HELP!

[EthioKnight]

Hey there,
I just bought a 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250 that is need of a couple of repairs. It was laid down at low speed and has damage to the blinker, fuel tank and gear shifter lever. I estimate the repairs are gonna cost me about $400. Now here's where my conundrum arises, I was thinking about taking the MSF course ($200) before I started looking for bikes, but this deal was too good to pass and now I am deliberating on what I should do first, take the Motorcycle Safety Course or repair the bike. I can't do both due to financial constraints, obviously.
What do you guys think I should do....learn to operate a bike well and then concentrate on doing repairs or wait, fix the bike and then learn how to ride? (Mind you I'm not a complete noob to riding, I've been punting along on my spree for over 4 months now, but sport bikes are on a whole different level and some training wouldn't hurt)
Thanks in advance for any input, you'll be doing me a great favor.

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[dun rite]

you might want to learn to ride first so you don't do damage to something you just put money into..

Me i'd just want to ride

[EthioKnight]

Thanks for the response bro,
It's just that if I take the course first, I would have to wait even longer to accumulate enough money to repair the bike and ride her....knowing you're fully capable of riding a bike, knowing you have a bike, but not getting to ride...that could be too hard for me to swallow, anyway, thanks for chiming in. That's one up for the MSF.

[dun rite]

after 4 months of mopeding you have a good understanding of how to ride. just take it easy on the bigger one. no wheelies or burnouts and you'll be fine. even if you take the coarse first then fix the bike you would still have to learn how to ride with the extra power. good luck with your decision.

[martynkim]

I did the same thing as you are. You will be suprised to see what you are capable of. You know here you can take the test on a scooter. Might check?

[EthioKnight]

Oh no, I'm not worried about the bike not being fully functional for the MSF course, they provide their own bike and gear. I was only questioning the wisdom of shelling out most of my "repair" money on a learners course.
Thanks for the input bud, appreciate it.

[martynkim]

What I was saying is here you can just take the test on anything without taking the course. IDK what your state laws are.

[wentwest]

Just fix the bike. It will take a while, and you can rebuild your wallet while you rebuild the bike. Bob

[EthioKnight]

Yeah, that's exactly what I've decided to do...fix the bike first (get to know her inside and out) and then take the course and get certified.
@martynkim, here in AL you can get your motorcycle license WITHOUT ever having to take any practical test, all you do is take a 20ish question test (on road signs, some basic motorcycle stuff, etc) but I wanted to take the MSF course to "really" learn how to ride (shifting, low speed maneuvering, etc). Just so you know, the MSF course doesn't have anything to do with getting your motorcycle license and is totally optional.
Well, thanks all for chiming in and helping me decide.
Peace.

[eliteguy50]

Yeah, that's exactly what I've decided to do...fix the bike first (get to know her inside and out) and then take the course and get certified.
@martynkim, here in AL you can get your motorcycle license WITHOUT ever having to take any practical test, all you do is take a 20ish question test (on road signs, some basic motorcycle stuff, etc) but I wanted to take the MSF course to "really" learn how to ride (shifting, low speed maneuvering, etc). Just so you know, the MSF course doesn't have anything to do with getting your motorcycle license and is totally optional.
Well, thanks all for chiming in and helping me decide.
Peace.

Check with your insurance. States without a skills test tend to give the best discounts for taking the MSF course.