[paulurmston]

Hi there everyone.

So, I’m 31 years old, I have been playing with 150cc scooters for the last 3 years, and finally decided that this week I am going to actually go and buy a damned motorbike. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid and my uncle used to pull up outside my house to visit.

Now for the golden question. I was thinking a nice 250cc to start off. Something nimble, but not too quick to wrap me around a lamp post in the first few weeks. As I said, I am very competent on my scooters (I’ve had 3 of them, all 150cc’s) and think this is the most logical step. I must stress at this point. Although I am used to being on bikes and handling traffic, I have NEVER ridden a manual bike before, the scooters were all automatics.

After looking here, and spending a month researching various other websites it seems the kawasaki ninja 250 is a VERY popular choice for a first time bike… so my questions are.

Question 1: I am 6’2″ Am I going to look VERY big on a small bike?
Question 2: Am I going to grow out of a 250cc VERY quickly, or am I going to be pleasantly surprised?
Question 3: Money is an issue, I have some, but not too burn. I can get a 250cc… but I could also finance a 500cc. Is this a good option, or should I stay with the 250cc for a few years, until I get my confidence with the non-automatic bikes?

Question 4: I think the Kawasaki, purely because of what I have read from this, and other sites… but I am also open to suggestions. The other day I saw a Triple Speed Triumph. Way over my price range, but the guy turned the engine on for me and the sound was just… it was simply love at first “hear”??

I basically want to buy a cheap’ish bike, that I will not be bored with and have to change within a year (as I’ll be paying for the thing over 12 months anyway I guess) so… hit me with your best!!

BTW… Love the website, very nicely done and expecting some very positive feedback!

[Munch]

welcome! “outgrow the 250’s” well opinion vary but I can promise you most likely you will be happy til you make the mistake of sitting on a friends bigger bike…. it’s a more power kinda thing….kinda like some peoples addiction to tattoos. And don’t think it stops there…. jump to a 500 and you’ll want a 900 then up the ladder you go…then you start feeding your new addiction with bolt ons….. and its all down hill from there.
At your height and some experience that you do have a 500 should not be out of the question as long as you stay honest about your true abilities…. and pls take the MSF or equivalent courses. Not only are you adding power to the equation but also weight.
Most importantly…butt test everything you can!

[paulurmston]

Thanks.

Yeah, I mean I feel very safe on the scooters. Look through the corners, never brake in a turn, counter steer whenever I can.. that kind of thing.

I do understand about the power/tattoo thing. jaja. I got a small tattoo about 3 years ago, it’s like 3cm long… nothing really, just my name in Japanese… but Now I look at other tattoos and think… yeah! jajajaja.

I already am signed into a beginners course here in Chile, starts next week. It’s the closest to the MSF as they have here.

My only real worry is my height. I don’t want to look like a big guy say on a small bike. I want to feel like part of the bike (I am sure you understand what that means).

Oh,I forgot to mention I will be commuting on the thing mostly. 5 minute bike rides to/from the office. Then in the evenings to pop around to my friends, etc…

I live in Santiago at the moment, the capital of Chile. It’s a huge city, with a REAL problem with congestion. I am normally to be found driving down the dotted white lines between the parked cars as they wait for the lights to change. So I really will be traveling in the city 90% of the time.

The good thing is that with my scooters, I am able to drive around 330 days a year. The weather here is just perfect for biking. The summers are blue skies, hot, and lovely to feel the wind whipping around you!

So. You agree.. go with the 250cc… and try not to get to envious of the 600cc’s flying around me.

By the way, I really don’t think I’ll be killing the motorbike the moment I get it… but I would like to ask a question about maximum velocity. I really don’t care how fast it goes, the limit in Chile is 120Kmh’s (around 70mph) and IF (a big IF) I go faster, it would only be to get to 80mph to maybe jump in front of a car on the highway. I would like to know what is it’s cruising speed. Not the maximum speed, but the speed in which it is ok on the highway, but not burning up petrol either.

[eternal05]

Your very first step, as you’ll know if you read through this site, is to sign up and take an MSF course. Do this BEFORE you buy anything.

Once you’ve taken the MSF course, here’s my two cents:

Ninja 250R:
It’s cheap, it’s “nimble, but not too quick to wrap you around a lamp post,” it gets fantastic gas mileage, yields low insurance rates, and is fun as all hell to ride. Some people say that they’d get bored on a 250 too fast, and while a few such people might be right, most are full of scheisse in my opinion. I own two bikes: a 250R and a Suzuki GSX-R600. The latter is a full-on race-bred supersport with 105+hp and a 3.6 second 0-60mph time. Which do I ride more? The 250R by far. The reason? The Suzuki is my track bike. It’s no good for commuting or running errands. You don’t ever shift while trundling around town (you hit freeway speed in first), and trying to ride it in an upright position (for safety in the city) is not at all comfortable. The 250R really lets you wring its neck WITHOUT risking $500 tickets or serious injury.

