vtr250 vs gt250r

[Turtlerider]

Yes another vs topic. I know these are two quite different bikes one being faired and one being naked but what are your guys opinions as they are both priced pritty similar? Thanks in advance guys

[MVnut]

Honda VTR250 is the only choice, forget the Hyosung

[Chisanga]

I love my VTR 250 and I am glad I didn't buy a Hyo-Bag :)

The VTR costs a bit more but it is the best new 250 on the market. In my humble opinion.

Just wait until McJim weighs in :)

[crazybigal]

have you not read all the horror stories about the gt? whoflungdung!
Never heard a bad word about the vtr. we have had ours for 2 years, im too lazy to sell it.

[N4CR]

ridden both

vtr by far hyobag can go get lost as far as i'm concerned. give em a few years though...

[xwhatsit]

I haven't touched either, but just based on specs... the VTR makes a fair bit more horsepower than the GT, and weighs quite a bit less, too. In addition, it's a Honda, which has a fair bit of history and time making bikes, compared to Hyosung which is slightly more fresh.

Plus, the VTR is a naked bike, which is what you want if it's your first bike -- no expensive fairings to break when you overbalance wheeling it out of your garage.

[Fatjim]

I'd go the VTR any day. For a 250 naked they do look rather good. And the motor is pretty strong too.

[Fub@r]

In addition, it's a Honda, which has a fair bit of history and time making bikes, compared to Hyosung which is slightly more fresh.


Just because NZ didn't see a Hyosung till 2003 (thereabouts) doesn't mean they weren't elsewhere in the world :)




Hyosung is one of the largest and most respected companies in South Korea, and was founded in 1952. Hyosung Motors & Machinery was established in 1978 as a motorcycle manufacturer. In 1979 a technical tie up was established with Suzuki Motor Corp of Japan for producing Suzuki models for some Asian markets. Hyosung established its own R&D centre in 1986 to develop models under the Hyosung brand for export to global markets under the banner "Made by Hyosung, ridden by the World". Around 12 per cent of staff are engaged in R&D to keep pace with aggressive development of new models suitable for export markets. Hyosung produces some models that carry a Japanese brand name that are exported worldwide, and components produced by Hyosung can be found on several other brands of motorcycles.

[xwhatsit]

Just because NZ didn't see a Hyosung till 2003 (thereabouts) doesn't mean they weren't elsewhere in the world :)

I'm aware of their history, when I first came back to NZ I was surprised to see them here on the roads, so did some further reading. You'll note that as per my post, Honda has been making motorcycles in their own right much earlier than 1978.

As an aside, length of history means little in terms of engineering prowess anyway. Look at Royal Enfield for an extreme example (sorry Mr Brian :P). But Honda certainly have a better reputation and much more infrastructure in terms of dealerships and support in case something goes wrong. There's also resale to think of, it is a 250 after all -- I'm going to keep my 250 even after I upgrade, but most don't.

[LardEmbargo]

we have had ours for 2 years, im too lazy to sell it.

dood! save yourself all that trouble, I'll take it off your hands :)

easily the nicest 250 I've joyridden (cough) I mean road-tested so far. Although the hyobag kind of disqualified itself cos I've only got stumpy legs and it felt sort of too top heavy for me.

[EroSamnin]

I have a Hyobag. Looks nice, cheap, goes reasonably hardish (luckilly, I don't weigh a whole lot) and I don't feel like I'm riding a scooter. VTR's look so small. Haven't seen one in a shop round here to sit on for a actual test though.

As for horror stories, my rear shock crapped out. I have only heard of that happening twice including mine. They replaced it under warranty so now it kicks arse again.

[McJim]

I chose the VTR. It ain't faired so I put a little one on it. People that have Hyosungs seem to swear by them as follows:

"Fuck the handlebar snapped"
"Fuck the suspension crapped out"
"Fuck the oem tyres let go in a corner"
"Fuck the clutch cable snapped"

But having said that they do look nice. I nearly got one. As a learner I have had a couple of gentle bins (once by being hit by a car and once for being a stupid noob in a rainstorm) on each occasion I was pretty much able to bend everything back to shape.

