Info on Yamaha SRV250cc for anyone thinking of buying one to learn on

[surfchick]

Just thought I'd post some info on the Yamaha SRV250 as its not such a common bike for learning on. I bought a white srv250 from a dealer because i liked how it looked/styling.

So far mine gets 250kms per fill of petrol (91) and it costs about 8.60 to fill. That 250kms doesn't count the reserve tank.
It goes 100kph steady no comfortably & can cruise no bother at 110...
It weighs 140kg and is easy to handle even if you're light.
I took it to port waikato last weekend and it cruised along with the other bikes no worries.
It's awesome to commute on as it doesn't strain to go 100 and it handles loverly on the open road.
Its got a slightly more agressive riding position than a cruiser but is more layed back than a road bike- which suited me becuase in the end I couldn't decide between the cruiser style and the road bike- being a learner I had no way to tell which i liked better. This bike is somewhere in between.
It's naked so no big fairing bills when I gumbi it.. touch wood...
It can lug me and a big heavy pillion about no bother either.
It's sweet in grid lock and can grind along at walking speed (it doesn't lurch out of first gear etc..)
Only thing is the gearbox is a bit rough sometimes- and finding eutral when it's hot is like searching for the holy grail... but these are minor imperfections in the face of the Vtwin delivering a bit more power.
Don't know it's top speed as I haven't fanged it that hard yet and I can't say where it redlines or revs out as it aint got no rev. counter.

I get people hooting at me from the side of the road because they like the style and they think it's an old school bike- so most importantly it's been fun to own so far, and fun to ride.

Allegedly the SRV250's were $9000 when they were sold here in the 90's so because they were expensive they didn't sell well- but i'd rather have one second had than other bikes new dollar for dollar. mine was $3700 with 18000kms 1996. I know there's another one out there as I read a review on kiwi biker before i bought mine...

All in all SRV250's are speedie for thier vintage & are lovely.

[Mencius]

In fact there are another two on KB: mine and Yokai has one as well.

You get used to not finding neutral after a while, you just gotta remember when you are parked in gear :-)

Ang

[surfchick]

In fact there are another two on KB: mine and Yokai has one as well.
:-)

Ang

you got a photo of yours? is it the green or blue one with the yamaha monogramme on the petrol tank, or is it like mine? you get the same fuel economy as me?... i still haven't actually gone far enough for it to splutter, but 250 seems to be pretty near driving on fumes...

[Mencius]

you got a photo of yours? is it the green or blue one with the yamaha monogramme on the petrol tank, or is it like mine? you get the same fuel economy as me?... i still haven't actually gone far enough for it to splutter, but 250 seems to be pretty near driving on fumes...

Mine's red (but not like a fire engine :-). If you search the posts I've made you'll find pics of it somewhere. It has the Yamaha symbol on the tank, not like your one at all.

I have no reserve tank, so I don't let it get to 250 km's (ie, when I found that out I was at 247km on the clock....). As for fuel economy I don't give a fat rat's arse as long as I have enough money in the bank to fill it up again :-)

Ang

[James Deuce]

Very nice review - but where IS Yokai?

What have you people done with him?

[Mencius]

Very nice review - but where IS Yokai?

What have you people done with him?

He's probably just trying to find neutral.......... :killingme

Ang

[gamgee]

it just looks, and from the sounds of it, performs like an sr250 (except with a disk brake) they aren't hot and you'll get sick of it and want something quicker, i know, i do! just saving up now for one, but not getting anywhere quickly (much like riding an sr250 really)

[Mencius]

it just looks, and from the sounds of it, performs like an sr250 (except with a disk brake) they aren't hot and you'll get sick of it and want something quicker, i know, i do! just saving up now for one, but not getting anywhere quickly (much like riding an sr250 really)

Huh! I think I'm offended! :-)

The SRV has a lot of get-up and go in the right hands. And who needs to go faster than 140 kph, especially on a learners license?

That said, mine doesn't look much like Surfchick's........

