so a few months ago i traded my 2010 250r SE for a 2008 honda shadow 750 spirit and for a bit i was satisfied with the extra torque. BUT i miss the sporty ride a lot of the 250R and the cornering ability. I have been researching over the past week all of the new entry level bikes that are good on gas and insurance and I am really torn between the Ninja 300, CBR500R, CB500F, and the Ninja 650. obviously the ninja will yield the cheapest payment and insurance. Im moving to FL in AUG and the OTD price on a 300 is $5625 which is wayyyyy better than the 6600 OTD price in VA. the CBR500R and 500F are just over 7k OTD and i havent gotten an OTD price on a Ninja 650 but i estimate in the low 8k range. Insurance on the 300 is $38 per month full coverage and about 80 on the rest of the bikes.

My question for you guys is, if i was bored of the 250R's tq/hp within a few months and am already tired of the shadows top end of 100mph. which of these bikes do you think i should get involved with? I know the 650 is the fastest but its gonna be the most expensive too. I only ride my bike to and from work about 35 miles per day and in FL it will be mostly urban type roads instead of all Hwy like i have here now. So i wont be Hwy dwelling as much which is why i got rid of my 250R cause it felt out of breath. I am 5' 11.5" and 190lbs BTW.

So you're bored with the 250's hp/torque, and your bored with your shadows top end?

Buy a used Super sport and see if you're still bored.;)

But seriously, the 300 won't be that great of an improvement. You may want to go for the 650, but even then you may be "bored".

Urban type roads in FL?

I vote HP4 or 1199R.

When I bought my 300 I took a good look at the CBR 500 and the ninja 650. The CBR was boring to me, and I didn't like the upright seating position of the 650 at all. The 300, even though it's the slowest of the three, was the obvious choice for me. The 300 is also the lightest, by far, of the three.

That being said... The 300 is a nice bump up in power over the 250, but it still feels like a 250, just a really fast 250. The power band is still very much the same, and in the lower RPM's it's still pretty slow.

I love the 300, and think it's an awesome street bike. I don't feel the need to do 100+ on the street though. It sounds to me like you're looking for something faster.

You've got competing constraints; you want cheap insurance/cost of a 250 but you want expensive performance of a larger bike. It is a tradeoff and you won't get both, so you'll have to decide which is more important: getting from point A to B cost-effectively or getting from point A to B really really quickly and not as cost-effectively.

If you choose the latter, buy a liter bike over a 600 because both are arguably over-sized for the street, so you might as well get the bigger one.

How about a used Ducati? I see them really cheap. Do the service and ride the wheels off it


Look at this on eBay:

Ducati : Supersport

http://bit.ly/18u6Qny

That 620 Sport is actually very pricey for what it is (the 620 is "Sport"; their Supersport line were 750's and 900's). I almost bought one last year for 2500 and my area isn't known for low bike prices.

I understand each of your points and appreciate your input, i think my problem is i started off with a GSX600F and its power scared me a bit but i stuck with it for a few months before deciding OK maybe i should hone my skills on a 250 first and slowly work my way up. NOW i am longing to translate my skill into a larger proportion. I owned a pregen 250 and then the last gen 250 both of which were the same in terms of power but i liked the new gen ergos a lot better. the only reason i got rid of the 250 was because i ride 20 miles of Hwy at 70mph each day to work in VA and i didnt like the feeling of being near the bikes top end for so long and i was getting only 40mpg with just a two bros slip on! I have heard and read the 300 feels much better on the hwy and less out of breath but i have no idea how it feels for myself compared to the 250. i dont mind the size of the 300 physically. and as for the Shadow like i said i love the torque but up top this thing would get embarassed by my old 250R IMO. I guess cruisers just wasnt my thing. and Im willing to shell out the money for the 500 or the 650 but i just want to make sure it is WORTH the extra money. I would love noting more than to get a new FZ-09 or FZ6R but the insurance is killing me until i turn 25 next march. When i say urban i meant to say suburban as in 45-50 mph local streets. i had a brain fart. ALSO i want to have a fuel injected bike, no more CARBS

These responses are hilarious.....:fish::drinkingbeer::popcorn:

Edit: I vote 650. This is now a helpful post.

the 300 will probably be fine for you.
getting a 15 tooth front sprocket will make it feel right.

the 300 will probably be fine for you.
getting a 15 tooth front sprocket will make it feel right.

This is what i was thinking as well, i was going to do that to my old 250R but never thought it would be enough and would kill the acceleration too much but i feel like a 300 with 15t plus full exhaust/tune will suit me for a fun work commute.

FWIW I've got a 15t sprocket on my 300 and it's still doing close to 8k rpm's at 70. It's nothing the bike can't handle but it's still a little high.

FWIW I've got a 15t sprocket on my 300 and it's still doing close to 8k rpm's at 70. It's nothing the bike can't handle but it's still a little high.

