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bigbadwolf
5th December 2005, 19:23
hey i'm a wannabe biker, trying to sell my cage for a decent 250 sports bike (i like the look of sports bikes! :blip: ). is a 1989 kawasaki zxr ninja a good bet? its on trademe at http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=41913375
(just hopin someone else doesnt come on here and buy it before i do!)
my other options at the moment (for around $2500) are a GSXR and a TZR, whats everyone's opinions on these?

cheers
:rockon:

Zed
5th December 2005, 19:39
hey i'm a wannabe biker, trying to sell my cage for a decent 250 sports bike (i like the look of sports bikes! :blip: ). is a 1989 kawasaki zxr ninja a good bet? its on trademe at http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=41913375
(just hopin someone else doesnt come on here and buy it before i do!)Hi & welcome to KB. The above ninja has no wof so be sure you take precautions and get it fully checked out and see if it is warrantable? It may have some seriously *expensive* problems with it?? Otherwise, they are good bikes, would be interesting to find out how many kms (find out how much wear the bike/engine has had) this one has done?


my other options at the moment (for around $2500) are a GSXR and a TZR, whats everyone's opinions on these?

cheers
:rockon:GSXR (gixxer), CBR's, FZR's, ZXR's are all good, just make sure you test ride it first and get it checked out by someone who's 'in the know' with bikes. See pics attached, I owned one of those black gixxers as my first 250, it was a buzz for the 1st 6 months until I upgraded to a gixxer750...not that I'm suggesting for a moment that YOU do that! See also: The 250 Bike List (http://www.250ccbikes.com/thelist.html).

I hope you get a bargain! :2thumbsup

Ixion
5th December 2005, 20:45
TZR is a two smoker. Make sure you fully understand the difference (ain't no two stroke cages no more) and the implications of them.

flash
5th December 2005, 20:56
on a website (something like 250.co.nz?), they said the yamaha fzr was the fastest four stroke 250, so if you want speed thats the bike

Dadpole
5th December 2005, 20:57
Welcome to KB. Take note of what Zed has said. Have whatever you get looked at properly - by someone who knows, not the mate who "knows a bit about stuff".
The smaller bikes cost a lot to repair too, so make sure you get a good one to start with.
Ixion is right - a TZR is "different":crazy:

Dadpole
5th December 2005, 20:59
on a website (something like 250.co.nz?), they said the yamaha fzr was the fastest four stroke 250, so if you want speed thats the bike

Let the catfight begin... :corn:

bigbadwolf
5th December 2005, 21:01
im not looking so much for speed, i've never ridden before so dont exactly want to kill myself!!! just wanting something that handles well (what use is speed without handling?) that will be reasonably reliable. so guess two strokers are out of the question?

Dadpole
5th December 2005, 21:04
Bite your tongue. Two strokers are all of that, and fast too.
A 4 stroke is easier to learn on though. GN250 anyone? Slow but good for the task.

Zed
5th December 2005, 21:09
im not looking so much for speed, i've never ridden before so dont exactly want to kill myself!!! just wanting something that handles well (what use is speed without handling?) that will be reasonably reliable. so guess two strokers are out of the question?A 250cc is a good beginners bike! All the 'sportsbikes' in this size are fairly evenly matched in speed, it really comes down to HOW YOU RIDE IT. You sound like you have a responsible head on your shoulders, so if you ride sensibly and get to know your bike well, improving your skills as you go, you probably won't kill yourself! Let that be of comfort to you. :D

bigbadwolf
5th December 2005, 21:09
nah dont really like gn250s. heard they're pretty gutless too. i dont think my dad wants me to get a 2 stroke (then again, he doesnt really want me to get a bike at all, but its my money!! :ar15: )

Zed
5th December 2005, 21:13
GN250 anyone? Slow but good for the task.:doh: didn't you hear the man, he said he "liked the look of sports bikes"! Now please Dadpole, no more cruiser trolling thankyou, and especially mentioning the *ginny* of all monstrosities.

Dadpole
5th December 2005, 21:17
Sorry.
Slinks back into corner

carver
5th December 2005, 21:34
dont get the gixer
i have owned one, they are shit
suzuki made a 16 vlave 4 cly 250 cc engine that revs to 18,500 rpm
BUT
it has shit twin carbs:slap:
crap electrics:doobey:
a painted steel frame:doh:
shit shocks:killingme
the valves carbon up, mine ran 25 psi across 3 cly and 125 across the 4th
it should have had 150+ across all of them!
also the engines disintergrate (flywheel etc...)
the GSXR 250 RR is worse

Mr Skid
5th December 2005, 21:43
Yamaha VIRAGO 250cc....

Dadpole
5th December 2005, 21:54
The world is your edible mollusc in the 250 class. Sprotbike, cruiser, commuter or mini-tourer. Test ride as many as you can, and you will find one to suit.
Try not to be influenced by people saying you need power/speed/cool look etc. You are the one who will be riding it, and you will know the one when you throw a leg over it.
Good luck looking, and take your time.

ducatilover
5th December 2005, 22:11
im not looking so much for speed, i've never ridden before so dont exactly want to kill myself!!! just wanting something that handles well (what use is speed without handling?) that will be reasonably reliable. so guess two strokers are out of the question?
my advice: dont go near a gn250 they dont handle good. zxr250..... my idea of an ideal 250:banana: they go fairly well and i think they are faster than the fzr250.... get a vtin like a vtr or something :yes: they are nice'n skinny and go alright too:blip:

bigbadwolf
6th December 2005, 11:07
what do u guys think of this?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=42197968

