What is a good first motorcycle? - 1

I'm looking into buying my first motorcycle. I'm a 16 year old guy and i weigh about 140 pounds. I was thinking of spending around 1500-2000 dollars. I don't really know what a good first bike would be so i figured i would ask. I've been looking at honda nighthawks and one I found was a 2008 250 with 10k miles on it that was 2 grand. So i guess i'm asking if that bike would be worth it and any other bike in general. I like the style of the nighthawk and bikes like it so any like that would great.

The Honda Nighthawk versions has been around for numerous years, are nice dependable bikes.
Your choice isn't a bad one for a beginner/starter bike, we all out grow those.

Price isn't bad if the bike is in good riding order so check out what needs replacement soon and deduct that from the seller's price (chain/sprocts/tires, etc).

https://ventura.craigslist.org/mcy/5449576645.html -- 1995 with 10K miles for $1,500. And it was the only one in Greater Los Angeles, the little Nighthawk not common. Not many people want a small standard. 13 years newer, about 1,500 miles / year which means it wasn't sitting in a garage for many months rotting.

We *all* do not out grow a little bike. I rode a DT175 in Los Angeles for 13 years. Got a bigger, learned I didn't need it and have been riding a Vespa 150 for the last 3 years. Only you can tell if you will be want bigger or will prefer pushing the limits of a small bike.

It's a much better choice than the idiots who think an R6 is a learner bike. In the uk learners are limited to 125s at your age because 16 year olds are usually very reckless. Don't go mad. Always wear helmet gloves jacket and biking pants. You'll be hot in summer but as you are very likely to come off in your first year you need to avoid months of plastic surgery.

GREAT first bike.

Nighthawk is a great long running series of bikes. Whatever you get make sure you find a good riding position for YOU, is comfortable to sit on and both feet can be easily put on the ground at a stop light. What you want to look for is a bike that looks and runs like the owner cared for it, not a fixer or an "all it needs is this one little thing" mystery bike. Some people can trash a new bike and there are hundreds of old bikes that are in great shape.

I have had a 1995 Honda Nighthawk 250 for the past four years which is almost exactly the same thing as the 2008. I can't really find anything difference at all. Anyways, I bought mine for $1,000 with 4,600 miles on it. On craigslist in my area there's another 1995 for $800 and it looks great.

From my experience the past couple of years the bike is very, very reliable and it is a sweet bike for around town and even a trip if you want to stay on back roads. In fact, I'm planning a trip for the western part of the US after this semester. 2 Grand flat isn't bad for an 8 year old bike but you could probably get an older one for a cheaper price tag like I did. Pull up the specs and pictures of a 90's version vs. An 08… They look the exact same!

The bike should fit you well. I'm 140 exactly as well and it it's a pretty light bike so it will be easy to handle for you.

My first bike was KTM Duke 390. Lighter than Nighthawk 250 but it's 373 cc. Great bike! I ran it 160 kph first time on the highway