Hello, I need a help with getting a right bike...

[Megazoid]

hello, i allways wished to have a bike... now i have an apportunity to get one...

i'm getting a license somewhere in about couple of weeks... i know that i cant have bike over 250cc on learners, so i wanted to ask you which bike can i get, and which would be better?... i like sport bikes, not so much into touring... hopefully under 4-5k.... please, send me a link to a pic, and the price in abouts...

thank you all for your time...

Regardz, Paul

[Jeremy]

It's a real pity that beginnerbikes.com is no longer up as this would have helped a lot. I'm going to suggest that you get a GN250 (it's a standard, $3k brand new) learn on that until you get your restricted then flick it for another 250cc bike that you want. Insurance is also pretty cheap on a GN250 (~$500/year from AMI for full if your on your learners, much cheaper once your on your restricted).

GN250 Pic (http://www.suzuki.co.nz/motorcycles/bike.gallery/gn250.m.jpg)

Don't forget that you're going to be spending nearly a thousand to buy decent gear. Never skimp on your safety gear.

[DEATH_INC.]

Yep,the GN is a great learner machine orright,but there's a couple of things to consider.Have you any riding experience?And are you planning on keeping it after you graduate from yer learners?And are ya gonna ride outta the city?
If the answer to any of these is yes,then you may find the GN a little lacking.It may be a better option to find a multi-cylinder sportbike 250.You may wanna take the fairings off for a bit till you get some experence under your belt though....

[Megazoid]

death, i didnt get your message.... dont understand anything.... and jeremy, thank you for your post.... finnaly i understand what kind of bike i can get... any other bikes?... i would like it to look like a sport bike.....

[Jeremy]

death, i didnt get your message.... dont understand anything.... and jeremy, thank you for your post.... finnaly i understand what kind of bike i can get... any other bikes?... i would like it to look like a sport bike.....

Well you can get a Kawasaki Ninja, but your looking closer to the 7k range, they cost more to insure and they're much more expensive to repair. And as Death_Inc said you'll want to take the fairings off as you'll probably drop the bike and crack the fairings (not cheap to replace). You could also get a CBR250, stay away from the CBR250RR, or any bike with R or RR at the end, as these usually symbolise that they are race replicas. Getting these for your first bike would be similiar to starting off in a 350hp car that you have to balance to stay upright and it's really easy to lock the wheels. So stick with something cheap that people are less likely to pinch. And remember this is your first bike which preferably shouldn't be your last.

At least in NZ we don't have the problem in the US of no cc restrictions, everyday we have to convince people on efnet @ #motorcycles that starting off on a SV1000 (580HP/tonne) or worse a CBR600RR is a bad idea.

[Ghost Lemur]

Wise advice has been passed your way already Megazoid. I will however reaffirm their case with personal experience.

When I was getting my first bike (I too am predomanently(sp?) a sportsbike fan too) I sort the advice of the wise KB community.

They said the same thing to me as they (and I) are saying to you now. For your first bike get something cheap and withOUT plastics. cbr250rs, gn250, etc. Spend as much as you can and get good gear.

As it turned out it was damn good advice. I bought an 81 cb250rs with wof/reg for ~$500. 3 months later a homicidal cager did a uturn on me in peak hour traffic. Only moderate bruising to my legs and a bike busted that was worth less than most peoples premiums.

Just because you get that sort of bike now to learn on, doesn't stop you from upgrading to a cbr/zxr/etc when you get your restricted.

Last added bonus is the singles are easy to work on even if you know nothing about bikes like me.

[Megazoid]

ok... i LOVED cbr250, but i guess i'll follow your wiseness, and buy a suzuki GN250... good price, and awesome bike.... what i wanted to ask, is does anyone knows where can i buy it in christchurch?... new, or used....

[Ghost Lemur]

ok... i LOVED cbr250, but i guess i'll follow your wiseness, and buy a suzuki GN250... good price, and awesome bike.... what i wanted to ask, is does anyone knows where can i buy it in christchurch?... new, or used....

SPORTZONE SUZUKI

Even though I've only ever been a window shopper, I've got nothing but praise for these guys. They'll more than happily take the time to have a chat, answer questions, etc. Even when they know there isn't a sale in it. No hard selling or pressure.

Which is more than I can say for the shops across the road, who either ignore you or try forcing a bike down your throat.

Know a few KBers here have bought off of them, with (as far as I know) positive experiences.