Ang

[gamgee]

sr250 has a top speed of 120, so not a lot of difference, the only reason they are good for learners is they are basically indistructable and aren't going to end up flipping if you dump the clutch

[surfchick]

yeah- in the end this 250 isn't super powered- it can go 120 as a practicality- but it's not too pretty- as I passed someone today on the way to pauanui for a surf... she's getting pretty scratchy at 120 and bugger if I'm into fighting it out with any 250cc bike trying to get is to sit on anything faster for any length of time. I'm just keen to let ze learners bikes be learners bikes and move on when the time comes. The one thing i would say is that for windy roads the SRV seems nice and turney and fun, but on the straights your're definitely going to struggle to have any fun riding over 120 ( well it isn't my favourite passtime anyway; as this morning my knees were knocking and my teeth chattering from having to drive 20mins in fog just south of the bombays...thought i was going to shake straight off the bike). I think it's not such a bad idea that learners have to ride 250's cause i'd be tempted to go faster if the bike found it no bother- and I'm just too crap at riding...way too crap. Getting better but...

[surfchick]

it just looks, and from the sounds of it, performs like an sr250 (except with a disk brake) they aren't hot and you'll get sick of it and want something quicker, i know, i do! just saving up now for one, but not getting anywhere quickly (much like riding an sr250 really)

I think it has almost the same innards as the sr- I do want something quicker!! but it's not such a good idea right now since I've been warned I don't APEX properly... so still feeling pretty random technique-wise i got miles to learn. To give you some idea of my inability I am as faster than a van and an intercity bus- but slower than a hyundi family wagon at the moment through turns between Kopu and Hikuai. I bet NO-ONE on this site has confessed to such low riding prowess- but mark my words i'll let you know when I rise to the lofty heights of the cifero, the bongo wagon, the nissan vannett and beyond... :shifty: however I am still al in one peice

[woody68]

Sounds like you guys are having fun out there and thats what it's all about. :ride:
My Duc is a shit for finding neutral, everyone else are in the bar and I'm still in the car park f#*ken neutral.

[gamgee]

the best way i've found, to find neutral, is to turn the bike off, then flick it in easy as, not sure if it would be that easy on all bikes, but it works on my sr when its being a bitch with it turned on

[surfchick]

the best way i've found, to find neutral, is to turn the bike off, then flick it in easy as, not sure if it would be that easy on all bikes, but it works on my sr when its being a bitch with it turned on

if the bike's still running (at ze lights say...) put it in second then tap it gently down while splipping the clutch. it seems to drop in then. I have to do the same thing quite a bit to get it into first if i stop quick without working down through the gears as i go.

[gamgee]

if the bike's still running (at ze lights say...) put it in second then tap it gently down while splipping the clutch. it seems to drop in then. I have to do the same thing quite a bit to get it into first if i stop quick without working down through the gears as i go.

yeah that works too, hardly ever need to use neutral when the bike running though :msn-wink:

[Sutage]

Saw a cheap SR250 today, any of you guys wanna write a little review for me? Gonna be first bike, may get the Kawasaki Eliminator tho, looks like a beast :ride:

[surfchick]

I think the earlier posts were wrong- the SR 250 is different from the srv250- the srv250 is a "V"twin- i think there's a guy on the forum who's got the sr250, so check in with him about them. i think he might be a bit mad at his and is selling it. srv250's lovely though. I was in a bad mood with mine after it felt a bit vibraty going 110, but i think it was the head wind as its stopped doing it now and I love it again. good luck picking a bike. in the end it's all a bit random. if it was me i'd do the research and get the most power i could afford no matter what style of bike... you need to be able to go 100 comfy. :msn-wink:

[gamgee]

don't get me wrong the sr250 are a great learners bike, they've got such a simple engine design that basically nothing goes wrong with them, if you can get one with decent k's on it, you'll be fine and if anything does go wrong they are cheap to repair, it's just, well, i want to go faster, i can usually take the civic boy racers down, but anything quicker than that and i struggle a bit, but i might just hang on to it until i can (legally) ride a bigger bike and get maybe a 400 or 600 sportsbike, if your buying it off trademe i'll take a look at it for you and point out anything you should look at

[Ixion]

I think the earlier posts were wrong- the SR 250 is different from the srv250- the srv250 is a "V"twin- i think there's a guy on the forum who's got the sr250, so check in with him about them...

SR250 is a SOHC aircooled single.claimed 21bhp, 80mph (130kph), 310lb weight, Tourer/commuter styling. SRV250 is a SOHC aircooled Vtwin claimed 27bhp, 90mph (145 kph) , 320 lb weight, cafe-racer styling. The shortlived SRX250 was a double-knocker (DOHC) 4 valve 250 air cooled single, claimed 30bhp 95 - 100mph (150 -160kph) , 320 lb weight , cafe-racer styling (but less retro than the SRV250

The XV250S (Virago) is a air cooled 250 Vtwin claimed 20bhp, 75 mph (120kph), 320 lb weight, cruiser styling. Basically same motor as the SRV250, but different top ends .

