Starter Bike

[koukis14]

Thinking about getting a bike. Cheap, fun, good fuel economy. I am kinda scared of bikes because I do like to go fast so I'm sure if i get a fast bike I wil kill myself. I was looking at Ninja 250s but they looked kinda gay. Then I saw this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2007-...QQcmdZViewItem

What do you guys think? It wouldn't be till next summer so I could pick up a used one for CHEAP.

[OneSlow5pt0]

i think the ninja 500R are pretty good starter bikes,seems like...thats what i would get if i was gonna ride

[Elbow]

Dont worry bout looks, take body work off the 250 make it a street fighter look lol, I am looking for a bike as well, leaning towards a Ninja 500

[koukis14]

Dont worry bout looks, take body work off the 250 make it a street fighter look lol, I am looking for a bike as well, leaning towards a Ninja 500

I think if I took the body off it would look like a dirt bike.

[civic95]

You don't want that. Those are korean made pieces of shit. Get a ninja, or a suzuki SV650.

[foety_foe]

i ride a sv650s. good ass bike. its an awesome beginner bike, plus you wont get sick of it that fast.

[Jaimecbr900]

That is a hunk of junk that you can buy at a Flea Market somewhere..... JP.

You really don't want that.

This topic has been discussed at length, with pictures, several times on IA. Do a search and you'll find it.

My vote goes to the Ninja 500, when you find the threads you'll see why.

[koukis14]

Thanks guys.

[dtmcnamara]

dont look bad but....get a gixxer 600, or r6. They CAN go fast but honestly you will do it once or twice and never do it again....i did it like 3 times and I have never done it again, its gets old trust me.....to some people atleast

[Nismo]

You can find that exact same bike on craigslist for 1500 dollars with 4 miles on it.

[Evil Goat]

funny thing i heard today....

you are 37 times more likely to be killed on a motorcycle than driving a car...

but if you insist...get something cheap, b/c its not a matter of if youll have an accident of some type its a matter of when....i rode dirt bikes my whole life, graduated to street bikes at 21.....and was joy riding on vacation last year, minding my own business and was hit by a van full of airforce recruits looking at tittays on the side of the road....trust me its not yourself or the bike you should be afraid of, its the cagers w/ no respect or thoughts to riders you should be concerned with

i agree with dtmcnamara, gixxer 600, theyre solid bikes, i bought my first w/ 29k on it at the beginning of the summer, sold it during the next winter w/ 35k on it for the same price i bought it for, and it rode like a champ, i wouldnt suggest an r6, its an aggressive bike, not really learner friendly, i made the dirt to street transition on a 98 gixxer 600 srad, nice comfortable bike and it made my transition comfortable....theres a white/blue one for sale in the class. section

[quickdodge®]

You may need to master this first:



Afterwards, then think about jumping into something that the training wheels can be removed from. Later, QD.

[koukis14]

You may need to master this first:



Afterwards, then think about jumping into something that the training wheels can be removed from. Later, QD.

Those things made me dizzy as hell when I was little.

[mxglory258]

I wouldn't buy that bike to save my ass. It LOOKS mechanically sound. However, where the hell you gonna get parts for it when it does break. Sure you can get wheel bearings from almost any bearing company. 520 or 525 chains can be bought at any dealership. Tires, are easy. Sprockets...You could match up the rear, but what about the front. Brake pads you'd have to match up from another bike to find them.

Seems like to much of a hassle to me

[RandomGuy]

get a hayabusa, make great starter bikes

also invest in proper headgear to prevent injury:

[Mk3Jesse]

i learned on a yzf600r i love it i would recomend it to anyone, has plenty of power and is very comfortable.

[Jaimecbr900]

funny thing i heard today....

you are 37 times more likely to be killed on a motorcycle than driving a car...

Neal Boortz listener, huh???

[speedracer41]

The problem with a "starter" bike is that you will out grow it and get something faster when you get more comfortable. Go ahead and get a 600, it is plenty of bike!!

[civic95]

The problem with a "starter" bike is that you will out grow it and get something faster when you get more comfortable. Go ahead and get a 600, it is plenty of bike!!

That is the idea of getting a starter bike. Surviving the first couple years to get something bigger. Trust me I started on a R6 (mainly cause it was a great deal from a friend). I totalled it in march riding above my limits after having it 9 months. If I was on something slower it probably wouldn't have happened.

True you can kill yourself on a vespa if you're stupid, but having something slower to start on never hurts.

