Finally gave in and decided to get into 2 wheel transport! (rooney111)

[rooney111]

So I've decided to buy something fun and low powered and small for the time being just to get used to the road and rules. Scooters look boring but I really like the suzuki street magic, does anyone know other bikes with similar style/power ?

[hayd3n]

you will get squashed on a lil bike no one will see you
i ride a xl250 (road dirt bike) and its quite tall gives me the advantage of being seen more and ppl still try n run me over lol

[rooney111]

you will get squashed on a lil bike no one will see you
i ride a xl250 (road dirt bike) and its quite tall gives me the advantage of being seen more and ppl still try n run me over lol


Hmm that would be cool once I get a full time job and able to afford bike
Rego costs , any scooter suggestions?

[JacksColdSweat]

Can't recommend a scooter but got to agree with the recommendation to avoid the minis. It's a dog-eat-dog or at least a cage-eat-bike jungle out here.

Welcome to KB!

[DODO``]

if you want to have 50 cc in road bike style your options are limited, either street magic or some other chinese alternatives?

once I looked at so called "cool scooters" like street magic or honda zoomers.. Ive researched them for ages and came very close to buying one ( ended up with replica ) anyway, my point is yeah,, you can get descent 250 or 125 even, for this kind of money.. just doesnt work.. you will like the looks for about a month or so and start hating it because it costed too much and offers too little,, just not practical .. in my opinion..
I'd buy these if I have lots of money as 2nd bikes,, not when im on budget.. :msn-wink:

[rooney111]

if you want to have 50 cc in road bike style your options are limited, either street magic or some other chinese alternatives?

once I looked at so called "cool scooters" like street magic or honda zoomers.. Ive researched them for ages and came very close to buying one ( ended up with replica ) anyway, my point is yeah,, you can get descent 250 or 125 even, for this kind of money.. just doesnt work.. you will like the looks for about a month or so and start hating it because it costed too much and offers too little,, just not practical .. in my opinion..
I'd buy these if I have lots of money as 2nd bikes,, not when im on budget.. :msn-wink:


I was thinking same as well but apparently bike rego costs are very high atm and 50cc are extremely economical? Do you mind sharing your thoughts on what made you change mind from getting a 50 to a normal one? I am quite reasonable just med some advice in right direction

[DODO``]

I was thinking same as well but apparently bike rego costs are very high atm and 50cc are extremely economical? Do you mind sharing your thoughts on what made you change mind from getting a 50 to a normal one? I am quite reasonable just med some advice in right direction

personally petrol $$ never bothered me,I believe when it comes to petrol price, everyone is in the same boat here.. Im sure there are difference in petrol $ between 50 cc and 800cc ,,but realistically.. I don't feel as tho that difference is coming to me as burden.. hmm you know what I really dont see the difference haha.. for me the best advantage on being on 2 wheel is PARKING FEE. nuff said.

anyway,, so what made me change mind from 50 to bigger one?
check out my photos in "albums" in my profile, I learn it the hard way and I did have couple of 50ccs (and bigger bikes before 50cc) and believe or not used it to commute from northshore to town over the bridge, I was usually the fastest one at the congested hours..

I liked pootling around in it so I spent more and more time on it. but very soon not being able to get on the motorway to have a lunch/ dinner with friends etc,, started to bother me, and naturally the next step for me was to make the engine bigger to 100cc.. -if I didnt have a motorcycle licence it would have saved me from getting one- but trust me, putting that much power in a light scooter body on motorway in breezy day is recipe for an accident.

so yeah,,, I started thinking just like you... "start with something small, cheap, manageable, cheap, but cool and cheap.." hahaha yup! 3x cheap! ...but at the end it didnt suit my life style.. + I like to wear proper gears,, helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, boots... I dont mind doing all that but the society still thinks that Im a joke, a wanna be racer.. haha sad but true,

so yeah it didnt work for me, my lifestyle contains going on the motorway and keeping up with it, even on the hill, and even with a passenger time to time. thats why Im on 800 now.. but if you can do by with just sorting everything out in your town it might work for you.
I always thought if I had lived somewhere I didnt have to go on a motorway (because I work in city and live northshore) I would have kept the scooter.
They indeed are fun little lovable things! and as I said, if money is the issue here street magic / zoomers are not the scooters to look for in my opinion!

yeah.. so thats my story..! hope I didnt bore you too much! :msn-wink:

[rooney111]

personally petrol $$ never bothered me,I believe when it comes to petrol price, everyone is in the same boat here.. Im sure there are difference in petrol $ between 50 cc and 800cc ,,but realistically.. I don't feel as tho that difference is coming to me as burden.. hmm you know what I really dont see the difference haha.. for me the best advantage on being on 2 wheel is PARKING FEE. nuff said.

anyway,, so what made me change mind from 50 to bigger one?
check out my photos in "albums" in my profile, I learn it the hard way and I did have couple of 50ccs (and bigger bikes before 50cc) and believe or not used it to commute from northshore to town over the bridge, I was usually the fastest one at the congested hours..

