View source for As a second motorcycle

[[Category:Trip Reports]]
By Gazoo

Over the summer I bought my first motorcycle, a Harley Davidson XL883C Sportster. I love that bike. I left the stock exhaust on it (don't want to tick off the neighbors) and have been riding it every weekend since. The only problem with it is that I don't have a garage so I keep it in the basement overnight. Getting it out in the morning to go to work meant riding it on the lawn, fishtailing a muddy swath through grass wet with the morning dew. This wasn't working out. I started looking at small displacement bikes - something I could push to the driveway and ride to work. My friends tried to talk me out of it; "a 250 would be a deathtrap." Eventually I settled on the Ninja 250, mostly because of what I read on the board. Cheaper than other 250's and a whole lot more.
 
I went to the local dealer and looked at one and when I sat on it and pulled it off the side stand I almost threw it across the room. I was used to the Sportster's 525lbs, what a difference. That dealer had a bad rep so I looked elsewhere. Another dealer who was expecting some Ninja 250's in November practically refused to sell me one "you'll outgrow it" he said. I wound up buying one used (cheaper). The Ninja out-runs, out-accelerates, and easily out-turns the Harley and gets better gas mileage. Whipping it around corners is about the most fun I've ever had. Other people can't believe its (only) a 250. If I eventually move somewhere else that has a garage, I'll move up to a bigger sportbike. Till then I'll be building up my experience and skills, sportbike skills on the weekdays and cruiser skills on the weekend.