[vikings333]

Hey guys, first off I love this site. It has been tons of help in my early stages of learning. Im 18, 5’8 and 150. I have been wanting sport bike for awhile. Just recently i signed up for the safety class. I think I have decided on the 08 ninja 250r. Its got the sporty look but wont be a scare to ride. Good idea? The only concern is that i might “outgrow” this bike. I know this probably wont be a problem but i don’t want to have to buy a bigger bike in a year. Also I just I was wondering about insurance. Being an 18 year old male with a bike is expensive. Whats a good provider to use? I have no accidents. Anyway, any comments or advice or anything would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[megaspaz]

Obviously age and experience. Having one or the other can lower the cost of insurance some, but not as low as having both age and experience. Also, how and where you plan to ride, and the class of bike will factor in as well. You just have to shop around. One thing you might want to try is to piggy back on your parent’s policy, especially if your parents have clean driving records. As far as policies go, I’d say you can forget about full coverage. I shopped around and for me, everyone wanted at least $1800 USD/year for full coverage. I went with one step above minimum legal for liability and uninsured motorist only. That sets me back about $760 USD/year (about 60+ bucks/month). I went with my auto insurer since I got an extra discount for having a current auto and renter’s policy with them. I got age and a clean record, but not experience and I told them my only riding will be weekend riding with the estimated miles per year being set at their minimum of 9K. I’ve heard State Farm offers the lowest rates, at least here in Cali, but everyone that says that has other autos insured with them. I’m using nationwide myself. Anyhoo, all this talk of insurance rates depends on a variety of factors, so the only thing I can say is to shop around.

Oh, and if you belong to any motorcycle associations, a lot of carriers will offer discounts for members (i.e. American Motorcycle Association, etc.).

—
If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…

[RobbieJ]

I’ve done a little bit of shopping around and you’ll be relieved to know that the Ninja 250R is not considered a sport bike with insurance companies. You’ll get a reasonable price, I believe. I’ve got some time on ya being 33 y/o but, I have never been licensed on a motorcycle and was quoted at around $600/year with full coverage by Progressive. That’s not bad, at all, I don’t think. Also, one of the best features I’ve noticed with the Ninja 250 and the 500 is their resale value. If you get either of these 2 and you decide in a year or 2 that you want something bigger you will not have a problem selling them. Knock around $500-$1000 off of the MSRP and it will get snagged up by somebody in your exact circumstance now that would rather spend a few hundred less and a few thousand miles on it than the full cost of a new bike. You’re doing yourself good with the 250, from what I’ve read, you won’t regret it.

[Author]

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