Posted by ant on February 08, 2000 at 23:56:33:
In Reply to: Gotta think about it some more posted by Bill/Oregon on February 07, 2000 at 06:37:03:
I had the same experience as you a year ago. I looked at the various 250s on the market (primarily because of their low cost), but found an unsold 1998 Savage for about the same price.
The test ride was a heart-in-mouth experience, the damn thing seemed so BIG after the training Honda. But the bike is very forgiving, and I felt things would be fine with a little practice away from heavy traffic.
And so it proved to be. If you go with a 250, it's a sure bet that you'll want to trade it in for something larger within a few months. I think you'd be better off taking the plunge with the 650, but then practising what you've learned on the MSF course at your own pace.
My Savage is my primary transport now, and much more fun than a car for commuting, errands and such. But when I started learning to ride it, I made sure I didn't have to rely on it - the last thing you need is pressure while you're building confidence.
Good luck,
Ant