Interesting, why would you say that as oppose to other makes of motorcycles?

say you have a ducati 1098 or an aprilia. The likelyhood of it being stolen is less because it's such a high profile bike, parts are easily traceable if you start seeing it on CL. say it wasn't for part, it would be used for track / stunt bike in both which will be a huge issues cause people will bound to notice why you're using a 25k bike as a stunt bike. I'm not even going to get into the fact of the key ignition and how hard it would be ...

My 50cc Aprilia scooter has a chip in the key that talks to the onboard computer. If the code I use doesn't match to the key, it won't start. That's on a $4500 scooter.

I'd imagine a $20k duc would have at least that and much much more.

Makes sense, but if i had something like a Ducati, i woudnt cheap out on the insurance. Anyways, people can always trailer it over to states or somewhere far away....

lol NO! ok fine...if your rpm is very high up and your weight all way at the back...and you weigh like 100lbs or something. And most stock throttle aren't that sensitive.

if you think 600cc is "bad"...try riding something with a 1098 engine in it. ;)

as for the OP...take PRS first before you buy anything. Start with something small and used. You will learn much faster.

edit: shit i just saw what you posted... apparently 600cc with rpm under 6k has enough power. Yeah you don't know what torque and power is yet. ;)

Usually, what percentage throttle do you guys ride in the city? I'm assuming you guys are going "a bit" above average traffic? Let's call it under 70km/h on a large city street?

I'm just curious, because on my 50cc, I'm usually sitting at 80% or WOT.

I don't even think that's possible. How do you even get a bike across the border and explain to the border guard you have a stolen bike on the back of your car? somewhere far away?

I don't know about you, but I don't see people going on vacation from say Kelowna and think "hey, maybe today I'll drive around West Van and look for a Ducati and drive it back home in Kelowna so I can ride a stolen Ducati on track?"

people steal bikes for parts and / or stunt bikes... cause they won't be able to ride it on the streets.

Maybe your right. But for the hell of it if you have a Ducati, then get theft. People can probably hide it in their garage and youll never find it. Chances of recovering the bike is slim......

Buy the bike you want and ride safe.

alot of people actually trailer a bike down to the states to ride but i don't know if the border customs always check the paper for the bike. i personally have never been ask for my registration when driving my car down the states so i don't know if that would be any different for bikes on trailers.

but yes, most bikes are stolen to take apart and sold for parts. that would be the smart thing to do, but then again you do see deals online that are just too good to be true....

i'd say around 20% while cruising

I don't know why someone would hide a stolen bike in a garage... unless they're keeping it for museum purposes or to impress a girl.

I'm sure you are right, they probably won't give a shit if u're trailer-ing your bike over for a race course in the US but for a thief from the US to come all the way up to Van to steal an Aprillia, put it on a pick up truck would generate way way way too much heat let alone going across the border.

People can just fill in the VIN bracket w/ something like epoxy so the letters are no longer visible.

Afterwards they can use it as a track bike.. noone will know. which is why I'm so paranoid.

Btw most ducs are pretty terrible starter bikes imo, unless you invest a couple hundred worth of gearing and O2 optimizers to make it easier to do parking lot maneuvers in first gear.

Hey guys, im back. Today i had the experience of riding a friend's ZX6-R around the block, i kinda liked it, wasnt too hard, and seating position wasnt that bad either. The real dilema now is should i stick to the 250 -> 600 cc plan or just go to 600 right away? Also considering a CBR600RR or R6.

honestly dude if you can be mature about it then just get the 600. in the end it's all about whether you respect the power or not. grab the 600, go take PRS and just practice carefully. i'm 5"10 165 lbs and i started on a gsxr750. there was definitely a learning curve but i was patient and didn't let my ego get the best of me. as long as you treat the bike with respect it'll treat you the same way. good luck bud.

ninjas are okay for beginners, not to expensive

What Charlie said. If you really end up getting a 600cc first, the learning curve is eater steep an may not be enjoyable. But if you don't let yourself over ride your ego and skill set and take it slow, you should be ok.

I still recommend the 250 -> 600 route. You can build your skill on an easier learning curve, then sell your 250 in a couple seasons and then move up. At the end it's your call. Just ride safe and don't skimp out on gear.
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yeah i really recommend following this. riding a motorcycle is pretty dangerous.

This is always the more reasonable route to take, still havent decided yet... I guess I'll take my time on this one.

Cost is gonna be another factor. New or used for a 250?
New Ninja 250 costs about 5000 then add bout 1000 for gear then 900 for PRS then comes insurance which is probably only 400-500 ish. Total bout 8500?? Sound bout reasonable?
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Personally I'd go with the 250 to 600 route. If you're looking at a ninja 250 I'd buy used just to avoid the added dealership costs. I started on a cbr125r (they didn't have the new model 250 out yet for Kawasaki and there was no talk of 250 for Honda at the time). Rode it everyday for a summer and sold it in October. For the next two seasons I rode an older model R6 (99-00). The following year I rode a Triumph 675 and now I ride a Z1000. I can honestly say by starting off on a small bike you will learn a lot on the road and about motorcycling in general. I would consider it the safer, more expensive route because you'll be buying and selling your bikes within 1-2 seasons (maybe 3). It's hard to gauge your comfort level by just riding around the block. To fully get a feeling for the bike you'll have to ride it in the city where you'll be exposed to stop and go traffic, turns, cars and pedestrians.

I'm an advocate for working your way up, but at the same time I do agree with some of the users here. If you're smart and mature about it you can learn on a 600, but invest in some sliders and just take it slow. Most drops happen at low speed for beginners when they maneuver the bike while turning or parking so with a bigger bike it's something to consider as well.

Best of luck in your bike search!
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Go sign up for PRS asap, learn on their motorcycles first to get the swing of things.
That may help you out with your decision, but the overall conclusion is that most people learn faster on a smaller bike. If you're concerned with your build you can ask to try out their gs500 on the road ride. It has a bit more power than the 250 and a comfortable riding position as well.

I loved the CRF I had on the my road ride, it was really light and chuck-able.

This whole statement hinges on a criminal being smart enough to realize this.....I recall a rash of higher end bikes being stolen 10 years or so ago that were found a local shop here in Van City.....criminals and common sense do not mix. They just see $$$$ and go after it :P

brand new 2011 is 4300, so out the door its easily over 5k with taxes, PDI and what not. you can get decent gear for about 1k, but it depends if you like the name brands. you got helmets from 200-1k+.

i got a jacket + gloves + helmet at modern for about $500 bucks when aaron still gave combo deals there. if you want something like alpine star, then you will be paying more for the brand.

do some research online on gear to get a better budget. motorcycle superstore is generally a common one.

insurance is about 400-500 for a 250. i believe thats without the theft and collision. for a 600cc, its about 900...

so at the end, i would say more like 9k. but thats with a new ninja. i would HIGHLY recommend a used one. you would easily save yourself about 1k - 2k depending what year you buy.

Yea if i do go the 250-600 route then definately itll be a used 250.

Ive actually got my eyes on this ad, what do u guys think
2005 Yamaha R6 - Nice Bike

I hit him up with an email, he told me he dropped it at about 10k kms, has bout
32k now. Also paint is a bit chipped here and there.

Still, its only $4200, probably could get it down to 4k with a bit of lowballing , but then insurance still doubles.

LP670-4 SV, how much do you weigh? if you don't mind