And the VTR comes with proper Nissin brakes instead of noname brakes.

Test ride one of each if you can. Decide for yourself.

[crazybigal]

i second all that!
if anything the we vtr is over braked in the front!
no dodgy electrical problems.

and if howflungdung have been making bikes and motors for suzuki for so long, why cant they get it right?
I know the guy who had the first howflungdung 650 cruiser and it spent more time getting fixed than on the road, in the end he gave it back and got his $$ back. nuf said about those bikes!!



I chose the VTR. It ain't faired so I put a little one on it. People that have Hyosungs seem to swear by them as follows:

"Fuck the handlebar snapped"
"Fuck the suspension crapped out"
"Fuck the oem tyres let go in a corner"
"Fuck the clutch cable snapped"

But having said that they do look nice. I nearly got one. As a learner I have had a couple of gentle bins (once by being hit by a car and once for being a stupid noob in a rainstorm) on each occasion I was pretty much able to bend everything back to shape.

And the VTR comes with proper Nissin brakes instead of noname brakes.

Test ride one of each if you can. Decide for yourself.

[Blairos]

I would recommend the VTR without any hesitation, it was an awesome learner bike, and reliable too...

[rwh]

On Saturday, I test rode the VTR and the Kawasaki GPX250R.

They were both short rides, and I'm a newbie, but I preferred the GPX. It felt like it had slightly more power. It's faired, so there's less wind but more risk of damage. It also had one more gear, I think, but I don't know how much difference that makes. I was expecting to be disappointed by the sound, having enjoyed my VT through the tunnels, but the GPX sounded great in a slightly different way.

Just my thoughts - I'm interested to hear others too.

Richard

[SwanTiger]

Pfft, if you want straight line speed then you'll need the VTR as it has more horse power, however it is really a matter of personal preference. Both will do the speed limit and a bit more, both will prove to be good first/learner motorcycles.

The only real difference is production, the VTR has been refined were as the Hyosung is just starting out and it is an exciting brand with many moons behind and ahead of it.

GPX is a nice bike, design / look is rather dated but certainly worth a look. Nice bikes.

[SwanTiger]

And the VTR comes with proper Nissin brakes instead of noname brakes.

Hmm, noname brakes huh? They seem to stop(pie) alright.

<img src="http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k155/swannynz/Dsc06431.jpg">

[Alice]

I own a VTR and I love it.

Most other riders comment on how well it goes. It has good acceleration, but them I am only light and have not ridden bigger bikes, obviously they are a lot quicker but in general road riding I think its awesome and riding in a group it keeps up easily, no worries sitting on 120-130kph, I have had it up to 155, there was a bit left but I throttled back at that point. It handles well and zips around corners. It has a comfortable ride position, I have done some good trips on it and never been uncomfortable. Some of the other guys I have been riding with are impressed with how well it goes, a couple of them recently have been making strong noises about wanting to ride it.

I have had a lot of comments on the bike when filling up, cause it does not say 250, most people are guessing its a 400cc or even a 600cc, bit ambitious.

I am biased, so say go for the VTR.

[skelstar]

Did 20,000kms in 6months on my Hyobag without issue. If you have an extra $2000 (comparing nekid prices) then sure, go for the VTR250.

Beware of people with strong opinions but are ill informed.

Maybe you could ride both bikes and decide?


Oh, and welcome to the site :niceone:

[avgas]

Hyo GT, cos it doesnt look like the 80's

[McJim]

Hmm, noname brakes huh? They seem to stop(pie) alright.



Yeah I didn't want to draw attention to the pie dude but since you did it's alright. so it's all the pies that throw the weight forward like that then?

[Hellraiser]

Unless its a Kawasaki don't touch it with a ten foot barge pole .........

Another thing to think about is the after sales service, if your going to go new then stay well clear of anything Honda cause they stuff you around no end when it comes to warranty work.

[Turtlerider]

Cool thanks for all your input guys. Hopefully ill be able to test ride some bikes after work tomorrow. Just good to hear people opinions. What about gsx250? Not including the older bikes cbr250rr etc what would you feel is the best 250 for a learner who likes a bit of speed?

