Upgrade bike but not licence??

[samo]

hi everyone,
just after a little advice. I got my learner license and my first bike a few months ago and have been riding all summer, to and from work and the occasional long cruz. Iv got a 2004 gn... yes the very best of a cliche learner bike and im enjoying the ease of use and reliabilty of it. but i cant help but ache for more power. i guess you could say im a bit of a thrill seeker and the speed of th gn just dosnt get my juices flowing if ya no what i mean:zzzz: iv heard of a few people just geting bigger bikes and not bothering with their license (owning a 400cc on their learners) and am considering it myself. good? bad? not worth it? also i don't have large funds to spend on a new bike so wouldnt b able to spend too much mor than what i can get for my gn.

ne help apprieciated!!!

[Karma]

If you sold the GN you'd be lucky to get 2500 ish... and you'd barely be able to afford to buy anything for that.

My suggestion, keep the GN, save up some cash and buy something half decent when you get your full.

[Switch]

It may suck not having power (i have the same problem) but the best thing i think, is to save up and get a decent bike when ya get your full licence. That way, you have a good bike, and you have also had the learning stage. Ive been tempted to do the same thing as yourself. But the only thing thats keeping me back is remembering that im on my learners/restricted for a reason.
If you feel the need to go to a 400, Good luck and all the best.
But i think the wisest thing is to stick to your 250cc and practice till your the best 250 rider there is ;)
All the best,
Matt

[Delphinus]

Also dont forget insurance. You wont be covered if a car pulls out in front of you if you're riding a bigger-than-250 bike on your learners/restricted.

[deathstar]

you've got a few options open to you but i think they put people on 250's for a reason ... and even if you have been riding day and night for the last 5 months there is no way you have learned enough to handle a jump from a gn to ANY kind of 400 ... its where people get into peoples when they have more power then they know what to do with ... see if you can ride a zxr or cbr and see what you think of those people going over the license

[samo]

yea that sounds very logical, iv ridin MrMeows gf250 which has about twice the power as the gn but stil id like somethng bigger. my lack of cash is a big problem and id definatly save up for something. would know what tho haha. wel wen im in the market ill definatly be consulting kb! is ther anyway to get more ponies out of the gn? without losing value?

[samo]

and i dont hav insurance ay. already had 1 prang too, bloody ambulance reversed into me!!! how does that happen?!:gob: bent my front fender too, i managed to stay on the bike and they admitted that it was there fault so paid the $250 to get it replaced

[Steam]

bent my front fender too, i managed to stay on the bike...

Where's the front fender on a bike? I don't have a front fender. I want one!

[Ixion]

Hm. There are rumours about.

It is known that the MoT are currently working on proposals to tackle the youth accident rate (I'm not saying that there is a problem, but they think there is).They expect to bring forward some proposals later this year.

And rumours are scuttling through the undergrowth, as they do.

Two that I have heard (and I have no evidence whatsoever regarding them) are that the present 6 month stint on an L is to be extended to 12 months. And that the penalties for breach of licence are to be made heavier, murmurs have been heard about vehicles being impounded.

I pass that on, for what it's worth.

[samo]

front guard/fender same thing. chrome mudguard

[James Deuce]

is ther anyway to get more ponies out of the gn?

No.


and i dont hav insurance ay. already had 1 prang too,

No insurance works for some people. The issue isn't the damage to you or your bike, it's the $4500 bumper on the Benz you accidentally thud into that you have to pay for.

Get Third Party for about $60 a year.

Don't concentrate on power, learn how to ride first.

Bear in mind that if you buy a bigger bike and get stopped at a license check it's $400 thanks. Each offense.

If you're happy to wear the consequences then knock yourself out.

[fridsy]

I got a hyobag gv...they're only just over 26 horses and the bike is 170kg...and I'm 150kg.... so thats a good 320kg plus (cloths, helmet, bag, whatever is in the bag):gob:

When I got the bike I had to brake it in so I couldn't rev it very high...to about 6k rpm....and found it OK but a little gutless.... now I've broken it in I can rev it harder, while it'll never be a race bike, I think its got plenty of guts to learn on and have no problem gettin up Ngauranga gorge:scooter:

As A learner and with not too much experience my advice is ...Keep the Ginny and for what you lack in speed gain in control and beat everyone at the corners, its a lite bike with enuf power to get out of corners at a good pace, so use that...when you do get the bigger bike you will have more control and experience to handle the power!!!

my 2c worth:shutup:

[Madness]

Bear in mind that if you buy a bigger bike and get stopped at a license check it's $400 thanks. Each offense.

