Right Bike Size Advice Needed

Alas, they're not available here...

Anyway, those bikes would be fine on backroads and such, but may be a bit challenged on highways. Size-wise, you'd have to sit on it to be sure.

Here is some older advice for beginners, back when the 650cc Triumph and 883cc Harley Sportster were considered sportbikes for experts:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/good_first_motorcycles.htm

The whole "what is the right size" debate is really tiresome because everybody is super-biased by their own experience. I know I am. You'll find excellent, super-skilled riders who say that a 250cc bike is by far the largest you want to start on. You have other excellent, super-skilled riders (at the extreme, mind you), who think that a 1000cc sportbike is an obvious choice for the aspiring beginner (and these people are just clearly wrong). The problem is that the people giving the advice (including us) are the ones that succeeded in making their choices work out, and by virtue of making things work out, they inevitably believe they made the one "right" choice. There may be only a few people per city that began their riding careers on GSX-R1000s and stayed upright long enough to talk about it, but you better believe those few people will make more than enough noise to make up for all the quiet riders that ended up in ditches.

Ultimately, as somebody who's 6'4", 185 lbs and who now all-but-races supersports, I think you'd do well to consider a 250. That's not to say that maybe a 500cc isn't the right choice for you, but you shouldn't rule out a 250cc bike either. Your first order of business is to go take your MSF beginning rider's course (BRC), get the feel for what a 250cc bike feels like (they almost always use 250s), get a sense of what sorts of things you like or dislike in bikes, and THEN start shopping around, sitting on bikes, etc.

These are personnal opinions based on personnal experiences, but I don't feel that I am an exception to the rule. Now, I do have more weight to carry so that may have impacted my perception on the smaller bikes...but I also thought about the type of riding I will be doing, commuting on the hiway and rides to the mountains and lakes around me...I wanted the extra stability and power of the bigger bike. If I was going to be riding in the city mostly with just a few hiway runs, the smaller bike would have been the better choice for learning. The hardest part of riding a bike is going slow, parking lot and stop and go traffic. In these situations the lighter the bike the better off you are. If that was the case for me, I would probably have gotten a super moto bike...they would be an absolute blast in the city. The 250cc bikes (other than the Ninja) are best suited for upto 80-90 kph, after that they run out of breath. The Ninja has a top speed around 160kph, so definately don't rule it out...you just have to get the revs up to get there.

As for the pics, I will send you an e-mail after I take some current pics of the bike. I will fill you in on the details in the e-mail.

Later.

PS..definately get the rider training, it was the best thing that I did...saved me from learning some bad habits that I would have to break later.

I'll go out on a limb and say that the only 250 worth considering is the Ninja 250. Between a GS500 and a Ninja 250, the choice is fairly easy for most people, because although these two bikes have somewhat similar maximum performance, they have pretty different characters.

First you ask if you like the fully-faired racy look? I prefer the naked look for my first bike, so I went for a naked GS500. If you prefer a fully-faired bike, then you can still compare a newer faired GS500 with the Ninja and decide.

Then you ask if you prefer a lighter bike with a higher-strung engine (the Ninja), or a heavier bike with a torquier/more relaxed engine (the GS500)? Do you like to rev it like you stole it without going that fast (this could be fun or tiring, depending on your mood), or are you happier to putt along at lower rev?

Then you search Craigslist to see what's available, what's the best deal, and weigh your decisions.

I belong to a Kawasaki forum with a section just for the 500R- here is part of one thread there:

When Kawi made the 650 in a twin platform and gave it FI, I knew the 500 was on borrowed time....sucks, but it wouldn't make any sense for them to redo a bike so close to what they have already on the market. I would have to say though, 22yrs basically unchanged....not bad little 500, not bad.

In my mind a 500 makes a better 2nd bike or for some 1st bike than the 650, cheaper to insure too. I would have updated the 500 rather than introduced the 650. RIP 500!

I'll keep my 500R until it bites the dust. It's a fine bike for some city riding and highway cruising time to time.

Well, let's be realistic. The 650R has 10 more horses than the 500, so it's not a huge difference to the rider looking in that range. The 500 uses carbs, the 650 is fuel injected. That alone makes emissions better and starting easier. Plus, the engine is shared among three bikes, which makes their factory tooling that much simpler.

Do I love my 500R? Yeah, she's great, and I plan on riding her for as long as I can. But do I think keeping around an orphan middleweight bike would be a good business decision for Kawasaki? Of course not.

You guys are all harping on the same weight of the 650R and less power...it weighs 440lbs, has 43Hp and is fuel injected...what does a GS500F weigh...um..430lbs and has 45Hp, but is carb'd and is kinda cold blooded...everyone likes the fuel economy of the GS500 and the Ninja 500R...I would think the 400R would be better being smaller displacement and fuel injected, not to mention the lower emissions associated with that...if that bike was available when I was looking, I probably would have gotten it instead...for the fuel injection alone...

I would have been nice to be lighter, but lighter is more expensive...who would buy a 400 if it cost more than the 650?

Get over it...

If you have to pay $5000 in maintenance, you have a lemon...big time...in the 8000kms that I put on the bike this summer, there was an oil change (3L 10w40 oil, filter, and o-ring...all together...about $22), the bike needs a new rear tire $95-$215 depending on brand and where you buy plus install (the tire was half or more worn when I bought it), the broken turn signal lens $18...and don't forget the fuel, I averaged 4.8L/100kms, so that is 384L @ $0.919/L...$352.90 to go 8000kms...pretty cheap transportation (and don't forget fun!!)...oh yeah, you will also need a can of chain lube to lube the chain every 1000kms or so...approx $8...it would probably be a good idea to get some cable lube and a tool for injecting it...I haven't bought that yet...so not sure on the price, but I think you can get the tool online for $20ish and the lube is probably close to the same price as the chain lube...

All of the maintenance listed above was parts only, I provided the labour...the price will go way up if you take it to a shop @ $80-$100 per hour, it will add up fast...also, these are Canadian prices...we seem to pay more for everything...good thing we are all rich...lol

This was all on my naked GS500e, if it was a GS500f...I could have been replacing more parts than the signal lens...so be careful of which bike you choose as your first ride...also check into how much insurance will cost you a year...I've been driving for 24yrs and have a clean driving record, so my insurance is cheap...if you are under 25 and have some issues on you driving record, well you may be in for a bit of a surprise...in Canada there is a company called Jevco that specializes in bike insurance, I would get your broker to check around for you.

Hope this helps.

Later.