[Curt]

. . . only problem is that i will have to take a loan out (another one) as i also have a car and i do not have roughly 3k to spend out of pocket . . .

I just posted on another thread about this subject, but there is great joy in buying what you can afford. I was 23 when I paid off my one and only car loan. That was 17 years ago. I'm doing pretty well financially now, and not having loans has been a significant part of that picture. I don't mind getting a loan for real estate or other investments, but I would hate to do it for a car or bike. It's just too much money thrown away. You could put that money to a lot better use, like paying off that car loan! I'll get off that subject now before someone takes offense.

Anyway, you can probably find lots of older bikes in the $1,000-$2,000 range, and many of them are quite capable machines. If you want a Ninja, but don't want to spend a lot, I highly recommend the 250R. At $2,999 new, they are really cheap used. My 2 year old (now 3) was $2,019.75 and it only had 514 miles on it. I saw older ones for as little as $1,100. Other than color, they look exactly like the new ones. Parts are plentiful, and since the bikes are so cheap, there are plenty of them in the junkyards. Just ask ZX-2R about that. In my opinion, the bike has plenty of power -- way more than I need, and it easily keeps up at highway speed with plenty of power leftover. If I'm doing 70 mph in 6th gear, then I'm at about 8,500 RPM's. That's the low end of the power band for this bike, so there's plenty more that it can give.

The 500R is a great bike as well, and if peer pressure is an issue, then you might want to go for that even if you can't afford it. I don't recommend that, but I'm not you, and you can make your own choices about your own life.
Curt

 

[Curt]

Well that makes me feel pretty good. I'm always glad to have a positive influence.

Banks already own your house, your car, your furniture, your stereo, and everything else you make payments on. Plus, they have all your money. Don't make them any richer by letting them own your bike, too! Loans can be useful for investments (such as education or real estate), but other than that, they are just too expensive in my opinion. Just look at all those fees! And don't even mention credit cards around me.

I had an attorney friend years ago who had just bought a Mercedes. He had the money, but he was trying to justify spending so much on a car, so he told me that it was an investment, since some Mercedes will appreciate in value. I told him that if he has the money, and he wants the car, then fine, knock yourself out, but don't try to tell me that it's an investment. I'm sure he spent a lot more in taxes and maintenance than he ever made in capital gain on that car.

Before you think I'm a miserly old *******, let me say that I have no objection to spending money. I regularly vacation in Florida. I own season tickets for the Vikings. I have a Lexus LS400 (new leather seats with massagers coming this week), a Martin guitar, a piano, a great stereo and TV, a camcorder, computers (desktop, laptop and iPaq), color laser printer, broadband internet access, cell phone, lots of great tools, and of course the Ninja. But all of this was paid for out of my abundance. Not one dime of it went to the banks.

But just because I can spend money doesn't mean I have to. The 250R can do 98% of what the 500R can do. Is that extra 2% worth $1,800? For some people it is, but not for me. I'm thinking about buying a couple of annual passes to the water park, and a new tapeless camcorder, and I have my eye on a pair of dirt bikes for my son and myself, and I'd rather spend the money on those things instead of putting all that money into one bike.

Okay, this is getting long, but the moral to the story is: buy out of your abundance, not out of your need. It is very easy for rich people (like banks and insurance companies) to take advantage of poor people. Don't be a poor person. Start now on the road to becoming a rich person. Start by throwing away less money.

One other advantage to the 250 is that if you wreck it, then you're out less money than if you wreck a 500. I wrecked the front end on my first car. I got an estimate for $3,000 to fix it. I fixed it myself (pretty good, but not perfect) for about $300. I didn't mind spending $3,000 on the front end, I just didn't want to put that $3,000 out on the road where someone could wreck it again. I'd rather risk $300 than $3,000. The same logic applies to bikes. I'd hate to wreck a 500 a lot more than I'd hate to wreck a 250.

You'll hear in the MSF course all about gear. Get it and wear it. Your life is irreplaceable. Your skin can be replaced, but the aftermarket human skin is not even close to the fit and finish of original equipment. Wear the gear.
Curt