I liked pootling around in it so I spent more and more time on it. but very soon not being able to get on the motorway to have a lunch/ dinner with friends etc,, started to bother me, and naturally the next step for me was to make the engine bigger to 100cc.. -if I didnt have a motorcycle licence it would have saved me from getting one- but trust me, putting that much power in a light scooter body on motorway in breezy day is recipe for an accident.

so yeah,,, I started thinking just like you... "start with something small, cheap, manageable, cheap, but cool and cheap.." hahaha yup! 3x cheap! ...but at the end it didnt suit my life style.. + I like to wear proper gears,, helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, boots... I dont mind doing all that but the society still thinks that Im a joke, a wanna be racer.. haha sad but true,

so yeah it didnt work for me, my lifestyle contains going on the motorway and keeping up with it, even on the hill, and even with a passenger time to time. thats why Im on 800 now.. but if you can do by with just sorting everything out in your town it might work for you.
I always thought if I had lived somewhere I didnt have to go on a motorway (because I work in city and live northshore) I would have kept the scooter.
They indeed are fun little lovable things! and as I said, if money is the issue here street magic / zoomers are not the scooters to look for in my opinion!

yeah.. so thats my story..! hope I didnt bore you too much! :msn-wink:

Thanks for that!

If I do go for a 250 I'll have to get my learners. Any recommended first bike? And preferably not the old honda cbrs/ old ones I really like the look of hyosong comet.

Or how about this - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-472248376.htm ?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-473100328.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-472930972.htm

What do you think?

[DODO``]

haha we have a similar taste.. my first bike was hyosung gt250r too haha

As a leaner myself, I used to love my sports bike,, but was kinda hesitant to take it for a ride because it was not easy to control (by my beginner standards back then), came off of it couple times haha.. But Ive done couple of taupo tracks and trips to wellington (from AK) so it was fine I guess :eek:

now that I think of it,, as a leaner 250 I should have gone with cruiser / naked bike. they are just so much more forgiving and easy to learn on it gives you that confidence on the road that you really need. in my opinion 600cc cruiser is easier to learn than 250 sports.

as for your links yeah they all look pretty descent.
I've had suzuki curiser 250 and my mate has Virago and I have a experience with Honda 250s so yeah I rode all brands you listed.
They are all simple and japs so if their properly maintained they just go on and on,
only thing Ill say is, I dont know if its the weight or not too much torque on higher ends,, but suzuki struggles to clime up hills than others, (al least the one I had) but with its larger (therefore heavier) body, it fit me the best :D but for some reason I love the suzuki the best, maybe their styling?

do a search here or on google how to find a leaner bike, seems to have lots of info there :eek:

[rooney111]

what do you think about this one - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-473585871.htm ?

30km/L lol my current car gives me 15km/L!

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=470479290

This one looks affordable, but this is what the seller said "It has some light surface rust on a few bolts and small brackets, front rim, and parts of the exhust system, some ones put a different choke on it, could do with a tune etc has it has a bit of a carb flutter on idle ever now and then, No smoke, engine runs very quite. http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=473263918

[Ender EnZed]

We really need some sort of budget in order to offer suggestions.

At a guess I'd say that most of your opinions of bikes are based on what they look like, with a strong leaning towards cruiser styling. How does this (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-473368883.htm) look to you?

EDIT: Info on what you plan on using it for would help as well. You've said just to get used to the road and rules, but what sort of roads (speed limits, traffic) and what sort of riding would you be doing?

[rooney111]

Hey thanks for the reply, budget depends on what it is, willing to pay around 2k.
Cruiser styling just because I heard they are a little easier to learn on and gain confidence.
Will be using to get to work and back, in Chch so most of it is 50-60km/hr with short stretch of 100km/hr.

