250 or 500?

[nils]

So I got my permit yesterday and will be taking the sfety course in a few weeks. I am looking into what bike to get as my first bike. I was thinking of going with a ninja 250 because its a good price and I hear they are great for a first bike. I was at the dealership looking at them and the guy told me I should look more into a 500 because I will out grow the 250 quickly and a 250 wouldnt do so well on a highway. I figured he was just trying to get me to buy the more expensive bike, but I wanted to see what you guys think. Will a 250 last me a while? or should I wait a little longer and try to come up with the extra cash for a 500?

edit: also wanted to ask, how quick is a 250? I'm not planning on doing any kind of racing or anything, but compared to a car what kind of speed can I expect? this would probably help me decide how long the bike would last me.

[bennice]

Sit on both at the dealership and see how they fit. I'd then go find a used one and save some money. A 250 is quicker than most cars, but you do have to rev it pretty high to do 80 MPH.

[Bad Company]

Originally Posted by nils

I figured he was just trying to get me to buy the more expensive bike,

Ding ding ding we have a winner.

[nils]

Yeah I could save a few bucks and just get something used, but a brand new 250 is only $2999. this way I would have a warrentee and I don't have to worry about any problems other people had with the bike or anything. I sat on the 250 and it felt nice, if it is quicker than most cars I don't think I will need to worry about growing out of it too soon. I don't plan on doing lots of highway driving but I may now and then, how would a 250 really hold up on a highway?

[bennice]

That $2999 price tag doesn't include setup fees, taxes or any of the other dealership fees. You're probably looking at an out the door price of close to $4k after all's said and done, vs. a slightly used one for around $2k cash...or less if you search around a bit. The 250 design hasn't changed in many years, so there's no significant improvement that you'll be missing out on by going used. The peace of mind is nice to have though, so if you're set on buying new (as I did) there's nothing wrong with that, but know that if/when you decide to unload it for something else you'll never get close to what you paid...even if it's within a year.

Personally I enjoy the 250 a lot, and I use mine mostly for commuting, which includes a fair bit of highway riding. The topic has been debated a lot here, so you'll get varying opinions. I've never ridden a 500R, but have heard good things about them as well. I just don't think the price difference for a new one is justified for the overall performance gain.

[Thmastr]

I used to own a 500 and the price gap does not justify the performance gain!
off the line I could take on V8 mustangs hammering on the gas and having their tires spin (I didnt race them) on my way into the freeway.

I now own a 600cc bike and the 600 is way way faster than the 500...

I had the chance to ride a friends 250 for a little bit 2 weeks ago and it was tons of fun! Given you have no power below 7k rpm, but that bike is really really really really fun! After I got off of it I said... I would love to get one as my twisty rider! I cannot think of a nicer bike to not go extremely fast out on the back roads with! I wasnt riding it at the edge cause the bike wasnt mine, but If I have some money soon I might buy a 250 and have two bikes instead of a bike and a car! thats how much I liked the 250!

[nils]

Alright thanks guys, I think I am just gonna go with the 250 then. I still have a few weeks till I'll have my liscence anyway so I will keep my eye out for a nice used one, but I still like the idea of getting a new one, but we'll see what happens.

[Lacessit]

Originally Posted by Thmastr

I used to own a 500 and the price gap does not justify the performance gain!

That's funny.. I thought it did. I bought a new '06 500 and couldn't justify a 250 for the price. My local dealer wanted $4200 for the 250 vs $5200 for the 500 ($4800 OTD after talking).

500:
More stable in wind (heavier), yet still nimble
More power, able to cruise at lower RPMs
Better suited for luggage & 2 up riding
Good fuel economy

250:
Light = Nimble
Great fuel economy
Makes one heck of a canyon carver

If I were to do it all over again, I'd probably not buy new; but buy used. If you're going for the 500 just stick with a 2nd gen (94+) and look for a deal. For a 250, I'd still go used but don't know a lot more about them.

As to outgrowing the 250 or 500 too quickly; It depends on your personality. There are times I wish for a 600, but then reason returns and I know there's still plenty of bike I haven't tapped into on my 500.

Best luck with the decision, hoped some of this helped.

[jc_denton]

I, too, am deciding between the two. I've read elsewhere that if a new rider starts out on a more powerful bike, they're less likely to be good at twisties when they advance [to a new bike] because they never learned the essential skills needed to really ride twisties. Does this mean I would probably be better at turning if I start out on a 250R instead of a 500R due to the fact that I would have less power to worry about? Any opinions on this subject would be nice.

