[papperclippy]

After thinking about it and looking at some pictures, I think I meant the ZX6, not the 600. As for the 650, i just saw the new one online and it looks awesome. Just like the SV650, it’s a v-twin, which to my understanding is better for a beginner than the inline 4. The inline four just sounds awesome though, but I know the sound would make heads turn as I end up popping a wheelie at an intersection and flip over backwards:oops:

I really like the SV650, but think it might be too much bike and more than I wanted to spend on my first bike. I am well aware I will be dropping this bike at some point.

So I think I narrowed it down to the GS500 by Suzuki and the Ninja 500. I think they both fit me about the same, maybe the GS500 was a tad better. But the ninja is liquid cooled, has better brakes, and everybody recommends it. I think it comes down to more of a personal choice, the orange ninja or kiwi one. I like the kiwi color, but with the 80’s look I think the orange might be the way to go.

[papperclippy]

So I tried out, by tried out I mean sat on, the 09 250 ninjas. They look sweet, didn’t fit well at all. The inside of my thighs were where the lip of the cowling was on the gas tank and the foot shifters were too small for my feet. It was a no win situation unfortunately because I really wanted to buy one. The older ninjas actually fit better because there wasn’t that curved lip on it, but it was still small for me. I though people were joking about how the older ninjas looked, they definately weren’t.

Next I tried the ninja 500. It didn’t fit too bad, definately fit better than the 250. It was more cosmetically appealing than the older 250’s, but I still felt like the fit wasn’t there even though the price was.

After that I tried the ninja 600 I think. I am not going to lie, it felt big and heavy. It looked fast, and all I could think about was how this bike was going to kill me. It fit alright, I was able to fit to the bike if that makes sense.

I then tried the suzuki gs500. This bike felt good. The price was actually pretty decent for it. It didn’t have that many miles on it, but for some reason I could smell the scent of gasoline when I was on it. I am not sure if it had a small gas leak or what, but that still made me hesitant. To be honest, I might have actually just bought it if almost every article said it was a pain to start and the brakes suck on it. With a newbie like me, I really need a decent pair of brakes.

Lastly, I tried out the SV650. All I can say is WOW. The bike felt awesome when I was sitting on it and since it is a V-twin, it is still considered a beginner’s bike. I saw both the naked and with fairings on it. I actually liked the way it looked with and without the fairings. Price was a little steeper on this bike, but as of right now I am leaning towards this bike. There weren’t many of these bikes around where I live. Hopefully more will show up since an 07 is going for about 5500 with 5k miles on it.

I really wanted the new 250’s, but no way is it going to be comfortable for me to ride. Out of the above listed bikes should I focus on for a beginner? I saw the versy’s, it looked awkward and felt weird to sit on. But then again I haven’t sat on many cruiser styles.

[papperclippy]

Thanks for the comments and the great review by Matt. My inseam is 34, so I have a feeling that might be a problem. The more I read about the 250 ninja the more I want it. It sounds like a fun first bike to learn on. Don’t get me wrong, my male ego is saying go for the 600, but my intelligence and bank account are saying get the 250 and have fun. If the 500 fits better, would that be too much for a beginner? Also, how are my legs supposed to fit with the fuel tank? I am afraid I am going to really like this bike but my height will make it look like a clown riding a mini bike.

[Author]

Posts