Is a 1998 or 1988 ninja 250 a good begginer bike?

Question

well i'm looking for my first bike. i need a used affordable bike. how many miles is decent for a bike? and how many miles is to much? is a 1998 250r ninja good? or a 1988 ninja 600? need advice thanks.

Answer 1

The 250 is  THE starter bike! (for sportbike people anyway) that is what i had for 2 years.  You can start on a 600 but

inless you respect the speed and power you will be in for a world of hurt.

if you dont understand what i mean by "respect the speed and power" then get the 250 for sure.

That and the resale value on a ninja 250 is awesome. depending on how many miles you put on it you can probally sell it for about the same.

Answer 2

Those are PERFECT! Great bike.

Answer 3

For a first bike I wouldn't get anything over 20,000 miles on it.

The thing with the Ninja 250R is that it is basically the same bike from 1988-2007...so you're getting very similar technology. It's not like a 600cc that changes every single year.

Answer 4

It is refreshing to see people asking about PROPER bikes as a first bike rather than "Can I ride a 'busa? ... I've ridden a scooter once."

Both of those sound fine.  The Ninja 250 is a particularly good choice.   Buy one used, ride it for a year two, and then sell it for almost what you paid to the next rider.

Answer 5

The 1998 ninja is a nice bike to use for starters, and if you can get over the need for "Bigger is Better" then it will do rather well at saving a lot change on gasoline.  

As for how many miles are decent for a bike, I think mine is pretty decent at 11,000 miles on a 31 year old motorcycle,  you may find your own decent bike, (Buell Blast?) if you are open to buying the best one you can find, for the least money.