[TwistedKestrel]

Hi all! I'm from Toronto, Ontario, new to motorcycles and hungry for information. My brother is interested in getting a motorcycle soon, and he has his eyes on the 500R right now. This is to say, it would be his first bike.

My question is, is this the best bike for a beginner, Kawasaki or non-Kawasaki? My knowledge of bikes is close to zero. My brother is 95% likely to get his first one used, and I'm guessing he wants to keep it under $4k Canadian. The whole family is mechanically inclined (if that means anything), and if I had to rate his car driving ability objectively, as a brother , I'd say he drives safely aggresive.

What else? Hmmm ... he wants it around 500cc. I don't know if that's considered too large for a beginner bike, but I think it's fair. I'd say he could learn it pretty fast, and this bike has got to be able to hold its own as a good bike once he's an experienced rider. Longevity would be a plus, too, so I could buy it off him once he's finished working on his Austin Mini (at a discount, of course ).

So, what's the opinion from this gallery of motorcycle experts?

 

[bikeaholic]

re

don't get your cart before your horse :lol: take the saftey course,get the permit,get the gear,
go look at bikes,then decide-but the 500 is reasonable for a first bike :wink:

 

[TwistedKestrel]

lol, yeah, no worries ... he's taking the course, should be done in a little over a month. I thought that was assumed, but I read the forums a little more and, I guess not .

 

[ZX-2R]

500R

It's a nice bike. For a beginner it's a Sports bike which doesn't ride like a cruiser, or a dirt/dual sport bike. For the money though it's a bike that will last a long time without much repair as long as you do the proper maintenance and record everything so that you can see when thigs start to go wrong like fuel mileage dropping, or bogging, missing...just keep records and maintenance up and it will last several generations...

 

[fotocycle]

I started on a Ninja 500 and I had less than zero experience, lol, other than the MSF course. Someone I know said it's right at the edge of what should be recommended as a beginner bike, as it is a 12-second ride (high 12's in the 1/4 mile). However, it's VERY manageable and requires a good bit of revving (7K RPM and up) till you start to feel that such speed is indeed possible with this bike. Brakes are good but not terribly touchy, mileage is good (mine gets 40 mpg), there is a good deal of aftermarket accessories for it, and it's an ultra-reliable bike - I ride mine everyday, so I should know.

I'm nowhere near knowing the true limits of this bike just yet - been riding for a few months, or 7000+ miles - but I don't see myself getting bored with it anytime soon. I'll be getting something else in several months, but only because I want a ZX-6R :wink: But the 500 is so fun to throw around that I'm thinking I may just keep it as a second bike, if I can.

 

[Lori03Ninja500R]

500R

I just started riding after 20 years. I love my 500R, very smoth and responsive. The break-in is pretty rough,only have 340 miles on it so far! My son rides a Yamaha R1 and rode my bike, he likes it very much. Says it turns very quick. I see myself learning a lot on this bike and keeping it for a long time.

 

[Shamari Rockca]

re: 500R

Well,

I don't invite your son to follow me, but I bought my bike Kawasaki 500 R brand new 2006 last month and tought myself how to ride it.....I stalled and stalled until a neighbor showed me....I just took off from there.....no safety course or anything.....they didn't even have safety courses for my grandfather back in 1940 so why should Shamari care about this course.....I just hopped on and took the test as I felt ready.....I passed my written permit test three days ago......but this is from ditching the cops for about a month almost.....his insurance will be about 166 bucks for four months because the broker wants the $666.00 up front with Progressive Insurance and the son of mommy needs to get with a broker because other underwriters won't take him....the DMV could be a ***** because people are turning in their cars and getting divorced because the husbands want to get a motorcycle to commute and save gas, so the lines are packed....it's crazy....all the motorcycle books were stolen last week, so this girl saved one for me....all because I flirted with her......tell him to make an appointment because the DMV is packed.....but isn't it always......once he gets the hang of it.....he will be a champion like all the rest of us riders and he can join up with this rider forum as we all look out for each other.....why would you want to pay $4,000 for a used bike when he can save an additional $1000 bucks and get a brand new bike in 2007.....mine was $5150......but he should wait until summer, because as a newbie he will bust his bum slipping and all....it's not worth riding in rainy weather......hot slick oil in 100 degree summer weather on the road is enough hassle for me!!

signing off!

s.rockca

www.myspace.com/theprosulas

 

[Lawn Masters]

speaking as an owner and rider of a Ninja 500R, I too enjoy mine. its an incredibly reliable machine, nimble and capable of most anything you desire to do.

for a new rider, its not too big, nor powerful, its only 50hp, give or take a little.

