Bought my first bike last night

[Slide Panda]

No attachments. You'll need to host the photos on some other service like photobucket, flickr etc.

[Timebomb7585]

Congrats.  What year 250?

06

[WarrenJ]

I started this nonsense when I was 45.  Its amazing what the bike will do if you just relax and let it do what it was designed for.  HAVE FUN!!!!!   I have !

[Spidey]

06

Ah, know those bikes well.  I've crashed a ton of them.    This was my first.  <sniffle>



Great first bike.  You'll find that after you a bit more comfy on the bike, you'll want to keep the revs up.  I'd guess that you're probably riding around too low right now.  There's little power below 8k (and not a lot above that), so if you're in the twisties, make sure you're ringing its neck.  It'll redline around 14k give or take, so 8-12 is a good place to ride it.  It'll feel like it wants to explode.  That's ok.  Edit:  that's for riding the twisties.  Feel free to keep it more sedate for street riding, but don't be afraid to wind it up.

I don't know how comfy you are with working on bikes, but one the biggest improvements you can make is to switch brake pads.  Buy EBC (the brand) HH (the type) pads for the front for $25 or $30.  You can order them online or most Cyclegears will have them in stock.  Totally worth it.  I can walk you through the steps.  There are a bunch of other things you can do to the bike, but let's leave that alone for now.

Ninja250.org has great FAQs for the bike.  

I've got at least 3 250s (or the parts equivalent thereof) in my garage so if you're looking for a part or upgrades, gimme a holler.  I don't have street partes like fairings, but I've got most everything else -- gixxer shocks, fork emulators, spare wheels, cables, swingarms,rolling chasis,  etc.

[Monsterlover]

Spare neck brace in that stock pile?

[AJ]

Congrats!  I loved learning on a 250, especially in hairy commuting traffic.  Relax your arms, grip the tank with your knees, and pick your line as far ahead as you can through crappy road surfaces.  You're going to have a blast! 


Here's how to post pics on the forum:
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=109.0
 

Spare neck brace in that stock pile?

[MendoDave]

The 250 is a starter bike so you did the right thing. When feel that you can't get any more performance out of the thing and it seems too slow then it's time to get something bigger. But for now it should be exactly what you want.

When I started, I made the Jump from a trail 70 to a 125. The 125 was too big for me and I was scared of it on anything but fairly level ground. (I was 12) I then got a DT100 and it was just right. I learned a lot on that 100. Rode it for almost 2 years before I bought another 125.

I learned much faster on a smaller bike than on a larger bike that I was afraid of, and you will too.

[NorDog]

You probably would have had to look long and hard to find a better first bike for the street.

Take it easy, learn everything you can about safety, and get some skills that would make Napoleon Dynamite bust out into a dance.

 

[Timebomb7585]

Thanks for all the great advice guys.

Spidey, yeah I went for a quick blast last night and getting it in to the 8k + rpm range makes a difference. I am going out tomorrow morning with a couple friends that have been riding for a while so I will be watching what they do to try to pick up some tips to improve my skills.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good shop in the SFV? I want to keep the bike in tip top shape for the short time I have it.

Cheers!

[77south]

I find that my bikes squirm a lot less on tar strips and other pavement irregularities if the tires are properly inflated.  So it's worth checking the tire pressure every week or so.  Proper tire pressure makes a big difference.

[The Bacon Junkie]

My first bike ever was a 60hp Monster750.

It scared the crap outta me for the first few months, but I took classes and rode with people better than me.  By following them, studying their lines, trying to emulate their braking points, etc... I became a better rider. I did a track day or two, I put clip-ons on, upgraded the suspension and then started scaring the crap outta those same friends, because I had outgrown the bike, and was over- riding it on the street for what it had been designed for.

So, after 3 1/2 years I decided to get a track only bike...  A 9hp (that's right, nine) YSR50.  A great little two-stroke.  I learned more about riding a motorcycle properly in one weekend thrashing that thing around a go-kart track than I did in all the time I spent on the Monster. A smaller bike will teach you how to use your brakes properly, carry cornerspeed, be in the proper gear, etc... because you don't have the torque or horsepower to make up for your mistakes.

Congrats on your 250!  I hope you enjoy the Hell out of it! 

For the record, I sold the Monster and now ride a 999.   



 

[Novelo]

I second Junkie, my first was an S2R1K I was scared of it for the first month. I immediadtely wanted to sell it and get a smaller bike wasn't my best decision but I don't regret it. My adivice is just to have fun man.

[NorDog]

My first bike was a '68 Honda CL350 Scrambler.  I was 14 and scared to death.  The thing made far more power that I could handle.  Going slow at the beginning is vitally important imo.