Thoughts on Hyosung gt250R

[daedalus]

Hi all,

Getting into riding and looking for 1st bike.

Just wanting thoughts and review/comments re Hyosung GT250R.
Read lots of good and a fair amount of bad online and was wondering if anyone here who had/has one could comment.

Been reading online and at 5"11 the other options (2008 Kawasaki 250 ninja, and Suzuki FXR150) seem to have the "too small" comment bandied around a bit.

any thoughts?

- D

[DUCATI*HARD]

dont do it:crazy:

[daedalus]

lol, well thats a great sentiment, but was looking for a *little* more substance in the discussion :P

as in, if not, why not. If so, kewl, whats the ride like.

I've read the other GT250R threads and there is a lot of discussion that doesn't really help in the decision making process.

remember, (mostly) complete noob to riding, so i need some hard info.

thanks tho :D
-D

[DUCATI*HARD]

the kwakas new 250 could be someting worth looking into,,,otherwise il back the honda hornet 250 all the way:whistle:

[DingoZ]

I have one. 9000km's so far, and not one single problem. Best thing, go test ride one, and see if it will suit you.

Service interval every 4000km's
Resonably priced for service costs..(Depending on you mechanic, around $200.00)

Has enough go for a 250cc bike. Handles really well..

But yeah like most things, people will only focus on the negatives if they don't like them.

I have'nt had anything go wrong with mine, so in my opinion they are great value for money..

[daedalus]

The only thing about the ninja is that i have heard from a couple rider friends of mine that the supply is patchy, as in dealer ordering 16, 15 pre-ordered and payed for, 1 spare, and only 6 turn up........
which is a little uncool

[daedalus]

I have one. 9000km's so far, and not one single problem. Best thing, go test ride one, and see if it will suit you.

Service interval every 4000km's
Resonably priced for service costs..(Depending on you mechanic, around $200.00)

Has enough go for a 250cc bike. Handles really well..

But yeah like most things, people will only focus on the negatives if they don't like them.

I have'nt had anything go wrong with mine, so in my opinion they are great value for money..

Looking on TM and seeing a lot around $5900-$6500 (2006 model). About right? the reason i ask is that they are, what, about $7300 new.... seems that they are holding their value reasonably well.

Also heard of engine failures and tire issues, had anything like that?

[98tls]

lol, well thats a great sentiment, but was looking for a *little* more substance in the discussion :P

as in, if not, why not. If so, kewl, whats the ride like.

I've read the other GT250R threads and there is a lot of discussion that doesn't really help in the decision making process.

remember, (mostly) complete noob to riding, so i need some hard info.

thanks tho :D
-D Be worth pming an owner of one methinks,they seem to get slagged alot on here and am betting most of the ones doing it wouldnt know anything about them but view them as a cheap option therefore they must be shite.Never ridden one myself but have read the odd article on them in various bike mags and reports seem very favourable.Good luck,first bikes are fun.Another option is a VTR250,no fairings = less to fix when you have one of those little newbie whoopsies.fwiw

[DarkLord]

I've been riding about 4 months and have a Hyosung GT250R.

One thing - have you ridden before at all? If so you'd probably be ok but if not, this is a full faired bike, and you don't want to be riding a fully faired bike if you've never ridden one before without frame sliders. I had mine custom installed and they've saved my fairings on at least one occasion. Really good idea to put them on if you are totally new to it as you more than likely will drop your first bike, and fairings are very expensive to repair/replace.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the bike - it runs well and I've done about 5-6000 k's on mine so far. I'm about your height too and find manouvering the bike fairly easy most of the time. It's fairly grunty for a 250, tops out about 160 km/ph and it loves to corner. It's fairly bulky, which is good as it will give you practice with a somewhat heavier bike before you upgrade to something bigger, but not too heavy that you can't pick it up if you drop it.

It's not without its imperfections, as my left front fork has been leaking fork oil for a while, and I've had a few issues with my petrol guage not reading properly, but these things are pretty minor really - I'm getting the front fork looked at next week by a guy who is spoken of very highly, and I don't bother going by the fuel guage anymore, I just go by the K's done which most bikers I know seem to do anyway. Plus I got mine second hand which is always going to mean a few more issues.

Overall I'm happy, a few little niggles but nothing too major.

Let me know if you need any more info.

Cheers,

JG84.

[daedalus]

yeah i gathered that was what was going on.
Yeah first bike will be, i've ridden a friend of mines XR500 single, kick start jobby around his farm a few years back. That was a "unique" experience. Those thing kick-back like a mofo.

