Will I outgrow a 300cc too soon?

lol real bike. You mean one where you don't actually have to shift at all? Might as well get a Burgman then.


300 cc are really nice bikes, unless you want to 2-up, and are gravitationally challenged, as I am.
 
You'll be fine and will actually be able to afford insurance. I went from a 650 to a 125 and am still plenty happy. Just rev it much higher now instead of babying it all the time. Really a 300-400 would be nicer for general use than my 125 2 stroke. 300 4 stroke would do fine on the highway all day. Mine needs a rebuild after a few trips to Ottawa or North Bay and back near redline. I've been considering a KTM 390 (not sure if I'd go naked or faired) as a second highway bike but I want something lower than I can get my feet down in the winter to help stabilize when if it gets slippery but mid CC low seat height bikes seem to be rare.
 
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OP - how old are you .
Height and weight?

If you are a new rider then check insurance rates FIRST.....be sitting down when you do.
 
Considering he's looking for a bike that can do highway miles "comfortably" I don't understand why anyone would be recommending a 300.

Can a Ninja 300 get up to highway speeds? ... Sure it can.

The real question is can you overlook the heavy vibrations and wind blowing you around while you scream down the highway at 9 thousand RPM all the way to your destination.

Don't get me wrong, 300's are great for a lot of things. Highway riding just isn't one of them.

Even the added weight of a Ninja 400 would make a difference. It's not even about power.
 
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^^ Yeah, heavier bike = more stable...doesn't mean a 300 is going to be blown off the highway....get real. Rode my wifes 250 home across the top of Toronto, felt just find on it and not sure why you seem to think 9K RPM is required to maintain speed but even at 100K I was comfortably in 5th gear.

OP, as others have touched on resale isn't a huge concern unless you're buying brand new (don't, financing = mandatory full coverage = $$$$ for new rider, plus the depreciation hit the second you leave the dealership) or overpay. If you buy a reasonably priced used bike it'll still be worth the majority of what you paid for it when it comes time to sell it unless you drop or damage it.
 
^^ Yeah, heavier bike = more stable...doesn't mean a 300 is going to be blown off the highway....get real. Rode my wifes 250 home across the top of Toronto, felt just find on it and not sure why you seem to think 9K RPM is required to maintain speed but even at 100K I was comfortably in 5th gear.

OP, as others have touched on resale isn't a huge concern unless you're buying brand new (don't, financing = mandatory full coverage = $$$$ for new rider, plus the depreciation hit the second you leave the dealership) or overpay. If you buy a reasonably priced used bike it'll still be worth the majority of what you paid for it when it comes time to sell it unless you drop or damage it.

"Rode my wife's 250 across the top of Toronto without dying" = comfortable bike for highway riding.

... Got it :roll:
 
I bought a CBR300RASE as my first bike. 220ish lbs, 6'0, 0 road bike experience, plenty of dirt experience. I bought it strictly for insurance savings vs a bigger bike, and the fact that I want to be able to use the entire bike. I don't plan on going a billion miles an hour and a 300 is more than enough to handle the road speeds in canada. In my town you would be lucky to get out of second gear on a 600cc+ bike, and my commute for work is only about 20km each way.

Depreciation on a new small bike is laughable. I paid $5066 and I might sell it for 3500-4000 in a year or 2 in good condition. $1500 depreciation? Meh. As of right now if I tried to sell my 2013 car I bought new, I would take a 10,000$ bath. That's a lot harder to stomach.

About the highway, it IS only a 300. Don't expect to be doing wheelies at 100mph, or even holding 100mph comfortably TBH.
 
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"Rode my wife's 250 across the top of Toronto without dying" = comfortable bike for highway riding.

... Got it :roll:

Big fella rides little ladies 250 on the HIGHWAY!!!! At first I couldn't believe it but the story never changes.
 
I bought a CBR300RASE as my first bike. 220ish lbs, 6'0, 0 road bike experience, plenty of dirt experience. I bought it strictly for insurance savings vs a bigger bike, and the fact that I want to be able to use the entire bike. I don't plan on going a billion miles an hour and a 300 is more than enough to handle the road speeds in canada. In my town you would be lucky to get out of second gear on a 600cc+ bike, and my commute for work is only about 20km each way.

Depreciation on a new small bike is laughable. I paid $5066 and I might sell it for 3500-4000 in a year or 2 in good condition. $1500 depreciation? Meh. As of right now if I tried to sell my 2013 car I bought new, I would take a 10,000$ bath. That's a lot harder to stomach.

About the highway, it IS only a 300. Don't expect to be doing wheelies at 100mph, or even holding 100mph comfortably TBH.

Going downhill with the throttle pinned for a couple miles it would scratch 100MPH.

Jus sayin
 
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I've seen guys on a VTR 250 get laughed at by guys on 600s and get respectable nods from busa and blackbird riders. Guys name was/is doodz on here he rode that bike for 3-5 years and made many a big guy on a brand new 600ss look like a fool.


Honesty offends fools
 
Great answer, I would love to have one for "I just want to **** around track days"
My 4th bike was a 250. Shared the garage with a couple of 750s. A gixxer and a sport tourer. You don't outgrow them, you just use em differently.
 
I like these threads where there's no wrong answer. Blowing over top of TO on a 250 like Santa on a miniature pony being the exception that proves the rule.
 
"Rode my wife's 250 across the top of Toronto without dying" = comfortable bike for highway riding.

Guy who just bought his first street bike and doesn't even have any class of M licence yet, self describes himself as a "noob", has a grand total of zero kilometers of road experience offers valuable opinion based on having never ridden a 300 street bike before.

Ok, got it now.
 
Blowing over top of TO on a 250 like Santa on a miniature pony being the exception that proves the rule.

You're just jealous. 8)

BTW, I ride a Clydesdale, not a pony. Seriously.
 
Thats just fine for me. I don't need to be doing 60kph over the speed limit, I enjoy having a license. And skin! LOL!

I hate when people say crap like this. Keeping your licence by not being an idiot. Keep your skin by not being an idiot. It will hurt the exact same amount crashing a fast bike at 70mph as it will crashing a 300.
 
I hate when people say crap like this. Keeping your licence by not being an idiot. Keep your skin by not being an idiot. It will hurt the exact same amount crashing a fast bike at 70mph as it will crashing a 300.
I think you misunderstood me.. I said nothing about the damage/pain caused by crashing at various speeds.. Just stated that I have no need to speed 60kph over the limit, and no desire to go that fast on a bike. If that makes me an idiot, OK I guess?

"I hate when people say crap like this. Keeping your licence by not being an idiot."... Really? facepalm. I'll gladly take your skin/license if you don't want it.
 
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