Ink

ok, im 16 turning 17 in april and have been wanting a bike for a while now. i realize i shouldnt just go out and get a R1 or anything powerful to start/learn. so i was surfin ebay and came accross this...
eBay Motors: NEW 2006 STREET LEGAL SUPER BIKE! NO RESERVE! 0 MILES (item 120094351730 end time Mar-08-07 12:52:16 PST)

for 1,400 dollars i dont see how it would be bad for starting. yeah its a very small bike, but i think it would be good for cruising around PH/dunedin/countryside (not more than 25 miles away). does anyone have advice on if i should look into these bikes or spend a couple thousand more and get a 600 to learn on. thanks

nunyo

I'd say that the displacement is appropriate for a beginning rider. Being a relatively unknown brand may be a concern from a parts availability or reliability standpoint. If you're not abusive to the machine you may be able to get your money's worth out of the bike without trashing it.

For that money, I'd keep this bike in mind but also look for a Honda XR200L dual sport bike. Same displacement but in a street legal dirt bike package that will be more resilient to abuse and have more readily available parts. There are probably other ~200CC dual sports that I'm not aware of that a quick search should reveal.

Good luck with your decision and purchase. I think that you're on the right track by picking a lower displacement machine to learn on. Despite what a lot of people say, a 600cc sportbike is a lot of motorcycle, and I think that if you can take the time to learn on something smaller you'll be a better rider for it. Learning will likely be less intimidating and more fun too.

Slo Poke

Kawasaki Ninja 250 is excellent to learn on...lightweight, the right displacement, and you can find earlier model ones that have low mileage for a good price, mostly under $1200 bucks.....

oh yeah....take all the MSF training you can!!!!! good luck and have fun....

Ink

yeah i plan on taking the courses this month, and get all advice/riding info possible. my sisters bf has a turbocharged busa he let me drive dont my street, but its way to heavy, and if you just blip the throttle it launches like hell. im not gonna be racing it or anything, just for cruises around, maybe to work even.thanks for the input guys, rep given

Adalaxy

with that kind of response be glad you didnt toss it down the road...
and dont count out racing cause everyone would benifit from track time and a track school but thats down the road.. and a lot of big companies make small displacement bikes for GP comptition and now there finding there way on the road fully legal. so you wont have to sacrifice quality to get a good beginner bike

Ink

well i thought that bike would be good for the price, i dont really want to spend over $1,500 if possible on a beginner bike, regardless of displacement. i want it to be a somewhat light bike, and i dont want a dirt bike looking bike. most bikes under 500 CC's that i have seen are like dirt bikes or appear as them to me. thanks for the advice, ill keep searching. and by racing i meant like down 19 or over gulf to bay or somethin.

kairojya

Yea go for a 250, i'm getting one soon and everyone i've talked to said it's a great bike to start on. I've sat on a few of em and it feels really comfy, i think cause it's smaller and light, and especially since i'm only 5'6" and i sat on a Ninja 650r and a ZZR600 and i don't like how i can't reach the ground with both feets ... mostly just cause i'm a noob probably down the road it wouldn't be a problem tho

nunyo

It's a little out of your price range, but looks a lot cooler than the Kawasaki.

Hyosung GT250R

Hyosung is making a big push to get into the US market. They've been in other markets for years, and I've been hearing good things about them. It looks like a fun machine.

UrbanRR

Get a 1000 you wont go wrong. Get a nice pair of shades, you dont need the MSF course or any of that trash.

Silvia-san

id kill myself on a 1000