What do people think of an Aprilia RS250???

[FilthyLuka]

i
im not into older bikes because you dont know how the prevous owner has kept them. as in theyv probly been thrashed tank slaped droped etc etc.

if its an RS 250, i can almost guarantee all the above has happened to it... atleast twice...

[Zealot]

Heh, wouldn't surprise me.

Question to people with either RS250s or similar - are they THAT hard to ride on as a first bike? I've been on a 50cc suzuki two stroke before, and briefly been on a 250cc 4 stroke (both semi-legally... ), but obviously a 250cc sports bike is significantly more powerful than a 50cc thing.

I don't care about the maintenance, I drive a 205 gti - rebuilding an Mi16 engine for it currently (anyone who knows much about pugs knows how awesome they are), and I'm used to using top notch bits, and used to having to look after the beast. I don't believe in doing things by halves. Do it once, do it right.

Cost is fine too, I don't want a boring cheap bike. I'm used to a fairly tail happy twitchy fwd car that goes around corners better than most jap "performance" cars (I use the word lightly). 205s just ASK for a bit of a fanging.


I will however have to ride a bike daily - I'm a mechatronics engineering student at auckland uni, and will at some point require a bike to travel between the city and tamaki campuses (compsci conjoint), so it's 50k zone commuting. Driving a car is not an option due to parking costs, and bus fares will cost me as much as parking almost.


Would an RS250 be so incredibly bad for such a use as a first bike? I don't drive vehicles like I stole them when around town, but enjoy having enough power to have some fun.


Basically I dislike owning anything common and I'm a sucker for punishment.

[aff-man]

they need to be ridden harder... they have a much smaller effective power range.. i.e. above 8. If you ride them below like 6000rpm they tend to clog a bit... They are weapons and not as stable as inline fours. But then that's just my opinion.

[Zealot]

Mmm, everything I've read about them on KB says "not for beginners". Surely if well looked after (fine here) and not driven stupidly, they'd be fine? I mean, if they're than uncontrollable, how do the 1L+ riders manage

[marty]

i wish there was a bookie running odds on some of the bulletproof idiots on here....

[Ixion]

A litre bike is probably easier to ride than a high tuned 250 two smoker. It's not the power, its the delivery. This is one of those things where if you have to ask the question you've answered the question.

But by all means go ahead. You'll either prove to be a highly controlled very mature natural rider. or the gene pool gets cleaned a bit more.

Gene-O-Klene ®. Evolution you can see.

[limbimtimwim]

Mmm, everything I've read about them on KB says "not for beginners". Surely if well looked after (fine here) and not driven stupidly, they'd be fine? I mean, if they're than uncontrollable, how do the 1L+ riders manage

You have to rev the engines otherwise the 'plugs will foul. And you have to warm them up delicately.

By all means buy one, just try something else as well.

A modern big 4cylinder bike will amble at low revs happily. It's the smaller 4 cylinder ones that require more work. It's the riding position that seems to give people grief on a sports bike more than the engine.

[Zealot]

Riding nicely != keeping it at low revs. I was meaning I'm not going to hoon around suburban streets at 100k+. Mm, I know the theory behind 2 strokes, but yea, only ever really dealt with 4 stroke car engines.


Also, why must you assume I'm a maniac who will hop and a bike, thrash the living daylights out of it, and kill myself against a tree. Keep betting buddy, ain't gonna happen here. And I know I'm anything but bulletproof.

[2strokegirl]

7 grand straight out of the box '07' model.

and to that guy that replyed after affman i think the 90 model is compleatly diffrent for starts its a v twin if i recall corectly... the 07 is an inline 2. plus when you think about it its 17 years old i wouldnt want to push a bike 17years old over 130. but i can see what you like about them.

are any of you going to the agm for in gizzy this weekend?? it would be kwl to meet some of you lol. PLUS... you can see that im not fat lol.

[Ixion]

..hoon around suburban streets at 100k+. ....

.. hop and a bike, thrash the living daylights out of it, ..

Ain't no other way to ride a tuned twosmoker. If you're NOT going to wring the neck off the thing it'll crap out in no time flat.

[aff-man]

Ain't no other way to ride a tuned twosmoker. If you're NOT going to wring the neck off the thing it'll crap out in no time flat.

this man is right.... my 600 was fun to ride.. The rs250 was exiting in the scarey on the edge adrenaline pumping kinda way....

[FilthyLuka]

i wish there was a bookie running odds on some of the bulletproof idiots on here....

OH yeah! (ten characters)

[Zealot]

@ 2strokegirl:
Why do you think that a 17 year old bike should be dangerous at 100k+? Admitedly I don't actually own a bike yet (hence investigating options), but if they're half as well made as most cars (build quality) then it shouldn't be an issue. I've found many 80s cars to be better made than mid 90s cars.

affman/Ixion:
Heh, I'll take your advice. Sounds like an excuse to have some fun.
Thing is I don't really want to learn on someone else's bike. If I drop it through stupidity, it's my fault. I've got friends who have offered me their GN250s however, so it might pay to get used to that first. I don't want to get one though, they're just plain boring - wasn't that impressed with them after doing circles around the block on one.

[jade]

Ixion, thats just not true. Ive had the same plugs in my bike for 6 months now, havent taken them out and havent fowled one. You do not have to ring it out everywhere, though its a shitload of fun. Like I say, most of my riding is in 50k zones which I normally ride in 3rd at 4-6 thou, can ride at those revs all day no sweat.
You can ride the same speed in 2nd at 7-8thou and be ready to out accelerate anything as well
(2nd rings out at 100k.)
Zealot if you have a sensible head on your shoulders and have driven 'quick cars' you should be fine, specially if your ok with a set of spanners

2strkgirl, I think the rs250 would suit you, its legal (being 250cc) which means you could get insurance for it (keeping your parents happy seeing as its their money) Plus its something that you will not be riding at its limit for a long time, like I say I go knee down alot (road and track) and I have NEVER scraped the pegs, the bike still has more to give than I do, I think Im probably at 60% of its potential on the track, 70 if im lucky,
On the road tho, I generally have it sussed.
Fuck I do alot of wheelies.
They are not dangerous, they have the potential to be. Ride it with some sense they are fine,
I honestly think you will learn a shitload more on a 2stroke than on anything else, you have to have your revs right for every corner or you will be down on power for accelerating out properly, on a 2 stroke you have alot more gear changes which I feel makes you learn alot more rather than being on a 4 stroke putting it in 3rd and riding the torque.

Dont listen to these people who tell you you will fowl plugs and the engines are a ticking timebomb, it just isnt true.
Yes on my older strokers ive fowled plugs, on both my rs250's which I ride EVERYDAY EVERYWHERE ive never had an issue with plugs or the engine.
Besides, if something does go wrong 2strokes are the most simple engines there are ! there is fuck all too them and they are easy as fuck to work on

P.s. I dont believe you arent fat... Put a profile pic up

[KLOWN]

zealot, the rs250 is not a good thing for learners because it has more power than a 400cc with less weight then a 250 4stroke. When the power band kicks in it can lift the front wheel just on acceleration if you accidently hit the powerband entering a corner and your tyres aren't warm yet or its slightly damp etc you'll spin the rear wheel and crash. Just an example of what things can go wrong, its a bike for people who know what they are doing. a gn250 is a joke compared to a fast inline 4stroke such as a cbr/zxr/fzr they will do 200kph, or near enough. Don't judge other bikes on a gn250, which is a fine learners bike. But if you want speed get a fast 4 stroke OR a rgv/nsr which is not too bad for a learners but still might be a bit dicey for an absolute beginer.