Will I get tired of a 250?

:help: I'm looking into getting my first motorcycle. I've checked into a Honda 250 Rebel (which is what I learned on) and a Ninja 250 because i really want a sport bike. I've been told I will become bored with a 250 and the dealer suggested i start with a Ninja 650 at 5500 OTD. Will I get tired of a 250? And is the 650 too big for a beginner?

If you can ride at all the Ninja 650r should be ok. If yourinto sportbikes then yes, you will get tired of a 250. I even think a 500 such as the EX500 or the Suzuki GS500 would be great for you. Good luck and be sure to stick around and post up pictures.:dthumb: :welcome: :twfrox:

You may or may not... But this is my thing. Unless you are a speed junky girl... it has been my expierence that girls tend to be ok on the smaller bikes. They don't have the devil on their shoulder that most guys do. But those Nonja 650s are pretty sweet!

SV650. 'Nuff said. :drool: Here's mine: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7786/1145/1600/P6051136.jpg You like sportbikes, so you probably want a fairing. Here's VolEngineer's SV650S: http://www.twowheelforum.com/photopost/direct_data/531/medium/IMG_1778.JPG They're great bikes, they're always fun to ride, and not too much for a beginner to handle.

:twfrox: :dthumb: hey thanks ya'll!! Yea I just wish i could come up w/ the $5500 for the black Ninja 650. It's a sexy bike:drool: But if i do get the 650 or even a 500 i'm def putting sliders on it. Putting a dent in a brand new rebel at class wasnt much fun:doh:

Just reading the subject, I will answer you. Yes you will get tired of it. Maybe after a year or two.

I say just go with the new ninja! you'll be happier... besides the red frame is sexy!

You already have a SV650S icon. You're halfway there! :lol:

I think you will be fine on the 650.

I guess I'm going to disagree with the masses here and say it might not be best to start with that ZX650. Granted, it, as well as the SV650/650S are much tamer than the "R" bikes, and are overall well suited to newer riders (and both have comfortable riding positions). BUT, I don't think you should be considering a NEW bike for your first. If you're really concerned you'll get "bored" with a starter bike, do this: pick up a used 250 or 500, ride the heck out of it for a year and then turn around and sell it to another new rider. You can pick up used 500's for a couple grand, and more often than not, you can turn around and sell them for nearly what you paid for them (since you're buying it used, someone else has already taken the big depreciation hit). Something to remember... you WILL most likely drop your first bike. Yes, frame sliders can minimize damage to fairings, etc... but not always, and not 100%. If you bought a brand new bike, you'd be utterly crushed the first time you dropped it. :( Not to mention, having a new bike adds pressure to a new rider just learning.... Just some things to keep in mind... I absolutely adore BOTH the ZX650 and the SV650S (both of those, as well as the ZZR, are on my list of potential bikes to upgrade to later this year), so it's nothing against the bikes. Good luck! :dthumb:

having started with the ninja 250, i loved it!! it was a GREAT starter bike but for me a starter only. I am big into speed and I got bored with it really quick, it will get up and go but 108 was the max I could get up to...(so i was ready to move on within 3 months...) If you can ride already, i mean ride, not the MSF course only, i would def think about getting the 650, if you arent a really exp. rider yet start with the 250!! Also, as far as i know, they dont have frame sliders for the 250's...

If you bought a brand new bike, you'd be utterly crushed the first time you dropped it. :( +1,000,000 I wish there were sliders for the ninja 250, but from what I hear you dont really need em.

i had 2 ninja 250s. each i kept for at least a year. when i bought the 636 2 years ago i traded a 250 in. i was a bit unsure even then that i was ready for a 600. i never got bored with my 250s. they were great to start on. i even came from an extensive dirt bike background and all that crap. as a petite girl, the 250 should do everything you should hope for. i am glad i started out small. my first street bike was a YSR50. top speed of about 45mph. now that's small. but i am a better rider because of it today. don't let a bunch of boys influence you. buy what you are comfortable with. and if it is the 650, so be it. but you are the one that has to ride it, not some dealer. there is no $$ in selling the 250s, so don't be surprised that they want to sell you the big bikes. but here's how i see it: no bike = bored, any bike at all = not bored. :luck: with the choice. and as my idol, pink, would say: don't be a "stupid girl", think for yourself and do your own thing. :cheers: here's to being on 2 wheels!

