I want to buy a Kawasaki Ninja As my 1st vehicle, and then get 1/2 way decent car for the winter, Good idea?

Question

See, I REALLY liked a bike that i saw, The yellow kawasaki ninja. Only $4,850. I'm gonna be 14 in the winter and i wanna start saving for it because everybody tells me that they wish they had started saving up for a car when they were my age. But I don't know what im going to do for the winter. The distance to school is only 5 miles (according to mapquest), so is it safe to ride only such a short distance?(i'll ride in my parent's car during snow). What should I plan for winter? How much is a 1/2 way decent used car usually? Like $8,000? I know there are going to be bikes like that in a couple of years, but i want to get at least 4,500 saved for one similar to that. So here is my questions are:

1.) Is it safe to ride only 5 miles in the winter on a bike?
2.) How much is a decent car that will get me through winter?
3.) there is a diner down the street, should i be a busboy?(7.15/hr, 4hr shift , 2 days a week, 4 weeks, over 4 months, over 2 years *7.15 x 256= 1,830)

I won't be tempted to spend the money because i'm putting it into a savings account where only my mother can touch it, (she's not the kind to take $ from me), and i have 1 winter job, and 1 year-round job with my father that pays extremeley well.

Also Gonna save in the summer at a six flags!

Answer 1

Wow. For a 14 year old guy, youve got your head in the right place. I commend you for that... If I may suggest, open an account with ING Direct - they pay WAY better interest rates, so your money will grow while sitting in the bank!!!

Another few suggestions: You have to realize you are young. With age comes experience. Without age comes trial and errors... A Ninja for $5K...sounds like youre looking at the 500Ninja. I would suggest you do the smart thing: Buy a used bike as your first bike - even if it is a piece of crap. Why? Because you will make mistakes and make your shiny new bike look like crap in no time!! So, spent $500 on a starter bike, thrash it, and THEN get a new bike!! Same thing with the car...buy a beater, learn to drive properly, then worry about a half decent car. Plus, insurance costs will be half of that if you bought new...

As for riding in winter, distance makes no difference. I ride my Kawi Z1000 daily to work - except when it rains or falls below 35*. Invest in GOOD protective gear - jacket, pants, boots and gloves. And you will have no worries. As for the job - if it is a job you dont mind doing, why not take it!! I wouldnt take a job just for the paycheck though - make sure it is something you want to do!

Again, I commend you. You are a bright kid - brighter than most!

Answer 2

Riding motorcycles is great! My first vehicle was a bike so I can relate to how you are thinking. Here are my thoughts now that I'm older and smarter.

1. You won't be able to ride the Ninja due to your age so don't waste your money. It's better to let it build interest in a higher yield CD. There will always be bikes to buy, and you can find some great deals if you buy during the winter. If you buy it now it will have lost much of its value by the time you get to ride it. You will also be tempted to ride it without a license which could result in getting arrested and losing it.

2. Depending on where you live, at your age the only thing you can buy and ride/drive is a scooter. IF you have the roads that are safe for these, then that would get to you your job and back for pennies a day and give you experience in handling situations on a motorcycle. In some states you can get a smaller cc bike at an earler age. Remember, as long as it's big enough to carry you and a cute girl, it's big enough!

3. Take a training class. It's easy to ride a motorcycle but not easy to ride them well.

4. Riding a motorcycle in the winter sucks. I've done it many times. It's cold, you spend a fortune on warm clothes, people aren't expecting to see you on the road so they give you less respect then normal and you often get stranded by snow the weatherman didn't see coming.

To sum up. I think you're better off saving your money another year and getting a cheaper bike and a car. You will need them both. Let me leave you with this scenerio. You meet a cutie who hints that you ask her out. It's going to rain Friday night and all you have is a Ninja. You have to say no but your buddy (ex buddy) has a car so he asks her out instead. You sit home Friday night polishing your Ninja and he gets to second base in his nice warm car. Think about it son.

