Aprillia RS 250

[APRILIA RS250]

Ive been riding for about 6 years off road and want to get my motorcycle lisence as soon as im 15 but I need a bike.The Aprilia RS 250 stands out a mile from the rest cause its a fast 250 and will mean i dont need to upgrade for a while but not sure if it will have to much power 4 me.What do you guys think.Thanks

[Sniper]

Do not own one as your first bike! Too fast and too expensive

I dont believe in the whole moving from a 250 to a 100 in slow steps because by the time you are allowed on a 1000 or bigger, you should have enough common sense and skills to look after yourself and the bike. But as a new rider, a RS250 is a silly bike to own and unless you can afford the repair builds, I would go for a CBR or ZXR as they are fast enough to keep you amused, but also gentle enough to get your confidence up

[Black Bandit]

No doubt, it's a fantastic attractive machine but here's why I stayed away:

1: It's alot of power for new comers.
2: It's alot of unexpected power (2-stroke, powerband etc.)
3: It's a track bike with indicators
4: It's heavy on fuel
5: It's heavy on oil
6: It's heavy on tyres
7: It's heavy on pistons requiring frequent rebuilds.

Unless you have deep pockets, beware.

[Eurodave]

Im with Sniper on this one, The RS250 Aprillia is for experienced riders only, bloody nice looking bike but way too fast for a learner
BTW ...I have a full set of molds & can make all the fairings ,screen,bodywork, & both mudguards for the 1st model RS250

[Nutter34]

What bikes have you been riding off road? 125's or 250's? 2 or 4 stroke?

I suspect the difference in riding position would be quite a change. There's a big difference in 'feel', from sitting up and over to crouching down, between the two styles.

How about starting with an FXR150 get some road experience... Once you're happy, say 6 months to a year, go for the RS.

It's a dedicated machine and few have enough restraint to behave on it...

[hurricane_r]

im getting one soon, from my 250 instead of getting a bigger bike, i like the *throwing it around* aspect of 250, , maybe a cbr250rr or zxr there pretty similar with same kinda things to offer, good luck finding bike thats right for you,
p.s if your buying from a dealer, make sure they compression test it before u buy it,or private, pay the money and get someones bike tested, i found out the hard way

[Mr. Peanut]

NSR 250's are better.

[Jamezo]

Search these forums for information about RG150s. Cheap and a match for anything in the tight stuff.

If you've really got to have the speed, find an NSR250, or a worked RGV250.

An RS250 has more shiny bits, but is not substantially faster, and will prove to be far more expensive.

[imdying]

As an aside, having a bike model as your signature seems awfully short sighted.

[nsrpaul]

NSR 250's are better.

to bloody right they are:third:

[MattRSK]

NSR riders all seem to be little cocky cunts with no real balls. Apart from Chris, he makes up for it by been random.

[Mr. Peanut]

:third: :second: :first: :jerry:

[APRILIA RS250]

Yea I might save up 4 a CBR or something.Any sujestions.Also are there any CBR 250's past 1993 cant see any on trademe.

[MattRSK]

Hey

I have found some. But the prices even scare me.

http://www.motorcycletrader.co.nz/DesktopDefault.aspx?UsedBikeID=2003505&TabID=3553&Alias=motorcycletradernz

http://www.motorcycletrader.co.nz/DesktopDefault.aspx?UsedBikeID=2066055&TabID=3553&Alias=motorcycletradernz

http://www.motorcycletrader.co.nz/DesktopDefault.aspx?UsedBikeID=2100980&TabID=3553&Alias=motorcycletradernz

http://www.motorcycletrader.co.nz/DesktopDefault.aspx?UsedBikeID=2022481&TabID=3553&Alias=motorcycletradernz

- Matt

[Jamezo]

Only late-registered imports. Most RRs go from 91 to 92.

CBR250RRs are very tasty, but a great way to instantly lose megabucks in value if you drop it.

Check out the prices on the earlier CBR250R models, almost as nice and a often considerably cheaper.

[imdying]

Those CBR250RRs, total bloody rip offs.