[avgas]

how much riding have you done, cos if its stuff all i would stare clear of anything with more than 2 cylinders. Hate to see you as a road side cross. What about a 150 as most of them do stupid speeds (fxr - 150kph, rg - 180+kph)

[disenfranchised]

Had no problems with my Hyosung so far...had it 5 months done a couple of thousand K's...not garaged so see's plenty of rain etc, gets ridden almost every day.

I'm quite tall so the VTR was out of the question....though I did prefer it's looks...
Costs an extra $1600 though (from the non faired Hyosung) which doesn't seem worth it when you're learning....that pays for a lot of gear.

[McJim]

Unless its a Kawasaki don't touch it with a ten foot barge pole .........
.

Wot he said - only touch Kawasakis with 10 foot barge poles - all other bikes sit on them and ride them to your heart's content. :rofl:

[McJim]

Cool thanks for all your input guys. Hopefully ill be able to test ride some bikes after work tomorrow. Just good to hear people opinions. What about gsx250? Not including the older bikes cbr250rr etc what would you feel is the best 250 for a learner who likes a bit of speed?

How much speed would you like?
NSR250, RGV250, RS250 and TZR250 will all sail past 200kph and will kill you if not treated with extreme respect.

I've only ridden the following learner bikes flat out and this is what I got:
VTR250 155kph
RG150 180kph

GSX250 is similar but older technology to the GPX250
VTR250 and GT250 are similar too.
Hornet and Bandit are both quick for 250s.

Sit on them and choose the most comfortable - for the first 6 months performance shouldn't be a huge issue.

[Fub@r]

I've had a GTR for the past few months. It does everything I need it to.

Yes Hyosung give you hard wearing tyres which are not designed to corner at 160kph. But if you want to ride like that on a learners, or the open road for that matter you will only be a temporary citizen and resale value isn't really going to matter. Basically any bike you buy they will give you basic tyres anyway, they are not going to sell a bike with super stickies on it unless you pay for them.

Hyosung may not get to its top speed as quick as a VTR but it will do the same top speed as any other 250 4 stroke (160's)

For styling I don't think you can beat a Hyosung GTR in the 250 range

[Jonny Rotten]

i had a vtr for a year and a half and i thrashed the hell out of it.....had 5000km on when i brought it and 29000km when i traded it in and i got more than what i payed for it when i traded it in :rockon: i'd say look at them both test ride both then test ride them again and then decide.....also look at how much ho bags are selling for second hand and what you would get for a trade in.....see what works out money wise in the long run....

the hobag is better on the gas than the vtr tho

[McJim]

the hobag is better on the gas than the vtr tho

Are you sure? I get 27km per litre - I don't thrash mine as much as your reputation says you did though.

[Jonny Rotten]

i only got 260 ish before i was on resereve but i think swanny was getting 280 to 300

[McJim]

i only got 260 ish before i was on resereve but i think swanny was getting 280 to 300

I've been up to 280 without turning the tap.

The Hyosung is a 17L tank the VTR is a 13L tank - unfair comparison - we need to do a Jeremy Clarkson type test thingumy - Warlock? Fub@r? who wants to help?

We take 1 VTR250 and 1 GT250R and we go for a nice easy ride through the countryside having completely filled our tanks.

then we stop and the person that has to put the most fuel back in has the least fuel efficient bike.

[Fub@r]

I've been up to 280 without turning the tap.

The Hyosung is a 17L tank the VTR is a 13L tank - unfair comparison - we need to do a Jeremy Clarkson type test thingumy - Warlock? Fub@r? who wants to help?

We take 1 VTR250 and 1 GT250R and we go for a nice easy ride through the countryside having completely filled our tanks.

then we stop and the person that has to put the most fuel back in has the least fuel efficient bike.

Last 250 ride I went on I was using getting 25-27lt/km.........not as good as the mighty Ginny's 30lt+ /km

As an aside when I looked to change bikes late last year I did look at the VTR, but got a way better deal on the secondhand Hyo

[Vetran]

Cool comments guys. Im also thinking about a vtr how do they go compared to a gpx250?

