Suitable bike for returning rider

[fletcher]

Hi, I've got a full license but haven't ridden for years and years. I'm looking around for a bike to buy and think it's best I go for a 250cc for a while. I want the weight light/low and since I'm a short female, my feet as near to flat on the ground as I can get them - but I don't want a cruiser. Rode a GN250 ages ago so would like something different this time. I'm not looking to go fast, I just want to cruise around, join some group rides and have fun. So no hard-out sports bikes either.

After looking around I really like the Honda GB250 Clubman (late 80's models) and the new Kawasaki Ninja 250. The EX250 is gorgeous but it's double the money I thought I'd spend to start riding again. I could look at a slightly older Ninja 250.

The GB250 Clubman fits all my requirements except it's OLD! Does anyone have experience with these bikes and their reliability and getting parts?

Can any experienced riders help me out here with comments on the suitability of either bike?

[PirateJafa]

Either should do fine - there are parts around. Or a CB250RS, which I suspect Xwhatsit will be along shortly to sing the virtues of. :niceone:

[sinfull]

Welcome back to the world of the living !
Not up on the GB but the age of bikes don't matter, it's their history !
So long as your prepared to maintain em, with the posibility of a rebuild, go for what feels right for you !
Get some AA plus roadside or something sim. if your planning on doing some miles on your own and enjoy the upcoming summer !!

Edit : Bonez might be a good one to talk honda to !!!

[Mom]

Hi fletcher, welcome to KB.

Much as I love the trusty GN250, I would not recommend it for the kind of riding you are describing. They are a great little commuter but worse than useless on the open road. Sure they can buzz along at 100 and a bit better than that, but they are tapped out and you have nothing left to get out of trouble, or to be able to overtake on the open road. Great for round town stuff, useless out on the open road.


Flick me a PM when you get something sorted, I am just north of Auckland, we go on some great rides out that would suit you.

[James Deuce]

Don't buy some old piece of junk. Buy something newish and cared for.

[crazyhorse]

Another good bike is a Suzuki GS500E. I had one as my first bike. Very good, reliable, and not heavy at all. I felt it was a great first bike and would recommend it to anyone :Punk:

[fletcher]

Hey thanks for the info everyone and offers of rides later. I think the GS500 will be too high in the seat but will go try it thanks. I like the look of the bike.

My thinking was I should cap it at 250cc so I don't scare myself stupid and never want to do it again. Might be preferable to outgrow the bike fairly quickly and then move up. Thoughts? I'm SHORT btw.

[nallac]

Personally i wouldn't look at just 250's as you can/might out grow them pretty fast. Look around and see what tickles your fancy..

Lots of +250's out there that aren't huge on the horsepower and will still be fun to ride past the stage of when you would've been sick of it if it was a 250.

[T.W.R]

One of these is similar to a GB250, bit more poke and age is on it's side :yes:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-170239917.htm

[idleidolidyll]

Suzuki made a very nice little 350cc 4 stroke. Unfortunately they called it the Goose: http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/suzu/suzuki_goose_350.htm

If you can get over the name or put a sticker over it, this is a good possibility

That said, ride lots and lots of different bikes until you find the one that suits

[SMOKEU]

A Y2K would be ideal. Or a CBR400, FZR400 or similar.

[PirateJafa]

Actually since you're looking at mostly singles, you shouldn't have much trouble with anything up to and maybe a bit over 500cc (four stroke, of course)- none of them really put out that much power. Weight and height is the key, not cc's.

[Ixion]

Modern version of the GB250 is available, called CBF250, example . (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Other/auction-234565182.htm)

Yamaha Scorpio is a very nice bike

[ZK-Awesome]

I have a GB250. It has plenty of power for the open road as long as you're not doing much overtaking. Yes it is old, so far all I have needed for mine is a new air filter, which I got from Japan via the local honda shop. There is also econohonda who are good for honda bits.

[Paulo]

What about a GB400 or 500, Low seat height and super reliable bikes, Light and flickable, They look nice too. My 2c

Good luck whatever you decide :)

[SPP]

...think it's best I go for a 250cc for a while...

If you already have your full then seriously consider a 600 over a 250.
I had the pleasure of riding a VTR250 for a day recently. I found that WAAAY scarier than my bike because on a 250 you're at the mercy of every frustrated driver and wanna-be.

Drivers had very little respect for my road space and I suspect some were even trying to get close! On a larger bike this is less of a problem. Having no power to speak of meant I couldn’t do much about it either.

A girl at work gets around on a Kawasaki 650 Ninja (the relaxed sport one not the ZX6R) after riding around on a GN250. She found it easier to ride than the GN! And yeah, she’s not tall either, maybe 5’4’’ and a lightweight.

[bikerboy011]

Try the ninga 250 they are nice bikes..

[CookMySock]

You are wise staying with a 250 until you get your biker sense back.

Any of the 250 vtwins are really easy to ride, plus they have a great rumble to them - very gratifying.

Test ride the Honda VTR250, Hyosung Comet GT250. These both have nice upright bars and have enough power to do anything you want, yet they are not intimidating at all.

Add a noisy exhaust, and they are lots and lots of fun.


Steve

[mattian]

If you already have your full then seriously consider a 600 over a 250.
I had the pleasure of riding a VTR250 for a day recently. I found that WAAAY scarier than my bike because on a 250 you're at the mercy of every frustrated driver and wanna-be.

Drivers had very little respect for my road space and I suspect some were even trying to get close! On a larger bike this is less of a problem. Having no power to speak of meant I couldn’t do much about it either.

A girl at work gets around on a Kawasaki 650 Ninja (the relaxed sport one not the ZX6R) after riding around on a GN250. She found it easier to ride than the GN! And yeah, she’s not tall either, maybe 5’4’’ and a lightweight.

