New member looking for first bike recommendation, have done a fair amount of research

[NZZeroFan]

Hey guys.

Long time lurker, first time poster. I am new to biking and looking for a recommendation for my first bike, I am currently on my restricted license.

I am looking for a Sportyish/Street fighter style bike, specifically I like the look/style of the Yamaha MT-03 or Honda CBR250R.

Here is what I am looking for out of a bike:
-Low maintenance/reliable (I understand bikes need more maintenance than cars which is fine, but I think it is fair to say I am not very mechanically minded so even small issues would be going to the garage).
-250-300CC
-Prefer power in the low end rather than faster top speeds
-Decent resale value after 2 years
-Comfortable for 6'0 rider
-Budget $4000 (stretch to $5000 for the perfect bike)

I would prefer a second hand bike simply because if I drop/scratch it I am not going to be to worried, especially if it already has a couple of scratches. On the other hand you can get some new bikes around my budget that come with a 3 year warranty which would give me great peace of mind the bike isn't going to be constantly in the garage.

At the moment my top choice is a Suzuki GW250 simply because that is the most affordable bike that meets most of what I am after but really keen to hear any other suggestions.

Thanks

[Akzle]

hayabusa .

[Maha]

hayabusa .

Have you giving Kip McGrath any thought? it might help you understand what you are reading and replying to.

Now to the question at hand, an easy $5K purchase: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/sports/auction-1393481083.htm

[EJK]

Hey guys.

Long time lurker, first time poster. I am new to biking and looking for a recommendation for my first bike, I am currently on my restricted license.

I am looking for a Sportyish/Street fighter style bike, specifically I like the look/style of the Yamaha MT-03 or Honda CBR250R.

Here is what I am looking for out of a bike:
-Low maintenance/reliable (I understand bikes need more maintenance than cars which is fine, but I think it is fair to say I am not very mechanically minded so even small issues would be going to the garage).
-250-300CC
-Prefer power in the low end rather than faster top speeds
-Decent resale value after 2 years
-Comfortable for 6'0 rider
-Budget $4000 (stretch to $5000 for the perfect bike)

I would prefer a second hand bike simply because if I drop/scratch it I am not going to be to worried, especially if it already has a couple of scratches. On the other hand you can get some new bikes around my budget that come with a 3 year warranty which would give me great peace of mind the bike isn't going to be constantly in the garage.

At the moment my top choice is a Suzuki GW250 simply because that is the most affordable bike that meets most of what I am after but really keen to hear any other suggestions.

Thanks

Looks like you've done great amount of homework! Good on ya, instead of bluntly asking "I gt $4k cash, whts ut thea".

[FJRider]

hayabusa .

Don't be silly ... it's a suzuki. He wants reliability ... :shifty:

[_Shrek_]

test ride before you buy & see which one suits you better :shutup:

[Moi]

Looks like you've done great amount of homework! Good on ya, instead of bluntly asking "I gt $4k cash, whts ut thea".

Also, look at this site: Motorcycle Ergonomics (http://cycle-ergo.com/)

Put in your 'dimensions' and see what you might be like on the bike.

[Maha]

A 6 footer on the KTM 390/Honda CBR250 and the MT-03

http://cycle-ergo.com/

Shrek is right though (which is unusual :eek:) always try before you purchase, being cramped on a bike is shit.

[neil.]

Having recently been through the Learner process Myself -> Restricted.

have you ridden bikes before? even off-road? recently?

I found a 250 was a good bike to start on, mostly because of the physical size, it was easy to stop in a hurry and get my feet down etc.

having said that, i would not buy anything so small if i had to do it again. only kept it for 12 months, as i got frustrated with the lack of torque etc, and having to rape the poor thing constantly to keep the power useful.

I guess you should just be honest with yourself about what you want to use the bike for, and about your own ability etc. as a beginner, or just riding in town, I think a 250 would be fine, and you can learn a lot, i know i did.
if you are intending to take longer trips or have ridden a fair bit before hand, i wouldn't bother with something so small, you'll just get pissed off with it. maybe a gs500? still slow, and low, but would be much better for general riding i would think.

it also made a difference that I was a long-time car driver, and rider, so it meant I wasn't having to think about the mechanics of riding, or remembering road rules at the same time as getting used to riding on the road

[NZZeroFan]

Thanks so much for your input. I haven't ridden bikes previously so don't want to get anything to big for that reason.

I do agree with you though that I am concerned about growing out for a 250 to quickly. At the moment I am leaning towards to Yamaha MT-03 or KTM Duke 390, I think these have a bit more power so I won't grow out of them so quickly while also being learner friendly enough.

[HEsch]

Are you on a Restricted class 6, or class 1? (only asking because you said you haven't ridden bikes before... how did you get your restricted c6 if so?)

[NZZeroFan]

Sorry yes restricted class 6 - I took my motorcycle leaners/restricted with a private instructor and borrowed one of his bikes for that. So I have ridden for a total of about 8 hours (7 hours practice and 1 hour test).

[HEsch]

Also, as a newish learner, I went the biggest CC bike I could reasonably afford that was comfortable for me.

I wanted something that could get me OUT of trouble, not only into it.
I plan on more longer distance riding and didn't want to feel like I was constantly pushing the limits of the bike, with a couple of hours to get home.
I didn't want to "outgrow" the bike too soon - I wanted something that I could have for at least a couple of years and be perfectly happy with. I know it's not about "keeping up" outside of safe riding, but I wanted to be able to happily ride with whoever I was riding with and not feel like I was being unduly left behind.