Suzuki SV650 or Kawasaki Ninja 650R:
The only thing that you might not like about the Ninja 250R is its ergonomics. Don’t worry about how you’ll LOOK, ’cause you’ll look awesome. The problem is your height. It MAY be slightly uncomfortable to really uncomfortable because of your potentially long legs, so what really matters is your inseam and the length of your lower leg (foot to knee), specifically. I’m 6’4″, and I wouldn’t be able to ride the bike without the lowered footpegs I bought. Even now, it’s too small for me, and that shows through in a lot of ways when I’m riding. In retrospect, I might have been better off on one of the more beginner-friendly sport middleweights like the SV650 or 650R. They have MUCH more power, and definitely require more caution when you start out, but many people have started on these bikes with great success. They are also much more expensive, have lower gas mileage, cost more to insure, blah blah blah. In short, ONLY go for these bikes if you don’t think a 250R will work for you ergonomically.

The real test is going to be sitting on these bikes. Go to a dealer (preferably with a buddy) and sit on all of these bikes. Don’t throw a leg over. Actually sit on them in riding position with both feet on the pegs. This is why you need your friend. Bikes are VERY easy to hold up even with a big guy sitting on it as long as you keep it vertical, so he can help you hold the bike up while you get a feel. Here’s what to do:

Get both feet (balls on your feet) on the pegs. Get a sense of where your knees are. Hug the bike with your legs, squeeze your heels into the rearsets, and take weight off your hands by providing support with your lower back muscles. If you are in proper position, your arms should be bent, and you should not feel any strain on your wrists or palms.

While maintaining your lower-body squeeze on the bike, go through the motions (independently of course) of shifting up and down and using the rear brake, returning the balls of your feet to the pegs in between shifts/braking. Is this comfortable? As you shift (particularly on the 250R), do your knees get pushed out of the grooves in the side of the bike? Can you maintain a strong lower-body grip on the bike while shifting and braking? Keep in mind, brake levers and pedals, shift levers, etc. can all be adjusted, so don’t worry so much if they don’t feel quite right. You’re worried more about things like the shape of the bike itself.

Oh, and the Triumph Speed Triple (and even the Street Triple) is a streetfighter. A streetfighter is a sportbike that’s been stripped of fairings and other cosmetic bits for that “hardcore” look, re-ergo’d for a more upright riding position, and detuned a bit for more torque and a bit less HP. These are NOT beginner bikes at all…even if they are totally sexy and drool-worthy. God I want to take a ride on a Speed Triple…

Well, that’s all I have to say, so if you’re still awake after all that drivel, welcome to the site, good luck with your motorcycling endeavors, and hope you’re at the beginning of long and fun-filled motorcycling career! Bienvenido!

[eternal05]

The Ninja 250R has no problem cruising in the 50-70mph range (80-110kph), though it does rev high due to low gearing. It shouldn’t bother you if you’re coming from a scooter.

[paulurmston]

You see… this website ROCKS!!

Ok, Well. I am actually going to the Kawasaki dealer tomorrow to sit and try out the ninja… so I will if it “fits” me or not.

If not, I just (literally right now at 2am in the morning) a great bike that although it is a little out of my price range, I could still afford on finance.

Now, my dilema is that I love sport bikes. I mean, they look awesome. I never really did go for the chopper thing. Just personal taste. Anyway, I went to the yamaha website and found two models.

A fazer 250cc
a Fazer FZ6-SHG (which is the sports 600, not the naked one)

I know it is a much bigger engine, but (from what I can gather looking at the pictures) It seems to have a sports look, but a very upright riding position (perfect for my height I guess)

Now, I am assuming this is 4X more powerful than the ninja. Remembering that I am going traffic light to traffic light… will I ever get out of first gear? Jajajaja

The fazer 250 looks ok, but nowhere near as sexy as the ninja of course. Also the back brake is tambor (I really don’t know WHAT the hell a tambor brake is in English sorry people, but I am sure you know what I am talking about)
I keep reading to stay clear of these tambor breaks as they wear out constantly.

Anyway, hit me back… I am reading every word and taking everything in. I want a fun bike, nimble, and something that is going to start a love affair with motorbikes.

I put myself in your experience…. be gentle jajaja

And yes… I almost broke down in tears in Triumph. The sales guy was like “So. Wanna try it out for 30 minutes?”. I swear. I was so tempted, but just listening to that engine… it freaked me out. I was more scared about destroying the beautiful machine, and killing that lovely sound that the damage to my body should I crash it. No, I think I have a while to go before getting up to that level…

… it is an AMAZING bike though.

