- This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 10 months ago by rustyg.
Bike For The Highway??
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June 22, 2008 at 6:48 am #1567AnonymousGuest
Hey guys. I’m new to riding (zero experience) and I’m looking to get a bike for my primary transportation. Basically i can’t afford to buy a car but i need something to get around. Like i said it will be my primary source of transportation so i’ll be getting on the highway more often than not. Basically what i’m asking is, is it safe to use a 250 on the highway. My dad’s friend told him that if your gonna be on getting on the highway a good amount then it would be safer to get a 600. If so what are some good choices on bikes??
Here’s a list of the ones i’ve researched. I haven’t gone to see them yet though, just wanna know if im headed on the right direction.
ninja 250r
ninja650
suzuki sv650
and an R1 (nah just kidding)Thanks.
June 22, 2008 at 7:19 am #7633megaspazParticipantExcluding the R1…
All 3 of those bikes will work the highway. The ninja 250 might have issues passing cars going at higher highway speeds though and uphill on a high grade slope. All 3 are often recommended as beginner friendly bikes with the ninja250 obviously being considered the most beginner friendly.
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If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…June 22, 2008 at 11:40 am #7639acidpopeParticipantIf you’re new I’d stay away from the 600’s since most, if not all, are in-line four engines. Both the 650’s on your list are more than enough for highway and run more forgiving twins (v-twin & parallel twin). I’ve sat on both and both are comfortable so you wont feel uneasy on the bike. The sport version of the sv might feel uneasy for a new rider though, as it has you leaning over considerably.
June 22, 2008 at 6:19 pm #7645BenParticipantHave you considered some 500’s at all? Like maybe the Kawasaki Ninja 500?
All of the bikes you mentioned would be good beginner bikes to start your riding career on. I did the exact same thing you are doing, I was too broke to buy a car, so I bought a motorcycle instead. You know what I found? A car is cheaper, but a motorcycle is more fun.
Sure a motorcycle might be a LITTLE bit cheaper for just the bike, but once you include insurance, motorcycle gear, MSF course, and maintenance then motorcycles become a lot more expensive. In my opinion you would save money by just getting a solid mid to late 90’s honda car and just driving that.
Here are just a few things I’ve had to pay for in the past month:
Valve Adjustment and Carb Sync: $300
New Tires: $300ish
Oil Change myself: like 30-40 bucks.And thats just to keep the bike running. I’ve bought hundreds of dollars worth of gear and luggage for my bike as well.
Your best bet to keep things cheap is to get something like a 2007 or earlier Ninja 250 or Ninja 500. The bike will be cheap so you can buy some gear, and insurance will be inexpensive as well. Plus both of those bikes have really solid engines that don’t need a whole lot of maintenance. That’s my 2 cents.
Now, if you don’t care as much about finances as you do about looks and performance then I would consider the sv650 and the ninja 650 as well. Both bikes will easily handle the freeway and the twisties.
This is becoming a long rambling reply. I hope I haven’t turned you off of bikes, but I just wanted to let you know you won’t be saving much (if any) money by buying a motorcycle compared to an older car. Now if you compare it to a newer car that is a different story. A modern civic is going to be a lot more expensive than a modern Ninja 650.
Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles AdminJune 23, 2008 at 6:30 am #7665rustygParticipantHey, this was my post
just wanted to thank you guys for the advicei dont think an older car would save any money either though…i’ve had my problems with older cars already and i can tell you from personal experience they aren’t cheap…the price may be, but you’ll run into a sh*t ton of hidden cost before you know it…even more so on an older import like a honda
im gonna keep doing some research and hopefully come to a definite decision by the end of the month
ohh ya, can anyone tell me their ballpark average on maintenance (yearly that is)…it’ll really help me to get all my numbers straight if i knew that
thanks again
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