Please help me with my purchase

[Brennan]

Hey guys / girls

I am thinking of travelling down south to purchase a new 1992 Honda CBR250RR http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=848261874 and was just after some advise to see if I would be making the right decision. It's currently going for $3800 and around 60,000ks. Apparently the bike has been dropped by the previous owner but the parts have been replaced. I have spoken to the mechanic that last did a service on the bike but unfortunately no compression test has been done. Of course it would be quite hard to tell without getting an AA inspection, but does this potentially look like a safe purchase? It looks like it is in really good nick but it is quite hard to organise the AA inspection being in a different part of the country, I was mostly worried about the compression in the engine not being right.

Any advise would be awesome

Many thanks, much appreciated

[Brennan]

Also, just to add, the mechanic said he thought it "looked" in really good nic and couldn't see any problems with the bike.. but of course no compression test was done although it did pass a warrent very recently from http://www.qmotor.co.nz/

[James Deuce]

It's a learner bike from 1992. It's not been dropped just by the previous owner. Just curious, what would you do if the compression wasn't up to spec?

I think you'll find the engine is the least of your worries. I'd be more concerned about the state of all of the chassis bearings (steering head, swingarm pivot, suspension linkages) and wheel bearings and ask when the last time the fork oil was changed. I'd expect the cush drive to be brittle and well beyond it's scheduled replacement, if it hasn't almost disappeared altogether. Selector forks in gearboxes especially 2nd gear are often bent in high mileage older small-capacity bikes, due to the reality of who rides them. When was the last time throttle cables (clutch too - not sure if CBR250s are cable or hydraulic clutches) were lubed, what state are the chain and sprockets, etc., etc. ?

How much do you have budgeted to spend on it after you've picked it up?

[haydes55]

It's 23 years old, that's enough to buy a brand new gn250 without having to travel anywhere and it would have a warranty and you would know nothing is about to wear out.

60,000km of learner K's.... Thrashed, maintained by inexperienced teenagers who are too poor to pay for a proper service.

Sure it looks like a good bike.... But add cost of picking it up, cost of replacing the parts which are half worn out in a few months and who knows what else has happened to the bike in 23 years. Also, older bikes are harder to source parts for.

Do you really want a screaming little 250, or would you be happier on a gs500 from the mid 2000's for similar money with less K's in better nick?

[vifferman]

Jim forgot to mention camchains in his otherwise extensive list. Honda camchains and camchain tensioners are notoriously crappy, and a very high revving bike like the CBR250RRRR (don't they rev to 27 million RPM?) is unlikely to have escaped this factory-installed feature).

[James Deuce]

Jim forgot to mention camchains in his otherwise extensive list. Honda camchains and camchain tensioners are notoriously crappy, and a very high revving bike like the CBR250RRRR (don't they rev to 27 million RPM?) is unlikely to have escaped this factory-installed feature).

Oh yes, good point and the reg/rec voltage outputs need checking and there needs to be documentation about how many it's had.

[Murray]

Buy this instead

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/173179-VFR400-NC30-for-sale-Low-km-lots-of-new-parts?p=1130831869#post1130831869

[sil3nt]

Hey guys / girls

I am thinking of travelling down south to purchase a new 1992 Honda CBR250RR http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=848261874 and was just after some advise to see if I would be making the right decision. It's currently going for $3800 and around 60,000ks. Apparently the bike has been dropped by the previous owner but the parts have been replaced. I have spoken to the mechanic that last did a service on the bike but unfortunately no compression test has been done. Of course it would be quite hard to tell without getting an AA inspection, but does this potentially look like a safe purchase? It looks like it is in really good nick but it is quite hard to organise the AA inspection being in a different part of the country, I was mostly worried about the compression in the engine not being right.

Any advise would be awesome

Many thanks, much appreciatedI would take the gamble. Pretty hard to kill the MC22. Good luck finding a leaner bike this old that hasn't been dropped. Pretty obvious this one has as it has aftermarket chinese fairings.

[Brennan]

Buy this instead

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/173179-VFR400-NC30-for-sale-Low-km-lots-of-new-parts?p=1130831869#post1130831869

I was actually really tempted to buy that bike! Unfortunately I'm only on my learners and it's not LAMS approved. Unsure if I would get insured etc. amazing looking bike!

[Brennan]

By the way, thank you for all of the replies, I'm taking everything onboard

[shafty]

Haydes55 has said everything I would tell you

[The End]

As has already been mentioned, buying a bike like this that is 23 years old is going to cost you more in the long run than its worth.

It may look pretty on the outside (clean fairings) but the inside has likely been thrashed many times by many (inexperienced) riders.