[bounce]

I've only ridden three bikes so far so I could be well off the mark with all this. Anyways, I would have thought that there would be a pretty big difference between a vtr and any 4 cylander. While I can only compare between a bandit 250 and my vtr the vtwin certainly doesn't rev out in the same manner as a bandit. Thus I tend to not be so agressive with the engine.. On a track day the bandit would probably be more fun given that it has more power and really has a power band that you can work with. for practicality though and ease of use I prefer my vtr. Maybe you can rule out which bike you want by how you want to ride it. If you want to thrash it everywhere maybe you'd like a 4 cylander because I recon the VTR pretty much makes the same power the whole way through the rev range.

If you are getting a bike to learn on and then move on to something bigger I'd say the Vtr would be a great starting point. and then they sound pretty cool too with a new can :rockon:

[crazybigal]

id have to say the VTR new is well overpriced, hell for another 4 grand you can have the 1000.
gpx is the same bike they made 15 years ago, not that that is a bad thing.
we have a zzr as well and i wold say thas much like the gpx. ok bike.
if you want speed and a nice 6 speed box go for a late model bandit 250.
if you want street cred and bling go for a cbr250rr.
VTR is a good allrounder, not great at any one thing but well built and easy to work on.
say what you like about whoflundung bikes but the proof is all the people with problems! just cos one hasnt dosnt mean you wont!
Ever heard of a vtr shitting itself?


Had no problems with my Hyosung so far...had it 5 months done a couple of thousand K's...not garaged so see's plenty of rain etc, gets ridden almost every day.

I'm quite tall so the VTR was out of the question....though I did prefer it's looks...
Costs an extra $1600 though (from the non faired Hyosung) which doesn't seem worth it when you're learning....that pays for a lot of gear.

[xwhatsit]

I've only ridden three bikes so far so I could be well off the mark with all this. Anyways, I would have thought that there would be a pretty big difference between a vtr and any 4 cylander. While I can only compare between a bandit 250 and my vtr the vtwin certainly doesn't rev out in the same manner as a bandit. Thus I tend to not be so agressive with the engine.. On a track day the bandit would probably be more fun given that it has more power and really has a power band that you can work with. for practicality though and ease of use I prefer my vtr. Maybe you can rule out which bike you want by how you want to ride it. If you want to thrash it everywhere maybe you'd like a 4 cylander because I recon the VTR pretty much makes the same power the whole way through the rev range.

If you are getting a bike to learn on and then move on to something bigger I'd say the Vtr would be a great starting point. and then they sound pretty cool too with a new can :rockon:

The GT250R is a v-twin too, innit? And the GPX250, that's a parallel twin IIRC?

Yeah I have to agree about the sound though :D. There's one that goes past my restaurant with a Neptune can on it, I think. Not too bad :D

[Version_II]

Got my GT250R a couple of months ago.
No problems at all.
Looks good - feels good, lovin it! :rockon:
Just started riding and it does it for me.
Done 1200Kms on it so far and about to take it on a 600K tikky tour around central this weekend.
Will let you know how it goes.

[disenfranchised]

say what you like about whoflundung bikes but the proof is all the people with problems! just cos one hasnt dosnt mean you wont!
Ever heard of a vtr shitting itself?

Yeah but they all seem to be people who bought during 2003-2005
2006 was a rebuild, as was 2007...so they should have corrected any issues each time.

[McJim]

2003 was he last rebuild for the VTR250 FYI - that's when they improved the suspension and added a rev counter (Which is useful coz redline is at 11,500 but the rev limiter doesn't kick in until 13,500 - does this mean owners of pre 2003 VTR250s have been revving the shit out of their bikes 2000 rpm past redline?)

Just a bit of trivia.

[disenfranchised]

Cool comments guys. Im also thinking about a vtr how do they go compared to a gpx250?

For people sold on honda, there's always the cheaper CBF250.
As long as power isn't a requirement

[T.I.E]

think about selling it later on, which bike is gonna hold it's value and price, naked would be better just incase ya drop it.
if a complete newbei is gonna buy a bike he/she aint gonna know jack about it unless they know this site or have biker family/friends. so ya could could get away with a gtr, as they are the best looking 250 out there by far. vtr is a good allround bike can't go past it, but doesn't stack up with looks. gpx is old is style but a great learners bike for sure.

i like the gtr's look. but detailing leaves something to be desired.

gpx feels and rides well (170kph) scarey though, but dated. great engine.

