Just in case anyone considering a 88-07 Ninja 250 as a starter bike ever runs across this thread, hereĀ“s an answer to the question: Yes! The pre-gen Ninja 250 is a fantastic starter bike. Fun, cheap, forgiving, bulletproof. It was/is my first bike and I absolutely love it. I could ramble on, but this YouTube video explains it all perfectly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsX2rIZory0