[CopyRight]

get a used 600....you start on a 250 or 500, you will be dissappointed within a month or so.

you will outgrow it very quickly, and get mad that you coulda spent just a few bucks more for a 600.

That's why if you shop the cycle forums, you will see alot of 250's and 500's for sale.

alot of people have a 500 as a spare for the mtns, because they are very light and nimble, and with a good rider, you can outride just about anybody...just getting to the mtns will be a different story because you will be will try to be keeping the pace with cars and you will see how you are not very quickly.

[Asshole]

The problem with a "starter" bike is that you will out grow it and get something faster when you get more comfortable. Go ahead and get a 600, it is plenty of bike!!

your post reminded me of the beginning of a medicine commercial......

I'm not a Doctor, but I play one on TV

only substitute doctor with idiot and tv with internet........thats what starter bikes are for....you get a cheap $1000-1500 bike to learn to ride and get comfortable ridin it then sell it and move to something better......why would you wanna go get a newer, faster bike if there is a bigger chance of droppin it???..........

[civic95]

get a used 600....you start on a 250 or 500, you will be dissappointed within a month or so.

you will outgrow it very quickly, and get mad that you coulda spent just a few bucks more for a 600.

That's why if you shop the cycle forums, you will see alot of 250's and 500's for sale.

alot of people have a 500 as a spare for the mtns, because they are very light and nimble, and with a good rider, you can outride just about anybody...just getting to the mtns will be a different story because you will be will try to be keeping the pace with cars and you will see how you are not very quickly.

But I've seen numerous people buy a ninja 250 or 500, ride it for 1 or 2 yrs, and sell it for what they paid for it. They are not hard to sell because a lot of people are looking for one as a starter bike.

I'm not saying you can't start on a 600. I ignored everyone else, and did it myself. If you have a lot of self control it can be done. I think I have a lot of self control. But lets face it, the acceleration of a sport bike is addicting. It would be like driving a F1 car thru the mountains at the posted 30 mph speed limit. It just begs you to let it rip.

[quickdodge®]

But I've seen numerous people buy a ninja 250 or 500, ride it for 1 or 2 yrs, and sell it for what they paid for it.

Exactly. Starter bikes hold their resale pretty well. Later, QD.

[Evil Goat]

Neal Boortz listener, huh???

yessir,

[Princess12]

Let me know... I work at a kawasaki dealership

[Echonova]

Get an old Honda CBR 600 F1. Nice bike, easy to ride and enough power to keep you happy/scared shitless for a while.

[Jaimecbr900]

.

alot of people have a 500 as a spare for the mtns, because they are very light and nimble, and with a good rider, you can outride just about anybody...just getting to the mtns will be a different story because you will be will try to be keeping the pace with cars and you will see how you are not very quickly.

See, I don't agree with that.

I had my Ninja 500 for many many years. Hell, I gave it to my dad, who still rides it today after I got my 900rr.

I could keep up with just about anyone whenever I wanted to. It is a misconception that you will be riding balls out for extended periods of time. Most of the time its just cruising and putting around. Yes, you jump on it here and there but you're not pinning it back all the time either. My 500 had plenty of power to keep up with anyone I rode with 95% of the time. Could I get out run? Of course. But most of the time it was a momentary thing and we'd all group back up again in a few secs. Hell, I rode that bike to Daytona for many years in a row from Atl. with a pack of 7-8 bikes that were ALL bigger than me. No probs at all. Matter of fact, I was quicker than most of them anyway.

So there's no need for someone with little to no experience to jump right onto a 600 or bigger bike, especially when you consider that you will only gain a few HP but a lot more weight when comparing older used bikes anyway.

If you get used to a slightly smaller bike, when you jump up to a 600-750, it won't be that as big a shock as jumping on it right out of the gate cold.

[thatS2Kguy]

First of all, if ya scared of bikes, then dont ride...It will kill you. Even a Ninja 500 is faster than regular car. If ya want to save gas, get a civic.

[quickdodge®]

"First of all, if ya scared of bikes, then dont ride...It will kill you. Even a Ninja 500 is faster than regular car. If ya want to save gas, get a civic," said the guy filled to the rim with ignorance.

I disagree. Hmmmm. Later, QD.

