between a crf230l and ninja 250

F

frugalman

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my purchase of drz400 didn't happen, so i was forced to look at other choices.

I have these choices right now to choose from:

2008 crf230l
or
2011 ninja 250

price of ninja is higher.

they are completely different but both are still beginner bikes. - Which one should I choose?

I like the crf230 and its versatility, but worried it would look "dorky" on the road. Also, it feels a bit small, just a tiny bit. (is this labeled a wife's bike??)

I like the ninja also, it seems more bigger and looks better. But It can only go on paved roads.
 
Almost any bike can competently handle gravel roads, just keep the speeds under control. Check out the pictures of toysareforboys offloading in his R6 (not recommended, but it mostly worked). I have no experience with the 230, but if you are planning on getting a bike for mostly street with some gravel, you can't go wrong with the 250. If your idea of a fun day on the bike is finding a tiny trail and seeing where it goes, the 230 is probably a better fit.
 
Why not CRF250L? How often will you go offroad? The Ninja 250 can hit some light gravel/dirt roads just don't expect to go trail riding with it...
 
I've been riding the 230L for a few months now and I love it. Its my first bike after riding a Vespa for a few years. I'm happy with my choice - its a used '08 as well. A workhorse, basically.

The riding profile is nice - comfortable balance and handles well. I think if I was gonna go sport bike I'd rather have something bigger than 250, because you will most certainly want to upgrade your speed/power at some point. A dual-sport is great at this level. Commuting, off-roading, whatever. I just added a windscreen and a front rack as I plan on doing some multi-day road trips next summer.

Its a great ride.
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