Virago, does that make me gay?

[thechief]

i dont know much about bikes this will be my first purchase i thought they looked sweet, maybe they are smaller in real life then on the computer? anyways was looking at this one

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-239641285.htm

i thought it was a touch on the expensive side for the kms and year? what other bikes would you reccomend a newbie gn250 is the obvious one but the virago looks so bad ass and is a twin. also im 6 foot tall is this to much for the virago?

my riding experience is farm bikes, and scooters in thailand and indonesia. did a couple of full day missions on the scooters in indo that has given me this itch i need to scratch...

[thechief]

and was also looking at this, like the idea of being able to put a 650 in.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=239796459

[vifferman]

D'ya know what "virago" means? Google it, then substitute it into your topic question, i.e., "Does riding a [....] make me gay?"

[martybabe]

Viragos are great little bikes but I found the small ones, well small. You need to sit on it defo before you part with your money.

As for the chopper , I think that looks great and it could be a lot of fun but as your first bike...nah, with that raked front end, poor handling and not much ground clearance, it's going to be a right handful for a noob mate.

Finally, no you're not gay, both interesting bikes but honestly, I think you're gonna have to keep looking.

Good luck mate, don't be disheartened, do you're time on a boring standard bike then you can choose any darned bike you want :niceone:

[thechief]

yer i knew the chooper is a poor call for a newbie, just looked up the defintion vigaro haha classic. should probably put my comments in context searched vigaro and a thread came up where they were being bagged for being a womens bike and included 3 women on the this site who owned them...

does anyone have any other suggestions apart from the gn250s?

[Subike]

Yamaha 225 Scorpio.
Great little bike, lots of good things been said about them.
they keep up very well on the open road.
around 4 grand new so compare that price whith what you look at second hand

[Virago]

Umm, I don't think I'm gay...? :innocent:

The reality is that, at 6 foot tall, you're gonna dwarf most 250's, especially the low-slung cruisers. It has to be done though, to get through the learner / restricted process.

The 250 Virago is a good little bike. The foot controls are quite well forward, so you shouldn't be too cramped on it. That particular one also has the "drag bar" handle bars, which give more elbow room for the taller rider. Most Viragos have the buck-horn style bars, which are better suited to the shorter rider. So that one would be worth looking at.

Other options? Have a look at the Hyosung GV250 - here's one:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-230161138.htm

It has more of a "big bike" look and feel than most other 250 cruisers.

[sunhuntin]

i love my virago. reliable as all hell and sexy to boot. i paid $5000 for mine that had 38,000k and is a 98 model. but yeh, i would consider them to be a womans bike, but there are at least 2 guys on here that ride them. doesnt make them gay but it shows they have taste. lol.

[Bonez]

If you like the cruiser style go for it. Subikes suggestion of the 225 is a good one though.

[McJim]

Umm, I don't think I'm gay...? :innocent:
.

Bend over dude...I'll soon let you know..:buggerd:

[YellowDog]

D'ya know what "virago" means? Google it, then substitute it into your topic question, i.e., "Does riding a [....] make me gay?"
Virago: "Strong, brave, or warlike W O M A N"

Says nothing about being gay!

I think you're safe.

[SlashWylde]

The price might be a touch high, but not by much. My first bike was a 1993 Virago XV250 which I bought for $3700 from Red Baron in 2004 with 19,000kms on the clock. On the other hand it looks to be in tidy condition and has drag bars rather than the standard buck-horn bars they come with from the factory. So the price is probably about right.

They are a good bike to learn on. Fun to ride and you can happily thrash them around up to their top speed of approx 120km/h.

[Molly]

Back in the day and just after passing my test I bought an import 400cc Virago that I loved. I was new to biking and forums like this didn't exist so there was nobody to tell me how uncool I might be. As such, I just got on, rode and enjoyed it. I suggest you do the same.

[Taz]

Holy shit that crap chopper is about the price of a real bike.

[thechief]

Back in the day and just after passing my test I bought an import 400cc Virago that I loved. I was new to biking and forums like this didn't exist so there was nobody to tell me how uncool I might be. As such, I just got on, rode and enjoyed it. I suggest you do the same.

that seems like good advice, then again you are a dude called molly... haha i think im going to get a gn250 then upgrade when the time comes. i like the look of the vigaro tho. thank yall for the input and advice...