[Silvercon]

I think a lot of it is up to you. How tall are you? Where are you
going to ride it? How windy is it where you ride and how often
are you rideing around 18 wheelers on the Highway? If your under
5 ft 2 and a woman I would go for the 250, 5ft 4 to 5ft 10, the 500,
over 6ft I would get a KLR 650. If you want the bike to last all summer
you don't want to be cramped but you want to be able to touch the
ground. Plus you can lower the bike to start out also. All three are
great bikes and you can't go wrong with any of them if you fit.

[jc_denton]

Originally Posted by Silvercon

I think a lot of it is up to you. How tall are you? Where are you
going to ride it? How windy is it where you ride and how often
are you rideing around 18 wheelers on the Highway? If your under
5 ft 2 and a woman I would go for the 250, 5ft 4 to 5ft 10, the 500,
over 6ft I would get a KLR 650. If you want the bike to last all summer
you don't want to be cramped but you want to be able to touch the
ground. Plus you can lower the bike to start out also. All three are
great bikes and you can't go wrong with any of them if you fit.

I'm 6', it's usually extremely windy (30+ mph), I don't ride on the highway much, but my commute is 35-40 mph average speed. I want the bike to last for about 4 years, maybe less or more depending on how I feel skill-wise.

[Silvercon]

Originally Posted by jc_denton

I'm 6', it's usually extremely windy (30+ mph), I don't ride on the highway much, but my commute is 35-40 mph average speed. I want the bike to last for about 4 years, maybe less or more depending on how I feel skill-wise.

I think you would feel cramped on the 250 and want more power shortly
after you bought it. If it is at all feasable I would look into lowering
a KLR 650. If your much over 200lbs you may not have to lower it
at all. If you have access to off road areas or even dirt roads you
can teach yourself a lot in how to handle a bike in low traction situations.
On the KLR you sit up high which gives you a commanding view of traffic.
Although it sits high I believe it weighs less than the 500 because it is
a single cylander. This is a bike you can learn on and when your done learning, you can keep it when you get a large street bike because it
does things a large street bike would not be able to do. There are always
KLR 650s traveling around the world to places touring bikes can't go.
The 500 may be a good choice also just make sure you fit. That little
fairing concentrates a lot of wind on your helmet for someone as tall as
you are (I would imagine) and that may be a deal braker if you want to
take trips. I don't think the 650 would be any worse in the wind than the 500 because of the lack of body work and increased gyroscopic effect of its wheels. With the 250 the wind would probably blow you around a lot.

[jc_denton]

Originally Posted by Silvercon

I think you would feel cramped on the 250 and want more power shortly
after you bought it. If it is at all feasable I would look into lowering
a KLR 650. If your much over 200lbs you may not have to lower it
at all. If you have access to off road areas or even dirt roads you
can teach yourself a lot in how to handle a bike in low traction situations.
On the KLR you sit up high which gives you a commanding view of traffic.
Although it sits high I believe it weighs less than the 500 because it is
a single cylander. This is a bike you can learn on and when your done learning, you can keep it when you get a large street bike because it
does things a large street bike would not be able to do. There are always
KLR 650s traveling around the world to places touring bikes can't go.
The 500 may be a good choice also just make sure you fit. That little
fairing concentrates a lot of wind on your helmet for someone as tall as
you are (I would imagine) and that may be a deal braker if you want to
take trips. I don't think the 650 would be any worse in the wind than the 500 because of the lack of body work and increased gyroscopic effect of its wheels. With the 250 the wind would probably blow you around a lot.

Thanks for the information. I've considered the KLR650 in the past, but every time I do, I see the XR650L from Honda. It's got way better ground clearance and, in my opinion, seems to be a better bike. But the extra ground clearance may catch wind...

EDIT: Also, it would be only $417 a year for the 250R vs. the $860 a year for the 500R. (insurance)

[JTpaintball70]

Actually, on a 500R the wind will blow you around a lot too. Trust me, I know from hard experience.

[jc_denton]

Actually, the KLR650 seems like it might do the job. It's about 650 less than the Honda, and it has that nice little "shelf" to put things on on the back. It's more in my preferred price range as well (just 150 more than the 500R).

[Silvercon]

Originally Posted by jc_denton

Actually, the KLR650 seems like it might do the job. It's about 650 less than the Honda, and it has that nice little "shelf" to put things on on the back. It's more in my preferred price range as well (just 150 more than the 500R).

