OT: My first motorcycle...

[AngryScientist]

I just came through a pretty dramatic life experience, and long story short, i'm interested in getting on a bike.

I've always liked the idea of a sport bike, and i'm really attracted to the Honda CBR250R. Small motor, i know, but it's pretty light, and at 135#, i'm a pretty small rider.

with an MSRP of below what i've put into bicycles in the past ($4200), it seems like an excellent way to dip my toe into the water of motos.

i also have about a 35 mile one-way commute to work, and i think that even if i wind up moving onto something more powerful in years from now, this bike can live on as a great economic commuter.

what says the collective knowledge here about this little guy, as a fist moto / fun way to get some air on my commute on nice days??

[spaced_ghost]

if you have any highway miles to ride, i'd go for something bigger, like 650.

[SPOKE]

Yep! Go for it.

[Louis]

Long moto-bike thread across the hall

[tigoat]

Congradulations! I have not been on a motorbike for over 10 years. I have had more than 25 motorcycles in my life including numerous sportbikes and cruisers. I even owned a Harley, which I crashed on and stayed in the hospital for a few days. My last motorcycle was a Ninja ZX-9R before hanging my helmet up for good. The crash did not scare me, I was just bored and decided to quit. The only bike that I still missed to this day is my 1989 GSX-R 750, which was the king of sportbike at one time. Have fun!

[thirdgenbird]

Sv650. One of the best bikes on the market. Easy for a beginner but handling that will keep experanced riders smiling. It will run down the highway way better than a 250 as well.

That said, I used to have a vintage cafe racer with an engine out of a modern ninja 250. That thing would do wheelies on demand but topped out at about 70mph

[cash05458]

ghost might be right if you are doing highway miles...that's a fairly light bike...motor will do the job no problem...but for a first motorcycle and if on highway it can be pretty traumatic getting blown around...just saying to maybe keep in mind...

[thirdgenbird]

I'm going t say it again, sv650

[Gummee]

While I haven't ridden that particular bike, I have ridden a Ninja 250. Its a hoot wringing the neck of a bike like that and while it feels like and sounds like you're going supra-legal speeds, you're not really in the 'I'm going to lose my license' territory.

Keep momentum up in the corners and you'll surprise some sport bikes.

Oh, and buy one used. Those and the other 250s are 'starter bikes' and people get peer pressured into getting rid of em too soon.

M

[spaced_ghost]

used SV650 is a really good idea.

[christian]

I have over 160,000 miles of motorcycle experience, and I still commute on a Ninja 250.

Nick, come up to Westchester and you can ride it as much as you like and try it out. We can go for a ride too.

CBR is a nice bike, but I'd buy used. Massive depreciation on little bikes!

[Ken Robb]

Motorcycle magazines have positive reviews of the Honda but the newly introduced Kawasaki Ninja 300cc may be better for many riders. The weight and price is similar but the engine is quite a bit more powerful.

As others have said Suzuki 650 models like SV and DL are wonderful bikes and can be bought used for $2500-4000 for nice examples. Kawasaki Versys 650 is another possibility.

I gather you are not very tall but you should still think about the riding position of bikes that you might buy. Generally a bike where you are more upright and have wider handlebars are easier to ride in traffic and all of the bikes discussed so far handle quite well. In general cruisers are less capable of all-around riding performance.

[maunahaole]

Christian is right. Go used on your first bike. That Honda is probably nice, but it may vibrate like mad at highway speed. The SV 650 is a nice bike - but save that for your second one. Look for a Ninja 250 while you are shopping.

Go take the MSF class too. Take the class before you get your bike.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by maunahaole

Go take the MSF class too. Take the class before you get your bike.

Thanks for all the advice so far. Definitely planning on the above.

[dustyrider]

A great place to start, but consider the wardrobe cost too: safety comes at a price. along the lines of hidden costs when is the last time you didn't upgrade a "new" bike, even just a little.

Of Course I prefer the enduro style a lot more, a much more upright riding position, not so much a body rocket waiting to happen. A motard for what you're describing would be my idea of 250 fun. That aside I say go for it, I look forward to the bike rack on motorcycle thread.