:help: I'm looking into getting my first motorcycle. I've checked into a Honda 250 Rebel (which is what I learned on) and a Ninja 250 because i really want a sport bike. I've been told I will become bored with a 250 and the dealer suggested i start with a Ninja 650 at 5500 OTD. Will I get tired of a 250? And is the 650 too big for a beginner? I am having the same dilema. I was able to find a used 250 with 800 miles on it for $2500 and the woman is willing to take payments. Nothing at all wrong with the bike, but the guys I will be riding with ride nothing smaller than 600s. I'm not really worried about keeping up with them or anything right away, but I'm sure I will be bored being the last one all the time. My gut says go with the 250 cause I think I would be more comfortable on it to start, but my head says to get an older used 600 so I don't need to "upgrade" in a year. I would say go with what you feel comfortable on. If the 250 feels right then go with that, you can always sell it after you know the ropes better. I've watched used ones on eBay go for more than new ones. :scratch: Whatever way you choose though, :luck: and keep us posted.

well, you shouldn't really be in last place all the time unless the guys are riding at speeds above 108mph. rae said the 250 will do at least that, i never tried on either of mine (nor with my 636 now). the only bad thing about the 250 is the slow pick-up. it isn't the fastest bike off the mark, but once it gets going it will hang with the big bikes. it is a very respectable 1st bike. but that's just my :2cents: .

Ok here is my typical Noob statements Take the MSF Course Get the gear (leather jacket, Full helment, gloves minimum) a fully perforated leather jacket is good to 85deg as long as your moving, after that temp everything is hot no matter what. This is gonna cost you $400-$1000 for anyting worthwhile Get these two books. They will take you the next step after the MSF. Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist II and Lee Parks Total Control (?) With these two books they will teach you insights into riding that you would have never thought of and you will improve 10 fold over a year. Riding is more a mental sport than anything else. As for bikes, if your not a nitwit, get what you want but don't overdo it (aka 1litre bikes) The 650r will just get you there a little faster. If you don't like your bike your not gonna ride it. Total HP is not everything, I know guys that can outride me (in the twisties) on their 500ex and I am on my Aprilia and I am not a slow rider. PS your gonna drop your bike, even if its just in the parking lot. OEM Plastic is very expensive. Ride ride Ride, that is the only way to get better. Country riding is much more satifying than highway, city riding. Ride 5000 miles before you start to really push yourself. You need to train your muscles to ride the bike natrually and not think about shifting gears, braking, looking through turns, etc. On the street you always ride below "YOUR" 70-80% level not mine

I am having the same dilema. I was able to find a used 250 with 800 miles on it for $2500 and the woman is willing to take payments. Nothing at all wrong with the bike, but the guys I will be riding with ride nothing smaller than 600s. I'm not really worried about keeping up with them or anything right away, but I'm sure I will be bored being the last one all the time. My gut says go with the 250 cause I think I would be more comfortable on it to start, but my head says to get an older used 600 so I don't need to "upgrade" in a year. I would say go with what you feel comfortable on. If the 250 feels right then go with that, you can always sell it after you know the ropes better. I've watched used ones on eBay go for more than new ones. :scratch: Whatever way you choose though, :luck: and keep us posted. thats a killer deal on a 250 as long as it isnt too old, what year is it?? And I would totally reccomend getting a 250 for a first bike, nothing bigger, but depending on your needs, you may grow tired of it really quick like i did or enjoy it longer like itgirl did...they are very easy to learn on, and honestly unless it is something silly, you probably wont ever drop it...and mine was really easy to resell and I didnt take too much of a hit considering I only had it 3 or so months...

