Beginner bike opinion?

[Marcster]

am surprised / even disgusted with the opposition this cautious, motivated would be rider has received in this thread.
He comes to the experts in the field, asks in a forum for beginners for help in beginning - and he is very effectively told, 'Don't begin.'
That's what happened here.

didn't any of you ride a M/C when you were a teenager?   Really?
didn't any of you pick up your dates on the bike?   or get a date by offering an afternoon ride?
didn't any of you throw a sleeping bag and tarp on the back (& nothing else!) and head for the mtns?

. .

I don't think that any of us are against B&C buying a motorcycle, but it sounds like money will be a bit tight while he is in college and he might be better off postponing such a purchase until the time when he can afford it without financial difficulty.  That's my $.02.

[BlackAndChrome]

Yeah UHOH I think everyone is on par with what is or isn't a good idea. I'd like to ride immediately but if I go ahead and get a bike now the only thing I would think about while riding it was how broke I am because of it. If I put it off for awhile it will most likely be a more pleasant and less stressful experience overall. Also less likely to get myself killed if I have a few extra months of practice before I take it to K-State with all those kamikaze drivers. Along with the fact that I'll be able to get a better deal on a bike instead of fighting every guy on craigslist to get the first look at a bike and see if I can throw the most money at it.

Sometimes a reality check can be worth a lot more than two thumbs up if it hurts in the short term but 10 fold benefits in the long run.

Sorry about skipping out for awhile, got REALLY distracted by trying to find the best laptop for the best price, as far as I know I did and it's on it's way to me now. Still $600 in the bank waiting to be put toward a bike next fall also.  

I'll see if I can get a full refund on the rider course and make sure I'm in the first class next summer, as stated the classes are by no means cheap ($200 here) and fill up about 1-2 months in advance.

[madmanmarz]

I didn't read this whole thing.

I started on a Kawi 750 (ZR-7) which is not much different from the Nighthawk. I too considered one and I really liked their looks, but as has been said, reliability with something that old will be an issue unless you're lucky (often times parts braking leads to people selling their bikes).

The problem with the 750's come down to weight and power. The midrange on these bikes hit fairy stout (especially for a new rider), and the weight will keep you from learning with the bike as you should. I recently transitioned to a 600 sportbike, and to me, it's much more well behaved in the sense that I really have to ask (downshift/rev the crap out of the engine) to get power out of it. On the other hand, it does almost 160 and wheelies by accident (the power is very deceptive).

Regardless, I know what you're thinking, you don't want one of the 500's because of looks (although naked they're alright and the GS isn't so bad). And also it would be nice to have a starter bike that will keep you happy down the line.

You will probably drop the bike, so the more you like the way it looks, the madder you're going to be when you go down.

With your height, you definitely want a starter that sits in the tourer/city bike kind of category as the riding position takes some getting used to. And the more comfortable you are, the more you will ride and the faster you will learn. This is why I would stay away from most faired bikes/anything with clipons.

Consider a late 90's 600, especially a naked. FZ6, bandit 600, etc unless you are willing to try a 500.

If I was to start out all over again, it would be on an '08+ 250r. They handle great, they look great, they're sporty enough and you will probably want to end up keeping it since it gets over 70mpg for running around town.

By the way, here are some ideas in your area (I didn't go through them individually)

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1792113405.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1787719071.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1776602140.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1767197764.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1764375689.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1766840358.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1757750401.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1777600103.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1796011076.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1788844436.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1791331327.html
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/1771044821.html

Some of these and others are probably a little too much to start with...just find some one older with lots of riding experience and take their lead and take your time and get to the track as soon as you can.

Oh yes and buy in the winter.

[bassjones]

You can get a great deal on a Suzuki 650F used right now and they'll be even better in the winter.  I too recommend saving up for a while and trying to spend in the $3000 range as you'll get a much newer and more reliable motorcycle that way.  Old bikes are great for a 2nd bike if you like to tinker, but for a daily ride I'd go newer.

[jdgretz]

When you get closer to purchasing give this tool a try http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cgi?cat=cpmoto.  I use it quite a bit for finding bikes, cars, parts and other stuff^(tm).

It would be nice if your mom wasn't against the Ninja 250.  My step-son had one that his mother bought for him as a High School graduation present (until a Sheriff's Deputy hit him) and loved it.  He currently rides an '87 Ninja 600 and would trade it in a heartbeat for another nice '07 250 as he had more fun on that bike.  He is also just a tad over 6' and it fits him nicely.  Maybe you can find one without the Ninja label on the bike and call it by it's numerical designator - EX250?  

Keep us up to date on your progress - both as it relates to the bike and to college.

jdg