's more powerful, but how does it work for a beginner? What kind of power does it have?

Edit2: What kind of power does the 500r have? Is it quick?

A Ninja 250 will do over 100MPH and will out-accellerate all low-to-midrange sportscars.

And it's the slowest production sportbike you can buy.

ALL sportbikes are quick.

-Holiday wrote:some of you guys can seriously come off as elitist dbags.

he came here telling us he has some moto experience and asking what bike he should look into in the 250-600 range ( which certainly fits into the "best practises advised in the stickies on this site doesn it?) . just because you think you understand his finanial situation and have an opinion on it, that doesnt mean he didnt ask a valid question.

He asked a simple question and you're talking about his finances.

He's alread said hes buying a bike, he wants to know what is the best one given his experiance.

Get over yourselves and answer his question like an adult instead of judging him on something he didnt even ask about.

Quoted for truth.