He'll be glad with the Gladius

Hi. I am completely new to motorcycles. I have never even touched one. However, after much consideration I plan on buying a motorcycle.

I am a grade 11 high school student, am 6'3" and around 180 lb. I would ride the motorcycle from my home to school and my home to work. The commute is a little over 25 minutes on a pretty much straight and flat 80 km/h highway, however many people travel 100 km/h.

My question would be which motorcycle is a perfect motorcycle for this kind of commute (keep in mind that I am a true beginner)? I would prefer a sports bike and have been told that the Honda CBR125 is a good beginner sports bike; however, I have also been told that it is for city driving and city driving only.

Would a Kawasaki Ninja 250R be a good bike for me?

Thank you for your help; it is much appreciated.

Ben

Given your size, you might want to look at a GS500F rather than an EX250. Or maybe a Gladius or an SV650?

A KLR650 or DR650 would be a lot smarter.

Larry

There's no mention of budget, but any of the bikes Larry mentioned would work just fine, and I'd add the Kawasaki EX500 to that list though you might find the fit a bit tight. 

I'd suggest the bike that best fits your needs is the Hyosung GT250R. It's a small displacement machine that has the physical dimensions of a 600, which you'd fit into since you're a tall guy. You would fit very well on a new generation KLR 650 too. Ditto the Versys if you're looking for something a bit sportier than that.

Costa

You're about the same size as me which means the CBR and Ninja 250 are likely a tad small. I too think that a good dual sport would be a lot more fun though if you want to keep the cc down, maybe consider a Yamaha WR250, Suzuki DR200, Kawasaki KLX250 or even a Konker KSM 200 which has a low price, good quality and comes with optional dualie wheels to change with the standard super motards!

Editor 'arris

I am 6'2" and started on a Yamaha XR350 years ago. Loads of fun. Went up to a Yamaha YZF600R then on to a Honda VFR800 and now a BMW GS Adventure. That being said the wife just picked up a Yamaha WR250R and I have not had that much fun in some time. Lots of good advice given above, but I would pick the WR250R. Posted by Chris V 09-06-2009 12:49 » Report this comment to administrator Typo - that would be a Yamaha XT350, not XR... Posted by Chris V 09-06-2009 12:50 » Report this comment to administrator Hey noob,  first off...welcome.  secondly my advice to you is this, buying a bike which is a good fit is important but the right price is also a big factor. keep in mind that there is a distinct possibility of tipping it over (we've all done it). a friend of mine recently got into biking and wanted a brand new Gixxer 600. i talked him out of it by selling him my old GS500 which he used to mow the lawn through the outside of a corner. he's ok and so is the bike with a little work. had it been a brand new 600 the fix would be a few grand.  go with the GS500, get yer chops then go big. Posted by Joel 10-06-2009 10:07 » Report this comment to administrator Howdy,  Whatever you buy get your butt into a motorcycle safety course b4 you pull out of the driveway.  Later,  Norm Posted by njdulong 10-06-2009 20:10 » Report this comment to administrator Two things:  Get shorter, and get the EX500.     The wee Ninja is the modern (4-stroke) RZ.    Sadly, you are too tall to enjoy this.   Take the advice of the others!     But, try sitting on an EX before purchase.  If you do not find it uncomfortable, one   may find that this bike is cheap, plentiful.   and insurance friendly. (Used is a great market   for this model). Posted by gpfan 13-06-2009 01:08 » Report this comment to administrator If you wind up looking at EX250s, there are there versions to consider:  - J: 2008, 2009 model years  - H: 2000-2007 model yeras  - F: 1988-1999, also sold in US until 2007 and privately imported    The J requires scooting back in the seat a bit with your leg size. It's a lot like the CBR125 that way. If you don't scoot back, the CBR will have your knees on the fairing and the EX will have your needs on the wrong part of the tank. Both will be uncomfortable and vibrate your kneecaps to death. Posted by Wes 03-07-2009 08:56 » Report this comment to administrator The H series is actually worse for taller riders, in my opinion. Getting your knees comfortable requires too much scooting back in the seat. On the other hand, if you ride with your knees on top of the cut outs, you won't be punished as severely as the J series.    The F series is actually pretty good for tall riders. The knee cut outs are tall and not overly severe. I sit all the way forward on these, and I have a 6'3" friend who's ridden them for 150,000+ miles.    Most importantly: take the course, and then sit on some bikes. You will know best what does and what does not fit you.    Wes Posted by Wes 03-07-2009 09:04 » Report this comment to administrator