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So I live in a suburb of Tampa, FL and will only be riding for pleasure as I don't work and already graduated college. Anyways I want to get a crotch rocket I think. Have looked at the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 and older Ninja 250's. My concern is that if I buy this 250cc or 300cc bike that I will get very bored with it quick since not a lot of power. I'm not gonna go to the track and race and will probably avoid the interstates so mainly driving around the city and maybe going on back roads for a little ride. Should I even bother getting a bike that I will only want for less than a year max or just get a 500cc or 600cc bike and just not rev it up very much when I first start to learn how to ride.
Also what riding gear do I need to buy for FL riding, since it gets so hot here fast? I see a lot of people riding in shorts, t shirt and flip flops and no helmet so is the full gear setup really necessary? Today it's like 85 and its winter lol.
I guess I'd ask you first of all, how long have you been riding motorcycles? AS far as riding clothes go, one adage goes like this "dress for the crash not for the ride" and "there are two type of bike riders, those that have crashed and those that will".
When dressing for the ride it's all about how much skin can you afford to lose.
250cc to 300cc is a decent amount of power for all riding aside from highway and interstate.
I have a Suzuki GZ 250, I am under 200lbs, and I do just fine. I also baby it, and I know it has plenty of go for another 100 pounds if I were to not change gears so early. When you need to speed up after slowing down significantly, you just drop a gear and you should be fine. For casual riding, you don't need all those cc's unless you are all show. Humble thyself! Those who ride in flip flops and shorts likely have not had a crash, or a severe one to say the least. I personally have not yet either, and hope I never will. But I do wear shoes and a form of jeans most of the time. You can get ventilated armored jackets or vests. Riding in the blazing sun is fine, it's stopping that gets you uncomfortable.
Yep, 300cc is plenty and the new Ninja looks really nice -- no one (except other riders) will ever know you're on such a "small" bike. Since you won't be on the freeway, you won't need the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds... 6 seconds will be plenty.
But if you ever decide you want to ride the Tail of the Dragon (WHICH YOU SHOULD) or cross-country, you might eventually want a larger bike -- though people can and do take long rides on small bikes too.
Gear-wise, look into mesh. There's plenty of armored mesh clothing available, and it can actually keep you cooler than riding without it. There are also bandana-type thingies you can soak in cold water, and Camelbaks to keep you hydrated.
I used to live (and ride) in Hawaii, and I always wore at least a denim jacket, jeans, boots, and a helmet, unless I was just riding to the corner store or something.
No offense, but literally every stereotypical "I'm looking at a motorcycle" thing in one well-rounded post!
I'll break this up, and try to answer each of your points:
Quote:
Originally Posted by luckydawg003
... I want to get a crotch rocket I think. Have looked at the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 and older Ninja 250's. My concern is that if I buy this 250cc or 300cc bike that I will get very bored with it quick since not a lot of power.
Just about everyone new to motorcycles thinks they'll get "bored" of a small displacement bike. If I had a quarter for every "should I just go straight to a 500/600cc" comment I've read, I'd be rich. The truth is, there are plenty of people who start on larger displacement bikes, and aren't terrible. However, you will be a much better rider learning on a 250 or 300cc. Look at it this way: a baby Ninja will still outrun 90-95% of cars you see on the road. However, they're forgiving. They don't reach their power until higher in the powerband. This means that a novice rider won't accidentally pull a wheelie, or cause an accident, just by grabbing too much throttle. As a novice rider on a 250-300cc bike, you'll be able to better practice your skills, and learn how to handle a bike.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luckydawg003
I'm not gonna go to the track and race and will probably avoid the interstates so mainly driving around the city and maybe going on back roads for a little ride.
If you plan on mostly city and back road driving, why wouldn't you get a smaller displacement bike? Unless you're on a track, you have no need to go 0-60 in under 4 seconds. A newer Ninja 250 will still top out at just over 100 mph. The new Ninja 300 performs even better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luckydawg003
Should I even bother getting a bike that I will only want for less than a year max or just get a 500cc or 600cc bike and just not rev it up very much when I first start to learn how to ride.
After a year or two, yes -- you might want to trade up to a bigger bike. Want to know the best thing about small displacement motorcycles? They hold their value. Especially on the used market. There's always people wanting to get into motorcycling (for sport, hobby, or cheaper commuting), and a lot of them want small displacement bikes. You can go out and buy one of the older bodied Ninja 250's, run it for a year, and sell it for what you bought it for. Or, you could buy a brand new Ninja 300, and sell it for a couple hundred less.
