Ninja 250 is the one to go with. There a lot of fun, not too fast, handle great, and if I was 17, I'd be all over it. You will get tired of it though, and will be ready to step up to a 600 in less than 3 months, guaranteed. But yes, for a very first bike, go with the Ninja 250. Don't lay it down, so when it comes time to sell, you'll get practically what you paid for it..since they're (I was told) hard to get these days.