[kiwifruit]

dont do it:crazy:

+ 1

[NOMIS]

How about you tell us why you are only looking at a hyosung? Being completely new to riding do you no how much your pretty fairings will cost when you drop it? try looking at some other bikes to,

People I no who haveem love em, But there not my cup of tea, My hornet will out handel it, accelerate it, top speed pretty much out do it in every aspect, EXCEPT braking. Have a look at a whole lot of 250's not just set your heart on one. ( dont even no if thats what you have done ) I would recommend the new zxr and gpx over a hobag any day, If you are wanting something new.

[DarkLord]

NOMIS is right - by all means the Hyosung isn't a bad bike, but you shouldn't just focus on that - try and broaden your horizons a bit more and look at other bikes and other brands. I was originally after a GSXR 250 or a CBR 250 before I settled on the Hyosung.

[daedalus]

yeah i'm brand spanking new to riding (besides previously mentioned play arounds)

I am looking second hand as well but as i said the price difference between second hand and new is a few hundred dollars so i'm on the fence as to whether to get second hand or not.

[98tls]

Something to be said for a road legal trail bike to learn on as well,puttering round off-road down riverbeds etc you really pick up some skills all of which will help and generally there more robust and less to break.fwiw

[daedalus]

as i said in the original post, im not set (as in OMFG HKYCR4P) on the Hyosung.
I am looking at other bikes, just wanting to get an idea of what other have experienced with this particular bike.

suggestions for others are MORE than welcome BTW.
I'm asking/posting to get an idea of where/what i should be looking at.

[daedalus]

Something to be said for a road legal trail bike to learn on as well,puttering round off-road down riverbeds etc you really pick up some skills all of which will help and generally there more robust and less to break.fwiw

Interesting thought, ill have a look and a think.
thanks

[disenfranchised]

Been riding mine for over a year and a half now...pretty much every day rain or shine.
Haven't had a single issue.
Haven't dropped it either....which just goes to show that not every n00b crashes (touch wood)

Its a great bike to learn on. The engine tune and gearing combination makes it pretty hard to stall, so learning to take off is easy.
There's no dramatic rush of power anywhere, so you're unlikely to get into trouble putting power on mid corner either.
Tyres are fine in the dry, but feel quite sketchy in the wet...take it easy and you'll be fine...lean it over, hit some paint and you'll be toast.
Brakes work...but don't seem particularly strong.
Suspension seems quite firm...so ride comfort could probably be better

I haven't ridden the Kwaka GPX or new Ninja 250.
I have ridden an old ZZR, which is a pretty similiar engine if I understand it right, and found the extra revs required not as learner friendly.

Overall I'm still happy I got it though.....it's been reliable and felt like a good fit for all 6'3" of me.
My only other choice would have been the hornet.
As a new rider I didn't feel comfortable buying something 10 years old, with no warranty.
If I was put in the same position now, I'm not sure where I'd go....would have to test ride the hornet to find out....don't particularly like the engine sound of the 4cyl bikes.

Each to their own tho...test em all and buy what you like
Remember that the dealers can't let you test the new imports, as they have no battery, fluids etc...so find a dealer with either second hand one, or a shop test bike, for the Hyo and Kwaka's

[DingoZ]

Been riding mine for over a year and a half now...pretty much every day rain or shine.
Haven't had a single issue.
Haven't dropped it either....which just goes to show that not every n00b crashes (touch wood)

Agreed, not every new rider drops their bike.




I've been riding about 4 months and have a Hyosung GT250R.

One thing - have you ridden before at all? If so you'd probably be ok but if not, this is a full faired bike, and you don't want to be riding a fully faired bike if you've never ridden one before without frame sliders. I had mine custom installed and they've saved my fairings on at least one occasion. Really good idea to put them on if you are totally new to it as you more than likely will drop your first bike, and fairings are very expensive to repair/replace.

Not so, not every new rider drops their bike....!!!!.....Don't label me or any other learner rider along with other riders who have bin their bikes.

Sure the stats might be that way inclined, but it does not make it correct in every single case.





Looking on TM and seeing a lot around $5900-$6500 (2006 model). About right? the reason i ask is that they are, what, about $7300 new.... seems that they are holding their value reasonably well.

Also heard of engine failures and tire issues, had anything like that?

Yup around about right for the pricing of them new as well as second hand.

I went new as I wanted that. Me being me I would not buy a second hand bike. I bought new, cause then I had the new bike warranty and the dealer checked the bike over really well, before I got it. So if anything went wrong it was straight back to them.

If you buy second hand, might pay to get it checked over by a mech before purchase, that way you will know for sure what is wrong if anything, or what is looking like going wrong before spending your money.

Have only heard of one engine that went bye bye's. But don't know whether that was a mechanical fault or rider style....