[thechief]

any thoughts on this? looks like a reasonable price for year etc whats the best way to get a bike checked out if you arent in the area? go up and see it? its about two hours away.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-231284130.htm

[MIXONE]

My advice is to get something like a Yamaha XT250.Plenty of room for tall guys,good vision in traffic,hold their value and the bonus is you can take it off road which is the best place to learn bike control.

[vifferman]

D'ya know what "virago" means? Google it, then substitute it into your topic question, i.e., "Does riding a [....] make me gay?"


Virago: "Strong, brave, or warlike W O M A N"

Says nothing about being gay!


I think it makes you a lesbian though.
Aren't lesbians usually gay? :confused:

[thechief]

im pretty keen on a cruiser, that maurader looks like it could be quite small aswell tho. i like the price aswell as the look...

[retro asian]

im pretty keen on a cruiser, that maurader looks like it could be quite small aswell tho. i like the price aswell as the look...

Go to a Suzuki dealer and try sitting on a VL250 Intruder, that should be similar to the Maurauder 250.

[martybabe]

My advice is to get something like a Yamaha XT250.Plenty of room for tall guys,good vision in traffic,hold their value and the bonus is you can take it off road which is the best place to learn bike control.

Excellent choice, cruisers are great but you're going to struggle getting a 250 that fits the bill and you come to that. Loads of choice after you've got your learners Knocked back. :niceone:

[The Pastor]

Virago: "Strong, brave, or warlike W O M A N"

Says nothing about being gay!

I think you're safe.
i think it was refering to the type of owners....

[sleemanj]

Owned an XV250 for a number of years (basically identical to the one on trademe in the first post), excellent bike for learners and around town commuters.

It's adequate for open road, adequate, it will nip along at 110, just don't really expect to pass anybody at that, not much left, from memory I doubt I got far past 120 (closed road etc etc).

Definately you need to sit on one (ride one) before committing though, I'm a short legged guy and it was sweet, if you're a 6ft guy it might be a bit odd.

My only real complaint with it was... spoked wheels. I got stuck with a flat once, after that I decided that all my future bikes were going to be tubeless.

[JacksColdSweat]

im pretty keen on a cruiser, that maurader looks like it could be quite small aswell tho. i like the price aswell as the look...

I've been on a VL250 for some months now - love it and recommend you consider it. Bit "bigger" feeling than the Virago (IMHO)

As you'd expect - it runs out of puff at the top end pretty quickly as do a lot of these type of 250s - but still HEAPS of fun to ride and turns plenty of heads too

My 7 cents .

[Nagash]

any thoughts on this? looks like a reasonable price for year etc whats the best way to get a bike checked out if you arent in the area? go up and see it? its about two hours away.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-231284130.htm

I'm also 6ft tall on the dot.

I went through my learners on a cruiser (a honda rebel250).

All cruiser 250's except fo maybe the magna are going to be too small for you unfortunately, but they're not uncomfortable. I toured all over the north island on that 250 and was still more comfortable then the other sports bike riders that joined me.

So take size as a given that it's going to be too small and move on.

You seem to me like the type of person that wants to feel good on their bike, and unfortunately.. while you'll love the GN at first, cause it's your first cruiser, you'l really quickly learn to hate it. It's *the* beginners bike, but given that you think 3.6K is expensive, you may be with your first bike for awhile, and you won't want it to be a GN.

Viragos are great,
Rebels are great,
Marauders are great (except they have the same engine as the GN so underpowered..),
Magna's are great yet expensive.
Hyosung Aquila's are great, again, expensive.
Suzuki intruder, great,
Yamaha Dragstar, really great and expensive..

And I think that's all the decent 250 cruisers (there aren't many), anything I haven't mentioned, I don't think you should be looking at, but that's just my opinion.

Just gotta pick outta those, the best bike you can get for your money, and ofcourse, which one appeals to you most. And also, test ride everything before you even consider buying it, makes a world of difference.


