Kawasaki Ninja

Hello everyone,

 

I recently have been bitten by the bike bug. I have never been a motorcycle person, but where I live now it would be very advantageous. I have always liked the Ninja and have been looking into getting one (the 300s have been the model that I am the most interested in). They seem like a good buy and have some wicked colors. People I have talked to say they are a good beginners bike. I honestly am not planning on driving on the highway with the bike, just around town. Parking is better with a bike. Anyway, I am COMPLETELY ignorant in this area and am looking for any advice (specifically on the Ninja, but anything helps), tips for bikes (other than wearing the protective equipment, I will hands down be doing that), etc. If anyone is selling shoot me a PM, I may be interested.

 

Thank you all in advance,

 

RobberBaron

Hello everyone,

 

I recently have been bitten by the bike bug. I have never been a motorcycle person, but where I live now it would be very advantageous. I have always liked the Ninja and have been looking into getting one (the 300s have been the model that I am the most interested in). They seem like a good buy and have some wicked colors. People I have talked to say they are a good beginners bike. I honestly am not planning on driving on the highway with the bike, just around town. Parking is better with a bike. Anyway, I am COMPLETELY ignorant in this area and am looking for any advice (specifically on the Ninja, but anything helps), tips for bikes (other than wearing the protective equipment, I will hands down be doing that), etc. If anyone is selling shoot me a PM, I may be interested.

 

Thank you all in advance,

 

RobberBaron

 

Before I answer, do you mind if I ask you how old you are and if you have a family? Wife, kids?

I had an 05 636 that I put 20,000 miles on. A lot different than a 300. This was my first street bike. 300 wont be very quick, but still quicker than most sedans. Since you have never ridden take a class.

 

When you are driving your car try to predict what people will do and how to avoid it if they do something stupid. Keep yourself aware of everything around you. This would be a good way to see if a motorcycle may be for you. You can never really completely relax on a bike.

 

I love riding, but you have to constantly respect what it is that you are doing.

Paging Kerplop!

Hello everyone,

 

I recently have been bitten by the bike bug. I have never been a motorcycle person, but where I live now it would be very advantageous. I have always liked the Ninja and have been looking into getting one (the 300s have been the model that I am the most interested in). They seem like a good buy and have some wicked colors. People I have talked to say they are a good beginners bike. I honestly am not planning on driving on the highway with the bike, just around town. Parking is better with a bike. Anyway, I am COMPLETELY ignorant in this area and am looking for any advice (specifically on the Ninja, but anything helps), tips for bikes (other than wearing the protective equipment, I will hands down be doing that), etc. If anyone is selling shoot me a PM, I may be interested.

 

Thank you all in advance,

 

RobberBaron

 

I currently have a 1999 Ducati 900SS. I started on a Ninja 250. However, there's a lot of interesting points when it comes to beginners and beginner bikes. I personally feel that it was good for me to start on something small. I learned throttle control, handling, maintenance and the basics on something that was tame and didn't want to kill me. I slowly moved up and eventually moved to my Ducati. I think if I had started on the Ducati I'd have learned a lot slower, probably hurt myself, and got in a lot of trouble.

 

There are those who recommend whatever bike suits your fancy, but I am of the personal opinion that it heavily varies on the person. Some people have very good self preservation and are responsible, take their time, etc. These types of people can probably learn to ride on most any size bike to begin with. There are those who lack a lot of self preservation, self control, make bad decisions, don't take their time to learn the basics and those are the types that will probably hurt themselves on a bigger bike.

 

This is why I err to the side of recommending something small like a 250/300. I actually rode the hell out of my 250 for many years along side my Ducati before I finally stopped riding it and sold it. But I held onto that bike for a while.

 

Take a motorcycle safety class, I absolutely recommend it. You'll learn a lot, even if you think you already know a lot, learn some good habits. Then pick up some good books and soak in more info.

 

Some reading literature recommendations for you:

 

- Twist of the Wrist

- Total Control

- Proficient Motorcycling

 

I would also recommend checking out ninja250.org, specifically the technical and repair wiki which can be found here

 

People have told me that the 250 isn't "fast enough" to ride on the street, but I never had an issue on the freeway or highway, multistate trips, etc. They are very easy to maintain, easy to ride, get great mileage, but don't expect Murcielago acceleration If you want, drop me a pm or hit me up on facebook and we can chat bikes. I can go on and on and on about bikes all day long.

If your just going around town get a motard and thank me later

Motorcycle safety class 100%

Motorcycle safety class 100%

 

Many states are starting to require them, which I think is actually a great idea.

Been riding for over 100,000 kms now.

 

Second on kerplop's advice. I started on a 600cc sports bike and I definitely used up a few of my 9 lives.