[GIXXERDK]

dont look bad but....get a gixxer 600, or r6. They CAN go fast but honestly you will do it once or twice and never do it again....i did it like 3 times and I have never done it again, its gets old trust me.....to some people atleast

Just dont listen to this guy and you'll stay alive

[Evil Goat]

bottom line is a riders course can be your best friend, no matter what type of bike you start out on, along with all the proper gear, if youre riding it to work/school, etc then obviously its hard to be in full gear, but never, ever leave the house on a bike w/ less than a jacket w/ armour and back brace, gloves w/ palm/knuckle skid protectors, and the obvious full face helmet, and i always rode w/ pants and boots of some kind, shorts and tennis shoes are a big no no....

out of the handful of times i rode my bikes w/ shorts on one of them was the day i was hit in FL last year...trust me, having road rash cleaned out is not fun, its like having sand paper rubbed into an open wound

if you choose to go w/ getting a bike, which like i said a gixxer 600 is my personal suggestion, only if youre a responsible person who values your life, just make sure you take heed to the rules of riding, and always be on the defensive, treat everyone and every intersection as if they had the right away, never ride out of your limits, and never think that an accident wont happen to you....b/c that will be the day you die

[koukis14]

Thank you guys.

[Kalifornia087]

I had a ninja 250 before my 600 now and i loved it. Now the fact that i had an unhealthy addiction to speed and afriend with a 600 for sale caused me to only have it for about 2 weeks.

But i rode it before i owned it, and if i hadn't i probably would have fucked my fzr up when i got it. Instead i learned a lot from riding it, and save a shitload of gas

-Austin

[Mk3Jesse]

The fact is its not the power because even 250's are going to be faster than most vehicles on the road. i think it just depends on how big you are if your 5'8" a 250/500 would be your best bet compared to being 6'2" you would probably want a 600.

[civic95]

First of all, if ya scared of bikes, then dont ride...It will kill you. Even a Ninja 500 is faster than regular car. If ya want to save gas, get a civic.

Ugh... It's once you lose the fear that you get in trouble. If you keep respect for the bike, and have some fear you only have to worry about everyone else on the road. Once you get comfortable, are not afraid of it, and start hauling ass on the streets you triple your risk of an accident.

[Tiff-O-Bitties]

I learned on a Katana... Huge mistake! They are too heavy!

I would suggest a GSR500F if you are a lightweight person or a Gixxer600 if you are a little heavier... The only thing about the R6 - It's a VERY lightweight bike with a lot of getti-up... I'm not a big fan (they look great, but I don't like the way they "drive" or ride, and the back seat is very uncomfortable if you are planning on ever taking on passengers.) The Gixxer 600 is a great bike, solid, smooth, just great all around!

[CopyRight]

I learned on a Katana... Huge mistake! They are too heavy!

I would suggest a GSR500F if you are a lightweight person or a Gixxer600 if you are a little heavier... The only thing about the R6 - It's a VERY lightweight bike with a lot of getti-up... I'm not a big fan (they look great, but I don't like the way they "drive" or ride, and the back seat is very uncomfortable if you are planning on ever taking on passengers.) The Gixxer 600 is a great bike, solid, smooth, just great all around!

Gsxr 600 a great all around bike?! hahahahaha.....unless it's a 2005+, that's a squidboy's bike...all because of the fancy red R...they all loved so.

[Tiff-O-Bitties]

Gsxr 600 a great all around bike?! hahahahaha.....unless it's a 2005+, that's a squidboy's bike...all because of the fancy red R...they all loved so.

I wasn't referring to an older model nor do I care what color it is. It could be baby poop green with orange and pink flames and it would still be a good bike.

[Blitanicle99]

Depending on your size I would say atleast a 500 and no more than a 600. Im a little over 6'2'' and 190lbs. I learned on a 1970s Honda 70, then my friends 250 VTR and got traded my old car for my Current 05 Kawasaki 750.
When I first got it, It scared the living shit out of me. No joke. It was so much more than I had ever experianced before.
You do not understand speed until you get on a bike.

Another you might want to think about is with the newer bikes, the insurence blows. I am seriously thinking about trading my 05 in for a pre 2000 just so I can get really cheap insurence. I dont want to get a bike of lesser power, I am very comftrable with the size of my bike now that Ive owned it for almost 5 months now. That doesnt sound like much but I try to ride everyday, even just up the street and around for a few minutes. I am always worried about other people however I believe the more experiance I have, that when the time comes that someone pulls out in front of me, I can react quicker and I might save my life or lessen the injury that will happen.

The only thing I dont want to give up is how comfy my bike is. And even my big ass can ride on the back of it (Just screwing around with friends)