Newbie with some questions

[bman]

I am new here and haven't got my ninja 250R yet, but I will! I am excited and am planning on doing the safety class to get my license soon and getting my ninja after that. I have not decided what safety gear to get yet either, but the shop gives a discount when you buy your motorcycle and I plan on making a day of it: getting my ninja, trying on helmets and other safety gear.

Here is where my questions come in; I was wondering if the ninja is a good semi-touring bike? I am wanting to visit friends that live about 11 hours away and will want to show off my motorcycle if possible. I do plan on stopping half way through for the night and making frequent stops. Also is there software or a website out there that allows you to plan the trip along with gas station stops every couple hours, ect.. I just want to make things easier and have fun.

Oh btw, the trip wouldn't be till after I get comfortable with the ninja after a few months.

Thanks for the help!!

Brandon

[00NissanNinja]

Well it should be alright, but you might want to invest in making the seat more comfortable. You also might want to get a double bubble windscreen or larger for more wind protection.

[kkim]

regearing the bike will make it much more comfortable for long distance running.

http://www.ninjette.org/wiki/Category:Final_Drive

[ally99]

Hubby and I do it all the time, me on my Ninja and him on his CBR. I find the Ninja very comfortable for long rides. Hubby, on the other hand, prefers the comfort of his CBR, mostly because he has weird back pain that the Ninja seems to exacerbate. I have no problems on it long-distance though.

[Anteraan]

Count me as a dissenting voice for the semi-touring bit. As kkim said, regearing will help some, but to really turn the 250 into a multi-hour machine, you'll probably want to change the gearing, change out the seat, get a throttle lock, and add a double-bubble windscreen.

The fact that you're planning several stops will help a lot, but...let me put it this way, if I planned on doing a fair bit of distance riding, the 250 would not be my bike of choice - not by a longshot. Then again, I'm 6'2", 200 lbs. For an around town commuter and short stints on the interstate (20-30 miles), I love the 250. As they say, your mileage may vary.

On a side note, very smart of you to take the class and get the gear. I wish you safety and fun. Welcome!

[bman]

Thanks for all the information, I will keep it all in mind. Also with all the tips I think I'll take a much shorter trip to test out the feeling before I do anything longer.

Oh and are Dickies Work boots with steel toes and oil resistant soles good for riding at least till can get actual riding boots?

http://www.dickiesfootwear.com/produ...rawny-6%27%27/

[Flashmonkey]

You won't really know how comfortable the 250 is for you until you put some time on the bike. Power-wise, it's more than adequate to tour, provided you're not gonna overload it, and you yourself aren't ridiculously heavy.

Regarding the work boots, I'd stear clear....unless of course that's all you have at the moment. If you're going to go out and buy a pair of work boots just for this, then you might as well go out and get some proper riding boots, or at least some riding "shoes".

[bman]

Well it is what I have around right now.. and I maybe able to afford better riding boots once I get my ninja.. but I am asking for two reasons.. 1: I might not be able to get the boots right off, would rather spend any extra money on good helmet and jacket.. just depends on what is left over 2: am gonna be taking the safety course within the next two weeks with a friend.

[wvninja]

Originally Posted by bman

Well it is what I have around right now.. and I maybe able to afford better riding boots once I get my ninja.. but I am asking for two reasons.. 1: I might not be able to get the boots right off, would rather spend any extra money on good helmet and jacket.. just depends on what is left over 2: am gonna be taking the safety course within the next two weeks with a friend.

Work boots are a lot more safe than tennis shoes (or flip flops ) in mho. If thats all you got then rock it while you must. Nothing beats good gear but anything beats being a squid.

[Flashmonkey]

Ya if it's all you have then go for it. As mentioned it's better than running shoes

[bman]

*rofl and repeats to himself* I will not be a squid.. I will not be a squid

[Cab305]

Not to throw salt in the mix, but work boots might not be the best thing for a beginner(trust me I'm a noob too).

1. They tend to have all the protection on the toes from crushing accidents, this makes them bulkier up front harder to fit bellow shifter.
2. For the same reason you might not feel the gear shifters slight movements.
3. Heavy grooved soles might catch on pegs.

Again just my two cents. Try craiglist, ebay or your local forums, you might be able to pick up some second hand gear in good shape at a reasonable price. I used an old pair of hiking boots for my beginners course.

Good luck, welcome to Ninjettehood.

[wvninja]

I actually know someone who rides like this on a daily .. well he wears gloves .. like the dirtbike kind of gloves .. LOLOLOL

[bman]

gotta love it.. I guess some people think they are superman

[Cab305]

Just this weekend I did a big group ride 20+ bikes. Guess who goes down? The guy wearing nothing but a helmet.

Kid lucked out huge! Highway going 45-55 mph, he got minor rash on one elbow/shoulder. He did rash up one hand pretty bad, but if he would have had on gloves and just long sleeves it would have been nothing. His bike didn't even mangle, just scraped up. Plus there were enough bikers around to divert traffic so he could get up.

If I was him, I wouldn't even breath too hard cause he's on borrowed time.

[bman]

what kind of jackets do people suggest? something budget friendly for someone starting out but with enough protection to make a difference. I dont mind leather or textile.. but for some reason leather jackets never seem to fit right.

and I would like something that is adjustable to temp wise.. for mostly summer but can do fall in 30s to 60s. Or heck a jacket for warm weather but suggestions of what to wear under it for colder.

[Cab305]

It depends on your local weather, I'm in south florida it's too hot for leather 360 days of the year. It definitely offers more protection... but the trade off is Hyperthermia. I have the Frank Thomas mesh fabric jacket... fits good even over an alpinestar spine protector vest (don't like the foam FrankkThomas calls a back plate). It works while you move, but you slow roast at red lights.

Seriously look into the spine guards as soon as you can afford it. Stay away from the ICON vest, most of the older locals down here consider it squid wear. Their opinion, I don't have one.

If I lived up north I would save up and buy leather cause it's more expensive even on sale. The Dainese jacket I like is like $500. My current mesh jacket was $100.

You have to suffer for your ATGATT.

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by bman

and I would like something that is adjustable to temp wise.. for mostly summer but can do fall in 30s to 60s. Or heck a jacket for warm weather but suggestions of what to wear under it for colder.

I suggest textile. They're cheaper, and a lot of them come with multiple layers. I'd also recommend getting something like Froggtoggs for rainy days. That stuff is cheap and about the best thing you can buy for rain.

Edit: Also, for insanely hot, humid weather, get a mesh jacket. There are a lot of those on sale right now from sites like newenough.com and sportbiketrackgear.com

always keep your eyes open for deals on gear....they come around pretty frequently.

[Reswob]

Semi-touring? No frickin' way. After 3 hours on the highway, I'm done for the day.

[cyclepedia]

Definitely take the MSF course. I never took the beginner as a novice and always wished I had. I took the experienced rider course recently and had a great time while tightening up my riding. The ninja 250 is a perfect bike for the course.

You can always make the trip with a stock bike. After a few hours you will have a good idea of exactly what you want to change.

[bman]

anyone know a good gps system for the ninja or a website/software that helps to plan out motorcycle trips with gas stops and everything?

[awesome_r6]

bman.....here is a web site where I got alot of my G/F gear at.
http://www.compacc.com/index.cfm
They have some great deals on close out helmets (recomend the scorpion EXO 700 or 400) and alot of jackets on sale also. As far as going to the stealership for a new bike??? Look on craigs list 1st. Sounds like you have your head in the right place so put your wallet there too. I found 2 AWESOME deals within a week. If you want to stick for new.....I found a place that was going to sell me a 2010 for 3500 out the door. Hope this helps ya.

[bman]

Well I wouldn't mind used.. but I live in a really small area and most of the Ninja's for sell are pre 2008 gen, have 5000 miles on it and still going for only 1000 less than a new 2010 at my local dealer would be.. Granted when I go to buy one I will look around for a used first.. but don't have high hopes.

[tapdiggy]

Originally Posted by bman

what kind of jackets do people suggest? something budget friendly for someone starting out but with enough protection to make a difference. I dont mind leather or textile.. but for some reason leather jackets never seem to fit right.

and I would like something that is adjustable to temp wise.. for mostly summer but can do fall in 30s to 60s. Or heck a jacket for warm weather but suggestions of what to wear under it for colder.

A mesh jacket with a removable waterproof liner works really well for me. If it is cold, I put on a long-sleeve t-shirt over a short-sleeve t-shirt. I can stay comfortable with a combination of those layers.