 

Ninja 300 is a good bike and once you get comfortable with the cornering, agility etc. you will likely want to move up to something a bit faster. They are also quite highly sought after on re-sale, so you shouldn't lose much value on the bike.

 

Frame slider's are good to have, especially when you are first starting out incase you drop it.

 

 

 

~4 wheels move the body, 2 wheels move the soul.

 

 

Thank you for all of the replies. The safety course is something I would 100% do. Safety is my number one concern. I know that a Vespa or something like that would be a cheaper option, but if I am going to buy a bike, I want a real bike. I am not the type that lacks self control. I will be doing everything as slowly as I need to, not only to ensure my own safety, but that of others. I will look into the 250s alongside of the 300s. I don't care about crazy speed or anything like that. That is what the Murcielago is for. I am a younger guy and don't have kids, wife, or girlfriend. Escobar, you are right on the Ninja. Thats why it appeals to me. Kerplop, I will definitely talk bikes with you. I appreciate you offering you knowledge. Thank you all for the replies so far!

If your just going around town get a motard and thank me later

 

They just look like so damn much fun, and plenty fast enough to get you in trouble. You can always step up to the Duc Hyper later on.

 

As a motoracer, there aren't words to describe the trouble I would get in on one of those things. I'd be in a high speed pursuit 30 seconds into my first ride.

 

You can still have plenty of fun on a 300 cc bike. Although I don't condone doing it on public roads like this fella:

 

If your just going around town get a motard and thank me later

One of these would be so much fun. And perfect for commuting to work or a quick trip to the grocery store for something small. One day...

If your just going around town get a motard and thank me later

 

Motards are great for getting around and a blast to ride.

 

I had a Ninja 250 back when I first started riding. Great bike, easy to maneuver, not intimidating but fun. One caveat is that the light weight can cause some issues if you are in a location where it gets windy. Even mildly breezy makes driving a bit challenging if you are in an open area (countryside/highway). That was my only complaint and it is a safety issue. It has the scale of a larger bike without the weight... which tosses it around significantly in back drafts from other vehicles and windy conditions. Learned a ton on that bike and a healthy respect for its limitations.

 

The Honda Grom is another fun bike to start out on. It's less performance than a Ninja, but a better short in town commuter ride. And they have a cult like following. Tons of options to customize. I keep one for zipping around and to haul for trips. I wouldn't take it on long rides, or freeways, but it's good for its niche.

Motards are great for getting around and a blast to ride.

 

I had a Ninja 250 back when I first started riding. Great bike, easy to maneuver, not intimidating but fun. One caveat is that the light weight can cause some issues if you are in a location where it gets windy. Even mildly breezy makes driving a bit challenging if you are in an open area (countryside/highway). That was my only complaint and it is a safety issue. It has the scale of a larger bike without the weight... which tosses it around significantly in back drafts from other vehicles and windy conditions. Learned a ton on that bike and a healthy respect for its limitations.

 

The Honda Grom is another fun bike to start out on. It's less performance than a Ninja, but a better short in town commuter ride. And they have a cult like following. Tons of options to customize. I keep one for zipping around and to haul for trips. I wouldn't take it on long rides, or freeways, but it's good for its niche.

 

 

The Grom is awesome! The ninja 300 is definitely a good starter bike too but one that will grow with your skills.

 

Personally I like the vintage bikes! I started on a '74 honda 360 and have a 750 now.

The Honda Grom is another fun bike to start out on. It's less performance than a Ninja, but a better short in town commuter ride. And they have a cult like following. Tons of options to customize. I keep one for zipping around and to haul for trips. I wouldn't take it on long rides, or freeways, but it's good for its niche.

 

A guy I used to work with had a Grom. He was probably 6 foot tall, it just looks like a clown bike with him on it. Looks like it would be a good in town bike though.

 

 

Personally I like the vintage bikes! I started on a '74 honda 360 and have a 750 now.

Thats cool! I started on a 74 360 too. You could beat the shit out of it and still only be going 45-55mph. So much fun.

My first bike was a Yamaha 600R in Marlboro colors back when I was 19 years old. I had never ridden in my life, it was delivered to me and I drove it around in the church parking lot next door til I learned to ride. Since then I've only owned liter bikes, 2 R1's, 1000RR and a Ducati 1098S. It's been years since I've ridden but there are SO many guys in the canyons by me that I've had the bug lately as well.

 

El Chorizo nailed it with his question for me as I am married with a little one on the way. As much as I miss riding you need to understand that it is incredibly dangerous. There's a saying amongst bikers that there are 2 types of riders, those that have been down and those that will be. Most of us who have ridden for a while have lost friends and I can tell you first hand it sucks. You could be the safest rider in the world but you can't control people around you; without a "cage" you'll always be at the mercy of everyone else on the road.

