[CBBaron]

The Ohio BRC is $25 through the state run program, however there is usually a 3-6 month wait to get in a class. The Harley Riders Edge and a few other private programds are around $300 but spots are available within a few weeks. I think the course is easily worth the $300 but if your cheap like me $25 is hard to pass up.

Starting on a Ninja 250 was not a hard decision for me when I look at used prices for these vehicles. Based just on Blue Book values it should cost me a couple hundred in value to ride my ’06 for 2 years and 10000 miles. That and its easy to ride, cheap to insure, cheap to buy and very capable of highway speeds.

The 750 for $1000 is a good price if nothing serious is wrong, but if you are young insurance will cost you and it will be a much steeper learning curve. You have to do whats right for you but my choice would be a used smaller bike.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Around here I would say you could get a `90s ninja 250 for $1000 and an early-mid `00s for $1500. They are excellent value.

An older bike is a matter of comfort with mechanical repairs. I would expect a bike that old to need some work when you buy it or shortly after. If you love to play with engines and don’t mind some effort then you can get some nice looking older bikes. If your like me and wanted something cheap that ran well, look for a late model, low mileage, small bike. Got my `06 ninja 250 for $1600.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Most 600cc bikes are inline 4 race replica bikes with over 100hp. In addition to the very high power they also have very aggressive riding positions and are very responsive to control inputs. Not good things for a new rider.
I’m 6’2″ and found fitting on entry level bikes to be difficult. Not sure whats available to you but the old style (ninja)EX-250 (pre `08), and the GS500F fit me quite well. I also liked the supermoto and the taller dual sport bikes. The new (ninja)EX-250 and (ninja)EX-500 and most other sport or cruiser bikes in that size range felt cramped.

Some people start out on twin cylinder 650s. These bikes are less aggressive than the I-4s but still alot of bike. I just got an `06 EX-250. It was like new, cheap and plenty capable of any legal speed even with me on it. If I decide to trade up in a year or 2 I won’t lose much money. Atleast in the US a used ninja 250r is probably the best value for starter bikes, and they look good too

Craig

[CBBaron]

Thanks for the comments.
I’m in Cleveland, which means nice weather for riding wil be in short supply until spring. I still hope to get a few chances to practice this winter so I can start “riding” once the weather improves. Today looks nice so I’m going to ride around a parking lot for a while. Unfortunately I don’t have plates for the bike yet so I can’t take it on any roads.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Bought a nearly new Ninja 250 at a great price.

Here is the picture from the add. I’ll try to get some pictures riding it tomorrow. I can’t go far because I don’t have tags for it yet.

Craig

[CBBaron]

I have been lusting after the supermotos also. And they are fairly expensive. The Japanese supermotos are $5000-$6000+ and the Euros are even more expensive. In addition its a fairly new style for road factory built machines so very few used bikes.
After perusing CL and reading reviews a DR650 looks like it might be a good option. Fairly common for a dual-sport, inexpensive, enough power for the road and comfortable for my long legs. I really like the WR250 but it is much more expensive and limited availability used. Nice thing about dual-sports is that even the DR650 is lighter than a ninja 250r.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Right now I’m checking craigslist and several rider forums several times a day, and I haven’t even gotten the OK from my better half yet. Seems to be plenty of ninja 250s on the market and quite a few rebels and SV650 s. However I was interested in dual-sports, which seem to be pretty rare. Still I’m unlikely to get much riding in before spring so I have plenty of time to hunt.

There were only 7 people in the class. 2 TW200s, a rebel, a gz250 and 3 nighthawks. Among the 7 bikes I think we could have found 1 working turn signal for each bike and a mirror for every other one. They all did seem to start and run without a problem.

Craig

[CBBaron]

They passed me!! I just need to go back to the BMV to get my license updated.

Here’s the bike I was riding the last couple days.

From ADV

And no I was not responsible for any of the damage.

Craig

[CBBaron]

No experience with riding but have sat on quite a few beginner bikes and I’m similar to your size at 6’2″ with a 34″ inseam.
The GS500F fit me great and is said to be a good beginner. The Ninja 650r and En6r(naked ninja 650) also were very nice with much more comfortable riding positions than the supersport bikes (600 I-4s).

I tried the 250r and the 500r ninjas but found that the crease in the tank your knee is supposed to tuck under for aerodynamics hit me right in the side of the knee. It did not seem like it would be comfortable for any distance.

I am looking a Dual sports and supermotos. The Aprilla seems like it would be a little too high strung for a beginner, however the Yamaha WR250x and the Suzuki DRZ400sm both look to be nice bikes and they fit tall guys very well. The higher seat and upright sitting position seems like it would be advantageous in the city as would the good suspensions and light weight. Only problem is that supermotos are harder to find used as they are a newer style and are less common than sport bikes are cruisers.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Some good points but one I disagree with and a couple are only sometimes true.
Loud pipes are mostly about ego. Either for the sound or the supposed “performance” increase. The “Loud Pipes Saves Lives” quote is just used to validate it. A hi-vis helmet or jacket would help avoid many more accidents than any pipe but you don’t see many of those on the road.

And while many riding outfits are for safety 95% are also for looks. It is an image the rider is going for. Whether that is the tough biker with black leather and tats. Or the racers with logos all over the outfit.

However I have found it very true, especially of the cruiser crowd, that most motorcyclist are just average people with families and jobs that enjoy riding. Even the ones with the most obnoxious bike are the toughest looking outfit tend to be pretty good people when you talk to them.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Watched most of the coverage. Those guys are crazy and very fast. Many of the top guys had been doing this for years and competed in all the 2-wheel classes. Side car had their own races.
It appeared that the top racers were Pro TT racers, where the TT was their primary or only major race. A number of other competitors were various amateurs. It seemed to be really competitive you had to dedicate yourself to learning the 37 mile course and finding the fastest lines through each corner. Not something a person can do in a week.
It did make for some great video.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Finally sat on a couple bikes myself over the weekend (MSF is scheduled for October). Was at a Suzuki dealership so only saw those bikes. My opinion was similar to yours. The GS500F was one of the most comfortable in the initial seat test. The Vstrom was probably my favorite. Also like the DR650 and the TU250x was not bad though it was small and the handlebars hit my knees.
Looking at pictures the Vstrom and dual sports seemed tall but did not feel that way in person. I guess being 6’2″ has its advantages.

I didn’t really care for the cruiser style, especially since even the mid-weight ones seemed wide. The Sport bikes like SV650S definitely were sporty (like a racing bicycle) but not what I think I want right now. Ofcourse I didn’t get both feet up. The DRZ400SF felt like the seat was a 2×4. I had heard complaints about seats on dual-sports but was surprised as how hard the seat was.

Still I think I will just try to find a cheap small used bike in good shape for my first bike then decide what I want after I am comfortable riding.

Craig

[CBBaron]

No Motorcycle yet but I commute by bicycle everyday, and it definitely feels more personal when they threaten your life. Most times I can shrug it off but careless behavior, especially stupid life threatening behavior just to get to their destination a couple seconds earlier, really boils my blood.

Luckily the ride is enjoyable enough to forget the rage fairly quickly.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Less maintenance.
You don’t need to oil a belt.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Belt Drive seems to be popular with some cruisers.
I think all Victory motorcycles, some Vulcans, the S40 and probably a few others I am missing.

Belt drive makes sense for alot of these cruisers as it is less maintenance than a chain drive but is less expensive, more efficient and lighter than a shaft. Plus the most popular cruisers (HD) have belt drives so the others try to copy.

Craig

[Author]

Posts