good afternoon my yahoos! so i‘ve been thinkin about gettin a kawasaki ninja 250, a good used one, as my first motorcycle. i am 5‘9, weigh about 135 lbs. i used to race my yamaha blaster a while ago in the woods and a couple times on a MX track. i did okay. so i know how to use a clutch. and i‘ve had my drivers licence for about 16 years now, and i always had a 5 speed w/ a clutch. my little car is paid off, new tires, new gas tank, etc., so i have dependable winter transportation. so my question is will a 250 be good for me to learn on? will it be good enough so that i dont want a bigger bike? i dont intend to race or show off. i learned in my car that the road is a jungle, and i tend to do the posted speed limits about 93% of the time. i dont like going over 85 m.p.h., even surrounded by sheet metal. thoughts?
You are smart to think of something small and not too powerful as a first bike. At 5'9 a 250 may be physically too small for you, however the only way to know is to go and sit on one. Whatever you get, have fun and be safe.
you know what they say about opinions being like a**holes. Everyone has one. Here's mine. Go to a dealer and look around. They will be happy to show you any bike there and let you sit on it. They will hold it up for you to put your feet on the pegs and mess around. Pick the one that you think fits you best and look for a used bike like that. I agree that a sport bike is too powerful for a beginner but I also think sport bikes make the rider feel invicible. Many riders get hurt in their first year because they have the wrong attitude. Go for a bike you like and are ready to keep for a year or two. Get a bike that you won't outgrow and has enough comfort that you can ride for hours without beating your back to death. Get good boots and gloves. The better the helmet the better your chances of surviving a crash. Know your limitations and ride within them. Remember that you are invisible to cage drivers and that ther are two types of riders out there. Those who have dropped their bikes and those that are going to drop theirs. Above allhave fun!
