Happiness!

My father always told me it doesn't matter the size of the bike you buy because you will have to learn to ride whatever it is that you do buy. I started out on a midnight special 850 shaft drive.
I would highly recommend you to buy a bike that is not too heavy for you to feel comfortable on and one that you take a more relaxed riding position on and always remember bikes are like guns. RESPECT or die.
I liked the speed of my bike, I thought it very fast and for a beginner it was very fast. You are young and you will want to take things to the edge each and every chance you get unless you are a panty waist. Get a cheap bike that has some crash bars on it as you most likely will drop it a few times standing. My bike was so top heavy that at lights some times it would lean a little and then it was all I had to keep it from going down. I dropped it about five times just starting it up and moving but it was top heavy and once it started I found it easiest just to slowly let her go down jump off and struggle to pick it up.
It is not suggested a beginner learn to ride on a sport bike but while a 250 may be too small the ex 500 ninja my brother owned was a blast to beat like a red headed step-child with freckles and buck teeth. I would wheelie it around corners it was so light and nimble. It was fast if I drop kicked it hard and could keep up with bigger bikes easily. If you are so young a big bike is really probably not the way to go less you get stupid at a moment's notice and have a brain fart. We will be reading about you later. Ride that 300 and don't worry if she whines she will get you there and I will be honest with you. You haven't mastered any corners yet. Trust me. On a big bike like the kz you have to throw your weight around to get it to handle well. Tri is a big baby huey so for him no problem but for us of lesser weight you have to really push it to get it to handle as well as a smaller bike. Going around a corner with 600 pounds between your legs and with 200 is quite a bit of difference.
We never master anything on two wheels, we can find that if we do it all the time we get fairly well aquainted with it but master is a strong word implying that you have no more to learn.

I have been riding over 22 years and find that I still am learning how to take fast corners and feel the bike trying to be one with my machine. After a year you tell us you have corners and shifting mastered then you could be saying that you are confident enough to do something your parents will later greatly regret. Stick with your bike and put about 20-30k on it then come back and tell us you have mastered the art of riding and we may tend to be more inclined to believe you.

Check out the 1/4 mile times on the Ninja 250. Roy

Saxjonz said what I meant. I thought I masters my 650. I got it in 1994 and I find I haven't mastered it yet. I have a wife, and two sons now. I don't have to master the bike anymore. I have to master the wisdom to not get dead!

Say...Don't the triumphs of old have everything on the opposite side???? I know the foot brake is opposite the normal side and I think perhaps I remember people saying that so many people wiped out on these bikes because of the negative transfer. I don't know about the throttle but Tri is a bit dyslexic and well... He was looking in the mirror or was thinking about...

larry hows the snow...left or right?????

stomp a 250...repeated for effect....

That's strange. I posted a reply and I don't see it here. But hey, anyway when you asked the snow was just fine but now HEY, we are getting Fing hammered! Good thing I bought new snow tires this year! California Cali for nia dreamin' on such a winter's day eeeay.

Id get it, seems like a good deal on a 1000 depending what conditon its in.

The bike isnt super tall so hopefully you will be able to balance it, its just ALOT heavier then yer 300cc
and alot faster if running good.

I weigh 155 6ft and i can easily handle my uncles 79 Suzuki GS1000, also my Cousin has a Fat Yami Vstar and I can handle it easily.

Its just a sense of balance,
respect for the bike and its power.
Road awareness.

you already heard this many times but TAKE THE CLASS!

And remember, "There are riders who have been down, and riders who are gonna go down"...

-luke

My rule of thumb has been; if bike is too heavy for me to lift without help, if I ever drop it, then is not for me.

IMHO - The bike you buy and ride depends on a couple of factors:

1) Do you like the bike? Does it look cool?

2) Does it serve your purpose? A 650 will be a much better bike for burning around town, where the 1000 will be a much better bike on the highway.

3)How much money do you have to spend on fuel? Not that bikes cost a lot to fill up, but a 650 burns a lot less gas then a 1000. Also, newer the bike gnerally the better the fuel economy.

After all is said and done, it is your choice. Being an owner of a 1000 and a 650 I gravitate more to the 650 for fun around town and when tuned properly it is a blast to get to 100MPH and for a vintage bike it is not to heavy or cumbersome to turn around in parking lots ect... the 1000 on the other hand is quite a handfull in stop and go traffic and parking lots. The 1000 does have plenty more HP and can be quite gratifying when the throttle is cranked on an open road.

If I was 14, 15, 16 I would want the 650. Throw a chick on the back of the bike and you are getting the weight up to 550 lbs.

Yukabodos

My 2 cents on how big of a bike to get. Take the bike and lay it down on its side. If you can't pick it up by yourself its to big. Maybe too simple a test, but safety and security are the most important issues. Maybe you're 14 and 6'3" and its not an issue. Sure the KZ may be a chick magnet, but not if its on its side and can't move.

On the fuel economy, anything would be better than my last bike. That 300 had carb issues that i was scared to figure out. I could take the float bowls off and clean the easy to get at stuff, but taking out the jets was a bit scary. Didn;t want to mess stuff up. That 300 had about the same size tank as my dad's 1981 KZ1000 LTD. When his tank was half empty, mine was completely empty. So a 1000 should be pretty awesome as far as gas goes if the carbs are working properly. I'm not scared of pulling them all the way apart anymore either so i can fix them no problem. One time, i went to move my dad's bike and my bike out of the driveway so my uncle coud get out with his van. I pushed my dad's KZ1000 up the driveway with no help at all no problem and put it on it's kick stand. I figured, while moving my bike that i would go down the alley way once since you can tear ass on the gravel in 1st and 2nd gear. When i came back to pull up behind my dad's bike, i came in alittle to fast. "oh well, the front break won't lock..." I was kind of new at riding. I pull in the front break on that wet grass i was riding over and my bike seemed to throw itself right on the ground. I rolled across the grass and jumped up immediately. My bike had slid into my dad's bike and knocked the KZ1000 over too. I ran to my bike and shut it off and then picked up my dad's bike... NO PROBLEM. Im 14 and i thought i was gonna have to go in and tell my dad what i did in front of my whole family because i didn't think i could pick it up. Maybe it was just the adrenalin but i didn;t have a problem picking it up. It was on its side too. I ran to my bike and picked it up too. No damage to either bike, went inside shaking and feeling really stupid. The KZ1000 may be alittle tall for me but i might get an extended swing arm and lower the forks a bit in the triple tree and i should be set. I like the bike and i will happily spend the 650 bucks to buy it. I ride on back country highways like the 2 lane ones. That bike is gonna be perfect for me and i can't wait to take it home.