The state of the 250cc market

[Mokoro]

Don't you wish they still made zxr/cbr quality performance 250's?

I recently got my restricted motorbike licence, in hope to eventually get my full licence and get onto a 600cc.

I just recently sold my RF400 (wasn't meant to really own/ride it anyway)..... and now if i want to be legal I have to look at the 250cc market. Which I think is a waste of time.

I for one, will attempt to not ride for a year until I can go for my full licence then get a real bike. Screw paying $5k for a 12 year old bike!!

Whos with me?!?!

[Mr. Peanut]

I'm sure if there was a market, there would be a product?
New Zealand does not exist.

[SuperDave]

You are actually gonna be able to not ride for a whole year? Sounds like you can't care for it too much if you are planning on intentionally doing that to yourself. How much experience do you have riding the RF anyways?

[texmo]

Get a scooter.

[Mokoro]

You are actually gonna be able to not ride for a whole year? Sounds like you can't care for it too much if you are planning on intentionally doing that to yourself. How much experience do you have riding the RF anyways?

only put 5000kms on it..
I just think the 250cc market has been too raped by supply/demand. Unfortunately my demand levels arent high enough for me to warrent spending $7k on a 1992 cbr250 at a dealer, lol.
(I realise that is an extreme example, but that filters down to the private sales market as well)

Maybe I should just get a real shitter.... or an fxr150 even :scooter:

[degrom]

Don't you wish they still made zxr/cbr quality performance 250's?

I recently got my restricted motorbike licence, in hope to eventually get my full licence and get onto a 600cc.

I just recently sold my RF400 (wasn't meant to really own/ride it anyway)..... and now if i want to be legal I have to look at the 250cc market. Which I think is a waste of time.

I for one, will attempt to not ride for a year until I can go for my full licence then get a real bike. Screw paying $5k for a 12 year old bike!!

Whos with me?!?!

LOL... Get a GN... If you are lucky you can get it for just over $500 and then at least you don't have to stay with out a bike for a year...

250 prices are like house prices... It's because everyone wants to enter the market... In the 250's case its all the under 25's that need to have a 250 for so almost 2 years before moving on...

good luck with finding a new bike.

[gijoe1313]

Yeah, I found that was my experience with the market when I was shopping around for my ride. They've got you where they want since its obvious you so want to get out and start riding!

I don't think I could handle not getting out on a bike for a year now that I'm finally on! After all, if we were being sensible about it - would we be riding in the 1st place? :msn-wink:

Find a ride and go be free! :sunny:

[texmo]

Get a scooter. I had a gilera runner which carved up on tight roads pulled mean wheelies and stoppies was more fun than a bag of chips around town and pulled 18sec 1/4 miles thats as fast a a hyobag.

[Pathos]

yeah the 250 market sucks but if they brought out some new performance bikes they would be over 10 grand. Who would buy them ? We would have to wait a coupla years for the japanese left overs I suppose. If I could get a 2000ish bike with <20000ks on the clock for ~5 grand I would get it but anything else would be outside my budget. (with zxr performance of course)

The 400cc market is just as bad.

Fxr's are a bargain tho.

[SuperDave]

only put 5000kms on it..
I just think the 250cc market has been too raped by supply/demand. Unfortunately my demand levels arent high enough for me to warrent spending $7k on a 1992 cbr250 at a dealer, lol.
(I realise that is an extreme example, but that filters down to the private sales market as well)

Maybe I should just get a real shitter.... or an fxr150 even :scooter:

Well 5000ks and then waiting a year without riding and then jumping onto a 600 could end with some tears as in all fairness 5000ks is really not much experience especially considering that part of that figure is commuting time I would imagine. Of course it can be done without harm but I would say that the experience and skills you develop by pushing a sporty 250 hard will be invaluable when it comes to jumping to a high powered 600cc. I say this with experience and I'm happy that I put 8000ks on my old ZXR250 after my original 12,000ks on my FXR150 before I moved onto my gixxer.

What about something like a VTR250? They arn't quite as aggressive as a CBR/ZXR whilst not as tame as a GN250. If I'm not mistaken they also hold their value pretty quite well.

