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Good Starter Sport Bike "Motorcycle" ?

I

iphone.luke

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 2, 2008
59
0
I am 18, got my license 6 months ago, am a good driver, no tickets, no warnings, no wrecks.

I drive a 1991 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, it gets 13 MPG and only runs on Premium, tried lower Octanes but it Idles way to rough.

So I want something I can get good gas MPG with. I was going to buy a 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX 80K miles and one owner for $7000. it gets 30 MPG.

I am thinking about getting a sport bike and wonder if this is a good bike quality wise and is it a good bike to start on. I want a Hyabusa but dont want to die! I would have to see how fast It would go!! :D

But I looked around and like this: http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Detail.aspx?id=201


Thanks,
Luke
 
i would suggest a ninja 250 if you want a sport bike look. the bike you're looking at i think is a little to big for a beginner. the power it has can get away from you quick especially as a beginner. besides the new ninja 250 looks really awesome, it reminds me of the zx6r i used to own. kawasaki is a very good bike, but i would really suggest looking at something a little smaller, plus the 250 will get incredible mileage somewhere around 80-90.
 
I weight 240 and am 6ft tall, do you think the 250 has enough power to take the hills in West Virginia, that is where I live.
 
Don't get anything bigger than a 600 if you want good mileage. With your size though I'd wonder if a 250 would be up to it. It would get you around, but you also want something you can have a bit of fun on. All the big firms do 600 class sports bikes, including the main four Japanese manufacturers. I would take a look at their reviews if I were you.
 
Assuming you want to do this right, TAKE THE MSF BASIC COURSE FIRST! I can't emphasize that enough. It will give you life-saving skills, prevent the development of bad ones including a lot that are taught by well-meaning but misinformed riders, allow you to bypass the riding test for your license in many states (which you will get, right?), give you a good break on insurance (another need), and most importantly, confirm that you really want to become a rider.

Sport bikes are aimed, honestly, at a single segment: testosterone-laden, ego-driven, "gonna live forever" males under 30. (Disclaimer: My first bike at 18 was a Kawasaki Mach III, one of the dominant "sport" bikes of it's era, such as there were any) Not that they're bad or dangerous bikes, but too many new, inexperienced, or younger riders get in way over their heads. Treat the bike and its capabilities with some respect, know your own real limits, and remember that every cager is going to pull out right in front of you. I'm not suggesting that you should get a cruiser or bagger, unless you like 'em in the first place.

A 250 is a good choice to start with, but I'd say definitely stay under 500cc for the first few years. Cost, insurance (again!), maintenance, ease of handling and relative forgiveness all are concerns for the first one.

Keep us posted, and ride safe! :D
 
Definetly do the training course.
Get a used bike 250 or under.
You will have a few minor offs as you are learning, fairings are expensive to replace, so a cheap learners bike (not a sports bike) is well worth it.

After a few months you might decide motorcycles aren't you, less money lost on a used learners than a new sports bike.
Or a year later you'll be ready for a sports bike.

JohnNotBeatle said:
...............(Disclaimer: My first bike at 18 was a Kawasaki Mach III, one of the dominant "sport" bikes of it's era, such as there were any)......................
Click to expand...

The mach 111 aka "the widow maker" you're lucky to still be here!
That bike was a beast.
 

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iphone.luke said:
I weight 240 and am 6ft tall, do you think the 250 has enough power to take the hills in West Virginia, that is where I live.
Click to expand...

The boyfriend and I took our Ninja 250 for a tour from Victoria, B.C. to Jasper, A.B. (Canada) last summer. We had no problem going up and down the Rockies with 2 people on the bike + full camping gear.....
 
You will be fine on a 250. I have one and love it, there is no need to start any bigger. Also being 18 run an insurance quote, and then crunch the numbers I bet gas would have to be about $6 a gallon for you to even come close to breaking even. Also remember your going to spend $xxxx on the bike + about $1,000 in gear + high insurance. It all adds up fast and a bike is not cheap to save cash.
 
JasonS4 said:
f4i cbr600. Best starter sport bike IMO. Good luck. Bikes are scary.
Click to expand...

The bikes aren't as scary as the idiots in the cars these days make things.

I'm driving a full sized car, and the number of people that have pulled out for a right turn in front of me without looking is insane.

Of course this is also the car I drive that has had more vehicle fluids and broken body parts tossed on it from car wrecks next to me that makes things just as insane.

Always fun to be in a blue hair car that tend to piss people off and pull out into oncoming traffic and go bang.
 
My son will be 17 in a few months, we just decided to get him a Ninja 250. Figured it would be a great starter bike. He'll take the safety course and do a lot of practicing with dad, who's a police motorcycle instructor.

We chose the Ninja 250 because it's a good bike, nice looking, and a good price.
 
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