yet you never had the 250, so how would you know?
the 250 will make you a better rider than the 650 will. if you have no interest in being a good or decent rider, by all means start on the 650. if you care about improving your riding skills get the 250.
What a steaming pile of dog crap that statement is. Like every person who started on a 650 is a crap rider. Honestly, It's not like starting on a 650 will ruin someone for riding forever. Have you ridden a 650? They aren't slow, but they aren't exactly a twitchy supersport, either.
That said, start on a 250. Get a used one, figure to pay about 2500-3000 for it. Ride it for about 6 months before you consider a larger bike.
I did start on a Ninja 250, and rode it for about 2 years, 10,000 miles. Most of that was slogging through stop and go traffic, without much highway. The ER-6N I have now is better in some ways on the highway, although the fairing on the 250 made wind blast easier to deal with. A Ninja 650 offers that so... My 250 was plenty capable on the highway, and had no real issues keeping up with most traffic. It will hold 70-75 MPH no problem, although acceleration at this point is not brisk.
Anyways, I recommend a 250 to start with for a few reasons:
1.
Price - buy a used one. They all work the same, and some guy that bought it last year is ready and willing to move on. Help them out. Also, if you drop it, repairs are fairly inexpensive. What's a 650r cost, how about a 250r? How much are brakes and tires for each?
2.
Performance - OK, let me explain. If I get on my ER-6N and crack the throttle wide open in first, the front wheel comes up. I don't want it to, so I take it easy in first. On my 250, excess power was not an issue. Not like a 650 will throw you off the back, but it's more likely to get out of your control than a 250 is. The 250 is more forgiving and easy to handle, especially if you aren't experienced with a motorcycle.
3.
Handling and weight - The 250 handles great out of the box. I'm sure a 650 isn't too shabby, either. but comparing my 250 with my ER, the 250 was lighter and more easily maneuverable at low speeds. If you pull a stupid and forget to put down a kickstand, it's easier to catch a lower, lighter 250 than a 650. It happens, you can crash at 0 MPH at a gas station. You'll likely only do this once... let it happen on a bike you can catch.
4.
It's pretty much free - What? Listen, buy a used one, don't trash it, and sell it for the same price next year if you get a new bike.
5.
It encourages good driving skills - Which is what I think that goingtoscotland was trying to say. Thing is, on a faster bike, you can always try to escape a bad situation by twisting the throttle. Thing is, on a 250, that style of riding will get you wadded up a ball on the ground. So, you learn how to avoid these situations by maneuvering, stopping, and most of all paying attention to what's around you. Not being in a crap situation is the best way to get out of one. On a fast(er) bike, it's real easy to take the easy way out and accelerate. However, even if you do get a faster bike in the future, the skills you learn on a 250 are better. if it turns bad and you wreck, would you rather wreck after slowing from 60-40, or after acceleration from 60-80? I'd rather not, but I'd much rather rely on gear at 40 MPH than 80 MPH. No brainer.
