so i want a bike....

[ChrisCantSkate]

yeah yeah... just like everyone else, i want a bike. if i set a pricerange of around 1500-2000 could i find a decent street bike? i dont want another over 600cc, would prefer even smaller since its my first bike.

[ChrisCantSkate]

how are the ninja 250's? theres more than a handful of 2002-2004's for under 2500 in my area

[Racing Rice]

Ninja 250s arent bad. They have a couple downsides though. They aren't the best for Freeway riding. The little motor will scream at cruising speed, they will run though. They are good for about 120mph. The other problem with them is the fact that they are light. Wind from trucks or just stong gusts of wind will whip you all over. However, they are great for around towning, and backroads. I bought one a Ninja 250R for my wife. I rode it more then she did though. Its a fun little bike that is EASY to ride (almost like a bicycle). It gets great gas mileage too.

If your doing free way riding look into getting a GS500 or Ninja 500R. Great bikes! Plenty of power to get you around, but still have a little bit of size to them, but still light enough to move around without problems. You can usually pick these up in your price range. They are great starter bikes.

Any questions feel free to ask.

[ChrisCantSkate]

hmm... the highway riding kinda worries me, since theres alot of them around here, but i dont know if i want the power of a 500 or 750. my only bike riding is on dirt bikes: a 75cc with a blown clutch, a twin cam 249, and a 426 or 429.. something like that.

for the highway riding if i was going with traffic at around 60-70 would it still be bad, or is it flying past trucks at 120mph where it gets a little pushy?

what other bikes should i look into if im trying to stay under or around 3000 (cheaper the better, but ya know)

[GT40FIED]

Originally posted by ChrisCantSkate
yeah yeah... just like everyone else, i want a bike.

Ummm...I don't. If I were gonna buy one, it'd be a Kawasaki ZII 750. Old school yo.

[KwikR6]

Hey man....good luck on the purchase...the ninja is a good starter bike IMHO....but..the only down side to getting one of those is you might get sick of it pretty fast. See you'll get one..then out grow it...and want to sell it to upgrade. I know it's not that hard to sell it with how many people are getting bikes now. But still I was going to get a 250 or 500 and my brother (Rides an R1) did the same thing..and sold his first 2 bikes. He just told me to take it really slow at first...which I did...and in all honesty I'm glad sometimes that I got my R6 at first, because now I don't need to sell it to upgrade. It still has lots of power and can still do what I need it to do.

[Racing Rice]

Chris,

The 250R gets pushed around at any speed. I was coming out of work parking lot and was getting ready to put my foot down just as a Semi was going by, it about blew me over. Luckily the bike its really light and I was able to catch myself.

500s are very user friendly. They only make about 50hp. If you've ridden a 426 dirtbike, then power wise a 500 should be fine for you. They are a little more comfortable as well.

Here is a GS500E:


Engine: Four Stroke, Twin cylinder, Air Cooled with DOHC
Displacement: 487cc
Gearbox: 6 Speed
Drivetrain: #520 Chain
Ignition: Transistorized
Starter: Electric
Fuel Tank: 5.3 gal
Seat Height: 31.1"
Dry Weight: 381 lbs

[Racing Rice]

Here is a Ninja 500R

Engine: 4-Stroke, DOHC, Parallel Twin
Displacement: 498 cc
Gearbox: 6 Speed
Drivetrain: Chain
Ignition: Digital
Starter: Electric
Fuel Tank: 4.8 gal
Seat Height: 30.5"
Dry Weight: 388 lbs


http://www.kawasaki.com/Flash/uploadFiles/k_05_EX500D_ST_2_800.jpg

[KwikR6]

This is in Canadian dollars...so do the exhange
http://www.canadatrader.com/result/detailinfo.aspx?adID=6498591

[Racing Rice]

This is a bit closer to home..

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/8/9/77549689.htm

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/4/3/77654643.htm

[ChrisCantSkate]

Originally posted by Racing Rice
This is a bit closer to home..