This is so true !!! I have only recently upgraded from my 250 to a 650 and its extraordinary how differently car drivers treat you on a bigger bike. On my 250 I was bullied relentlessly ! and, thats not an exaggeration! on the 650, I know I have the power to get out of any dodgy situation and that knowledge alone is all the confidence I need. 250's are perfect for people learning about riding on the road for the first time but, I wouldn't want to go back to a small displacement bike. only maybe on the track or offroad for fun but, not in that nasty Auckland traffic.

[The Stranger]

I could look at a slightly older Ninja 250.


If you are much over 50kg I wouldn't. Quite possibly the worst front suspension of any bike ever made.

[sil3nt]

If you are much over 50kg I wouldn't. Quite possibly the worst front suspension of any bike ever made.Indeed it is pretty crap but adding more fork oil is a quick fix that works nicely :yes: I say go for the old school ninja if you want a 250 but i reckon you should find something bigger. Couple of months on a 250 and you will be bored.

Maybe a zzr400? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Tourers/auction-223648321.htm

They are meant to be one of the slowest 400's around yet i would say its still a lot faster than a 250!

[fletcher]

Yes after looking around Auckland bike shops a bit more today, I reckon the Honda GBs are what grab me the most. Haven't seen a GB400 or 500 yet though.

[fletcher]

Try the ninga 250 they are nice bikes..

Hey I hadn't seen the posts on this page when I did my last reply :-/

Thanks everyone. I know I might get bored fast with a 250 but will feel way less nervous if I start smaller then trade up.

Love the Ninja 250s but all that fairing ... does anyone know if I can easily remove most of the fairing for riding and put it back on later when I'm more confident? Should add I'm used to fixing stuff, used to work on my own classic cars.

[CookMySock]

Love the Ninja 250s but all that fairing ... does anyone know if I can easily remove most of the fairing for riding and put it back on later when I'm more confident?I don't know about the ninjas, but they hyos are a 10-15 minute job to whip the fairings off.

Steve

[short-circuit]

Test ride the Hyosung Comet GT250


Steve

Change the record

[ducatilover]

I haven't gotten bored after 3 and a half years on mine.:yes::scooter:

[BMWST?]

350 400 500 arent that much hewavier bigger than 250 s and a much more relaxing ride esp on the open road with traffic,wind,hills and luggage etc.The throttle works both ways,and the bigger bikes often have much better brakes ansd suspension.A lot of 250s will have always owned operated by learners/newbies= hard life,perhaps not too much care....

[sil3nt]

Hey I hadn't seen the posts on this page when I did my last reply :-/

Thanks everyone. I know I might get bored fast with a 250 but will feel way less nervous if I start smaller then trade up.

Love the Ninja 250s but all that fairing ... does anyone know if I can easily remove most of the fairing for riding and put it back on later when I'm more confident? Should add I'm used to fixing stuff, used to work on my own classic cars.The front fairing needs to stay on otherwise you loose the indicators. You can remove the side fairings and lower fairing although its the front fairing that gets damaged when it drops.

You could even try a buell blast (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-233197547.htm). Have a read of this (http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Buell_Blast_vs_Ninja_250) it is rather similar to the little ninja even though its 500cc.

[thumpameat]

hi, can i just add that i found some 250cc singles dont have enough grunt for hills or ranges etc, and as was mentioned previously you will have some impaitent motorist on your tail , being an idiot .
i can say that a honda cb250rs is one of those .

i too am trying to get back onto a bike(on a real budget), and it seems the gs500 as said, is a good ride, and im looking for one, or something like it, what about a sv650 or honda bros 650.......it could save you having to upgrade later.

[fletcher]

Interesting reading about the Buell. Haven't seen any around though?

Ok, I'll keep an open mind about more than 250cc subject to weight and how the bike feels. Some bikes just don't feel right in terms of stretch to bars and so on, no matter how low the seat is. I'm happy to trade up to bigger in a year though - the bike I buy now doesn't have to be what I ride for the next five years.

Saw a verrrrry nice Honda CB400. And a Triumph Bonneville. SO many nice bikes out there!

[R1madness]

My thinking was I should cap it at 250cc so I don't scare myself stupid and never want to do it again. Might be preferable to outgrow the bike fairly quickly and then move up. Thoughts? I'm SHORT btw.

there are lots of good mid sized bikes, look out for suzuki desperado 400, big bike look with not much more weight than a 250 but better handling power, looks and brakes, or a honda shadow slasher 400 (they even come in pink and purple) looks seriously like a HD. both suitable for the open road. both low seat. If you want to stay 250 yamaha zeal, honda magna, both open road capable, just look for low km tidy ones.

[fletcher]

Hey thanks everyone for all your advice. Strangely enough, I actually ended up buying a Suzuki VL250 Intruder. Found it easy to ride, build my confidence nicely and when I'm ready for something bigger, it should have a good resale.

Those Honda GB250s still look pretty good to me though so maybe I'll end up with two 250s!

[Icemaestro]

I had a cbx250rs, identical frame and engine to the gb250 clubman (model MC10) - was a great bike, more power than the gn250, amazingly economical (was gettin 28-32km/L),was a push to get it past 110 though,accelleration past 90km/h wasn't good...As far as parts went econohonda had everything, though I had a 1983 and she was still going strong! :-)

[SMOKEU]

The 250cc road bikes are a complete waste of time and money if you've got a 6F licence. Buy a 400 or 500cc bike, they are generally a lot cheaper than 250s because most people want 600cc+ bikes as soon as they get their 6F.

[Insanity_rules]

I always found riding one of these you don't get too many hassles and their easy to park.