New to the Forum, Need some advise on buying my 1st bike(Again, i know :)

[Freak]

Hope everyone in the forum is doing well. I getting my M1 this week, looking to buy a Kawasaki 250 Ninja as my 1st ride. I got a quote for 600$/year from SF because of having my license(g class) for 5 years( i came to Canada 5 years back). I have driven back home(Pakistani, Karachi a city of 18 million people) on a Honda 70cc(70km/liter) and Honda/Kawasaki 125(50-45 Km/liter) which are regularly used for commuting. Driving there is like driving through a mine field with open manholes(not cordoned off) on the road, big speed breakers with no signs and track lines which no one follows. Also i never had a license there, no helmet, never carried an ownership( you can pay the cops 40rs to get them off your back which is essentially 45cents here), no protective gear. no limit on timings, no limit on the number of people i could carry on the bike( i did 4 at most :P), and no speed limit. Also driven in areas where there are no roads, so its literally sand, rocks and water streams. Its just to give you guys an idea of what i have been through, I thought this would serve as a good introduction.

Here are a few pictures to get an idea of what its like

http://www.flickr.com/photos/reggcohn/4988646404/

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_6GQRBJwJ37M/Sa...79image004.jpg

This is how crazy it can get

http://pakistan.onepakistan.com/phot...stan/111223-45

sorry not trying to get you guys bored. I know its totally different down here. Which is why i needed some advise.

1. Wanting to buy a Kawasaki 250 ninja for commuting to work and enjoy the summer. I have a budget of 3300$ for the bike. Is there anything better than a Kawasaki Ninja 250 for beginners who want to keep it cheap. I also looked at Honda 125 CBR but i dont think that is something i would like to ride on the highway.

2. Should i take a course with the college for my M1 exit test?(SF doesn't care if i have one, the insurance remains the same)

I would appreciate all the advise i can get. Have fun Ladies and Gentlemen, the season is just around the corner.

[Freak]

Sorry it should have been in the "introduce yourself". I tried to delete it but am unable to

[bikermahn]

Are you over 25? If so you may want to checkout ridersplus, for me I got insurance low enough to justify the course being almost "free" compared to my SF/TDMM quotes.

Ninja 250 should do fine on the highway, as long as you don't have passengers

[whetaus-tr]

Ninja 250r will do fine, regardless of passenger =) No worries on that.

If I was starting this thing all over again, I would still do the Moto Safety Course everytime without a doubt. Yes, insurance doesn't give a ****, but you are given so much useful info that any and every one of them will be useful during your street riding.

I had in my class, a guy who came to the class on his brand new ZX-6R, and another cruiser guy from US in need of a transfer to Ontario license. So, even people, who know what they are doing take those courses, and they admit that they learn a lot of stuff.

[dontgiveajack]

I agree that the Safety Course should be done. Partly bc I did driver's ed in high school, and to this day, still drive the way I was taught.

However, would you recommend the M2 Exit as well on top of the M1 Exit?

[Freak]

Thanks for the Help. What should be a reasonable price for a 250 Ninja. I have been offering 3300$, but no one seems interested

[whetaus-tr]

I agree that the Safety Course should be done. Partly bc I did driver's ed in high school, and to this day, still drive the way I was taught.

However, would you recommend the M2 Exit as well on top of the M1 Exit?

Considering the fact that even the professional racers take classes from time to time, there is always something to learn, whatever your level is.

When the M2 exit time comes, even if I thought I would pass the road test (I already think I can lol), I will still take some sort of a lesson.

Otherwise, passing the road-test should be easy. You can even find videos on youtube, where people are performing the test, and not to mention all the info on this forum on routes, tips etc.

[RodneyBR]

My wife has a CBR250R and I ride it from time to time. It's a great starter bike, but most would sell it within a few months. I'd recommend a 400cc+.

I have an 06 650R for $3600 if your interested.

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