[hurricane_r]

seen a fzr250 never droped with 6k on clock for 2.9k, over priced? just gota look round

[SuperDave]

seen a fzr250 never droped with 6k on clock for 2.9k, over priced? just gota look round

Can we say power drill? Or maybe it's a 106,000kms like my old ZXR which had 17,000kms, give or take 100,000kms :eek: Still a decent bike and went hard. You are quite right though man, with enough patience one can easily find a sportier 250 for around 3 grand.

[bobsmith]

No! don't say that!, go buy a 250!!!.....

NB: I for one want people to keep buying 250s since I've already bought mine a couple of month ago and want the price to stay high for when I sell mine... though if people waited and bought 250s in about 10 months from now would be great.....

[rookie]

only put 5000kms on it..
I just think the 250cc market has been too raped by supply/demand. Unfortunately my demand levels arent high enough for me to warrent spending $7k on a 1992 cbr250 at a dealer, lol.
(I realise that is an extreme example, but that filters down to the private sales market as well)

Maybe I should just get a real shitter.... or an fxr150 even :scooter:

EXTREME?!?!?...you dont know half of it.
recently there was a 93 zxr with 37,000k's sold by a dealer for $8500.
had a green paint job which helped i believe

[texmo]

Its had a $2000 paint job.

[HDTboy]

I know a dude with a ZXR250 he wants to sell, he's a good bastard too.

[rookie]

Its had a $2000 paint job.


yea but 8.5k minus 2 stilll equals 6.5k.

THATS STILL A SHITLOAD!!

[Jantar]

Don't you wish they still made zxr/cbr quality performance 250's?

I recently got my restricted motorbike licence, in hope to eventually get my full licence and get onto a 600cc.

I just recently sold my RF400 (wasn't meant to really own/ride it anyway)..... and now if i want to be legal I have to look at the 250cc market. Which I think is a waste of time.

I for one, will attempt to not ride for a year until I can go for my full licence then get a real bike. Screw paying $5k for a 12 year old bike!!

Whos with me?!?!
Kawasaki still make a 250 Ninja. Its probably the closest any of the Jap manufacturers still have to a sports 250. http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2006models/2006models-Kawasaki-Ninja250R.htm

[twinkle]

and they are importing them to NZ again $7000ish
http://www.kawasaki.co.nz/kawasaki_custom.cfm?modelcode=EX250F7F&do=list

[vtec]

Sorry Twinkle, those GPX's are even more technologically aged than the ZXR's and CBR's. I'd rather have a 15 year old CBR250RR than a brand new GPX.

[SuperDave]

Never mind their technological backwardness Vtec, they're just plain ugly.

[MattRSK]

thats just super...dave

[Morcs]

Or if you are pretty friendly with your local bike shop, ask them to do a fake invoice for converting the 400 to a 250.

In the UK people were always getting 180cc runners and getting them registered as 125's so they could ride them on a learners.

[Buster]

The market is only reflecting the demand for 250s. Would you guys prefer it if the went to a horsepower instead of a capacity limit? Say 20hp max?
The arse would drop straight out of the high output 250 market.

I think we are bloody lucky to be allowed to ride RGVs,NSRs etc on a learners!

[McJim]

Yep, the disadvantage is they're expensive to buy.
The advantage is the demand is still there when you come to sell.

So basically you buy a ZXR/CBR for about $5000 now - when you sell it in 12 months time you'll get your $5000 back - the demand is not going to go away - if anything it's gonna get bigger coz of people moving from cages to bikes for economic reasons AND the fact that a some of the 250s being brought in now will have been binned by this time next year.

You may think you're staying without a bike to spite the market but the only one affected will be you...go on...get a bike.....you know you want to....

