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Hi.....this is my first post....I have been lurking for awhile and really have learned alot. I will be taking the msf course in a month and will get my first bike after that. I was going to get a 250 to start on. I am 5'8 and about 135 pounds. Does anyone have any advice on which model might be more reliable or forgiving for a beginner...hondas, suzukis, or are most bikes of that nature basically the same. thanks

what kind of bike?

cruiser, standard, dual sport, sporty?

all 250s are gonna be very forgiving, unless it's a 2 stroke.

I was thinking a cruiser or standard......basically I have been looking at the maurader 250, the yamaha virgo, the honda rebel, or the nighthawk.

cmiles wrote:I was thinking a cruiser or standard......basically I have been looking at the maurader 250, the yamaha virgo, the honda rebel, or the nighthawk.

those are very underpowered. The only 250cc bike that's even worth considering is ninja 250. If you want a cruiser, it would have to be at least 500cc.

cmiles wrote:I was thinking a cruiser or standard......basically I have been looking at the maurader 250, the yamaha virgo, the honda rebel, or the nighthawk.

a 250cc cruiser can do highway speeds. but stay in the slow lane and don't expect to pass others w/ ease.

i would just like to suggest to buy a used bike and save some money for a down payment on the bike you really want when you feel ready to upgrade.

A 250 is a great bike to learn on, but plan on moving up pretty quickly once you get a bit of experience.

Where do you live? I have a Suzuki GZ250 that I want to sell.

Joem

I live down here in Memphis.....If you still have it in about 4-6 weeks I might look into it.

Of the bikes you listed, the Virago is definitely the zippiest. I haven't ridden the Marauder, so I won't comment on that one. Between the two Hondas and the Virago, I'd go with the Yamaha. In addition to slightly better power from the engine, the suspension and brakes on the Virago struck me as being much more functional.

250cc or 500cc would be a good area to start at. Do you have any idea what type of bike you would prefer? Spending budget? The type of riding you will do? Taking the MSF course is a good idea, it gives you somewhere to base your judgement from. You can see what you did/didn't like about your bike. They also usually have a variety bikes from cruisers, standard and dual purpose.

If you plan on doing alot of communting highway/freeway I'd reccommend a 500cc. A 250cc would be fine however there are times where you will wish you had a 500cc because you needed to quickly overtake someone or get into a safer lane position. The 250cc will have very little depreciation especially if you get a Ninja. There's always a demand for those because there's always new people who want to learn or they want to get a fixer upper and turn it into at track bike.

If you're looking for a cruiser you might consider the Suzuki Savage... erm C40, erm WHATEVER. They're all exactly the same bike. It's basically a 250 frame, with a 650cc engine crammed into it. Makes a little more hp then the rebel, but not much. I had one for my first bike and it was very kind to me. Taught me a lot, and I put 4000km on it before getting a different bike.

It can handle the highway all day, even two up. Though you'll get slapped in the back of the head after two hours because the back seat SUCKS! Front seat isn't bad though. You won't be the fastest thing on the road, but you can definately take the fast lane if you choose. Though you'll be pretty close to running the poor thing outta juice.

Bike hasn't changed since about '86, so parts are easy to come by, so are used models in good condition. It's got a belt drive (easy maintenance) and a single cylinder/single carb so easy to keep clean for what it's worth. The gas tank is relatively small about 10 liters total, but you get 20km/l. So as long as you plan your trips a little you'll be fine.

All in all it was a great bike, and if I was truely comfortable riding a cruiser, I would probably still have it.