Total Motorcycle Community Forums

You might want to crank up your font size, it is a little tough to read.

I don't think you can get a standalone motorcycle license. Some states require additional motorcycle testing (written and/or road test) on top of the standard driver's license. Only way to know for sure is to check your state's DMV. It is entirely possible that you can get a "motorcycle only" license though it'd probably be only a small amount of additional work to get both even if your state does work that way.

A lot of states have what's called a "Motorcycle Endorsement" which is an addition to your regular license that says "you can also ride a motorcyle."

As for your second question, a 250 is fine on the freeway for a commuter bike. Check out http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Main_Page. You have to use the higher RPMs but the bike is built to let you do that.

Budget at least $400-$500 for gear as well (between stuff for you and stuff for your bike).

I have a 250 that I use to commute 15 freeway miles to work and it zips along just fine. In 6th gear it's at 7-8k rpm so still has a lot of breathing room.

Use the search button. You will find plenty of info about riding in the rain.

Hey the more you can spend on gear the better, but $4-$500 is a lot for college students like us. Now when I add up everything I spent on gear, the damage was roughly $250-$300.

$80-DOT approved helmet. It fits me comfortable, but nothing fancy like an anti-fogging visor or a sweet helmet design.

$150-Mesh Cortech jacket. So far I think it's money well spent because I have ridden with it under 100 degree weather, and it breathes fine as long as I'm moving. It also came with an inner liner for the winter. You could probably get a jacket for even cheaper online, but I wanted to try one on myself at a retail store.

$15-Leather gloves made for riding. Again they kinda suck, but they will do the initial job of protecting skin. However I may buy some better, more expensive ones with armor on the knuckles.

$40-High heal, steel toe boots. They work great.

I have not bought riding pants yet. It's definitely a good idea because denim will get torn up from a crash, but i'd rather spend the money I have on a helmet and jacket first. My point is that you don't need five hundred dollars extra to spend on gear. Unless you want top of the line, you can definitely shop around and find good deals.

I would also read Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. He has an entire section about riding in the rain. I wouldn't ride when it first starts to rain because all the moisture is washing away all the oil, radiator fluid, or everything else absorbed into the pavement. The first half hour of rain is the slickest and most dangerous.

Good luck finding a bike. I've heard nothing but great things about the 250. If you will be doing mostly highway riding, you may look into the Ninja 500r. Another great starter bike that has more power at higher speeds. Unfortunately they are much harder to find and normally more expensive than the 250's.

Personally, I don't see any point in buying a bike like a Ninja 250 or 500 new. They have not changed significantly since 1994 and they lose a big chunk of their value within the first year. "The experience of buying at a dealership" is basically the experience of paying a lot more for a (possibly) shinier bike - money that will go down the tube once you drop it the first time anyway.

As far as riding pants go, it's not just the slide resistance but also the impact resistance. Denim does nothing for that. What you "need" is not determined by your budget - it's determined by the value you place on your own safety. I have not been out of college all that long and I remember very well what it was like, and there are plenty of reasons to rationalize spending less money. I did not buy top of the line stuff (I bought good stuff, not great stuff) and here's a quick run-down:

$60 - Alpinestar Alloy gloves
$140 - HJC CL-15 Helmet
$134 - Joe Rocket Ballistic 5 Riding Pants
$120 - Kryptonite Fuggedaboutit Chain (for NYC. you probably don't need something this heavy-duty, but $40 for a decent bike lock will still be necessary)
$108 - Joe Rocket Meteor Boots (though you may have decent over-the-ankle boots already, like Docs)
$135 - Joe Rocket Phoenix 4 Mesh Jacket
$211 - Saddlebags + Tail Bag + Tank bag. If you ride short distances you certainly don't need all three of these and a decent tank bag can be had for about $40.
$90 - Laminar lip for hgihway riding
$30 - box of professional grade earplugs for highway riding
$30 - Smoke-tinted helmet shield for sun glare

Total: $1,058.00

Cut out stuff you might already have or can find a decent substitute for or simply don't need where you are (boots, chain, saddlebags) and you're still at around $500.

I wouldn't buy gloves that "kinda suck." I had a cheapo pair of leather gloves that could do the "initial job of protecting skin" and the first time I wiped out, they got torn up and didn't do a damn thing. There $100-$200 gloves out there that will do everything but make your coffee in the morning and those definitely aren't a "requirement" in my book, but $40-$60 will get you a good pair of gloves.

You mentioned rain gear. That's extra.

I'll probably also add frame sliders and engine bars to my Ninja. That's another $160 for the parts - no labor since I'll do the work myself.

Obviously, not everyone needs anything like the same set of gear. Some people have a lot more stuff than I do (I don't have a cold weather set ... yet) and you can always skimp on quality to save money ... but buying a cheapo jacket or pair of riding pants is like going out for a ten minute jog. It might go through the motions but it isn't really going to help you.

I guess my point is just that you should anticipate some things you will decide you need after you have the bike that you thought you wouldn't need beforehand.

And sorry the text is to small, I have never had anyone tell me its to difficult to read-. I put it up to 11 for you.

Your text is smaller than the standard on the board. It's not too small to read, it's just a pain in the rear to have to read one guy's post in a different size than every other post on the board.

I wouldn't buy a new 250 either. I would save up a little bit more so you can account for the Basic Rider Course ($200-$300 usually), however much you plan on spending for gear, and then use the remainder on a bike. Vehicle markets are different everywhere, but I have found a number of decent looking used 250s listed for $2-2500. I would check your local craigslist because you may be surprised. These bikes are bought and sold quickly and go for very cheap. I wouldn't doubt finding a deal on a 250 with very little mileage and in decent shape costing you less than two grand.

Of course i'm not sure about the market in Washington, but if they retail at $2,999, then no one can expect to sell a used one for even close to that. You do not want to finance your first bike because you could possibly drop it, devaluing it for all it's worth. I'm sure other members on this board could give you a million more reasons why you should not buy your starter bike from the stealership.

Good luck though!

I'm not answering any other questions, just making a quick pass through the thread here. I wanted to give Blood`Sentinel a big thumbs up for going about and saving up money for the bike he wants. Not a lot of people can stay patient enough and do the 'want it now' thing by paying with credit cards or financing, or begging parents to co-sign as is the case a lot of times with younger riders. Its good to see someone going about it the 'old fashioned way' - work, save, work, save...