First bike?

[Tomg1371]

Hey guys looking to buy my first bike but wouldnt have a clue what to look for ect, Im looking at a kawasaki ZXR 1989 250cc on trademe.

Its very tidy for its age and is Serviced regularly.

But its got 50,000k on the clock is that to much? and is 1989 getting to old?

What do you guys reckon just after some tips on what to look for for my first bike

My price range im looking at is around $2000 to $2500

Cheers

[tigertim20]

Hi there.

what you want to look into is LAMS.

go and do a search on LAMS on kiwibiker, and on google. You may not be awae of the greater variety of bikes available to new riders under the new law, my suggestion to you before jumping on the bike you have mentioned is do some more research, you are no longer restricted to 250cc bikes.

as for the bike you mentioned, they are okay, but on a bike like that the biggest factor is what kind of a life has it had.
how many owners? has it been raped by all who rode it? has it been serviced regularly? do they have receipts to prove it?

One of those in good condition is a reasonably good little bike to start on, but IMO, there are better options which are worth at least considering

[Tomg1371]

Hi Cheers for your reply ive looked on LAMS and the only problem is that most of the bikes im looking for are not on there.

Im looking at sports bikes and the ones they seemed to have listed where crusiers ect.

So I was thinking of buying before the 1st of Oct and applying for a exemption.

Any sports bikes that are 250cc that you would reccomend starting on?

Cheers

[ducatilover]

Hi Cheers for your reply ive looked on LAMS and the only problem is that most of the bikes im looking for are not on there.

Im looking at sports bikes and the ones they seemed to have listed where crusiers ect.

So I was thinking of buying before the 1st of Oct and applying for a exemption.

Any sports bikes that are 250cc that you would reccomend starting on?

Cheers

Any 250 you can think of is LAMs legal with the exception of the NSR250, RGV250, RS250, TZR250
The CBR/ZXR/GSX-R/FZR models are all legal.
For that kind of money, I wouldn't be looking at a ZXR (great bikes, but not usually very nice if found really cheap...)
A Bandit 250 has 40-45hp depending on the model and they can be had for that coin, good little bikes too.
Or a VT250 Spada if you can find one.

If you're looking at the ZXR and really have to buy it, get it checked by someone knowledgeable (if it's between Palmy and Masterton I may be able to look over it)
They're prone to cam chain tensioner issues (as with any Kawasaki of the age)
Chances are it'll be needing suspension work if it hasn't had it, fork seals are cheap, but fork internals aren't
Brakes are cheap and cheerful to service, carbs are piss easy to get bits for.

I'd be looking at the condition of the bike overall, not so much the KMs.

[Ocean1]

Yeah. They aren't on the LAMS approved list because they don't want you to ride 'em. Understand that there are bikes that ARE significantly more likely to kill you than others, and that while LAMS has some serious wrinkles it does represent a half decent shopping list for a beginer.

I'd suggest an XR200 and 100 hrs on a greasy padock if I though you were serious about learning how to ride. As it is just make sure that whatever you get spends plenty of time practicing low speed stunts in a car park, eh?

[Killaz2K]

I got my first bike about a month ago, a clean little 1987 FZR 250, has 22k's on it, bike runs almost like a charm, my only piece of advice would be to get anything you're looking at checked by someone knowledgeable, I had mine taken in for a pre purchase inspection, paid the 2.7k for it based on that.


Either a pre-inspection done by a motorcycle shop or a knowledgeable friend and you'll be happy, 250 or anything larger.

[Tomg1371]

Thanks for all the replys guys will Defintaily be getting a pre inspection done on the bike I buy, that is when I decide what I want to buy

[Sharn]

Make sure your prepurchase inspection is a comprehensive one, similar to the MTA checklist available online. Ask what it entails (fairings off, test ride etc). I recently got a 'prepurchase' done at a well reputed shop that was not even close to an inspection- significant probs with the bike I wasn't aware of until I had it serviced a week later...

Good luck searching for your new wheels, those little ZXR's are great fun when they are looked after!

[pankajzone]

Chreer & Congrats.

Great post.

Photo Booth Green Bay (http://www.zulabooth.com)

[KIPS powervalve]

ZXR250s have almost always been caned, because they are among the fastest 250 4 strokes. If you're confident in your ability to wield such a weapon, good. Personally, I find the 150cc 2 strokes a more manageable practice machine. Faster than a Hyo, but not the same ridiculous 17,000rpm redline you get with an old FZR or similar.

[Old Steve]

Don't overlook the Yamaha Scorpio 225, though a single they're pretty versatile. I had one follow me back from Kawhia when I was on my 250 learner cruiser and, even though it was 25 cc and one cylinder down on my bike, it stuck to me like a dag on a sheep's bum.

[GrayWolf]

Hey guys looking to buy my first bike but wouldnt have a clue what to look for ect, Im looking at a kawasaki ZXR 1989 250cc on trademe.

Its very tidy for its age and is Serviced regularly.

But its got 50,000k on the clock is that to much? and is 1989 getting to old?

