[d4mn3d]

I’ve always liked sport bikes for the styling and the maneuverability, but my dad has the notion that anything with full fairings is guaranteed speed and danger. He was against me even riding any motorcycle until recently when we went on a trip to Savannah and he saw a whole bunch of different bikes and decided that we should both get cruisers. Although I wouldn’t mind riding a cruiser (better than not riding at all) I would like to convince him somehow that a 250cc V-twin does not compare to a 600cc+ 4 cylinders found on most of the sport bikes he’s familiar with.

Also for the price of a used cruiser bike I figure a brand new 2008 ninja would be a much better deal.

Any input is appreciated and I hope to hear from you guys soon.

Thanks!

[Candice]

Is your Dad looking at 250cc Cruisers or higher cc cruisers? If he’s looking at 500-600cc cruisers then you can say that the 250cc is less cc’s anyways and therefore more appropriate for a beginner and show him some of these articles on this website. There are a few on the NINJA too. Good luck!

[d4mn3d]

He wants to get a huge cc machine, but I’ve convinced him that these being our first bikes we should narrow our search down to the middle level of cruisers (600-800cc).

What I want to convince him is that this bike just looks like its older more powerful siblings, yet it has an engine that is easy enough for a beginner to comfortably learn on. He sees kids riding their street bikes like idiots (popping wheelies, and speeding in excess) on the highway all the time, and I think that’s what has him convinced that I’ll be doing the same if he lets me get a street bike.

[eon]

I read something a long time ago on how to persuade parents to let you do something. It went something like “Dad/Mom, you raised me to know right from wrong and to have a level head on my shoulders. Now is the time to trust you did a good job or admit you have failed”. I’m not doing that quote justice but you get the idea. You actually sound more level headed than your father. You have done some research on what makes a good beginner bike (admittedly to justify what you want but that’s ok ). Your dad is basing his decision on stereotypes. You could point out the stereotypical cruiser dude is in his 40’s, wears no protective gear and rides from bar to bar. Does that mean that’s what he will do? Course not. Same applies to you and sport bikes.

I suspect however the squid argument is just a front to justify what he wants. He wants a cruiser and would love to go riding with his son. Nothing wrong with that and it’s something you should think twice about before walking away from. There will always be time to get the sport bike later.

[d4mn3d]

True, I would love to go riding on Sundays with my dad (only day he doesn’t work) and I would sacrifice anything to make him happy. I guess there’s always a time and place to get what I want, and right now I could do without a sport bike as long as I’m on the open road riding!

Thanks for your input, I’m sure a cruiser will be just as much fun. I hope to be more active on these forums when I start riding.. Thank you!

[zeppelinfromled]

I would just use the argument that the best bike is what you feel the most comfortable on. The more comfortable you feel using the bike, the safer it is. In terms of power, see if you can get him to ride a Ninja 250, just briefly. He’ll realize that it’s not full of power like a lot of the 600cc+, 4 cylinder sport bikes he sees around.

[DK]

There is no reason why a sport bike and a cruiser can’t share a lane together.

[eternal05]

1. The Ninja 250 is a very low-displacement bike
2. It is NOT powerful, even though it’s plenty fun to ride
3. It is very nimble, and easy to ride for a beginner
4. It’s a short/light bike, making it easy to heft
5. High ground clearance means less risk of dragging hard parts when learning

Really it comes down to the fact that your dad (if he wants to get a “huge-displacement cruiser”) doesn’t seem well informed as to what is or isn’t a good beginner bike, and should get pointed towards this site or others. The Ninja 250 is THE world standard beginner bike, so claiming that it’s too unwieldy for beginners is a show of ignorance on his part.

P.S. One tiny anal-retentive note: The 250 is a parallel-twin, not a V-twin.

[Candice]

That’s what I was thinking. I ride with my bro and he has a Yamaha R6 sportbike and I have a cruiser, so there!

[briderdt]

My wife rides a Suzuki C50. I ride an SV650. Cruiser/sporty. We manage to make it work.

Though she’s convinced our “next bike” will be a Goldwing. I don’t think so…

[SafetyFirst]

Maybe try looking at the Buell Blast? It’s sure to keep dad happy. I’ve never rode one, but I’ve heard they can be OK for beginners? Someone who rides or rode one could probably give some words on it.

I love my 07-and-older Ninja. Yes, the styling isn’t as sweet as the newer Ninjas. But there’s a certain feeling I get looking at it and riding it. It’s MY bike. And I love how the seat on the older ones is lower to the ground than the newer ones– it’s very easy to put the feet down. I’d suggest looking at an 07 or older. For one, they’re cheaper, as long as you find that fraction of guys that actually have a decent bike priced less than they bought it for five years ago.

[SantaCruzRider]

the easiest route might be to have him hook you up with a cruiser. Worse things have happened to a guy. And then in a few years, you can “upgrade” to a sport bike and it will be like going from a B&W rabbit-ear TV to full-color HDTV. — kidding.

Everyone has given good suggestions. And while agreeing that your dad is wrong in this, sometimes it’s just way better to see that you can’t lose in this deal and it might not be worth pushing for your ideal bike right now. If you look around, you may also find a cruiser that rides more like a standard. The basic Harley Sportster comes to mind, with a riding position much more neutral and similar to a sport/tourer (I’m not suggesting your get an 883, just pointing out the ergos.)

As an alternative, you might look at some of the dual-sports. Many of them are more street bike than dual-anything. They have a more upright riding position, like sports, but may not make your dad think “street hooligan”.

Good luck

[eternal05]

[Elias]

I will be riding my Ninja with an enduro and a sportster…talk about diversity and equality!

[Elias]

+1

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