On a side note, avoid the Spyder Chopper at all costs. You'll look like a right twat with a 250 chopper.. and they can't be trusted on their reliability. They just haven't been around long enough.

[Molly]

that seems like good advice, then again you are a dude called molly...

And on weekends I like to be called Loretta...

[Griffin]

im pretty keen on a cruiser, that maurader looks like it could be quite small aswell tho. i like the price aswell as the look...

Hi Chief,

Like you, when I decided to get into riding, I knew that I preferred the Cruiser style of bike to Sportbikes. My first bike was the Yamaha XVS250 (Dragstar) great bike for learning on, looked the part and appears meatier than most other 250cc Cruisers on the market. Check out a few pics for comparison with other 250's like the Suzuki VL250, the Virago, marauder etc and you will see what I mean. The down side is that they are a little more expensive... but I dont mind spending the extra $ on the right bike.

A good friend of mine is a big lad and he has the Hyosung GV250 - it is also a big bike for a 250 and they seem to be getting a good rep as a beginners bike... however you would def want to upgrade once you had done your time.

Of course... once youve got your full... the options are endless, there are alot of lovely Cruisers out there...

[LBD]

Your not gay....its a yamaha not a Honda!

[retro asian]

My first bike was the Yamaha XVS250 (Dragstar) great bike for learning on, looked the part and appears meatier than most other 250cc Cruisers on the market..


Dragstars are cool. I almost bought a customized XVS1100 instead of my VL800.

I remember reading somewhere that the Virago had more speed, but personally I think it doesn't look as good as the Dragstar/Vstar.

[Griffin]

Its in Auckland but the pics will give you an idea... http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-239632183.htm

[hospitalfood]

ok........
i have heard of tall people getting exemptions to ride bigger bikes on a learner licence. you should look into this as you have a genuine case. don't try to bullshit the system just play it straight, you could well get an exemption.

if you do you might be able to get a harley sportster.IMO if you're going to get a crusier you might as well get the original.

[Morcs]

''Virago - the choice of bike for lesbians with facial hair''

[Griffin]

ok........
i have heard of tall people getting exemptions to ride bigger bikes on a learner licence. you should look into this as you have a genuine case. don't try to bullshit the system just play it straight, you could well get an exemption...

Yeah... my good friend (the big fella I mentioned earlier)... he tried for an exemption based on the fact that he was not only too tall for a 250, but too big in general. He applied for an exemption, sent in photos of himself on a 250 and requested an approval to have a larger model cruiser - he was declined, there are no cruisers on the "approvable" list apparently, therefore he only had the option of one of the "listed" road or sportsbikes.
Since he did not want that style of bike, he chose to get a Hyosung GV250. Still a bit small for him but he would rather that than a style of bike he dont like.

[Virago]

''Virago - the choice of bike for lesbians with facial hair''

Uncanny...

Have we met...?

[usa-vtwin]

Virago, does that make me gay?

YES IT DOES...any 250cc Harley look alike is GAY! Any fake Rolex is gay, any fake flowers are gay, fake friendship is GAY...fake boobs however! They're not gay...

[usa-vtwin]

I had a 1200 on my learners and restricted...borrow a GAY 250cc for your tests! ROFLMAO

[hairydog]

:rockon:i have ridden with a guy who has one and its seems to go really well.damn thing keep up with the softtail

[ready4whatever]

I thought about customizing an xv250. give it the flat handle bars and a few mods and it would look pretty good i reckon

[Griffin]

Virago, does that make me gay?

YES IT DOES...any 250cc Harley look alike is GAY!

So a metric cruiser cant be judged on its own merits... it MUST be compared with a Harley? I think that just because the Japanese have built some cruiser style bikes does not mean that they are trying to be Harley lookalikes - they have standing in their own right.

Dont get me wrong - I like Harleys - but I think it is very narrow minded to believe that they are the be all and end all of Cruiser style bikes. There are some excellent Jap Cruisers around - and many that are more reliable than your average Harley.

