Hello Flip, & welcome to the forum.
Since you're a new rider w/no experience, you might want to think about finding a low-miles used bike for your first ride.

Why?
because first bikes should be about confidence. It should be friendly, manageable, and rewarding for you to ride. As you learn and build skills, your tastes and desires will change. If you stick with riding, a year from now you'll be dreaming about bikes you've never even heard of today.

Also, first bikes have a way of getting dropped, and rashing up a virgin set of plastic can be a blow to the psyche, body, and wallet. It hurts a lot less if your starter-ride already has a beauty mark or two. You're much more likely to pick her up, dust her off, and get back on if you're not agonizing over the twisted bits. Observe:

http://www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/what-i-learned-today/96908-first-drop.html

The Ninja 250 is a great choice, as would be a Ninja 500, a 650r, or one of the Suzuki 500 twins. Personally, I think for a mature rider, a 500/650 is a better choice that you'll enjoy longer, but any of these bikes will serve you well as a learning tool.

Good, low-miles, 1-3 year old bikes are everywhere right now. Being a cash buyer puts you in an even better position to score a great deal, and let someone else take the hit in depreciation. Don't be in hurry to buy just yet, and don't be afraid to haggle when it's time to slap leather.

Good luck & welcome...

 

Skewter is balls-on right: go with a used 500R. That was my exact thought while I was reading your post about getting a new 250R. Get a used 500R which will be cheaper and have more power. That translates into a bike that you can ride longer which means you'll have more opportunity to learn how to ride which means better ROI. I rode my 500R for about 12k miles through all kinds of situations (rush hour traffic both street and freeway, twisties, etc.) and when I realized that I was max'ing out the 500R for my purposes, I got the Z1000. I went from learner bike to dream bike without any transition in the middle. You can do the same thing if you go way of a used 500R.

The 250R is nice but in the end, it's a 250 and my opinion is that there are better values if you go used. I got my first bike at 39 and you're 36...go with a used 500R because appearance shouldn't be such a driving factor that have to with the 250R.

Only buy a new bike if it's one that you're going to keep for at least five years--buying new for a learner bike is a waste of money.

 

You will out grow the 250 in about a year so you could consider a 500r and still have a good bike to learn on that will not be too dangerous. Nothing wrong with starting small and slow until you develop the skills needed to survive on the cruel roads.

 

I second what everybody else says. Start out with the used 500R. It is small enough that you will be able to learn much needed skills and hone your riding ability, but large enough that once you get fully addicted to riding it will still be able to deliver for a while. That way, you will get a much better feel for what kind of riding you really like to do and can get your dream bike based on that.

I started out on a used 250, and as I got more comfortable riding it, I realized that I really like to take longer rides out of town and get away. The 250 could do that, but in very limited capacity. I had always pictured myself as a "harley guy" but after riding for a while, I decided that the sport touring bikes were more my lineup and I ended up with an ST1100 which suits my riding style perfectly! But had I bought a new 250, I wouldn't have been able to get a bigger bike for quite a while.

Another good thing about getting a used bike is that you will have more money left over to get some good gear. Gear is very important for riding and I rarely leave home without it on. A helmet is an absolute must, but a good riding jacket, pants or chaps, and good gloves can go a long ways in the event of an accident. And if you haven't already done so, you will definitely want to take the Motorcycle Safety Course! You will learn a lot about riding in general, even if you have been riding for a long time.

 

Everyone's hitting it dead on here. As for the price, that seems a bit high for out the door, but I suppose that depends on what all is included in that price. I would recommend looking at something in the 500-650 range though...you seem to have a head on your shoulders and no bike is "too powerful" without the rider goosing the throttle unnecessarily.

Where are you from? I'm a HUGE proponent of used. You'll save THOUSANDS every time. If you pick up something in the $1000-2500 range, you can typically ride it for a season and lose practically nothing other than operating cost. And it'll give you a season to figure out how you like to ride and what might best fit your style. There are so many types of bikes out there, there's bound to be something to fit your style of riding.

 

I'm from Wichita Falls, Tx. It's a smallish town of about 105,000 in population and about 12 miles across. It's growing like crazy. I'm finding new neighborhoods popping up everywhere. I start the Rider's Edge course tonight at the local harley dealership which is four days long. Thursday and friday from 5-8 pm in the class room and saturday and sunday from 8 am to 5 pm riding the bikes.

Flip.

 

I'm from Wichita Falls, Tx. It's a smallish town of about 105,000 in population and about 12 miles across. It's growing like crazy. I'm finding new neighborhoods popping up everywhere. I start the Rider's Edge course tonight at the local harley dealership which is four days long. Thursday and friday from 5-8 pm in the class room and saturday and sunday from 8 am to 5 pm riding the bikes.