Save your money that you would undoubtedly spend keeping this bike running and buy a modern (ish) learner bike, get your full then buy something bigger and better. I've never understood why new/learner riders want the flashiest looking, highest revving, most abused bikes to learn on. Save that for your full license and go nuts on a bigger bike!

[speights_bud]

It may look pretty on the outside (clean fairings) but the inside has likely been thrashed many times by many (inexperienced) riders.


Those fairings scream chinese replacements, I could be wrong, but I dont think they came out with monster energy decals....

[sil3nt]

It's 23 years old, that's enough to buy a brand new gn250 without having to travel anywhere and it would have a warranty and you would know nothing is about to wear out.:lol:


60,000km of learner K's.... Thrashed, maintained by inexperienced teenagers who are too poor to pay for a proper service.60,000 kms is hardly anything for these bikes. Thrashed? You mean ridden hard like they were designed to be?


Sure it looks like a good bike.... But add cost of picking it up, cost of replacing the parts which are half worn out in a few months and who knows what else has happened to the bike in 23 years. Also, older bikes are harder to source parts for.What parts? Your talking shit.


Do you really want a screaming little 250, or would you be happier on a gs500 from the mid 2000's for similar money with less K's in better nick?:lol: GS500 over an MC22 :killingme


As has already been mentioned, buying a bike like this that is 23 years old is going to cost you more in the long run than its worth.

It may look pretty on the outside (clean fairings) but the inside has likely been thrashed many times by many (inexperienced) riders.Again using this 'thrashed' argument. Do you all really nana your bikes around? These bikes are made to be 'thrashed'


Save your money that you would undoubtedly spend keeping this bike running and buy a modern (ish) learner bike, get your full then buy something bigger and better. I've never understood why new/learner riders want the flashiest looking, highest revving, most abused bikes to learn on. Save that for your full license and go nuts on a bigger bike!

:lol:

Check the videos on this page. Stock standard MC22 with 60,000ks on it. Had its valve clearances checked (sometime between 40,000 and 60,000km) and all were in spec.
https://www.youtube.com/user/SportbikerNZ/videos

Over 2 years of being 'thrashed' around a race track including multiple crashes yet it is still running fine when apparently it should have shat itself already :rolleyes:.

Buy it while you still can.

[Crasherfromwayback]

:
60,000 kms is hardly anything for these bikes. Thrashed? You mean ridden hard like they were designed to be?

.

At 18000 rpm the pistons rise and fall 600 times a second. 60000km's on such a small engine is a shitload.

[Rhys]

Jim forgot to mention camchains in his otherwise extensive list. Honda camchains and camchain tensioners are notoriously crappy, and a very high revving bike like the CBR250RRRR (don't they rev to 27 million RPM?) is unlikely to have escaped this factory-installed feature).

CBRs have gear-driven cams

[kiwi-on-wheels]

My mc17 is nuts. Done 62000 km. No cam chain, its gear driven cams. Looks to be hard to kill, mines been dropped very hard a few times and its still straight, crack up bike, especially at 18k rpm... :-)

[mossy1200]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-830376466.htm

Do yourself a favour and offer this guy 4k

[James Deuce]

CBRs have gear-driven cams

So it's NOT the chick in the jeans, parker, and thong on the back whining?

[nodrog]

Those fairings scream chinese replacements, I could be wrong, but I dont think they came out with monster energy decals....

and considering the only energy drink availiable 23 years ago was Bovril

[James Deuce]

and considering the only energy drink availiable 23 years ago was Bovril

And we had to drink it out of a shoe.

[Imagineering]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=829559754

[James Deuce]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=829559754

Shudder. And slower than a CBR250RR

[Imagineering]

Shudder. And slower than a CBR250RR

With far more Character and Charisma than a rather common Honda ...

[James Deuce]

With far more Character and Charisma than a rather common Honda ...

Even far more prone to being poorly maintained. '92 Ducatis are about as reliable as Chery J3s.

[sil3nt]

With far more Character and Charisma than a rather common Honda ...:lol:
I would take a GS500 over this anyday.

[caspernz]

Don't. Just don't. Plenty of reasons already listed.

[Imagineering]

Even far more prone to being poorly maintained. '92 Ducatis are about as reliable as Chery J3s.

