What bike to start off with?

[sharif]

Hi all,

I am booking my DAS for December when I turn 21 and I am just getting ideas now on what bike to purchase when I pass my test.

I have visited a few local bike shops and I am very interested in the Kawasaki Ninja 250R.

Is this a good bike to start off with?

I was thinking it would be better to start off with a lower cc bike and eventually upgrade to something bigger.

I will need to ride the bike for roughly 2 hours everyday, dual carrigeways and motorways. Will the Ninja be good on motorways?

A lot of people are saying to start off on a 250 but then others are saying you will soon get bored of the power and want to upgrade to a 600.

I was going to ask what other bikes do you guys recommend to start off with?

My budget is around £2-3k (the cheaper the better) and willing to spend up to £1k for insurance.

Thanks

Sharif

[Nope.]

Really this sort of question should be in the new bikers section and had you performed a search before posting you would have found that this topic has been covered hundreds of times.

Basically:

1) 250's are about to drop massively in price because of the loss off 33bhp laws.

2) If you doing a DAS just get a 600, your sensible in the fact that your thinking smaller CC's but a bike will only go as fast as you want it too.
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Former: Derbi GP1 50, Sachs XTC 125, Suzuki GSXR 400 GK73A, Kawasaki ZX7R, Suzuki DR250, Yamaha RD350
Current: 2011 Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré, 2003 Yamaha YZR-R1 5PW (In Build), 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400

[P.addy]

Its not a great bike to start with, you'll hate it quickly and its value will plummet.

Could just be sensible and get a CBR600F or Thundercat... both are relatively tame but fun.

If I was starting biking again it would be CBF/YBR125 > the above bikes... Rather than jumping to 500 and getting bored then sports 6.

[moppy]

If you're doing DAS, you might as well go straight to a 600. I dunno if you did CBT at all, but riding a 125 gets boring very very quickly and Im going to assume that after doing DAS on a 500, you will get bored of the 250 very soon.

If you're that worried, restrict the 600.

[WannaBeDude]

Sports 600s will hammer you on insurance, cb500 / er5/6,Hornet, fazer, or 750s.

[Tenko]

Buy an old GS850G and lug that around for a year or two. You'll learn how to ride a big old slug on cheap insurance, and after that riding a modern 600 will be a piece of piss...

[carlosthejack...]

And once more with feeling....

[Blau Zedong]

https://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/BLUEX5/0a469e9c.jpg

GSXR1100K

Do it faggot.
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[Rogerborg]

Right now you can get a new SV650S for less than a Ninja 250. At 0% finance. That's a lot more bike for your money.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Oldie]

600's etc are so easy to ride. You wont have a problem. Don't worry about it, just keep looking until you fall in love with a particular bike (you'll get a faster one pretty soon anyway).

Lots of folks start on a CBF600, SV650, ER6, Fazer etc and keep them for years cos they're good bikes.

Good luck with the test

[sharif]

Thanks for all the replies people, appreciate it.

For all saying to go for a 600, my dream bike is a GSXR 600, I can pick one up but dont fancy paying £1800 to insure it TPFT.

When I went to some dealerships I did look at the Honda Hornet and did like it, was comfortable and looked good but they are out of my budget (unless I get one on finance). Sat on a CBR600 and it wasn't as comfy.

Will look at all the bikes you recommended and do some research.

Thanks again.

[Nick280]

My first bike was a CBR400RR Baby Blade Gull-arm NC29.

I loved that bike and it was way quick enough for me at the time. I did 20,000 miles on the bike in a year and it never let me down and I never wanted for a different bike until a friend bought a ZX6R 18 months later on.

I'd recommend anybody to start on a 400, they are a lot more user friendly, easier to learn to ride as you don't start learning until you've past your test. They're a lot more fun than a 600 as you can kick its head in without fear of being spat off but still see 130+ and embarrass a lot of car drivers too

I learned to get my knee down on the bike, to be fair, its already half way there isn't it but never the less.

I'm 6' and to be fair, a Gull-arm was a little on the snug side but an VFR400 NC30 or the RVF400 NC45 are a bigger bike with the same fun factor if you find the Gull-arm too small.

The 400's hold there value well so might be a little more expensive to buy than a 600, particularly the NC30, but you will get more for it when you come to sell it on.

Get a 600 after you've had a year on a 400 is my advice, and its free advice too

Good luck

[carlosthejack...]

You can pick up a decent Hornet for 2 grand and the insurance won't be at the top end of your budget either...
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