 

[vulcan500rider]

I'm nowhere near knowing the true limits of this bike just yet - been riding for a few months, or 7000+ miles .

7000 miles in just a few months? You're my hero.

 

[el_chupo_]

Well,

I don't invite your son to follow me, but I bought my bike Kawasaki 500 R brand new 2006 last month and tought myself how to ride it.....I stalled and stalled until a neighbor showed me....I just took off from there.....no safety course or anything.....they didn't even have safety courses for my grandfather back in 1940 so why should Shamari care about this course.....I just hopped on and took the test as I felt ready.....I passed my written permit test three days ago......but this is from ditching the cops for about a month almost.....his insurance will be about 166 bucks for four months because the broker wants the $666.00 up front with Progressive Insurance and the son of mommy needs to get with a broker because other underwriters won't take him....the DMV could be a ***** because people are turning in their cars and getting divorced because the husbands want to get a motorcycle to commute and save gas, so the lines are packed....it's crazy....all the motorcycle books were stolen last week, so this girl saved one for me....all because I flirted with her......tell him to make an appointment because the DMV is packed.....but isn't it always......once he gets the hang of it.....he will be a champion like all the rest of us riders and he can join up with this rider forum as we all look out for each other.....why would you want to pay $4,000 for a used bike when he can save an additional $1000 bucks and get a brand new bike in 2007.....mine was $5150......but he should wait until summer, because as a newbie he will bust his bum slipping and all....it's not worth riding in rainy weather......hot slick oil in 100 degree summer weather on the road is enough hassle for me!!

signing off!

s.rockca

www.myspace.com/theprosulas

No idea what this fool said, but I wont ever ride with him.

And it sounds like you know what your doing, take the course, take your time. do it right, you have your whole life to ride. do it wrong, and it wont matter how fast the bike was.

I have the ninja 500. you shouldnt have any problem finding a good used one, as lots of people start on em, and move up. Get it used, so when you drop it, your not dropping 5k, your dropping 3k or less. plus, its easier to find matching color parts on bikes that have been arround longer...

My insurance in TX, at 23, is less than 20 a month. That is through a progressive agent, and my car is NOT with them.

Good luck

 

[JStutz2003]

You guys are replying to a topic that is over 2 years old...

 

[BigJohn]

Ladies and gents - This thread is over a year and a half old.

 

[ontwowheels]

With a title like that, "The ultimate newbie question:" I thought it was going to be:

"Where does the gas go?" :smile:

 

[GreenJello]

With a title like that, "The ultimate newbie question:" I thought it was going to be:

"Where does the gas go?" :smile:

:lol: I just bought a new Honda Accord a while back. I felt REALLY foolish when I had to resort to the owners manual to figure out how to pop the hood! I had spent about 10-15 minutes looking all over the car, and just couldn't find it. It's also the only thing I've ever fallen back on the manual for.... (BTW, was well hidden on the left completely out of sight)

 

[el_chupo_]

Well then . I hate it when I do that. On a side note, in my jeep, alot of people cant figgure out how to open the gas door. They look inside for the opener, fiddle with it, all kinds of stuff.

 

[brianm767]

My daughter, who's 17 started on a Ninja 500, she took to it like a fish to water, buying her a SV650 this week.
My wife started on a Honda F4I she did fine too, but the Ninja would have been a better choice, I say their confident inspiring.

 

[stefano]

Well then

LMFAO!!!

Don't worry about it, it takes some getting used to on these boards... let me guess, you clicked a "related thread" at the bottom?

BTW welcome, and yeah, what the **** was that Shamari joker on about? High on crack if I had to take a guess