Motorcycle Course Nyc
I haven’t driven a motorcycle. My ht is 5′7″ and my wt is 160. What would be a good first sport bike for me?
I am looking to buy my very first motorcycle in Feb/Mar. I have never driven a motorcyle. I am going to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course and a defensive driving course. I want a sport bike and would like to know how many cc’s i should start off with. Suggestions, advice, pointers, tips, where to buy (I live in NYC), or anything else you think would be helpful is appreciated. Thanks!!
Hi I was in the same spot you were in a while back. I looked at all the bikes and then came about a web site (First site below) and I read the user review of the Ninja 250 and it got my heart racing.
This is the bike I wanted.
But if you take heed to this next paragraph of advice you will make the right decision.
Ok here goes…
The rule about bikes and new riders is this:
A. If you are going to mostly be riding straight highways then get a 600 cc
B. If you are going to mostly be riding streets then get a 250 cc Like the Ninja 250
Here is why I say this. Even a new rider can sit on the bike and go straight for long distances, there really isn’t any skill needed for that as you are not twisting and turning a lot. But on a 250 the power is there but there is more power on a 600 cc bike.
The higher the cc’s the faster the bike is. They have 150 cc 250cc, 500 cc, 600cc, 1000cc and it can go higher also.
One of the awesome things about the Ninja 250 is gas mileage. I mean, I was running a bit low yesterday and I topped it back up again for just $4 dollars, I kid you not.
Insurance is cheap, I paid $70 for a full year and I just paid the whole year off in advance although I am sure you can get monthly payments too.
So my answer is “What will you use the bike for?”
If its going to be used on the freeway under no circumstances should you get the ninja 250 unless you are only going about 1 mile on the freeway.
Instead get a 600 cc. If money is an issue you can find used Suzuki Katanas all day long at very low prices.
Another issue on bikes is weight. Most bikes are about 300 lbs and that is very very light on the freeway so you get blown around a bit going by big trucks or in windy conditions. The Katana on the other hand is approx. 500 lbs so its a bit more stable in the winds.
For me if I was getting my first bike and money was on issue I would get the Ninja 250 if I was going on streets only, and with the good gas mileage the Ninja gives “Who needs the freeways anways lol”, seriously.
If however I was going to go freeways then get a 600cc bike at least and be very careful especially the first 2 months.
Always park the bike in first gear and then rock it back and forth a bit to make sure its not going anywhere. A lot of bikes fall as the person stops and puts the kickstand down but not down all the way so the bike rolls a bit (Because its not in first gear) and the bike falls over.
Daniel Johnston NYC Speeding Motorcycle