The only Cruisers that I wont have a bar of are the cheap and nasty brands like Keeway. (oh - and Hondas - cos they're gay :laugh: )

[usa-vtwin]

to be fair, poster #1 must of had a sneaking suspicion that owning a Virago would be gay, or he wouldnt have asked the question lol

[bru62]

i had gsx invader thats a good size 250 and they keep there price.about 4 yr ago they were doing a pilot programme for guys over 20 that bypassed your restricted ,it was a2 day course you did prac and theroy and went striaght to full not sure if they continued it bot you could check it out i did mine through hamilton m/c training and yes you might not be gay but you could be a lookalike. the only thing with these 250's is there pretty gutless so i would steer clear of gn's imo

[sunhuntin]

i may have to retract my comment. i saw another virago in town on friday. same color as mine, but a bit different as well. an 1100. very masculine machine, whereas mine is very feminine and fits the name perfectly. the 1100 was very handsome. couldnt find the owner though, and didnt have a camera.

[Griffin]

I have often thought the 250 viragos were a weedy looking bike... but then again so are the Suzuki VL250s and the majority of other 250cc models. Thats why I liked the Yamaha Dragstar (XVS250)... looked beefy as.

[Edz1]

I couldn't help but notice in the current Yamaha brochure- out of about 20 bikes, the only bike featured that was being driven by a woman was a....Virago! :)

[EYNON13]

just throw sum apes on it noworrys, And if anybody asks tell em your only gay if ya push back, dosent matter wat ya ride as long as your not riding helen clark

[phred]

My wife has one and loves it. Can't get her to get a bigger bike si I can sell hers for a profit. I am especially not telling her what Virago means. Shes hard enough to handle as it is.

[Irontusk]

The only 250 cruisers that even nearly look right are the VL250 and Dragstar, the way most of the rest of them have their engines mounted just looks so out of place, with one cylinder going straight forward and the other straight up. But the Dragstar looks kind of weird with the guards sticking out like that.. and at nearly twice the price I don't know why you'd bother.

I never test rode a Dragstar, but I'd recommend the Intruder, I'm over 6' and there is enough room. Still can't wait to upgrade though of course.

[Irontusk]

Just wanted to laugh at the moron who negative repped me for the above post, because he likes Harleys.. erm, I didn't even mention them, Dragstars are a YAMAHA range of cruisers. :weird:

[DMCD]

my riding experience is farm bikes, and scooters in thailand and indonesia. did a couple of full day missions on the scooters in indo that has given me this itch i need to scratch...

Hay chief

First of all, congratulations, I had a similar background of riding with the farm bikes to start with but found road riding a real motorcycle a different experience all together.

In my opinion the 250 cruisers are more than a tad disappointing, I am very glad I waited to get my full before a got a cruiser.

I found the best 250 for learning to be the Suzuki Bandit for sure but the Honda Hornets are also quite good, I personally road tested allot of bikes including various cruisers, the Ninja's, CBR's, 2strokes ect and in the end got the Bandit, after it was stolen I upgraded to a CBR250 but I'm glad I started out on the Bandit first.

PS, Just my personal opinion please don't flame me, I'm not digging on mini cruisers or their riders.

[Scorp]

Ha, this is funny. I'm a newbie and just about to buy my first bike, which one way or another will be a 250. My shortlist is:

1. Yamaha Virago
2. Honda VTR
3. Kawasaki Ninja

I'd love to go for a Honda Hornet but there's so few of them about under 10 years old for a decent price (and I want to get something less than 10 years old). Same goes for the Suzuki Bandit. At the moment I'm leaning towards the Virago because I think it combines the best of what I'm looking for in a beginner's bike. A good trainer that's easy to ride, looks good, revs low, and even the recent ones are cheap to pick up, which won't hurt so much if (shit, sorry... when) I drop it.

I love the look of the VTR. Great naked beginner's bike. But they're generally dearer than the Virago and harder to find.

I'm only considering the Ninja because all the beginner bike reviews rave about it, plus the fact that I've read several safety reports that seem to suggest faired bikes are more visible to drivers, and therefore safer. Not too sure about a higher revving bike though - I'm mainly going to be commuting round town.