As for tyres, it is the age old debate again, some say shinkos are shite, others say they are good tyres. I'm still running the shinko's that came with the bike. Have not had a problem yet with them, even in the rain and crap conditions that I have been riding in. (again totally subjective to my riding style and conditions I ride in). I ride up and down a piece of road which chews through tyres on a car really quickly, but the tyres on the bike are wearing really well, and not looking like being replaced any time soon. They warm up quickly and this is a bonus as I am into some twisties not long after leaving my house, especially at 4 am in the morning, need tyres that will warm up well.

I had ridden a couple of other bikes before getting the hyo, and happy that I did, cause it suits me. And I'm not regretting spending the money on buying it new versus second hand...

[awayatc]

Something to be said for a road legal trail bike to learn on as well,puttering round off-road down riverbeds etc you really pick up some skills all of which will help and generally there more robust and less to break.fwiw


Best advice anybody could ever give you......
You learn lots more,lots quicker, less costly...
A good (Not Chinese) road legal traily will sell again pretty much for what you paid for it anyway.....
And who knows? you may want to keep it......:2thumbsup

[98tls]

Best advice anybody could ever give you......
You learn lots more,lots quicker, less costly...
A good (Not Chinese) road legal traily will sell again pretty much for what you paid for it anyway.....
And who knows? you may want to keep it......:2thumbsup Not to mention way more fun,when 9 years old i learnt to ride on an old Honda SL125,for a 9 year old is was kind of big and heavy but i quickly learnt if you dont fall off you dont have to pick it up.:2thumbsup

[mowgli]

yeah i'm brand spanking new to riding (besides previously mentioned play arounds)

I am looking second hand as well but as i said the price difference between second hand and new is a few hundred dollars so i'm on the fence as to whether to get second hand or not.

Mine is 2007 model first registered Dec 07. I was looking for around $6.5k but dropped the price to $6k because that's enough to buy the bike I have lined up to replace it. I'm not greedy and looking for a quick sale.

It's less than 5 months old and in immaculate condition. Never dropped or scraped against anything. Selling because now I have my full I'm looking to trade up. Check out my sig for the trademe link.

[325rocket]

seems like all comments from people that own hyosungs are positive and the negative comments are coming from people that dont / havent ... makes you wonder how informed the opinions are...

another opinion from a current owner,

they are a great little bike. ive been thinking of selling mine for a few weeks now but every time i go to list it i cant do it. i love the thing. personally i wouldnt pay much more then 6000 for a 2nd hand one. mine has after market smaller indicators, tail tidy, tinted screen, carbon fibre pipe and about 6000kms on the clock. its lived every night in the garage and been well looked after. i would be happy to get about 6ish for it (with new wof/reg) so that should give you an idea.
at a guess i would say you could PM anyone on here that owns a hyosung and ask them what they think of it and it will be positive.

good luck what ever you decide

[mowgli]

seems like all comments from people that own hyosungs are positive and the negative comments are coming from people that dont / havent ... makes you wonder how informed the opinions are...
+1

The GT250R is an awesome entry level sport bike. I don;t know any owner that hasn't enjoyed theirs.

[nelson gt250r]

am happy with mine.9000 kms no worries either
go chat to some of the guys at www.korider.com
check out the forums there
might help ya in ya choice

[Ryan432]

... a cheap option...

GT250R is not cheap! forget the hyosung, suck it up and stop worrying about "looking cool":rolleyes:buy a GN250 and save yourself $4000, you only have to ride it untill you get your license and then you can put the $4000 you saved towards a big boy bike. Why spend good money on a bike that you will almost definitly sell in 18 months time? You can ride just as fast on a GN250 as you can on a GT250, riding the GN as your first bike will make you a much better rider in the long run

[mowgli]

Been reading online and at 5"11 the other options (2008 Kawasaki 250 ninja, and Suzuki FXR150) seem to have the "too small" comment bandied around a bit.
The GT250R looks and feels like a full size bike.


GT250R is not cheap! forget the hyosung, suck it up and stop worrying about "looking cool":rolleyes:buy a GN250 and save yourself $4000, you only have to ride it untill you get your license and then you can put the $4000 you saved towards a big boy bike. Why spend good money on a bike that you will almost definitly sell in 18 months time? You can ride just as fast on a GN250 as you can on a GT250, riding the GN as your first bike will make you a much better rider in the long run
From the quote above it's clear to me that daedalus is looking for a sport styled bike. If he's keen to save money then he should be looking at a much older 250 with the associated increased maintenance hassle. Although for a learner, a bit of bike maintenance can be a good thing.

OT: How would riding a GN250 "just as fast as a GT250" make him a better rider? Or do you mean spend the money saved on advanced riding courses?

