Hello to everyone

ags713 · 12-04-2009, 11:34 AM

First of all, let me say that this seems like a wonderful community and I've gathered an extreme amount of information just in the thirty minutes or so I've been looking around.

I'm a long-time passenger, not yet rider. I grew up on the back of various Harleys (and one Honda) and always loved it. Rode a Kawasaki KLX 250S as a teenager (never street legal), but not for long as my interests were elsewhere.
Of course, now I'm older and wiser and my interests have come back around. I'm in the very beginning stages - I'll be taking the next available MSF course, getting tips from friends who are regular riders, and going from there.

My question is more for opinions and advice. When considering a first bike, the general online consensus and that of those close to me who may be a bit over-cautious leans toward the Ninja 250R - small, light starter bike. Buy a used one, drive it to learn, then move up.

After pumping other friends for more information I'm getting different opinions. One friend put together a list of recommendations for bikes that I could learn and handle easily but that I wouldn't get bored with in a month, one of these being the Yamaha FZ6, which I have fallen in love with.

So I'm conflicted. While I try not to be over-confident, I am a quick learner, and if I put down the money for a used Ninja it would be that much longer before I'd be able to move up.

I welcome any opinions, thoughts, reviews, even general tips for a novice rider! With as much as I enjoyed being a passenger, I know I am just going to love being a rider, and I want to learn everything I can so I can continue this hobby for the rest of my life.

Biker Dash · 12-04-2009, 03:48 PM

First question I have to ask. What type of riding do you see yourself doing? My personal recommendation would be either a 500 Vulcan or a 600 Shadow. One thing about the 250 Ninja, it is FAR from being a poor choice of bike, even for an experienced rider. And it is just as good for the new rider as well, if a sportbike is what your looking for.

I would have reservations about recommending a FZ6 as a first bike. Granted, it's not an R6, bur it's still a bit more than I would recommend. If you want a fullsize sportbike that is good for a beginner, I would recommend the 650 Ninja.

Chuck A · 12-04-2009, 08:27 PM

hello and welcome

primalmu · 12-04-2009, 09:27 PM

I'll second the Ninja 650, or even Suzuki SV650. For that matter, I'd love to find myself a project Ninja 250 over the winter that I could fix up and have fun with in the twisties.

Remember that used beginner bikes hold their value very well. Its well within the realm of possibility to sell the bike for what you paid for it, especially if you sell it at the beginning of the riding season after riding it for a year. Its been explained before that using financial reasoning against starting off on a used beginner bike simply doesn't hold up in the real world.

rexmitchell · 12-07-2009, 02:03 PM

Welcome to the forum!

ags713 · 12-08-2009, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Animedevildog

First question I have to ask. What type of riding do you see yourself doing?

Primarily I'll be doing occasional riding back and forth to work (a 20 minute round trip) and the random jaunt around when I've got time, which won't be often. I don't like driving on the highway even in my car, so I'll be doing little to no highway driving on the bike, especially if I start out with something very light and small.

Thank you for the input - I definitely don't think the Ninja is a bad bike, I've heard many good things. My concern is starting out with something that I'll want to upgrade too quickly to afford to, but I need to remember that I just need to focus on starting out!

ags713 · 12-08-2009, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primalmu

Its been explained before that using financial reasoning against starting off on a used beginner bike simply doesn't hold up in the real world.

And this makes perfect sense - I of course tend to focus on the long-term picture instead of what may be best (for many reasons) in the short term. Thank you for the input! It will be a bit yet before I get anything; I don't want to get ahead of myself. But it's great to gather this information.

ags713 · 12-08-2009, 08:41 AM

Thanks for the welcomes!

Badlands-4-2 · 12-08-2009, 09:28 AM

Welcome to the forum. If you are looking for a sportbike a Ninja 250 is a great first choice. Fairly forgiving, and not so slow that you will tire of it immediately. The fz6 is a great bike, but may be just a bit much for a new rider.

ags713 · 12-08-2009, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badlands-4-2

Welcome to the forum. If you are looking for a sportbike a Ninja 250 is a great first choice. Fairly forgiving, and not so slow that you will tire of it immediately. The fz6 is a great bike, but may be just a bit much for a new rider.

