New York, NY
Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 1:00 pm
After reading a lot of very useful threads on this forum, I bought my first bike today: an '04 Ninja 500 with 952 miles for $3550 ($600/yr insurance through USAA, full coverage, $500 deductibles)
Need to get some saddlebags and/or perhaps a tailbag for it -- looking at motopak for that, and depending on how my first highway ride goes (not for a while, I think) possibly one of these:
http://www.laminarlip.com/ex500.jpg
Although my original plan was to start with a used bike like this and then perhaps graduate to something like a V-Strom 650, everyone I've talked to who has ridden a Ninja leaves me with the impression that there's nothing to outgrow, so we'll see about that!
It was also definitely the case that a 250 would have been fine as well. If cost had been an issue at all, I would've definitely gone with the 250; but I got a great deal on the 500 and (more importantly) it happened to be right here in town already, so I could meet the guy who had it and check it out, which was important.
woo!
[/img]
Need to get some saddlebags and/or perhaps a tailbag for it -- looking at motopak for that, and depending on how my first highway ride goes (not for a while, I think) possibly one of these:
http://www.laminarlip.com/ex500.jpg
Although my original plan was to start with a used bike like this and then perhaps graduate to something like a V-Strom 650, everyone I've talked to who has ridden a Ninja leaves me with the impression that there's nothing to outgrow, so we'll see about that!
It was also definitely the case that a 250 would have been fine as well. If cost had been an issue at all, I would've definitely gone with the 250; but I got a great deal on the 500 and (more importantly) it happened to be right here in town already, so I could meet the guy who had it and check it out, which was important.
woo!
[/img]
and 
