[joyinc]

i keep hearing that a nice light sport bike like the ninja 250 is great for a new rider.

i was looking at a yamaha star the other day and the guy said that it was more forgiving for mistakes, like i’ll have less chance of popping a wheelie on a cruiser. if thats true, why is a lighter sport bike better?

i really like both the ninja and the star, but granted i havent tested out either one. for comfort and styling i am split right down the middle, what do u think is safest for someone who has no experience?

[megaspaz]

so…. this guy said you had a chance of popping a wheelie on a ninja 250? the only way you’d pop a wheelie on a ninja 250 is if you tried to pop a wheelie. Yamaha sales guy full of shit.

[Munch]

I think lighter is more in reference to ease of turn and gettin around better in tight turns. Typically Cruisers are harder to do wheelies then sport bikes… however I think he misrepresented. I gotta wonder where the question line went and how his bonus for the month is set up.
Cruisers will have in some instances a more lower center of gravity giving itself to better balance but as earlier can have a tendency to be heavier.
It all will come down to which feels more comfortable to you. Those are 2 very different animals.

[SantaCruzRider]

The guy either doesn’t know jack about riding, or he’s a jerk who’s counting on you knowing even less.

When all things are equal (and they NEVER are), cruisers are less likely to wheelie and a bit more stable in a panic stop. Compared to a standard, they are also less responsive to rider input and may be less likely to be safely ridden through a tight situation.

Truth is that with even the smallest bit of common sense/training you are perfectly safe from unwanted wheelies and stoppies with a Ninja 250 (as well as a Ninja 500 or GS500). I ride a 1000cc bike with about 100hp and I live a life free of the worry of wheelies. I’ve seen U-Tube vids of my bike on the rear wheel, but getting it there requires concerted effort.

Having ridden both cruiser and standard/sport, I would advise you to spend time sitting on both, riding as many as you can. I personally believe that the safest will be the one that you find the most comfortable. For me, that is the standard style like the Ninja 250. Your choice may be different, but it’s equally valid and should not be left to a dealer rep to decide — in my opinion.

[joyinc]

Thank you all!
that makes alot of sense. i figured he knew what he was talking about cause he practically talked me out of the bike he was selling and suggested i’d be better off with the ninja for the kind of driving i typically do.

i really liked sitting on both of them! so i really just have to test some out. it sounds like most dealers would lest you test out used ones?

i guess i was wondering too because i’m afraid that a smaller bike with more horsepower would send me flying?

at this point in 50/50, i want one of each!

thanks for all your help!

[DK]

Knowing the type of bike you want helps narrow things down. If you want a cruiser you should learn on a cruiser. If you want to ride a sport bike or standard I think the ninja is an excellent primer.

You must not live in FL, because dealers here do not allow test rides even on used bikes.

Have you taken the MSF yet? A little hands on practice should help you feel better about your capacity to control your bike.

[joyinc]

I’m all booked to take the course in a couple weeks! i’m really excited.

i think though that we only get to pick from cruiser type bikes in the course. i had a friend take it last year and she said thats all they had.

i find both the sport and cruisers equally comfy…gah! its such a hard decision!

but really if a ninja is easier to learn on that sounds better to me. i can always sell it later if i dont like it.

[joyinc]

Yeah, he was a yamaha salesman and came over when i was sitting on one of them, but after i told him i wanted a starter and something for the 80k highways, he thought i’d be better off on a ninja too

i really hope i’m able to take them out for test rides!

[Rupmisc]

I don’t mean to hijack the thread, but cruiser or standard, I now might suggest that, unless you are planning on moving up in a hurry (like I did-not to say it was a good idea), you might consider whether your first bike has drum brakes. My first bike is a Nighthawk CB250. For me, it was a great beginner’s bike. BUT, the biggest shock of riding the next bike was getting used to disk brakes, which I believe required a serious re-learning experience. Were I doing it again, that might make a difference to me. I might have considered starting with disks, and ingraining an earlier respect for insta-grabiness.

[joyinc]

Oh… what does the ninja have?

[TerriKhali]

I started on a Suzuki GS500, and have bought 3 since, the same, 500. I just buy newer when its about 5 years or so, sell my existing one, and have surprisingly little left to pay to move up.
Now, I am a female, and the thought of being able to LIFT the bike, should is fall, is also important to me. That is really something to think about too!

