Perfect learner bike on the motorway?

[simfish]

Hi I am new to this forum. I have yet to buy a bike. Next week is when I will be doing my basic training. I live in Botany, Manukau and looking for a bike to travel from home to Auckland city (work) via the Motorway. My round trip for a day will be around 50km. Safety and responsibilty is absolutely high on my list as I have a lovely family and 2 kids. Therefore even though I love how the Aprilla looks, I have decided to stay away from it.

Is there a perfect sutiable learners bike for the above daily commuter thant someone can recommend. I am looking at a budge of under $3000. If possible however would love to know what is perfect as well if finance was not an issue.

Therefore can I have 2 suggestions / options please and please comment on what milage the bike should be , thanks in advance for all your advice:done:

[howdamnhard]

A Gn250 may be a little slow for the motorway. Try a Yamaha Scorpio . Having said that the safest bike for you will be the one you are also comfortable on so get out and try some. Sit on them and check you can reach all the controls comfortably, manouvre easily , put your feet down when stopped , etc . Honda Spada or Vtr are good too. Pop in at Botany Honda and see what they have got to get an idea what suites you.
Might spot you as your in my neighbourhood , feel free to join any of the rides and if you need any help just holler.

[crazyhorse]

Welcome to KB.

My thoughts are:

There is no perfect bike. It all depends on what you like, or fit well to ride. Do you have long legs, or short legs; are a big person, or small etc.

My son was 6 ft and he started on a FXR150. Too small a bike for him, so we upgraded him to a GSX250. Much better fit for him.

My suggestion is to buy second hand, you only really need it between 18 months to 2 years, then buy the bike you really want.

Mileage will be appropriate to age of bike, but most bikes are good for over 50k. before you may need to start doing the odd thing.

Just look around at what is available and test ride them for your own suitability.

And the only other thought I have, is stick to the popular brands like suzuki, honda or yamaha. There are more around if you do need to buy any parts or for maintenance issues.

Good luck :)

[Jantar]

Suzuki GN250 or Yamaha Scorpio would be ideal for the learner phase of your riding. They will both keep up with the traffic and you'll be able to lane split as well. Both are ideal for city and motorway riding, but you may consider something a bit sportier like a bandit or VTR after you get your restricted.

[kiwifruit]

hey up :)

Go the scorpio!

[Hawkeye]

Suzuki GN250 or Yamaha Scorpio would be ideal for the learner phase of your riding. They will both keep up with the traffic and you'll be able to lane split as well. Both are ideal for city and motorway riding, but you may consider something a bit sportier like a bandit or VTR after you get your restricted.

But beware. Dean will be along to give you all of his years of experience on GN's very :soon:

[one fast tl1ooo]

or a suzuki gz250 gl250

[Hopeful Bastard]

Hey there. I am on a Suzuki Bandit 250. It is a nice quick bike to get you out of hairy situations that car drivers put you in (Pulling in front of you, Reversing outta car parks etc). I have now had my Learners for about 20 days. But yes.

It all depends on how tall you are, What kind of bike YOU prefer. We can all suggest a bike for you, But as i have learned, It is Personal Preference.

But once you do get a bike, Dont forget to Practice Practice Practice. I am always practicing. At the moment, I am practicing counter-steering. Slowly Increasing my speed. At the moment, I am at 70km counter-steering. Thanks XP@ for taking me out that time..

Just remember. It is a trust thing you have with your bike. If you dont trust it, It wont trust you :)


Most important, Keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up. Right Right, Ride Safe :done:

[avgas]

Yep I agree with others on here.
- the GN250, even a newish GN125 does 120kmh easy enough, contrary to what most toe-rags on here think.
- Scorpio
- FXR150 will go faster than both

I also took one of those Chinese, Zhongshen 250's for a spin. They are as good build quality as the 150 (or was it 125) - So I would highly recommend them as bang for buck. They do motorway speeds

[Gerbs]

And no-ones mentioned that you can't ride on the motorway on a motorbike when you're on your learners?

KB'ers, whats happened to you?

[Hawkeye]

I am practicing counter-steering. Slowly Increasing my speed. At the moment, I am at 70km counter-steering. Thanks XP@ for taking me out that time..



Bllody hell, your keen trusting XP@. He can't even reach the ground on that bike of his. :laugh: He has to take a running start just to mount it. I'm sure he must carry a stepladder somewhere on that bike just so he can get on.:bleh::dodge:

[Hopeful Bastard]

And no-ones mentioned that you can't ride on the motorway on a motorbike when you're on your learners?

KB'ers, whats happened to you?

Really? Why cant you??




