I am stuck at a crossroads

travis5018 · January 14th, 2009, 06:33 PM

Im stuck at a crossroads and need the opinion of the elders of the forum "hehe", anyways,

I just got my financial aid from school so im ballin now, so do I either
a) Mod the 250 with some aftermarket parts and make her my own, or
b) Don't touch the bike (other then the slip-on I have already) and eventually sell the bike to buy a bigger bike (most likely a ZX6-R)

I dont know what I should do..... suggestions?

Update: I just got fired from my job (some people can't take jokes, and when your banging the manager, he can't take them either.....) So the money is going to sit securely in my bank account until I find a new job, but thanks for all the advice!

kkim · January 14th, 2009, 06:36 PM

use the money for school.

Isn't it what it was meant for?

TnNinjaGirl · January 14th, 2009, 06:39 PM

Buy beer....? Oh wait, hehe, I can't say that.

Sailariel · January 14th, 2009, 06:46 PM

Travis, Concentrate on school. After you get your degree you might be in a position to get a Ducati Desmo. I sold a 63 Split Window Corvette to get through Grad School and have no regrets. The Ninjette will get you through school in style. You wanted advice from us older folks--I`m 67.

zartan · January 14th, 2009, 06:46 PM

school

kkim · January 14th, 2009, 06:50 PM

... and I'm 56, so together we are one hundred and uh, uh, uh... see?? If I didn't spend my financial aid money on motorcycles when I was in college or I would be able to tell you exactly how much it is. (takes off shoes to count fingers and toes)

TnNinjaGirl · January 14th, 2009, 06:55 PM

Having money in the bank helps out a whole lot in case of unexpected things, or even if you just want to go out and get dinner for a change. Making bad habits with your money now won't make it easier in the future. That exhaust you buy may cost $500 but you'll never be able to get that back out of it. A dollar is always worth a dollar, and the more of them, often times the better. You are in a good place. Enjoy having it, but don't spend it all in one place. Enjoy!!

Alex · January 14th, 2009, 07:22 PM

If the money isn't going to be used for school or beer, and you're determined to aim in the motorcycle direction:

- Do you have a loan on the bike? Any motorcycle $ other than tires/gas should go to paying down the loan.

- No loan? You've put on < 10K miles on the ninjette? Use the $ for tires/gas. And then beer.

- No loan? > 10K of your miles on the ninjette? You want to do things on a bike that the ninjette isn't suited for? (longer highway treks, 2-up touring, trackdays, depending on the track) Then yup, allocate upgrade $ for the ninjette ---> new bike money when you're able.

noche_caliente · January 14th, 2009, 08:20 PM

i really think that if you don't need the money you should pay it back.... I thought it was great to take the money and pay off my first car loan - and yeah, I went from 6% to 2.something.... but I'm going to be paying on this for the next 9 years now that i've finished with my second graduate degree....

Looking at 9 years of $450+/mo payments compared to another couple of years at $226/mo for my first car..... I think the car payments would have been a better choice, and would have made the payments now considerably smaller....

so yeah - with all that rambling - my advice is to pay the money back if you don't need it so that you're not wishing you had that money for the 1- years after you graduate and would really like to be able to do what you want with your hard-earned money rather than giving it to Uncle Sam!

archetype · January 14th, 2009, 08:47 PM

Money should not burn a hole in your pocket.
Save it, use it on school, pay off debt.
If you use it on beer, don't ride.

travis5018 · January 14th, 2009, 08:59 PM

Bike was paid in cash, paid for thanks to the first financial aid check and working full-time this summer. Beers not really my thing, and I play lax with a bunch of Bartenders so I rarely drink before I go out, and when I go out I take the bus, its free

. Gas really isn't an issue for my 250 anyways, and I serve on weekends to pay for whatever I buy during the week, so this money is literally just sitting there "Burning a hole in my pocket" and my school tuition, housing, meal-plan, and all fees are all paid for already.

One day I wake up and want to go order a new windshield, order the flush mounts for the front turn signal, order a seat creations seat, get new break lines for the front (in green), get a new air filter, do the HID upgrade.

But the next I think its all pointless because I just wanna sell the bike next year and with my financial aid from next semester buy a bigger bike.

I think i might just put the money I have in a CD so I can't touch it for so long, then it will no longer be an issue......