[USViking79]

I am brand new to motorcycling, am 6’2″+, and bought a 2009 Ninja 250r three days ago. Please take my comments with that in mind.

The only other types of motorcycles I have ridden are enduros and dual sports. By design these bikes accommodate taller riders more easily than some sport bikes, the Ninja 250 included. That being said, I feel comfortable on the 250.

My criteria for choosing my first motorcycle were, beginner-friendly performance, reasonable price, ergonomic fit, and aesthetic preference. I plan to use it as a daily commuter and for recreational riding on the weekends.

In my very limited time in the saddle of this machine I feel that it is comfortable for my frame. I took the MSF Basic Rider Course and recommend that you take the Chilean equivalent you mentioned previously.

There are many great motorcycles for the beginner, but these are my thoughts about the Ninja 250. Good luck with your decisions and have many safe and fun rides. Please post a picture of your bike when you get it. There is a link to a picture of my bike in my profile if you’re interested.

Ciao!

[paulurmston]

.. SO….

Today I went to see the ninja… damn it’s just so cute!

I think it was a case of love at first sight. I mean, it looks quick when it’s on its stand… it can only get better once it starts moving.

So…

I paid the deposit. I can’t believe I actually did it. It will arrive the very same day of my 3 day course on biking… so the timing is spot on. It’s a black model, I mean the green and everything is nice… but I love the black!!

I’ll throw up some photos as soon as I get it in my hands!

Thanks again to every one… happy riding

[eternal05]

Just like the regular words, the type of brake you speak of is a “drum” brake (as opposed to disc). They don’t perform nearly as well as disc brakes and tend to be subject to greater brake fade as a result of construction and poor heat dissipation. A lot of cruisers have drum brakes for their rear.

[JackTrade]

Interesting how the Ninja 250 seems to fast be becoming THE starter bike around here. It was always a competent machine, but I think the new styling is what’s really making it sell.

When I first got into motorcycles, I remember seeing one at a local dealership, sitting next to the supersports…not knowing much about sportbikes at that point (not that I’m an expert now), I didn’t notice anything different about it from its neighbors…just a row of fast-looking bikes.

Beginner bikes that don’t look like beginner bikes…hmmmm….I guess this is why Buell is crushing my model into a cube these days…

[paulurmston]

Yes… that is exactly the thing isn’t it. It doesn’t look like a starters bike… it looks like a real machine.

When I went to see it… it was parked in a way that was a great sales trick.

Picture if you can… 3 bikes parked next to each other… all looking the same way with 15 cm’s space between them

250cc Ninja Black a 500 Ninja Blue and a 650 green.

I swear… they didn’t look that much different. If I wouldn’t have known, I would have thought that it was the same, but maybe a 200, a 2005, and this years model… like a Kawasaki through the years kinda thing.

Oh yeah, and the Buell cube thing… I watched it on youtube.. what the hell is that about?!??

[paulurmston]

Ok.. so guess what is parked in my parking lot underneath my apartment?

jeejejejeje!!

I took some photos the moment the guy dropped it off at my place, before the sun went down.

right

left

(and yes, that is a yoshimura exhaust… nice touch huh?!)

Can you believe that I have had it now since 5 pm (it’s around 1 am now) and I still haven’t rode it. I haven’t even turned on the engine, because I know I will be tempted to just try it out… and in all honestly probably end up as a smear on the road.

The cruel thing is that when the guy from the store arrived, his friend was following him on another bike… to drive him back. A Suzuki Hayabusa… man it was like a friggin TRAIN on two wheels… simply HUGE! I was scared just standing next to it listening to the engine purring.. and I say purring like a lion purrs right before he rips your head off! Man, now THAT is a motorbike!

[Munch]

Grats…like the color…and the helmets looks nice to! You are a stronger man then I … once my boss got mine home.. I did 7 miles in my yard ( i have about 4 acres of rideable area to play with… then a day later hit the streets. I can’t buy things and look at them.

[paulurmston]

hey…. believe me. I am still awake at 2am going NUTS to try the damn thing jajajajaja.

I am sooo tempted to just get up in the morning… and jump on… but I am really trying to be an “adult” here and wait until I do the beginners course. ARRRGGGHHH!!!!!! I wanna go play jajajaja!

It looks awesome, the new exhaust makes it sound simply stunning, and yes… the black looks so nice huh… almost like Batman himself did the paint job jajaja.

The helmet is a nolan… I thought I might as well try to keep my brains albeit probably hitting the tarmac soon, but at least safe in a good helmet… rather than splattered in a cheap one.

I DO need some nice black gloves. Anyone know any good ones? Not expensive… I am going to be a little broke for a while paying for the bike now. Just something to tide me over for 6 months.

[USViking79]

That is a beautiful motorcycle. Very nice.

[Author]

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