shes already taken MSF passed, dropped the bike and all that fun stuff not a complete noob...:lol: more like a parking lot princess...(if she reads this she will kill me) :yikes:

That sounds like a pretty good deal on new 650. I think you'd really like that or the SV a lot, and have fun on/get use out of longer than doing the 250/resell/buy route. I sort of disagree with the blanket "you'll be crushed the first time you drop it and make it not shiny" statement about buying a new bike. If you go into it really KNOWING that you're likely to bang it up some, it really isn't so bad when you do. That all depends on the individual and how they respond to something like that. However, a newer bike is flat out going to cost more to replace parts/plastic on than older bikes. It's certainly something to consider when making the new/used decision.

im pushing the 250, buy/use/sell and then work her way up, i think she would have more fun on the 250, but i know i am goin to have to work something out to act as sliders or make the first nakid 250

I'm a newb to riding and I bought a Ninja ZX-6R, 636. I learned all by myself and realized one thing to be true....: If you want to learn to ride a BIKE, any bike will do. If you want to learn to RIDE a bike, then start with a 250 and push it to its limits (at least thats how one person on the kawiforums put it). I speak from experience that you CAN learn to ride on a large bike, and that's what I'm doing. I just stay off the throttle, cause I KNOW the thing can fly if I want it to :yikes:

im pushing the 250, buy/use/sell and then work her way up, i think she would have more fun on the 250, but i know i am goin to have to work something out to act as sliders or make the first nakid 250 you really think she might drop it?? how tall/heavy/strong is she?? i never even came close to dropping mine it was so small and lightweight, but then again, i have dropped the 600 and gotten it back up again, so maybe its just cuz I am much stronger than i look...

you really think she might drop it?? how tall/heavy/strong is she?? i never even came close to dropping mine it was so small and lightweight, but then again, i have dropped the 600 and gotten it back up again, so maybe its just cuz I am much stronger than i look... i dumped my first one in the taco bell parking lot the first day i got it, chipped the fairing a bit. it will most likely go down, maybe not by crashing it, but probably by an amateur mistake. those happen all the time. they aren't very heavy bikes, but you know how it goes. once it starts going down it's hard to stop, even if it is lightweight.

i dumped my first one in the taco bell parking lot the first day i got it, chipped the fairing a bit. it will most likely go down, maybe not by crashing it, but probably by an amateur mistake. those happen all the time. they aren't very heavy bikes, but you know how it goes. once it starts going down it's hard to stop, even if it is lightweight. i hear that!!

you really think she might drop it?? how tall/heavy/strong is she?? i never even came close to dropping mine it was so small and lightweight, but then again, i have dropped the 600 and gotten it back up again, so maybe its just cuz I am much stronger than i look... I'm 5'7 136lbs and I've played soccer for 9 years plus ran track and a few intramurals along the way. I'm prolly gonna get a 250 but now the question becomes a sport bike or a standard.....dun dun dunnnnnn :willy: I'm leaning more towards a Rebel for a year.

You already have a SV650S icon. You're halfway there! :lol: :iagree: You can't go wrong with an SV. The ninja is a decent bike, but it's hardly been around long enough to be proven.

Psychochild, I've said this in almost every post to a new rider! Get a bike you feel comfortable on!!!! If it's a 250, you will learn to ride it closer to it's capacity earlier (still gonna take years!), and if it's a larger bike, you will need to be extra careful on the throttle! Get to a track, do courses! ride everywhere! do courses!! Have fun, and never let anyone convince you to try and ride any faster than you feel comfortable with! I totally agree with ITgirl! Get a bike, any bike (given it fits the above conditions), and get riding. You'll have plenty of opportunity to find your "perfect" bike later. P.S. small bike + racetrack + slower riders on large bikes = tunzafun:dthumb:

I'm 5'7 136lbs and I've played soccer for 9 years plus ran track and a few intramurals along the way. I'm prolly gonna get a 250 but now the question becomes a sport bike or a standard.....dun dun dunnnnnn :willy: I'm leaning more towards a Rebel for a year. you shouldnt have any problems then with any of your choices, but go for whatever you really want!!! I love the rebels, if I hadnt been so set on a sport bike thats what I would have gotten, they are awesome!!