[Brett]

I certainly couldn't go more than a week without a ride...
I bought my first ZXR250c a year and a bit ago, and have since accumulated 3 of them, albeit that one of them has been ripped down for parts...and have ridden about 20,000kms on them.
I love them, they are powerful little bikes that are easily thrown around and good looking (IMO). I will be genuinely sad in November when I will no longer have one. ( I am upgrading to a 600cc 2003+ sports bike)
I am going to be selling one of the bikes which i am just finishing re-building that has 20,0000kms on it for about the 5k if anyone is interested. I am just waiting to have the paint finished. In novemeber I will sell my other ZXR which will have about 40,000kms at that point.
The market of the 250's will not drop out in this country, because they are the entry motorcycle that can be purchased on learners licences, and many people who are interested in bikes are also speed freaks, and thus look for the higher performance machines...wallah CBR's, ZXR's, NSR's, RS250's (for those who can pay that much coin, and RGV's.)
Good luck with your abstinence.

[Mokoro]

You may think you're staying without a bike to spite the market but the only one affected will be you...go on...get a bike.....you know you want to....

Yeah, I agree with this. But I'll keep dreaming, I'll wait till a mint 92 cbr/zxr with 20 000kms comes up for $4.5k....

[McJim]

and they are importing them to NZ again $7000ish
http://www.kawasaki.co.nz/kawasaki_custom.cfm?modelcode=EX250F7F&do=list

Had a look at that link - the spec looks suspiciously like the GSX250 - the parallel twin and all that. If it's gotta be twin then I vote for V-Twin if it's agression mokoro is after then he needs a 4 cylinder.

Best of luck finding the right bike.

[James Deuce]

Had a look at that link - the spec looks suspiciously like the GSX250 - the parallel twin and all that. If it's gotta be twin then I vote for V-Twin if it's agression mokoro is after then he needs a 4 cylinder.

Best of luck finding the right bike.

The Kawasaki parallel twin is water cooled and only 20 years old, not 30 like the GSX250.

Mokoro, my best advice for you is to get something like a Gas Gas Pampera and learn how to ride properly by doing some off road riding as well as a bit of road stuff. The Gas Gas is a 250 two stroke and will leave an FXR, GSX or GPX gasping in its wake, as well as opening up a whole new world of motorcycling.

[Mokoro]

Mokoro, my best advice for you is to get something like a Gas Gas Pampera and learn how to ride properly by doing some off road riding as well as a bit of road stuff.

I have owned an RG150 for over a year as my only vehicle prior to the RF400, so I do have alot more riding experience than just 5000kms..

Sure, it was only a 150cc, but I've had a rear wheel lockup at 100km, afew cars pull out infront of me (emergency stop OMG!) and stupidly hit gravelly roadworks at 70km....very very loose shit....eek

Not really into 2 stroke after that. The honda hornet 250 seems like a good compromise..

[McJim]

I have owned an RG150 for over a year as my only vehicle prior to the RF400, so I do have alot more riding experience than just 5000kms..

Sure, it was only a 150cc, but I've had a rear wheel lockup at 100km, afew cars pull out infront of me (emergency stop OMG!) and stupidly hit gravelly roadworks at 70km....very very loose shit....eek

Not really into 2 stroke after that. The honda hornet 250 seems like a good compromise..

Hornet's a very good bike but waaaaaaay overpriced man! Saw one covered in scratches, rust on the engine, dents in the fuel tank, shoddy aftermarket paintjob and the shop still wanted $7,000 for it?!?!? It had tens of thousands of ks on it too.

[James Deuce]

Not really into 2 stroke after that. The honda hornet 250 seems like a good compromise..

A Good Hornet will cost you more than a ZXR. The Gas Gas is a 250 and hugely better than the RG in terms of chassis and engine.

[twinkle]

Sorry Twinkle, those GPX's are even more technologically aged than the ZXR's and CBR's. I'd rather have a 15 year old CBR250RR than a brand new GPX.

yeah I think I'd choose a vtr over those gpx's, better suspension, better brakes, more tyre choice.

[07fatboy]

Don't you wish they still made zxr/cbr quality performance 250's?

I recently got my restricted motorbike licence, in hope to eventually get my full licence and get onto a 600cc.

I just recently sold my RF400 (wasn't meant to really own/ride it anyway)..... and now if i want to be legal I have to look at the 250cc market. Which I think is a waste of time.

I for one, will attempt to not ride for a year until I can go for my full licence then get a real bike. Screw paying $5k for a 12 year old bike!!

