[Michael 891]

I am wondering if i should try to get a new bike, especially with most dealers having little business this time of year, or if i should get used.

The reason i want new is because i live at home still and can pay it off without much effort, and will help build credit for me (I'm 21 BTW). But the downside is that if i drop it im going to be seriously upset! And wont get as much money if i decide to sell it.
The new ones im looking at are
-2012 CBR 250
-2012 Ninja 250R
-2013 Ninja 300 (love this one!)
^ all three of those are at my local dealers right now.

And why i want used is that i dont have to spend near as much on it and will pay it off immediately. And if i drop it, I wont be as pissed off. And if i resell it i can get most of my money back.

-I am looking at a 2008 Ninja 250 with 7k miles and got the guy down to $2100, clear title, dropped once but fixed. But i have to drive a long distance to get it. Hopefully, it would be worth the trip.

-And also a 2012 CBR 250 with 3100 miles and for $3300, again i have to drive to this one also.

 

[Dodsfall]

There are pros and cons to both, and it's really a personal issue.

Buying new will have the manufacturer's warranty in force and you know someone else hasn't already messed up the machine somehow. You will also have to carry full coverage insurance if you have a loan on the motorcycle. You will get hit hard on the depreciation when you sell.

Buying lightly used will save you money and you can find quite a few still in great shape and cared for.

You just have to figure out if the extra cash for a new motorcycle (which will be used as soon as you ride it off the lot) outweighs buying used.

I have bought several used in the past without issue, but more recently the last couple bought new.

 

[distantThunder]

"Buying lightly used will save you money and you can find quite a few still in great shape and cared for."

there's a lot of truth to this piece of advice. you can get great deals on bikes that have relatively low mileage - the owner was forced to sell for financial reasons. be sure to show some sympathy and don't beat the last dollar out of the seller. it can be painful experience for some people to let go of their bike. they felt the same way once about their bike - that you do about the Ninja 300.

but also think about buying that Ninja 300 new.
Bikes are like girlfriends - it's better to have one that you're passionate about

dT

 

[Michael 891]

I think I may have to go new on this one, I don't really want to bring that much money out but I know exactly what I'm getting. And I get a warranty with it. I was thinking a white ninja 300. It's a couple thousand more but I may as well get new because I do not plan on selling it for a very long time. And the reviews that I have heard on the 300 are all great!

 

[jrw69]

I went new as well, because of the same reasons. I just did not want to take my chance that I was going to inherit someone else's maintenance problem. I also wanted the warranty as well. Somethings to consider, even though its a small displacement, the bike your looking at is still in the sport category, which means at your age and being a new bike, your insurance is not going to be cheap. Another thing that I was surprised about, even new, they still have to go in for service work at the intervals, and its not cheap. I've had 600mile, 1500mile, and now the 3K service, and each time its been close to $300. I hope you chose to use gear as well, and that adds up as well. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, just making something known you may not have thought about.

 

[Sigma.40]

...because I do not plan on selling it for a very long time...

If you're buying a NEW Ninja 250/300, just remember that the value drops significantly when you take it off the lot. The reason I say this is, I said those exact words when I bought my 2008 250R. I figured it would be plenty of power and I wouldn't ever outgrow it. 10 months later I sold it for my 9r. It was a great bike but the more my skills grew, the more the bike felt like it was lacking. Luckily I bought used and got all my money back. If I had bought a new one, I would have lost quite a bit.

-It did feel fast...at first... but a few months of riding it and about the 2nd time I was passed by a 900lb Goldwing, I started to think that maybe I needed a little more power. Just a thought.

 

[jrw69]

Totally agree with Sigma. Mine dropped $1000 as soon as rode it home. I'm already looking for something bigger in the used market. Have you considered looking at the Ninja 500? Great bike, sporty looking without the insurance price of full sport, still well capable of highway speeds and something you won't outgrow in 6-8months.

 

[EddieMac]

If you're a new rider, then get a used bike. In your first year riding you will likely drop it a few times or ride it into a ditch or something. You'll be sick if you do that to a new bike.

 

[Michael 891]

Geez, what a tough decision, everyone i know says get a new one because its just costs a little more and i know exactly what im getting. Its not like a car that costs about 25k-30k. And yes i do plan on keeping this one for a very long time.

And i also want a used due to drops.. dropping is the biggest issue, i dropped one at the MSF..

 

[ProDigit]

I definitely would get a second hand bike.
Get a big brand bike, like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, or Kawasaki!
The money you'll get back from the bike will be almost as much as you paid for it.

I personally find the 250cc racing bikes not to be good first bikes.
Many people underestimate those bikes!
Because they have high revs, their power is also higher than regular 250cc bikes.
They have more torque, and often can go beyond 90MPH!

