Honda Nighthawk 250

Popular Standard for Motorcycle Beginners: Honda Nighthawk 250

It's hard for motorcycle beginners to find reviews of entry-level motorcycles. Magazines prefer to use their print and paper on expensive new models. I myself got started as a beginner on another Honda starter motorcycle, the 1983 Custom 250. That was 22 years ago. I currently ride and love my Yamaha V-Max. The 250cc class is a great size for motorcycle beginners. Start out slowly, build your skills confidently and you will have a V-Max (or GSX1000 or Gold Wing or Valkyrie) in your garage, too!

Honda Nighthawk 250

CB250
Years Available: 1990 - ?
Engine Size: 234cc
Motorcycle Style: Standard
Good Beginner Motorcycle? YES...but there are better.
Pros: Decades-proven engine; classic Nighthawk styling on a budget
Cons: Drum brakes front and rear; kinda pricey for a beginners bike
Estimated Used Price Range: $1,400-$3,00 ($3,599 New in 2005)


Honda has been using this 234cc parallel twin engine for decades. For motorcycle beginners in their late teens or early 20's this is a great choice for you. Its engine provides plenty of around-town power and pick-up for recreation and chore-duty. It can also carry the under-200 pound rider satisfactorily on the highways, though I doubt you'll ever be able to manage a speeding ticket. These 250's can manage about 65 with a tail-wind.



1984 Honda Nighthawk S

The Nighthawk line of Hondas was a very respected line in the 1980's. A perfect beginning motorcycle then was the Nighthawk 450, stylish and plenty powerful. Each Nighthawk had its own image: the 550 was more of a Shadow-like cruiser, the Nighthawk 650 was a sport-minded standard, the 750 of the early 1980's sported quad exhaust pipes and was a muscled standard, and the Nighthawk S was a sleek, efficient naked sportbike.

In the late 1990's Honda resurrected the Nighthawk as the CB750. Popular though bland, it appealed to a wide range of ages and skills. The 750 was subsequently dropped in early 2000; the Nighthawk 250 remains as the only current Nighthawk.


My Unenthusiastic Recommendation: ...Ehhh...

I can't give my whole-hearted recommendation for this 250 to motorcycle beginners. At a new 2005 price of $3,599 it is $500 more than the Honda Rebel which does have disk brakes on the front at least. The Honda Rebel, I might argue, is more aesthetically pleasing as well. The Nighthawk 250 is the economic of the motorcycling world.

Honda Rebel - A Better Choice for Motorcycle Beginners

Kawasaki Eliminator 125

Made for Motorcycle Beginners: Kawasakis Eliminator 125

Kawasakis Eliminator 125 is made expressly for motorcycle beginners. It features a low seat height, it is very light-weight and Kawasaki gave it great styling. But is it really the best starter motorcycle for you?

Kawasaki Eliminator 125

Engine Size: 124cc
Motorcycle Style: Standard
Good Beginner Motorcycle? Their exclusive audience, perhaps
Pros: Excellent learning platform, pretty good looks and styling
Cons: Is anyone else besides the MSF buying them?
Price: $2,649 (New, 2005)

The Eliminator 125 has a way-low seat height of 26.8 inches at a bird-like 291 pounds. Its 3.4 gallon gas tank is huge considering it probably gets like 80 miles to the gallon. It is available only in black, but Kawasaki did see well enough to outfit the front wheel with a hydraulic disc brake. Some cycles twice this size only have mealy drum brakes on the front... yeah I'm looking at you, Nighthawk 250. It's a single cylinder only, and it's air cooled. Don't go driving across the Mojave desert in the middle of July on this thing, but then again, you probably don't need me to remind you of that.

Alright, let's not kid around. A 125cc street bike is a great, non-threatening ride for absolute motorcycle beginners. Heck, I don't think any two-wheeled experience (pedaled or powered) is a prerequisite for throwing a leg over this and taking laps around the nearest parking lot.

But remember... wasn't there a time when motorcycles were unpredictable, dangerous, even a little outlaw-like to you? This little Eliminator will, well, eliminate all those horrible, scary, alien images you may have about motorcycling. Heck, my first ride was a Yamaha RX50 2-stroke, and it was all the cycle my 16-year-old self needed at the time (for about a year, anyway). The forgiving nature of that little Yamaha 2-stroke really inspired confidence in me and helped me learn about motorcycle riding. It introduced me to the fun, daring, exciting, individualized world that motorcycling is in my eyes. And I don't doubt that this Eliminator will do that for thousands of motorcycle beginners.



Recommendation for Motorcycle Beginners

The 124cc engine isn't gonna want your 6 foot 200-plus pound mouth-breathing ass on it. No, I recommend the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 for motorcycle beginners who are, perhaps, still in high school, or the ladies with a short inseam. The rest of you XL sized - look elsewhere. Try the Nighthawk 250, the Rebel 250, or the Buell Blast.

When I read that the warning lights were mounted on the tank of the motorcycle, not higher in the driver's vision, I was upset with Kawasaki. However, the turn indicator lights / high beam / Neutral indicator lights aren't really crucial when you're in motion, defying the laws of gravity, so ... no harm, no foul. Lots of cycles have warning lamps in this location.