70mph?

Yes, 70 mph in 6th gear is closer to 7.5k rpm's I guess.

Changing to the 15t sprocket also changes the speedometer reading. The 300 measures speed at the front sprocket, and from what I've heard the 15t sprocket makes it pretty accurate.

That being said I've only had my 300 past 100mph once since I've made the sprocket change, and it took a while to get there.

I'll throw this out there - if cost of insurance is important to you then maybe look at Nakeds. My Street Triple R was cheaper to insure than a Ninja 650. I bought a used '12 so the cost of the bike was also less than a new '13 650. I have no idea how that translates to other Naked bikes but for highway riding my Triple is extremely comfortable, and can tear it up in the twisties.

Have a look at the SV's. Cheap, power, nice ergos, ect... ect.. Pretty hard to go wrong.

why not get a busa? :lolsign:

I'll throw this out there - if cost of insurance is important to you then maybe look at Nakeds. My Street Triple R was cheaper to insure than a Ninja 650. I bought a used '12 so the cost of the bike was also less than a new '13 650. I have no idea how that translates to other Naked bikes but for highway riding my Triple is extremely comfortable, and can tear it up in the twisties.

really? ill have to quote one and see. the fz-09 triple from yamaha was out of the roof insurance

the street triple was about 90 per month full coverage, not too bad.

maybe ill just get the 2014 honda grom lol :cool:

K1300S

Duh

the street triple was about 90 per month full coverage, not too bad.

maybe ill just get the 2014 honda grom lol :cool:

Hmm, mine was 55ish on the Street Triple, and 70 on the Ninja 650

If you get bored with power I would say go supersport. I've owned three 600s and still ended up going with a ninja 300 for my current bike but I am not a balls to the wall rider. I think it's all about thinking of what you are looking for and what you are planning to do with the bike. For me the 300 has been what I was looking for. I really like being able to get on the throttle and feel more in control than my modified 600s. The 300 also handles pretty well and is fun to ride IMO.

If you get bored with power I would say go supersport. I've owned three 600s and still ended up going with a ninja 300 for my current bike but I am not a balls to the wall rider. I think it's all about thinking of what you are looking for and what you are planning to do with the bike. For me the 300 has been what I was looking for. I really like being able to get on the throttle and feel more in control than my modified 600s. The 300 also handles pretty well and is fun to ride IMO.

I went to the Honda powersports dealer today and the quoted me 6500 OTD on a cbr500r and cb500x. They had no R in stock so I sat on the X and I have to say I fell in love with it. It felt so right for my body build and I love the light weight it keeps. I think this may be the bike I go for. I also loved the adjustable windscreen. Can't wait to ge to FL and sell the shadow.
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I went to the Honda powersports dealer today and the quoted me 6500 OTD on a cbr500r and cb500x. They had no R in stock so I sat on the X and I have to say I fell in love with it. It felt so right for my body build and I love the light weight it keeps. I think this may be the bike I go for. I also loved the adjustable windscreen. Can't wait to ge to FL and sell the shadow.
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Cool! Sounds like you might have found a winner. Those 500s are really nice, I checked out the one you are looking at recently.

Did you get a chance to sit on a Versys at all? I heard they are very comfortable as well and might not be that much more. I like the suspension on the Versys.

Ninja 1300!!! You won't get bored with the hp/torque for a month or three

There is nothing wrong with a bigger bike.

However, if you are bored with 100 mph on a commute, you don't belong on a bike.

There is nothing wrong with a bigger bike.

However, if you are bored with 100 mph on a commute, you don't belong on a bike.

everyone at some point has or continues to do short bursts of top speed runs to see what their machine can do. if they say they haven't they're lying. When i say i was bored by it i mean i am bored with its laziness to get there or even try. the 750 twin feels great until about 70 and then its torque becomes some what meaningless because it only has 39hp or so (and thats crank) to carry its fat A$$ faster. I think its safe to say the shadow and the ninja 300 put out the same hp to the wheel big difference is 490lbs +190 (me) vs 370+ 190.


Only few things I'm trying to decide over the CBR and the 300 is:
4799 vs 5999 and so far 5625.25 OTD vs 7100 OTD
33 vs 45 WHP
17 vs 28 tq at the wheel.
High revving fun vs low revving (from reviews i heard the cbr500r becomes suddenly fun and then kills it too early from is 8500 rpm redline)

another thing is this review where all 3 picked the 300
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/comparisons/122_1307_honda_cbr500r_vs_kawasaki_ninja_300/viewall.html

Yep, the 300 to me was the more sporty/ aggressive of the two. The CBR's 8500 rpm redline is a joke for a so called sport bike, and it's no lightweight either at 430 lbs.

I wanted to like the Honda, but it just wasn't doing anything for me. I think it looks better in pictures than in person, but that's just me, and that the other versions of the 500 will better fit with the low revving engine.