Alright I've made my decision.....a Honda Rebel 250. (drewpy isn't that thrilled, he was pushing the 636) Thanks for all you guy's help!!! :twfrox: :cheers:

i was not, i was pushing 650..... :yikes:

As long as you're happy and on 2 wheels!

Alright I've made my decision.....a Honda Rebel 250. (drewpy isn't that thrilled, he was pushing the 636) Thanks for all you guy's help!!! :twfrox: :cheers: :dthumb: Awesome!! I assume the one in your avatar is your new baby?? If so, thats a beauty!

I'm bringing back this old thread as I have some similar questions about 250's... I'm currently riding a 50cc scooter and am ready to move up to a 'big girl bike'. Still playing out the pros & cons of new vs. used. The Ninja 250 is my bike of choice, but I want to do my research before trading in ye ole' scoot. Has anyone ridden a Hyosung 250 Comet? Thoughts in comparison to the Ninja? Unfortunately the naked version is the only one available in Canada; I love the 250R in the US complete with full fairing. :drool: There is a dealer not far from here who imports used European bikes; among those are a Honda NSR250 a VT250F and a CBR250. I'm worried that parts will be hard to come by as these are all older late 80's-early 90's bikes, but like the fact that they are a somewhat 'disposable' first bike so that I can upgrade to something shinier and prettier when I have better handling skills. Appreciate any info so that I can throw stats at hubby when he lists the reasons why these are good/bad bikes....:wink:

I dunno much about the Honda CBR250, but if its anything like the 600s, its probably a tough little bike/TANK. now the ninja 250 is quite nice for its size, and price. either one is a good bike. sorry I cant make any comment on the Hyosung.

I'm bringing back this old thread as I have some similar questions about 250's... I'm currently riding a 50cc scooter and am ready to move up to a 'big girl bike'. Still playing out the pros & cons of new vs. used. The Ninja 250 is my bike of choice, but I want to do my research before trading in ye ole' scoot. Has anyone ridden a Hyosung 250 Comet? Thoughts in comparison to the Ninja? Unfortunately the naked version is the only one available in Canada; I love the 250R in the US complete with full fairing. :drool: There is a dealer not far from here who imports used European bikes; among those are a Honda NSR250 a VT250F and a CBR250. I'm worried that parts will be hard to come by as these are all older late 80's-early 90's bikes, but like the fact that they are a somewhat 'disposable' first bike so that I can upgrade to something shinier and prettier when I have better handling skills. Appreciate any info so that I can throw stats at hubby when he lists the reasons why these are good/bad bikes....:wink: I believe the Hyosung use a Suzuki based engine. Parts shouldn't be that hard to find for the 650. IDK about the 250. Make sure what you look at is legal to ride on the streets. Lots of track only bikes in that class.

Thanks for the help guys. Will look into the Hyosung being street legal; guess I just assumed it was. Good to know about the Suzuki engine...but does Suzuki make a 250 bike any more? Apparently Hyosung has been around for some time but are just starting to come to Canada, so that makes me a little hesitant. Too bad as they're sweet looking. The more I think about it, the more it seems like either the old school Honda or a Ninja will be the best way to go... Just realized there was a newbie section on here that touches base on a lot of this stuff too - great forum and lots to read!

:help: I'm looking into getting my first motorcycle. I've checked into a Honda 250 Rebel (which is what I learned on) and a Ninja 250 because i really want a sport bike. I've been told I will become bored with a 250 and the dealer suggested i start with a Ninja 650 at 5500 OTD. Will I get tired of a 250? And is the 650 too big for a beginner? If you get tired of a 250, sell it and get yourself something faster... From what I have seen of the Ninja 250's you can buy it, keep it for a couple years and sell it for what you paid for it... I dunno about the Rebel's... On a side note: I'm 5'7 136lbs and I've played soccer for 9 years plus ran track and a few intramurals along the way. If you have red hair and live near Columbus... (J. Tribiani) How you doin'? (/J. Tribiani)

Just so everyone knows incase ya'll havent seen my other thread I BOUGHT MY FIRST BIKE :woo: I got a honda rebel.