[Megazoid]

ok, i'll try that... =) my mom is helping me to get a credit for it, because she's leaving to live in aussie, and wants me to have whiels on me before they'll go... so i think i might go with her through the dealers, and check out the gn250 in live... thank you all for your help =) i will post how it went =)

[muzz]

Personal opinion. GN is a good learners bike and around town hack but if you want to get out on the open road the bandit is better. With four cyclinders its much smoother and handles long distance better. It more of a sports bike but no fairings. :niceone:

[Megazoid]

is bandit less then 250cc?... cause if it isnt, i cant drive that....

huh... went to suzuki sportzone tooday... got the quote for gn250... with insurance, interest, helm, and gloves, it would cost me 5,036... that's a bit too much cause there's 14.50% yearly interest rate... so on wednesday i'll try to find some whiels, and find some other shops who has it..... feel really sad, cause i'd be really gutted if i wont find it....

[Jeremy]

To memory a Bandit is 1200cc.

Okay here's what I'd expect pay for a new GN250.

Insurance (FULL) from AMI $600/year (note this is going to get a lot cheaper once you have a restricted).
$3000 (GN250) + $250 (onroad costs)
Gear:
$200 jacket, $200 helmet, $40 gloves, $200 overpants, $200 boots.

= $4690

Also you should get a %10 discount on the gear (at least) because your also getting a bike.
So unless you've picked out some expensive gear you might want to shop around. Or better yet get your loan from the bank.

[kmthor]

i just got a xv250 for 5500 and paid 220 for jacket 150 for overpants 170 for helmet 30 gloves
got 15% discount on the gear

hope this helps

[Velox]

Nah - you can get 250cc Bandits (I'm pretty sure).
I reckon don't spend over $4k for a learner bike. Good luck searching though. Have you checked out old cbrs though? I can imagine there'd be cheaper and more fun than the GN, but yeah - I guess not as reliable.

[muzz]

:spudwhat: Suzuki bandit comes in 250 , 600 , 1200 . The one in the pic is a 250. :niceone:
It belongs to the missus and its for sale. She has had it for 14 months and is looking to up grade. She's been riding the duc and loves it so now she what's one of her own. :cool: It's a good first bike if your looking for a sports model.

[Megazoid]

thanks all...gonna post in 2 days about what the heck am i buying.... cause at the mo i've got no idea... all though if i wont find anything else, that gn250 is myne! =))))

[magnum]

welcome to the site,im a bit old to know what a good 250 would b. :spudwave:

[cammo]

hey, if shops dont have anything you like or too expensive then sift trademe every day and you can always find a bargin! thats where i found my bike! i got a 1996 ZZR250 (soprts tourer) for $1700 and it goes great. not too much power for learning but enough to have some fun once you have some confidence!

[Megazoid]

took a close look at gn250, good learners bike, easy to ride, probably no driving outside city... you all were 100% right... BUUUUUUT went to honda salon, and saw VTR250 V2... fallen inlove... please, tell me, is it a good bike? it's second hand, looks brand new... i really dont know if what i'm doing is right, but that's the kind of bike i would buy... i looooove it....

[Megazoid]

ok, forgot to say that it got 4004km run, it cost 7000 just for bike... so gonna be about 10000 all together.... i'm not sure, but when i went there alone, the guy told me it's gonna be 2500k for deposit... so i'm a bit confused.... 25% deposit is a BIT much.... so gonna be checking everything out tomorrow... need your advise till then....

[mini_me]

from what i've picked up from others the vtr is a pretty solid bike,
but i'vfe never ridden or owned one and i dont know anyone that does have one so i cant really say
m/m

[Megazoid]

that's cool.... =)
maybe it's worth to buy vtr250 with 40000km for 4500? someone help.... my head's gonna explode from all the posibilities... =))) honestly, i've never been this freaking exited in my life =)))) i think i've annoyed the hell out of the people in the stores =)))

oh, by the way, is there more bikes stores besides the ones in that place on manchester st.? cause i'd love to check out more tomorrow(the only i day off that i have in 2 weeks =))) )

[Megazoid]

Personal opinion. GN is a good learners bike and around town hack but if you want to get out on the open road the bandit is better. With four cyclinders its much smoother and handles long distance better. It more of a sports bike but no fairings. :niceone:

how much is it?

[Ghost Lemur]

There are a couple of others..

Norjo Kawasaki down Main South Rd past Riccarton High.
Trevor Pierce on Ferry Rd, down towards the stadium.
And one on the corner of Fitzgerald and Morehouse (where the bus mechanic was).
There's also the auctions out in Hornby.

As for the VTR, from what I've heard (not owned one, but a few here have), they're good. Lots of low down torque, good for commuting and still capable on the open roads. Worth $7k, only you can answer that.