Thanks for the input! After a lot of information gathering, I'm leaning heavily toward finding a nice used Ninja 250. I do know that I want a sport bike, I love a nice Harley but that's for later in life.

It sounds as though a 250 will be perfect for me to learn on and play with for awhile, then I can move up when I know I'll be able to handle something larger instead of just diving in head first.

Dodger · 12-08-2009, 05:19 PM

Welcome to the forum.

12-04-2009, 11:34 AM	#1
ags713 Newbie Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Jackson, MS Posts: 5	Hello to everyone First of all, let me say that this seems like a wonderful community and I've gathered an extreme amount of information just in the thirty minutes or so I've been looking around. I'm a long-time passenger, not yet rider. I grew up on the back of various Harleys (and one Honda) and always loved it. Rode a Kawasaki KLX 250S as a teenager (never street legal), but not for long as my interests were elsewhere. Of course, now I'm older and wiser and my interests have come back around. I'm in the very beginning stages - I'll be taking the next available MSF course, getting tips from friends who are regular riders, and going from there. My question is more for opinions and advice. When considering a first bike, the general online consensus and that of those close to me who may be a bit over-cautious leans toward the Ninja 250R - small, light starter bike. Buy a used one, drive it to learn, then move up. After pumping other friends for more information I'm getting different opinions. One friend put together a list of recommendations for bikes that I could learn and handle easily but that I wouldn't get bored with in a month, one of these being the Yamaha FZ6, which I have fallen in love with. So I'm conflicted. While I try not to be over-confident, I am a quick learner, and if I put down the money for a used Ninja it would be that much longer before I'd be able to move up. I welcome any opinions, thoughts, reviews, even general tips for a novice rider! With as much as I enjoyed being a passenger, I know I am just going to love being a rider, and I want to learn everything I can so I can continue this hobby for the rest of my life.

12-04-2009, 08:27 PM	#3
Chuck A bikes and corvette Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,343	hello and welcome __________________ I enjoy nice, and fast , women and vehicles, LOL

12-04-2009, 09:27 PM	#4
primalmu 2005 Bandit 1200S Join Date: May 2008 Location: Starkville, MS Posts: 4,302	I'll second the Ninja 650, or even Suzuki SV650. For that matter, I'd love to find myself a project Ninja 250 over the winter that I could fix up and have fun with in the twisties. Remember that used beginner bikes hold their value very well. Its well within the realm of possibility to sell the bike for what you paid for it, especially if you sell it at the beginning of the riding season after riding it for a year. Its been explained before that using financial reasoning against starting off on a used beginner bike simply doesn't hold up in the real world. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

12-07-2009, 02:03 PM	#5
rexmitchell Administrator Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: THE ATX Posts: 14,552	Welcome to the forum! __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas. - Davy Crockett

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12-04-2009, 03:48 PM	#2
Biker Dash Site Brony and Troll Eater Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Waterville, Maine (USA) Posts: 7,643	First question I have to ask. What type of riding do you see yourself doing? My personal recommendation would be either a 500 Vulcan or a 600 Shadow. One thing about the 250 Ninja, it is FAR from being a poor choice of bike, even for an experienced rider. And it is just as good for the new rider as well, if a sportbike is what your looking for. I would have reservations about recommending a FZ6 as a first bike. Granted, it's not an R6, bur it's still a bit more than I would recommend. If you want a fullsize sportbike that is good for a beginner, I would recommend the 650 Ninja.

12-08-2009, 08:41 AM	#8
ags713 Newbie Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Jackson, MS Posts: 5	Thanks for the welcomes!

12-08-2009, 09:28 AM	#9
Badlands-4-2 Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Badlands of North Dakota Posts: 9,703	Welcome to the forum. If you are looking for a sportbike a Ninja 250 is a great first choice. Fairly forgiving, and not so slow that you will tire of it immediately. The fz6 is a great bike, but may be just a bit much for a new rider.

12-08-2009, 05:19 PM	#11
Dodger Bald Headed Fat Man Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 873	Welcome to the forum.