Written by someone who has never owned one perhaps? Just like religion, the 'holier than thou' approach is rife with a lot of Riders claiming that their particular Brand of Bike is 'Best'. After 42 Years of Riding, Racing and Bike ownership I can assure you that there is no such thing as a perfect Bike.
Ducatis in general are owned by an older, more mature Rider, who is generally more fastidious about maintenance than the average Owner. The other myth is that of 'Expensive to service' which is absolute Bollocks. CamBelts and Valve Clearances, Oil & Filters, just like any Japanese Bike, except for the Cambelts. Camchain replacement on an average second-hand Japanese Bike usually costs more than the Bikes total value. Do you drive a Car? Chances are, that it also requires CamBelt replacement avery 20,000Km or so, do you slag off your 'Brand' of car to everyone?
Any semi-competent Owner would be quite capable of servicing a 2-Valve Ducati in His/Her Home Workshop without specialist Tools. Can't be said for most Japanese Multis though.

[Imagineering]

Don't. Just don't. Plenty of reasons already listed.

No 'Reasons' listed at all, just the usual sanctimonious 'My Brand is better than your Brand' bias.

[Imagineering]

Shudder. And slower than a CBR250RR


The original Poster is looking for a LAMS Learner Bike. Why is the top speed of a Bike a prerequisite for someone to learn to ride? I'm very glad that you are not teaching new Riders if that is your sole selling point for a Learner Bike ...

[breakaway]

Compression test not needed. Engine will likely be fine. Extremely unlikely to suffer catastrophic failure I'd say. However there's no way I would pay 4k for a bike I'd outgrow inside of 6 months, especially one that OP is likely to drop and scratch.


At 18000 rpm the pistons rise and fall 600 times a second. 60000km's on such a small engine is a shitload.

Ship engines run at <100 RPM. By your logic I guess they never need any maintenance, ever aye? :niceone:

[Crasherfromwayback]

Ship engines run at <100 RPM. By your logic I guess they never need any maintenance, ever aye? :niceone:

Twist and distort things as much as you like. But I'll guarantee the ship engine will do many more hours than a CBR250.

[tigertim20]

seems to be a bunch of nanas in here who are so old, they've forgotten what it is to be young, and to want what you want at that age.

Bud, if youre keen on it, get an inspection done on it - NOT an AA inspection, get it taken to a bike shop.

assuming the inspection doesnt lit anything major, go get the thing.

It does't matter what bike you buy new, old, low km, high km, - when buying second hand bikes privately there is ALWAYS an associated risk you decide to accept when you buy. if you like the thing, and you can accept the risk, then just go get it. Youre only young once, and theres a shitload of bikes that later turned out to be 'awful bikes' in terms of reliability etc that I wished Id just bought when I had the chance.

[James Deuce]

seems to be a bunch of nanas in here who are so old, they've forgotten what it is to be young, and to want what you want at that age.


Just trying to provide advice to make an informed decision so he doesn't piss money up the wall. I wish I'd listened to the old guys who were trying to provide gentle advice about things I shouldn't have bought.

So sorry to have bothered.

[James Deuce]

Written by someone who has never owned one perhaps? Just like religion, the 'holier than thou' approach is rife with a lot of Riders claiming that their particular Brand of Bike is 'Best'. After 42 Years of Riding, Racing and Bike ownership I can assure you that there is no such thing as a perfect Bike.
Ducatis in general are owned by an older, more mature Rider, who is generally more fastidious about maintenance than the average Owner. The other myth is that of 'Expensive to service' which is absolute Bollocks. CamBelts and Valve Clearances, Oil & Filters, just like any Japanese Bike, except for the Cambelts. Camchain replacement on an average second-hand Japanese Bike usually costs more than the Bikes total value. Do you drive a Car? Chances are, that it also requires CamBelt replacement avery 20,000Km or so, do you slag off your 'Brand' of car to everyone?
Any semi-competent Owner would be quite capable of servicing a 2-Valve Ducati in His/Her Home Workshop without specialist Tools. Can't be said for most Japanese Multis though.

No. Just tired of exercising the trailer (when I had one) to pick up yet another air cooled Ducati with valves welded to pistons or "cambelts that were replaced last year" snapped clean in two. I know of two former KB oweners who bought a 400SS in the hopes of buying into Italian mystique only to find a direly unreliable, wheezy, poorly finished almost hand-built Japanese market special that cost a fortune to keep mobile. Both of them bought SV650s. One loved the SV650. The other hated it and bought a 999 and loved it.

If you don't have full service documentation and aren't prepared to strip it down and check everything, don't buy a pre-TPG Ducati. THey were teetering along a shoestring at the time and did cut corners, no matter how much the faithful want us to believe otherwise.

[Vinz0r]

Camchain replacement on an average second-hand Japanese Bike usually costs more than the Bikes total value.

