And I'm a big pesky. Nice to meet you.

 

+1

 

me too!

 

Thanks to everyone who answered the poll. I was able to cut and paste it into the Kawi forums and support my impression that Honda guys aren't as quick to recommend a 250cc bike for starters.

 

i understand some people like 250cc for starter but it's not that scary to sit on a 600cc bike, especially when it's used.. kind-of sucks to have the 250cc and then sell it to upgrade. usually loose money on the deal.

 

You won't really lose money on the deal. I have a '94 Ninja 250 that I got for $600. Earlier in the year I put a feeler out and someone offered me $900. Since then I got brand new tires and brakes. I'm pretty sure I can sell it for $900-$1000. Its not the best looking bike, but it works pretty good. Only problem with 250CC bikes is that they are really slow and it gets old quick.

 

I think a young rider is very well served by starting on a 250. In the states, we can't get the CBR250 yet, but they have it in Canada (and Europe), and it was sold out at the first partof the year. Teenagers are invincible, I thought so when I was that age. If you give them a bike that can do 140+ there is a time when they will try it, and not have the practical skills to negotiate a unforeseen problem. Granted, hitting a tree or a car on a 250 feels the same, but the potential power of a 600+cc bike is tempting fate in my opinion.

 

+1
We're both rockin' them sensible shoes.

 

A 250 Ninja was my first bike. It was perfect to take the test on, and doesn't have enough *** to get away from you. Definitely easy to outgrow, though. Gotit for $500, Sold it the next season for $1,000. Worked great for me!

 

250's = LOL

I started on a '99 YZF600R, never been on a motorcycle before that, and I only knew how to shift the thing from my very little experience on a Yamaha YFZ450 quad. Only thing wrong with the 600R in my opinion was its steel frame that caused it to be VERY top heavy. I dropped it a few times from slow speeds just from losing balance because I wasnt used to it. But it was very stable, very forgiving, and very easy to ride. In my opinion, the 600R and my F3 are pretty similiar with the exception of the weight (the F3 feels so much lighter than the 600R) and really good as a starter bike under someone with a sensible head, and I wouldnt recommend the 600R to someone that didnt have a good deal of strength. I'm not the strongest dude around and I'll admit the weight was too much for me at times if the bike started to tip one way a little too much.

But yeah, 250's are jokes, and I would think that going from a 250 to a 600 would be like starting from the beginning anyways, with only having an understanding for the basics. I mean c'mon, youre going from a 15 second lightweight La-Z-Boy to a 12 second 400 pound rocket.