Answer 3

You should really learn how to drive a car well before you think about getting a motorcycle. What size was the Ninja? 500cc? That would be a decent size for the first bike you own, but as I said, you should really perfect your car driving before you try to get on a motorcycle, as they are MUCH more dangerous. So try saving up for a car first! When you get a bit older and better at driving, then heck ya! Go for the bike! If you are responsible, motorcycles are good forms of transportation because they get a lot better gas mileage. However, I don't recommend riding it in the winter. I'm not sure where you live, but I am from Minnesota. I do spend 1/4 of the year in Texas though, and I know all of my friends down there store their bikes in the winter. First of all, its too cold, and you can get sick easily. Also, its a lot wetter in the winter, and some states put sand down on the roads, which is very dangerous for riding. A good car could get expensive, but I got mine (1990 Mitsubishi Galant LS- 4 cyl, good gas mileage, automatic) for $2000. Look around online... Make sure you look for cars that don't look beat up. Also look for cars with low mileage; cars with 70,000 or less are ideal but are more expensive. The cheap cars are 100,000 miles or over, but I REALLY don't suggest getting a car with 130,000 miles or more, especially if it is American made. I do suggest taking the job as a bus boy! It would be good experience for you and a great way to start saving money. Just make sure you don't start spending it right away.

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Oh and to the girl above me [suzukigirl]-- I wouldn't suggest that.. Suzuki doesn't make any decent bikes that are less that 600cc which is typically too big for a 14 year old. And even though they look better than Kawi's don't buy a Suzuki.. they break all the time!!

Answer 4

A ninja is an a ton of bike for an inexperienced rider. You really should not be spending that kind of money and buying that fast of a bike at your age. All kids say that they will play it safe, but trust me, once you get the feel of open air and the pressure of your friends, you will be racing all over the place, and will get hurt. 5 miles in the winter is a very long trip, especially if your area gets to be icy out. If you hit black ice in a car, you have four wheels to recover with, if you hit it on a motorcycle, you are on the ground, plain and simple. Even if you are the best rider out there, you must be careful of the idiots in cars, especially on ice!
If you must have a motorcyle, buy something used, and not so flashy. Get used to riding, and it will not be as big as a dissapointment the first time you dump the bike. Learn on something small and cheap, and in a couple years buy something bigger and badder.
You don't need to spend that much on a used car, look at kbb.com for used car values. You could get a few year old sensible toyota or honda that will run forever for only $5,000.
Definitely get that job though, regardless of what you buy, the savings will teach you a valuable lesson, and you will feel personal satisfaction for buying anything yourself.
good luck!

Answer 5

i'd get no bigger than the ninja-250 for a starter. even that will be quite a bit of bike to keep ya busy for at least a couple years. a water cooled bike is deceptively powerful; a 250cc bike will easily have enough power to kill u if u disrespect the bike and take dumbass chances, and it only takes 1 mistake on a rocket for u to get seriously phucked up if the riding gods decide to spare ur life. u'd be able to pick up 1 of these scoots used pretty cheap on cycletrader or maybe ebay, and u wont panic if u drop a used 1....and trust me, u will drop it at least once in ur first season.

snow and bikes dont see eye to eye. i work only 2 miles from home, and in the winter, i wouldnt even think about it if there's snow on the roads. ice will take u out quicker than grandma in a buick. u should realize that typically, the most dangerous part of the ride is within 5-10 miles to or from home...u tend to get pre-occupied somehow when u are gettin close to home base.
for a winter rat, if u are not in a snowbelt area, cheap is better. u dont need a 4x4. as long as the car can easily pass inspection, the engine isnt 1 foot in the junkyard...grab it since u'd probably want to ride the bike anyway.

before u can get this bike tho, u need to get the permit...and u'll need to be at least 15 or 16...depending on state. it will be MANDITORY for u to pass the msf course since u are under 18; ohio is like this. if u plan on riding 2-up, go at least 1/2 a season solo first so u can learn how the bike handles instinctively...because 2-up riding is a whole new animal. u'll enjoy the bike, but ride like no 1 can see u....because quite often, they dont see u.

Answer 6

I don't know where to begin.

No, you should not get a bike as your first vehicle. You do not know how to read traffic and avoid dangers that will KILL you on a bike, 5 miles or not. In fact, most fatalities happen within 5 miles from home. Add onto that the extra $500 to $1000 you MUST have to get proper riding gear and the $5,000 per year in insurance, and you cannot afford a motorcycle.

Save up for a car first, and learn how the roads "work" for a few years. And I have news for you about your $1830 estimate. Take off 28% for taxes (leaving $1317), insurance (about $120/month) and gasoline at $2.50/gal and you've really only got a few hundred dollars.

Welcome to the REAL world, Junior, and it only gets worse when mom & dad stop paying for clothing, phone, internet, electricity, rent and food!

Keep dreaming and working hard, though, and when you get that bike it will be worth it.

Answer 7

So many words! Enjoy the bike, ride safe, look out for the other guy because he can't see you.

Answer 8

don't get a kawasaki get a suzuki, and no don't ride in the winter it can be very dangerous. i bought my 1991 accord for 900 and it's been a great car.