[CBBaron]

I find it interesting that motorcycle riders recommend cable locks while bicycle riders considers them the bare minimum protection due to how easily they are cut.

Motorcycles are ofcourse more secure than bicycles because the ignition and steering can be locked and they are much more difficult to pick up and haul away. A disc lock or a cable lock around an immobile object provide a second level of security. Each provides a different security that must be defeated an will therefore provide be even better when used together.
Best security is to use a high quality security chain or U-lock to attach the frame to an immobile object. These are ofcourse expensive, heavy and can be difficult to use. As with any type of security it is a matter of trade offs. Any system can be defeated, better systems take more effort and a higher level of sophistication.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Go find a good used Blast, Ninja 250, GS500F or Ninja 500. All of those are not hard to find used for a good price, won’t lose much value for riding a season, are somewhat sporty motorcycles, and most importantly are good motorcycles to learn the basics.

That Gixxer you have looks great and I’m sure you will enjoy it at some point. But it requires a tremendous amount of respect to ride safely and the first step in that respect is realizing it is not the bike to learn to ride on. It is a bike you learn to ride after you have mastered more basic motorcycles. You’ll appreciate the supersport much more and you will be much more likely to come out in one piece.

Craig

[CBBaron]

You are not likely to break any thing landing on your bottom due to the nice natural padding gluteus maximus provides. You just need to have abrasion protection on the rear.

The armor padding is to protect bones and joints that can be easily injured by impact. Knees, shoulders, elbows, hips. Remember motorcycling gear is designed to reduce the severity of injuries in case of an accident, not eliminate minor bruises and soreness.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Welcome to the forum and motorcycling.

This forum is based in the US but is not a regional forum. We love to hear more about your experiences and may be able to answer questions you have.

Craig

[CBBaron]

The MSF basic rider course is 1 ~4 hour evening classroom and 2 ~5hour days or riding on a parking lot course. They are usually Thursday night class with Sat and Sun riding. See what is offered in you state.

Some states offer a free or reduced price class that can waive the riding skills test required for your license. In other states only private courses are offered.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Read the article on “Why 600cc is too much”

A Banshee is a 4 wheeler not a motorcycle so there are huge differences to adjust to. It will help in your clutch, shifting and throttle control but handling and braking are much different.
A Ninja 250r is a great starter bike but if you feel you have to have more consider bikes like the Ninja 650r, FZ6R, GSX650F, EN6r, SV650 etc. These bikes have lots of power but not quite the race tuning of the supersports. Probably more importantly the handling a sitting position is more upright and relaxed making for an easier learning curve on handling.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Wait 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

[CBBaron]

Sounds like a state version of the MSF basic rider course. It should follow the course guidelines set my MSF.

Good luck with the course. You should not have much trouble. Just pay attention to the instructions and try to do things the correct way so they become habits. By the second day I found the use of the controls was much more automatic than the first day which required me thinking about every movement.

Let us know how it goes.

Craig

[CBBaron]

I’m just trying to figure out how the GS500F is perfect for you but the Ninja 250r does not fit your style? To my eye the styling of the GS500F fits right in between the older Ninja 250 and the newer one. However all 3 have sport bike styling with standard riding positions.

The older Ninja 250 especially has good value on the used market. Most are under $2000. You should not have too much trouble finding a GS500F for near $2000 and a used Ninja 500r can also be in this price range.

A TU250x is a nice small standard with a retro look. And you should be able to find some dual sports below $3000.

Craig

[CBBaron]

So far I’ve been fairly happy with the gear I have purchased.
I got most of my stuff from New Enough as the prices were good and the selection excellent.
My Tourmaster Transition 2 jacket and Caliber pants fit well and seem to be high quality with alot of useful features. I was looking for specific features like a water proof Hi-Vis jacket good to 90F and overpants in long lengths so the local shop was not likely to be much use.
I got two pairs of gloves. The entry level race gloves are good quality and seem to provide decent protection and I got them at a big discount. I also got my Alpinestar waterproof gloves at a discount but I am much less impressed with them. They are only slightly warmer than the unlined leather gloves and seem to offer much less protection. I will replace them with better cold and wet weather gloves at some point.
The boots I bought were cheap (~$100) but seem decent. I will upgrade here at some point but it seems good boots are very expensive and these are not bad.
I did get the cheap HJC helmet from a local store. So far it fits well and seems to work well also. Fogging was a problem initially but I got a pinlock shield and breath mask for it and it is no longer a problem. We will see if long term the fit changes.

