I'll start with the ninja250 cuz I've never rode a bike before. If any of you guys live in Sacramento area, do you know anybody selling a cheap 250?

 

If you're willing to go to the Bay Area, you can often find someone looking to get rid of a 250 here: BARF

 

Other great beginner bikes can be had for close to $1000.00 used.
- Suzuki GS 500 or Yamaha Seca II, Honda Nitehawk250, to name a few, when your done sell them for what you paid,

 

craigslist man...craigslist...
watch out for the scams tho...
and they are not unsafe on freeway...you can keep up with the bigger bikes no problem...

 

still searching for a used ninja250...but would yall recommend a cbr600 f1 for a first bike? I found one for less than a thousand. Which bike is better for a beginer?

 

One other piece of advice for ya. Don't set a 3 or 4 month time limit. It's more about how many miles, in what conditions & what sort of real world experience you get on the Ninja 250 first. You might want to consider something more like, 1 full riding "season". Or something like at least 2,500+ miles and 1 year of riding in all sorts of weather & temps, etc.

In short - in judging how much experience you really have, rain makes a difference, asdoes cold, as does heat, asdoes how long of a day riding you put in, as does where you rode, etc., etc. You get the idea.

Best to you,
Jet Jockey & Z06

 

Well thanks, you've all done your worst... Since deciding several months ago that after 26 years on this earth, it's finally time to get my motorcycle license and start riding, I'd decided the CBR 600 was for me. I've been reading a lot, researching, getting info on classes to take and the like, and managed to stumble into the forums here.

Now, I used to race cars as well. (No, no squid-bait here) And during those years, I've learned the proper way to become good at it. And subsequently, I know I'll have to go through the same steps with respect to riding. I know it's not something that'll happen overnight, just like it took time to become comfortable pushing a car to its limits. Part of my concern with riding has been how to start in a way that lets me try things and become comfortable, without going outside my admittedly beginning skillset.

Long and short of it? I've decided to put the 600 on the back burner, and start off with a Ninja 250... The idea of getting comfortable with the whole process on a bike that won't be quite as easy to accidentally kill myself on really just makes sense. I guess that's what the extra 5-10 years of life do for you...

 

all are great suggestions, the only thing i have is to buy that first bike no matter what it is ****BUY IT USED IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO UPGRADE IN A COUPLE OF MONTH*****

 

You & I sound quite a bit alike in our philosophy. I'm 48 yrs old, & time & experience (defined as learning from mistakes that didn't kill you), really make a difference in how one goes about life & learning to manage risks.

I'm also a past SCCA champion in racing cars & rode some serious motorcrossing in high school days, but I don't pretend to think of myself as an expert rider on a very high performance sport bike. I'm into learning all I can every ride. Read the right materials. Do the right riding schools. Listen to & get instruction from the right expert instructors. And then practise, practise, practise.

This past Sunday, took my 2 sons out to the high school parking lot & we did just low speed + high skill manuevering practise. Over and over and over. Emergency stops. Last second swerves to miss obstacles. Very slow, high balance figure 8s in tight boxes. Etc. We strove to be textbook perfect. It was like 34 F outside, but riding at slow speeds made it tolerable & we were on the bikes having a blast, but learning a ton & honing our riding skills.

The Ninja 250 is such a wonderful teaching bike. It looks sport bike cool. It rides with style & speed, but it just doesn't want to bite you. Very nice to handle at slow speeds,. but requires proper technique. Switching to my RR, all the stuff learned on the Ninja goes right to work!! Excellent combo!!

 

One other piece of advice for ya. Don't set a 3 or 4 month time limit. It's more about how many miles, in what conditions & what sort of real world experience you get on the Ninja 250 first. You might want to consider something more like, 1 full riding "season". Or something like at least 2,500+ miles and 1 year of riding in all sorts of weather & temps, etc.

In short - in judging how much experience you really have, rain makes a difference, asdoes cold, as does heat, asdoes how long of a day riding you put in, as does where you rode, etc., etc. You get the idea.

Best to you,
Jet Jockey & Z06
__________________________________________________ _
Sorry, I stumbled upon this site just before leaving work.

anyways, I agree with what Jet Jockey and a few other have said. If you get a 250, ride it for a year (2500- 3500 miles). It is by no means a disappointing bike and it is a great learning tool, due to it's "forgiving" nature. I would disagree with some of those who say that it is as good as a bigger bike on the highway. Will it get you there, sure... but you won't feel as confident as you would on another bike, like a 500. It does easily get to 100-110 mph, but that's on a flat road. When you're on the highway, especially here in CA, you need to have a something with a bit more response, with regard to the power you need on hand. That said, if you're learning... getting on the highway right should NOT be your priority. You need to concur the controls, regular local traffic, turning, and twisites first (IMHO). I bought a 250 last Feb with the plan of riding it for a year to be sure I had the interest to ride seriously and safely. A 250 will kill you...if you want it to (like any other bike). Anyways, tocut it short and get the heck out of here... My 250 will be for sale in March, although it seems that you're looking now and for something less expensive.I'll either post the details here or you can PM me for the details and with any questions you have about owning one.
I'm sure there are some things I forgot, but that my 2 cents.