my girl wants a bike

[mzrsq]

I think the little 250 is a great starter bike. I just picked up a used 09 with 350 miles on it from Morgantown WV over Easter weekend(shhhh, I got it for $3000). I rode it home, 200 miles in 43 degree weather. My impressions......It's small compared to what I'm used too. Unless you want to redline it you shift alot, the owners manual recommends being in 5th gear at 24MPH. From a stop it's not got alot of go, the thing only has like 26HP and 13FPT, but rev that little thing up to 7 or 8 grand and she pulls pretty good for a little toy. I too just ordered a lowering kit from Soupy's and am looking at the Showgun sliders to help in case of that learning tipover.

Full exhaust, jetted, and air filter and you can see 30HP

 

[O Holy P]

My wife has very little experience, next week she'll be taking the MSF course and she just got a '00 SV650 to learn on. She wants a cruiser style bike once she gets a good handle on riding. Good luck.

 

[cipher5791]

The one thing I learned early on is that buying a "new" beginner bike is a big mistake. If she takes to riding like most do, she's going to tire of the slow speed real quick. Then you're stuck with a bike that is worth far less than it cost. I strongly suggest a used 250 from craigslist or eBay. This way she can get some cheap experience and then buy something that will suit her for the future.

+1 on that

 

[mrsBusawhipped]

My hubby has actually found a used SV650 that he is purchasing for me as my first bike, which is my "starter" bike. I have a couple of girlfriends from work that started on the Ninja 250 and within 6 month wanted an upgrade and in fact did upgrade. I wanted a Gixxer 750, but hubby said that I had to take the MSF course learn to ride the SV650 and then we will talk. I actually really wanted a Busa, but his answer was a BIG NO. He said he loves me too much to let me kill myself learning on a Busa with my driving record on four wheels.
I am not going to rush my learning. I want to take it slow and make sure the MSF course is done before anything.

That is awesome!!! Smart and loving husband too. I passed the MSF course but only just. So I will still be practicing in parking lots and on the street in front of the house for now.

MSF course will usually have the 250's to learn on. Very light bikes. I almost dumped mine or I could have done a real good job of dragging knees and elbows. But I managed to save it just before it hit the ground. Didn't even hurt my back when I lifted it back up right while still straddling it. They also take you through baby steps in learning the controls and the feel of the bike. Which took out the intimidation in learning something completely new.

Take the course you wont be sorry.

 

[wht_scorpion]

Thanks guy she has her mind in going to classes on how to ride them and the lowering package came today. Now we wait for the bike if she want to upgrade more power to her we will upgrade. she tried to sit on a gsxr 600 could not touch the floor and she said it was heavy any bike that she going to ride has to get lowered and for the cruiser she want a cafe or a sport bike she strong minded.

 

[wht_scorpion]

I think the little 250 is a great starter bike. I just picked up a used 09 with 350 miles on it from Morgantown WV over Easter weekend(shhhh, I got it for $3000). I rode it home, 200 miles in 43 degree weather. My impressions......It's small compared to what I'm used too. Unless you want to redline it you shift alot, the owners manual recommends being in 5th gear at 24MPH. From a stop it's not got alot of go, the thing only has like 26HP and 13FPT, but rev that little thing up to 7 or 8 grand and she pulls pretty good for a little toy. I too just ordered a lowering kit from Soupy's and am looking at the Showgun sliders to help in case of that learning tipover.

Full exhaust, jetted, and air filter and you can see 30HP

go with a advance ingtion and a shift kit

 

[wht_scorpion]

 

[Wag]

The one thing I learned early on is that buying a "new" beginner bike is a big mistake. If she takes to riding like most do, she's going to tire of the slow speed real quick. Then you're stuck with a bike that is worth far less than it cost. I strongly suggest a used 250 from craigslist or eBay. This way she can get some cheap experience and then buy something that will suit her for the future.

+1 million bazillion gazillion.

--Wag--

 

[Vonderbach]

Thanks guy she has her mind in going to classes on how to ride them and the lowering package came today. Now we wait for the bike if she want to upgrade more power to her we will upgrade. she tried to sit on a gsxr 600 could not touch the floor and she said it was heavy any bike that she going to ride has to get lowered and for the cruiser she want a cafe or a sport bike she strong minded.

My wife has a GSXR and she has trouble reaching the ground too. But my Busa is lowered (and 100 lbs heavier) and she prefers driving it to her GSXR. So my advice, if you do end up getting a bigger bike is to get it lowered for her stature. She will find that it is no longer heavy when she's standing flat footed. We're getting the GSXR lowered soon, this way she'll stop borrowing my baby.

 

[Big D]

First of all, she really should take the MSF course; this should be a requisite for new riders IMHO. After that, if she passes, I'd get her a used bike, not new. New riders with new bikes are so afraid that they are going to "scuff it" that it just adds to the apprehension/tension during a ride. If she really, really wants the Ninja, I'd start out with the Ninja 500, not the 250. As others have mentioned, there are other really good starter bikes as well besides the Ninja (SV650, etc), so have her check out some of the other models as well.

D

 

[Mrs.Rubber2Burn]

Smart woman! You're gonna love it too. Lots of power and great cornering ability (plus) its a very light bike. Many are used as track bikes. The first year for fuel injection was 03. Which year will you get?

He actually found an 02. He is deadset on his theory that almost all new riders will drop their first bike at one point or another and he did not want to invest in anything that was going to be major when/if I dropped it. I am only 5'1'' and I have sat on so many bikes (lowered for some of the other wives we ride with) and I have not found one yet that I can touch the ground on. This one will probably have to be lowered. The bike itself was dirt cheap and he will fix it up before I actually get going on the learning. This gives me the chance to take my MSF class and upgrade my gear. I love my ICON helmet so that isn't going anywhere but he wants me to get newer gloves, a leather jacket instead of the suzuki joe rocket one that I have, and some riding pants. I hear the SV is fun, I just really wanted a full fairing bike. I am sure that I will have a blast once I learn to ride though.

 

[wht_scorpion]

here my girl just riding her bike up and down my drive way 09 ninja 250r she learning how to use the clutch in frist gear only day one

 

[ibified]

My wife is also short (5 ft) and has issues with seat height on pretty much everything we have looked at. She sat on an SV650 and said it felt "too heavy" for her. When we get her a bike, it'll be a ninja 250 with a lowering kit. My wife never wants to go fast anyway, so it should last her a while and be a pretty good starter bike.

As for smaller GSXRs...they do make them, they just dont sell them here.

Here's a GSXR125

 

[badazgtp]

And where is her gear sir? Even just putting around in the drive way is good practice to have it on and get used to having it on before hitting the streets.

 

[Evil_keeps_me_young]

they look wicked lowered...

 

[megawatt]

You will have no problem selling the 250 when its time. They are in very high demand as a trackday bike. Yes, I said trackday bike, no I am not joking.

 

[wht_scorpion]

she has her gear power trip jacket and z1 shedevil helmet yeah its easy to lower roaring toys has the lowering kit i paid 202.59 plus the bike out the door at 4359.60 she enjoying it i can go lower if she wants but you have to think about bumps to

 

[djsin]

there are 3 girls that ride with me all of them have ninja 250r's 2008 model, they all are very happy with them and one of the girls is even brave enough to do 105 mph on hers..indicated ofcourse...

 

[fastblackblur]

IMO a 250cc bike is too small. Going to be wound up pretty good just going 70mph.

 

[doomsday]

Mine decided to make the move this year and bought a Ninja 650r. It was a

2007 hold over for $5600.00 out the door. Six speed with fuel injection and

only 70 HP. It's a great starter bike and can keep up on the

highway.