 

I would never try to discourage someone from riding as I seriously love it. Just be careful man, take the classes and wear your leathers.

Here is a Ninja 250

https://www.facebook.com/sofuoglu/videos/10153061453324599/

Ninja 300 is a nice bike.

Most important is to learn and I have said it before the motorcycle safety courses don't teach you anything. You need to be at a track taking a school to learn any appropriate skills when it comes to braking cornering etc.

California Superbike is excellent

I have been riding street ,track and racing for 24 years and I still go to school every year to sharpen my skills. Just did california superbike at laguna seca in July.

 

 

Ninja 300 is a nice bike.

Most important is to learn and I have said it before the motorcycle safety courses don't teach you anything. You need to be at a track taking a school to learn any appropriate skills when it comes to braking cornering etc.

California Superbike is excellent

I have been riding street ,track and racing for 24 years and I still go to school every year to sharpen my skills. Just did california superbike at laguna seca in July.

 

Don't you need some experience before taking a course like that, or do they have track courses for beginners?

Don't you need some experience before taking a course like that, or do they have track courses for beginners?

 

All you need is a licence and to know how to ride .. They have courses from beginner all the way up to full race schools.

California superbike also has a lean bike and a braking bike that they use in the parking lots at the track to show you how far you can lean the bike proper body position and how hard you can brake. Both bikes have outriggers so they are almost impossible to crash

 

I'm always impressed how many riders there are on this forum. Sporting riders at that, looking to improve themselves first, bike second. Maybe there's a connection between loving Lambos and responsible riding.

 

...Former AMA 750 Supersport/750 Superbike guy m'self, when those categories existed. Although I dropped riding cold turkey when my first son was born and never looked back. Nobody told me to drop it and it wasn't some major life revelation. I just knew it was time to come to an end. If I had enough room, I would just hang bikes on the garage wall for decoration and admire them for the times I spent with them. I remember a piece of advice I received when I started to show promise going fast, to never get married or have kids because my lap times would reflect it, haha. He was right.

 

You can get killed on any motorcycle just as fast, no matter what its engine displaces. Of all the wrecked bikes I've worked on, only one was a high-speed fatality. The rest were just errors at low speeds or cars impacting them. 2 cents.

Ninja 300 is a nice bike.

Most important is to learn and I have said it before the motorcycle safety courses don't teach you anything. You need to be at a track taking a school to learn any appropriate skills when it comes to braking cornering etc.

California Superbike is excellent

I have been riding street ,track and racing for 24 years and I still go to school every year to sharpen my skills. Just did california superbike at laguna seca in July.

 

I think that saying safety courses teaching people nothing is quite a stretch. Though I think the classes may be different from state to state. The classes I took in Oregon were excellent. For people who have never ridden a motorcycle, it isn't going to be necessarily inherent in them to understand things like covering the clutch, don't GRAB the brake, not stabbing the rear, looking through corners, how target fixation works, etc etc. Those are good things to learn about, and the classes I took all taught them. People don't immediately know these kinds of habits, and those are the types of things safety school teaches. At least the school I took in my state did. It was an entire weekend and they worked very hard to watch people, look at bad habits, help them weed them out, promote good riding habits, that way they could react properly and understand a good set of basics before they took off.

 

I think superbike school is an amazing idea and an excellent suggestion, but I think deterring people who have never rode a motorcycle before from taking a safety class to tell them it will teach them nothing is pretty silly. I've watched a lot of people come out of those classes with a lot more knowledge than they thought they had, and much better habits.

 

Now, the DMV tests on the other hand, those tend to be bullshit. "Hey, bring your bike and navigate through some cones. Ok good, you made it through the cones. You clearly are competent enough to ride a motorcycle on the street once you pass some basic writing questions."

All you need is a licence and to know how to ride .. They have courses from beginner all the way up to full race schools.

California superbike also has a lean bike and a braking bike that they use in the parking lots at the track to show you how far you can lean the bike proper body position and how hard you can brake. Both bikes have outriggers so they are almost impossible to crash

 

 

Those outrigger bikes are pretty rad, not gonna lie.

I think superbike school is an amazing idea and an excellent suggestion, but I think deterring people who have never rode a motorcycle before from taking a safety class to tell them it will teach them nothing is pretty silly. I've watched a lot of people come out of those classes with a lot more knowledge than they thought they had, and much better habits.

 

 

Now, the DMV tests on the other hand, those tend to be bullshit. "Hey, bring your bike and navigate through some cones. Ok good, you made it through the cones. You clearly are competent enough to ride a motorcycle on the street once you pass some basic writing questions."

I got my license after I took the class, since I didnt have a street bike at the time. So my test was a little more than that. But I have heard about the DMV tests, completely worthless.