Just so everyone knows incase ya'll havent seen my other thread I BOUGHT MY FIRST BIKE :woo: I got a honda rebel. I saw it!:dthumb:

Just so everyone knows incase ya'll havent seen my other thread I BOUGHT MY FIRST BIKE :woo: I got a honda rebel. :dthumb: :cheers: :cin:

yep 250s are light and easy to handle except when you have those DAMMIT moments (like trying to put your foot down at a stop and realizing your shoelaces are stuck in the gearshift lever) :cursin: :cursin: :lol: other than that they are really easy to handle.

yep 250s are light and easy to handle except when you have those DAMMIT moments (like trying to put your foot down at a stop and realizing your shoelaces are stuck in the gearshift lever) :cursin: :cursin: :lol: other than that they are really easy to handle. :nopicsbs:

what? you want pics of me pinned under my ninja 250 looking like a moron and crying like a baby? :lol: im having deja vu, i think gasman already asked for the same pic

You know when ever we mention our stupidest moments someone here will want the pic... You KNEW it was coming so stop teasing us and stage a pic. :nopicsbs:

You know when ever we mention our stupidest moments someone here will want the pic... You KNEW it was coming so stop teasing us and stage a pic. :nopicsbs: haha i want to stage a pic i really do, but I dont think I can make myself deliberately lay down my bike.

but if someone helps you, and lowers it on to you (it did fall on you kinda) then the bike wouldn't be on the ground, you'd still be holding it up... JUST DO IT!

yep 250s are light and easy to handle except when you have those DAMMIT moments (like trying to put your foot down at a stop and realizing your shoelaces are stuck in the gearshift lever) :cursin: :cursin: :lol: other than that they are really easy to handle. :disapp:

but if someone helps you, and lowers it on to you (it did fall on you kinda) then the bike wouldn't be on the ground, you'd still be holding it up... JUST DO IT! Towels and throw pillows...

yep 250s are light and easy to handle except when you have those DAMMIT moments (like trying to put your foot down at a stop and realizing your shoelaces are stuck in the gearshift lever) :cursin: :cursin: :lol: other than that they are really easy to handle. If you're wearing proper gear then you don't have this problem.:2cents:

I'm not a woman, but I do have a Ninja 250. I'm 5'11 and 180lbs and the bike can scoot me to illegal speeds no problem. Don't listen to dealers and other squids when they say "you'll outgrow a 250 in like 4 days". True it will be slower than 95% of other bikes, but so what? You ride what YOU want to ride. I say find a good, low milage, used EX250 for around $1500-2000, get some gear ($500-750) and practice practice. I promise you, once you get the EX250 you will forget about all the "coulda bikes" and you'll fall in love with your "in the driveway bike". Wheels down! :dthumb: Anthony

Hey I just picked up my first bike and yup i got a 250 Rebel. I love it thus far. The only prob is drewpy enjoys it too so i have to fight him to stay off it...:rant: I have a feeling this bike will be with me for a LOOOONNNNNGGGG time... and i have no problem with that. It's a perfect for me because i'm still not comfortable on it...so it's parking lots and country roads for me for a while.

glad you are enjoying the bike. riding is in your blood now, you'll never be the same. stay safe...:dthumb:

My mom used to have a rebel 250 and 450. Take care of it and it will take care of you

My mom used to have a rebel 250 and 450. Take care of it and it will take care of you :iagree: so very true! I love my rebel! :cheers: man i thought this thread died...:lol:

:iagree: so very true! I love my rebel! :cheers: Glad to hear it!

Hey! hows things?