[65359]

Im a new rider 125lbs 5'5" looking for a sport bike that will not be to tall for me. It will be my first bike so im thinking a 600. I took a look at the Ninja 500 and felt it was a bit to plain. Anyone with other suggestions for me?

Thanks

 

[sachiwilson]

A 600 cc sportbike is NOT for a new rider. Period. Don't be fooled by the engine size; those bikes are hugely powerful, with quick and sometimes abrupt reactions to your inputs.

We always recommend that a new rider start out on a smaller used bike, so that you can learn with less potential of killing yourself. You can always move on to a new bike after you have some miles under your belt. The EX 500 is a good starter bike; so is the Suzuki GS 500. The 250 cc Ninjette is also a very capable little bike - if you want style, you could look at the new ones. (I know several women and some men, all very experienced, who have Ninjettes. People do Iron Butt rides on these bikes - they are, as I said, very capable.)

FWIW, I ride a 600 cc standard bike (the Honda 599), and my second bike is a 400 cc Honda CB-1. I have 22 years of experience, and I've concluded that small and light is a heck of a lot nicer than heavy or overpowered.

 

[longride]

" Anyone with other suggestions for me?"

How about taking up golf?

 

[Kenneth_Moore]

Soupgirl, the entire motorcycling world is raving about the New, Improved, Restyled for '08:

Kawasaki 250 Ninja Sportbike.

Kawasaki has spent the last decade refining this bike just for YOU, the young, female, entry-level rider who wants a sportbike and not a cruiser or standard. All the major magazines and websites have had reviews on the bike, including one done a few weeks ago right here at Motorcycle.com. And you don't even have to buy a copy...

Interestingly, every single one of the reviews I've read has been done by one of the various motorcycle publications' female writers. And, again, including the one done here at Motorcycle.com. I suspect there was a recent hiring blitz by the bike mags just so they could have a woman write about this bike... (No offense Alice, now I'll have to go see what else you've written about) that has to be a major clue.

You can read all about the excellent performance, looks, quality, etc. in these reviews, but honestly, what more do you need to know than what you've just read here?

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/kawasaki/review-2008-kawasaki-ninja-250r-75782.html

 

[sachiwilson]

*sigh*

Sorry, Soupgirl - see what I have to put up with? But yes, that new Ninja is a hell of a bike, and not just for women. Give it a look.

 

[acecycleins]

Im a new rider 125lbs 5'5" looking for a sport bike that will not be to tall for me. It will be my first bike so im thinking a 600. I took a look at the Ninja 500 and felt it was a bit to plain. Anyone with other suggestions for me?

Thanks

DO NOT LET FRIENDS INFLUENCE YOU! You are making a BIG mistake thinking you're ready to dive into Sportibke 101. You need prefessional instruction and a three year learning curve to step into today's sportbike scene. Go find yourself a Ninja 250 (used for about $1500) and drop it a few times while learning. You'll feel a lot less sick dropping a $1500 bike vs a $9000 bike.