[WeaponZero]

It needs pink tassels and a Rainbow Brite sticker on the side fairing.

[WeaponZero]

Though I haven’t ridden a Ninja 250 specifically, I have ridden a couple 250cc cruiser/standard style bikes, and I can describe the experience as “scary” when moving at highway speeds. I understand that the Ninja 250 is like a 250 on steroids, but still…

Bikes I’ve ridden so far: My SV650, 1976 Kawasaki KZ400, Suzuki GZ250, Honda Rebel 250, Yamaha TW200,1980 Kawasaki KZ440LTD. Maybe it’s just because I learned on my SV650, but i like having “headroom”. I like knowing that I’m not pushing my bike for all that it’s worth to keep up with traffic on a highway where traffic is moving at 85mph. I like knowing that it can “cruise” at that speed should I be in for a long (5 hours, lets say) trip on said highway. And hopping on a bike that makes significantly less power than I’m used to, well, that scares me enough to make my face turn white…

[WeaponZero]

Actually I’ve never ridden one. My understanding of the ninja 250 comes from other posts by forum members here, which there seems to be some discrepancy about. Some Ninja 250 owners claim that their bike is all they’ll ever need, others say that it doesn’t like being on the freeway for extended periods of time. I choose to go by the pessimistic view. You may be happy with it and not feel the need to upgrade, but apparently a lot of people do. I’m playing it safe and assuming that anyone looking into one probably falls into that category.

[WeaponZero]

I moved away from Boca in 2002. I lived there during my high school years. Not a place I would like to go back to. Snobs abound.

[WeaponZero]

Matt: The CB750 is one of the most produced bikes ever made. It was essentially made from 1969 to 2002 (the Nighthawk 750 still used the old tried and true 750 engine from the CB series). I anticipate that finding parts shouldn’t be a problem for him. HOWEVER….

Buying a 26 year old bike/car/mechanical device of any kind is always a bad idea if you plan on using it for anything more than a once-or-twice-a-month cruise. The problem is metal fatigue. Frame components become tired over time and those can’t really be replaced without essentially rebuilding the bike from the ground up.

[WeaponZero]

The Ninja 250 will be all the bike you need in the beginning but if you do a lot of stuff on the highway (especially on that toll road that goes out from West Mifflin to WV) you will begin to see the bike’s limitations and will want to upgrade to something bigger and more powerful eventually. However, if you do “light/occasional” highway riding, you’ll probably never feel the need to upgrade. A ninja 250 tops out at just above 100mph but really doesn’t like maintaining speeds above 80 for extended periods of time.

[WeaponZero]

The reason behind the visual difference between the 250 and 500 is because the 250 got updated this year with a new look like the bigger ninjas, while the 500 hasn’t been updated much since it was introduced back in the 80s. Regardless of which bike you get you won’t get bored with it in a short amount of time and you likely won’t begin to feel the limitations of a 250 until you start taking it on the highway. They can do highway speeds ok, they’re just not really all that great at it.

If style really is that important to you and you want a beginner-friendly sportbike, there should only be 2 bikes on your radar: Ninja 250 and GS500F.

[WeaponZero]

I’m new to riding myself and I live in Pittsburgh, too. I’ve been riding for about ~3-4months and have been using my bike as transportation. I have a red 2000 Suzuki SV650. Whereabouts in Pittsburgh are you? I’m in Brookline. My niece is named Bianca

You’re going to love the MSF course. If you take it at CCAC South Campus, with Bernie Hauger as the instructor, you’ll have an awesome time. He’s a funny guy.

As far as starting out on a 250 or 500 goes, definately. I only got my SV650 over a ninja 500 because I managed to get such a sweet deal on it. I don’t regret it though. If you want a sportbike style beginner friendly bike, the Ninja 500, Ninja 250, and GS500F are your best bets. Don’t go with a Hyosung because the only dealership around here is crappy and doesn’t service the bikes, only sell them. My dad went there a couple months back and they told him he’d have to take the bike to Greensburg to get it serviced. That’s what, 2 counties away? After they told him that he walked out without a bike, and bought a used Kawasaki.

Anyway, hope you have fun on whatever bike you get and if we get some more Pittsburgh area members we can organize group rides. Right now I’ve got nobody to ride with cause the only people I know around here who ride are people I would get a restraining order against if I could.

[WeaponZero]

The SV650 is sort of straddling the line between what is and what isn’t a beginner bike. You’re going to find a lot of people who tell you that a beginner has no business on one, and you’re going to find a lot of people who tell you the exact opposite. Me, I fall in with the latter because I started out on one myself and I don’t regret it. If you want one, go for it, just don’t get the faired one or else you’re going to cry when you drop it

[WeaponZero]

I have a lot of friends who live out in the bay area and they’ve been pressuring me to move out there. But I can’t afford to until I graduate

[WeaponZero]

I had been riding for about 3 months, commuting everyday to and from work on my bike, before i took the MSF BRC. And I learned a LOT from it. Especially on the 2nd day of riding when they had me doing figure 8s, swerves, and reacting to emergencies.

[WeaponZero]

I like the look of the bike a lot, and I’m sure it’s fine, but I just can’t get past the fact that just about every review I’ve read essentially says that the SV650N is superior in just about every way. But then, I’ve always been more of a function over form guy, and if the uglier bike does better in tests, then it’s what I’d get. That’s just me though…

NOT that an SV650 is ugly of course!

[WeaponZero]

I’m going to be the devil’s advocate here only because I know quite a lot of people who started out on old 600s from the mid 90s and older and turned out to be fine. Are they twitchy? Yes. Are they harder to control? Yes, mostly due to the fact that their powerband essentially begins halfway through the rev range. You’re minding your own business cruising along when the tach needle hits the 50% mark and it’s like somebody just switched on the turbo or hit a nitrous oxide button. If you aren’t prepared for it, it will make things very…interesting, to say the least.

But none of this means you CAN’T. Most of the riders I know started out on old honda CBR600F2s and F3s from the early-mid 90s, and Suzuki Katana 600s. It’s still not as wise as starting out on, say, a 500, but they can be manageable for a beginner once you become accustomed to the peaky characteristics of the engine. But a newer one, such as a CBR600RR or a GSX-R600, no, they are suicide for a beginner.

[WeaponZero]

About 3 months, though I just graduated the MSF course on Sept. 13. My riding experience so far includes my own Suzuki SV650 (my first bike), my dad’s Kawasaki 1976 KZ400 (which is downright scary because of the thin rear tire–its like a bicycle tire), a Yamaha TW200 dual sport, and a Suzuki GZ250 cruiser. I have dropped my bike twice so far and all it has cost me is a left side mirror and a new shift lever. One of the accidents was not my fault, it was due to 2 little girls who were intentionally running out into traffic to try to get cars to slam on their brakes. I made a post about it on these forums about 2 months ago, when it happened. The other time was totally my fault; I could have sworn the kickstand was down

[WeaponZero]

Also, just to clarify things, I really do have a friend who started out on an FZR1000. He owned it for a few years until he sold it to buy a brand new GSXR750 back in 1998 and never once had any accidents on it oddly enough. It wasn’t until he got the 750 that he had his first motorcycle accident. He’s a riding instructor now which is funny considering how he started out on bikes, and he recommends that nobody do things the way he did

Although he swears up and down that the SV650 is the single best “beginner oriented” bike on the market…

Guess it’s all a matter of opinion

[Author]

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