Brand new rider

[ikotsu]

[FONT="Arial Narrow"]As a first time rider I've been browsing and reading over all the information I can from all the other beginners as well as reading (thoroughly) the two linked threads in the sticky at the top of the forum about all the things first time riders have to be wary of.

Of course, as a guy, I'd really like a nice bike that I can be proud of as a starter while not overstepping the boundary of safety. I very much like the look of the 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R and it seems like a good starter bike. However, I've seen many people advise against starting with an inline-four. Is there a significant increase in risk when riding a bike of this caliber with an inline-four as opposed to starting out on a similarly powered bike with a smaller 2-stroke?

Also, many people seem to be asking questions about equipment and the general answer for newer riders is always 'as much protection as you can comfortably ride in.' Being that I've never owned or operated a motorcycle before in my life, are there any general brand names that I should look for when considering equipment that are tried and true?

Thanks for the help in advance. All these posts and questions have done a marvelous job of giving me basic riding information.

[ikotsu]

[EDIT] Another concern that comes up is that I'm a very short guy ( 5'7" ). A lot of the bikes that I've sat on recently I have a very hard time touching the ground. I've never sat on a Ninja before so I'm not sure about that bike, but are there any smaller bikes that can be recommended for looking at as a beginner bike for the vertically impared?

[rjkvikings]

The Ninja 250R is not an inline 4. It's a two cyclinder bike, and is usually recommended as a very very good starter bike by most people on these forums. I'm about 6' tall, and the bike almost feels too small for me. I think it would almost be better for someone your height.

[ken k'niff]

i'm about 5'8 i got a 95600r and i can touch flat foot with my knees bent most ninja are about the same height until you get to higher cc bikes the only one i've seen or sat on that i had to tip toe or one foot it was a 1300 cc dualsport

[tuvi]

I am 5'6... and I can flat foot my ninja 250....

[dustbuster]

I don't think you'll find a 2-stroke street bike unless it's a classic restore maybe. Pretty sure those are limited to off road use only now. I think you mean 2 cylinder, as in V-twin or Parallel twin? If that's the case then the Ninja sounds like the bike you want for a starter. If your not sure about the sport bike route, take a look at the Vulcan 500, cruiser style with the ninja engine. It will definately suit your size and is a great starter.