The CBR250R model is a horrible thing to ride, feels like those little seats you have at a primary school.

Get a trail bike with lights. It's one 250 that you'll actually feel like keeping once you get out of the rip off territory that is 250s in NZ.

[Nutter34]

Yeah, go for an RMX250 or KDX with a light kit... Good fun on the road but not fast...

Or follow the sheep and go 4-stroke.... not that an XR, DR or TTR are bad.

[APRILIA RS250]

Yea but I sorta wanted to learn a road sports bike.What about aKAWASAKI ZXR250 or Hyosung GT250R or Yamaha FZR250 or a SUZUKI GSX250 are any of them any good?

[Scouse]

get a enduro bike

[Scouse]

or trail bike they are the best learners bike and the cheepest to fix if droped

[imdying]

Yea but I sorta wanted to learn a road sports bike.What about aKAWASAKI ZXR250 or Hyosung GT250R or Yamaha FZR250 or a SUZUKI GSX250 are any of them any good?Compared to what you'll get next, they're all slow and shite. About the only thing that they're really good for is teaching you the pain of a racer crouch. The most important thing you need to learn is road craft (i.e. not getting squashed by cars), and anything with two wheels will teach you that.

[jade]

But fuckme, the rs is fun.

[imdying]

Meh, to me, all bikes are fun :yes:

[Nutter34]

The most important thing you need to learn is road craft (i.e. not getting squashed by cars), and anything with two wheels will teach you that.

This is probably the most important part.... Ride a shitter for a while while learning, then get the RS...

[Hillbilly]

But fuckme, the rs is fun.

Before making a decision, read This Thread (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=35773) right through.

[Hitcher]

These Aprilias clearly demonstrate the nonsense that are the 250-learners regulations.

[marty]

But fuckme, the rs is fun.

until you're lying under it wondering what the fuck happened because even though you thought you could, you can't really ride for shit

[Hillbilly]

These Aprilias clearly demonstrate the nonsense that are the 250-learners regulations.


As far as I'm aware, all 250cc 2-strokes are banned for learner-riders here in OZ. However, that said, some larger capacity bikes are learner approved, eg. the Cagiva Canyon 500.

[McJim]

Obeying the law in New Zealand seems to be more of a guideline than actually an obligation - if you must go fast just get a 600cc mid range sports bike.

[_intense_]

NOT A LEARNER BIKE -rode one and scared myself shitless when i was 250 shopping... great weapons if you have at least a wee bit of experience, but if your an absolute bike virgin id reccommend a month or two at least on something tame liek an fxr150 (great learner) my 250 choice was an cbr250rr which server me well for 3 years, spent 2 months on an fxr before that though, and im thankful i did :nods:

[Biff]

I owned an RS125 once, being from the EwwwKay we only saw a 250s hit the shores as grey imports.

A great bit of machinery. Very nimble and oodles of power for its class.

But as as already been said - expensive parts. Get some quotes for things like brake levers, sindicators etc. Because the chances are it's going to get dropped sometime.

[Edbear]

No doubt, it's a fantastic attractive machine but here's why I stayed away:

1: It's alot of power for new comers.
2: It's alot of unexpected power (2-stroke, powerband etc.)
3: It's a track bike with indicators
4: It's heavy on fuel
5: It's heavy on oil
6: It's heavy on tyres
7: It's heavy on pistons requiring frequent rebuilds.

Unless you have deep pockets, beware.




Sigh! I know, but if I had deep enough pockets, I'd have one like a shot!:love:

[Edbear]

Yea but I sorta wanted to learn a road sports bike.What about aKAWASAKI ZXR250 or Hyosung GT250R or Yamaha FZR250 or a SUZUKI GSX250 are any of them any good?