Bllody hell, your keen trusting XP@. He can't even reach the ground on that bike of his. :laugh: He has to take a running start just to mount it. I'm sure he must carry a stepladder somewhere on that bike just so he can get on.:bleh::dodge:

Its built in.. I saw it the other day when i was at his house :lol:

Also built in is a leg extension kit for when he is stopped at the traffic lights :laugh::dodge:

[centaurus]

Hi simfish, welcome to KB.

My recommendation would be a Kawasaki GPX250 or ZZR250 (the same bike, small difference in fairings) - it's basically the same bike as the new ninja 250 or uglier fairings, for the following reasons:

1.it's not enough power to get you into trouble but is powerful enough to cruise at motorway speeds all day long
2. full fairings. Yes it's bad if you drop it (more plastic to repair) but on the motorway it also means more wind protection
3. it's a well ballanced and stable bike so it won't get you in any trouble as long as you play nice.
4. They've been making it since 1987 or so, so depending on your budget you can choose the year and the state of the bike you buy. If budget is not such an issue, you can go for the new ninja250 that looks better. The GPX was made until 2007 so there still are almost new second hand ones out there.
5.It's cheaper than other good 250s outthere, but very good quality, way above the chinese crap.
6. It has a smooth powerband, power gradually increasing through the rev range, this means taht while you learn you keep it in lower revs and it's perfectly safe, once you have got used to it, instead of having to replace it (like you would do if you buy a gn or a 125cc bike), you just squeese the throttle more.

[Badjelly]

And no-ones mentioned that you can't ride on the motorway on a motorbike when you're on your learners


Really? Why cant you??

Actually you can, but you're not allowed to exceed 70 km/h. Which is dangerous so you can either stay off the motorway or venture onto the motorway and ignore the 70 k limit. Many do the latter. I would suggest maybe the former is wiser, at least at first.

Re bike choice, my opinion as a Scorpio owner, is that they will certainly do 100 km/h (though a gale-force Wellington headwind, will sometimes push them below that) but if I were to do a lot of motorway riding I'd get a 250 twin or larger. Just a bit more in reserve.

[mrmeal]

Hey Simfish, I'd say Welcome to KB forums myself but I've only just signed up myself. Used to be on here a long time back very briefly as I had a Suzi GSXR250 back then. I didn't ride it much and sold it through lack of use. However my partner has recently got her learner license and is keen as a bean on learning to ride. We have had scooters for some time, but she wants to qualify properly on a motorbike. As a result I bought her a little Suzuki 250GN to get used to, really forgiving bike, and natural easy riding position. I still need to qualify onto my restricted, having head my learners for far far far too long, stupid procrastination is the reason :) Anyway I digress. When i bought her the GN250 I missed riding again so ended up finding and buying a Suzuki GZ250 cruiser. I always liked cruisers. No sport bike (I had them and currently favour cruisers), but enough power to get me by.
If you are still looking around and playing with ideas of bike styles feel free to drop me an email
haydene@datacom.co.nz I'm based in Howick as well, and if you are still looking come over and sit yourself on something liek the GN250, upright seating, and the GZ250 a cruiser seating position, just to see which takes your fancy. Sorry I don't have a sport bike in stock any longer to try lol.

[CookMySock]

I have a lovely family and 2 kids.I don't think you should be doing that particular ride on your learners license, considering your inexperience.

Perhaps get some experience for a few months, and then try it.

A bike with upright bars is a lot easier to manage.

Steve

[hmmmnz]

pah, motorway riding is fine, just take it easy to start with, eg no filtering ec,
i would be looking for a il4 like the bandit 250 gsxr250 cbr250 ect ect
or a pararlel twin like he gpx250 cb250, the single cylinder 250s have enough power for the motor way, but it takes a while getting there, and passing is ... well difficult


here a a few bikes that i reckon would be good
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-273139342.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Dual-purpose/auction-271524242.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-271226395.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-244271531.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-272402803.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-269421438.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-269773486.htm (great buy)

[aprilia_RS250]

If safety is your top priority then don't completely drop the rs250 out of the picture. It's light and brakes extremely well.Very forgiving bike. I learned to ride in it. Also read the the "Twist of the Wrist" by Keath Code.

[hmmmnz]

yeah there is nothing wrong with 250cc 2 strokes, i did my learners time on a rgv, saying that im surprised i didnt kill myself, far too much power for a 15 year old with no restraint,
if i were to do it again, i'd go for a single cylinder 2 stroke, just to keep the cost of rebuilds down,

[Jonno.]

