Any woman who has considered buying a bike has undoubtedly been told (by men) to start on a 250. Perhaps it's ingrained chauvinism, perhaps it's genuine concern, either way this comment always rubs me the wrong way. Did anyone tell them to start on a 250? Probably not. Stepping back from my snap offense, I will admit, 250's are awesome bikes, but hardly anyone really thinks about the specifics.
So before you jump into the 250 market, let's make sure you're buying it for the RIGHT reasons, NOT because "it's a good bike for girls to start on."
The first reason 250's are considered good for women is their size. To get an idea of the real dimensions I am going to compare a Ninja 250 to a Harley-Davidson 883 Low Sporty and a Honda CBR 600rr. The Ninja 250 weighs in at around 344 lb and has a seat height of 29.3 inches. The 600rr weighs in at 381 lbs and the seat reaches 32.3 inches. Our Sporty's wet weight sits at 583 lbs and the seat barely reaches 25.3 inches. In reality the 600cc sportbike is hardly 40-50 pounds more than the 250cc and two inches taller. While that two inches may be a make or break factor for you, remember you can safely lower sportbikes an inch or two.
Next is the "power" argument, with the same old sentiment that women can't handle as much power as men. Now "power" is a complex thing to gauge, especially factoring in the Harley, so we will compare using a easy to understand 0-60 time (how long it takes the bike goes from still to 60 mph). The Ninja 250 clocks in at 7.6 seconds, 600rr at 3.2 seconds at and the 883 Sporty 6.4 seconds (keep in mind these numbers are approximate as different years and models will vary). So if your main concern is your twitchy throttle, it may be a good idea to step away from a 600cc bike until you get some time in the saddle with a more forgiving bike.
The next fact is the price -you can get a shiny, new 250 for a steal!
These are the facts you should take into consideration when buying a bike, not if it's the right choice for your gender. My next advice is to go down to your dealer and sit on all the bikes you're interested in and go with the one you truly like, not the one someone says you should like.
