First Bike
 

I had been looking at the new kawasaki ninja 250 as my first bike but while looking at a dealers website a couple hours away (im in north dakota so everything is couple hours away) I saw they had an 02 f4i. Are f4i's good starter bikes? This bike has little over 10k miles and they have it listed at 2,999 but will go lower.

Basically is this a good starter bike and anything about these bikes to watch out for getting up in the higher miles? Is this a good price?
http://cdn-5.psndealer.com/e2/dealer...P1281171_2.jpg

this bike are bullet proff and will go in excess of 100k as long as they are well maintained.

As a starter bike tho all depends on you. If you have No prior riding experience then I say no 600cc sportbike is a good starter bike (tho some will debate this).

If you have some experience riding then you MAY be able to handle a 600 ok as a starter bike long as you respect the bike and dont act like a tool.

Thats a dayum good deal on that bike is seems tho, so it would be hard to pass up lol.

Thats an AMAZING deal on that bike... My first bike was a Bandit 600S. I didnt seem to have a problem with the 600 for a first bike. I did take the MSF course too tho, so I feel I was properly prepared to ride. I only had the Bandit for about 1.5 yrs then I had nothing for about 2 yrs and just bought my F4i. The power of the F4i is MUCH more than the Bandit. But I think (like stated above) if you take it easy and ride within your limits till you get some experience, you should be fine.

I LOVE MY F4i...I have been a Honda car fan for about 8yrs...and now I am a Honda bike fan for life.

Ive already took MSF and all that. I was goin to get the 250 to start out slow but i was told that f4i would be a good 600 bike. I wanted to get opinions from people who actually ride them though.

Im 23, have a career and everything so Im done with the younger phase trying to go out and kill myself. Im just thinking that if i get a 600 instead of 250 wont be able to learn as much.

Sounds too good to be true. That bikes retail value is $4k stock. $1k under value, especially from a dealer, would make me think twice before buying. Have that bike thoroughly inspected. I can already tell, even from that low res shot, that it has some slight rash and they only have one side of the bike pictured. A 600 is fine as a starter bike. Just keep it in the low rpm's when starting out. It is a really tame bike until you get over your head and ego kicks in.

You have the right attitude about this.
Let me start off by saying that I have owned both motorbikes and have great things to say about both.

The ninja250R is a fantastic motorbike, i highly suggest you visit this web-page: ninja250.org ,they are a great info source for the 250R.
I owned a black 06 Ninja250R and absolutly fell in love with that bike. I would never say that its a "slow" bike, but obviously compared to other motorbikes IE 600cc bikes it is. Do not let this fool you, I have seen skilled 250R riders do incredible things on the track, including spanking un-skilled 600 riders in twistes and making it look effort-less. I believe thats all its about...the rider. I believe thats the deciding factor.
I never raced but did upgrade almost every part that was upgradable on the 250R to help commuting, muzzy exhaust, k&n filter and breather, jet kit, galfer brake lines etc etc... also a bunch of aesthetic upgrades, fender elim, smoked turn signals and intergrated, flush mount fronts, lowered clip-ons, and so the list goes on...the 250 definatly does the commuter role as well as the "sunday afternoon cruise" role. There's a great aftermarket for the 250, especially now that it got a face-lift in 08 and 09.
I can deffinatly see why so many new bike buyers are running to get the 250R now-adays, it looks great, new fairings and the conversion of double-exhaust to single cleans up the bike even more.
I never had a mechanical issue with my 250r, but then again I did baby her...lol. me and my 250 saw 7 state lines ridin from texas to maryland, and when I set up in maryland she dident skip a beat and was me commuter up there.
A very flickable and predicatable motorbike especially for new riders. I see this motorbike grow with the skill of the rider, the common misconception of "how fast you will want to upgrade, or go bigger right away" is in my opinion crap.
And if you feel the need to go faster and do track days, the aftermarket parts line for the ninja 250R has grown so much these past 2 years. Yoshimura, Muzzy, Two-brothers and more have all hoped an the 250 wagon. There's even a GP-kit available for purchase to go the track-days route.

Anywho, I bought two f4i's about 2 years ago, sold one and currently ride a red/white 01 F4i.

I gatta say, its a great bike as well. I commute daily with this motorbike, at least 40 to 50 miles are clocked on this bike daily, I've had a chance to really ride the F4i, and have very few complaints. Its the perfect imo all round street sports bike. Has it all from a comfy riding position to more than enough acceleration and speed for me.

I would have suggested the Ninja 250R right off the bat to a new and young rider but you seem to be able to go either way here. The attitude you present seems like you could safely learn on the F4i although some would disagree with me. And you seem to have a great deal with the F4i. A shiny brand new 250R go around 3,300 here in texas, haggling a bit could bring it down a bit more too. thats a 2009, 0 miles right off the show room.
I guess the question is to ask yourself what you are comfortable learning to ride on really.

Here's pic of my beaut. All black with silver flames. 250R

Good first step taking the MSF class before getting a bike!