Yep!:yes:




Blimin'10char!:mellow:

[APRILIA RS250]

I've made my mined up to not getting an Aprilia RS250.But what about NSR 250's I know they are 2 strokes but would it be to powerful for me.As I say I've got expereince in riding bikes.
Do you guys have any sugestions of sports 250's.:scooter:

[Ixion]

What are y' a girl or something? Why go wimping out. You've got the experience, you need a REAL fast bike. D' you want to be the wimp at the back that everyone else is waiting for and laughing at? Go for the Aprilia. Or the Suzuki RGV250 its the same engine. Horsepower is all that counts and with your riding experience you don't have anything to learn


(I've decided to promote Accelerated Darwinism. The gene pool isn't being cleaned quickly enough)

[Jantar]

As I say I've got expereince in riding bikes.
Maybe you do have experience in riding bikes, and I'm sure that you can power out of a corner, lift the front wheel when you want, handle jumps and whoop-de-dos with ease. Unfortunately for you, that's not what is required on the road. You now have to learn how to recognise that the car stopped at the intersection on your left is about to pull right into your path; that taxi parked on the opposite side of the road has lined you up and is about to U-turn right into you; the bus in the lane alongside you is about to move into your lane and squash you; the kids playing on the footpath 50 meters ahead are about to run into your path without looking; etc. etc. etc.

Riding a bike on dirt does give you handling skills on difficult terrain, but it doesn't prepare you for the road, or for conflicting traffic. The bikes you have suggested are all pure sports bikes and require a totally different riding style to what you are used to. You won't be able to stand on the pegs if the going is a bit rough, you can't let the bike move under you as much because instead of riding the bike you must wear it like an article of clothing. Sports bikes are the exact opposite end of the spectrum to dirt bikes.

As a learner on the road get yourself a bike that is midway between a sports bike and a dirt bike, and after a few months to a year, decide what bike best fits your riding style.

[slydesigns]

I've raced MX for over 15 years on YZ 250s and finally YZ125's (easier to get upside down off jumps and they don't try to beat you to death if you get tired like a 250).
I got my licence and spent a month on an 03 GSX250 and nearly fell asleep, it was soooo damn uninteresting. Last month I bought a KR1 instead. Now I am truely discovering the appeal of sport bike road riding and my partner is struggling to keep up on her GPX.
Yes is chews gas (fill up every 130-150km).
Yes is chews 2 stroke oil (I have 3 cases of Yamalude from MX to burn through).
Yes it is going to chew components, but I swapped out YZ125 pistons every 6 hours, so nothings changed there.
Yes its a light flickable toy with a chance to head shake every time my hands leave the bars.
BUT DAMN ITS FUN! If you worked on and PAID FOR your own MX bike maintanence then an RGV, TZR, NSR, KR or RS250 shouldn't be that much of a problem. If you rode 4 strokes offroad, and /or had someone maintain your gear, get something else. And I dont know many 15 year olds who worked on ther own gear properly and with an attention to detail. These things dont throw you into dirt at 80km when they fail, they hurl you into livestock, powerpoles, picket fences and oncoming traffic at up to 220kph!

Food for thought.

[Korea]

Wise man once said to me:
"...a 2-stroke 250 machine is the bike you buy after you've mastered all the other bikes..."

As the Suzy RGV250 was my second bike, I think he may have been right; I spent so much time scaring myself (overshooting corners, missing brake points, horrible lines) that I really didn't learn anything about riding...

In the end, I was much faster on an Yammy FZR400RR

Good luck~

[Coyote]

If you've got the money for an RS250, go for the new RS125 instead. It's a beautiful machine :2thumbsup

I used to own a CBR250RR, it was a great bike. But since it was my first road bike I dropped it a few times and it cost a fair bit of money to bring it back to it's original value. I suggest to avoid them, I'd like to see no one buying these bikes and hopefully the wankers like Red Baron (who always seem to be ahead on the price hiking) might have to bring the price back. They're great bikes but they're not worth the $7000 they're now asking for them, nor were they worth $5500 when I got mine

I got the RG since the CBR was so expensive and I had a habit of falling down. I bought a lemon, but I've worked on it and it's now the fastest RG I've ridden. It's a brilliant bike. I've even bought a second, the one Jamezo crashed :p

EDIT: CBR250RRs 1994 and over have had power reductions due to laws in Japan at the time. If you do end up spending up large on one of them, go for 1993 or under

[Mr. Peanut]

I've made my mined up to not getting an Aprilia RS250.But what about NSR 250's I know they are 2 strokes but would it be to powerful for me.As I say I've got expereince in riding bikes.
Do you guys have any sugestions of sports 250's.:scooter:

Don't be stupid like 90% of new bike buyers. Buy something cheap and simple. Enjoy riding, not trying to be the fastest. I've had more fun on scooters doing stupid shit, than at 220km/h trying not to die.