I personally wouldn't want to spend that much on a first bike, too much chance of binning it. Plus the high value of the bike added to the low experience of the rider (ie being on learners) will probably equal high insurance costs. But it is a nekkid bike so there still aren't the expensive plastics to fix if it does kiss concrete.

Not trying to be negative, just realistic.

Do you have your learners yet? I've heard some bikes shops are quite cool and will still let you take a test ride even on learners. If so, the only way you'll know which is best for you is to try them.

I personally would still go for the gn, unless you're planning on doing open roading on your learners. And then maybe move up to the VTR when you get your restricted and have that experience under your belt.

[Megazoid]

just found out that gn only goes up to 80kmph max... now i'm really starting to think about buying VTR for 4500... but that will make hard to buy insuranse... so for tooday i'll count, tomorrow, look, and the day after tomorrow get my learners(i know.... thinking about it without actually having a license is sad, but i only got the idea of buying it about 2-3 weeks ago... and now doing my best to realize it as fast as possible...

[avgas]

well there is a mint gn125 i know of :whistle: and i have taken it to 130 with no complaints from the motor (she had a little more left in her) - sits on 110 all day with no probs at all

[Coyote]

You could also get a CBR250, stay away from the CBR250RR, or any bike with R or RR at the end, as these usually symbolise that they are race replicas. Getting these for your first bike would be similiar to starting off in a 350hp car that you have to balance to stay upright and it's really easy to lock the wheels.
Not at all. In fact, I find the CBR a bit tame

From what I know, the VTR is a nice bike. Also, if you like that, look out for CB250 Hornets. They have similar engines to the CBR250RR but I think they have lower gearing, and the look similar to the VTR

[Megazoid]

thank you all for your help... my young brouther just laughed at me that i'm buying a mownlawer(sorry... my english's a bit edgy...) and that if he would put i stick in my whiel, it'd stop(my parents gave him their honda integra as a present), so i need a beer now.... i allmost killed him and his friend... so they ran off smowhere... got my brother in a head with a full ketchup bottle... havent been that mad in about 2-3 years..... so gonna go sleep now... i'll read some more answers later... please, tell me what do you think about vtr, because i liked it... and probably that's the one i'm gonna buy...

[Jeremy]

Might want to point out that that 'lawnmower' is ~200hp/tonne (upper limit, once broken in). And has higher acceleration >99% of the cars on the road. And costs (once broken in) about $10/200km in petrol (maybe another $5 for maintence).

I almost forgot one thing, ALWAYS CHECK THE OIL on a GN250. Because it seems to only have a thimble worth of oil in the whole thing, and it only has three states. Full, half full, empty. With half full and empty only about 100km in distance away.

EDIT: GN250's can do over 80km/h, they crap out at about 120km/h. GN125's on the other hand, might only do 80km/h.

[mini_me]

thank you all for your help... my young brouther just laughed at me that i'm buying a mownlawer(sorry... my english's a bit edgy...) and that if he would put i stick in my whiel, it'd stop(my parents gave him their honda integra as a present), so i need a beer now.... i allmost killed him and his friend... so they ran off smowhere... got my brother in a head with a full ketchup bottle... havent been that mad in about 2-3 years..... so gonna go sleep now... i'll read some more answers later... please, tell me what do you think about vtr, because i liked it... and probably that's the one i'm gonna buy...

dude - if its the vtr you want get it, dont hang around waiting for someone to tell you what you want, we've all given our advice and its up to you to decide which bike you now want,

vtr2fiddy's are strong bikes and it should be able to handle any abuse you throw it

m/m

[muzz]

The price on the Suzuki GSF 250 bandit is $3800. Paid $4200 14 months ago.
Only reason for selling is to up grade to something bigger (ducati). :niceone:
It's a 1992 ,done 25550 km. Red line rev's at 17000 rpm, top speed around 180kph. :2thumbsup It will sit on 120 kph all day. The missus has done some long distance rides and said it was comfortable.Any other questions just ask.

[flyin]

theres a multitude of 250cc sports bikes around to choose from, sounds like you want a sport bike so there wouldnt be heaps of merit to buying a brand new cruisy thing like a GN, sure it's fun to ride now but you are restricted to a 250 for a while so you should have a bit more experiance 3-4months down the track, a sportier 250 has more to offer in terms of learning bike control and a good one with a decent rider wil even give bigger bikes strife in the twisties.

you'll be lookin between 3-5000 grand (private, 4-7 dealer) for a l8 model low km sport 250 that wil keep ya grinning till you get your full.
like everyone has said dont skimp on gear!! its the only thing between your arse and the road!! (road hasn't lost many battles....) good deals can be found on trade me or through the trading section on here, buy new, just dont pay retail!! (ps always try
on boots and helmets b4 buying)


most the info you need has already been discussed here and the search button is really handy............