What do you guys reckon just after some tips on what to look for for my first bike

My price range im looking at is around $2000 to $2500

Cheers

Hi Tom,
look if you are going to go sprots 250, nothing any of us say is going to deter you. But for what its worth what you'll find is a division in advice thats just about 100% age and experienced based. Young dumb and full of shit, will promote and advice any one of the several sports 250's around. What you need to take into account is not just the overall external condition and that it may sound OK. Example the bike you are looking at. 250 sprot bikes fetch 4-5k in a shop foe a good example low K's. So 2.5k is going to be at the lower end of the scale. Basicaly, there is a very high risk that the bike has been abused daily (thrashed fuck out of) may not have been maintained properly at least at some time during its life. Regardless of CC rating shops charge a standard rate for servicing. A major service on a 4 cyl bike is likely to cost in the region of $5-600. You need to ask yourself how many of these major services have been missed out? Have the oil changes and filters been regularly changed? Sprot 250's are very high revving and high stressed (highly tuned) they WILL become grenades if not looked after.
The older riders (experienced) will advice you towards more sedate bikes (ZZR/GPX 250, GN250, scorpio, GSX250 (twin cyl version) or Hyosung 250gt. They have a reasonable performance, more likely to be less stressed (tuned) cheaper to maintain...... In real terms on the road, unless you are thrashing or racing the bike everywhere. the 20kph difference between a FZR/ZXR style bike and a twin is not noticeable, you are talking a second over a standing 1/4 mile at best.. think about that on the road would you really notice such a small difference in performance?
Thats my 2c worth....... GW

[ducatilover]

Hi Tom,
look if you are going to go sprots 250, nothing any of us say is going to deter you. But for what its worth what you'll find is a division in advice thats just about 100% age and experienced based. Young dumb and full of shit, will promote and advice any one of the several sports 250's around. What you need to take into account is not just the overall external condition and that it may sound OK. Example the bike you are looking at. 250 sprot bikes fetch 4-5k in a shop foe a good example low K's. So 2.5k is going to be at the lower end of the scale. Basicaly, there is a very high risk that the bike has been abused daily (thrashed fuck out of) may not have been maintained properly at least at some time during its life. Regardless of CC rating shops charge a standard rate for servicing. A major service on a 4 cyl bike is likely to cost in the region of $5-600. You need to ask yourself how many of these major services have been missed out? Have the oil changes and filters been regularly changed? Sprot 250's are very high revving and high stressed (highly tuned) they WILL become grenades if not looked after.
The older riders (experienced) will advice you towards more sedate bikes (ZZR/GPX 250, GN250, scorpio, GSX250 (twin cyl version) or Hyosung 250gt. They have a reasonable performance, more likely to be less stressed (tuned) cheaper to maintain...... In real terms on the road, unless you are thrashing or racing the bike everywhere. the 20kph difference between a FZR/ZXR style bike and a twin is not noticeable, you are talking a second over a standing 1/4 mile at best.. think about that on the road would you really notice such a small difference in performance?
Thats my 2c worth....... GW
Also worth mentioning that most "experienced" riders wouldn't be able to justify the difference between the top four cylinders, and most find the twins far, far easier to live with.
The 4 cylinders are significantly faster, but as said, only when you thrash the fuck out of them. My VT250 Spada would hold an MC22 on any but the straightest roads, easily and was faster out of the corners, easier to ride, souned better and was heaps cheaper to run.

[Akzle]

TLR thou.
. .

[Killaz2K]

Faster than a Hyo, but not the same ridiculous 17,000rpm redline you get with an old FZR or similar.

But I love the scream and the wind noise when I'm going along the Hutt motorway at 20,000rpm in 6th gear.

[Sable]

But I love the scream and the wind noise when I'm going along the Hutt motorway at 20,000rpm in 6th gear.
Cool story bro. Please tell us more

[kiwi cowboy]

TLR thou.
. .

:yawn::yawn::tugger:nuff said

[kiwi cowboy]

Also worth mentioning that most "experienced" riders wouldn't be able to justify the difference between the top four cylinders, and most find the twins far, far easier to live with.
The 4 cylinders are significantly faster, but as said, only when you thrash the fuck out of them. My VT250 Spada would hold an MC22 on any but the straightest roads, easily and was faster out of the corners, easier to ride, souned better and was heaps cheaper to run.

Agree with duclover and gray wolf here.

I had a gsx400 impulse when they came out and my bro had a vt250.
I was amazed one day when i took his 250 for a spin on a piece of road a regularly traveled by the torque of the thing coming out of corner uphill in top it would eat my 400 unless i chopped down gears.
when wew traveled together if we pulled out to pass at around 95-100kms i would have to chop 2 gears to get the revs up but he just rolled on the throttle.
The v twinn is a much more forgiving motor and doesnt need to be thrashed to go tike a cut cat.:yes:
.Cheers kc

[GrayWolf]

But I love the scream and the wind noise when I'm going along the Hutt motorway at 20,000rpm in 6th gear.

proves exactly my point,,, highly tuned, thrashed to fuck on a regular basis.