Whos with me?!?!

well bro i,ll tell ya from experience im glad they dont make those heap a crapp any more i started on a cb 250 and what a fuckin heap that was we are going back 20 years now showing my age but the thing was shit to rid gutless as all fuck tank slap in corners shocker have taken a few late model 250s for a blat and geez down low they boogie and give my 95 cube harley a bit of a worry namely vt250c and vn250 kawasaki just to name a couple a criusers that skank ...bro in law has vn250 06 model and has no probs 150 km/h my daughters vt250 140 no worries:rockon:

[WarlockNZ]

The market is only reflecting the demand for 250s. Would you guys prefer it if the went to a horsepower instead of a capacity limit? Say 20hp max?
The arse would drop straight out of the high output 250 market.

I think we are bloody lucky to be allowed to ride RGVs,NSRs etc on a learners!

I'd like us to go to the NSW Model ... so many bikes to choose from :)

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/tests/motorcycleridertrainingscheme/motorcyclesnoviceriders.html

[hurricane_r]

yea its all good to get a brand new say...rs250 with 189kms blah blah on learners but, i think 4 stroke is the way to go for maintainense reasons, i think 250 2-stroke should be when uv got a big bike and want a nice project and can really throw it around, my mechanic has a gsxr1000, and had a mc28 nsr. ,
so yea no point really buying a 15900km 2 stroke unless ur planning to rebuild if ur going from learns to full licence, can easily put on 10,.000km

[R6_kid]

Its had a $2000 paint job.

and i have a 9inch dick, doesnt make me any more valuable

[McJim]

and i have a 9inch dick, doesnt make me any more valuable

Depends how thick it is....there be good money in Giggolo business these days.

[nezorf]

just buy your bike in winter there is more bikes in the market becouse people dont ride in winter as much and they are a little cheaper but still there is always demand for 250cc bikes i be saving for 9 months with 30 bucks a week spending money inculding petrol. to even be lookin for a decent bike.

[Nicksta]

Maybe I should just get a real shitter.... or an fxr150 even :scooter:
Dude... nothing wrong with an FXR.....
infact it may save you money for when you can get your 600...

Get a scooter. I had a gilera runner which carved up on tight roads pulled mean wheelies and stoppies was more fun than a bag of chips around town and pulled 18sec 1/4 miles thats as fast a a hyobag.

^^ what Tex said.... that thing took me round the outside of a corner once.... and stunts crazy good..... (and is faster than a hyosung)

[Bend-it]

How about a bandit! 45hp, same as a cbr, similar weight too... $4400, 6yr old, 20,000kms... ;)

[texmo]

bandits dont have the same power as a cbr.

[JimO]

and i have a 9inch dick, doesnt make me any more valuable

does the 9 inches include you hand ?

[Pogo2]

Compared to say 20 years ago the whole choice now for under 250 is pretty thin on the ground. When I first got into bikes in the early 80's you had alot of choice under 250. I dreamed of owning a Yamaha RX125, then I looked at a Kawasaki Z200 but these types of bikes don't seem to be around anymore. I haven't looked around in great detail in the 250 area recently but it seems that the GN250 and the VTR seems to be about the only choice. And as for 150 - 200, this end of the spectrum seems fairly barren.

When I brought new, a felt like a change so hence the scooter!:scooter:

[hdus001]

How about a bandit! 45hp, same as a cbr, similar weight too... $4400, 6yr old, 20,000kms... ;)

I'm looking to buy a Suz Bandit...is yours still available? email me at hansrd@ieee.org

[adiddy]

mate im in the same situation .... i think that you should have a look on trademe - there is a few bikes that ok maybe unbranded but they will be fine and iff you keep them rite they will last you!!!

[Snowcarver04]

I payed $3500 for a 90 cbr250r which is a mc19 with 44000ks which is fairly reasonable for a cbr.

[McJim]

I payed $3500 for a 90 cbr250r which is a mc19 with 44000ks which is fairly reasonable for a cbr.

In today's market that's not reasonable - that's a farken miracle! you must've seen him coming (and threatened to release the video unless he dropped the price!)

Normally a 20 year old 250RRRRR with billion miles on the clock will fetch $5,000 minimum. If you have zits and greasy hair they add $1,500 to that as you walk in off the street.