[Racey Rider]

.... Yes is chews 2 stroke oil (I have 3 cases of Yamalude from MX to burn through)....

Just be sure it's ok for injector systems if your KR1 is still set up that way.
Don't make the mistake I made of putting a pre-mix oil into a auto injection system. It was too thick to get through the injectors at the reqiured rate.

Racey

[sugilite]

Since you have been riding dirt bikes for 6 years, you should not struggle with a 250 2 stroke road bike.
Just respect it and you should be fine :yes:

[APRILIA RS250]

Yea I want something to get me over the Rimatakas fearly fast regualy.And to get to school and back.

[Mr. Peanut]

CBR250 or ZXR250.

[Jamezo]

No way. Expensive, not as fast, easy way to write off huge value if you bin it.

Slightly better in the financial stakes with a single-R CBR, but still a lot of capital whizzing round.

[Mr. Peanut]

Only if you get it from a dealer. I've known of a lot of these bikes going privately for around the 3k mark. It's who you know :yes:

[APRILIA RS250]

What do you mean by a "single-R CBR"?

[Mr. Peanut]

It's like a commuter/tourer version of the CBR. Different chassis and brakes, same engine. I think.

[imdying]

It's like a commuter/tourer version of the CBR. Different chassis and brakes, same engine. I think.No, the single R was still billed as a sports bike, it's just the older model.

[TonyB]

These Aprilias clearly demonstrate the nonsense that are the 250-learners regulations.
Hell yes. Mind you, I wasn't complaining when I bought my first road bike waaaaaaaaaay back in '90- an '84 RZ250. I basicaly did exactly what APRILIA RS250 is thinking of, exploiting the law to get the fastest bike I could afford. Had heaps of fun with that bike... dropped it in oil once too (avoid shiny tar, cause it might not actually be shiny tar).

Where was I? Mate, if you've been riding off road for years and riding 2 stroke MX bikes then you'll be well used to the power delivery of the RS250. Just bear in mind, you may know how to ride, but there is a whole lot you have yet to learn about riding on the road. If you drop a fully faired bike it's gonna cost you $$$$$ to put it right. Insuring it may not even be possible. It will need good sticky tyres and it will wear them out pretty quickly.. (tho I guess nothing like as quick as a 1000 does). I guess it all comes down to how sensible you are- if your sensible you'll go out and buy a GN250 or something, but if your anything like me you'll be buying the RS. Just do us a favour and buy GOOD gear and then buy the bike with what you have left, not the other way round- chicks don't actually dig scars

[Sketchy_Racer]

I know of an awesome little KRR150ZX for sale ;)

If you want a bike that is fast over the takas, this will be more than you need.

It can keep up with most of the 1000s and beat most of them, if there are enough corners.

Oh and its cheap! real cheap!

Or get a RG150 or similar.... They are more than enough bike than you need

GO TWO SMOKERS

[The Pastor]

the fxr150 is just pure lame. Serriously. ALthough I havnt gotten my toe down on it (it was maguas bike, i didnt want to pwn it) it has absolutely NO power, and what you expect its a 150 after all. I remember going ont he coro loop ride when the rg pooed its self, magua had to hug the tank just to stay at 100km.

A note I noticed when I jumped on it, The first thing i noticed was where the hell is the bike? It felt like a toy. The only things i like about it is that its light and it sounds cool/loud.

