I bought a bike.....

[Psh511]

+1 on the Akai full face helmet...when I had my bike (actually a Ninja 250) I found the Akai to be the most comfortable helmet out there...yes they are pricey but they give you a full (lifetime?) warrantee and the inside is washable...plus the screen is interchangable with ease

[SEEGERMANY]

helmet = approx. $300
boots = approx. $175
gloves = approx. $45
protective jacket = approx. $225
eyewear = approx. $35
riding pants = approx. $125

Of course, your family may learn to like "paint chips." LMAO

[khabibissell]

Yea, you guys probably won't be too impressed but I settled on a 2003 Kawasaki Ninja 250R. It only has 1300 miles on it.

Well, I'm impressed. It is great to see when people use their brains and make the right decision when buying their first motorcycle. Too often, you see guys buy 600 or 1000 race replicas and have no clue how to ride. Worse yet, most don't wear any gear (well a helmet, but only because you have to here).

At minimum, get a full face helmet. A good HJC helmet should run you less that $175, and is fully DOT and SNELL approved.

Leather gloves. I've got a pair of Joe Rocket gloves that are of the shorter variety, but have padding and extra stiching and material in the palms, and were less than $50

Leather Jacket with armor. I found a cool Teknic leather with armor for around $230.

Boots. Alpinestars S-MX are what I wear. They are comfy and very protective.

I wear the above gear every time I take the bike out, even if it is a short trip. I think that leather pants would be a great idea too. Another thing I'd recommend is wearing ear plugs (cheapy foam ones) when you ride, especially on the freeway. The wind noise can be pretty loud at 80+. I find that I am more focused on riding when I'm wearing them, and you can still hear everything you need to. Being a musician, you can't be too careful with your ears!

[clifffclaven]

Well, I'm impressed. It is great to see when people use their brains and make the right decision when buying their first motorcycle. Too often, you see guys buy 600 or 1000 race replicas and have no clue how to ride. Worse yet, most don't wear any gear (well a helmet, but only because you have to here).

At minimum, get a full face helmet. A good HJC helmet should run you less that $175, and is fully DOT and SNELL approved.

Leather gloves. I've got a pair of Joe Rocket gloves that are of the shorter variety, but have padding and extra stiching and material in the palms, and were less than $50

Leather Jacket with armor. I found a cool Teknic leather with armor for around $230.

Boots. Alpinestars S-MX are what I wear. They are comfy and very protective.

I wear the above gear every time I take the bike out, even if it is a short trip. I think that leather pants would be a great idea too. Another thing I'd recommend is wearing ear plugs (cheapy foam ones) when you ride, especially on the freeway. The wind noise can be pretty loud at 80+. I find that I am more focused on riding when I'm wearing them, and you can still hear everything you need to. Being a musician, you can't be too careful with your ears!

+1 to everything here. good advice.

[scotty]

+2, you did good. Boots saved me once already. I never ride without prober gear. I hate seeing people in shorts and sandals.

[Rupe]

+3 on khabibissell's post. As a former employee of the county coroner's office, I can tell you first hand the importance of a full face helmet. There's more than a few bikers out there who no longer have faces, bottom jaws, etc. from going down wearing an open face or skull cap style helmet.

The good news is that you'll probably never go fast enough on a 250 to do any real damage!

(Just kidding...I've ridden one of those before and I think you made a great choice for a first bike...plenty fast.)

[GodOfRhythm]

Congratulations John! Looks nice, especially for a first bike!

[khabibissell]

Here's some good reading material for ya:

http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/Riding_Tips.pdf

And another site that I look at periodically to remind me what can happen if I act irresponsible with the throttle or just plain don't pay attention while I'm out riding. It is a bit sad and there are some gruesome pics and vids on there, but again, it is a reminder of how dangerous riding can be if you don't use your head. This may be NSFW...

http://www.ride2die.com

[jgcable]

Thanks guys. I am taking all your advise. Its nice to have riders to help me out.
I paid for the bike tonight and I am picking it up tomorrow.

My buddy came and test drove it and he said it was great. He drives a 2007 HD Screamin Eagle Springer softail. He was very surprised at the size of the bike. He was thinking it was going to be small but actually.. it looks just like most other Ninja's.

[Cleveland Metal]

And another site that I look at periodically to remind me what can happen if I act irresponsible with the throttle or just plain don't pay attention while I'm out riding. It is a bit sad and there are some gruesome pics and vids on there, but again, it is a reminder of how dangerous riding can be if you don't use your head. This may be NSFW...

http://www.ride2die.com

Seen enough of that stuff on the streets here. Definitely a good reality check.

[Bengal65]

There's lots of great suppliers out there for riding gear. Many of them are accessible on-line.
For helmets, I like Arai. They fit me like a glove, but are expensive. I used to be a diehard Bell fan for years, but their quality has suffered over the years. The old timers at Bell used to have a saying when it came to an expensive helmet. "How much is your head worth" Would you wear a cheap helmet? I wear my helmet if I just drive down the driveway. I've been riding and racing motorcycles for 40 years now and seen my share of injuries.

Shoei (already mentioned) also makes a great helmet for less than an Aria.

There are also alternatives to leather for jackets and pants that are protective and vented (some are a mesh, others have zip open vents) at the same time. Here in Texas, even in the summer I ride with a complete suit with body armour. I don't care if it's 100F out. I wear the stuff if I'm going to ride. The materials are light and cooler than leather. So, don't feel limited to just leather for protective gear. Some mfg. "Joe Rocket", Aerostitch (hard core touring stuff) I have an Aerostitch suit I use winter and summer, all year round for touring and commuting to work.

Boots-Alpinestars! They make casual as well as racing boots in Italian leather.

Also, A good pair of gloves are a must!

Good Luck with your adventure. Sounds like a cool little bike!

[RacerX]

Also, speaking of Shoei vs Arai....

it's common knowledge that they fit differently, ie, you either have a "Shoei head" or an "Arai head" so don't get discouraged if the first one you try doesn't feel right.

But these are high end helmets....HJCs are almost if not just as good.
I own an Arai & an HJC.

[GodOfRhythm]

To be honest, Ron, the last thing you want to skimp on is a good helmet, that sob should crack and resist so your skull doesn't have to.

[Thrust]

To be honest, Ron, the last thing you want to skimp on is a good helmet, that sob should crack and resist so your skull doesn't have to.

I agree that you certainly don't want to skimp on a quality helmet, but I'd wager that an HJC or Scorpion or <<gasp>> Icon offer a similar level of protection (they're all SNELL). What you pay extra for is lightweight, comfort, and aerodynamics.

That being said, I bought a Shoei and don't regret it one bit.

Interesting (quick) read--The worst helmet Arai has seen.

http://www.araiamericas.com/news.asp?Article=News/Article_current.asp

[StukaJU87]

John, congrats on the new bike. May you have many years and miles enjoying the ride. Everyone has given such good advise on the MSF course and proper gear, that I won't bother you with that stuff.