But thank you for all of your advice, and just to let everyone know that I...

Have no credit card debt, or no debt whatsoever at this point, everything I own (including the bike and the insurance) is already paid for, everything I am sitting on is extra capital, Im pretty good with my money

Alex · January 14th, 2009, 09:04 PM

Sounds like you don't need any advice from old farts, you're doing just fine on your own.

Only thing I can add it is that I've never heard someone express afterwards that they wish they sold their 250 earlier. While I hear quite often that people regret selling their ninjette when they did to upgrade to their current bike (or even the bike 2 past that one).

ScraitT · January 14th, 2009, 10:18 PM

I wasn't going to post because after seeing the replies, it seemed as if anything I would have said had been covered by someone else, however, after your last post i DO have a bit of advice.

First and foremost, what KIND of financial aide are we talking about? Is it grants and/or scholarships? Or is it loans that will eventually have to be paid back? You said you ahev no debt, so I am assuming it's not loans, but better to ask.

Some info back me...
I am 22 and just graduated from college (debating on going back for a 2nd degree or masters), and I didn't pay a penny to go to school. In fact I was PAID to go to school. I had enough scholarships that they surpassed my tuition and the leftovers were automatically deposited into my bank.
Point being, it sounds like you have a very similar situation to me...so I figured I might offer some advice.

My advice. SAVE the money.
You never know what will come up, or what you may feel like doing on day. One day I just up and decided I was tired of contacts and glasses and I went and scheduled Lasik Eye surgery the next day. I was able to completely pay for it with the money I had in the bank.

Another thing to think of is the future. After school, once you get a job, you will eventually want a house, which will require a pretty hefty down payment.

Just things to think about. To me there's more important things to do then spend my money on the bike. I love being on 2 wheels, and the stock ninja does that perfectly.

travis5018 · January 14th, 2009, 10:29 PM

Thanks for the concern ScraitT, and yea like you Im getting paid cash money to go to school, no loans and nothing to pay back. I think Imma invest the extra cash in a CD account so I can't touch it for awhile, and see how I feel about it then.

But thank-you everyone for your .2, and if you have any more advice to give, post it or shoot me a pm.

headshrink · January 14th, 2009, 10:34 PM

Put the bike back in the box, put a bow on it and open it again at graduation.

Kurosaki · January 15th, 2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

use the money for school.

isn't it what it was meant for?

s t o p

u s i n g

l o g i c ! ! !

Nemy · January 15th, 2009, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travis5018

Im stuck at a crossroads and need the opinion of the elders of the forum "hehe", anyways,

I just got my financial aid from school so im ballin now, so do I either
a) Mod the 250 with some aftermarket parts and make her my own, or
b) Don't touch the bike (other then the slip-on I have already) and eventually sell the bike to buy a bigger bike (most likely a ZX6-R)

I dont know what I should do..... suggestions?

I was gonna say:
if you're planning on keeping the ninja for a coupla seasons, I would say put some money into it if it's gonna make you happy. On the other hand, if you're sure you're gonna sell it - save the money for a rainy day or a bigger bike.

But after Kurosaki posted

put on some spinners and hydraulics!!!

CC Cowboy · January 19th, 2009, 03:14 PM

SCHOOL!!!If you get bored you can always ride the girls there. Besides after you graduate from school you will have a better chance of buying any bike you want.

We are talking racing school aren't we?

Viper-Byte · January 19th, 2009, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

SCHOOL!!!If you get bored you can always ride the girls there. Besides after you graduate from school you will have a better chance of buying any bike you want.

We are talking racing school aren't we?

Ha ha ha, I somehow don't think it is racing school

Sailariel · January 19th, 2009, 07:48 PM

Travis, School definitely gives you a future. I sold a 1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe to pay for my Master`s Degree. No regrets. I have been retired for 16 years and can easily buy any bike I would want. My 08 Ninjette was paid for when I took delivery. A degree really pays off. The late great Sigmund Freud defined Maturity "As the ability to postpone immediate gratification". My personal opinion is that after Freud everything is footnote.

