Newbie!! (Miss.L)

[Little Miss Trouble]

I must be the greenest rider here!
Am finishing my basic handling later today with Riderskills, yes ashamedly I'm one of the few who didnt get through it all in one day:no:
Im looking at getting a 2007 Kawasaki GPX250 so I don't have to worry about the mechanics of the bike and used 250s from dealers aren't exactly cheap anyway. Is this bike, in your opinion suitable for a learner?

[Ixion]

Welcome. Nothing to be ashamed of, a solid foundation will never go astray.

The GPX250 is a very suitable machine for a learner. The only thing you may wish to consider, is that learners very often end up dropping the bike. Usually at very low speeds , and without injury to themselves (I would not classify them as crashes). But a faired machine will often be scratched in such an event , whereas a naked bike, having no extent of vulnerable plastic, will suffer no injury.

[Grahameeboy]

Yeah so guess ride naked to avoid injury and damage to your gear....:rockon:

[Disco Dan]

Welcome, get out there and practice! ...oh and watch out for Disco, since your a girly.

[Ixion]

...oh and watch out for Disco, since your a girly.

Particularly if you are riding naked!

But you need not worry - just arrange to meet him somewhere. Anywhere. There is no likelihood whatsoever of him finding his way to the meeting place. He will end up at the other end of the country.

[Little Miss Trouble]

Thanks for the warnings! I know the fairings might take a bit of damage if I drop her but I'm in love with this bike! also lucky me i have some rellies in the panel&paint industry

[Winter]

I went through riderskills yesterday. Let me know when you get your L, we can go for a ride :)

[u4ea]

Welcome missL..!!!.....and its all true about Discoe!!.....keep your eyes posted for newbie rides up that way as theres a wealth of knowledge from everyone and KB has mentors to assist newby riders...follow your instincs with which bike to get and go with what youre comfortable with.

[Joni]

Welcome and congrats for taking the first step... its does not matter how "green" you are, what matters is you have taken that first step...

Bruce at Riderskills is great... you got yourself a great teacher there... he took a work mate of mine out once. She was very nervous, but he spent hours and hours just taking her through stuff!

Good luck... up, up and away....

And like our great Ixion says, non faired it always a better option when you are learning... just in case you let the bike have a brief lie down! :yes:

[Disco Dan]

a learner?

Seriously though, you may be interested in the Wednesday Night Mentor Ride (AWNMR) (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=45812).

[u4ea]

And like our great Ixion says, non faired it always a better option when you are learning...



hyosung have a great unfaired bike and they are made of top componentry ....possibly around same price new as the one your considering??

[Joni]

Only bugger about the comet is its a pretty tall bike... a newbie who happens to be a shortie wont ride the thing with great ease...:shit:

So it would depend how tall our newbie is!

[u4ea]

Only bugger about the comet is its a pretty tall bike... a newbie who happens to be a shortie wont ride the thing with great ease...:shit:

So it would depend how tall our newbie is!


lol!!!!! this is true!!!!:dodge:

[Trudes]

Welcome Miss L, have fun on your new bike, ride safe!!:sunny:

[SpinFx]

Welcome, look after yourself out there,........ You cant beat the feeling of the wind in your face, the hum of the engine below and the freedom of riding two wheels.

[fjones]

Welcome to KB!
Both me and my wife have GPX's. Fun bike, no issues and I've dropped mine once and not even a scratch on the fairings. The exhaust now that is a different story :)

Again welcome!

[Dodgyiti]

There are people as 'green' as you on here for sure.
Everyone starts out somewhere, and you have already started out

The Wednesday night training nights are great.:sunny:
I saw people there get a heap better as the evening progressed, and the instructors, well they are saints really.
And if you are 'greener' (lol) than most, the great folk will perhaps give a bit more in depth assistance.

And if you really have your heart set on a faired bike (and it is suitable to your height etc) then take the fairing lowers off for a few weeks/months?

[Coyote]

The GPX250 is a very suitable machine for a learner. The only thing you may wish to consider, is that learners very often end up dropping the bike. Usually at very low speeds , and without injury to themselves (I would not classify them as crashes). But a faired machine will often be scratched in such an event , whereas a naked bike, having no extent of vulnerable plastic, will suffer no injury.
Naked bikes aren't immune to being knocked around, they still suffer. Handlebars, footpegs, engine sidecovers, water pump & radiator hose, muffler/s, etc. still hit the ground. I'm running my RG without side fairings (streetfighter stylz yo) but I've still gone through 3 footpegs, engine has a few scratches, I'm missing a bar end and my muffler has turned square

[NZsarge]

Yeah, get stuck in, you'll be out there and lovin' it in no time, "enjoy" is the word. :rockon:

[Little Miss Trouble]

Only bugger about the comet is its a pretty tall bike... a newbie who happens to be a shortie wont ride the thing with great ease...:shit:

So it would depend how tall our newbie is!