But an rs250, there was a noob who bought one for his first bike on here before (may of had off roading experiance like your self aswell) and crashed it within a week, they are not a learner bike. I too went from the off roadish (farm bikes etc) to road bikes and off road teaches you the very basics of riding, its completly differnt to riding on the road. I'd get a zxr250 or cbr250 they are quick bikes and a lot of fun. Rs250 scares me.

[Sketchy_Racer]

haha, its funny you call the RG lame and slow.

A proper running one would cream that whale of yours in the twistys,
They will do around 170 top speed.

FXR is slow. But a good commuter

[Jamezo]

+1 for RG/KRR

NOT a toy, a very competitive piece of kit in anything but silly straight roads, but why would you want to ride those?

[zx7rr]

You only live once,if you want the RS go for it,my first bike was a 91 rgv250 back in 93 and yes I crashed it,yes it cost me a fortune to run and to fix every time that I crashed it,but what a blast especialy when I was only 16!
If you buy a 2 stroke you have to except that it is costly to own but they go like stink,nothing wrong at all with the CBR250RR,ZX250R or the FZR they rev like nothing else and go hard and look the part but if your heart says RS 250 then just do it!
It suxs that they dont still build the RGV,TZR ,NSR or the RS250 cause wonder what sort of hard out machines they would be like now if they still were!

[The Pastor]

haha, its funny you call the RG lame and slow.

A proper running one would cream that whale of yours in the twistys,
They will do around 170 top speed.

FXR is slow. But a good commuter


Yes but whats the point if it can go faster through the corner, when im already through the next 5 corners? How often do you get to go on the TIGHT tight twistys where it would have a slight advantage?


Top speed 170? downhill with a tail wind maybe. But unlikely try 130km/h. (magua had trouble keeping at 100 on the southern motorway....)


Rm

[McJim]

Top speed 170? downhill with a tail wind maybe. But unlikely try 130km/h. (magua had trouble keeping at 100 on the southern motorway....)


Rm

I think people are getting their RGs and FXRs mixed up - my wife's RG150 hauled my lardy ass UPHILL at 160kph. I'm 90kg. I tried an FXR last week - I could boil an egg in the time it took to get to 100.

not all 150s are created equal.

[The Pastor]

I think people are getting their RGs and FXRs mixed up - my wife's RG150 hauled my lardy ass UPHILL at 160kph. I'm 90kg. I tried an FXR last week - I could boil an egg in the time it took to get to 100.

not all 150s are created equal.

You have to remember when the speedo shows 160 its really more like 130.

[Teflon]

With your off-road experience you'll be fine on a two-stroke, if not quicker and better than all these people talking crap.

I learnt on a NSR, owned a 1000 at 17 yrs old, fuck i'm still alive.

[Ixion]

The ones who didn't survive tend not to post much.

"Genoclene" ®. Evolution you can see.

[Mr. Peanut]

Notice how older people tend to not ride as fast, or keep it at the track? Think real hard, there's a reason for that.

[jade]

[QUOTE=renegade master;805358]

But an rs250, there was a noob who bought one for his first bike on here before (may of had off roading experiance like your self aswell) and crashed it within a week, QUOTE]

if you are referring to me,dickhead,remember I had an rs250 for 6months as my only form of transport without ever dropping it doing wheelies and stoppies as well as taking it out statehighway 16 every weekend until I got knocked off a car, yes I overshot a corner 4 days after getting my replacement but that does not make me a n00b nor does it mean its too powerful, dickhead

[McJim]

You have to remember when the speedo shows 160 its really more like 130.

That's right dude - 'swhy the speedo was reading 190...

[The Pastor]

if you are referring to me,dickhead,remember I had an rs250 for 6months as my only form of transport without ever dropping it doing wheelies and stoppies as well as taking it out statehighway 16 every weekend until I got knocked off a car, yes I overshot a corner 4 days after getting my replacement but that does not make me a n00b nor does it mean its too powerful, dickhead

Actually I think it does. I just looked up "noob" in the "renegades dictionary of motorbike dickheads" and you where in there. Oh and btw get rid of that mullet, your sister told me it gives her chafing...