EDIT: just had a look at that GN250, looks good but it would be nice to get a Virago or Rebel instead. In saying that I am not adamant on either of them. 'what sort of riding' - Hmm I have no idea, normal riding? Sorry I'm not sure what you meant, I just want to learn and gain skills, confidence and at same time get to work and back, easy to park and economical commuting. (economy is not the first priority though).

this one just came up - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-473585871.htm Ok deal if I can get it cheaper? what do you guys think? This Marauder sold for 1.2 + $400 for re-vinning so $1.6k. - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-460405737.htm

[Ender EnZed]

If you've got $2k to play with then you can afford a real bike rather than a scooter. It'll be far more confidence inspiring in amognst the traffic and give you a far greater chance of actually enjoying riding.

For something that is as reliable, cheap to run, and as easy to ride as anything you could expect to find I'd recommend a Yamaha Scorpio (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-472002677.htm). There seems to be a bit of a dearth of them for sale in Christchurch at the moment but I'm sure that's a temporary situation, they're as common as any bike.

If you want something (a lot) more exciting and you can slap the seller into making it roadworthy (wof and reg) then this (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-466170794.htm) might be worth a look.

[Ender EnZed]

EDIT: just had a look at that GN250, looks good but it would be nice to get a Virago or Rebel instead. In saying that I am not adamant on either of them. 'what sort of riding' - Hmm I have no idea, normal riding? Sorry I'm not sure what you meant, I just want to learn and gain skills, confidence and at same time get to work and back, easy to park and economical commuting. (economy is not the first priority though).

this one just came up - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-473585871.htm Ok deal if I can get it cheaper? what do you guys think? This Marauder sold for 1.2 + $400 for re-vinning so $1.6k. - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-460405737.htm

A Virago or a Rebel both have 2 cylinders (vs the GNs 1) which means they're generally more powerful/desirable/expensive than a single cylinder bike like a GN or Scorpio for their age and condition.

The Suzuki Marauder/GZ 250 is actually just a dressed up GN250. The only reason to spend extra on one over a GN would be if the styling really did something for you. The bike that needed revinning would've been (more than) a bit of a gamble for whoever bought it. There's simply no way of saying from the ad what else needing doing to make it road legal. For a first bike I'd strongly recommend getting something that already has a wof and at worst need licencing fees purchased (commonly called registration) rather than actual reregistration after being deregistered.

[Ender EnZed]

this one just came up - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-473585871.htm Ok deal if I can get it cheaper? what do you guys think?

Not worth more than $2k but if it tickles your fancy then it's probably not too bad a bet for a first bike.

[DODO``]

Not worth more than $2k but if it tickles your fancy then it's probably not too bad a bet for a first bike.

I think the listing is fair priced.
waiting little more into the middle of winter, where people sell their bike cheap (cheapest during the year) is another idea. GZ250 is usually more expensive than GN because of the fancy suit, but by middle of winter GZ and GN 250 shouldnt have that much price gap :laugh:

Don't forget you will need at the very very least 3-400 bucks for gears too. 200 for new helmet and rest for 2nd hand gloves, boots, jacket and pants maybe?
Just don't think you will dwell forever on your first bike and spend more than your budget, I'm sure you will want to change your bike soon enough.

[rooney111]

Not worth more than $2k but if it tickles your fancy then it's probably not too bad a bet for a first bike.

He needs bottom dollar 2.2k and bike in good condition nothing wrong with it. Anyone on this forum from Chch?

[DODO``]

He needs bottom dollar 2.2k and bike in good condition nothing wrong with it. Anyone on this forum from Chch?

well, you are.:msn-wink:

[rooney111]

Am I being stupid to get a 250cc cruiser for first learner bike? I like the looks but I also want to learn, be practical at same time

[DODO``]

Am I being stupid to get a 250cc cruiser for first learner bike? I like the looks but I also want to learn, be practical at same time

nop, you are being more than perfectly sensible getting 250cc cruiser for first bike. will be perfect learner bike and will be heck of a lot more practical than a scooter for sure.

[rooney111]

So who thinks I should wait more into winter to get a bette deal? Or 2.2k plus 400 for gear for that 2003 maraUder is good deal?

[DODO``]

So who thinks I should wait more into winter to get a bette deal? Or 2.2k plus 400 for gear for that 2003 maraUder is good deal?
Wait if u can, don't if u can't. That's up to u really. I think its an ok deal.

[rooney111]

I can definitely wait let me know if you find any good deals on cruisers

[DODO``]

I can definitely wait let me know if you find any good deals on cruisers

happy hunting :laugh:

[rooney111]

happy hunting :laugh:

I'm not good at it and really not up to date with market prices, I have pre approved loan but I really don't want to get ripped off, could someone point out if there is a good deal in chch or south island on trdme ? Prefer a good looking cruiser..

Thanks I will be looking in the meantime as well. I don't mind lowering or extending budget as long as it is agooood deal!!