View Full Version : VTR250. What do we think of them?
almost bought a hyosung gt250r yesterday but missed it and have since spotted a vtr that im considering for my boys, dont really know much about them its done 34000 ks and is a 98 model.....what say you
McDuck
4th May 2008, 08:31
Its a honda.
It doesn't matter what I think.......
Its a honda.
go to the top of the class :2guns:
LardEmbargo
4th May 2008, 08:45
well I like mine anyway.
I think it's been a good bike for me to learn on - it seems pretty capable (so it hasn't got boring over time as my riding's marginally improved) as well as being forgiving of me screwing up every now and again. I find it nice and predictable - I'm sure it would lack "character" for someone used to something bigger but it's been great for a learner. It's not especially fast but seems happy at motorway speeds, and it's nimble around town. They seem fairly reliable (although obviously it's a 250 so there's the standard "been abused by clueless noobs" thing) Oh, apart from people have trouble with the underspecified regulator/rectifier Mr Honda saw fit to stick on them. (Mine just went last weekend, is how I know this.)
no rev counter on them pre-2002(ish) I think. they're pretty light and not particularly tall in the seat - I sat on a GT250 (naked version of the bike you missed out on) and thought it felt taller and heavier but I don't know if that's actually the case. I preferred the VTR cos I thought the Hyosung was too tall for me and the imposing tank made it feel too top heavy. People with longer legs might prefer the GT250(R) though so they don't feel like they're just sort of perched on top of the Honda.
I get maybe 250km out of a tankful so it's cheap to run too! Buy it, you know you want to.
quickbuck
4th May 2008, 09:01
Oh, apart from people have trouble with the underspecified regulator/rectifier Mr Honda saw fit to stick on them. (Mine just went last weekend, is how I know this.)
Caused by people running them with a flat battery. Most bikes will blow that, if that is the case.
no rev counter on them pre-2002(ish) I think
Not quite true.
The 1984 VT 250 had a rev counter, and thus the 1990 VTR incarnation of this bike did too.
During the 90's to now we import lots of Jap models that weren't released here. They come in all sorts of variants.... Some may not have rev counters, but not the mainstream bikes.
As McDuck said, it's a Honda.. So you can't go wrong really ;)
(All in how you look at things).
As for what I think of them...
A great little bike for a learner, and also a cheap commuter.
I had fun when I borrowed my mates VT 250 Xeivis a while back. Not all the power in the world, but it could easily keep with the cagers.
Yea the only thing about a 98 is that it doesnt have a rev counter.
And when your learning I think you really do need one.
Yea the only thing about a 98 is that it doesnt have a rev counter.
And when your learning I think you really do need one.
i never look at the rev counter on the raptor, and the gruesome twosome have been riding the Nz for 6 months so arnt complete noobs
I rode a VTR that I found on Trademe, then tested a Hyosung. The VTR was ok but could not compare with a Hyo. The GTR was fantastic but my smashed wrist could not take the lean so I bought a GT and am glad I passed up the VTR.
nallac
4th May 2008, 09:49
i was watching the auction you missed out on last night,
price sure did jump up at the end of auction..
i went and met the owner yesterday he is a chinese med student and seemed a ok guy at the end of the auction he started removing bids that were above mine at around $3720 but it shot up in the last couple of minutes to $4700 he doesnt like the bidders with no feedback and was verry wary of the winner i think
RantyDave
4th May 2008, 13:23
I have one and keep meaning to do a write up on it. The short version is: Good bike; Hugely easy to ride; Awesome handling round town but farking twitchy above about 110k. Not that I ride above 100k you understand. About 25k/litre.
Dave
Insanity_rules
4th May 2008, 19:27
Mines a little older in the pack being 88 and a VTZ but she's an awesome lil bike. Anywhere I go I have to ride a bit of distance and its never a problem. Punchy engine, they need a reasonably regular touch of up keep but no worse than any other. She has never let me down and has been a riot to own.
Rode GT250 and a VTR when buying, thought the GT was OK, good handling (just worn in tires) but a bit wooden in the brakes and got a little breathless up hill. The VTR had same riding position but lower seat, better brakes and a bit better top end performance. I missed out on that VTR but the next day met WASP, bought the VTZ off him, met you lot and the rest is history.
but farking twitchy above about 110k
What sort of tires are you running Dave? Mine doesn't get twitchy till 150 (In private conditions)
Well, I like mine. Good milage, and gets me from A -B . Only thing I would like is a bit more passing power.
NighthawkNZ
4th May 2008, 19:37
almost bought a hyosung gt250r yesterday but missed it and have since spotted a vtr that im considering for my boys, dont really know much about them its done 34000 ks and is a 98 model.....what say you
The VTR is a great learners bike The other half has done 10,000kms done the whole bottom of the south island and been to many rallies with gear...on hers and it hasn't missed a beat.
The bike seems very forgiving and easy to ride. Personally its a great bike for what it is...
RantyDave
4th May 2008, 20:15
What sort of tires are you running Dave? Mine doesn't get twitchy till 150 (In private conditions)
Shit ones that have been are being commuted on and prior to that they enjoyed touring the South Island IIRC. They say something like "ProTec" on the side, I recall not.
