First bike??? Help required people

[dunitpazza]

Ok so I just found this site, had a look round, thought it was quite cool and registered... now, I passed my basic handling skills test and theory for my learners the other day, that was the easy bit... what would you guys recommend for a first bike? I've had about 2 years experience riding a 50cc scooter! woo hoo!

[Maha]

How much do you want/got to spend???
Looking to buy new/2nd hand????
Do you intend to keep the 250 longer than you require??? (once you got your full)?

[dunitpazza]

i've got about $2500, keen to get as new a bike as possible and will prob upgrade when i've got my full, cheers

[Roj]

i've got about $2500, keen to get as new a bike as possible and will prob upgrade when i've got my full, cheers

Think about what your main uses are going to be.

A lot of bikers learnt on trail / offroad bikes, these have the advantage of being slightly cheaper to repair when you fall off, none of the expensive plastics, I was bought up on the farm and was riding farm bikes from a young age, and then got a trail bike to start.

I started with sports type bikes (this is a relative term given when I started riding) when I bought my first road bike. A sports bike is good to learn on because it teaches you ( or hitting the road does) to pay attention to riding. They tend to need more work when riding

I had a Gt250X7 in the early 80s which was one of the first production 250s to be able to hit 160 km/h, but it was very hard work to ride, being a 2 stroke twin I had to constantly use the gears to get the speed.

If you want easy riding then touring style bikes are better, they don't generally go quite as fast as a sports bike but are slightly more forgiving to ride, unless you push them hard.

look around and don't rush into buying the first nice sports bike you see, an older bike in good condition will serve well to learn on, a fzr250 or zxr250 are very quick 250s, the zzr250 is not as quick but more a touring style but the same basic motor as the zxr

And a hint for when you are riding, try to occupy the same space as a car, ride where you can see the driver in front in their rear view mirror, that way they can see you.

[MattRSK]

Get a Turbo Hayabusa. Just go easy on it for the first week or two.

[WarlockNZ]

Your not going to get much for $2500 in the 250cc range im sorry to say .. it's a sellers market for 250's.

Although, i think one of the lads on here is selling off his zxr's .. i think he wanted 3500 or close for one of them.

It all depends on what kind of machine you want to ride, street, sport or the other kind :shutup:

I'm sure you'll be able to find something tho.

[WarlockNZ]

how about this one
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=74672313&key=345355
(http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=74672313&key=345355)

or this one

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=75248883&key=345355

[WarlockNZ]

or if you feel like death on wheels ... try this ..

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=75148935&key=345355

[MattRSK]

<img src="http://www.alles-gratis.ch/video/31-40/500bhp_suzuki_hayabusa_turbo/500bhp_suzuki_hayabusa_turbo.jpg">

[lukelin250]

get a gn250 and save up for a zxr or cbr rr while riding and learning your skills on that. :Punk:

[WarlockNZ]

<img src="http://www.alles-gratis.ch/video/31-40/500bhp_suzuki_hayabusa_turbo/500bhp_suzuki_hayabusa_turbo.jpg">

I'd buy that :Punk:

[WarlockNZ]

get a gn250 and save up for a zxr or cbr rr while riding and learning your skills on that. :Punk:

Did you learn on a ginny??

Now don't get me wrong, i have nothing against the gn ... but if you are planning on riding a sport ... start on a sport.:done:

[Unforgiven]

The optionsare almost endless.

I went for a 4 stroke sports bike for the reliability and the hope I wouldnt get too bored before I got my full and because I do a lot of milage.

I would recomend 4 stroke as they are more reliable and cheaper to run and easier to ride, but not as fun.

Try to save up another $500 or so, a lot of 250s are around the 3-4000 mark.

Test ride a few different ones and see what you like. Things to look at are seat height, riding position, leg room, comfort, etc.

If you arnt too mechanicly minded get someone to check it over for you, there are plenty of guides on the net with what to look for and how to check it.

[MSTRS]

....the zzr250 is not as quick but more a touring style but the same basic motor as the zxr......

All excellent advice except that ZXR is a 4cyl and ZZR is 2cyl

[terbang]

If you can stretch yer budget a bit then Honda VTR 250's are a good all-round combination for a beginner.

[Str8 Jacket]

My KR150 is up for sale..... Great lil bike!

[Bend-it]

And my bandit! I rode a 50cc scooter for about 2 years before getting around to getting the license too...

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=38248

[Str8 Jacket]

And my bandit! I rode a 50cc scooter for about 2 years before getting around to getting the license too...

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=38248

Oi, piss off. No one wants my poor lil bike :no:

[Roj]

All excellent advice except that ZXR is a 4cyl and ZZR is 2cyl


Must have been thinking about the 400s:Oops:

[super87nz]

If ya keep looking you will find a bargin, took me 3 months of searching and test riding untill I got my bike. why not use the 2500 as a deposit for one of those hyosung 250s.