Wow. Remind me to never go to your mechanic then. :P

[Crasherfromwayback]

Ducatis in general are owned by an older, more mature Rider, who is generally more fastidious about maintenance than the average Owner. The other myth is that of 'Expensive to service' which is absolute Bollocks. CamBelts and Valve Clearances, Oil & Filters, just like any Japanese Bike, except for the Cambelts. Camchain replacement on an average second-hand Japanese Bike usually costs more than the Bikes total value. Do you drive a Car? Chances are, that it also requires CamBelt replacement avery 20,000Km or so, do you slag off your 'Brand' of car to everyone?
Any semi-competent Owner would be quite capable of servicing a 2-Valve Ducati in His/Her Home Workshop without specialist Tools. Can't be said for most Japanese Multis though.

Total and utter bollocks. All of it.

[BuzzardNZ]

Written by someone who has never owned one perhaps? Just like religion, the 'holier than thou' approach is rife with a lot of Riders claiming that their particular Brand of Bike is 'Best'. After 42 Years of Riding, Racing and Bike ownership I can assure you that there is no such thing as a perfect Bike.
Ducatis in general are owned by an older, more mature Rider, who is generally more fastidious about maintenance than the average Owner. The other myth is that of 'Expensive to service' which is absolute Bollocks. CamBelts and Valve Clearances, Oil & Filters, just like any Japanese Bike, except for the Cambelts. Camchain replacement on an average second-hand Japanese Bike usually costs more than the Bikes total value. Do you drive a Car? Chances are, that it also requires CamBelt replacement avery 20,000Km or so, do you slag off your 'Brand' of car to everyone?
Any semi-competent Owner would be quite capable of servicing a 2-Valve Ducati in His/Her Home Workshop without specialist Tools. Can't be said for most Japanese Multis though.




Total and utter bollocks. All of it.

The only part I agree with is the older rider bit.

Only people I've really seen riding them are old farts.

[Crasherfromwayback]

The only part I agree with is the older rider bit.

Only people I've really seen riding them are old farts.

Plenty of overpaid yuppies on 'em too.

[Luckylegs]

And we had to drink it out of a shoe.

Funny old world. 23 years before that people didn't even have shoes for their feet. I know cos the old cnuts keep telling me how they used to have to walk to school barefoot (In the snow, uphill)

[Imagineering]

Wow. Remind me to never go to your mechanic then. :P


To replace the CamChain PROPERLY on a Japanese Multi, (no Snap Links or Rivets), the CrankCases need to be split, which isn't cheap.

[local]

Funny old world. 23 years before that people didn't even have shoes for their feet. I know cos the old cnuts keep telling me how they used to have to walk to school barefoot (In the snow, uphill)

And it was uphill both ways.

[Crasherfromwayback]

To replace the CamChain PROPERLY on a Japanese Multi, (no Snap Links or Rivets), the CrankCases need to be split, which isn't cheap.

Not if it's a cam chain on the end of the crank jobbie that Kawasaki first did with the GPZ900.

[mossy1200]

seems to be a bunch of nanas in here who are so old, they've forgotten what it is to be young, and to want what you want at that age.



That's the reason I wouldn't buy that generation 250.
I remember what I was like on a bike 25years ago. I was riding with no respect for machinery. I didn't have enough money to service anything properly. Even buying a new chain was a struggle.

23years old bike likely had someone like me own it or several owners like me. Surprises me any of them still go at all.

[RDJ]

seems to be a bunch of nanas in here who are so old, they've forgotten what it is to be young, and to want what you want at that age.

True dis. A huge part of the fun of being young is making emotionally-driven decisions without regard to sense, logic or context.

A crimson-red RV90. A sunset-bronze Yamaha RD250. A sea-blue Suzuki GT750. A starlight-blue-with-gold-pinstripe Kawasaki KZ1300. Pure Adolescent Satisfaction Gold.

If you want the bike, go for it says I.

[vifferman]

CBRs have gear-driven cams
Yeah?!? That's pretty cool! They're practically honorary VFRs then!:niceone:
Here's something else I thought of just now (thoughts are few and far between....) Because these fookrz rev to 28billion rpms, they sound like you're going 14 million km/h, and the screaming noise attracts the popo. (NO - I don't have personal experience, but I'm good at imagining and/or making shit up).

[vifferman]

True dis. A huge part of the fun of being young is making emotionally-driven decisions without regard to sense, logic or context.
Kewl! So I'm not nearly toldlessly old, then? Still young and dumb, despite appearances to the contrary! Yay! :clap:

[Ender EnZed]

Do you drive a Car? Chances are, that it also requires CamBelt replacement avery 20,000Km or so, do you slag off your 'Brand' of car to everyone?

I think the number you're looking for here is 100,000 km or so.

[Crasherfromwayback]

I think the number you're looking for here is 100,000 km or so.

Correct...