I'm 17 years old, and craving a bike very bad. I have wanted one for almost four years. I pretty much have my mind set on a ninja 250. I'm looking for a used bike, around a 2003 model or so. I have an after school job, making 200 dollars every two weeks. I work three hours a day after school. I want a bike NOW, but i need advice. Should i find a used bike to make payments on, or wait forever to save up enough to pay cash? please help. thanks

 

Your going to get all kinda of opinions, heres mine;

Im 22 and at 17 was in the same position you are in now. My rents were what stopped me.

I would recommend you buy it in cash. Save your money during the winter and by spring you should be ready to buy. I would search craigslist.com. The reason I say cash is because insurance will be more than the bike (based on michigan insurance rates) due to your age. When I was 21 I got a quote for a 250 (2008) for basic, nothing insurance was $800 a year with State Farm. Thats with a pretty clean driving record.

I would search around for insurance quotes before you make your purchase so that way you know how much you will need.

Major props for working hard and earning the bike.

-Nick

 

A really good choice of first bike.

Remember you need at least helmet, jacket (ideally textile with impact armour for the street) boots and gloves. Don't ride without them. You also need an MSF course before taking the bike out on the road. Price up those things and your insurance quote as well as any other incidental costs you can think off. Knock thoses costs off your total budget and you'll be able to see what's left to spend on the bike.

Cash or finance is a personal choice, but at least have cash for the incidentals and a deposit for the bike. The bike may get wrecked or stolen, so if you finance it, pay for full coverage insurance or you could be making payments for a bike you no longer have. As the price of full coverage insurance at your age is high, that might decide for you whether to save for it or finance it.

Good luck

Rob

 

Thanks guys! I race cars on saturdaynights, so im not scared or speed or crashing. I have new race helmets and jackets and stuff. I'm sure they will work fine. I found an 08 ninja 250 thats been layed down. The bike needs upper fairing, left side fairing, left mirror, and front stay bracket. Do you guys have any idea where to get that and how much it might cost. I think it would be best to get this bike, because its VERY cheap and i wont be so mad at myself when i drop it.

 

You will be very mad at yourself when you drop it because you'll see all the work you've put in replacing those fairings getting wrecked again lol.

Also, not being scared of crashing isn't clever. In a car you're surounded by an impact absorbing cage. On a bike, crashing hurts and often causes permanent injury. Speed, while not scary in itself, should be treated with respect. Too much speed on a bike can be fatal. That's why 250s are such good starter bikes - you can soon reach the stage where you can practise riding them hard.

If you're looking at a bike that needs bodywork, and if you're the kind of rider who's going to push it so that you expect to drop it - not necessarily a bad thing - then why not save yourself a lot of hassle and expense by fixing it as a naked bike for a while. Fit frame sliders either way. They're useless in a crash at speed, but we all drop bikes at very slow speed, forget to kick the stand down, leave the bike improperly secured on the stand, etc., then the sliders more than pay for themselves in preventing damage. That apart, I'm all in favour of new riders buying a bike cheap that needs fixing. It's a good way of learning about the bike.

Use the web to research the differences between the stuff you wear to race a car and the stuff you'll need on a bike. You don't need boots in a car. You don't need abrasion resistance as you're unlikely to be sliding down the road. You don't need weather protection. On a bike you need all of these things.

And remember the crash that bends a car will break your legs on a bike.

Rob

 

I recommend you look at a used KLX 250, I mean come on you know you want one.

Sorry guys, I had to, it programmed in my DNA now.

 

lmao deej.. theres NO salvation for you.

when i make my world tour, i'm putting your *** on my 7-R.


deuce.. bro.. hell ya props n chit for bustin your *** at an early age.

as fuct as this sounds, i have an engineering degree and you make more than i do.. haha.. lol

dude.. you're gonna spend probably no more than i'd say.. $400 on new chit for that bike.. ebay and forums and salvage yards are your friend.. trust me..lol

like william said.. you WANT fear.. don't think for a second you're always gonna be in control of that bike.. it could be a 125 and still whip your ***.

i've had my *** handed to me on a crf 50.. size doesn't matter. the bike is the boss and you GOTSTA respect that chit bro.. lol

getting a crunchy bike and learning to fix it yourself is always a good option.

not for guys like me who work on bikes for a living, but i was the same as you.. i had no money, LUCKED hardcore into a free bike that needed some love, and thats where i learned to work on them.. getting my own bike to run first was the proving grounds for the skills..

i hd worked on cars long before transferring to two wheels.

now, i exclusivly work on two wheels.. i've given up tuning and building turbo cars.. lol

you're at a rough age with the money thing.. the anticipation is KILLIN ya, i know, but the best thing to do is not make payment.. the worst thing to do is for something to happen and you end up losing the bike.. IF that person is kind ebough to let you take posession, there'd be nothing worse than to have it repo'd!!!!

honestly, save up more than what you need if you can..

if the bike cost 500, try to bank 600 or 750 or 1K..

you'll need insurance and all that garbage, so once you BUY the bike, you won't be able to (legally) ride it til it's legit.

trust me. the last thing you want is to sit in jail because you were not legit on yer chit..

i'm speaking from experience.. lol

welcome to KF and good luck lil homey!! keep us posted.

 

Well at least I'm consistent right?

 

you are indeed sir

 

250 is not a bad option. I am looking to prolly sell mine once it gets nice out and step up to something bigger