[Jeff in Kentucky]

Another tip for a scooter is that the brake levers at the handlebars can be moved to foot levers, with a fairly small amount of custom fabrication. This would be a lot cheaper than the Aprilia Mana in stock condition, and you would not have a motorcycle with too much power for a beginner.

I would sign up for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation beginner course, and rent a little scooter for at least a day or two while you are waiting for the class, to do some parking lot practice for braking and turning slow.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

I am planning to go to Deals Gap, Tennessee (it borders North Carolina) for the third time next month, with about 7 other people on motorcycles, and maybe 1 driving. We will stay at a motel for 2 nights in either Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. It is about 250 miles from my home, with a long stop for lunch and several extra fuel and rest stops. We go here for the curvy mountain roads, the scenery, good restaurants, and seeing a lot of other motorcyclists.

My typical ride is a 22 mile loop near my home with curvy country roads including one that is along a creek with great air to breathe. Once in a while I ride to a new bike dealership to look around and dream, or get on the interstate for an exit or two to keep used to going 75 mph. Once in a while I will do a longer day trip to a good restaurant with a couple of friends on their bikes. I used to ride 70 miles from my college to home for some of the weekends and holidays by myself, and it would be safer now since most people have cell phones to dial 911. It seems like fewer cars pull out in front of you now, because motorcycles are more common and drivers are more used to seeing them. Maybe it is also because I wear a brighter colored jacket and helmet, compared to the old days on my Yamaha XS-650 (1980 to 1985).

[Jeff in Kentucky]

It is usually worth it to hire an older mechanic that has years of working on these old Hondas to look at it and test ride it- it may save you a lot of money and time in the long run. Looks can be deceiving, and too few miles may mean the carbs are dirty inside and the oil seals are dried out and cracked.

The average motorcycle gets rode about 3,000 miles a year (some a lot more), and an old 350cc air-cooled bike with a good modern oil could last 80 to 100,000 miles before an engine rebuild, with some luck and proper maintenance. The 125cc engine will probably wear out faster, especially with interstate riding so it is at full throttle all the time.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

If you plan to sell the bike in a few years, the one a year newer will be worth a little more when you sell it, it has a longer warranty, and you can break in the engine the first couple hundred miles the way you choose. Either of these is a great deal, I guess because the economy is so ruined now.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Also check out something like this, if you want no clutch lever and the ability to do long 75 mph trips for less money:

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/yamaha/2008-yamaha-majesty-review-86641.html

[Jeff in Kentucky]

I might buy these saddlebags below eventually- I just put down some blanket protection, then bungee a regular rolling suitcase to the passenger seat. The saddlebags would lower the center of gravity, but I figure the suitcase is still lower than most passengers. I put the heavier stuff in the bottom.

http://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/product.php?productid=149&cat=31

[Jeff in Kentucky]

This bike lowers the center of gravity while seated:

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/dan_gurney_alligator_motorcycle/photo_07.html

The Subaru boxer engine has the lowest center of gravity for a budget car.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

It is your choice- Ideally, I would keep the 250cc for short trips, and use the bigger bike for long trips.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Both are a little low powered for a passenger at 75 mph, and I have seen that the newer one is less comfortable with a passenger. Either are better with a passenger at 60 mph.

The top right of this page has some recommended reading, including more about the 250cc Ninja, since it is so often recommended for beginners.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

I think it is best to try on several jackets. I chose the Olympia brand textile jacket- not as well known as a Vanson but a lot less expensive, and it fits me well. I am able to ride down to 40 degrees, with a couple of extra sweaters under it and the liner that came with it zipped inside. I put a thin rainjacket over it when it rains. It is supposed to be waterproof, but it leaks at the neckline and gets heavy with water.

If you have the money, a leather jacket is best for track days or for cooler street riding because it resists scraping on pavement better, but it costs more and is heavy, especially when wet or with a lot of waterproofing added to it. The top racers wear kangaroo leather because it is lighter than cow leather and strong. I used to wear a leather jacket, but I got tired of sweating so much in the summer.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Unless you are racing, the differences between the 2007 and 2008 250cc Ninjas are mostly looks and comfort. One looks older and is more comfortable, and the 2008+ has a more modern look, a stiffer stock suspension better for racing, and is less comfortable, especially for someone at least 6 feet tall.

The older one will save you a lot of cash, and you can put extra money into making it look and handle better if you want. If you hire out all maintenance and repair, you might be better off with a newer bike, because an older bike starts needing more and more work and new parts to keep it going and safer.

Here is a part I found for the newer 250cc Ninja, that makes the footpegs higher and further back for racing, or you can switch sides for them and flip them upside down to make the pegs lower and further forward, a better fit for a taller rider, but you will scrape the pegs earlier at higher race cornering speeds (there is a photo of them on the 250 Ninja at the bottom left of the page):

http://cyclecontrol.com/index.php?page=products/rsa

[Jeff in Kentucky]

My advice is lots of practice going slow in parking lots- the extra weight is not a problem over 20 mph because the bike starts to balance itself more, and braking and turning is less of a rebalancing act. You could also do exercising to make your body stronger, to more easily muscle the heavier weight around.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The traditional bobber was an early racer, and they kept the back suspension if the bike came with suspension, and the handlebars were often left stock or wider than stock, but never higher than stock so your chest acts like a sail in the wind and slows you down. Apehangers are from chopper stying, and many people mix bobber and chopper styling to what they like. Here is a more typical (and a much more expensive antique) bobber:

http://www.indian-bobbers.com/indian_1941/1941_Indian_741_Flathead_Bobber_by_Jack.php

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Here is a bobber from a motorcycle like mine:

http://www.shadowriders.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14314

[Jeff in Kentucky]

A safety check could include checking valve clearances, if the engine has cooled for several hours first, chain and sprockets or shaft or belt maintenance, looking at the tires and checking the tire pressure, checking the battery and air filter, and giving it a test ride to check for normal power and normal right and left cornering ability. Maybe changing the engine oil , coolant, brake fluid and fork oil. Maybe synchronizing the carbs and changing the spark plugs. An older bike might need new spark plug wires. The price goes up for any new parts and extra labor needed.

I am a big believer in Sea Foam to help keep the carbs or fuel injectors clean, especially when you first buy a used bike that has been parked for awhile:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/sea-foam

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