Ninja 250 vs ninja 650r

[Blv19]

Okay so I got the itch for a street bike. I've been riding all my life and currently race motocross. I have an Rmz 450f. I'm 17 but back when I was 14 I had a ninja 250 and I loved it but I sold it so I could get a truck. Now I want a bother bike but I'm torn between either a ninja 250 or 650r or maybe even a Ktm 390 RC. I don't wanna bite off more than I can chew and die but I also don't wanna end up bored. I need to be able to ride it on the highway home from college which is 1-2 hour ride. Keep in mind price of insurance and bike price.

[fishdip]

Originally Posted by Blv19

Okay so I got the itch for a street bike. I've been riding all my life and currently race motocross. I have an Rmz 450f. I'm 17 but back when I was 14 I had a ninja 250 and I loved it but I sold it so I could get a truck. Now I want a bother bike but I'm torn between either a ninja 250 or 650r or maybe even a Ktm 390 RC. I don't wanna bite off more than I can chew and die but I also don't wanna end up bored. I need to be able to ride it on the highway home from college which is 1-2 hour ride. Keep in mind price of insurance and bike price.

650.

[cbinker]

check insurance rates.

[LittleRedNinjette]

Perhaps you should check out the 300s. I take mine on 95 with no problems. I'm not on it for 1-2 hours but still. I dont know what a 650 is for insurance but the 300 is cheap for full coverage here.

Just throwing it out there.

[SteveL]

The Ninja 650 is an under rated bike my son has one it is not as exciting as a CBR 6500 or GSXR 600 but you can ride it all day, he rode 500 miles in a day no problem. It has a great motor has been very reliable, it does not have the charisma of the 300 but for riding there is no comparison between a 300 and a 650.

Steve

[snot]

Welcome, I would check insurance first.

[Sirref]

I'd say check the insurance rates

the duke 390 likely won't be the bike for you due to how aggressive the body positioning is, almost straight supersport body position, which doesn't work as well on highway. It can be done but you won't be as comfortable.
250/300 you can't go wrong with but you could be annoyed since the bikes shortcomings do come out on highway when you try to pass without already having momentum.
Ninja 650 is a good bike, especially if you get an older one. You can lower the handlebars to give it a more aggressive feel without going as far as a supersport or an rc390 if you want to as well (something I'd do since they're super high bars) you'll be comfortable on the highway for sure on that bike since that's what it was really designed for.

Insurance rates are pretty key, a 650 tends to not be that bad on insurance unless you have a record for speeding already.

also tire expenses and things like that come into play, the 250 will be the best bang for your buck but the 650 does a lot that the 250 doesn't really do and that really benefits for highway riding

[Baron]

Originally Posted by Sirref

I'd say check the insurance rates

the duke 390 likely won't be the bike for you due to how aggressive the body positioning is, almost straight supersport body position, which doesn't work as well on highway. It can be done but you won't be as comfortable.
250/300 you can't go wrong with but you could be annoyed since the bikes shortcomings do come out on highway when you try to pass without already having momentum.
Ninja 650 is a good bike, especially if you get an older one. You can lower the handlebars to give it a more aggressive feel without going as far as a supersport or an rc390 if you want to as well (something I'd do since they're super high bars) you'll be comfortable on the highway for sure on that bike since that's what it was really designed for.

Insurance rates are pretty key, a 650 tends to not be that bad on insurance unless you have a record for speeding already.

also tire expenses and things like that come into play, the 250 will be the best bang for your buck but the 650 does a lot that the 250 doesn't really do and that really benefits for highway riding

Insurance is key though.
When I tried on the 636, it felt amazing. The Body positioning, the height everything was almost perfect. The 899 is perfect though, nothing comes remotely closer for me. Nyhoo I am deviating off topic. Could I get the 636, hell yes. Could I afford the insurance, hell no.
If you can I'd say the 650 for all the reasons people have already pointed out.

