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Silver
5th April 2005, 17:41
Gidday, I've been lurking here for a bit to learn a few things before I bought a bike.
Now the time has come to ask for advice.

I've had my motorbike learners since i got my car license back in 1999.
Right now, I'm absolutely sick to death of driving a car (I do it for a living) and the bike bug has always been sitting in the back of my head, saying "doooooo eeeeeettt doooo eeeettt"
Now that I have some moola I want to find something to learn on, and the VTZ looked like it might fit the bill.

The bike I'm looking at is a 1989 Honda VTZ250 from Dave Whitaker Honda in Hastings.
It's done 57242km, came from Japan to here in 1997 and the asking price is $1650
I haven't been for a test ride yet, as the bike doesn't start (insert ominous sound here)

Here's a few pix of it:
Left hand side:
http://img83.exs.cx/img83/3915/lhside3ru.th.jpg (http://img83.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img83&image=lhside3ru.jpg)
Right hand side:
http://img64.exs.cx/img64/4962/rhside7mw.th.jpg (http://img64.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img64&image=rhside7mw.jpg)
Engine:
http://img64.exs.cx/img64/7571/engine4uk.th.jpg (http://img64.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img64&image=engine4uk.jpg)
Gauges:
http://img64.exs.cx/img64/7416/gauges7at.th.jpg (http://img64.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img64&image=gauges7at.jpg)
The front:
http://img37.exs.cx/img37/6890/front7ny.th.jpg (http://img37.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img37&image=front7ny.jpg)
The rear (that'd be my camera case on the seat, oops!)
http://img37.exs.cx/img37/451/rear4xs.th.jpg (http://img37.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img37&image=rear4xs.jpg)

And now, onto some gear.
I looked at a couple of helmets, a Nitro jobbie here:
http://img37.exs.cx/img37/251/nitrohelmet0jh.th.jpg (http://img37.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img37&image=nitrohelmet0jh.jpg)
and a HJC CL-14, which i didn't get a pic of.
The HJC felt higher quality, and had a higher price, $210 vs $350.
The fit of the HJC was better than the Nitro, but hey, I like pictures and I also like to hear other people's experiences with gear.

I also looked at a whole bunch of gloves, and this Teknic Cyclone stood out nicely:
http://img238.exs.cx/img238/1452/tekniccycloneglove7nt.th.jpg (http://img238.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img238&image=tekniccycloneglove7nt.jpg)
All the fancy kevlar jobbies, but it also had an elastic waist on it to keep water out. Fit was quite good too.

The jacket that fitted me best was this Mobig "Berlin" Cordura.
It had armour in the shoulders and elbows, as well as padding on the back and a kidney belt!
http://img238.exs.cx/img238/1558/mobigberlinjacket7iw.th.jpg (http://img238.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img238&image=mobigberlinjacket7iw.jpg)

What I would like to know, is does anyone here have any experience with this make and model of bike, and any comments on the gear that I've looked at?
Oh, and if anyone has had dealings with Dave Whitaker Honda before, good or bad i'd like to hear it.

Thanks for reading through that jumbled bunch of thoughts, I'm still a bit giddy :Punk:

Jonty
5th April 2005, 17:50
Looks OK, for that price! I would be a little suspicious of the "no starting". One of the first checks you should make on a bike is the ability to cold start! Have you tried the green Kawa in the background??

shag
5th April 2005, 18:00
For that money it should at least start and run well. That is a lot of km for a little bike (probably had a lot of stop / start running in town). Wonder how much blue smoke comes out the back when it is running... :banana:

Like my banana silbar? Tehehe

louisb
5th April 2005, 18:14
hey,

I've got a 1989 vt250 spada. Very similar engine. I paid $2850 for it, but it's only done 7000kms. Good engine likes to rev like a bastard. mine sit's at 8600rpm at 100km/h in top. mine looks quite different though. (have a loog at my profile pic)

I love the handleing. it's very forgiving. i've been riding for a couple of months and it's bloody good, not too fast and it's never given me grief.