Also, on my FIRST GS500, I stripped it bare. I got an aftermarket headlight, front signals, you know, that stuff, and rode it like that for about 2 years. Then I put the plastics back on, all clean and scratch free- thus retaining more value in my bike for resale.

Altho I first figured after a few years I would out grow the size, I’m just so content on how it rides, and preforms, that at this point, I still have no desire to more up.

Just remember, being a new rider, its VERY likely that the bike will tip a few times. Its NOT a reflection on your skill, its just things that you dont think of until it happens, my biggest bone head was NOT realizing that asphalt gets REALLY soft in the summer, and kickstands CAN, and WILL, sink in, and tip it. *lol*

Plastic is STUPID expensive to replace too- hence, the strip down for a year or two, until you start getting into your comfort zone. Besides, a STRIPPED Suzuki looks surprisingly close to your other option…. At least, in *my* opinion, for what its worth!

I would recommend a Suzuki GS500F. Its not ALOT bigger, but your not likely to out grown it soon, and its not so much bigger that it will scare you, or that you’ll be riding on one wheel by mistake- common sense will have you adjusting to it remarkably soon. I haven’t wheelied yet…and have no plans to, any time soon.

Hope you can break that 50/50 deadlock, and that you make the choice thats right FOR YOU!

[DK]

…

[Clay Dowling]

They won’t give you the kind of protection that crash bars on cruisers give, but they should keep the plastics mostly off the cement. My bike has tipped over twice, and the crash bars prevented any damage but to my ego.

[joyinc]

Thanks so much!

This forum has been so helpful

i didnt know that you could ride a sport bike without the fairings. the only thing i dont like about the look of the ninja is the bottom fairings…they just look out of place to me.

how does the suzuki compare to the ninja in price?

[TerriKhali]

First off, you sure can strip them! This is a before of my bike (NOT exactly MINE, but same type)

and after:

Now, doing a “quick search”, I couldn’t find your EXACT bike that you are looking at, (I KNOW its NOT a ninja 200, I know, but it give an idea) it will resemble this, kinda, if your not going to compare all the obvious differences, it IS kinda similar in look when stripped down of the plastics, kinda: (Did I add’ KINDA’, and ‘RESEMBLE’ enough? *lol*)

Corse, its going to depend on WHAT you do to it, and what your willing to spend to change it, but if you go aftermarket parts like I do, it cost me a WHOPPING $144.00 to switch, and that was including TAX. Remember tho, Im in Canada, so if your spending more then $100.00 in parts to switch, your paying too much, IF your going low to low-mid range. Corse, like ANYTHING on your bike, you CAN spend as much as you want- but why? You just doing this to help you relax around you bike, and NOT pay a fortune, and save your ferings until you hit that 2 year “zone” OR decide you want to sell and move up, or should it drop, why spend alot, right?

As for cost, again, I’m in CANADA, so, it will be a bit higher for me here. Your BEST bet is to shop around and look. You *MIGHT* even consider the local buy and sell for your first bike, and if theres one a few years old will run you about $2,500.00 ISH. Just look for the deals, but be careful with a used bike, find a mechanic that you can ask to inspect after hours, or pay to do that FINAL check for you, before you buy. or even yet, do a “sale PENDING it passes a safety inspection” but GET IT IN WRITING. Add a clause that if it passes the inspection, its a done deal, but if it doesn’t, you have (my girlfrind uses 5 days) to return it for full refund. Most people at this point, *IF* theres anything wrong, will confess it to you! *lol*

My guy charges me a coffee to come and look, with the promise that anything *I* don’t do myself, it goes to his garage. *shrugs* You’ll find someone like that too, if you look.

Just be careful, and make sure you get what feels right to you. Don’t let ANYONE pressure you into something your not sure of. If the salesroom person try’s it, excuse yourself from them, and look for another sales person.
Bottom line, when you find the right bike, SHE WILL WHISPER TO YOU, “i’M yours!” I swear, you’ll hear it!

But maybe this will help you to see the potential of the bike your thinking of, naked!
Just Google the bike you like, and add the word “naked” with it, then click images… it just might be what you need to push you over the edge, into a choice.

Good luck, and let us know what you get!

[Author]

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