January 14th, 2009, 06:33 PM	#1
travis5018 ninjette.org member Name: Travis Location: Tallahassee Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250r Posts: 43	I am stuck at a crossroads Im stuck at a crossroads and need the opinion of the elders of the forum "hehe", anyways, I just got my financial aid from school so im ballin now, so do I either a) Mod the 250 with some aftermarket parts and make her my own, or b) Don't touch the bike (other then the slip-on I have already) and eventually sell the bike to buy a bigger bike (most likely a ZX6-R) I dont know what I should do..... suggestions? Update: I just got fired from my job (some people can't take jokes, and when your banging the manager, he can't take them either.....) So the money is going to sit securely in my bank account until I find a new job, but thanks for all the advice! Last futzed with by travis5018; January 19th, 2009 at 10:24 PM. Reason: I can't spell

January 14th, 2009, 06:46 PM	#5
zartan ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: zartan Location: spam la Join Date: Oct 2008 Motorcycle(s): 08 250 R Posts: A lot.	school __________________________________________________ "Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision" Colin Powell

January 14th, 2009, 07:22 PM	#8
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	If the money isn't going to be used for school or beer, and you're determined to aim in the motorcycle direction: - Do you have a loan on the bike? Any motorcycle $ other than tires/gas should go to paying down the loan. - No loan? You've put on < 10K miles on the ninjette? Use the $ for tires/gas. And then beer. - No loan? > 10K of your miles on the ninjette? You want to do things on a bike that the ninjette isn't suited for? (longer highway treks, 2-up touring, trackdays, depending on the track) Then yup, allocate upgrade $ for the ninjette ---> new bike money when you're able. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

January 14th, 2009, 09:04 PM	#12
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	Sounds like you don't need any advice from old farts, you're doing just fine on your own. Only thing I can add it is that I've never heard someone express afterwards that they wish they sold their 250 earlier. While I hear quite often that people regret selling their ninjette when they did to upgrade to their current bike (or even the bike 2 past that one). __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

January 14th, 2009, 10:18 PM	#13
ScraitT Green! Name: Tyler Location: S. Florida Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): 08 Ninja 250R, 04 Honda CRF230F, 94 Honda XR80R Posts: 505	I wasn't going to post because after seeing the replies, it seemed as if anything I would have said had been covered by someone else, however, after your last post i DO have a bit of advice. First and foremost, what KIND of financial aide are we talking about? Is it grants and/or scholarships? Or is it loans that will eventually have to be paid back? You said you ahev no debt, so I am assuming it's not loans, but better to ask. Some info back me... I am 22 and just graduated from college (debating on going back for a 2nd degree or masters), and I didn't pay a penny to go to school. In fact I was PAID to go to school. I had enough scholarships that they surpassed my tuition and the leftovers were automatically deposited into my bank. Point being, it sounds like you have a very similar situation to me...so I figured I might offer some advice. My advice. SAVE the money. You never know what will come up, or what you may feel like doing on day. One day I just up and decided I was tired of contacts and glasses and I went and scheduled Lasik Eye surgery the next day. I was able to completely pay for it with the money I had in the bank. Another thing to think of is the future. After school, once you get a job, you will eventually want a house, which will require a pretty hefty down payment. Just things to think about. To me there's more important things to do then spend my money on the bike. I love being on 2 wheels, and the stock ninja does that perfectly. __________________________________________________ 2008 Green 250R

January 14th, 2009, 06:36 PM	#2
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	use the money for school. Isn't it what it was meant for?

January 14th, 2009, 06:39 PM	#3
TnNinjaGirl Ms. Personality Name: CB Location: Murvill, TN Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): Depends on the week you ask Posts: A lot.	Buy beer....? Oh wait, hehe, I can't say that.

January 14th, 2009, 06:46 PM	#4
Sailariel ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Alex Location: Belfast, ME Join Date: Jul 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Honda NT-700-V, formerly, Green 2008 Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	Travis, Concentrate on school. After you get your degree you might be in a position to get a Ducati Desmo. I sold a 63 Split Window Corvette to get through Grad School and have no regrets. The Ninjette will get you through school in style. You wanted advice from us older folks--I`m 67.