Then there's the whole raft of Yamy trailie 250's.

[sigh] for the youff, wot don't understand real meaurements, I've metritrickerised the figures

80 mph = 130 kph
75 mph = 120 kph
90 mph = 145 kph
95 mph = 150 kph
100mph = 160 kph
310 lb = 140kg
320 lb = 145kg

Bear in mind that top speed figures on small bikes (all bikes actually, but particularly small ones), are a very theoretical thing. They are easily affected, without the rider realising it, by gradient, wind, speedo error (always positive - odd that) ,engine wear and tear, manufacturing variances , wishful thinking, and that strange phenonomen familiar to fishermen whoose catch "gets away". These can easily cause variances of +/- 20 or 30 kph.

So it is quite possible that your Virago may max out at 90 kph (indignant complaints to the dealer who sold it); or that your SRX250 may see 190kph on the speedo (which you will bore every one to death boasting about they will not believe you but that will not stop you bragging). Uphill, two up, into a head wind , with luggage is another matter again

Claimed horsepower figures are even more a matter of fantasy, and should be filed in libraries next to the works of the Bros Grimm and the late Mr H C Andersen

[gamgee]

haha bet you can't wheelie your sr.250 like i did yesterday :D was coming up to some really steep double speedbumps and instead of letting the front wheel go down in between them i though fuck it i'll wheelie over them, in second gear hit the first one gave it some revs and managed to get the front wheel about a foot and a half off the ground lol it must have looked so funny stupid bloody cruiser doing a wheelie

[surfchick]

my gaad i just looked up the srx250 & i (almost) like it better then my srv!! me likes me bikes naked. cheers for the info.

ps. me been wondering about having a go at these wheelies...could be an embarassing process

[gamgee]

wow, the srx is quite nice isn't it!

[nudemetalz]

That's an SRX400/600 init ?

Cheers

[Tumbles]

I've just posted a thread in club 250 regarding SRV servicing / upgrades. have a look. Mencius we live pretty close. I'll keep my eyes out for another SRV when I get back out. :scooter:

[acm50]

Does anybody out here have a handbook or servicing info for an SRV250 please??

This poor old biker in a wet and cold UK [today anyway] has just - in a fit of lust - bought a 2003 registered green SRV250 with only 3K miles on the clock.

Never imported into the UK but this and a few others was a "grey Import"
from Japan.

Very very pretty little bike and great fun!!

carry on surfing,

acm50 [cambridge UK]:

[stoneage]

Hi guys I am new to kiwi biker.I am thinking about buying the srv 250.I found one in New Plymouth.I wanted to know how does the bike perform in the long run say a 1000 km tour and what exactly is its top speed.

[russiansteel]

Sorry about thread resurrection but there's a srv250 on tardme for just under 4 grand, what's the deal with that, I mean it's a 20 year old 250 after all. Is it actually worth that much? I think you can pick up 5 year old 250 with way less k's for the same price.

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[tonnes]

Sorry to post in an old thread, but I've recently got myself an SRV-250 and was wondering if anyone had any ideas for some kind of luggage rack for it?

I'm planning on doing touring with it and have a couple of old army surplus backpacks I'd like to sling on the side, but I'm weary of them rubbing against the shocks...

[awa355]

Sorry to post in an old thread, but I've recently got myself an SRV-250 and was wondering if anyone had any ideas for some kind of luggage rack for it?

I'm planning on doing touring with it and have a couple of old army surplus backpacks I'd like to sling on the side, but I'm weary of them rubbing against the shocks...

Wont be hard to adapt some form of shield or tube frame to clamp to the bike frame to hold the bags off the side panel.

[awa355]

Sorry about thread resurrection but there's a srv250 on tardme for just under 4 grand, what's the deal with that, I mean it's a 20 year old 250 after all. Is it actually worth that much? I think you can pick up 5 year old 250 with way less k's for the same price.

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You would be buying the SRV because of its appeal as a classic or retro style. If just wanting a commuter, a good scorpio can be had for around the 2g mark.

The SRV was a lovely little bike, but for me, anything over $2500 is too much. ( unless you really want one ).