Last time I got pinged it was at least that $$ amount and from memory 20 or 25 Demerit points. I was 450km from home and 800 odd cc's over the limit. Waikato Highway Patrol, they'll rape your wallet given half a chance.

[Mole_C]

Why not just get a higher powered 250cc?

[kiwifruit]

hi everyone,
just after a little advice. I got my learner license and my first bike a few months ago and have been riding all summer, to and from work and the occasional long cruz. Iv got a 2004 gn... yes the very best of a cliche learner bike and im enjoying the ease of use and reliabilty of it. but i cant help but ache for more power. i guess you could say im a bit of a thrill seeker and the speed of th gn just dosnt get my juices flowing if ya no what i mean:zzzz: iv heard of a few people just geting bigger bikes and not bothering with their license (owning a 400cc on their learners) and am considering it myself. good? bad? not worth it? also i don't have large funds to spend on a new bike so wouldnt b able to spend too much mor than what i can get for my gn.

ne help apprieciated!!!

what about a trail bike? dr250 or similar
different kind of fun, teaches good skills too

EDIT: something like this: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=90256527&key=322725 :)

[Boob Johnson]

Why not just get a higher powered 250cc?Because he hasn't much to spend over and above what he will sell the GN for. I think the above statements are all very wise. Im in the same boat, would LOVE a more powerful bike but its just not worth it for all of the above reasons. Maybe in 6 months or so when im off my L ill trade to a 250 two stroke sports bike but not before hand :innocent:

[McJim]

There are 250s that are more than twice as fast and as powerful as a GN. And they cost about the same as a 400 anyway so when you have the money (and the experience) get a fast 250 and save yourself $400 and 25 demerits everytime you get stopped for a licence check.

My 2c

[changing_man]

is ther anyway to get more ponies out of the gn? without losing value?

Just posted this in the "Bike choice advice please" thread, and it seemed relevant. Bear in mind you use these techniques at your own risk (bit like riding abike in the first place!):

I learned to ride on a GN250. I did about 9,000kms in 9 months.

After the first 3 weeks I started to get frustrated by the lack of power.

After 9 months, whenever I could, with my opinion of safety, I was putting my feet on the *rear* pillion pegs and my chin on the handlebars, with my left hand on the tank to try and squeeze every extra ounce of speed out of it through better aerodynamics.

I also took to hanging right off the sides of it round corners - slowing down was not preferable because it took so long to speed up again.

I wouldn't recommend the GN to anyone who has any ambitions of travelling quickly.

That said, all of the above practices (maintaining uncomfortable positions for long periods of time, really focusing on apex speed, moving my weight around on the bike for every bend) were really good for when I finally was able to get my hands on something a little sportier :yes:

[Wenier]

Exactly what Fridsy said, keep the 250 and learn to ride the bike so hard that it really cant go any faster. Overall your 250 isnt that much slower in a corner than a larger bike, so straight line speed aint everything.

And youll be glad that you learnt to ride the smaller bike hard before stepping up.

[Switch]

I got a hyobag gv...they're only just over 26 horses and the bike is 170kg...and I'm 150kg.... so thats a good 320kg plus (cloths, helmet, bag, whatever is in the bag):gob:

When I got the bike I had to brake it in so I couldn't rev it very high...to about 6k rpm....and found it OK but a little gutless.... now I've broken it in I can rev it harder, while it'll never be a race bike, I think its got plenty of guts to learn on and have no problem gettin up Ngauranga gorge:scooter:

As A learner and with not too much experience my advice is ...Keep the Ginny and for what you lack in speed gain in control and beat everyone at the corners, its a lite bike with enuf power to get out of corners at a good pace, so use that...when you do get the bigger bike you will have more control and experience to handle the power!!!

my 2c worth:shutup:

Woohooo go the Hyosung :woohoo:

[HDTboy]

The way I see it, you've got a few options.

1: Stick a DR350 motor into your current GN

2: Sell the GN and buy an RG150 for a similar price

3: Sell the GN, buy a 400, and don't whinge when you get tickts for breaking the rules which you know you're breaking.

I never owned a GN, but I did go down the route of option 3. I've recently gotten my licence back from a lack of demerit points. While I had no licence, I sold my 400, and bought my current bike. I really should go and sit my restricted.
Riding a GN250 will never teach you anything about corner speed. To learn what maintaining corner speed is all about, you need an underpowered bike, with a well sorted sports oriented chassis and good tyres. An Aprilia RS125 would be perfect for this goal, but probably out of your price range. A Suzuki RG150 or Kawasaki KR150 won't handle as well as the Aprilia, but is a much cheaper alternative to either that, or the CBR/ZXR 250.

