2013 Ninja 300 for the wife

Sactown2008

Sactown2008

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My wife expressed interest in learning to ride a bike. I found over two dozen 2013-2014 Ninja 300s on craigslist locally, for $4k to $5299, but one 2013 all black from original owner for "$2499," with 650 miles on it. WTF?

What do you think of this bike as a first bike?

I would want her to take the CA DMV test on as 250cc or larger so she could get her Hwy license.
 
I've ridden it.. it's a fantastic bike! Very forgiving (very light clutch action AND it's got a slipper clutch). It will teach her to shift and be in the right gear, as constant shifting is required to keep it in the *power* band. Can easily got through all 6 gears from light to light!
Just make sure that she's comfortable on it and if she is, can't do much better than that for a starter bike.

Why the road test? Don't you guys have MSF BRC which should include road test waiver, upon successful completion? I highly highly recommend the BRC route vs you (or someone else) teaching her and taking the test.
 
Yes and no.

My wife passed MSF with flying colors on a GZ250. So I bought her a GZ250. We went on a couple of rides and she did ok. She's too timid. She needs to command the bike. On her last ride she was at a T intersection and ran into the top/left part of the T. She crashed, bike crashed. Ugh. Cleaned her up and she rode home. IF it had been a Ninja 300, which she wants, the fairing would have been all busted up, maybe a total. On the GZ, kick the front wheel straight and it's good to go.

Perhaps buy the 300, and also get her a bike to crash...errr...learn on?
 
Yep go with a cheap ninja 250 let her learn pay a few craigslist one for hundred bucks, and in a year or so when she gets more proficient then sink the money into a fairing-ed bike. You will still get your money out of the 250

Just my 2 cents
 
I think the 250 ninjas are the best starter bikes for anybody - guy or gal. You can find them cheap (if it was dumped and has some cosmetic issues even better deal) and you can get your money back. I bought my wife an 07 250 ninja for $1500 (never dumped and less than 1000 miles on it). It was perfect, fortunately no issues with her dumping it... sold it and made money. If I bought one dump, my preference would be something that just tipped over (like in driveway) - you could tell the difference in damage of one that was tipped over and one that crashed.
 
you MUST be right

waldo877 said:
2013 Ninja 300 ABS!

If that is the listing, it looks like a complete scam. No way someone would sell it for $2400 if it was legit.
Click to expand...

The seller(a young widow with three kids who just lost her husband in Iraq, had to move from Alabama to live with her parents in North Dakota) has the Army's okay to sell all his stuff, after the bank foreclosed on their home. I emailed her twice my wife does NOT want a Sportbike. The craigslist seller emailed me twice since with another long sad story, but most of the email is about "how much she looks forward to working with me to complete the sale and ship the bike to me."
 
Sactown2008 said:
The seller(a young widow with three kids who just lost her husband in Iraq, had to move from Alabama to live with her parents in North Dakota) has the Army's okay to sell all his stuff, after the bank foreclosed on their home. I emailed her twice my wife does NOT want a Sportbike. The craigslist seller emailed me twice since with another long sad story, but most of the email is about "how much she looks forward to working with me to complete the sale and ship the bike to me."
Click to expand...

100% scam.

50% off the value of the bike, plus listing it in CA? You'd think someone in her new state would snatch it up without her having to 'ship the bike to you' haha.
 
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I fell for that one.

Got too bike shopping HAPPY when the wife said she would like to get her licence. Lots of 200cc bikes sold locally for less $2k.
 
In the Chicago area you're paying $2500 for a 2006-2010 Ninjette

I'd jump on it for that price but I don't know your local market. Sounds like a good deal to me!

We bought my wife a CRF250L as her first bike. She loves it. Luckily she has a 36" inseam to handle the seat height.
 
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