Inexperience is a problem regardless of WHATEVER it is he chooses to ride... HOWEVER, I cannot see any "bonuses" or "safetly" (and especially not cost) by riding a Harley over a sportbike.

Sure, he can "hang himself" with a Sportbike-- and the same can and should be said about the harley's (and goldwings/vulcans/etc..)...

But.. look at the data-- the sportbike is more responsive, agile, lighter, and can stop muuuuch faster. As far as acceleration-- pretty much any bike you get is going to be quick, that includes a harley. The key is NOT to abuse the throttle, especially if you're new.

When I started riding 17+ yrs ago, I was on a Kawasaki LTD 454 (not much of a bike), and for the first 2 months or so.. it was FAAAAASSST... Then, it got really boring and slow-- and I think a bike like a 250 for him the same thing would happen... a 600 is a great compromise on power, and it has amazing agility and stopping power without "insane" accereleration, but quicker than 98% of any car thats out on the road.

So.. I disagree that trying to lug around a 700lb Harley for a NEW rider is "safer" than a 390lb 600... the only "advantage" to the harley is that because of its sheer size and inability to manivure, the "noobie" rider is less likely to press his luck...that I agree with. But thats kind of like telling someone they should buy a SUV because the RX-8 is just too agile and fast..you'll just get yourself into trouble.

Plus who wants to drop a $15-20k Harley versus a sub 3500 sportbike? Everyone else has said he "WILL" go down. (BTW, I've gone down exactly once in 17 years and it was because I was wearing a dark lense at night driving on a road that I wasn't familiar with... and that was after 8 years of riding without incident).

Well some may argue that the steering geometry of a Harley or crusier may offer some benefit. However, steering angle is always a trade-off of stability versus manuverability. Also, the throttle/power of the bike is not as sensitive as a sportbike, and the suspension on most of them has a greater range of travel than many sportbikes. But all of the performance capabilites of the sportbike are higher, and can be quite important from a safety perspective, if you know how to use them.

Which brings up an important point: you must set the bike up to match your weight, in terms of static sag and other adjustments. This is quite crucial since you can easily be 1/3 of the weight on a 600.

The EX500 are pretty good starter bikes, and the dont look so bad either. Any bike can kill you, so you just have to take it easy and pay attention to everyone else around you. Make sure you get good riding gear for sure. The best thing to do in your situation is pack the clothes you want to wear and change when you get to work, wearing a small backpack on a bike is super easy. That is my plan anyway, get an EX500 and some riding gear and commute back and forth to the lightrail for better gas savings!

This is the main reason I don't own a bike right now. I don't particularly care for cruisers, but I'm too big for most sport bikes. As a compromise I plan to get a standard sometime next year.

I haven't been on a bike in eight years, but when I do get back on, it will be after I've taken the motorcycle safety course again. And it won't be on a brand new, shiny hottness. It will be a used beater until I feel fully confident again about riding like I used to.

I had the same problem. 6'2" 230 lb rider. So I compromised and bought a naked bike. Close to the performance of a sport bike but not as radical riding position and mucho motor to push my fat a$$ around.

how big is too big to ride a "starter" bike? im 6'1" and about 185. is that too big for the aforementioned ninja 250?

umm.... I think the physical size might be too small.

But if you pick it up cheap it will be a good one to start with.

try an old 400 Yamaha its bigger.

Go sit on one and find out. People can give you guestimates, but everyone is built differently.

most of the stock sport bikes (including the 250's) will work just fine up to about 190-200 pounds, provided you set your static sag. The trade-off is suspension travel, but it will be still adequate if you about those weights. more than that and you need to uprate the fork springs and oil. I would recommend for best results to uprate/downrate to your weight when you settle on a bike you plan on keeping.

Two quick things before you ride. Take a training class (you already said you were planning on it). I learned more about bike survival skills in a one day training class than I did in 5 years of roadracing. Get the best protective riding gear you can afford.

Now one more bike that most people overlook for a beginner, even though it's actually designed and built for training the beginner. I think you said you were about 5'5" and under 150 lbs so you should seriously consider is a Buell Blast! Perfect beginner bike, light weight easy to maintain, up to 70 MPG if you can keep you fist out of it. Very entertaining on a twisty road, and a neutral seating position (not to sporty and not a lay back cruiser). And yes it's one of the most reliable bikes on the road (even though it's motor is built by Harley). Parts are cheep and they tip over with minimal damage. Many states are starting to use these for the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) training classes. Used ones go for around $2,500 and seem to hold their value for many years after the first year of depredation.

Sooo psbjames1970, what did you decide on?

Listen to the people saying to get a cheap, small starter bike. It doesn't sound like you want to push the limit of a sportbike, so definitely stay away from the supersports/superbikes. But I would also recommend against a 250. You sound mature enough (by the fact that you are asking the question) to start off with something like the EX500 or even the SV650. The EX has a very low seat height ... probably lower than the 250 Ninja. As does the SV, although a little bit higher (but you can shave the seat on the SV very cheaply ... ~$30 to get the seat height a little lower).

If you have the desire to learn the limits of those bikes (which even with these bikes are much higher than you should be riding on the streets) then maybe think of upgrading so something faster. I started with an SV and have found it very capable to hang with the big dogs. I also firmly believe that you become a better rider starting off with something small and mastering it's limits before moving on to the big guns. I still haven't moved on after four+ years with the SV . . . and I'm a very good rider now.

I get 40 mpg around town and 50 hwy on my SV. But of course, a 250 would probably get better gas mileage..

Oh, and btw, the SV650 does 0-60 in sub-3 seconds and 1/4 mile in mid 11's. For aroung $6k (new), it's the absolute cheapest way to hang with an Enzo!!