Theres not much in the way of cheap 250s, is why ya see alot of people on trails.

good luck mate :)

[Panther]

Hey mate,
depends how 'uber hard out' you are mechanically, but you could always go to the turners damaged vehicle auctions in Whangerai and try and pick up a 250 (cbr/zxr) for not too much money that only has cosmetic damage. Then get your mates/dad/cuzzie bro to help you fix it up and plastic weld the fairings! That way it doesnt matter if you dont do the worlds flashest job cos its bound to get scratched up at some stage. Then when you get some more money you can get a propper paint job.
My bike was really ugly and rough when i got her but now I'm pretty much almost happy.....except i want a new cam chain and tensioner, nice matching tyres, get my carbon fibre exhust fitted and tuned....and the list goes on!
Good luck!

[Terminated]

Gidday and Welcome,

You got to get good protective gear that's a first in your budget.

Your bike, all depends on how you want to come at it: in the market the GN250 is at a recommended retail of $3300 + on road cost, and is a good first bike. The resale value is very reasonable too.

So if you have a 9 to 24 month objective to get to your Full licence do the math and see how much you are prepared to pay in finance interest if you take out a loan and have a realistic a resale figure in mind.

You should be able to get a new GN250 on the road with all the protective gear for $4300 so you need to finance $1800. A BNZ Advance Personal Loan gives you 3 mths to draw down the loan, and would cost 97.36 a month over 24 mths. That's about $550 rounded in interest. Let's say you sell the bike in 15mths time then the interest would not be as much. So how much might you have left over toward your next bike having cleared the loan, and more importantly how much have you targetted to save over and above your $97.36 loan to put toward your next bike?

Getting into your first bike, is an emotional thing, and the emotion builds as you get into your new found riding experience and like most of us are thinking ahead toward our next bike when we have our Full. I'm over 50 and only been riding since May this year and have been thinking ahead to my next bike and my Full won't be until February at the earliest.

Irrespective of your age, there is one thing in common we should all have and that is respect for the motorcycle. How you approach the whole process of getting your first bike similarly should be mindful and not hurried into, think ahead.

I wish you all the best in your new found pleasure of riding.

Heads Up and Enjoy

And when you do check out:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=30010

[davereid]

Hi there,

The GN250 has been a popular choice for many learners, if a cruiser style road bike is what you would like. Depending on your riding style, a road legal trail bike can be a good choice. They start at around the same price as a GN, are capable of highway speeds, but give you the ability to go down the beach and practice without other traffic around. Excellent riding skills can be learned off road, and it adds to the fun you can have on your bike - do a few local trail rides and you will gain experience, valuable handling skills and extra confidence. The 200-250cc trail bikes also make good commuters, they get good gas mileage, keep up with highway traffic, and will bump up that pothole or kerb, rather than sit you on your arse. Down side is they can be quite tall for shorter riders, they dont cope well if stuck in traffic for a long time, and trail tyres are not ideal on tar.

[crazybigal]

your budget is a we bit low, if you can go to 3500 you should be able to get a good suzuki bandit 250 or a kawasaki zzr250 both good little bikes and not to old and crappy.

[Roj]

Hi there,

The GN250 has been a popular choice for many learners, if a cruiser style road bike is what you would like. Depending on your riding style, a road legal trail bike can be a good choice. They start at around the same price as a GN, are capable of highway speeds, but give you the ability to go down the beach and practice without other traffic around. Excellent riding skills can be learned off road, and it adds to the fun you can have on your bike - do a few local trail rides and you will gain experience, valuable handling skills and extra confidence. The 200-250cc trail bikes also make good commuters, they get good gas mileage, keep up with highway traffic, and will bump up that pothole or kerb, rather than sit you on your arse. Down side is they can be quite tall for shorter riders, they dont cope well if stuck in traffic for a long time, and trail tyres are not ideal on tar.

Trail bikes are a good start, friend of mine has an XT225, he has been riding for years but finds it suits him well, we travelled to the cold kiwi this year, I was on my CB750, ando on his maruader 800 and wolf on his XT225, had no problem keeping up (cause I am a slow old bugger now a days), he worte up a report: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=35252

It was cheaper to run than the big bike as well:scooter:

[Smokey_moe]

Ok so I just found this site, had a look round, thought it was quite cool and registered... now, I passed my basic handling skills test and theory for my learners the other day, that was the easy bit... what would you guys recommend for a first bike? I've had about 2 years experience riding a 50cc scooter! woo hoo!

Hey I was riding a 50cc scooter for about 6 months and I've just recently upgraded to a Kawasaki GPX250 its quite an easy to learn on bike Ive had no troubles etc... maybe a Suzuki FXR 150?? thats what I would have brought had I not gone for the GPX