[Ixion]

Looks like the ball's in play. "Police call for tougher action against breach of licence conditions". Story here http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10428191

[samo]

some excellent advice guys thanks. i think il stick it out with the gn then wen iv got the funds, a faster 250 would be the most likely option ill take. ill be sure to keep you all posted!

[Ms Piggy]

Sounds like you've been given some really good advice there.

You have my sympathy as far as being the owner of a GN250 - they're a great little bike if you just wanna tootle around town but in my experience (of having a good friend that owned 1) they're absolutely crap on the open road.

Good luck! :)

[samo]

yea your right, they are crap on the open road. round town is fine but anything were you need speed the gn dosnt quite make par. iv taken it on the motorway and it went ok as everything is straight enough not to need much acceleration but as soon as you try to go fast round corners it gets a bit shaky

[Guitana]

Dont be in too much of a hurry to power up do your time on the learners and do a course or two to shorten your time then when you go legal you can go straight to a HYABUSA!!

Good luck!:scooter:

[samo]

haha sounds good. any course recomendations??

[Arthur]

what about a trail bike? dr250 or similar
different kind of fun, teaches good skills too

It teaches good skills too - things that are very good to know on the road, but the average rider will not get to learn (except the hard way) unless they spend a bit of time riding off road. Things like how to control a bike when it starts losing traction, learning just how hard to brake to stop as fast as possible without washing out and how to understand what the bike is trying to tell you about the surface it is riding on.

Or you could upgrade to a more powerful 250 - it doesn't have the power you are looking for, but it would still be a good bike to learn on - you can pick up a second hand one for $4500 to $6000 at the moment - don't forget to haggle if you decide on this course of action... :rockon:

[Pwalo]

Stick with the GN till you've got your full. Save some money (you won't get anything cheaper to run), and get yourself a bigger bike later.

As pretty well everyone has said you'll pick up all the skills and experience you need to ride any road bike. It's all practice, and that's what the restricted period is supposed to give you. Believe me you can still do a s#@t load of damage on a 125 let alone a 250.

Besides every one has to go through the GN/SR/CB stage.

[Lucy]

Sounds like you've been given some really good advice there.

You have my sympathy as far as being the owner of a GN250 - they're a great little bike if you just wanna tootle around town but in my experience (of having a good friend that owned 1) they're absolutely crap on the open road.

Good luck! :)

I do not concur. Yesterday I rode from Raetihi to Auckland in about the same time it normally takes me in a car.

As far as the rest of the thread goes, it's good to see he's been given some sound advice. More power, no insurance, riding out of licence conditions. Sounds like a 'tribute' thread waiting to happen.

[Ms Piggy]

I do not concur. Yesterday I rode from Raetihi to Auckland in about the same time it normally takes me in a car.

That's great news then. I'd just personally never recommend a GN b/c I spent a few hours riding at a MAX of 90 km/hour behind my friend on hers - it made the ride from Wellington to Taupo a little tooooo long for both of us.

[Kjell]

The way I see it, you've got a few options.

1: Stick a DR350 motor into your current GN

2: Sell the GN and buy an RG150 for a similar price

3: Sell the GN, buy a 400, and don't whinge when you get tickts for breaking the rules which you know you're breaking.

HDTBoy basically says it straight. If you can go option two. Stay away from single pot four strokes if you want high end speed.

I rode a GN after playing around with dirt bikes, it lacked a few too many things for me, started my riding on a Suzuki RG150, which had some comparable balls. Did my time and learnt a bit on it, was light enough to adjust manually if required but still allowed the weight shift riding.
I now have a SG350 (which has the R350 motor iirc) which is a lot of fun, transplanting it would be interesting, very torquey.

My advice is to take it slow, don't rush. Find a good bike, learn from it and do some miles, then 'upgrade' your bike then tweak your riding skills. The bike ride between a GN and a RG is a lot different, different styles of riding and approach to cornering.

I am now considering a 600cc bike, which I am drawing from other riders their views and inputs, but in the end it is what I am comfortable with and something that suits me.

[mstriumph]

Last time I got pinged it was at least that $$ amount and from memory 20 or 25 Demerit points. I was 450km from home and 800 odd cc's over the limit. Waikato Highway Patrol, they'll rape your wallet given half a chance.

rape is when you AREN't asking for it ........:mellow: