My wife will read this, respond accordingly please!

Good stuff. The guy said out front he didn't want to spend a bundle on a bike and all of a sudden he gets all this big iron, big bucks you gotta have shit. If his wife outgrows the 250 in a year or so, it's not going to depreciate that much and might be a good bike for somebody else that isn't 6' 4" and 220lbs.

Anybody here have a wife that big? I'd be very careful about what I said to a chica that size.

 

You have to wonder how these chicas get so big. I think I figured it out...LOL!!

Anyway I say get the ninja. You can sell it for the same price if not more when you get tired of it.

 

LOL! Down your way, it's probably grits..

Girls who take thier solo riding seriously do "girly" things to thier bikes. ie paint jobs in girly colors, little floral licks and sometimes even names. They also usually keep thier bikes clean for the most part. We should, in honor of the PC Gods, refer to them as women but if we did that the girly-men would feel slighted.

 

Tiff: I would say to buy a bike that you're comfortable on. If you are partial to sportbikes than get something you can grow into without loosing the back end on a throttle mistake while cornering. If you have some decent arm and leg strength, then after some acclimating, a 600 or even a VFR shouldn't be a problem. A 250 can get very boring very quickly. If you could get your guy to buy you an Augusta MV and get it back to Denver safely, I would then trade bikes with you. If you can do those things without your Husbands knowlege, then I would also be very happy to show you some of the best "riding" that CO. has to offer. No pun intended. Seriously, I do like a the ladies that like the motorcycles; it's kinda sexy. I'll be eagerly awaiting our next whisper of conversation. Perhaps, when at last we meet, it will be on a mountains' summit, with wine, cheese, endless views, and motorcycles. I have sent along this photo of myself, should you be interested.



Sorry PRKULTR, the heart wants what it wants!

 

Yeah, what he said....... I can't wait to meet you too

 

Love those subtle ads for sweatsox>

 

How about Hypermortar

 

yea the ninja wil get lame fast since she already knows how to ride.

1st gen SV650, 4th gen VFR , also how about a F2 or F3 CBR 600

check around on craigslist


there's aso the Katana


If the biggest issue on the second bike is $$ buy the 250 let her ride it a year. then sell it when she cant stand it & buy something she wants

 

ALSO....consider a '88-'90 NT 650 Honda Hawk, extremely EASY to ride, lowish seat, light weight, great handling, reliable, economical and has the cool swingarm.

I think a VFR may be too heavy and bulky for anyone who has less than 3-4 years riding experience.

 

ok tiff, look at it this way, you took the riders course, they made you do tight circles on a 250/450 for hours and its tough. I started on dirtbikes on trails and then (finaly got off my ass) and whent to a road bike. I tried several bikes untill i settled on a small, cheap, cm200t (dont laugh its one of the best learning bikes and road is very different than trail) I road it for our riding season(5 months up here) then started looking for something more my size. At 6Ft and couple I dont "fit" the smaller bikes as well as expected either, I found several cheap sub 1500$cnd cbr500's and similar but i didnt like the feel, I chose a 6th gen vfr (kinda love at first sight) and found it different enough in handleing that i still have chicken-strips on my tires. after a season of riding day in and out, Im comfident in my bike and skills, but Id never put a green rider (less than 5000miles on the seat) on anything more than a 600cc, they have the best of both worlds, thier fast, light, easy to control at low speeds and dime a dozen so parts if ( and hoping you dont) you dump it, there is an economical way to fix it.

in short, ride a bike that you feel comfortable handleing, doesnt make you work to control it, and if its not a honda or a sport bike then the guys here will just have to get use to your harley. Get the bike you are happy with, but in your skill zone. and look at the bike as an investment, the skill you will gain on a smaller bike will pay for the loss of miles and tires. besides, there is always some 16yo that will take your 600(or smaller) happily even with 30k miles more on it

 

Tiff,

Sport bikes tend to be rather uncomfortable in many respects, and it would really suck to find yourself in pain and wishing you could get off of the bike after riding for only an hour or so because your hands, your arms, your knees, your neck, and your back are feeling cramped and sore.

Try this-- go to a local bike shop, find a small sport bike, put on your helmet and full riding gear including gloves... and for the next 30 minutes just sit there, hunched forward, with both hands on the handlebars, your feet on the pegs, and your neck continually extended enough to keep your head up, and then stay in that position. Don't cheat! Now then, how long does it take before you've had quite enough?

Out on the road, it's quite common to see many sport bike riders taking most every opportunity to let go of the handlebars, sit upright, and attempt to shake-off and momentarily lessen the pain in their hands, wrists, knees, spine, etc. Sounds like fun, eh? Now imagine being on a daylong ride while being this uncomfortable on a cramped sport bike, and you may soon find your concentration waning because you're so uncomfortable. Moreover, the next day you may feel so sore in many areas of your body that you may dread the thought of riding again so soon, and those aches and pains may stay with you for days even if you give your body a break for a few days or a week.

Therefore, I would suggest that you look at what may be the absolute best "starter bike", that being a Honda CB 750 Nighthawk, which is a 4-cylinder cruiser. 2002 Honda CB 750 Nighthawk specifications and pictures . Put an aftermarket windscreen on it, maybe an aftermarket seat, and if necessary, lower the rear shocks, and you'll have a blast while riding in comfort. (My 2nd choice for an excellent learner bike would be a used Yamaha FZ6R which has a buttery smooth 600cc, 4 cylinder engine.)

Speaking of engines, I personally don't like 2-cylinder engines because they often tend to be very 'buzzy', and this constant, coarse vibration may quickly become fatiguing and greatly contribute to sore butt, arms, etc. On the other hand, most small-discplacement Japanese 4-cylinder engines are, as mentioned, buttery smooth (and powerful), with much less buzz.

Best regards,

Red

 

No insult , but the weight of a bike at low speed or at a near stop can be tricky.....I think we all know that.....and it is best to puchase a bike that lends well to being dropped until comfortable. The ninja 250 has a bit of platic to it and even a plop off the side stand wil get pricey fast. Cundalini bought a GS500e for Mudguts as it does lend well to falling over and not breaking the bank. Squirrels choice is a good one to.For a new rider the max repairs for a simple fall over should be no more than a brake or clutch lever that a spare can be kept in the tank bag for.Just me.Good luck.....Please take the Toe Cutter voodo doll away from Tiff please.

 

Silly BadBilly, my motorcycle is a 2007 VFR 800A.

 

I skimmed through the posts but didnt see the ninja 500 or the EX500 (older version) show up. The 500 is a parallel twin that hasn't changed the motor in quite some time. Its got much more pickup than the 250, has a reasonable weight, is easy to control, and has a relaxed riding position. There is a whole forum just for the bike and there are even people who race them. they are simple to repair and have tons of replacement parts available since only a few parts changed. It is a great beginner-transition bike that should keep you happy for some time. keep an eye out and you can pick one up cheap!

The best part about it (and the ninja 250) is that since it can be used as an entry level bike you can resell the sucker for whatever you paid for it. Heck i turned a profit after i fixed mine. Sold it in about 2 hrs.

 

I think that it's about time we heard from the girl herself.

TIFF! TIFF! Come Out! Come Out! Wherever you are.

 

My bad! Does your VFR vibrate like those twins and singles that aren't parallel twins and weren't counterbalanced?


As much as we all love revisionist history, it's really better suited to the movies or the TeeVee . Looks like all the issues and years of the 250 Ninjas are parallel twins.

Some real poop on the 250's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_Ninja_250R

 

Just get the Ninja 250! Most who are posting suggestions here are ignoring the fact that the Ninja in question here is being sold very cheap! Sure she can get an SV or bigger displacement bike but we are realistically talking about $1500 to $2000 more! If the Ninja turns out to be a quick fix like a simple carb clean it can be fixed and ridden for a while and then when she is sick of the bike it can be easily be re-sold for at least $500 to $1000 profit! Any money that you make off the Ninja can then go toward whatever 2nd bike you choose. It's a no brainer....You get a mild mannered beginner bike that is great to learn on that can be sold for a profit when you are done with it in 6 months to a year. What better situation could you ask for than that?

Rollin

 

The problem with your solution is that it will piss people off because it makes sense, gets the job done, saves the nice folks some bucks and upsets those with delusions of grandeur about which bike is best for somebody they don't know.

Then again, what I think this chica should have is the new VFR1200..

 

Just to set the record straight, I said all those things in post #3. Nobody pays any attention to me out:

I'm taking my ball and going home you guys are mean.....