[nota2k12er]

Not sure if this is the right forum but I'm a beginning biker looking for a great sportsbike, think you can help?

Things I'm looking for in this bike:

Fairly cheap, around $5k or lower

Something with power that I won't grow out of quickly

Newer models, nothing older than 2K10

Electronic, digital HUD

Friendly shifter and clutch

Brand new, but willing to settle with used to save some $$$

Gas efficient maybe?

To sum it up, I usually commute anywhere from 14-30 miles on average
Any help would be awesome! Thanks

[mossdabomb]

250ninja

[eforce]

You may want to check out the motorcycle thread.
http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=3917595

$5000 gives you a lot of options. Remember you also need to buy gear (helmet, jacket, etc) and insurance. Many would agree that the smart choice would be for you to buy a used 250 to learn proper technique on, sell it for about what you paid for it (sometimes more), and get a 600 later on. Kawasaki has a great bike for your purposes - the Ninja 250. Any ninja from 08 or newer will fit your needs as a new rider. You can find these with less than 10,000 miles for under $3000 and sell them for what you paid if you don't cause any damage.

If your listed age is accurate, I would steer clear of a more powerful bike until you get some experience under your belt. Aside from the obvious jump in insurance rates - quite substantial for a teenager - the added power and braking abilities can get you in trouble in a hurry. Sure, you may be able to get away with babying a powerful bike your rookie year. Many people do. The ones you don't hear from are the people that thought they were the exception and learned the hard way that it was pride talking, not reality.

In the mean time, I would highly recommend taking the MSF course. It's free for Illinois residents in many areas, teaches you basic riding skills, and may get you a break on insurance.

http://online2.msf-usa.org/msf/Default.aspx

[nota2k12er]

Thanks guys!
One of my other main concerns was the HUD system. I have an interest in the ninjas but I don't see any that have the digital HUD, just basic plain ordinary ones

[eforce]

You won't spend much time looking at it. Your eyes need to be on the road and, at least in my experience, police tend to leave riders alone if they aren't reckless or uninsured. Just match the speed of those around you and listen to the bike to know when to shift. As you get more comfortable with your bike you will learn what your speed is based on what gear you're in and what your RPM's are at. For example, I know that in fifth gear at 3000rpm (healthy cruising rpm) I'm going about 45mph. I learned on a traditional gauge cluster and my current bike has a digital speedo. Honestly sometimes I prefer the cluster.

[nota2k12er]

Sweet, any place locally around us that's selling these bikes for cheap?
I think I've narrowed it down to the ninja 250 or the 300.

[B-RADD]

Craigslist. Just get a used pre-gen ninja, I picked mine up for $1300, never been dropped and only 7800 miles. Why get something pretty and new? Friend of mine bought a YZF600R a year or two ago and it hurts to look at it due to the amount of times he's dropped it.

[eforce]

Originally Posted by nota2k12er

Sweet, any place locally around us that's selling these bikes for cheap?
I think I've narrowed it down to the ninja 250 or the 300.

Craigslist is the cheapest place to buy. The 300 has fuel injection and the 250 does not. Honestly the carbs aren't a big deal and there's a good chance you'll only need to do basic stuff like oil/filters/tires in your term of ownership. The 250 will be your cheapest. Find out which of your friends has experience with bikes and ask them to come with you when you go to buy it.

Originally Posted by B-RADD

Craigslist. Just get a used pre-gen ninja, I picked mine up for $1300, never been dropped and only 7800 miles. Why get something pretty and new? Friend of mine bought a YZF600R a year or two ago and it hurts to look at it due to the amount of times he's dropped it.

The YZF600R was my first bike. It's pretty heavy, I wouldn't really recommend it for beginners.

[NCpaintballer]

Back when I was looking around for a starter bike I noticed that resale of the Ninja 250's was pretty crazy. Most people wanted nearly what they paid new on them. Ended up with a Ninja 500 local on CL for $1300. Owned it for a year and turned it around close to 2 grand. Still small
and light with not too much power to get you in trouble with.

Granted this was 5-6 years ago but I looked around for almost 6 months before finally buying a bike.