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ricksza

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#141 ·
Lectra70 said:
I have a 2010 Camaro, going on 2 years. Still love my car, but I'm pretty excited about the bike too :) I've driven my dad's dual sport, and my brother just let me take a turn on his Yamaha Fz6r. Completing the Msf course this weeked, the reason I don't quite have my bike yet. Been around bikes for years though so I'm pretty excited and having a hard time being patient! I signed up for the MSF course way back in April, this was the first available weekend :(
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Never had a Camaro, but my next toy will be a 1969 Convertible, probably with the newer drivetrain.

The MSF Course gets filled up quickly especially in the spring. In my area, there is a 2 month wait.

When you get your license next weekend, ride safe. Remember it's the other drivers you need to watch out for.
 
M

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#143 ·
Hey All,

Just new to the forums today :)

I see ppl like pics here lol, so I'll put one in my profile after the post. I started my 2-day motorcycle training course on May 24th, but got injured on the second day, haha. We were practising shifting while leaned over in the curve shortly after it began raining, and they neglected to mention not to use the front brake while leaned over in a curve, DOH haha. I ended up tearing the ligaments around my angle so I'm still kind of limping, but I did buy a used 2010 ninja 250r about a week ago for $3800, which was a pretty good deal up here- it only had 900km on it.

I did have a few questions for you guys- 1) I'm not at all mechanically inclined, and was wondering what kind of checks I should be doing on my bike since I just bought it used?
2) I've been trying to read up on it but I still don't really get this exactly- is it hard on the engine to ride the bike up to him rpms or not? My redline goes from 13 to 15.. so where can I be riding it so as not to damage the bike at all? Can I take it on the highway, speed limit 110 for a road-trip that would be a few hours? (Wouldn't be doing that for a while, but just wondering).
3) Is there any point in putting an aftermarket exhaust on it? Yeah it would sound cooler, but I also thought it would be safer so people would hear the bike too..

Thanks!

Matt
 
ricksza

· Sick Puppy
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3,227 Posts
#144 ·
Welcome to the forum Matt. Congratulations on the new ride. Great picture, thanks.

Were you able to finish the MSF Course? At least you dropped their bike and not yours.

Check your owner's manual for scheduled maintenance. If you don't have one, go to Kawasaki and you download one free.

Don't forget to locate yourself on the Member Map.
 
M

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2 Posts
#145 ·
Hey (Rick?),

Thanks for the reply. Nope I didn't get a chance to finish yet. I'm going to Taiwan in a week for almost two months, so hopefully I'll be able to finish the course in August. If I get a chance to ride with a friend over the weekend, I'd like to try the road test next week. I've been out a bit, and my main issue is I'm not confident enough to take turns very quickly- I slow down probably to about 20 even when I'm making a turn. (Not sure how fast I should be able to do those).

Also, where I'm from (Alberta, Canada), the motorcycle road test just got put into legislation this year! So none of my friends know what it's like- kind of scares me. Prior to this year, it was always just an on-lot test. (SO STUPID, I know.)

Should I try to learn how to do all the maintenance listed in the book by myself or just take it to a dealer? I know the book specifies many checks that should be done by an authorized Kawi dealer- not sure how important that is..

I tried to figure out that member map but for some reason my browser crashes when I touch it, haha. I'll try it out later..
 
ricksza

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3,227 Posts
#146 ·
The bike is very capable, you can trust the handling, but you need to look forward to where you want to go. It takes lots of practice to build up your confidence. The tighter the turn, the slower you will need to go.

If you want to do all the maintenance yourself, I would recommend buying the shop manual. All the procedures are in there. The more that you do, the more that you will feel confident to try. There are always people on the forum willing to help anyone who asks.
 
N

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#147 ·
hey i just got a jacket and i was wonderin how it should fit...when i have the jacket on its way below my wrist and under my hips...its an xl large it doesnt really fit snug....when i sit on my bike which is most important....it still feels to long and the armor is below where it should be i could feel my elbow and my shoulder bone with my hands..im sure im suppose to feel armor and not what it suppose to be protecting.i have to pull the armor up for it to be in the right place.....can some one please help me?? i really think its to big and should carry it back to be replace to get a large instead....
 
G

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12 Posts
#148 ·
hey guys, new rider here and apprentice bike mechanic. just bought a '75 f11 250 and i need some help with a few things on it. i posted a thread in the dual sport section so if anyone knows anything about these bikes, please see if you can answer some of my questions. it would be much appreciated..oh and hey!!!
 
ricksza

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3,227 Posts
#155 ·
Cameron7 said:
Is the Ninja 250 R a good starter bike?
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Welcome to the forum Cameron.


The Ninja 250 is a smart move. Look for a good used bike, you'll be able to buy it, practice on it for a year or so, then sell it for very little loss. When (not if) you drop it, it won't cost a fortune to fix either.
 
A

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#156 ·
First time bike owner, and new rider! On the 11th, I picked up a 2008 Vulcan 900 Custom in Passion Red! Passed the MSF Course and DPS Written yesterday, passing all three tests (2 written, and the riding) with 100% I have been lurking here for awhile, and have seen only positive things about my bike, which gave me a lot of confidence getting out and riding. In the last 2 days I have 100 miles in the saddle, split between the Texas Hill Country backroads, and the high school parking lot practicing the MSF slow speed maneuvers. I look forward to keeping this bike for a long time, and logging many many more miles in the saddle, and keep learning.
 
B

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#158 ·
ricksza said:
Welcome to the forum Cameron.


The Ninja 250 is a smart move. Look for a good used bike, you'll be able to buy it, practice on it for a year or so, then sell it for very little loss. When (not if) you drop it, it won't cost a fortune to fix either.
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I would like to contest the drop part of your post, however I know the minute I do, i will drop mine, so I won't.. :) Have a great day and keep the rubber side down!
 
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M

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#159 ·
Hi everyone, I'm a new rider and i just got finished with the MSF course about a month ago and have been looking around for a good bike. I found a very nice 250 so i can get more riding time under my belt but my concern is that im a **** big dude (6'2" and 260lbs) that it might not be a good fit for me. Would the 250 work for me? or would i need a 550/650 to haul my big *** around? any advice would be greatly appreciated as I don't know anyone else that rides. Thanks a bunch and looking forward to joining the 2 wheel club soon!
 
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