[Tigger]

The VTR250 is a great bike - very easy to ride and looks great too (IMHO). I have one for sale if you're interested, only problem is it's up in Wellington. $4,500 for a 2000 model, with 22,000kms. PM me if you are interested.

[Megazoid]

yeah.. went to see everything.... many good bikes, but probably gonna go with gn250... liked the look of it... just a very nice bike.... i will try not to post for couple of days, so i dont annoy the crap out of everyone... =) :spudguita now, since i can stop worrying about the bike, i can reformat my PC... =) it got waaay to dirty...

[Megazoid]

oh yeah... picked up which bike i'm gonna get later, after i've got my full... it was called something like Ducati 999 :confused: i cant really remember (roflmao)

[GSVR]

New GSX250 $5995 $1500 dep GN250 is $2995 but hardly a sport bike.

Buying new is always good as you have warranty and you know the bikes history (it doesn't have one)

You could get a good on the secondhand market but get someone who's got good knowlege of bikes to check it over for you.

Just my 2 cents worth :) :mobile:

[jaybee180]

Go for the VTR. Have just bought one (my first bike also) and had it ridden by a friend who has had heaps of bikes. He was a bit iffy at first but after having ridden it convinced me that it was good value for money and he loved the way it handled for a beginners bike.

When I was looking originally I kept going to the bike point web site just to see what the dealers had to offer. Gave me an idea of the price range and what models etc were out there.

[Coyote]

yeah.. went to see everything.... many good bikes, but probably gonna go with gn250... liked the look of it... just a very nice bike.... i will try not to post for couple of days, so i dont annoy the crap out of everyone... =) :spudguita now, since i can stop worrying about the bike, i can reformat my PC... =) it got waaay to dirty...
The GN (as far as I know) is a good bike and would be ideal

...and you could always upgrade to a CBR/ZXR 250 :yeah:

[Megazoid]

yea... i made up my mind.... i'm totally inlove with vtr, but since the one i like cost 7000 in the store, then i'm buying gn... oh yeah... bought the roadcode, learned the whole freaking thing in 4 hours(stright, no breaks... =))) ) got just one question... what's that crap about helms?... it says something like i HAVE to have red helm... is that right?.... sounds like bullshit to me....

[Jeremy]

Eh? You can buy helmets in just about any colour you want.

Always buy a new helmet. You will probably also want to buy a smoke visor. Try to get a white helmet if you can so that people can see you.

[flyin]

Absolutly paint the helm of your GN red!!..... hang on its not a freakin boat...........

anyways, you could probly find an older VTR that looks just like the one u like so much for the same price as a new GN...... up to you i guess

If you are going to ride after dark, it is easier to wear sunglasses under a clear visor during the day so you don't have to carry a spare visor with you (as its dangerous/illegal to wear tinted visors at night)

[Megazoid]

cool, thank you... but i'm most probably buying a black one... like it waaaay to much....

[Sniper]

Managed to Pick my CBR up for $6, absolutly mint

[XTC]

Managed to Pick my CBR up for $6, absolutly mint
$6???!!! you can't even get a big mac combo for that!

[Megazoid]

$6??? and i'm thinking of spending $6000.... well, i'm glad that i know the real price of the bikes now... =) can you point me in the derection of this mint bikes for $6 please?

[wari]

Diddi givva ya one adeese yett .. :moon: ...<== aahh whatda hey .. keepitt anyway ..

:wari: ==> wellcoms you .. :spudwave:

[Megazoid]

heh.. i know where's your signature came from... =))) love that saying...

[Megazoid]

heh... didnt have enough money to get my lerners... =))) 2 dollars short... but next day couldnt stand my brothers music anymore(i reformated my pc 3 days ago, and all that left is dr.dre, and eminem) so i went and bought IRON MADEN - LIVE IN RIO!!! =))) now i dont have enough money for learners, but i'm happy!!!

[inlinefour]

hello, i allways wished to have a bike... now i have an apportunity to get one...

i'm getting a license somewhere in about couple of weeks... i know that i cant have bike over 250cc on learners, so i wanted to ask you which bike can i get, and which would be better?... i like sport bikes, not so much into touring... hopefully under 4-5k.... please, send me a link to a pic, and the price in abouts...

thank you all for your time...

Regardz, Paul

Mate, any bike with Honda on it (PT).

[Megazoid]

huh?... meaning?....

[Megazoid]

ugh... just had 2 hours sleep... kept on waking up... can anyone tell me if RGV250 1989 is a good bike for a prise 1900? new gear, chain, and tires, wof and registration are quite recent.... i just had a dream abut it... i think my mom thought i finnaly lost my marbles.....

