It was okay looking. The more I look at 250 Ninjas, the more I realize how "meh" they are. I want a shiny bike! I want a bike that says "Damn. I am sexy." But I know that should be lower on my list of priorities. Right now I just need something to learn on. The sexy bike will come later...I guess...
I responded to the ad and spoke to the seller over the phone and he seemed really cool! He told me he wanted to meet in a public place because of his safety and mine. He encouraged a friend to come with me for a second opinion because buying a bike can be a big deal. Best of all, he was okay with moving to an empty parking after so that I could test ride it. I was really liking this guy! Or was I being scammed? I can be such a gullible fool.
Brought my BF with me to San Francisco to check out the bike. We all met at a Borders parking lot. I noticed that he brought a car with 4 dudes in it...for protection?? I liked that it was silver, but not digging the orange. Scratches here and there, but no major dents. Physically it was in better shape than the last bike, but my BF said he wasn't sure if it was maintained well. The exhaust pipe was damn rusty! Also when he rode it, it puttered a lot. Sounded like, "putt, putt, putt, putt" instead of "putt-putt-putt-putt." Know what I mean? It's like the poor thing was struggling! Eh, decided that I wanted to test ride it anyway. We went to a deserted parking lot, I put on my gear, sat on the Ninja, let out the clutch, aaaaand I stall the bike of course. I forgot that these lower powered bike need some throttle when you start! The last time I rode a 250 was in the MSF course back in December. I try again and off I go smoothly! The first thing I noticed is how weak this bike feels! Going from a 600cc bike to this is like "BOOOO!!! GIMME MORE POWER!!!" However, I did love how light and maneuverable it felt. It really is a great beginner bike. I rode around a couple of times and tested out the brakes. I took the bike back and had my BF test it out. When he came back, we all noticed that the back tire looked flat. The seller rolled the wheel and found a nail in it! Someone ran over it! I'm actually pretty sure it was me since I noticed the flat-ish tire before my BF got on the bike. Whoops. You could actually hear the "hissssss" from air escaping. Man I felt salty! The guy said he was going to fix it and we agreed to meet in an hour. During that hour, we got Thai food at Chaba, which has one of the best Pad Kee Mao's I've ever had, and I've had a TON. I took this opportunity to really think about the bike. Here are some thoughts that were going through my head:
Do I want a 250 at all? They seem underpowered and so far I can handle a 600cc motorcycle.
Are bike tires really that weak? I didn't hear a pop and a tiny nail busted it!
The look of Kawasaki Ninjas are not impressive to me. Should I go with something else?
I have no strong feelings about the bike. Is this normal? Or am I supposed to gasp when I see "the one"? Or am I waiting for a feeling for a bike that doesn't exist with beginner bikes?
This guy seems to be trustworthy. I'd rather buy a bike from him than some cheater.
Gaaahhh! I was really conflicted. What really helped me make a decision was when my boyfriend said:
There will be more bikes. It's better to wait than to rush into buying one. He was right. I had no strong happy feelings about it, so I texted the dude, apologized for the busted tire and passed on the bike. Sure I felt like a total a--hole for the accident, but that's the risk you take when selling...right? I'm just glad that I didn't buy it, then notice the flat.
At the end of the day, I did make the right decision. So my important learned lessons for the day:
1. Take someone with you when shopping to help you process. I didn't want my excitement to cloud my judgment.
2. Yes there will be more bikes, especially during this time of year. No need to hurry.
My bike is out there somewhere! I hope when I meet her, I'll feel tingles.
Written on 4/5/11
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