Yes I am a shortie! all of 5'4"
Yesterday went much smoother than the first time:yes: so off to the AA tomorrow to do the paperwork.
Has anyone done Riderskills confidence building course? worthwhile? Wednesdays sounds good but I think I'll do the one on one training first so I don't make too much of a fool of myself:D

[Donor]

One one one is good, but you can pretty much get the same training via the awesome volunteer mentors we have here on KB.

Personally, the one on one that worked best was one of me on one motorbike.

But seriously, think about talking to a KB mentor and get them to check you out... errr... riding wise!

(...MOTORBIKE riding for the dodgy b'stards that will be waiting to swoop on that last comment...)

:edit: Look into RRRS fairly soon too... well worth it by all accounts...

[Titanium]

i have some rellies in the panel&paint industry

The perfect girl / catch for the 250 club!, racing club!

Your Dad would not own a brewery by chance?

Welcome.

Cheers

[Little Miss Trouble]

Your Dad would not own a brewery by chance?


Sadly no, we did have a small vineyard in the family until recently though :bleh:
haha now I've gotten into bikes my dad wants to get back into it!

[Colapop]

The thing that will help you the most is riding. You don't have to ride fast - just ride. A mentor or trainer will be able to give you tips, but for the most part you'll get the feel of how the bike behaves and move according to it naturally.
Have fun, relax and take your time.

Welcome to the world of KB too. The crazy, weird and Disco's are all here - but then, so are the knowledgeable, wise and generous...

[mstriumph]

Yeah so guess ride naked to avoid injury and damage to your gear....:rockon:

........... well, at least we got to THREE posts before the predictable 'lets hit the new girl with suggestive double-entendres' posts cut in ................

*sigh*

take no notice gal - they are mostly harmless :yes: - oh, and welcome to the site

[Hawkeye]

Welcome to the wonderful world of KB.

The best way to learn is to practice, practice, practice.
The more you get out, the faster the learning curve.

Have a look at BuckBuckNo1's threads. The man is a legend in his own life time.
If you want to do it right, just follow his example. He set himself goals, worked on techniques, did specific practice sessions and shared all of his experiences blow by blow with others. He also had the privilege to work and become friends with the mentor of mentors in UncleB, who sadly is no longer with us.
(R.I.P. UncleB).

As others have said, get yourself a mentor on KB. But be warned. Be prepared for them to become your best friend. Because that's what they will be. They will nurture you, encourage you, and at times, push you. To them, no question is a stupid one. It's all part of the learning. They don't do it for $ . It's all about sharing the passion, the excitement, the freedom.
They will be there when you need them and will always look out for you. They will share your excitement the first time you do something new and also your pain or frustration when things don't quite go to plan. They are also very patient.

The community of KB never fails to amaze me. Yes there is the crap that regularly appears. But in general, they are a good bunch of people who all share the same passion and will go out of their way to help if they can.
If they can't help, they will know someone who can.
Big ups have to go to Spank for giving us this home. Without it, I would probably be riding alone.

Good luck with the choice of bike.

and in the words of BuckBuckNo1 'Heads Up and Enjoy'

[Mrs Busa Pete]

...oh and watch out for Disco, since your a girly.

If that is the size of it i would suggest you put it away disco.:killingme :killingme :killingme

[Rosie]

Hi there Miss L!
Good luck finding a bike and getting yourself out on two wheels! :scooter:
I also went down the pretty, shiney, faired bike route, and, gorgeous as the bike is :love: if I was learning all over again, I'd go for something a bit more droppable.

[kiwifruit]

welcome to the site :)

[vamr]

Hi there Miss L!
Good luck finding a bike and getting yourself out on two wheels! :scooter:
I also went down the pretty, shiney, faired bike route, and, gorgeous as the bike is :love: if I was learning all over again, I'd go for something a bit more droppable.

KRs are fairly droppable for a faired bike due to their weight and lack of complex bodywork.

[zeocen]

My GPX 250r has seen me through before I got my BHS right to last week when I got my restricted, and it's 17 years older than your one!

You'll be more than fine :) It is a great learners bike with a nice commuting seating position, the only thing I would suggest is a custom seat. The furtherest I've been on mine is South Auck --> Whangamata and while the bike had absolutely no troubles, my arse certainly did!

If you drop it and scratch the fairings, well then all I can say is welcome to the club. *looks at the side of his bike*

Have fun!

[Rosie]

KRs are fairly droppable for a faired bike due to their weight and lack of complex bodywork.

If that's the case, I don't think I should buy another faired bike. I don't think I'm cut out for shiney, new vehicle ownership.
Luckily I got a new set of fairings out of one of the little lie downs the bike has had. I've currently got the old 'race' fairings fitted, so I'm a bit less nervous about it getting dropped.

[vamr]

If that's the case, I don't think I should buy another faired bike. I don't think I'm cut out for shiney, new vehicle ownership.
Luckily I got a new set of fairings out of one of the little lie downs the bike has had. I've currently got the old 'race' fairings fitted, so I'm a bit less nervous about it getting dropped.

