[gstam4]

Hi all, just bought a bike today and thought I'd join this site to help me learn about it. New to the bike, and new to motorcycles altogether - though I've been riding a 49cc scooter around the Florida State campus (I'm a grad student) for the last four months. I'll be taking the MSF course next week (which means I can't legally ride until then, since passing that course is required for the M endorsement here in FL).

Went with a red 2001 GZ250 w/ 23,xxx miles. Thought the miles were sort of high for a used bike, but I purchased from Orion Motorsports, which is well-reviewed online and whose staff really impressed me today. Came with a 30-day, 1,000-mile mechanical warranty. Looks like there's a small amount of rust on some of the pipes and spokes, and the left side of the gas tank has a dent; other than that, seems to be in good shape. Paid $950, which struck me as reasonable.

Mechanic went over the controls and features with me, and told me to use non-ethanol (any grade) and to keep up with lubricating the chain. Anyone have any other tips that can help me keep this thing in good shape? I'm not mechanically skilled at all, but would like to learn my way around the bike so that I can do the maintenance.

Look forward to posting on here more.