My first sport bike was a 250 (Honda VTR). It's a good thing nobody would finance me for a new 600. I probably wouldn't be alive today (then again, I wasn't a very mature 21 year old). I have a 600 now, and would still like to add a 250R to my collection of Kawasakis. I'm trying to get my wife to agree to let me buy her one, but she's into her Vulcan. You can start with a 600 if you want, but I can tell you, they aren't as forgiving as a 250 by any stretch of the imagination. I agree with you, the looks of your bike are important. If you are going to spend that much money on your ride, you want to be happy with what you have. If you are using it mainly around town, the 250 will have more than enough power for you as a new rider. It still accelerates faster than most cars do. The 0-60 is faster than a Mustang GT. I'm not sure what it tops out at, but I think it's somewhere around 120. If you're going to finance it, it's a lot easier to pay $75 a month than $130 a month. I say, get the 250, ride it for a few years, and trade up to a bigger bike if you want. Chances are, you'll end up just getting a bigger bike because youaren't going to want to get rid of it. There's a mystical bond between a man and his first bike that cagers just don't understand. The most important thing is to make sure you always wear your gear, and take a MSF course. It'll help you stay alive. I'll get off my soap box now.

 

Sorry Wannabe250, but I get real tired of people who have never ridden a bike talking about something they don't know anything about. "It's a beginner bike; I am going to upgrade to a 600; it won't keep me happy in terms of power, etc." How do you know any of this? You are just repeating the same line that newbies who have never ridden keep repeating over and over, ad nauseam.

If you want to learn something about this "beginner" bike take the time to read these reviews. Listen to the writer of these articles who has 80,000 miles plus racing experience on the Ninja 250 talk about this "underpowered beginner bike" before talking about how this bike is not going to be enough for you in a couple of years. Now I"LL get off my soapbox too.

https://www.kawasakiforums.com/m_268586/tm.htm

 

hmm, for a $1k or less for a pre 08 250, I would sport that. I would also learn something along the way on how to set up and ride, etc. I am always willing to learn something important.

 

Speaking of assuming things, yes because I say that I might get tired of the 250.. I must not have done ANY research at all or talked to any people I know that have ridden them or started on a 600 or really done anything at all besides come here and say, "ZOMG ME WANNA GO FAST!!1".

 

I got a 600 and a 1000 and I want to get a 250 because they get boring and a 250 is just too much fun. You should never be bored on a 250. I want one to flog around the track, and around town. If you get bored on a 250 then you are probably just interested in straight line ***** measuring contest with friends to see who has a faster bike when you twist the throttle. If you actually enjoy riding then there is no way to be bored on one.

 

You got me. I plead guilty to assuming you know absolutely nothing.

 

That about sums it up - well put Unreal. Like most guys with a *****, I find myself thinking about getting a new bike from time to time. Last weekend my wife and I went for a long ride (on the bikes) and I pretty much had a big freakin grin on my face the whole afternoon with how enjoyable the little 250 was on the winding, hillyroads. Lets see...... 65+ mpg, cheap to fix, cheap to insure, cheap to ride all day, fun to ride all day..... sure looks like a no-brainer to me. I see myself riding like this a lot more than the rare, occasional 150+ mph *****-measuring contests.

scootertrog

 

alrighty then ya'all keep talking about *****. ill just let myself out thnx[&:]






j/ksomeone once said it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast then ride a fast bike slow.

 

Exactly. Plus small bikes are tons of fun to toss around. Hell if you look in my garage, the funnest bikes are the smallest ones. (besides the Aprilia because the twin gives me wood). Get a supermoto bike if you really want to have fun. A supermoto is twice as fun on the street then any sport bike.

 

wow, you got some nice bikes sitting in your garage. I wish I had that kind of money =)