Thanks Rob, no disrespect taken. With that said and I have to agree to an extent that sport bikes arent for fatguys like me but the EN500 - 650 I don't consider true sports bike. It is more of a standard bike with a sporty look and the ergos are built to match. The 650 is especially distinct in that area and if you ever road one you would understand.

I was also looking at the Versys and it really is " The perfect world " as I can imagine it for myself. Just not the perfect price.

I see a lot of the bigger guys go cruisers that's true but don't you get better handling riding a standard bike?

I guess my real question here is what are the drawbacks going cruiser instead of standard? In a real world emergency situation can a cruiser be as nimble assuming all other things being equal like riding skill level?

Senzo

 

I understand about the 650 being a great all rounder rather than a sports bike. That's why it's been my regular ride for the last three years lol. Versys is also a good option, but I preferred the ergos and the fairing on the 650R.

Cruisers are generally less agile, but real sportsbikes also lack agility in the sort of slowish traffic situation where you can really use it to avoid an accident. A bike like the ER6 offers the best level of control here for its size - although the smaller the bike the more agile it is. For real agility you need a 50cc scoot. I'm not suggesting that you get one lol.

I hold to my point that if you want to learn to ride well you need a bike that's limited to about 33 bhp / 95 mph and that makes you work to reach that speed. Size and weight are less important; I've ridden 250s that aren't much smaller than the 650. If you choose to learn on a 650, fit a restrictor kit and gear down to suit. That's as good a learning tool as the 250, but might be a better fit for you size wise.

Rob

 

Ninja 250 is where I started!

 

250 is a good bike.

 

I started with a Buell Blast 500...good but lots of torque for a beginner bike

 

I personally believe that it doesnt really matter. If you are stupid and not careful enough you can kill yourself on a 250 as well as on a 1100. I think the best to start is to be carefull no matter what size of bike you ride. They both get to 75MPH? dont they? Ok hit the floor or run into a wall on either of them at that speed, results are the same.

 

I'ts all about basics as far as I'm concerned

1)Cheap and used so you don't have to worry about the thing all the time- yes you are going to knock it over or drop it! maybe even twice.
2)comfort- you need to be thinking about what your doing..... with little to no distractions
3)Good Brakes! you really need to be able stop the thing.

 

So, after much debate and not to negate any good advice given here I ended up purchasing a Ninja 650R in the Kawa Green. I had inteaded to get a 500R beater but the deal was really good. I paid $3000.00 for a 2008 Ninja 650R with 1800 miles on it plus an Arai Helmet, jacket and gloves because the guy was going through a divorce and needed the cash.

Though it was not my intention to get a 650 the opportunity reached out to me. Since the 500r and the 650r are so linear I consider the purchase a good decision. I will certainly put some sliders on her and maybe an engine guard after I ride her around for a month just to be certain I want to keep her and not resell her for the profit and get a beater instead.

 

Rob I think I understand what you mean by saying it's better to learn to push the envelope with a weaker bike than to ride tamely with a more powerful one.

It seems to be analogous to athletes running in sand as opposed to pavement for the extra challenge that is offered.

Having said that, a decent majority of beginners do seem to take some beginner riding course, where they are sometimes taught on more powerful bikes than a 250. Obviously it's not a lot of time, and my point is not to refute your argument that new riders should gain experience, but more to the idea of "how much experience is enough before you ARE ready to move up".

Time wouldn't appear to be the only challenge that needs to be conquered - a rider going through a busy city everyday for a season might just get 2 seasons worth of experience over a rider that is cruising through the countryside for that same 1 season.

What are your thoughts on this? When is enough "experience" enough if we can't really judge it based solely on the number of days/hours passed in the saddle?

And consequently, if we learn all we can learn at the 250 level, would we be ready to tackle a ZX6R? Or should we then jump to a 650r first and repeat the same process that we did on the 250?

 

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Welcome to KF noc and good question, but which only could be answered by that individual who is comfy with that ride, (weight, how it handles, etc), sometimes moving up to that '650" is not just as comfortable to handle then the 250. Then again, that 6r is way more comfortable for that individual. Basically, there is really no plaque on the wall saying "start here and do not pass go or else." Generally, baby steps and moving up as mentioned earlier tends to prove less dangerous and promotes a better rider most of the time. Know your limits and ride and make sure that you as the individual are Comfy with that ride. Good luck.