I know a lot of people who had an accident with those bikes.
In fact, most of the people I see in Miami riding crazy on the highway, are riding a sportsbike like that (250cc).

I know of 2 people killed on a bike like that, and a handful that came from the dealer and had stories to tell of how they (almost) got into an accident!
One had a broken arm, another just some road rash...

Seriously, I wished the big brands would make those sports bikes even cheaper, and equip them with a Twin 150cc, or so...
It'd still be able to go 70MPH on the highway.

That's my personal opinion though...

 

[Michael 891]

Me from Kawasaki Ninja 300 forum:

Today i was quoted $5800 total OTD at a local dealer. I asked like 3 times to go lower but he wouldnt budge. He said some guy two days ago was going to buy it but had bad credit. My dad said he wouldve said the same thing if he was trying to sell a car. (he's in the car business, obviously)

I called a dealer about 100 miles away and was quoted $5579 OTD with a helmet thrown in for free.

I plan on calling one or two more dealers within a reasonable range from me after this xmas holiday to see what kind of deals they have. and hopefully after getting quotes from them i can knock down the local dealer, if not then ill take my business elsewhere.

EDIT: And one more strange thing, i asked why they didnt have any honda cbr250's. he said the ninja sells so much better and has 2 cylinders, etc. I thought that was very strange because they are a honda dealer also.

 

[jrw69]

I think that is too high! Are we talking 2012's for that price? I personally would not spend that much, knowing it will be $1000 less as soon as you leave. Who cares what some other dude was going to do, do he wants to sell or not, its about you. You can go on Craig's list right now and get a 2012 ninja or cbr for at least $1000 cheaper than that price. You would be better off doing a fly out and ride back and still come out way ahead of that price.

 

[Badlands-4-2]

If you're a new rider, then get a used bike. In your first year riding you will likely drop it a few times or ride it into a ditch or something. You'll be sick if you do that to a new bike.

Always buy used for your first several bikes. You would not give a new driver a new car. New riders same advice.

 

[Michael 891]

I think that is too high! Are we talking 2012's for that price? I personally would not spend that much, knowing it will be $1000 less as soon as you leave. Who cares what some other dude was going to do, do he wants to sell or not, its about you. You can go on Craig's list right now and get a 2012 ninja or cbr for at least $1000 cheaper than that price. You would be better off doing a fly out and ride back and still come out way ahead of that price.

I'm Talking about the 2013 ninja 300. They are in pretty high demand and msrp is $4799. So $5579 with all the fees included isn't too bad. It's not great but not the worst I've seen. I'm still in the process of haggling the prices but have been held back due to the holiday. I'm still going to contact one or two more dealers before I close a deal.

 

[Sigma.40]

And yes i do plan on keeping this one for a very long time.

Come back in a year and let me know if you still agree with this.

 

[jrw69]

+1 sigma. He is right. Like I said already, I bought a brand new 2012 250 even thought its for work. Does it do exactly what I need it for, for work yes! Does it work for weekend rides of 100-300++ miles? NO, and that is exactly why I am already in the hunt for a bigger bike. I didn't think things through and I'm living with it. I should have gone a minimum of intermediate (500-800cc) to get both jobs done in one bike. No, my situation isn't quite like yours but just take heed on what's being said to you and if your REALLY are willing to be tied down to one bike until you get what owe on it down enough to move up. Having to own it for a long time is way different then wanting to own it for a long time.

 

[RebelnDirt]

Well when I bought my CBR250R I bought new. The reason why was I could not find many used ones that were reasonably priced. The bike was just about a year on the market and most of the used ones were only a couple hundred lower than new but they had a few more miles on them. To me the 0 miles was worth the couple extra $$s I spent. CBR250Rs are getting more common now that they are almost 3 years on the market. The Ninja 300 will be similar to the CBR when I bought it, anything used will only be slightly less and may not be worth the money saved for the miles on the bike. A Ninja 250 has been on the market for 15 years or more and you can find really good deals on that bike.

Massey

 

[jrswanson1]

Whatever bike you get, make sure you get frame sliders and axle sliders before riding off on it. They will minimize damage on sport bikes.

 

[EddieMac]

One other reason to buy used:

Starting out, you may not know what kind of riding you want to do. Test ride lots of different types of bikes to give yourself a good idea of how broad the universe of bikes really is. Weekend rentals are a good way to do this.

If you blow a wad on a new bike right off the bat, then you'll have less money for your dream bike a few years from now.

 

[twowheelguy]

I very rarley buy new. In fact, I've only purchased one new car and I've never purchased a new bike, only used. They lose too much value the second you ride off the lot. AND, with used, if you scratch or ding it, not as bad. Besides, it's ok for them to show their age. They're supposed to be ridden, not garaged.