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Sport bikes


michowski

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Well after some research and estimating payments and such I have pretty much decided on buying a sportbike. Im pretty much set on getting the suzuki gs500f. I thought about getting bigger but this would be my first bike I owned and I dont want a power house. I just wanna get used to riding everyday. I do have a license that I passed with flying colors on my dads little crappy honda 600 cruiser. I also road that a few times a week for a while in the summer. Any opinions on the 500 zuke bike? Ive also been down to them and sat on the display 500 they had out and I loved the feel of it and all. Im about 140 pounds and around 5'7 I would guess.
 


almostclueless

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Dunno anything about that model, but I think you're quite smart buying something smaller than a hayabusa for a first bike.
 

99RangerKrazy

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I am also thinking of getting a biek to cruise around town. I'm looking at an 08 Kawasaki Ninja 250. I've never ridden a motorcycle before, so a smaller bike would be perfect, and from what I've been reading the Ninja 250 is the perfect bike for new riders. I'm still weighing the pros and cons. The more I think about it, the more I think I'm going to get one. I'm going to go look at one tonight. My main thing is..I'm in high school, graduating this year. I'm trying to sell my Ranger because of college next year. But then..we get snow during winter, and it gets pretty cold, so riding a bike is out of the question. So I'd need a ride for then, preferably a truck, but not necessary. I want to keep the Range and get a bike but I don't think it'd be possible right now. I don't know what to do right now.
 

michowski

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Well I got some people telling me that sport bikes are horrible unless you are just doing small trips around town. Any sort of long distance highway driving im being told by some that its the most uncomfortable ride. I sat on the bike and loved everything about it. Arm length was great, legs and feet were comfortable and wether I was layin on it or sitting up it felt great. I know I wasnt riding it and the vibrations and bumps and everything werent there but I dont wanna spend 5 grand on it then take a small trip and never wanna ride it again. Its probly 75% of the time for around town, small 20 minute trips or so. Some 1-2 hours trips im sure will be mixed in on highway. Anybody go through this that can give me some advice.
 

99RangerKrazy

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Yeah I've been torn with it. I've been reading tons of reviews on the Ninja 250 (which from what I have read, you should look into them). $3,000 brand new. I hear the same thing about long highway trips with them, but I will use it for town driving. I drive about....90-95% city driving, with that remaining 5% being driving on the highway for about 10 minutes. It's also great on fuel (estimated 60-70 mpg) and has plenty of power in the upper RPMS (8,000-9,000 RPMs) It has a 13,000 redline, if I'm remembering right.
 

chico4554

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i looked into certain bikes for fuel mileage purposes. I found that if you dont want the sport style, the honda rebel is another option. It has the seating style of a harley, and also has a 250 engine. Its supposed to get around 70 mpg. I also looked at the bmw 600gs which has much more power, but is alot more expensive. The bmw got around 50-60 mpg. It seemed better for longer rides. I also looked into the zuki crossover sports. The one that looks like a dirtbike. It said they are pretty much indestructable so its good for first riders who may dump it. Those also got around 70 mpg.

I would love to get a bike, but i am just worried about another car hitting me or pulling out in front of me because they didnt notice me coming. If there were more bikes on the road, and people were more "bike minded" then i would get one in a second.
 

broken2wd

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If you are looking for a good all around bike that is beginner friendly, sporty, and won't get old quickly, you should look at the suzuki sv-650.
 

svtranger04

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STAY AWAY FROM THE Kawasaki Ninjas. especially the lower cc ones. ive known too many people that have laid them down, me included.

i have a '05 Suzuki DR650se, its a street legal dirt bike. it gets around 54mpg, it can hold its own on the high way also, ive had mine up to 100mph+.

your headed in the right direction with the lower cc bikes. too many people i know start off with a 1000+cc bike and wind up destroying the bikes, if not them selves.
 

Sunk

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If its your first bike, Id say buy a used one for cheap. That way when you lay it down, you won't hate yourself for damaging you new shiny toy.