I bought a HJC CL-14 for $170 (plain black, cheaper). they are pretty cheap at the moment i think they use to be about $350 before the price droM. maybe look around for one. It's pretty good helmet. though you'll need a anti fog insert.

I would be pretty worried about the "not starting" also.
L

jord
17th May 2006, 19:10
yeah Silver

i now own that bike. its a fantastic bike. Before we bought it they got it working and did some minor work on it (new rings etc) now it goes hard and rides well. hope you have/had good luck finding another bike.

aff-man
17th May 2006, 22:38
ok that's pretty high km get the compression and engine checked out. My vt250f engin went pop at 80000km , I put in a vtz engine and it went fine. Got told by one of the parts guys that the engines sometimes don't last muich past 60000km... but thats just what he said so no proper evidence.

Wasp
17th May 2006, 22:44
thats high kms jord, you are hereby officially ordered to come riding with us welly crew!

insanity_rules now owns my old vtz, i bet he'd absolutely love to see another one.

oh yea also talk to insanity rules about the cam chains and tensioners, your looking at atleast 1,500 in parts to replace the running gear completly. (what aff man said applies here - fix em before they break!)

fuck it just come out and meet us all, i'd probably love to see another vtz more than insanity ;) despite confessing tonight that i no longer like it.... :shifty:

Insanity_rules
18th May 2006, 10:08
yeah Silver

i now own that bike. its a fantastic bike. Before we bought it they got it working and did some minor work on it (new rings etc) now it goes hard and rides well. hope you have/had good luck finding another bike.

Nice one jord, make sure you keep clean oil in it and use STP oil treatment in it (Half the car amount) as the top end oil journals can become clogged easily on the VTZ (this is usually why they dont last much past 60,000). If ya need any advise just PM me as I've been top to bottom on mine and modified a few things. The motors last OK as long as they get regular clean oil.

Up to 140 I can usually give wasp a good run but after that and he eats me. Honda V twins are killer off the lights dude and the corner really well. Second bit of advise good tyres!

Wasp
18th May 2006, 10:21
yea, i took it up to 160 last night and she still tuggs (getting close to red lineing though) ;)

jord
18th May 2006, 13:58
thanks for the invite. i only got my learners last monday and im sure you guys will be doin more than 70kph on your rides!

jord
18th May 2006, 15:27
insanity rules. yeah she pulls well. the bike was actualy bought for me from my parents and my step-dad tells me "it basically had the engine re-built" i was unaware of this until about 10 minutes ago.

Wasp
18th May 2006, 17:18
cool, best if you still find out exactely what has been done - better safe than sorry.

edit: its ok if your not keen (NO PEER PRESSURE HERE AT ALL OK, IF YOU DONT WANT TO THAT IS FINE), me phoenix and str8 have just got our restricteds - we rode at the only safe motorway speed (100kms) without our l-plates on, though i must say after getting my license im at ease alot more knowing i cant get done for no l-plate

also what part of welly are you in? im sure some of us younger members would be keen to meet you somewhere nearby and give you pointers. (i know i would be)

aff-man
18th May 2006, 18:31
insanity rules. yeah she pulls well. the bike was actualy bought for me from my parents and my step-dad tells me "it basically had the engine re-built" i was unaware of this until about 10 minutes ago.

Ok put it this way... One of my piston heads lost a big chunk out of it which in turn bent the crankshaft....... So yeh they do need some stuff replaced etc etc and good maintanance. But if it's all been done then an oil change every 5000 odd km and it should last you fine untill you need to move to something a bit bigger.

jord
18th May 2006, 22:06
yeah cheers

Silver
22nd May 2006, 18:44
Wow, glad to see it went to a good home :)
I took the money I was going to spend on that and blew it on Scuba gear hehe
*ducks*
Now i'm kicking myself for that and wishing I bought that bike haha
Ah well, live and learn. Still looking for ma first bike.
Ride safe mang!