food for thought

i have done countless hours of research trying to find the "right" bike to start out with. i took my safety course on a honda rebel 250. the reason i picked the kawasaki 500 was because for the money, and value i'd recieve it looks on paper to be the best option for a beginning bike. after talking to countless people on the matter i had narrowed my choices down the the suzuki gs500 and the kawasaki 500. at a glance the bikes look identical. they are not. the kawasaki is cheaper. maybe only by 150 bucks but still cheaper. the kawasaki has more power. only 10 or so hp but more is still more. the kawasaki also is lighter, giving me the impression that for a first time buyer, it will handle better. i read a magazine comparisson of these two bikes and the kawasaki won 8 of the 10 comparisson points. the only things the suzuki had better was styling and brakes. but the suzuki is heavier so you would expect the brakes to be better.  they noted the kawasaki gets much better gas mileage. the engine in the kawasaki is liquid cooled, and the suzuki's is air cooled. from input i gathered from other people, liquid engines will last a lot longer thereby lowering my maintenence cost. now, i had looked at the sv650 and the ninja 650 also. they are by size bigger bikes. i'm not that big a guy. only 5'5 maybe 5'6 in my work boots. so i figured the smaller bikes would be more comfortable for me to ride on. honestly if i could have any bike it would be either a gixxer 600 or a cbr 600rr....maybe even a busa or zx-14....but those bikes are a long ways off in terms of my abilities. not to mention the insurance costs. well...i've rambled enough...hope this gives you a better idea of why i'm looking into this bike. thank you for your time.  

Justin, it's awesome to see anew rider who's really done is homework. A 500R is a great first bike--you'll be able to enjoy it for several years before you're jonesing for something faster. And, after a couple years, not only will you be comfortable w/more power, but a somewhat higher seat height won't be as intimidating. At equivalent price points, the 500R is a MUCH more satisfying bike than the Suzook.

Make sure to set aside $500 or so for your gear. You don't need a $700 Arai, but plan on spending $180-$220 for a good helmet from the likes of HJC,KBC,Shark,Scorpion,etc.,. Avoid the stuff any cheaper than that ---yeah, it'll save your skull, but the comfort/venting/looks are absolutely worth $100 bucks or so. Get a good jacket and gloves and you're set to go.  

My wife is only 5'5 but she loved the way the   ninja 650r felt. My suggestion is to try them on for size go, and sit on a few and find the one that fits you the best.  My best friend bought the 650r for his wife last year. He took his daughter to a friends and his wife never got it back he loved it so much that his gsx-r 750 sat in the garage most of the summer.  
Broom Brooomm

I noticed you joined the EX500 list Justin, good move.  Like Sloth said you dont need an ARAI but i personally love them. Of course i also bounced my head off the ground wearing one and walked away so i am kinda brand loyal now.  Get good gear, but you dont necessarily need leathers. The textile jackets and outfits are real good as well.  I bought a TourMaster jacket 7 years ago and not only did it survive hittign the ground at 35, i still wear it as my daily winter coat when not riding.

The slower smaller bikes really do allow you to enjoy riding a little more i think, which is kind of the point in the first place.  

Hope no one things i'm dissin' Arai ---- I wear one my ownself!!!! They are expensive but TOTALLY worth the money, but for a new rider biting the bullet for the first time, there is good stuff out there for less. Just make sure to try on several --- some things you can mail order, but you need to go to a shop and MAKE SURE a lid fits right!!  

Hey Justin, another factor to consider, that no one really mentioned, is finding a good dealer.  I bought both of my bikes form the same dealership. I was impressed with the sales peoples no *** atitude when i bought my EX and then was impressed by the shop at the dealership whenever i brought in the bike. The guys in the shop would take time to answer my questions, even the silly ones.  Its just something esle to consider  

justin,
 I am also a new rider and was considering the gs500f and the ninja 500, ended up with a ninja 650r. I am also vertically challenged (5' 6") and you can order a minus 1 inch seat from the factory. I talked to my MSF course instructors about this and they told me that even though it is only 1 inch, it will effect handling because the bike is no longer at factory specs. I tried on about 40 different helmets before buying and ended up with a scorpion exo-400,really like it. it is hard to test venting standing in the shop, so I found it helpful to look at customer reviews on websites. hope some of this helps you, the guys that post on this website are great and alot of my ?'s have been answered by reading other posts. take care.