+1 excellent bike for a beginner, and actually its not a bad bike for experienced riders either. faster than a 250 but not as fast as a new supersport or something. still it can take you from 0-jail in no time at all. lightweight, easy to maneuver, little more upright riding position than a supersport, very forgiving of noob mistakes too IMO. it can still bite you no doubt, but its a fairly tame bike. the styling and the tech is definitely dated, but its still a good bike. go with what works i guess lol. there are tons of parts out there, K built millions of these things. they hold their value rather well too, and there are always people looking for them.