- This topic has 4 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by Zig308.
Wes from illinois. 17 and looking to get a starter motorcycle
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August 4, 2009 at 10:22 pm #3236lethalllamaParticipant
I live north of chicago and ever since i was little i loved bikes. im 17 so i think its about time to move onto big boy bikes. i have $1600 right now and should have $1800 by the end of the summer. looking for good starter bikes that look like fast bikes such as the kawasaki ninja 250r, and some older honda cbrs. My rents arent so happy but they said they wont stop me so hell ive been looking at bikes non stop.
I hear the 250r is too slow and light for a starter bike, that youll get knocked around on the highway, is this true? cuz that bike is sexyyyyy.
plus any other good looking starter bikes i could look at?
August 5, 2009 at 3:12 am #21236owlieParticipantIf you want a 250, get a 250. Your parents will be thrilled that you made a responsible choice for your first bike.
Unless you are going to spend alot of time doing highway driving (I would define that as more than half an hour daily), I wouldn’t worry about it not having enough at the top end or being too much of a sail.
Eternal got a Ninja 250 for his first bike and has written reams on how much he loves it.
For other suggestions on sexy beginner bikes, see this article.
Best of Luck!
OwlieAugust 5, 2009 at 5:28 pm #21260eternal05Participant0-60mph in 5.0-5.5 seconds is really pretty damn fast. It’s in the same ballpark as, say, a Subaru WRX STI or an Audi S4. The lightness of the bike makes it very nimble and easy to flick from side to side, and I can still smoke 99% of cars on freeway on-ramps (not that I do…mind you…*ahem*). Best of all when you’re beginning, you can really muscle it around at slow speeds to avoid what would be drops with a heavier bike. The price, fuel economy, and insurance are all other selling points. Top end is also not your concern at this point. Just about any motorcycle will go faster than you should on the street (though I’m all for whippin’ it up at the track). The 250R doesn’t have any problem going fast if it needs to (e.g. freeway haul at 70mph), but it does rev high to do that. Some people get unnerved running the engine at that level and feel a bit more vibration than on other bikes. Honestly I never found it to be an issue.
Second, NO CBRs! No R6s, no GSX-Rs, no ZX-6Rs, no Daytonas, no race-tuned bikes! These are NOT beginner friendly bikes at all. The difference between these and a 250R is night and day, and will probably not make you the better man for it. There are lots of great beginner bikes suggested all around this site, so really scrape it for everything it’s got.
Finally, just so that you don’t think this advice is coming from somebody who doesn’t like to go fast and have fun, I do own a bigger and faster bike now, and I visit the track pretty regularly during riding season. All the same, the 250R still sits in my garage because it’s the better of my bikes for commuting and riding around town.
August 17, 2009 at 7:35 am #21672Shadow89ParticipantHey lethalllama,
You remind me of how I thought when was first considering a motorcycle. As I stated in my post my dream beginner bike was a Yamaha r6. I think seeing one and what it is capable knocked some sense into me. Eternal05 has a point, a 250 will provide a great riding experience on a safe level. You didn’t hear this from me but top speed on my 250r is 100-105mph, which is more than enough for beginners. At 17 I doubt you’ll be doing high speed racing, so the 250 has unbeatable gas mileage ideal for commuting. Plus if you do get bored of your 250 in a couple of months you can always drop money on tuning and upgrades. A full exhaust system can add 4-5hp and give the motorcycle a better sound.
August 25, 2009 at 3:11 pm #21914Zig308Participant49cc’s and $2400 or so. Don’t even need a motorcycle license for it in most states if you keep it under 35mph
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