[Ghost Lemur]

ugh... just had 2 hours sleep... kept on waking up... can anyone tell me if RGV250 1989 is a good bike for a prise 1900? new gear, chain, and tires, wof and registration are quite recent.... i just had a dream abut it... i think my mom thought i finnaly lost my marbles.....

You just want the free pics of her girlfriend. :p :Punk:

[SPORK]

ugh... just had 2 hours sleep... kept on waking up... can anyone tell me if RGV250 1989 is a good bike for a prise 1900? new gear, chain, and tires, wof and registration are quite recent.... i just had a dream abut it... i think my mom thought i finnaly lost my marbles.....
Umm, yeah, if you want to kill yourself...

Here are some stats:
http://motorbikes.be/en/Suzuki/1989/RGV%20250%20K/

First off, it's a 2-Stroke. A big one. It's going to have a wicked powerband. This means all the power of it will come at you like flicking a lightswitch. It will top out at over 200kmph, and will get there fast, as long as you're still on it.

Ask someone like Ktulu to give you some better info, but for the sake of your life, until you have some experience, stay away from RGV250s!

[Megazoid]

huh... the cheapes bike i've seen is also the most powereful one i know??? now i'm really exited...

[Megazoid]

sold... maaaan i'm slow... ok, whatever... gonna take a look at FZR250 tomorrow...

[Gremlin]

beggars can't be choosers, but I thought the paint colour was awful :sick:

Then again, I like the idea of black being scary and intimidating :devil2:

[Megazoid]

allright, i've bought fzr250... and now getting it up to date... having some difficuelties with it, but i guess i'll post it in the other forum thread...

just in case i'll forget, here they are- i can not start it when it's cold... the engine drowns in gas... stright after i turn the gas valve on, it just chokes... and only push starts(really good push start... i've only been able to get it going when i had 2 people pushing it...) but when it starts, burns the exhsoust fuel, then it's perfect... you can turn th engine off, leave it for like 20 minutes, it's gonna be fine... but after hour you have to start over again... i think it could be a valve inside of the carburator... and tomorrow i'm gonna take it to the guy who sold it to me, and fix it... if anyone had the same problem, i would love to hear how you got rid of it...

[Jeremy]

When you start it cold, pull out the choke completely as you start the engine, as soon as it starts close the choke half way. When it idles normally close the choke completely.

If you flood the engine, close the choke completely. Then have a quick try starting it with just the electric start. Don't hold down the electric start for more than 5 secs at once or you'll burn out the motor or empty your battery. It might take about 3 goes to clear the engine of fuel.

[Megazoid]

bah... found the problem... some screw in the choke got loose... and the engine was constantly fludding... plus the carbs were fucked... i'm sorry for my languege, but i couldnt find a better word... so i've changed them... i'm buying a windshield on monday, tooday bought cool front indicators, and left my bike at one guys place who can deal with overheating problem (for some reason the fen doesnt go) and fix the new carbs(they are slightly different, so the bike wont go faster then 90 because the throttle just doesnt turn enough) and i'm gonna add some spraybrush painting to it in three weeks... overall this bike has been a pain in the ass for both me, and the guy who sold it to me... but we've allmost got it perfect =)))

[Megazoid]

first crash... cracked the bodykit.... more plastic whielding to do... gutted.... broke one of the $50 indicators off... poor bike... oh yeah... scrached a finger... that's about all the damage i have... =/ i wish i would have broke a leg, but there was less damage on the bike... =( 1 am right now... work starts at 7am... i'm soooooo not going... yo, if anyone going to come to christchurch dennys restourant, your meal's gonna be late =P

[Ixion]

first crash... cracked the bodykit.... more plastic whielding to do... gutted.... broke one of the $50 indicators off... poor bike... oh yeah... scrached a finger... that's about all the damage i have... =/ i wish i would have broke a leg, but there was less damage on the bike... =( 1 am right now... work starts at 7am... i'm soooooo not going... yo, if anyone going to come to christchurch dennys restourant, your meal's gonna be late =P

Very sorry to hear that. And I hope your FIRST crash will be your LAST crash.

And very relieved that you have no injury.

But please don't ever make comments like preferring to have broken a leg than damaged the bike. A broken leg can be a very serious injury - can lead to amputation, even death. Bike bits are only metal and plastic. Human bits are flesh and blood. The Biker Gods listen for such hubris and sometimes grant peoples wishes in ways that are not nice.

Never ever wish for personal injury.

[Megazoid]

read my story in general...