Sparticus

So i bought my first ever motorcycle yesterday. should be picking it up monday. I have never ridden one, nor have i driven a dirt bike, so it will be a whole new experience for me.

That being said, i don't wanna hear things about the size tongue.gif haha

picked up an 03 Kawasaki Ninja 250. i got it for a very good price since my stepfather works at the bike dealership. also got a damn good deal on a helmet as well. i only have 1 pic, which was taken by my cell phone



i'm only planning on keeping this for one season, then i'm gonna upgrade. i didn't want to start off w/ a 600 since, if i drop or damage this 250, it won't be that huge of a loss for me. i'm quite excited for it though. even though its small, its a pretty fast bike, from what i've heard, and the handling is better than the 500's.. and its a very popular bike for those just starting out

SOCKS_old

very nice man.. let me know what the learning curve is for ridin a bike.. i was thinking about picking one up pretty soon because these damn gas prices as my to-and-from work transportation.

how much did you get it for, or at least how much is the retail on one of the 250's.

Sparticus

the online price was posted at $2399 which was something i would have refused to pay. (brand new they retail for $2999) for an 03, i would expect a price around $1800 just because of the fact that there is a huge demand for these (70-80 MPG). i bought it for $1599 out the door

SOCKS_old

wow, ill definately be looking into one of these in the future for that price.

don't you need a special license to ride a bike though?

StrikeEagle

Nice!! I've really been wanting to get one, but I also have absolutely zero motorcycle experience. Couple thousand miles on a bicycle, but not a motor one. I did take the test (Socks, it's just a 25 question written exam [multiple choice], with a booklet to study beforehand. Costs about $20 or so), so I have my motorcycle permit. Was hoping to learn last summer but that fell through. Anyway, I'm also really interested to see what the learning curve is, so keep tabs on all your scrapes and bruises! LOL I was leaning towards the 250 Ninja, possibly the 500, but being first time, I'd probably stick lower like you did.

Sparticus

the permit tests vary by state... in mass, it's a 20 question exam. as long as you get 14 correct, you pass. once you get the 14th, the computer shuts off. its pretty nice. cost $30 for the exam.

for the license, most states have it set up that you do NOT have to do a state road test if you take and pass an MSF (safety) course.

here, you can ride on just a permit as long as its not at night time, and not out of state.

and, yea, i'll let everyone know how it goes. i'll probably be taking it for some sorta driving monday (as long as i can get it registered and such). hopefully no bruises!

UrS0NvS

good starter bike, you'll get the feeling for it really quick. bikes around here are going for gold prices anymore.

'treezy

It is surprisingly easy to learn, but don't go trial and error by yourself on the streets one day..

Have someone INSTRUCT you in a parking lot. The VERY first thing you should learn is the proper starting and shutting off procedure for your bike. Then clutch control and braking, smooth. Feel the difference between turning at 15mph and 30 mph in a parking lot (no lean vs lean). The horror stories of "omfg, i don't think i can lean left to turn right and lean right to turn left.." are BS.. if you've riden a bicycle over 15mph you've done it before, without even knowing it..
and then learn to brake abruptly, all in a parking lot.

MSF courses are the preferred choice, you learn with a group and a certified instructor and it bypasses all written and road tests, simply take your completion card to the MVD/DMV and they'll issue you another DL with a Motorcycle Endorsement.

I learned on a TW220 in a parking lot. After 4 hours I was ready for the road. Bought a Suzuki 550GS (little heavier than the TW220) for $600 and started cruising. You continue to learn as you rude the streets, but once you have the basics down and understand you are not evil knievel after 4 hours of practice then everything else comes easy. I remember my first time taking a long sweeping curve at 80, mmm.

The sucky part is that the simple fact of life is that there are Motorcycle Riders who HAVE fallen and those who WILL. I haven't yet, which sucks.

FYI, a GS550 or 450 (any series) convertd to diesel (kits on eBAy for under $1000) will net over 100mpg but limit your top speeds to under 70 or so.

Alex01tib

Damn you! lol. Looks good man.

I'm looking into getting the EXACT same bike, i've just had to fork out everything i had saved for the bike to pay for school.

1600 is a good deal from a dealer, i'm still not sure whether i want to save a few hundred on a private party sale with a bit more risk, or go to a dealer and have peace of mind. Either way the price is great and the gas savings is undeniable.

Let us know how it feels as i haven't got down to the dealer to try out a 250 because i know i'll leave there with one haha.

01silvtiby

thats a great starter bikes, im going to start riding soon, as soon as i finish fixing my bike, me and my father are going to ride. He's got a honda vtx 1300 and the one im riding is a Yamaha 900. Bikes are tons of fun though