- This topic has 7 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 12 months ago by Overtime.
im new and cant decide
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April 22, 2010 at 11:39 pm #3896Gr33nberetParticipant
Hey y’all. My name is mike and I’m from texas. I’ve really wanted to start riding a motorcycle since I turned 16. I’m shipping out to basic for the army soon and will have training until april, after which I will receive a 7000 dollar bonus. I already have all my gear planned out which includes mostly gear from shift racing. However the biggest question for me is whether to get a kawasaki ninja 250 or a ninja 500. Now I haven’t ridden at all, I intend to take the course and get my class m license. I’m 5’7 and weigh 190 so far and I have gone to a dealership and sat on the bikes. I can sit a bit straighter up on the 250 while the 500 I have to lean over a bit more and it puts more weight on my wrist. I’m not sure how much highway driving ill be doing and I mostly want a bike for simple commuting with the occasional joyrides thrown in. I will also have a pickup truck for bad riding days and to haul. My stuff and my bike around. I really can’t decide between the 250 and 500 so any tips would be great. Also feel free to throw in tips on whether to get a ford f150, a dodge ram, or a chevy 1500 if you would like. Thanks much and I hope to start ridin soon!
April 23, 2010 at 1:27 am #25922owlieParticipantWelcome to the group. Congratulations on joining the military. We appreciate your commitment to serve.
My first suggestion is to wait until after Basic to see where they are going to send you before making any major purchases. It would be a shame to have that nice shiny new bike sitting in storage while you are sitting in a desert.
My second suggestion is to wait until after you take the MSF class to decide what bike to get. Also, check with whatever base you are going to end up at to see what their requirements are for riding on base.
As for the rest… I can’t really help you.
April 23, 2010 at 12:22 pm #25936CBBaronParticipantWait as said above….
Then either choice works. The Ninja 250 is capable of 90+ mph so it has no problem with freeway speeds. The 500r will be a little faster and it will pull a little harder in high gears but both are very capable bikes. I would get the one that fits you better, after you take the MSF course. Style may ofcourse play into the decision as the new Ninja 250rs are much more modern looking than the Ninja 500r. Kawasaki has dropped the 500r in favor of just having the 250r and 650r. But there are still plenty of new models available and plenty of support.
Craig
April 23, 2010 at 9:20 pm #25942eternal05ParticipantAnd another +1 to the Ninja 250. It’s a great bike, and if you really ring its neck, it will make you a much better rider much faster than any larger bike.
April 27, 2010 at 4:11 am #25977madjak30ParticipantI would wait until you have done your riding course as well, but if you are like me and can’t wait…I was told that if you must get one, get the bike with the most standard riding position since most people will have better control in this position…so if you sit more upright on the 250, that is probably the way to go. It will also be a lighter bike which will help you in the learning curve.
And as a Canadian, I would like to thank you for enlisting and serving your country, and really, the whole continent. I salute you. Good luck.
April 28, 2010 at 3:43 am #26015SantaCruzRiderParticipantFor someone about your size, I don’t think you can go wrong with either the 250 or 500. Both are rock solid, neutral ergo bikes. But beyond that, each will feel a bit different for you than for me or perhaps anyone else on this board. Even having a few hours on a bike in the BRC will give you infinately better perspective on what feels right.
For commuting and in particular for city riding, I find an upright and more standard position to be the most comfortable. It gives you good visibility and reduces that traffic light groundhogging that can get old when you combine the sport bike bend with stop-n-go traffic.
Oh, and I’m also pushing for the Ford.May 3, 2010 at 5:13 pm #26139OvertimeParticipantHey there,
+1 to the grats on joining the military. Good luck in basic!
I did a bunch of research on this same topic, and what I came up with is that the 500 is really dated technology. I also think it looks ugly! I’ve read a ton of forums comparing the 250r and 650r as a first bike, and read success stories for both. I personally got a 650r as my first bike, and so far so great! I would heartily recommend it HOWEVER I think it depends a lot on your mentality. The 650r was a longer term investment for me; I wanted something exciting that had more power than I needed. I wanted to learn on something I could grow into, that was also accessible to a novice. (Unlike, say, the 600RR that the jackass at the dealership tried to sell me. WTF???)
I think it comes down to an honest assessment of your goals and your personality. Can you know that the bike has power in the bank that you won’t use for some time, and slowly work your way up? Or do you want to master a smaller bike that you can push to its limits sooner, and that has a hard cap on how much trouble you can get yourself into?
The 650r has a very smooth power band (not that I have much to compare it to), and if you are in a cautious and thoughtful frame of mind, you can keep yourself safe on it. However it also has the power to respond to dangerous thinking with dangerous action.
Also, be careful about subconscious thoughts along the lines of “I’m about to be doing [xyz deadly military thing], so what do I have to fear from riding?” Remember lawrence of arabia died on his motorcycle.
Be safe, and try to be honest about what you will do with the power in your hands!
May 3, 2010 at 5:17 pm #26140OvertimeParticipantForgot to mention, I’m 5’6” (28″ inseam) and even with a lowering link on the 650r I can’t get both feet flat on the ground if I’m in thin soles. You’ll probably want to get it lowered, or if you are lucky, find one that’s already lowered! I got mine off craigslist with 600 miles on it. It was ridden by the seller’s wife – a new rider who had frame sliders installed and had it lowered. She ended up not liking it, and I was happy to take over for her.
Oh yeah, and the other advice if it isn’t obvious is don’t buy a new bike. If you want the shiny new feeling, get one 1-2 years old. Plenty of people buy a bike and then don’t want it for many different reasons. Let them pay the 3 grand extra to ride it off the dealer’s lot…
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