[Sirref]

I feel the same about the R6

can I afford an R6, not at the moment :'(
would it be a good idea for me to get an R6, sure as a track bike but hell no as a street bike
would my insurance be remotely reasonable on an R6, no...but I have a record

will I own an R6 someday, hell yeah I'm gonna get one to track/race someday

Moral of the story, even if you can't get the bike you really want now you can still get it later on. Approach it with a mentality of needing to earn it and everything gets easier.

except according to the rules of the forum I should have a garage full of R6's

[Baron]

Originally Posted by Sirref

I feel the same about the R6

can I afford an R6, not at the moment :'(
would it be a good idea for me to get an R6, sure as a track bike but hell no as a street bike
would my insurance be remotely reasonable on an R6, no...but I have a record

will I own an R6 someday, hell yeah I'm gonna get one to track/race someday

Moral of the story, even if you can't get the bike you really want now you can still get it later on. Approach it with a mentality of needing to earn it and everything gets easier.

except according to the rules of the forum I should have a garage full of R6's

LMFAO xD

Who knows, something better might come along that makes you go

I'm facing an insurance dilemma myself. I'm 24 with just an year of M2 under me so they bloody well quoted me 5100 a year...for a bloody 250. I love my bike and all but that's more than what's she worth.
I asked them if I hypothetically got an R6 or a 636 how much would it cost me then.
Their answer - I can't even give a quote for that unless and until you have a full M or 2 years under your belt.
That 5100 drops to 2000 when I turn 25 at the end of may, which is the reason why my riding season hasn't even started. Apparently you drop a third one down there when you turn 25 which makes you extra wise on the road or something.


Rant aside, don't get something you can't afford insurance on. A person I knew got a 10R without getting quote, they quoted him 1000 a month.....he ended up selling the 10R(in brilliant condition) for less than what he paid for it a month later.

[Sirref]

It's possible I may find something better, but the R6 is one of the best bikes I've had the pleasure of riding and it is a truly legitimate racing platform

[Baron]

Originally Posted by Sirref

It's possible I may find something better, but the R6 is one of the best bikes I've had the pleasure of riding and it is a truly legitimate racing platform

Agreed.

[Blv19]

Thanks for all the responses! As for my driving record lol it's 100% clean. Not because I'm
A good driver- I just don't get caught 😂 except for this one time when I roasted my tires on my truck RIHT in front of a cop. Haha but he was cool and just gave me a verbal warning. Insurance will still be high so I'll end up just getting liability. I'm leaning forward one of these two used 2009 ninja 650rs for $3500-3900 seems like a good deal. I'm
Gonna invest in frame sliders when I get it tho since I can only afford liability.

[liberpolly]

When you all are talking about insurance, do you mean liability insurance? I.e. if you hit somebody and it's your fault, you pay their expenses?

Because if you have medical insurance and are getting a modestly priced bike, there is no reason in the world to get full insurance.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by Blv19

Insurance will still be high so I'll end up just getting liability. I'm leaning forward one of these two used 2009 ninja 650rs for $3500-3900 seems like a good deal. I'm
Gonna invest in frame sliders when I get it tho since I can only afford liability.

Always get under-insured motorist. Insurance is there to save you when you need it. If you get hit by someone w/o a license or insurance or if you get hit in a hit and run the medical bills fall on your own insurance.

Skipping collision is acceptable since the bikes are only worth a couple grand. Comprehensive is a good idea to have as well just in case, it tends to be cheaper as well. Just get under insured so you don't regret not getting it if you end up needing it.

Originally Posted by liberpolly

When you all are talking about insurance, do you mean liability insurance? I.e. if you hit somebody and it's your fault, you pay their expenses?

