First bike - 2002 Ninja 500R

LugNutX · 05-07-2007, 11:47 AM

I finished up the MSF class last weekend and purchased a 2002 Ninja 500R this past weekend.

I had been scouring eBay and CycleTrader, and finally tracked one down on Craigslist about 2 hours away. The seller agreed to meet me halfway and I had my father ride the bike back. It's fairly new (~3000 miles), and aside from a few "battle" scars where it was dropped, looks great! My full set of gear is on order and should be here by Wednesday, so I am counting down the days until my first ride. It actually works out pretty well, because it will give me the opportunity to get the insurance and title squared away. The bike also did not come with the owner's manual, but I have ordered one from Kawasaki.

I have attached a picture and my gear list includes:

- Scorpion EXO 700 helmet
- MotoGP Corkscrew jacket
- MotoGP Overpants (preferred leather, but the need for overpants won)
- Racer Supply RSC1 gloves (never heard of them, but I read many positive reviews)
- Setup Vision boots

spicy · 05-07-2007, 03:36 PM

congrats

. just be careful and ride safe, and always respect your bike.

i just helped my gf buy a 250R like 2 weekends ago, and i've been riding it around and having a ball on it. my bet is the 250 is slightly easier to learn on and more forgiving, but the 500 is a ball from the get-go. in fact i'd probably get a 500 just for entertainment purposes, or a brand new 250 and get some stickier tires for it.

have fun

WhoUtink · 05-07-2007, 04:26 PM

Awesom!

fishwiz4 · 05-07-2007, 06:50 PM

i got my gear and a MSF course lined up. im just waiting on permision from the parents to buy that exact bike. or a gs 500, but the ninjas seem easier to find.

congrats man

Squid Killer · 05-07-2007, 07:18 PM

Really nice looking 500. If you have idle or low rpm problems dont worry. The bike has very few miles for being 5 years old so that means it spent a lot of time sitting and its not uncommon for the carbs to get a little messed up. Its an easy fix.

dabadass · 05-07-2007, 08:02 PM

what was the price might i ask....this is what im looking at getting for my first..

LugNutX · 05-07-2007, 10:16 PM

Depending on the year, mileage, condition, etc. - I would imagine you could find one in decent condition anywhere from $1800-3000 USD. Mine was around the middle of that.

donkeyman · 05-08-2007, 01:00 AM

Wow ... what a pretty bike. Looks hot in that angle too.

silent_R1 · 05-08-2007, 01:29 AM

nice looking bike. I'd love to have one or another 250 just for fun.

coronadozx · 05-08-2007, 01:33 AM

nice lookin' bike man. good find.

your gear list is nice too. where did you order it from?

LugNutX · 05-08-2007, 08:46 AM

The gear all came from various places - some of them sponsors of this site, others not. I shopped around for a while and ended up getting everything for a little less than $650...I was pleased

OldSchlPunk · 05-08-2007, 05:01 PM

Great finds on all. Bike looks really nice! Enjoy!

RayOSV · 05-08-2007, 09:27 PM

Great job all around. Ride safe, wear the gear every time you get on the bike, and have fun!!

snazzyco · 05-09-2007, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spicy

my bet is the 250 is slightly easier to learn on and more forgiving

Can anyone else chime in or add input to this? I've been wondering about this when comparing the 250 and the 500. Insurance for me is twice as much on a 500, so there's one reason to get a 250. If the quote above holds merit, than I'll just wait some more......

My problem here being that I've found several 500's nearby, but no 250's - and you could say I'm getting anxious waiting around.