So I stopped by a bike shop in Sumida-ku and they had like 10+ NSR250R's around, with about 3 or 4 of them in really good condition, somewhere between 5000 - 7500 km on the bikes. I'm getting pretty interested in one of these but not sure now that you mention its not that much of a reliable bike.

I don't have much experience riding, but I've taken a two week motorcycle course and learned on a 400cc bike. Would this bike be suitable for a beginner or would you feel that it is a bit too aggressive of a bike? I don't plan on driving it aggressively at all (we don't have big streets here in Tokyo), but just wanted to make sure I'm not getting something that is dangerous for a newcomer.

Also, reliability is also pretty important for me since we don't have a lot of garages or areas to work on a bike in Tokyo since space is very limited here. I've always liked the NSRs and there doesn't seem to be many new bike options (except maybe a Kawasaki Ninja 250r, but those will cost about 10,000 USD to get around here, 5000 for the bike, 5000 for all the registration and stuff for a new bike).

Is maybe an Aprilia 250r easier to maintain? What kind of other options would you recommend in the 250cc sportbike style?

Thanks,
Maru