My only recommendation is buy the best you can afford. If you go cheap you are more likely to want to replace it with better soon.

Craig

[CBBaron]

I get stares where ever I go with my textile motorcycle jacket. Hi-Vis will do that for you.

Ofcourse I get similar stares walking into a store in bicycling shorts and a hi-vis jersey. Good thing I don’t care. The advantages of being older with wife and kids is we don’t have to care what others think. Young a single you have to worry much more about peers and girls (or guys).
My wife says I look like robocop in my full gear, but she puts up with it because it helps keep me safe.

Craig

[CBBaron]

+1 Don’t worry about others.
Ride your own ride.

I went into the MSF course last fall never having ridden a motorcycle either. The first day was challenging learning the muscle memory for shifting, clutch, and brakes. Riding was very easy at decent speeds, it was slow speed maneuvers, stopping and changing gears that required habits I did not yet have. By the second day it just started coming to me and things started happening with out near as much thought required.

The course is designed with new riders in mind, so there was no expectation that you have those skills.

As for a first motorcycle. Find one you feel comfortable on and don’t worry about the style, sound or what others think. You will be having too much fun. I would suggest waiting until you have taken the course so you have a better idea what you may like and don’t like. And I would look at a used bike. A late model used bike is usually much cheaper than a new bike and if you take care of it, it will lose little value. In addition because you have less invested you will be less worried about minor damage from a slow speed drop.

There are a number of good choices out there for a first bike. Don’t feel you have to start on a small “cruiser” just because you want to get a Harley at some point. The standard riding position may make it easier to learn to ride. The TU250x is a nice retro standard that may appeal visually. The Ninja 250r is a faired bike with a standard riding position and is one of the most capable small bikes on the highway. Dual sports and supermotos are very light and more damage resistant than other road bikes and give you the option to ride more places.

Craig

[CBBaron]

There is no reason to start on a bike bigger than a 250 either. The Ninja 250r has plenty of power and speed for operating on any road in the US. The combination of very forgiving engine and drive train and light weight make it a great starter bike. And due to its resale value you lose little if you decide to sell. Even buying new and selling a year later your cost is still modest.

Bikes like the FZ6R are not heavy but still the 250r is at least 50lb lighter and slightly lower also. This makes it more forgiving when you make a mistake at slow speed maneuvering.

I’m 6’2″ 220lb and the only real disadvantage to the 250r is it is a little cramped for my legs.

Still the FZ6R is a much better bike for a beginner than the supersports despite sharing an engine configuration and size. It really a combination of engine tuning and riding position that make the supersports so ill fitted for the task.

The GSX-650F is considerably heavier than the FZ6R which makes it great for a small sport tourer but I could see that making it more of a handful for the beginner. I know I’ve caught my bike several times when I’ve made a slow speed mistake.

The Ninja 250 is light enough I can easily recover from those types of mistakes. And because it is easy I can also push myself more in those situations speeding the learning process. That I see is the big advantage of a small bike to start. It allows you to learn faster with confidence because you are not as scared of the bike.

Craig

[CBBaron]

Go for the Ninja. Even if the Lifan doe hold up the Ninja is much more useful. The smaller bike will struggle with anything more than city speeds. The Ninja 250r is very capable on any road in the US.

If you just want a toy to play with then maybe the Lifan is a decent deal if it runs well. But if you want to use the bike then the Ninja is less likely to disappoint.

Craig

[CBBaron]

They dropped the prices on KLX250s/sf also. Both are $4999.
I think all 3 are now lower than 2009 prices.
Has the value of the yen made a big swing?
(looks at charts)
Doesn’t look like much of one.
Must be poor sales.

I don’t think it is FI changes because the KLR650 still has a carb but if $400 more than last year. I don’t think emissions requirements yet require FI in the US and Kawasaki wants to keep the Ninja 250 prices low.

Looks like the GS500F pricing is just a couple hundred more than the Ninja 250.

Craig

[Author]

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