The pregen, newgen, 300, 500, and shadow will be in the same ballpark in the real world. If you haven't been happy with the power, I think the Ninja 650 will be the one you don't "outgrow."

It's great to change it up and ride different bikes. Just don't over extend yourself financially.

Buy a used super sport...

Buy a used super sport...

out of the question. Insurance is high as of now, i want FI not Carbs so any older one will be carb'd more than likely. plus this will be my first show room floor new purchase. all of my bikes have been used from the GSX600F, both 250's and the Shadow.

I think you will be disappointed with the 300 after a few months. It really comes down to wasting money now on a 300 or just spending a little extra on a bike that you will want to keep for a long time.

Get a Street Triple.

out of the question. Insurance is high as of now, i want FI not Carbs so any older one will be carb'd more than likely. plus this will be my first show room floor new purchase. all of my bikes have been used from the GSX600F, both 250's and the Shadow.

How about al tl1000r? 1000 cc v-twin FI... Not sure about the insurance tho... If not that, an sv650 or something similar? Fz6?

How about al tl1000r? 1000 cc v-twin FI... Not sure about the insurance tho... If not that, an sv650 or something similar? Fz6?

dont ask me why but a fz6r is about 130/mo insurance for me at the time and i dont wanna spend that much on insurance when my payment on a ninja 300 can be 160 for the bike and insurance combined. Right now the dealer in jacksonville said he will match the 6675 OTD price on the CBR500R that the dealer local to me in VA gave me. so know it is literally a 1k difference for me to get a 300 or CBR500R.

Like i said before though, my commute is changing from a all HWY 70mph+ for 20 miles to 45-50mph 20 miles. So i am leaning towards these two bikes and all i need to figure out is do i want the ninja and have 1k to get a full exhaust and tune with or just a CBR500R and wait a little for parts and tune. Even if someone does release the CBR's tuner to up it a few HP and maybe open up the redline the question becomes: how far? the gauge only will show you up to 10k and will it be enough.

The ninja 300 with full exhaust and tune netted 40whp i believe? thats already a substantial jump from my old 250, so that very well could be what i am looking for.

I ride CBR500 and love it. But I can see that you won't enjoy that bike; nor would you enjoy a 300. You need something in 80-120 hp range; see what models have reasonable insurance rates and go get a used one.

I'd get a 300 with an area p pipe over the cbr. They will have similar hp but the ninja will be lighter and so much more fun to ride

It sounds to me like either bike would be good for you. I chose the 300 for it's aggressive looks, light weight, and sporty demeanor. Plus Kawi's reputation for making a fun small bike.

While you might be able to bridge the hp/weight ratio between the two bike you won't be able to make up for the Honda making twice the torque. As a commuter it would probably be the better bike, just too boring for me.

Well since FL offers test rides i may have to ride them before i make an ultimatum. The CBR's torque is appealing and i do like its style. A tuned CBR could ultimately over power any tuned 300 as well. we will have to see.

It sounds to me like either bike would be good for you. I chose the 300 for it's aggressive looks, light weight, and sporty demeanor. Plus Kawi's reputation for making a fun small bike.

While you might be able to bridge the hp/weight ratio between the two bike you won't be able to make up for the Honda making twice the torque. As a commuter it would probably be the better bike, just too boring for me.

Torque and hp are essentially the same thing. They are multiplications of eachother. But, torque is a number that is almost meaningless without rpm, combine it with rpms and you get hp. Compare the hp curves of these two bikes and W/ the 300 w/ area p and I'll bet that the Honda makes more power everywhere but not by much.

The 300 makes up for half the torque with twice the rpms (or close to it ;))

Torque and hp are essentially the same thing. They are multiplications of eachother. But, torque is a number that is almost meaningless without rpm, combine it with rpms and you get hp. Compare the hp curves of these two bikes and W/ the 300 w/ area p and I'll bet that the Honda makes more power everywhere but not by much.

The 300 makes up for half the torque with twice the rpms (or close to it ;))

this is true lol

Yeah, but it takes time to get to those high rpm's. The Honda is going to be quicker off the line, that's my point. In the twisties it's not going to make a difference.

Yeah, but it takes time to get to those high rpm's. The Honda is going to be quicker off the line, that's my point. In the twisties it's not going to make a difference.

Actually that depends on gearing. If they were geared the same then that would be true but most likely they are not. Faster off the line? Not necessarily. They will both do wheelies with a little clutch work ;)

You're going to get "bored" of anything's power, that's why it doesn't make sense to buy a bike just based on it's straight line performance. Get a turbo ZX14 if you want to stay entertained for the longest.

Buy a 300, put a $k into it to increase the hp and torque, and get it tuned the way you like. You'll love it.
Less than half the insurance, still less money, it's a refined bike, and you'll have it ready for what ever kind of aggression you'd like to throw at it- because you customized to the way to want it ridden.