MZ 125SM vs Kawasaki Ninja 250

[125SMash]

a classmate of mine wasnt to get into motorcycling.
i'm pushing him to get the 126sm -naturally-.

but hes other alternative is the ninja 250, which i hate to admit is an awesome choice: 3,000$
more powerfull engine, all the little niceties like the tachmotere, both stands. multiple nearby delaerships that can service the bike.
perfect starter bike essentially.

can anyone think of any arguments for me to use on him?
aside form the fact of MZ uniqueness in styling and brand name.

[phlat65]

if he goes down on the ninja, it will probably be totaled. the forks bend real easy, and all that body work is expensive. drop a 125sm, and not much can happen. for a first bike, the upright seating, leverage from the bars, and maneuverablty, are not only easier on the body, but are safer.

there's a little more for ya!!

[Nobog]

My #1 daughter has a 250 Ninja (and years ago I had one also) and it is a solid motorcycle. Fun to ride. Just keep the revs up. The magazines don't like it because its not new with titanium valves. The carbs plug up easily however due to the small passages. So... #2 daughter wants to start riding so I thought the 125 MZ's would be a good start, then I see the price, nearly $4K U.S! So I dig out my buyers guide from earlier in the year and they are going for about $3,000 - $3,300. What happened there? I know they are always discounted but MZ needs to give a reason to search one of these things out and this won't help. I would think insurance would be cheaper with the 125 and this could be quite substantial. Another thing on the Ninja, the dealers around here do not discount them at all and tack on freight and set-up so the real price is about $3500.
Keep the rubber side down, Jim

[125SMash]

the price hike is due to the conversion rates of the more powerful euro.
125sm does not justify its new price tag and is likely to an extremely hard sell.

which is a shame since an availability of a starter supermoto bike would do alot for the supermoto, motorcycling and specifically MZ in the united states.

anyways, thanks for the tips guys, looks like my friend is settled on the ninja, mainly for the price tag, and dealer availability.

[mham001]

Kawasaki and Suzuki share a 250 street legal enduro type, don't they? I had my eyes on a Super Sherpa a few years ago. Bags and accessories available. Anyway, a beginner ought to buy used.

[125SMash]

when i was gathering my money and info to get into motorcycling, everyone was stressing the importance of getting a used bike.
while i was starting out all their argumenst made sense to me, but eventually i ended up buying 'new' with a discount, mainly because i wanted this particular bike and nothing else.

through this experience i developed my own reasoning on the issue:

buy NEW, cheap starter bike, at the end or off season.
1)warranty, if you are getting into bikes on your own and got no friends to help you out with tips and help, some mechanics are like sharks out there. atleast with a warranty youll get your bike serviced if need arises.

maintanance, repairs and transportation of a 'dead' bike can more than make up the money youve 'saved' with a used one.

2)a new bike will not have the surprises of a used bike that you dont know if it has been dropped. modified, corroded. etc.

3)a new cheapie bike will be less powerfull (dangerous) then a more powerfull used bike taht you might be tempted to get. and once you get better, you can just trade it in or get anotehr one, (as you would witha rat bike either way eventually)



the arguments for dropping, and or dumping the hobby.

well, my opinion on that is just ride carefully and within your (microscopic in the begining) ability.
if you drop the interest, a new bike will sell better than a used one.
a rat bike you might even give up trying to save and lose the 'investment' completely.

[Nobog]

I just saw a '03 Super Sherpa for $2750 at the local bike parts place (http://www.bobscycle.com) with only 300 miles. That would be "used" for me. The daughters first bike was a used 250 ninja with 12,000 miles. It looked clean on the outside but was really trashed. $1600 then sold it for $800 because that was all its worth. I feel stupid because I know motorcycles and should have known better. I agree with Smash, save for a couple of more months and get something new unless you know the owner or history of the bike. The current 250 ninja had only 600 miles and just had a dealer service and was pristine - so that worked out ok, in any event I would avoid an older bike, especially for a newbe, they should have something where the controls and brakes work perfect - they have enough problems with consentrating on the road JK