If you want a cheap commuter get a FXR 150
-30 km/l
-CAN go 100+ km/h and doesn't take "ages" to get there.
-Can get one for 1600 on trademe at the moment leaving you money to buy gear with.

[Old Steve]

Trade Me prices seem to be highly over inflated, I see bikes where the seller is sking $5000 and I bought a similar bike for $3200. Make a silly offer if its a set price, at least you're establishing interest. If its an auction, ask a question so you get included if the seller sets a set price offer after the auction closes with no bids.

[skinman]

I ride a Yamaka Virago & one comment I can make is that on bikes with no windscreen you really notice the wind! If I was to look for anything it would be some fairing/screen if you are on the motorway a lot PS naughty naughty riding on M/way on learners your not meant to exceed 70km. of cause I never did (at least with the L plate on)

[Latte]

Definitely try a few bikes out 1st. Everyone is different and getting a bike that "fits" you and you feel comfortable on is paramount.

If you're not a hormonal teenager that only understands "no throttle" and "full throttle" you'll find the "faster" 250's no issue so don't rule them out. I wouldn't suggest a 2 stroke unless you _want_ one, purely because they are noisy , and require constant maintenance - there's something to do pretty much every ride (albeit small, and it becomes part of the routine), they need a bit more forethought in regards to warming up etc.

If you look at bikes with a sporty riding position go for a longer test ride if you can, pay attention to your wrists and thighs/seat etc - a lot of people get aches/cramps after as little as 15 mins ride time.

If you have narrowed it down to a few specific bikes ask the folks on here for someone to give you their opinion on condition etc - you'll find someone will be happy to give it a once over and test ride for you (nothing worse than your new toy turning out to be a lemon).

[dragon_fly]

Hi there
I also am a new rider and i have a suzuki intruder vl 250 it is cruiser style, nice and light and easy to manuvere(not sure how to spell that). Have riden from Otaki to Wellington heaps of times and it easily does the speed limit. (gets blown around badly if it is really windy). But is comfortable for long riding.

[Phreak]

Cough Cough CBR250 Ahem...!
Earlier models are getting really well priced for low kays, plenty of power to keep up with traffic, and very stable on the road...
But seriously, try out a few different styles, makes and models to find something that fits you personally.

Ride Hard, Ride Safe!

[avgas]

GN125 - good for about 125-130kph, so long as the engine is tight.
Otherwise the Scorpio is good.
Aprilla 125 is good for about 140kph, but you have to ring the shit out of it to go anywhere.
RS250 is great, but not so for learning at 200+kph

[bkker]

pah, motorway riding is fine, just take it easy to start with, eg no filtering ec,
i would be looking for a il4 like the bandit 250 gsxr250 cbr250 ect ect
or a pararlel twin like he gpx250 cb250, the single cylinder 250s have enough power for the motor way, but it takes a while getting there, and passing is ... well difficult


I agree with hmmmnz, sport bikes do have a little more "oomf" which is nice to have on the motorway.
If you want a cruizer then some of those ones with twin-cylinder engines like the Intruder that dragon_fly mentioned are good. Single cylinders like the GZ250 can go 110, but on a windy day up a slight incline and you may find the bike is maxing out at 90.

[R-Soul]

For commuting, 250's have decent enough fuel economy (compared to 125's). When you are in traffic, itis nice to have n upright sitting position (as opposed to leaning back - crusier- or leaning forward - sports bike), the more comfortable you are, the more aware you will be and teh safer you will be.

The VTR250 is a nice upright sitting position, and you can see over cars.

For NZ weather, fairings are nice (which the VTR dont have - maybe a small light shield) - but if you have decent gear, you wont get wet.
The V-twin engine also offers good mid range oomph, and less having to change up and doen the box for suitable gears. And sounds quite nice.

There are a coupl of other Vtwin or twin bikes out ther too - prolly some with a fairing.

[GOONR]

I'd be guessing that Simfish may have a bike by now..

Just incase, I'm gonna chuck in my 2pence worth. I have a 250 bandit and it suites (me) just fine for a commute and a little bit of fun at the weekends (when I get the time). I was very lucky and got mine for bang on your budget (bought it off a mate), I doubt that a decent one for your kinda money would come up to often though.

[Genie]

Well you've certainly got plenty to think about now. As one poster mentioned, pop down your local motorbike shop and sit on a few. It's fun, don't forget to make the right noises! I bought myself the Kawasaki Ninja 250 and I'm loving it. Fantastic little bike that can get you out of trouble should you need assistance. 'tis a nimble wee thing that likes the corners and will take you anywhere, even gravel roads.

All the best for your search and have a safe and fun time on the road.