Is the Kawasaki Ninja 300 Sport a good bike for a beginner?

[Josh]

I really would like to get a bike, but I've never ridden a sport bike. I've ridden dirt bikes, but that's probably a lot different...

I don't want something insanely fast, because I'm not a fast driver. The Ninja 300 Sport has a Four stroke, DOHC, liquid cooled, parallel twin engine with 296cc displacement.

How fast will that go? The fastest I'd ever need to go is 75 on the highway... Will this bike do that?

Also, any tips for beginners?

Thanks!

[glenbarrington]

It meets your stated needs and the quality is reasonably high. It will go that fast if you aren't a very large person, but I don't know that I'd trust it at any higher speed. Of course I don't think there are many bikes I WOULD trust at a higher speed.

Advice? Don't ride stupid. That bit of advice is REAL easy to forget when riding.

[DimoJ]

The Ninjette is a good motorcycle, period. It is good for anyone who wants a small sport bike. It is also a good motorcycle for someone who is getting into motorcycle racing.

Do you want to race motorcycles? You write that you "don't want something insanely fast" and that the "fastest I'd ever need to go is 75 on the highway." If you don't want to race and don't need to go 100 mph -- why do you want a "sport" bike? (Answer: those who like racing push sport bikes, they make money by killing young motorcyclists playing racer on the streets.)

An excellent beginner motorcycle would be a SYM Symba, a 101cc clone of the Honda Cub that hundred of millions started. But that is a lightweight bike, and no one wants a lightweight that can only do 50-60 mph.

Not a good beginner, but not totally bad, would be any middleweight motorcycle. Any of the 250cc class motorcycles -- scooter, standard, dual-sport, or even if you must a sporty bike. Any 250cc class motorcycle will do 75 mph all day. Since you know dirt, you would be comfortable on a 250 dual-sport -- killer city bike capable of freeway.

[Yocuteboards]

Great Starter bike!
It will give you the ability to hone your skills on a bike without having to worried about the dangers of an overpowering bike.

I started on a r6 and have been riding over 2 years no accident yet. Thats not the best route to go and congratulate you in being one of the smart ones who start small and work your way up. You will most likely outgrow your bike and get power hungry after a few months of riding and once you get confident in your skills.

As for tips, just make you squeeze and NOT grab the front brake.
always use a little throttle for your turns

and ALWAYS keep an eye out for other drivers and maintain your cushion barriers just in case they make a dumb move..(They will make it)

And Good luck!!

[MreSmartypants]

The Ninja 300 is an excellent first bike. It's designed as a trainer, so it has a light clutch, forgiving steering geometry, etc., and of course it's relatively light and easy to manage.

But while the Ninja can go 70 or 75 mph (on a good day, with the wind behind you) it's not designed to cruise at this speed. The suspension isn't designed for high-speed travel, so at 70 mph it's all over the road. Not comfortable, not safe. If you need to go 5 miles or so, two or three exits on the freeway, it would be adequate. For farther than that you want something a little bigger and heavier.

Years ago (up to the 1960s) people used to say there was no reason a motorcycle needed to be bigger than 250cc. People routinely crossed continents on 250s. But that was in the day when a 'highway' was 45 mph. Those highways are still around, today they are secondary roads. But these days most people want to travel long distances at 65-75 mph.

So it depends on how you see yourself riding. The 300 (or 250) is all the motorcycle you will ever need, up to about 50 mph. If you plan to do 'touring' you will want something bigger. You might want to start on a 500 or even a 650. That's bigger/heavier/harder to manage, but not so much that you couldn't do it. If you've ridden dirt bikes, you understand about balancing and turning, about shifting and clutching, etc., so it's not like you're starting from scratch.

Also I really think your first street bike should be a used bike. Stay away from single-purpose sport bikes (CBR, GSX-R, R6, Ninja ZX). They are wonderful machines for what they are, but not for beginners. Look at 'standards' in the 500-650 range--Honda 599, Ninja 500 and 650, Yamaha FZ6R 'Fazer', Suzuki GS500 and SV650. There are a lot of 'medium-sized' standards out there, so look in your local Craigslist and see what you see.

Tips for beginners? Mostly just BE CAREFUL. (But everyone tells you that, I bet). Wear helmet, jacket and gloves at a minimum (when you fall you instinctively put your hands out to stop yourself, so it's nice to have a layer of leather on your palms!) Ride a little slower than you think you can, at first, because it gives you a split second more time to react to situations and make decisions, and that makes a big difference! The most dangerous thing in street riding is the drivers of cars, often they don't see you, and it's because they don't LOOK! So assume you're invisible, don't assume cars see you. Secondary roads are often prettier and more fun than the 'super-slab'. probably a lot safer too. Tire pressures are more important on a bike than in a car. The MSF course is probably a good idea.

[boss]

That should be a perfect bike for you it can go140 kph

[Jean]

Yes the Ninja 300 is a good bike for a beginner. I currently own the 2013 Honda CBR250r and I hit 85MPH on the freeway for about 5 miles with no problems while the Ninja 300 may do 95 MPH.

Only tip I can give you is once your bike is delivered ride your neighborhood for 5-10 miles to get used to the bike weight and clutch then from there you own. Also I recommend taking the MSF for a better understanding of riding.