Im about to buy my first bike and i honestly need help

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lcurtis19 · #1 Unread post by **lcurtis19** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 8:12 am

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 ?

PacificShot327 · Tue Jun 02, 2009 8:37 am

There's no reason that you should outgrow a 250. Those ninjas are quick and fun. As far as sound goes... I had a monstrous sounding 600cc - I felt bad for our neighbors in the morning when I started her up. But I could rarely hear it over about 45mph because of wind noise. Don't get a bike based on the way it sounds... There are ways of modifying that.

The GS500f is regarded as a good starter bike. Not too much, not too little.

Go for a used bike. You will make your share of mistakes like the rest of us did when we started out. There's not much point in going out and getting a brand new bike, messing a few things up here and there, possibly dropping her and scratching up those pretty fairings, and then getting rid of it. Grab yourself a used 250, learn, sell it back for what you bought it.

lcurtis19 · #3 Unread post by **lcurtis19** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 8:53 am

thanks for the advice. because to be honest the 250 looks a lot better and is a lot more comfortable then the gs500f. i dont really like the sport touring look to be honest. i will more then likely purchased a used bike but for sure it will not be a super sport. i think that would just be too much

#4 Unread post by **dr_bar** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:17 am

You will take quite a while to get everything out of that 250, that it has to offer. Twisties will be more fun than you could imagine and you may surprise some bigger bikes by beating them in the tight twisties...

Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:23 am

Dayton Ohio sucks. Get the GS500F. We were passing R1's at the military track day at cherry point in march. Can't make fun of the riders though since they are marines.

The Gs500 is plenty of bike, won't over do it and has plenty of power. The ninja 250 is a phenomenal bike but I'd rather see you talked onto a gs500 than a 600cc sportbike.

#6 Unread post by **MZ33** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:08 pm

Go for whichever one is more comfortable for you. If you keep honing your skills as you go, with additional instruction, exercises, etc., you'll get a kick out of how much you can do with either of these.

I'm finding it more and more fun, in this my 2nd year of riding, seeing how slow I can go, how well I can stop, how much I can lean/turn my bike under varying circumstances. Barreling along in a straight line is the easy part--it's for learning all the subtle stuff that you need these entry level bikes.

#7 Unread post by **jaskc78** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:30 pm

Curtis--i just bought an 07 Ninja 250 as my starter bike and i'm loving it.

it's nice and easy to handle and turns very nicely, and i bet it'll surprise you how strongly that little engine pulls at higher RPMs. i took mine out earlier today for a bit of a longer ride and it was cruising along at 70-75mph just fine, too.

i'm actually looking forward to seeing what my gas mileage was on the trip today. i got 60mpg over about 150 miles in town here so some steady cruising should prolly break 70mpg. and let's face it, who doesn't like being able to go on a 200 mile ride for about $7.50?

dean owens · Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:19 pm

man, this is such a better thread than the train wreck that happened in the informative post by lion lady.

i'll jump in and say that used is the way to go. the main reason is that you might drop the bike at some point doing something stupid. i'm not saying that you will... but it could happen. i know it happened to me. thankfully my bike was used and had plenty of scratches here and there and i could tell which ones i put on it. also, this will be your first bike... not your only bike. if you buy a new bike and ride it for a season or two you will take quite a hit when you sell it. but if you buy something used you might lose $500.00 when you sell it. depending on when you sell it and how you take care of it, you might even make a little when you sell it.

and i'm glad to see that you see the wisdom of starting small. you will get your skills so much faster that way. i know the ninja is the go to beginner bike, but there are others out there. i think the gs500 is a great one. and it get's pretty good mpg. you could also look at the ninja 500 or one of the older standards from honda, etc. there are also any number of dual sport bikes out there that would be great to learn on.

having said that, if the gs500 fits you well and you like it, then go with it. if the ninja 250 fits you well and you like it, go with it. they're both great.

oh, also, i have a friend who has been riding probably 40 years. wanna guess what he's been riding for the last 3 years? a gs500. he says it's some of the most fun he's had in years.

good luck. and let us know what you pick.

#9 Unread post by **jaskc78** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:20 pm

also something to look into--talk with the MSF guys in your area and see where they get the bikes they use for the courses. you can usually go there and find some that were used for basic rider's course for a year or two then replaced. they'll have low miles and have never been ridden hard. top speed i ever hit on the ninja 500 i used for my BRC was 20, maybe 25 tops.

plus if they're using them for BRC they'll be regularly inspected for proper operation, etc. there were a few rebels at the local honda shop that were BRC veterans. a lot of people won't want to buy them because they'll have some scratches and possibly a few dings, but like Dean said and i've heard it many other times on this site, this will be your first bike, not your last. heck, i've even said that to some of the guys i work with when they start razzing me about riding a 250.

Brackstone · Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:29 pm

Honestly,

I know I say it a bunch of times but if I could have kept my Ninja 250 I would have. That bike was FUN.

It wasn't the fastest, or the meanest, but holy crap that bike would take a turn like nobody's business.