I'm quite happy to lay at least some of the blame on these tyres. About, say, 90%. The low speed handling is phenomenal though.
Dave
I had one for a year and covered about 17,000km on it. I fitted a givi screen to mine coz I'm not very aerodynamic - this gave it an extra 10km/h. I didn't find it too twichy at 140-150kph either - felt fairly well planted.
Handling is great.
Reliability is great.
Fuel economy is great.
It's got more poke than a GN250 or a GT250R. Not as quick as a 4 cylinder 250 though but tends to cope better with minor spills on account of not having any ofthat expensive fairing shit all over it.
Having seen what you're looking at I'd say go buy it.
Having seen what you're looking at I'd say go buy it.
done.......
done.......Bugger. Was just going to suggest that the VTR is good, but the Spada is better, and I have one for sale.
done.......
At that price you made a damn good decision. The twins will have to fight over the VTR now.
Bugger. Was just going to suggest that the VTR is good, but the Spada is better, and I have one for sale.
doubt you would get it to me in dunedin for what i paid for the vtr
I test rode a VTR for a friend a while back - I had the TL back then.
I was mighty impressed with its 2-up performance, and later actually thought about getting one as a round-town machine to leave the Busa at home.
Sounds great with a nice pipe. Look the part naked too.
Oh, apart from people have trouble with the underspecified regulator/rectifier Mr Honda saw fit to stick on them.
That is a common Honda problem. My old VFR chewed one up and spat it out in disgust.
FruitLooPs
4th May 2008, 22:35
Friend had a ~2002 one in sexy blue (VTR250 v2 sport). Look purrdy, he was a tall bugger (6ft 4+) and he didnt seem to mind it I don't think.
I switched it out for my RG150 on a ride, heaps more torque thru the range. Much crisper feeling shifter too, very snappy and positive. Brakes were nicer than mine (tho mine just needed a bleed and clean). Didn't have to really get into the groove too much to ride it quite fast thru bends compared to my 150 (tho the 150 will keep up or be faster if you were keen).
Actual speed, its about the same if not a tad quicker than the RG150 to 60-80km/hr after that its even ish until it randomly stops accelerating (don't think they're limited just v-twin power delivery?) the RG will easily pass it top speed wise. :lol:
They're pretty nice, not sure if i could handle the naked highway buffeting factor but I enjoyed my time on it the few rides I had. His developed a leaky fork seal too, might be worth checking. :doctor:
*edit* haha a crappy cellphone picture I took appears to be the first google images result! poor picture of it really, next to my RG and a friends old FXR150:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dafydd359/503033728/" title="Bikes by Dafydd359, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/223/503033728_64c99f5b09.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Bikes" /></a>
Friend had a ~2002 one in sexy blue (VTR250 v2 sport). Look purrdy, he was a tall bugger (6ft 4+) and he didnt seem to mind it I don't think.
I switched it out for my RG150 on a ride, heaps more torque thru the range. Much crisper feeling shifter too, very snappy and positive. Brakes were nicer than mine (tho mine just needed a bleed and clean). Didn't have to really get into the groove too much to ride it quite fast thru bends compared to my 150 (tho the 150 will keep up or be faster if you were keen).
Actual speed, its about the same if not a tad quicker than the RG150 to 60-80km/hr after that its even ish until it randomly stops accelerating (don't think they're limited just v-twin power delivery?) the RG will easily pass it top speed wise. :lol:
They're pretty nice, not sure if i could handle the naked highway buffeting factor but I enjoyed my time on it the few rides I had. His developed a leaky fork seal too, might be worth checking. :doctor:
*edit* haha a crappy cellphone picture I took appears to be the first google images result! poor picture of it really, next to my RG and a friends old FXR150:
im not to worried top speed wise as its for two 16 year olds
picked it up tonight and had a good ride, the throttle cable needs adjusting a it will rev up when you turn the handlebars, goes good obviously it will need a couple of other things fixed that we will discover in weeks to come but overall not a bad buy at $3500......http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x67/jim157/65796137_full.jpg.........http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x67/jim157/65797005_full.jpg
McDuck
5th May 2008, 21:12
I think they would have been better off with katanas.
overall not a bad buy at $3500.
Yup - as I said - good buying at that price - look forward to you bringing it down here with the twins so I can look at it and reminisce.
This was mine:http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=989442#post989442
that VTR is for sale at the moment
that VTR is for sale at the moment
With considerably more kilometres and an alarm. Yes, I saw that. N1CK looked after it well. The Ducati is still twice the bike, so even though I reminisce about the good times on the wee VTR I wouldn't swap back.
Hope it gets another good home with regular oil changes...then it will last forever.
funnily enough the hyosong that i missed out on has been offered to me as the winner doesnt want to go through with the auction, it went up a grand in the last few minutes with two guys with no feedback having a bidding war.
That's a real shame for the seller. He should have closed his auction to unverified members. That can sort out the wheat from the chaff.
That's a real shame for the seller. He should have closed his auction to unverified members. That can sort out the wheat from the chaff.
one was from ashburton and the other from chch almost close enough to know each other perhaps ...trade me #151869934
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