Flip.

That's a good program. They offer it here too and people seem to like it.

 

There was another program that was offered locally and the local community college which was two days long. It was actually a 100.00 cheaper. I weighed the two and decided in the Rider's Edge class due to the length of the class. Even though the first two days are class room days, I think it'll help the students to get settled into their instructors and vice versa. That way we feel more comfortable with each other when the riding starts. Plus it gives more time to get the info out and not to cram it in. I take defensive shooting classes with both pistols and shotguns and, I like the longer classes that have more days in them for that reason.

Flip.

 

There are a couple more benefits to getting a good used bike as opposed to buying new:

First off, used bikes often have more aftermarket add-ons installed. If you find the right bike with the right add-ons, that's less money that you have to spend on "personalizing" the bike.

Secondly, and this is by no means meant to be a turn off, but you can learn a little bit more about working on and maintaining a used bike, as you will probably be less afraid to touch a used bike as opposed to a new one. I am mechanically inclined, but if I have a brand new machine, I am not going to touch it unless I absolutely have to. And that means that I am much more likely to spend a lot of money at the stealer... err... dealer than I really have to. It is always a good idea to have a little bit of working knowledge of your bike, especially if you plan on doing any reasonably long rides. It's always good to know a few things in case you encounter problems on the road. I think that's something you don't really get with a new bike per se.

I'm from Wichita Falls, Tx. It's a smallish town of about 105,000 in population and about 12 miles across.

I am from the second biggest "Big City" in Montana with a pop. of about 65,000, and there is definitely no shortage of good bikes here. Craigslist is a great places to scope out good rides. You can find listings in your area that way, which makes it easier as you can go and see them before buying. You might also want to cruise around the neighborhoods and see if anyone has anything for sale. You can sometimes find good deals that way too.

 

Here's a start. Some bartering and you get a bigger bike for at least a grand less, even after taxes.

2007 Kawasaki Ninja 500R

And if you don't mind a 2 hour ride back from the DFW area, there's plenty on there!

 

Don't buy new for your first bike. You will cry when you dump it... and still have to pay for it. I got a great 2001 Kawi Ninja 250 for $1,500. And I love it!! I plan to buy a new one once I have a few thousand miles under me.

 

I went with a used Vulcan 500 as first bike because I got a great deal on the price. And that allowed me to go up in quality when purchasing the other really important new stuff: a GOOD helmet, GOOD gloves, and other gear, as I took to heart the "dress for the crash" mantra of the prudent new rider.

 

Well, I just got home after finishing the class today. I lost one point in the riding portion during the turning station and made a hundred on the test. And I didn't drop my bike:biggrin: :biggrin: !!! We used Buell Blasts which I believe were 500 cc's. I'll have to check. I have the TX DPS study book and plan on taking the written test friday. I was really suprised on how relaxed I felt on the bike. The Riders Edge class was great and well worth the money spent. They provided coffee and doughnuts on both mornings, cooked out for us saturday for lunch and ordered pizza today. We spent the last two days on the bikes. It rained/drizzled on us yesterday but we still rode. Although not Ideal conditions, riding on wet surfaces saturday was a real confidence booster.

Flip.

 

The Buell Blasts are 500 cc (actually 495 I think). I'll go counter to the suggestions here and suggest you buy what's going to make you happy. You want a new bike? Get a new bike if its within your budget. You probably will outgrow the 250R in a year or two, but at least in my area there's a ready market for them used. You might check on late-model 250R's in your area and take advantage of someone else's depreciation, but in the long run get something that makes you happy. BIG difference between the small sportbike and the VSTAR 950. Personally I wouldn't pick a sportbike for commuting, but then I commute regularly in fairly heavy urban traffic and I'm older than you. If there was no stop&go traffic on my commute, a sport bike might just be a blast.

 

Mike there really isn't any depreciation. I checked on craigslist and people are asking 3700.00ish for their 2008 250R's. They MSRP'd new for something like 3500.00. Kawasaki increased the price in 2009 to just under 4000.00. That allows the people unloading their 2008 to basically ask what of not more than they paid. As far a commute, I live three miles from work.

Flip.

 

Asking and getting are two different things. Craigslist doesn't give you any information on completed sales. There's always depreciation, but you're right, it's not that much.

 

I don't believe you can over think riding a bike. It's the what if's that get over looked. Personally I would start out with something that has a little more power to it. I've never ridden a 250 so I really don't know the power output. I've seen bikes being ridden fast, but if one needs to get out of harms way quickly, I wouldn't want to count on it. There will probably be another run on bikes again because of gas prices and not many will afford a new car. Used can be good as long as it's not something that needs to be revived, but well taken care of by some one that wants to move up or change styles. Good luck in what ever you choose to do.