ninjette.org - View Single Post - Is the ninja 250r the ultimate beginner bike, or should I settle for something else?

iBang · April 9th, 2012, 03:42 PM

There's a difference actually in what you have asked and your thread title.

Is the ninjette the ultimate beginners sport bike? Yes... on average. It is a great little bike that handles well, is easy to deal with and will not get you in trouble easily. That means that overall it is the "best" for the average of the market which includes plenty of people without a lot of skill or restraint. My MSF course was proof enough of how dangerous a lot of people would be if let loose with a shiny new M permit and a big engine sport bike.

Now, all of that said, among my close friends who ride sport bikes and myself, starting bikes have been a CBR600, R6, R1, and CBR929. Of all of us, only one has laid down his bike and that was not power related (too much front brake into a tight corner, riding outside his comfort level early on).

Does this mean that there's no purpose to the 250 class? No, not at all. Of that group all four of us had varying levels of experience with quads and dirt bikes with plenty of power and manual transmissions. At the risk of sounding overconfident, none of us were ever as hopeless as some of the other people in my MSF course either.

I guess the end answer to your question is that it depends a lot on you. If you have good self restraint and perhaps have some experience that will help, a larger bike like the 650 might not be a bad idea.

April 9th, 2012, 03:42 PM	#6
iBang ninjette.org member Name: Ian Location: Houston TX Join Date: Mar 2012 Motorcycle(s): '10 Ninja 250 Posts: 27	There's a difference actually in what you have asked and your thread title. Is the ninjette the ultimate beginners sport bike? Yes... on average. It is a great little bike that handles well, is easy to deal with and will not get you in trouble easily. That means that overall it is the "best" for the average of the market which includes plenty of people without a lot of skill or restraint. My MSF course was proof enough of how dangerous a lot of people would be if let loose with a shiny new M permit and a big engine sport bike. Now, all of that said, among my close friends who ride sport bikes and myself, starting bikes have been a CBR600, R6, R1, and CBR929. Of all of us, only one has laid down his bike and that was not power related (too much front brake into a tight corner, riding outside his comfort level early on). Does this mean that there's no purpose to the 250 class? No, not at all. Of that group all four of us had varying levels of experience with quads and dirt bikes with plenty of power and manual transmissions. At the risk of sounding overconfident, none of us were ever as hopeless as some of the other people in my MSF course either. I guess the end answer to your question is that it depends a lot on you. If you have good self restraint and perhaps have some experience that will help, a larger bike like the 650 might not be a bad idea.