[NOMIS]

If you after reliability, go the honda even the kawasaki.
Both have a lot more power than the hobag.
I never ever regret getting my "01" hornet. Had it in from Japan from a guy who imports dirt bikes in Christchurch. $5500 a normal price for one.
Nice learner bike rev like hell though, but hey learning to control that right wrist as much a learning as any aspect of riding.
I never dropped mine ect for when it was on its stand, Got a nice ding in the tank :weep: but other than that its mint and absolutely love my hornet.
Power, reliability, handles like hell with the big 180 r17 tyre on the rear 130 r 16 front.

The cbr similar to the hornet power and engine wise. ( others may disagree )
Riding position for me more comfortable than the kawasaki, handles nice.
The kawasaki also a nice bike good in the corners as is the hornet and cbr, Hornet's have a more relaxed position to the cbr and zxr. but all 3 are nice bikes.

Have a look at the 08 zxr havnt had the chance on one yet. But can tell you my hornet beats them in my red light racing antics. they loook cooler than a hobag to.

[Ryan432]

OT: How would riding a GN250 "just as fast as a GT250" make him a better rider? Or do you mean spend the money saved on advanced riding courses?

Oops I should have punctuated better! lol what I meant was it is possible to ride a GN250 as fast as a GT250. And then as a second thought, starting out on a bike like the GN helps to develop your riding skills quicker as you can ride it a bit like a dirt bike, getting your slide on and such like :) Im not saying the GT250 is no good its just a bit expensive for a bike that lasts 18 months.

It just depends are you willing to spend $4000 on that "sports bike look"?

[CookMySock]

[...] it is possible to ride a GN250 as fast as a GT250.yeah, but riding a GN250 fast feels like riding a preying mantis at 200clicks - It's weird. Riding a GT250R quickly is awesome.

DB

[henry]

I had one earlier this year. It was a lot of fun until I remembered how to ride and needed more horse power.

They're a big bike which is good because it feels like you're riding a real bike rather than a scooter. You've got a big wide tank between your legs and plenty of room. But that also means they are heavy which means they're not very fast so you have to push them to keep up with the big boys. That's fine (it'll cruise at 130 ok) until the road gets bumpy and then the shit suspension kicks in. On mine the rear was way too hard, I've still got bruised kidneys, and the front has a hard time keeping the wheel on the road. This is probably why people complain about the tyres. I never had any problems with the tyres.

The riding position is sporty so it isn't very comfortable. Not as bad as my current bike, but there is still a lot of weight on your wrists. You get used to that though. Passenger comfort is crap too. I had my girl friend on the back plenty of times but it wasn't great for either of us. But then compared to my current bike...

The power delivery is smooth and predictable, there just isn't much of it so you still have to keep the revs up in the twisties. You will not be dragging off WRXs.

Remember they are a cheap bike and you get what you pay for. The build quality isn't great but they are probably the most interesting 250 on the market at the moment. They look good, sound great and are a heap of fun.

If I had it to do all over again would I get a Hyosung? Yes. If you ask me what bike you should buy I'd say a VTR 250.

[DingoZ]

Comfort wise is okay. I've done a few 1000+km rides and have not had a worry with the comfort factor.

[Renegade]

i had my 06 GT250R for two years, did 9000km on it and NEVER had a single fault with it.

People say be wary of the cost fairings etc if you drop it, but if you get a red or black one then the fairings are cheap to replace through richardhyosung.com.

I got a new clip-on, front indicators, mufffler and front mudgaurd delivered on my doorstep within 4 days from korea all for $400 after a little drop.

Never get parts through hyosung nz, they suck!!!!

I travelled up the north island and back on mine and it was sweet as on the highway.

Admitedly the build quality aint the best and the suspension aint the flashest, the tyres are fine until they get to the last third of their life then they get a bit hairy.

I just sold it for $4500, i wanted $5K for it but hey i want a buell NOW.

If the bike does it for you when you look at it and ride it then buy a second hand one with low kms, but pay under $6k for it and make sure its had all its services.

You will sell it in 18 months but will stand in good stead after learning the basics on this easy to ride bike.

[BiK3RChiK]

I like mine.:love:

Having said that, I have had a few issues with it...:( but, then, I bought it new so it's still under warranty and so far, have just taken it back and said 'fix it'.

Really, the best advice is, go and test ride anything and everything and see what suits you.

[Maki]

I like mine.:love:

Having said that, I have had a few issues with it...:( but, then, I bought it new so it's still under warranty and so far, have just taken it back and said 'fix it'.

Really, the best advice is, go and test ride anything and everything and see what suits you.

The problem with that is that a noob has his hands full just negotiating traffic. I took this advice to heart and the first time I rode in traffic was test riding a bike in rush hour traffic in lower Hutt. It wasn't really a great idea...