Zed
6th December 2005, 11:17
what do u guys think of this?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=42197968 Looks like it's been well used. High kms, missing some parts, has been repainted which would suggest it has been dropped?? I'd give it a miss.

bigbadwolf
6th December 2005, 14:18
one other thing i've got to consider, i'm approx 6 foot, will any of the above mentioned bikes cripple me for life? :kick:

sheep
6th December 2005, 15:46
I too will be in the market shortly for a nice 250cc beginner bike. Ive been riding a mates GN250 around town (hmmmm .... :whistle: ) which I know I shouldnt be doing until I have my learners this month - so I know a wee bit about basic bike handling & what I like. And I also know that whatever sports bike Im going to get, it will be more newer and peppier than the GN.
I know for a fact that the same mate also has a 650 Suzuki Savage which has a hell of a lot more torque which I enjoy - but then its fun to rev a bike as well & have a steady delivery of power.
Since Im really a car boy ... is comparing 4-stroke bikes & 2-stroke bikes a bit like comparing a 3.0L V6 smoothness & torque in power delivery to a turbo 1300cc Toyota Starlet's peaky and noticeable rise in power as you move up the rev range?? Also I wont be looking at spending alot of money as a motorbike for me at the moment will only be a toy of sorts for comuting on a nice day & at weekends. So if I was going for something older (say late 80's early 90's) would I be safer to go for a 4 stroke rather than a risky older 2 stroke?? Thanks for the help everyone :msn-wink:

clint640
7th December 2005, 11:59
A word on the TZR: they are fast but the motors are handgrenades. Not stupidly expensive to rebuild if you do the work yourself tho. Not really what I'd call a learner road bike unless you're coming from an MX background.

Cheers
Clint

Ixion
7th December 2005, 13:26
..
Since Im really a car boy ... is comparing 4-stroke bikes & 2-stroke bikes a bit like comparing a 3.0L V6 smoothness & torque in power delivery to a turbo 1300cc Toyota Starlet's peaky and noticeable rise in power as you move up the rev range?? ..
Nope. Two smokers is two smokers. Nothing to compare them with in the cage world. No two stroke cages now, since they dropped the Trabant.Your analogy might be more like a ZXR250 compared to an SV650. Two smokers is something all their own. You either love the bastards or y'hate them.

sheep
8th December 2005, 09:16
Okay - well I think Im gonna have to venture down to the local motorcycle dealer & have a few test rides to find what I like & experience 1st hand the different feel between diff models. Cheers

Aitch
8th December 2005, 10:11
Best advice I got when I was loking for a bike was to go on LOTS of test rides. DON'T go into the shop with any preconceived ideas, you may just be suprised by which bike you fall in love with!!!
Oh, and don't be afraid to take the first bike you try for a a second ride...go pester some used bike salsepersons! They love to see you ride away with their stock...(Hey, why not try a new bike or two at the same time?)

kerryg
8th December 2005, 10:36
250cc as you know is the biggest bike you can ride legally on a learners licence. Older high mileage 250cc sports bikes are likely to have been flogged by young fullas ready to move to bigger bikes, wringing the last bit of performance out of them. They are also expensive (you'll buy a good 400 cheaper than a 250 sport bike). If it was my kid I'd say buy a GN250 or trailie or an SRV250 or something like and learn to ride and don't worry about getting onto a sportsbike until you've got your full licence, and then go get an FZR400 or something like that if you're into sport riding

bigbadwolf
9th December 2005, 12:36
another thing i have to consider, i'm probably going to be doing a decent amount of open road riding (even on my learners)... wouldnt bikes such as GN250's be a bit too gutless for that?

sefer
10th December 2005, 13:51
One thing I'll suggest if you do end up going for a sport bike is don't get too hung up on the plastics if there damaged (but DO check for other damage that might have happened at the same time!).

I brought my zxr250 with plastic damage to the side, along with some cracks in the front fairing, and each of the four times I've slipped over on my gravel drive and dropped her (lesson 1: make sure you have good footing on gravel) I've been very glad of the fact, as instead of having to go " Oh Shit, that's going to cost shitloads to fix " I can say " hmm, doesn't look any worse", even on the time I actually did cause a new crack. :)

bigbadwolf
10th December 2005, 19:42
i'm in a bit of a predicament: i don't have access to a bike to learn on, which means i hardly have a clue how to ride, which means i cant test ride any bikes to learn on!! its a vicious circle... :confused:

is the mainland driving school course any good? its just that it costs $200 and thats money that could go towards buying myself decent gear... are there any good options in christchurch apart from that?

peter8231
23rd December 2005, 21:52
I'm a newbie, but have been looking at the same question recently (waited and got a bigger bike instead though). A friend of mine has a Bandit (Suzuki GSF250) and it seems like a good compromise for a 250 - certainly not shite like a GN250 (I hate singles). A twin would be the way I'd go for a 250 road bike though due to the greater torque, e.g. a Honda VTR 250 - they're a bit bigger than the Bandit too. Likely to be looking at $3.5k for a good one though.

hXc
23rd December 2005, 21:56
dont get the gixer
i have owned one, they are shit
suzuki made a 16 vlave 4 cly 250 cc engine that revs to 18,500 rpm
BUT
it has shit twin carbs:slap:
crap electrics:doobey:
a painted steel frame:doh:
shit shocks:killingme
the valves carbon up, mine ran 25 psi across 3 cly and 125 across the 4th
it should have had 150+ across all of them!
also the engines disintergrate (flywheel etc...)
the GSXR 250 RR is worse

Hmmm and what year was this suppos-ed piece of crap?