I wouldn't call the F4i a good starter by any means. Way too much power/brakes/suspension ... can easily overwhelm a newer rider. About the only 600cc bike I'd recommend to a beginner is the Katana/Bandit as they've got a very forgiving torque curve and are much less twitchy. Even then I'd only recommend it to those with dirt experience and that have taken something like the MSF and are large & strong enough to muscle a 500lb bike (they're heavy).

Personally, my rider resume goes years of everything in the dirt, a 98 Yamaha Razz in college, MSF then an '05 Ninja 250 for a season (about 5k miles), '98 Katana 600 for 3 years (about 15k miles + trackday) and an '05 F4i this season. I've got the MSF, 20k miles and a few years experience now and the F4i has caught me off guard once or twice (accidental wheelie leaving a stop light ... tried the normal Katana "quick" takeoff and WHOOPS!)

Another good one would be a Suzuki GS500 ... little bigger and faster than a 250, cheap and still look pretty good.

No where near 500lbs.

Thanks for the responses so far. Im in north dakota so its harder to find bikes up here. I also noticed a blemish on the picture and am waiting on the dealership to call me back with what damage it has. Both the 08 250 and the f4i are pretty close in price but its really going to come down to which one is better taken care of. Im not in any hurry to upgrade, the 600 sport bikes look nice but I know it would be a waste to get a r series bike with no experience.

actually, the 600 bandit and katana are roughly 455-460lbs, so yea, pretty close to 500lbs dry. with fuel, you get closser to the 500lb mark.
I guess what he was trying to say was that they are heavier motorbikes than say the 333lb dry 250R weight.
one of my first motorbikes was a CB750 that tipped the scale close to 500lb as well, maybe a smidgen over 500lbs. I remember that it was a inconveniance handling that much bike after being used to ride feather weight dirtbikes.

The f4i will kill you just as fast as any other 600CC bike it is NO slouch I would never recomend it as a first bike.

Buy a used 250 for 3k or 2500 and you will be able to ride it as long as you want and resell it for the same price. they never go down in value unless you total them.

I bought an 06 with 1400 miles on it that had been laid down once cash for 1400 dollars and resold it 3000 miles later for 3,000 and that was in 2007. You will always get your money back and your life is worth the wait on the extra power.

Could not agree more with you. I see you are in no hurry to "upgrade", you'll have a blast with the 250R.
Seems like you are going to make an excellent choice either way.
Good luck with your purchase!

I beg to differ ...

http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/146_...nas/index.html

GSX600F Katana

Suggested retail price: $6199
Engine type: Air/oil-cooled, transverse,
in-line, four-stroke four
Displacement: 599cc
Bore x stroke: 63 x 49mm
Carburetion: 4, 32mm Mikuni BSR
Rake/trail: 25 deg./3.9 in. (99mm)
Wheelbase: 57.9 in. (1471mm)
Fuel capacity: 5.3 gal (20L)
Wet weight: 491 lb (223kg)

I was actaully in the same situation as you. I was going to go with a ninja 250 as my first bike and then came across a f4i. This is what happend.

I was looking into getting a brand new 09 ninja 250 4600 OTD. I was looking at used 08s and didnt really find much of anything and dislike the older ninjas. I then decided to look at some other bikes. I came across a 02f4i. I did alot of reading on both bikes and decided to go with the f4i. It took me along time to save up for a bike as is. And i couldnt justify spending that kind of money on a bike i will outgrown by next year, or atleast want something bigger. I went with the f4i and payed 1000 less then i would of with the ninja 250. The ninja just feels to small for me, My buddy got one, and it just wasnt the bike for me. Plus i want to ride with my girlfriend or any other person of that matter i dont want it to strain the bike. With two people on the 250 it makes that thing work hard. Iam 6" and weight about 170, and the sitting position would really get annoying imo after 30mins. In my eyes i made a awesome dicision with no regrets. All bikes are fast buddy, just some get there faster. Respect. Just my 2cents.

Exactly. The relatively high weight of the Katana makes it a little bit more difficult in the parking lot for a smaller rider, I'm 5'7" and couldn't sit on the seat and back it up a slight incline without great difficulty. My 250 I could just walk around as if it were a bicycle. I even used the kickstand to do u-turns in the garage ... with the Katana that same maneuver had me looking like Austin Powers in that scene where he was turning around the golf cart in a hallway :)

I have an F4i. And would recommend it.

i just picked up a 02 f4i last night for $3000 with 21k miles on it so im gonna say thats a good deal. i was also debating like you i was looking at used 08-09 250r's but most people that are selling them want what they owe and people are pretty firm on them lowest used one i saw was $3300 and would move because thats what they owed this is my first bike and its deffinatly different just take it in a big lot and get used to it. it deffinatly can get away from you if your not careful. my dad actually went with me even being 21 he still cares and is scared so he test drove it and he said even getting on it hard it wouldnt come off the ground with the exception if you popped the clutch.

id say buy it and just take it easy. my buddy went out and got a 250r and he wants a 600 already and hes had it for a little over a month

My mistake. I thought you were referring to the bike in question which comes in at 370lbs. But honestly... The F4i is a fairly tame 600. If that one is decent with no major issues and they are asking the same price as a 250 then I'd buy the F4i. If you have a truck just haul it to a nice large vacant parking lot for a couple of days til you get used to the throttle, brakes, and overall feel of the bike... Baby steps. But ask yourself if you are scared to death of the bike. Some people say that fear is key to not killing yourself. I say bull****... Fear leads to panic and panic leads to death. Just know what power comes with the machine that is in between your legs. If you are honestly scared of the bike then start on a 250. It will only be maybe a $250-500 investment since they retain their value.

