Originally Posted by
IluvJae
Also i just want to point out something that is really starting to irritate me. I have friends that ride motorcycles. I know several of them started on bikes bigger then a 250. They all keep saying to not get a 250 cus i'll get tired of it and when i go to sell it no one would buy it. One friend even told me that i'd get no respect from other people when they see me on a 250, and how it's slow and it's like riding a gas powered lawn mower and how some dirt bikes are faster then 250's and so forth. Why can't i go for what i like and what not.
Is a 250cc bike that taboo for males or something. I'm ignoring what they are saying and getting the 250 and i'm sure when it comes time to sell it, i can sell it. I just wasn't sure why people hate 250's the way they do.
You got to "ride your own ride". Don't let your friends dictate to you what you need. Also, who's "respect" is it that you're trying to earn? Does it really matter what some numb-nuts thinks? The only real opinion that matters is yours.
Will you outgrow a 250? The answer is most likely yes. The 250 will be light and easy to control. It will be easier for you to learn on. It will be easier to deal with while you're still fine tuning your basic riding skills. When a driver gets their license for the first time, you don't go handing them the keys to a Corvette. It's too much car for a beginning driver to safely control. For me, the same logic applies to a motorcycle.
In your 1st year of riding, the chances are higher that you might drop the bike. Would you rather drop a less expensive used starter bike or a more expensive 600cc + sport bike?
Jae, I ride a Shadow VLX, 600cc cruiser. Everyone told me I would need more. Everyone told me that it's a woman's bike. Hell, I was at the dealership buying oil. I get out to the parking lot, and there's a couple guys eyeballing my bike. I got good compliments on it. One guy said, "my wife had one". Did it bother me that he qualified his comment with "my wife had one"? Nope.
I have had my share of bone headed newbie rider issues. I made it through them because the bike is just right to learn on. It's allowing me to dial in the finesse needed to move onto a larger bike.
To me, the bike is beautiful. It does what I need it to do. That's all that matters to me.
And about the resale comments...
I was at Chicago Cycle Warehouse on Friday (chicagocycle.com). I went and looked around their used bike section. All their used 250 ninjas, used 250 rebels, one used 250 nighthawk, basically all the used "beginner" bikes had sold signs on them.
You buy a 250 ninja. You learn all you can from it in a season or two of riding. You then can sell it for near what you paid for it. Sounds like a good thing to me.
When I first got into it, I lurked
http://www.beginnerbikers.org/forum . It's a great resource for new riders.