As well, as I said earlier, smaller bikes are more forgiving. If you're new to motorcycles, you've most likely never operated a sensitive hand-controlled throttle. On a larger sport bike, twisting it a little too hard is the difference between pulling away from a light, and doing a wheelie through an intersection, or crashing into a car. While several people get away with learning on 500/600cc bikes, you'll learn better throttle control on a smaller bike.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luckydawg003
Also what riding gear do I need to buy for FL riding, since it gets so hot here fast? I see a lot of people riding in shorts, t shirt and flip flops and no helmet so is the full gear setup really necessary?
As others have said, dress for the crash, not the ride. The less gear you wear, the more skin you're risking (literally). Go look up some motorcycle road rash pictures. It's gruesome, but it'll make you think more about putting on your gear. Yes, it will get hot in full gear in Florida. However, modern textile gear is better at venting air than traditional leather jackets. That and a good helmet (with ample vents) should keep you at a decent temperature when moving. Stopped is a different story. While black is by far the most common gear color, it also absorbs heat. If you can find white / light colored gear, go for it -- it'll keep you cooler. Lastly, hydrate! Carry a Camelbak, and drink plain water. It'll keep your internal temps cooler.
One last thing to note is your body size / weight. I'm 5'9", about 150 lbs, and a small displacement bike fits me absolutely perfectly. Personally, I wouldn't get on a sport bike larger than 650/700cc. Past that is just plain ridiculous. While I've ridden the Ninja 650r and a CBR600RR, I still prefer the smaller, more predictable / manageable bikes. In fact, I'm planning on buying the Ninja 300 later this spring... That said, much larger / heavier people find an older Ninja 250 struggling to lug them up a hill. If that's the case, there's a small handful of larger displacement bikes on the used market, that won't actively try to kill you. Check out the Suzuki SV650, or the Buell Blast. Both are larger displacement (>600cc), however work well for novice riders. Unfortunately Harley axed the Buell brand, so you can't buy one new, but they run fairly cheap on the used market. Likewise, Suzuki no longer sells the SV650 (though they now offer the SFV650, which is very similar), however they can be found used for cheap.
^^^ excellent post. I'd key in on the last paragraph especially. The bike needs to fit you. And I'm not talking about fitting your style or your image. No, literally you have to fit comfortably on the bike. If you're too big to comfortably fit on the baby Ninja, then skip it. Otherwise the baby Ninja is a great starter bike and has served many well in that purpose. Don't think it can't go to the track, either. I do lots of trackdays and the baby Ninjas have a huge following with lots of aftermarket support. If you're on the track, the fun comes from the cornering, and nothing is going to be more toss able than one of those tiny guys.
In recent years, the manufacturers have come out with LOTS of excellent bikes tailored to beginner riders. They're small CC, tuned more for midrange than upper end grunt, and are cheap. The SV is a good example. Some others:
Kawasaki Ninja 650
Kawasaki Ninja 500 (now discontinued)
Yamaha FZ6R
Suzuki GS500 (now discontinued, I think)
Honda's new 500cc lineup. 3 models to choose from
Normally I'd recommend buying used since it's cheaper and there's always the good likelihood you'll wreck it or you may decide motorcycling isn't for you, but given the minimal cost difference between new and used in the bike world these days, new may not be a bad choice.
Another note: You will lay your first bike down. It's inevitable. Even riding safely, you'll one day grab too much brake and low/high side, or put the kickstand down on something soft, and have the bike fall over. That said, one perk of buying used is that (with common "beginner" bikes) it's already been dropped. You no longer have to worry about accidentally dropping it and scratching the tank / fairings. Buying new, there's more to worry about. Practice your skills, and learn how to ride on a bike that's got a few scratches already, then move up to a nice, new bike later. They do make crash bars and pegs to lessen the damage caused by falling, though.
So I live in a suburb of Tampa, FL and will only be riding for pleasure as I don't work and already graduated college. Anyways I want to get a crotch rocket I think. Have looked at the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 and older Ninja 250's. My concern is that if I buy this 250cc or 300cc bike that I will get very bored with it quick since not a lot of power. I'm not gonna go to the track and race and will probably avoid the interstates so mainly driving around the city and maybe going on back roads for a little ride. Should I even bother getting a bike that I will only want for less than a year max or just get a 500cc or 600cc bike and just not rev it up very much when I first start to learn how to ride.