January 14th, 2009, 06:50 PM	#6
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	... and I'm 56, so together we are one hundred and uh, uh, uh... see?? If I didn't spend my financial aid money on motorcycles when I was in college or I would be able to tell you exactly how much it is. (takes off shoes to count fingers and toes)

January 14th, 2009, 06:55 PM	#7
TnNinjaGirl Ms. Personality Name: CB Location: Murvill, TN Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): Depends on the week you ask Posts: A lot.	Having money in the bank helps out a whole lot in case of unexpected things, or even if you just want to go out and get dinner for a change. Making bad habits with your money now won't make it easier in the future. That exhaust you buy may cost $500 but you'll never be able to get that back out of it. A dollar is always worth a dollar, and the more of them, often times the better. You are in a good place. Enjoy having it, but don't spend it all in one place. Enjoy!!

January 14th, 2009, 08:20 PM	#9
noche_caliente ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Kim Location: mundo de ensueño Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 250 Posts: A lot.	i really think that if you don't need the money you should pay it back.... I thought it was great to take the money and pay off my first car loan - and yeah, I went from 6% to 2.something.... but I'm going to be paying on this for the next 9 years now that i've finished with my second graduate degree.... Looking at 9 years of $450+/mo payments compared to another couple of years at $226/mo for my first car..... I think the car payments would have been a better choice, and would have made the payments now considerably smaller.... so yeah - with all that rambling - my advice is to pay the money back if you don't need it so that you're not wishing you had that money for the 1- years after you graduate and would really like to be able to do what you want with your hard-earned money rather than giving it to Uncle Sam!

January 14th, 2009, 08:47 PM	#10
archetype ninjette.org member Name: Sir Location: witness relocation program Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): A few Posts: 24	Money should not burn a hole in your pocket. Save it, use it on school, pay off debt. If you use it on beer, don't ride.

January 14th, 2009, 08:59 PM	#11
travis5018 ninjette.org member Name: Travis Location: Tallahassee Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250r Posts: 43	Bike was paid in cash, paid for thanks to the first financial aid check and working full-time this summer. Beers not really my thing, and I play lax with a bunch of Bartenders so I rarely drink before I go out, and when I go out I take the bus, its free . Gas really isn't an issue for my 250 anyways, and I serve on weekends to pay for whatever I buy during the week, so this money is literally just sitting there "Burning a hole in my pocket" and my school tuition, housing, meal-plan, and all fees are all paid for already. One day I wake up and want to go order a new windshield, order the flush mounts for the front turn signal, order a seat creations seat, get new break lines for the front (in green), get a new air filter, do the HID upgrade. But the next I think its all pointless because I just wanna sell the bike next year and with my financial aid from next semester buy a bigger bike. I think i might just put the money I have in a CD so I can't touch it for so long, then it will no longer be an issue...... But thank you for all of your advice, and just to let everyone know that I... Have no credit card debt, or no debt whatsoever at this point, everything I own (including the bike and the insurance) is already paid for, everything I am sitting on is extra capital, Im pretty good with my money

January 14th, 2009, 10:29 PM	#14
travis5018 ninjette.org member Name: Travis Location: Tallahassee Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250r Posts: 43	Thanks for the concern ScraitT, and yea like you Im getting paid cash money to go to school, no loans and nothing to pay back. I think Imma invest the extra cash in a CD account so I can't touch it for awhile, and see how I feel about it then. But thank-you everyone for your .2, and if you have any more advice to give, post it or shoot me a pm.

January 14th, 2009, 10:34 PM	#15
headshrink ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Bob Location: CA Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): '08 Ninja 250r, '14 CBR500r Posts: A lot.	Put the bike back in the box, put a bow on it and open it again at graduation.

January 19th, 2009, 03:14 PM	#18
CC Cowboy ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Whodat Location: Ware Is.,MA Join Date: Jan 2009 Motorcycle(s): I pass the wind! Posts: A lot. MOTM - Mar '13, Jun '14	SCHOOL!!!If you get bored you can always ride the girls there. Besides after you graduate from school you will have a better chance of buying any bike you want. We are talking racing school aren't we?

January 19th, 2009, 07:48 PM	#20
Sailariel ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Alex Location: Belfast, ME Join Date: Jul 2008 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Honda NT-700-V, formerly, Green 2008 Ninja 250R Posts: A lot.	Travis, School definitely gives you a future. I sold a 1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe to pay for my Master`s Degree. No regrets. I have been retired for 16 years and can easily buy any bike I would want. My 08 Ninjette was paid for when I took delivery. A degree really pays off. The late great Sigmund Freud defined Maturity "As the ability to postpone immediate gratification". My personal opinion is that after Freud everything is footnote.

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