VT is just plain and not my cuppa tea. just check on the sales people. honda nz let themselves down.

but after all is said and done, resale. and if ya drop it, whats gonna be easier to fix up etc. not sure on price of parts for all the bikes.

id have to take the Honda.
it wont be long before ya upgrade to another machine, get that liecence sorted do a few k's and see how ya go. you will want to upgrade once ya got ya full.
So which will be easier to sell later on? which wont ya lose so much money on?

[dvsdavis]

now how about this... a 1992 ZXR250 or a 2007 GT250R?

!! HMMM?

[rwh]

if a complete newbei is gonna buy a bike he/she aint gonna know jack about it unless they know this site or have biker family/friends. so ya could could get away with a gtr, as they are the best looking 250 out there by far. vtr is a good allround bike can't go past it, but doesn't stack up with looks.

Depends what kind of newbie. I'd have thought that lots of guys looking for their first bike would have been reading mags, surfing the net and chatting to their mates long before - and even if they haven't, they'll probably recognise the 4 big Jap brands but not Hyosung. If they know about it, they'll know it's relatively new. And if they're like me, they'll pick something well known to be on the safe side - Honda's probably the best for that. Even if mine did turn out to be a bit of a lemon ...

Richard

[Mr. Peanut]

Get an NSR250. Think about it, no oil changes required, no valves to adjust, only two carbs to balance, very light, good handling, good brakes. And unlike 4 strokes the engine can easily be rebuilt. :)

[zeocen]

gpx feels and rides well (170kph) scarey though, but dated. great engine.

Is that the 2006 model? Jebus I'd be lucky to squeeze out 140kmph on mine

[McJim]

Get an NSR250. Think about it, no oil changes required, no valves to adjust, only two carbs to balance, very light, good handling, good brakes. And unlike 4 strokes the engine can easily be rebuilt. :)

But then you have to deal with the mess created by giving a rank noob that much power. And I'm talking about the mess in the pants not necessarily the mess on the road!

If you must start on a 2 smoker then make it RG150 or KR150 - still enough speed to bitch slap a Bandit 250 or a Hornet 250 but not a 250 motogp replica!

[T.I.E]

Is that the 2006 model? Jebus I'd be lucky to squeeze out 140kmph on mine

na changed the rear sprocket, taller geared, and got to say the bike have been on, was one of the older models. oh and i might add i had a lenghty run up. northern extension of the motorway in ak.
all though with the gpx if ya liked the red line as i did, it meant a few stops at the local mechanics to have the tappets reset.

[hamie1]

I can get 160km/h on my gt250r. But it is more happy going along at 130ish and so am I!

[Mr. Peanut]

On Saturday, I test rode the VTR and the Kawasaki GPX250R.

They were both short rides, and I'm a newbie, but I preferred the GPX. It felt like it had slightly more power. It's faired, so there's less wind but more risk of damage. It also had one more gear, I think, but I don't know how much difference that makes. I was expecting to be disappointed by the sound, having enjoyed my VT through the tunnels, but the GPX sounded great in a slightly different way.

Just my thoughts - I'm interested to hear others too.

Richard
GPX:
They crash well, smokey moe had one which I throughly enjoyed riding, was great two up, and all in all a well put together machine.

Good off the line power, and the exceptionally quick turn in had me scraping the pegs on occasion. Gear changes were more clunky than the standard Honda fare.

Lots of spares for the GPX too, more of them around I dare say than the VTR.

I thought it was a very capable machine, that shouldn't intimidate a fairly well educated noob.

[zeocen]

The fastest I've done was around 142ish at about 10 - 11rpm on the GPX

I've noticed 8 - 9 rpm it vibrates a lot but at 10 it runs so smooth and sleek, a really good first bike, despite it's top end it's everything I wanted and I wouldn't have changed it for anything.

I quite like the style of it :P