What motorcycle should i buy

Question

Im a beginner motorcycle rider and im looking into buying a 250cc bike

my choices are a 2009 kawasaki ninja 250r for $4,200

im not sure whether i will like the sitting position because of the leaning forward. starting out on a new bike might not be the bes

another choice is a used honda rebel 2008 for $3,000 which makes more sense i sat on it and felt the weight which is very light. my legs and arms seem a bit long for it though because i felt like the seat should be further back but overall i was impressed

the last choice is a 2003 suzuki gz250 for $2,000

its a bit old and im afraid its not as reliable as the others but it saves alot of money and my legs werent as tight feeling

i want to sit on a ninja before making my final decisision but i wanted some other input on what to do.

Answer 1

I'd get the Ninja because it is more forgiving and more fun to ride.

Don't let anyone talk you into a bigger bike, starting with a 250 is the way to go. I'm so tired of hearing everyone say "you'll outgrow the 250 so get a 650 blah blah blah". You need to go through that "outgrowing process" to learn and get some confidence. The Ninja will put you a little forward but nothing drastic and will be ok if you don't plan to put 300 miles in a day. Go back to the dealer and sit on that 2009 Ninja and try to get a feel for your riding position - make sure you can live with it.

Make sure you start with the Motorcycle Safety Course.

My best recommendation is to get a 2004-2007 Ninja 250 and try to get it from a dealer who will give you a 3 month or 1000 mile guarentee. A 2009 is nice but save yourself a few bucks and get an older Ninja, you'll probably put some beginning dings & dents on it.

Good luck and if you're a little gun shy starting out that's good - out on the road waiting for you are tons of kids on cell phones, granny's who can't see you, SUV's who don't give a d**n so be careful.

Answer 2

ask yourself some questions before what type of bike you wanta buy

#1 Are you planning on riding a passenger or not?

#2 How far, (how many miles) are you planning on riding from home?

#3 Where are you planning to ride, ( high speed freeway with a 65 mph speed limit, or single lane back roads with less than a 50 mph speed limit) ?

#4 Do you have friends that own motorcycles, if so what type of bike do they own?

I ask cause the 250cc bikes are limited what they can do, with an exception of the Kawasaki 250 Ninja, the Ninja has double the performance as the 250cc cruiser bikes.

I would suggest a bigger bike such as a Yamaha 650 V Star for a cruiser bike, or a Suzuki SV650 as a standard-sport bike, these two bikes can do and perform anything you ask them to do, these are a true everything bike where the 250cc bike is limited what it can do.

Answer 3

You wouldn't be as cramped on the Ninja, but if you prefer the cruiser seating position that is what you should get. I would sit on a Ninja before I decided if you haven't already. The Ninja 250R is a d**n good looking bike for that money.

Answer 4

I personally would agree with the guys telling you to get a cruiser in the 5-700 range. They arent built for pure speed and they are comfortable to ride. Learn on a cruiser and then once you get some experience if you still want a speeder do it then. 500 would probably be best and noone has mentioned hondas above the rebel yet but they are very good bikes as well

Answer 5

If I were you I'll get s scrambler :)  

Answer 6

2009 Ninja you can easily adjust plus this a reliable bike. you will enjoy it

Answer 7

Any 250-500 will be fine for your needs.  The important thing is to 1)Take a safety course and get your license  (if you haven't already)  and 2)Get all the proper safety gear (not just a helmet, but all the gear).

If you don't anticipate doing tons of long trips on your bike, then it comes down to preference in terms of sitting/riding position.  Personally, I think the sportier bike designs (Ninja 250/500) are great because the handling is sharper than on a cruiser, but those bikes are great too.  Get one you like, and feel comfortable on.  You might want to look at Suzuki GS 500s, too.

Answer 8

The Ninja250 is an awesome way to go.  You'll won't have size problems.on it and for the value/fun/reliability/cost, you won't find anything new that'll touch it.

You can always resell it for about the same price as you bought it for.

I've never met anyone who regretted a Ninja purchase!  I have met some very unhappy 250cc cruisers, though..

Answer 9

Your not going to listen to me but personally I don't think 16 year olds should get bikes. I'm not some old man telling  you this either, I'm 24 so I was your age not so long ago.

At 16 your just learnign the rules of the road. Many new drivers get into accidents, better to get into one in a car rather than on a bike.

B/c your going to get one anyway though let me answer your quesiton. Don't buy anything new. Dealers have leftovers of the previous  years bikes that have never been ridden out of the building and b/c they are a  year old they are selling them for a couple grand discount for essentially a new bike.

As for the size I'd recommend you get something a little bigger than a 250. Your going to outgrow a 250 in a matter of weeks and your going to lose a lot of money trying to trade up to something bigger. Maybe check out a Suzuki GS500. It's more power and will last you longer plus it's still small and very light. Personally I like cruisers, they are also lower to the ground which woudl be good for you. I started out on an Intruder 800 and had no problem. Look at a 500 or 600.