I looked around for a while then found my Nighthawk on Craigslist listed for $400. I picked it up for $300, cleaned the carbs, changed the plugs along with oil and filter, put new shoes in the rear and a new rear tire, and its great. I could turn around and probably sell it for around $1000, or if I lay it down, no big deal.

Also i have heard that if you are in the 6' range, steer way clear of Ninjas, especially the smaller ones. The are way tiny.
 

HIPCHIP

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The Zuke 500 and the Kawi 250 are both designed as beginner bikes. The power is really mellow and won't get away from you. If you start yearning for more power, the 250 will be limited, and the 500 has some stuff you can do to it, but not much.

I recommend taking a motorcycle safety riding course if you're not used to riding, and ride the snot out of the 250 or 500 until you are completely confident, then upgrade to something else. You can usually find used ones as folks get tired of not having the power, but for a new rider, not having power is a VERY GOOD THING! The 600 and bigger bikes can get away from an inexperienced rider very quickly.

The 250 and 500 aren't high revving either, so get good gas mileage and don't require a ton of maintenance, so are absolutely a great beginner bike. Insurance is cheaper too. You'll have fun, but will want something bigger in 6 months to a year if you're like most folks.
 

lil red

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the best thing i can say is, if youre going to be tempted to play around,get a cruser
i have a friend that lost his liscinse,got rid of his gsxr 750 and as soon as he got his lisince back,took out his friends new gsxr (same bike ,diffrent color, doing the same stuff he did on his bike and did this
heres half

heres the rest


like i said,be careful and dont tempt youreself(also,dont run from flashing lights)
 

dgarner08

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well i have a 2001 gsxr 600 and love it. great power very quick but not to big to handle (I'm about 5'8 140 lbs) and also gets 60 mpg. i bought it about four months ago and it is not bad to ride for several hours on. i am planning on riding it to college which will be about a 45 minute to an hour drive every day. I'm also only 18 but i don't try to ride wheelies or do stunts because i don't want to see my bike busted or myself hurt. i paid for my bike and i am proud of it, so I'm going to take care of it. this is my first bike but i have taken the MSF course and my parents ride. my mom has a 2007 Dana low rider and my dad has a 2003 fat boy
i got my motorcycle license the day i turned 16 and a half. sport bikes have a bad rep but a beginner can start out on one. its just like anything else
YOU MUST RESPECT IT AND KNOW WHAT IT CAN DO.
i started out just riding around a parking lot then started riding with my parents on short trips (parents would not let me ride it by my self for a couple weeks my dad did not know if i could control myself) I've never looked back:icon_hornsup::D:D:D
 

spdcrazy

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i have rode motorcycles for a few years now. only bought 600cc bikes. had a cbr and then a ninja. no idea why someone said to stay away from them. they are great as far as i'm concerned.


as for a ninja 250cc. if you live in oklahoma great. if you have any kind of hills i would say a 500... but if you have any motorcycle experience and arent completely incompetent, you can prob start with a 600cc without problems. if you dont you will prob want to sell ur lil bike for a 600cc fairly soon. just keep ur head on straight and don't be stupid on it and it will be a great gas saver and alot of fun.
 

JFA_Spyderman

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Yo,
Personally, I'm a Harley guy. My Sportster is 800+ccs and still gets 60MPG. Do keep in mind however that Harleys are generally heavier bikes, mine weighs ~600lbs. But it is a very stable bike as well.
 

hihoslvr

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the best thing i can say is, if youre going to be tempted to play around,get a cruser
i have a friend that lost his liscinse,got rid of his gsxr 750 and as soon as he got his lisince back,took out his friends new gsxr (same bike ,diffrent color, doing the same stuff he did on his bike and did this
heres half

heres the rest


like i said,be careful and dont tempt youreself(also,dont run from flashing lights)
AND YA CAN'T FIX STUPID.
 

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