Bits inherently get damaged when you drop any bike, faired or otherwise.
By how much is a moot point and ownership of specific bikes based on "crashability" is kind of senseless.

Confidence comes with familiarity and not getting too fixated on the materialism of ownership.

[Little Miss Trouble]

Thanks for all the input and encouragement everyone, I'm sure i'll have lots of questions for you soon, look forward to meeting some of the auckland riders at the AWNMR soon too:yes:

[Donor]

If you drop it and scratch the fairings, well then all I can say is welcome to the club. *looks at the side of his bike*

Bwahahahaha... :dodge:

[zeocen]

Bwahahahaha... :dodge:

What's that? You want to donate money for a plastic welder and painter? Sure! Thanks !

[Donor]

What's that? You want to donate money for a plastic welder and painter? Sure! Thanks !

There's not enough money in the world...

[BlackMDK]

I'm glad that you passed your BHT I felt very sorry you did not make it on Saturday (I was there that day passed mine just as you know)

[Smorg]

DD = Predator

[Winter]

I'm glad that you passed your BHT I felt very sorry you did not make it on Saturday (I was there that day passed mine just as you know)

Sat 7th? I was there at the 9.15am one? With two other chaps.

[Dave-]

cant for the life of me pick why your welcome thread is already the same size as mine...

welcome anyway :)

[Ixion]

cant for the life of me pick why your welcome thread is already the same size as mine...


We're picking she has better tits than you do.

[BlackMDK]

This was 1.45 one for total newbs

[Little Miss Trouble]

Yeah I was pretty gutted at the time, but I'm glad they didn't give me the certificate on Saturday, I'd much rather know I have those skills down than save a little face and be a danger on the road:yes:

[BIKEGAL68]

GREAT BIKE TO LEARN ON ............. EASY TO MANAGE.......... I HAVE A BLACK ONE WITH RED FLAMES ............. HAVE U GOTTEN YOURS YET?????? IF SO LET ME KNOW WHAT U THINK OF IT.
I ALSO FOUND WITH DOING THE BASIC SKILLS TEST THAT IT GIVES YOU CONFIDENCE TO RIDE BETTER ..................... :scooter:

[monty_burns]

Got a quick question for you...

I was looking at the Kawasaki 250s for a bit and then went for the Hyosung GT250R (unashamedly basing my opinion on looks). Pretty happy with my purchase but have to ask... how do they run? What are your experiences so far? Any issues?

Can't help but be curious and see if I missed out... ;-)

[Little Miss Trouble]

GREAT BIKE TO LEARN ON ............. EASY TO MANAGE.......... I HAVE A BLACK ONE WITH RED FLAMES ............. HAVE U GOTTEN YOURS YET?????? IF SO LET ME KNOW WHAT U THINK OF IT.
I ALSO FOUND WITH DOING THE BASIC SKILLS TEST THAT IT GIVES YOU CONFIDENCE TO RIDE BETTER ..................... :scooter:
Hi BikeGal,
Yup I got my GPX bout 5-6 weeks ago, very much in love with my baby, I agree very good learners bike, I felt at home on mine almost straight away unlike the GNs we rode on my BHS course but maybe thats just me:sunny:


Got a quick question for you...

I was looking at the Kawasaki 250s for a bit and then went for the Hyosung GT250R (unashamedly basing my opinion on looks). Pretty happy with my purchase but have to ask... how do they run? What are your experiences so far? Any issues?

Can't help but be curious and see if I missed out... ;-)

Hey Burns,
Well I looked at a GT250R because I liked the look of them, then I saw my little red GPX and fell in love, ultimately my choice in the GPX was because I felt more comfortable and could easily get both feet down firmly (I'm a shorty!) In saying that I have a friend who is over 6foot tall and he wants a GPX after sitting on mine he thinks theyre pretty awsome too.

They run nicely, like Bikegal said somewhere else they can be a bit clunky in the low gears but I find thats only when starting cold, once youve warmed up a little theres no problem at all.

Puts a huge grin on my face, every time I got for a ride, what more could I ask for?:sunny:

[monty_burns]

Notice that you're from the shore, have you been to any good riding events there?

It's just from there as well and haven't actually been out for many rides with locals as yet (went overseas for a couple of months).

[skidMark]

Particularly if you are riding naked!

But you need not worry - just arrange to meet him somewhere. Anywhere. There is no likelihood whatsoever of him finding his way to the meeting place. He will end up at the other end of the country.


bwwaaaahahahahahahahaha dan got pwn3d

[Little Miss Trouble]

Notice that you're from the shore, have you been to any good riding events there?

It's just from there as well and haven't actually been out for many rides with locals as yet (went overseas for a couple of months).

Nah, to be honest I haven't done any yet I keep planning to head over to the newbie Wednesday night one but other stuff keeps coming up