Tempting. Two wheel good

"TheD0k_2many toys 2little time" (thed0ck) 08/29/2017 at 18:58 • Filed to: Bike lyfe

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15

This is cheap. I dont care about body damage cause i want a naked street fighter type bike.

Would this be a good beginner bike and keep me interested in it for a bit?

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This one just poped up too. A little older but i like the look

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TheHondaBro > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 08/29/2017 at 19:03

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I prefer two wheel drive.

vdub_nut: scooter snob > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 08/29/2017 at 19:19

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I love that GS500.....

I hoon, therefore I am > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 08/29/2017 at 19:27

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I learned to ride on a GS500F, and I cannot recommend it more as a starter bike. however, that ninja would be a really fun street fighter project

Future next gen S2000 owner > TheHondaBro 08/29/2017 at 19:30

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You are a Ural fan?

TheHondaBro > Future next gen S2000 owner 08/29/2017 at 19:32

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I’m a fan of that doggo.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > vdub_nut: scooter snob 08/29/2017 at 19:34

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Me 2

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > I hoon, therefore I am 08/29/2017 at 19:35

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Yea but the gs500 is pretty clean looking

I hoon, therefore I am > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 08/29/2017 at 19:37

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I mis-typed. I meant to say, “I cannot recommend the GS500 enough .” It’s a phenomenal starter bike.

Censored > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 08/29/2017 at 21:08

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GS500 all the way. They are dead simple and already naked, plus they sound awesome.

Jesse Shaffer > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 08/29/2017 at 23:25

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An EX500 is too heavy to start on. So is a GS500. A CB250 nighthawk is an amazing starter experience. With bikes as heavy as the 500's are - you’re going to learn that weight the hard way. It has nothing to do with the engine performance.

I bought a 1995 Ninja 500 as my starter bike. These Suzuki people are good folk, but one bike isn’t any better than the other. The oddity you’re going to get with the Ninja is that it’s a flat-plane crank. While this is “cool” on the Voodoo in a Mustang, it makes your 500 sport bike sound like a 250cc two-stroke dirt bike.

That being said, I put 15,000 miles on my EX500 that first season. It performed reliably with zero maintenance beyond oil changes. Idling, it does sound odd with a pipe, but so does my current 5th gen VFR800 because it too is flat-plane.

At high RPM - these flat-planes sound like melting heaven. Idling - they’re lumpy. At 250cc per cylinder on the Ninja- lumpy isn’t always good. After 15k personal miles and with 32k on the Ninja’s clock - it needed valve lash adjustment. The clacking was getting very loud. I decided to sell it instead. The VFR has 50k miles on it an this thing performs BETTER than my best friend’s bike (bought after mine) with 16k miles on his ODO. My VFR with 50k pulls on his. He weighs 100lbs more than I do. My bike still beats his when we switch riders.

Can you start on a Ninja 500 - sure. Are you going to learn weight the hard way - likely. They run great naked though. The VFR starts to get too hot at speed if you take the fairings off.

AdverseMartyr > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 08/30/2017 at 00:14

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Between the two, I would definitely do the GS500. There both about the same, but the GS doesn’t need new signals/other work to be rideable . The only real difference is probably air cooled vs water cooled. Neither bike is a paragon of technology.

I started on a gs500, and didn’t notice the weight being a problem. So it might be an issue for some people, but wasn’t for me. (6'2" 180lbs. so it might be different for someone much smaller)

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > I hoon, therefore I am 08/30/2017 at 00:49

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Well hopefully its around friday when i can go look at it

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Jesse Shaffer 08/30/2017 at 00:51

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I shouldnt say starter. I have lots of dirt experience and have ridden an 1100 old yamaha. I also took my safety class on a 500

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Censored 08/30/2017 at 00:51

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I kno i love the look too

Jesse Shaffer > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 08/30/2017 at 01:08

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How many random intersections have you tried to hold up a 400+ lb bike upon? A single weird pebble can drop you. How many leaves have you crossed on something of this weight? If this is the first bike you yourself have owned and have been 100% responsible for - this is your starter bike.

It’s not about the bike itself, it’s about the environment in which a motorcycle travels through. All of the random perils are far easier to manage on something a lot lighter.

In great conditions - the EX500 will reward the learner. In anything less than ideal - the exposure of that weight will hurt. Physically.

I loved my Ninja. I’d have never let anyone convince me to start on a 250. A few years later and knowing how to manage my money a bit better - the Ninja just wasn’t a good buy as a first bike weight wise. The ligher 250's and similar are better at everything below 85mph. The Ninja tops out at about 126mph. It’s a niche bike more than a starter bike. The niche being people who psychologically won’t get on a 250, haha.