Because if you have medical insurance and are getting a modestly priced bike, there is no reason in the world to get full insurance.

liability, collision, comprehensive. If you want to skip one skip collision, it'll give you the biggest savings and it only covers the bike if you are the one responsible for the incident. Comprehensive covers things like hitting a deer "act of god", stolen bike, bike getting hit in a parking lot hit & run and is generally cheap so it's worth it. Liability you really want for the under-insured so your health insurance isn't as stressed by a potential incident. Medical bills can skyrocket very easily so having a bigger safety margin before you pay more than just your co-pay out of pocket helps

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by Sirref

Liability you really want for the under-insured so your health insurance isn't as stressed by a potential incident. Medical bills can skyrocket very easily so having a bigger safety margin before you pay more than just your co-pay out of pocket helps

What in the world are you talking about? What does it mean "stressing health insurance"? Does it break when you are too sick? Why would you end up "paying more than just your co-pay out of pocket"?

[cbinker]

Full Coverage is the way to go for motorcycle(toy) insurance. You hit someone liability will cover the the other person's vehicle, but your bike will be totaled and nothing to show for it.

[Sirref]

health/medical runs out eventually, you're really stressing yourself not the insurance if you get close

I've known a few people who have run out of insurance after suffering serious injuries and had ridiculous bills as a result of it

If you don't exceed the limit that your plan has you just pay your portion and the insurance covers the rest. If you do then anything over 25grand (or whatever your limit is) is out of pocket

[cbinker]

Originally Posted by liberpolly

What in the world are you talking about? What does it mean "stressing health insurance"? Does it break when you are too sick? Why would you end up "paying more than just your co-pay out of pocket"?

Bodily injury is important insurance for motorcycle riders.

[Sirref]

think about the injuries that you can get and then think about the medical bills for said injuries. My BI covers up to some obscene amount in the half million dollar range but I could see how I could theoretically still exceed that amount if I were involved in a serious enough incident

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by cbinker

Full Coverage is the way to go for motorcycle(toy) insurance. You hit someone liability will cover the the other person's vehicle, but your bike will be totaled and nothing to show for it.

OTOH, if you don't hit anyone and noone hits you, you've just wasted what could amount to the price of a new bike on buying a bigger yacht for an insurance company CEO.

If you have super expensive bike, sure, get full coverage. If you have $3000 bike, get an insurance quote for a full coverage, buy liability only, and put whatever you saved on insurance into a saving account. By the end of the year, you are more likely to get with a nice lump sum than without a bike.

It's all just a game of probabilities. You can win it if you are honest with yourself.

Liability, on the other hand, is lawyer-proofing yourself. Don't **** with that one, they'll ruin you.

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by Sirref

think about the injuries that you can get and then think about the medical bills for said injuries. My BI covers up to some obscene amount in the half million dollar range but I could see how I could theoretically still exceed that amount if I were involved in a serious enough incident

What if you were involved in such accident when walking on the street?

In other words, why do you think paying for extra medical insurance for riding a motorcycle is better than paying for extra catastrophic insurance?

If you run the numbers, you will see it's much, much worse - motorcycling is high-risk activity, so upping your health insurance limit within context of motorcycle insurance is much more expensive that upping your health insurance limit with insurance company that doesn't ask whether you are riding a motorcycle.

[Sirref]

It's a game of probabilities where the negative possibility is far more severe than the positive possibility is good.

Personally i'd rather spend the extra $400/yr since there is absolutely no way that $400 will be enough to cover my ass in any moderate to severe incident

I have both upped, for me it was actually cheaper to up the motorcycle insurance than the medical insurance, but that's because I've used my medical insurance numerous times across the past few years and haven't used the bike insurance yet.

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by Sirref

health/medical runs out eventually, you're really stressing yourself not the insurance if you get close

I've known a few people who have run out of insurance after suffering serious injuries and had ridiculous bills as a result of it

These people would be much better off if they bought better health insurance, instead of paying into motorcycle insurance. They would also be covered when injured when not on a motorcycle.

Motorcycle insurance is a scam to get people to pay higher rates for the same product.

[Sirref]

I disagree but I'm at the upper limits of my insurance across the board so we clearly have differing views on the subject

[alex.s]

only getting liability insurance is a stupid joke

it's like riding a motorcycle without health insurance.

it's a great idea until something happens, and then you're flat out dry ****ed in the ass with no warning.