Back in the 80's I had a Honda XL 600 which I had a blast on.
All the power was in the lower RPMs and wheelies were fun and
easy. Worse thing was it did not have electric start. Now they
do so if you get either the Honda or the KLR I think you won't be
sorry.

[SixFiveOh]

High winds even blow my Hayabusa around - and it's heavy (for a sport bike).

If you absolutely have got to buy new (and you don't weigh a ton), then get the 250. You'll lose less when you trade it in.

The better choice is a used 500 though. Price should be about the same as a new 250 and someone else has already taken the hit on depreciation.

[bennice]

Originally Posted by Thmastr

I used to own a 500 and the price gap does not justify the performance gain!
off the line I could take on V8 mustangs hammering on the gas and having their tires spin (I didnt race them) on my way into the freeway.

I now own a 600cc bike and the 600 is way way faster than the 500...

I had the chance to ride a friends 250 for a little bit 2 weeks ago and it was tons of fun! Given you have no power below 7k rpm, but that bike is really really really really fun! After I got off of it I said... I would love to get one as my twisty rider! I cannot think of a nicer bike to not go extremely fast out on the back roads with! I wasnt riding it at the edge cause the bike wasnt mine, but If I have some money soon I might buy a 250 and have two bikes instead of a bike and a car! thats how much I liked the 250!

There ya go!
I've said it before - I love having two completely different beasts to enjoy, and for the price you can find used bikes at the right time it's not that difficult to afford. For my size (5'7" 175 lbs) the 250 is an ideal commuter and occasional canyon carver. When I want more power and a more aggressive ride I'll take out the ZX6R. I paid less for both than many people pay for a brand new 600. If I'd gone with a used 250 I'd have paid even less - probably less than a new 650R.

But in the end it is all up to you. Most modern sportbikes are very capable for most street situations. Whatever you wind up going with, be safe and gear up!

[Thmastr]

I wouold not get a 250 for commuting as I really like the major power from my zzr 600. Starting, stoping and just accelerating from 20 into the carpool lane is just a breeze!

for the twisties a 250 is awesome! I whish I had the opportunity to have ridden that bike fast (I had it but I didnt take it)..

I ws scraping pegs on my 500 3 months after owning it... did I think I had enough skill to get a 600 heck no! I was surprised when I craped pegs on my 600 4 months after owning it (over 4k miles on the 600 and over 14k total miles) now that I am confortable with the lean angle needed to scrape the pegs do I think I have the skill to master the 600cc sportbikes? NO WAY! i am sure if I showed up at the track once I was used to the track about half way through the day I would probably run high C pace! maybe...

I still blow turns! I was aproaching a 15 mph turn (I would take it at 10 on an suv) and I approached at 30 (very freaking fast).. I saw a bump on the road that I knew would make me feel uneasy, and may cause me problems.. I ended up braking HARD and slowing to 15 to take it broke half way into the turn.. I am still not skillful enough to run that pace through bumps...

that is the one thing that you always have to keep in mind.. Am I skillful enough? the problem with this is that many people are optimistic and think they are better than they are.

Starting on a 250 or 500 is a very wise choice I am 6.3 and 170 pounds.. I fit on both although I have been told that I look pretty funny on the little 2fiddy!

I used to get blown around on my 500 and I still do on my 600 when the winds are bad enough...

[jc_denton]

I read that the KLR650 has 3 known problems right from the get go that require the rider to swap parts so that they don't risk breaking within the first 10,000 miles. (that may be incorrect, though) The 250R is looking nicer than ever price-wise that I think I may just go with it. See, I'm not like most riders: I don't feel I have the skill to take on bigger bikes. I would MUCH rather start with a small bike and learn some ridiculously good riding skills so that I don't look like a total squid when I upgrade to the bigger bikes later on. The 250R would only cost a max of $2,999 new (plus the extra crap at the dealer) and the insurance would be less than half that of a 500R. I would only pay $417 a year for a 250R vs. the $860 per year they want for a 500R. Considering I probably won't have time for a job for the rest of college, I would be able to budget my money and pay for the insurance the whole way through with the 250R. With the 500R, I would need some help in about 1.5 years as far as paying for insurance goes.

By the way, I'm 6' tall and around 165/170lbs. I plan on working out again soon (I've literally lost muscle weight because I haven't worked out in about 6 months), so I should soon be over 170. Considering all other bikes still get blown around, it really shouldn't make a huge difference if I get the 250R over the 500R.

What do you guys (and girls) think?