Ive ridden all the other 600s and im not seeing any difference other than egros. (they are all 2 wheeled evil) Which does come into play when it comes to being a novice. If thats what you where meaning..

I find it extremely hard to believe that you have ridden all the other 600's and couldn't tell a difference between a F4i and a RR/R6/Gixxer/636, besides the design.

Look how long the pipe leading up to the slip-on is...

I've ridden all the major 600 sportbikes as well. RR, GSXR and R6, as well as my f4i, haven't ridden a new zx6r, have ridden the 10r though. And to be honest I didn't notice much difference cept for ergos in the 600's either, I mean this bike or that might be a hair quicker than another, powerband might kick in at a slightly different rpm etc, but they are all fast as all hell, no really huge difference, especially not to an average rider. Anyone calling any 600 tame for a new rider is way off base. Closest thing to a "tame" inline 4 600 would prolly be a yzf600r, and even then its more than a new rider is really ready for.

A 600 supersport as a First bike? Are we really having this discussion again? Fact is a 600 superbike is able to get anyone, an experienced or especially a new rider into trouble faster than they can get themselves out of if they make one bad decision, a decision thats especially easy to make wrongly if your new or inexperienced. Noone can really argue that a 250 isn't a safer, better bike to learn the fundamentals and motor skills of riding on. The only arguement against them that has any merit to it is that you'll eventually outgrow the bike and want something faster. Thing is, 250's hold their value insanely well and are easy to sell for damn near what you paid for them, if not at a profit. So whats the issue? Learn on a safer bike then sell it and get a faster one. Way too much testosterone and self justifying bs gets drug out whenever this debate starts. "I started on a 600 and haven't died yet, blah blah." "My friend has a 250 and already wants something faster" Etc Etc. Who cares, fact is a 250 is a smarter choice, no matter how you slice it. You might be able to buy a 600 as a first bike and never have a problem, happens, however the chance that you might have something serioiusly go wrong is much higher than on a 250, all a matter of whether or not you care about increased risk or not. There's always a risk, no matter what you ride, just a matter of how much you want to mitigate it. Fact is it all comes down to you and what your comfortable with.

i think a 250 is going to be a safer choice when it comes to starting to ride. I didnt have a choice since a guy wanted to trade me his bike(2002 f4i) for my jeep. I didnt have any experince at all and got the hang of it so far. I still dont consider myself having any real experince at all. So im going to take the MSC in about 2 weeks. I still think it can be done safely if your smart and just take it real easy and think you should be fine.

Just remember this: any bike that can get you from 0 to 100 will get you in trouble as a new rider, so whatever bike you choose, BE SAFE!

dude no offense but why the fak is it only 3k?! you serious? 10k miles but only 3k? dude get it that is a freaking steal

probably cuz your in North Dakota Nowhere

Doesn't the yzf600r have the same engine as the r6?

its a little Dtuned i think it might have the R6 S motor in it.

Oh ok. I'm not too sure about the details either. But is the yzf600r considered the r6's little brother, like how f4i's are considered to be the rr's little brother?:confused::confused:

The f4i deal seems too good to be true. Good luck with the purchase.

LOL, speak of the exact same story I have. cept there WAS NO 250r's for sell!! every dealership was out of stock and no one was selling any locally! I took the MSF and I wanted a bike.. saw the 06 F4i but never did any reading on it i just loved the way she looked! bought her for 5500 with 10k miles.. yea I know overpriced... but I wanted a bike now.

i'm now 12k miles in my first season and have been hit by another car but didn't go down. other than that I love it. I've gotten use to it's powerband, had a bad clutch. replaced and now learning to do second gear wheelies :D

I still wanna buy a 250R once I pay off this bike. Cause I can honestly say it took me the entire year just to get use to the torque of this bike. With a 250R you can learn so much quicker on it, plus they are really light compared to 600's so they are easier to learn cornering techniques and much easier for a person to learn to get their knee down.

All I have to say, is I never rode a bike before I got my 05 f4i. Like absolute zero experience. Just knew how to drive stick shift. I've had it for about a month and a half plus or minus a few days, and I'm comfortable on it now 100%. I'm just really starting to explore the power band, and seeing what it can do at the higher RPM's.

For that price. Take it. Learn to ride smart, and don't abuse the speed. I went 600cc, and I'll never ever drop down.