My guess is that both the Virago and the Ninja will rate highest in the 'gay' stakes among most riders who've graduated to bigger better things. But frankly I don't give a shit. I'm going to test ride all three and go with the one that feels the most comfortable to ride/operate. If the Virago's ride position feels best, I'll happily ride one. If the Ninja feels good, I'll spring for the extra cash and feel a little safer too. Either way... happy days for a newbie biker!

Scorp

[peasea]

Ha, this is funny. I'm a newbie and just about to buy my first bike, which one way or another will be a 250. My shortlist is:

1. Yamaha Virago
2. Honda VTR
3. Kawasaki Ninja

I'd love to go for a Honda Hornet but there's so few of them about under 10 years old for a decent price (and I want to get something less than 10 years old). Same goes for the Suzuki Bandit. At the moment I'm leaning towards the Virago because I think it combines the best of what I'm looking for in a beginner's bike. A good trainer that's easy to ride, looks good, revs low, and even the recent ones are cheap to pick up, which won't hurt so much if (shit, sorry... when) I drop it.

I love the look of the VTR. Great naked beginner's bike. But they're generally dearer than the Virago and harder to find.

I'm only considering the Ninja because all the beginner bike reviews rave about it, plus the fact that I've read several safety reports that seem to suggest faired bikes are more visible to drivers, and therefore safer. Not too sure about a higher revving bike though - I'm mainly going to be commuting round town.

My guess is that both the Virago and the Ninja will rate highest in the 'gay' stakes among most riders who've graduated to bigger better things. But frankly I don't give a shit. I'm going to test ride all three and go with the one that feels the most comfortable to ride/operate. If the Virago's ride position feels best, I'll happily ride one. If the Ninja feels good, I'll spring for the extra cash and feel a little safer too. Either way... happy days for a newbie biker!

Scorp

When it comes to the 'gay' stakes you would have to rate the GN250 fairly highly. It's also good that you don't give a shit about other bikers opinions, coz IMHO all those bikes are gay.

Just my opinion though; I had to get in early before all those sports bike grippers got a word in.

[Scorp]

When it comes to the 'gay' stakes you would have to rate the GN250 fairly highly. It's also good that you don't give a shit about other bikers opinions, coz IMHO all those bikes are gay.

Just my opinion though; I had to get in early before all those sports bike grippers got a word in.
Exactly. Lets face it. To anyone who's passed the 600cc mark, all 250s are going to look gay. Full stop.

[Diavolessa]

i dont know much about bikes this will be my first purchase i thought they looked sweet, maybe they are smaller in real life then on the computer? anyways was looking at this one

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-239641285.htm

i thought it was a touch on the expensive side for the kms and year? what other bikes would you reccomend a newbie gn250 is the obvious one but the virago looks so bad ass and is a twin. also im 6 foot tall is this to much for the virago?

my riding experience is farm bikes, and scooters in thailand and indonesia. did a couple of full day missions on the scooters in indo that has given me this itch i need to scratch...


You can buy my bike lol
it's an 06 Hyosung GV250 - only $4500 ono :gob:
done just under 13000km
went round the south island carrying alot of gear and never missed a beat :yes:
had full services - oil, filter, air filters, spark plugs, value clearance etc

[peasea]

Exactly. Lets face it. To anyone who's passed the 600cc mark, all 250s are going to look gay. Full stop.

Sounds like you have a sense of humour, good on ya.
Welcome aboard.

[Jerry74]

250's are just a stepping stone to get a big boy's bike... gay no

Underpowered and slightly laughable yes

Keep the humour up

[porky]

Jerry 74 beat me to it, as he said not gay, just part of the process. I started life on an AE80 now that was .......... Daughters boyfriend had one of those "gay bikes" as you call them. He had an awesome run out of it.
Now if you want a kick arse bike, (and a classic) go hunt down an RD250 LC, no problems recovering your monie when you move up.

[pacificsky]

hi well i have a virago and they are good bike but ur tall and im a short arse lol suites me well the intruder however may be ideal for u might pay to go and look ....

[Scorp]

Got my eye on a nice Virago at a good price, but thinking of test riding an old Honda Magna. No idea whether they're a good beginner bike yet though.

[cold comfort]

'keeps up with a soft tail " -a truly interesting endorsement