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by Sirref

I have both upped, for me it was actually cheaper to up the motorcycle insurance than the medical insurance, but that's because I've used my medical insurance numerous times across the past few years and haven't used the bike insurance yet.

Ok, in this case you're exception from the rule - although I don't understand how your past usage of health insurance affects your rates - isn't it illegal under Obamacare?

For me, it would be more than 10 times cheaper to buy extra catastrophic health insurance, than to buy full motorcycle insurance for the same coverage. And it's true for vast majority of people.

[alex.s]

its a terrible idea to not have health insurance. get health insurance. now.

[Sirref]

medical/health insurance rates change based on risk like any other insurance

I am considered high risk medically, therefore it costs more for me. I'm not sure if it is the nature of why I used it, or if it is the result of a very very long list of autoimmune disorders and heart defects that run in my family, or even the fact that I've used it fairly regularly that increases the cost but I'm very sure it's legal for them to hike up rates on high-risk clients. This because it is illegal for an insurance company to fail to turn a profit

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by Sirref

medical/health insurance rates change based on risk like any other insurance

No, under Obamacare it's illegal.

Edit: here it is: http://www.webmd.com/health-insuranc...ing-conditions

Q: Will there be a limit as to how high a premium insurance companies can charge if you have a pre-existing condition?
A: Yes. As of 2014, insurers cannot charge consumers different rates for health insurance because of health status or gender.
You can be charged more for your age, however, with older people paying a higher premium than young people. But that increased charge is capped at no more than three times the standard rate.

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by alex.s

its a terrible idea to not have health insurance. get health insurance. now.

Did anyone here advocate not having health insurance? I must've missed it...

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by liberpolly

No, under Obamacare it's illegal. Want me to google chapter and verse?

illegal to profile or illegal to change rates based on usage

bc illegal to profile would be retarded and would lead to insurance companies failing which leads to a ridiculous shitstorm

[liberpolly]

Originally Posted by Sirref

illegal to profile or illegal to change rates based on usage

bc illegal to profile would be retarded and would lead to insurance companies failing which leads to a ridiculous shitstorm

Retarded or not, that is the law:

No different rates on preexisting conditions or usage:
http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights...onditions.html

No lifetime or annual limits:
http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/limits/

[Sirref]

afaik no laws have been broken. Pre-existing conditions and high risk for conditions based on family history are two different things. I also see nothing for typical usage, I.e. regular er visits for injuries.

[liberpolly]

These limitation apply only to the plan sold on Obamacare exchanges, but the law is very explicit: the one and only criteria that affects your price is age.

This is what covered: https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/...e-plans-cover/
- Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care you get without being admitted to a hospital)
- Emergency services
- Hospitalization (such as surgery)

[nickjpass]

As someone who has some experience with crashing and EMS, my advice is to get good insurance.

Don't forget gear!!!!!

A local volunteer service charges nearly a grand just to transport someone a few miles.

[cbinker]

Originally Posted by liberpolly

OTOH, if you don't hit anyone and noone hits you, you've just wasted what could amount to the price of a new bike on buying a bigger yacht for an insurance company CEO.

If you have super expensive bike, sure, get full coverage. If you have $3000 bike, get an insurance quote for a full coverage, buy liability only, and put whatever you saved on insurance into a saving account. By the end of the year, you are more likely to get with a nice lump sum than without a bike.

It's all just a game of probabilities. You can win it if you are honest with yourself.

Liability, on the other hand, is lawyer-proofing yourself. Don't **** with that one, they'll ruin you.

I am good at riding, but i am not going to start gambling on other people not being stupid or some bad luck.

[KJohnson21]

[LittleRedNinjette]

Just to put it out there, JUST the 1st surgery was 16k to fix my thumb after i was hit.

I screwed up on my insurance and only had 5k on the bike policy for medical. That was depleted in the ER. My health insurance is helping but i still have a stack of bills.

I upped the medical big time on my 300 policy and will always have full coverage on my bikes. my

Any way you go best of luck!

[Sirref]

^ my argument exactly