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Hi vis? All the time? Only at night? Not at all?
Any group rides in the Long Island NY area!
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All three are good options and are more than enough power for a first timer. You probably should start on a 300 to 400cc. As far as reliability goes, the Honda and Kawasaki are hard to beat.
Some of the best riders I know ride 300-400cc bikes. Parallel twin 500-700cc isn’t crazy, but I still prefer the 300-400s for a starter.
I rode an R3 at the track recently and had a blast. Still felt like I didn’t get 100% out of the bike and I’ve been riding for 10 years and own a 1100 Tuono and a R6.
Started on a ninja 300 and have had 10 bikes since then. Just my opinion, but anyone can have a ton of fun on a 300 or 400 and I think it’s the perfect starter bike due to being a lot more forgiving than pretty much anything else.
Both are great bikes - At your skill level (brand new) the best advice I can give you is you want a machine that is 1) comfortable 2) inspires confidence. If you are not comfortable you aren’t going to ride. If you are scared of the bike and not confident you aren’t going to want to ride.
The power difference of these machines (CBR 500 vs ninja 650) it’s almost negligible. So I would maybe sit on the two machine and see what feels better.
If you are planning to commute or spend any lengthy amount of time on the highway a more relaxed riding position will probably feel better. My 2c
Another option to consider is the Ninja 400. Makes as much horsepower as the Honda, but weighs less.
The new Ninja 500 would be right up your alley as well, but out of budget.