Also what riding gear do I need to buy for FL riding, since it gets so hot here fast? I see a lot of people riding in shorts, t shirt and flip flops and no helmet so is the full gear setup really necessary? Today it's like 85 and its winter lol.
If you've never ever riden before, I would greatly suggest taking a motorcycle safety foundation weekend course. They offer them all over the country and are only like 25 dollars. It gets you your endorsement for the state, and also cheaper insurance.
For the beginner class they provide the bikes which are usually nighthawk 125 and 250's which are some really simple, and extremely manageable bikes. You can toss those bad boys around like no other. Part of the course has you do counterleaning and learning on one of those bikes is so much easier. Going this route, you'll have experience riding a smaller bike and if you do choose to get a larger bike you'll have some throttle/brake/clutch control (because they teach all of that) so that a crash is likely due to one of those.
I'm 6'0 135lbs, and I kind of wish I started off riding a 250ish cc bike, instead of the 05 CBR 600RR that I started off with, but I also felt that starting off with an almost new bike made me appreciate it a lot more. I never took a second riding that bike for granted.
and also like other posters mentioned, you will crash. You will most likely crash your first year if you ride often. In that safety course they also remind of you of that.
Also, as far as gear goes, I would stay away from black. Mesh/kevlar is your friend. Leather is your enemy. You could even just get one of the chest and back shield things (don't know what they're called) and that will greatly improve your safety without making you too much hotter. I had a friend that used to ride in the summer with no shirt on, but alllwaayyyyss wore the chest shield. One day he got hit while stopped at a red light and without that on he wouldn't have any skin on his back.
If you've never ever riden before, I would greatly suggest taking a motorcycle safety foundation weekend course. They offer them all over the country and are only like 25 dollars. It gets you your endorsement for the state, and also cheaper insurance.
I've never seen one THAT cheap, but I wholeheartedly agree that taking the class is the right thing to do. Most I've seen cost $150-$200, which is still reasonable considering that gets you the classroom sessions, the 'on-bike' sessions, the bike itself, and sometimes even the gear.
Quote:
Originally Posted by skinnayyy
and also like other posters mentioned, you will crash. You will most likely crash your first year if you ride often. In that safety course they also remind of you of that.
We should probably clarify that the idea is to assume you will crash, not that it's inevitable. Knock on wood, I've yet to put a bike down. The idea behind saying 'you will crash' is to encourage smart choices regarding the bike and the gear as well as to instill a little fear/respect of the bike into newer riders.
Quote:
Originally Posted by skinnayyy
Also, as far as gear goes, I would stay away from black. Mesh/kevlar is your friend. Leather is your enemy.
In terms of heat, yes, but a good philosophy to have is 'if it's too hot for the gear, it's too hot to ride'. Mesh doesn't stand a chance of holding up in a wreck like good leather does. That's why you don't see guys at the track wearing mesh gear (and because the group putting it in generally won't allow it because they know it won't hold up as well). They DO make perforated leather gear. Yes it doesn't breathe as well, I'd rather sweat it out and keep my skin on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by skinnayyy
You could even just get one of the chest and back shield things (don't know what they're called) and that will greatly improve your safety without making you too much hotter
Good advice, but I'd go one step further than just the body armor. I'm guessing you're talking something like this: ICON Street Gear - Stryker Motorcycle Vest - Cycle Gear . These are a GREAT idea (I wear one under my leathers at the track), but obviously leave arms and other body parts a bit exposed if it's your only gear. Perhaps one of the best ideas I've seen for good 'hot weather' street gear is this guy from Alpinestars:
Gives you protection all over (hard pads, no less) but still breaths like crazy. Throw that on with whatever shirt you want over it, and I'd say you have the best of both worlds for street riding. Still wouldn't fly on the track, though, at least not by itself.
Let me ponder this a second....You have never ridden before? and you want a "crotch rocket" Friend you need to price life AND MEDICAL INSURANCE before you even start to look at bikes....just as the man said 2 kinds of riders.."those who have fallen and busted their ass and those who haven't fallen YET and busted their ass"
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