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/8/9/77549689.htm


thats not too bad. now only if my car was ready to sell.....

[Violent Apathy]

Yeah I've been thinkin about gettin rid of my car for a Ninja to start myself out on a lot more lately...

[MissJDM]

Ditto, I don't really wanna bike. I sat on my cousins Haybusa..with my legs hanging down because I was too short..and since then, I kinda gave up hope for them.

I like the jackets though. :thumbsup:

[Mischief]

well yah of course, hayabusa's are giant motorcycles.. I'm not even sure I'd have the reach to be able to drive one right.. big bikes

[Racing Rice]

Hayabusa are relatively low bikes, they are just really wide. Smaller bikes like the 250R have low seat heights, and are narrow which makes touching ground a lot easier.

You can lower them, bit that will usually cause problems with the handling characteristics of the bike.

[KwikR6]

yeah the busa isn't that big of a bike..just a little wider...i don't like'em anyway...over rated...sure they are fast..but when was the alst time you seen them win a MotoGP or AMA race?

[eXNBP]

www.msf-course.com i think is the site you want to cehck out first if you haven't ridden before. I had an 04 R6 last summer and crashed it from riding like a jackass. Ride within your limits and if you are injured don't stand up right away. Wait for help. My buddy stood up when he broke his theigh bone and yeah not too pretty. Always try to wear gear! Leather is your best friend :yes:

[Racing Rice]

Originally posted by KwikR6
yeah the busa isn't that big of a bike..just a little wider...i don't like'em anyway...over rated...sure they are fast..but when was the alst time you seen them win a MotoGP or AMA race?

About the same time I saw an R6 beat a Busa at the Drag strip..:toofunny: :nana: :flick:


I agree with eXNBP, definately take the MSF beginners course.. Maybe even before you buy a bike. This way you can evaluate your skills and then decide what kind of bike you should get.

[Addict]

I'd get one, but I'm too stupid to own one. Hell I drive stupid on 4 wheels. I can only imagine what would happen if I had 2.:no:

I like the looks of the R6's, but that's about all I know.

[Racing Rice]

Just get a cruiser racer boy! :D You can't do a whole lot of stupid stuff on one of those.. It would get better gas mileage riding back and forth to work too.;)

[Mischief]

I didn't mean they're big bikes vertically.. They just seem like very long bikes, I'm not sure if I'd have the arm-reach to drive one

[AzCivic]

being 6'4" and 250lbs, if i ever got a bike it'd be a busa. most other sport bikes would have me looking like a clown on a tri-cycle.

[eXNBP]

Im about 6'0" and 260 lbs and owned an r6. Not the most comfortable ride but way more flickable around the corners than an R1. I've ridden both 600cc and 1000cc bike. I actually prefer the 600 for fast pace riding in the mountains and 1000cc for posin at the beaches for bitches ;) Also first mods always to a bike is not a fender elminator, turn signals, windscreens, or exhausts but rather should be steering damper, stainless steel braided lines, and rearsets. ;)

[Racing Rice]

Originally posted by Mischief
I didn't mean they're big bikes vertically.. They just seem like very long bikes, I'm not sure if I'd have the arm-reach to drive one

I know what you mean.. At 5'10 they are a hell of a reach for me. Its almost to much, which makes me feel a bit stretched on one.

[KwikR6]

Originally posted by eXNBP
Im about 6'0" and 260 lbs and owned an r6. Not the most comfortable ride but way more flickable around the corners than an R1. I've ridden both 600cc and 1000cc bike. I actually prefer the 600 for fast pace riding in the mountains and 1000cc for posin at the beaches for bitches ;) Also first mods always to a bike is not a fender elminator, turn signals, windscreens, or exhausts but rather should be steering damper, stainless steel braided lines, and rearsets. ;)
Weren't you on R6MN??

[black95gs-t]

here is a pretty good guide to go by.

http://www.sportrider.com/ride/new_rider_guide/

[Racing Rice]

Good link man. :yes: