Newby without a bike!

[newby]

Hi, new to the site, but have been reading around alot of the threads. I know there are several other similar topics but i need advice on some bikes to look at before purchasing!

I plan to use one mainly for open road cruising (between Auckland and Palmerston North) and want something which will be fuel efficient and run along at 100km quite comfortably. I have no ambition to do any great speeds! I dont break speed limits at all!

I will go to the shops and sit on a few and see what comfortable for me, im only short (5'5) so that may limit my options!

I have experience with farmbikes lol, but nothing with road bikes which im sure are a whole different beast than a 125cc farmbike lol!

So any tips/advice would be good! What ever i get will probably be on tick, so not looking at just being cheap, but good value for money.

I have had the ninja suggested to me....

Cheers guys!

[CB ARGH]

Welcome to Kiwibiker forums mate,

Well there's heaps to choose from. Depending on what you're willing to spend and what you're looking for. Sit on heaps of bikes! :banana:

[tate35]

Hi Newby,

Welcome to KB. Auckland to Palmerston is a fair distance for a newby biker, but go on you anyway. :woohoo:

Good luck also in finding something suitable :niceone:

[newby]

Thats my plan :) I really dont know much about the different types of bikes (ie, nothing at all) so is there anything more suited to a 6hour ride rather than a 10min trip to the dairy for a chocolate bar? What are the actual differences between a sports bike, and a cruiser for example? Im a newby in everyway when it comes to bikes...

[newby]

Yeah i know, i should prob add im a truck driver, so being on the road an paying attention etc for that distance is only half a days work for me, but the riding part is new. When i usually drive i only usually stop in waiouru for a piss then on my way again with no problems

[fridayflash]

hi and welcome! have you thought about a road/trail machine?
such as the suzuki dr200,or kawasaki shearpa 250
yamaha xt225 etc etc,these types of bikes are easy to ride
especialy seeing as you already have some experience on this type
of machine,and a lot of fun allround.plus the addad bonus of being
capable of a bit of back country exploring to boot!

as far as roadbikes goes,the most popular lately is the yamaha scorpioZ
which from what i hear is a great little bike and outstanding value!

good luck:scooter:

[sinfull]

Your prolly gonna come to regret that name you picked lol
with todays bikes the 6 hr trip aint no biggy, most will handle it !
Biggest issue would be comfort ! yr budget will come to play a bit too ! Ya dont wanna be paying it off forever !
Like the man said sit on plenty of bikes !

[sinfull]

as far as roadbikes goes,the most popular lately is the yamaha scorpioZ
which from what i hear is a great little bike and outstanding value!

good luck:scooter:

The Mrs has a scorpio which i got her for xmas, great lil bike, motor seems to be a beauty and for 4 k new good value !
Only downfall is at 90k yr not left with a hell of a lot of overtaking power !
Bit like passing in yr truck , ya do need a run at em lol ! But they are good for 120 130 perhaps 140 at the red line .

[rottiguy]

Welcome mate, do you have a full license otherwise ya stuck with 250s I would suggest a 4 stroke 250 road bike of some description you will get better fuel economy out of it. Just take heaps for a test ride.
there may be some others who are keen for a ride to Auckland so make sure you post either in manawatu rides or pm me and me or someone may be able to ride up with you :)
good luck with the bike hunt


Hi, new to the site, but have been reading around alot of the threads. I know there are several other similar topics but i need advice on some bikes to look at before purchasing!

I plan to use one mainly for open road cruising (between Auckland and Palmerston North) and want something which will be fuel efficient and run along at 100km quite comfortably. I have no ambition to do any great speeds! I dont break speed limits at all!

I will go to the shops and sit on a few and see what comfortable for me, im only short (5'5) so that may limit my options!

I have experience with farmbikes lol, but nothing with road bikes which im sure are a whole different beast than a 125cc farmbike lol!

So any tips/advice would be good! What ever i get will probably be on tick, so not looking at just being cheap, but good value for money.

I have had the ninja suggested to me....

Cheers guys!

[sleeqe2000]

Recommend CBF250 - great learners bike with Honda reliability.
You can get them for 5k new plus on road costs. I can get upto 400km's on a tank of petrol which is great for commuting. Sits nicely at 90km/h.

[nodrog]

Suzuki GSXR1000

[boomer]

Suzuki GSXR1000

why stop there...?!? ! why not get a 1098 or a ktm 8?

[nodrog]

why stop there...?!? ! why not get a 1098 or a ktm 8?

dont be a dick, those arent learner bikes!!

[Rosie]

hi and welcome! have you thought about a road/trail machine?
such as the suzuki dr200,or kawasaki shearpa 250
yamaha xt225 etc etc,these types of bikes are easy to ride
especialy seeing as you already have some experience on this type
of machine,and a lot of fun allround.plus the addad bonus of being
capable of a bit of back country exploring to boot!

as far as roadbikes goes,the most popular lately is the yamaha scorpioZ
which from what i hear is a great little bike and outstanding value!

good luck:scooter:

+1 for the super sherpa :D

I've done Rotorua to Wellington on mine a few times, you have to be a bit tactical with your overtaking, but otherwise it's no trouble at all. The upright seating position is nice and comfortable, and the extra suspension helps on nz's lumpy, badly sealed roads.

Go around lots of bike shops, and have a sit on all the road legal 250s you can find. See what riding positions seem comfortable, and talk to the staff about the kind of riding you'll be doing, and what your riding style is likely to be - if you just want to cruise fairly sedately, having to change gears every couple of minutes is going to get annoying (especially on a long trip). Conversely, if you have a more active/sporty riding style, you might get bored with a bike with a smooth/sensible power delivery.

[FROSTY]

Unquestionably I'd suggest the Suzuki gs500's. --Given you hold a full bike licence.
Reasonable price new for a faired one.
Good but not agressive power delivery
Handling is in the not bad region
Brakes are pretty darn good
they are darn bullet proof
Other than the fork chrome theres nothing to be afraid of buying an older GS

[newby]

Thanks for all the replies! I forgot to mention that i dont have even my motorbike learners yet! Will get it sorted in the next week or, but it does limit me to 250cc.

I went into Mr Motorcycles in Pukekohe today and had a look at the Ninja, and the Dyosung. They both seem a good size to me, but i do feel more comfortable on a cruiser rather than the sports bike. He also gave me a little booklet on the Suzuki 250LC, and on paper i really like the look at that so might end up with one of those! Any opinions on this particular bike?

[nodrog]

...and the Dyosung....

is that a cheap copy of a Hyosung? :crazy:

[sinfull]

is that a cheap copy of a Hyosung? :crazy:
Dynoed version ! Gets another 30% hp to the back wheel (in other words 2 kmh faster)

[fire eyes]

:hug:Hi Newby .. I dont have anywhere near as much experience as these guys .. but Im sold on the Yamaha Scorpio as a first/learner bike! & Welcome to the site!

[newby]

Woops! I meant Hyosung, just a typo!

Thanks fire_eyes, ill see if i can track one down tomorrow and have a sit on one! Im going into colemans suzuki in Auckland tomorrow to have a look at the intruder.

Cheers guys, this seems to be a pretty friendly forum :)

[Maki]

For long distances out on the open road something powerful enough to easily overtake the twits who speed up in the passing lanes is good. Bikes like the Gixxer thou, Kwaka ZX10, Yamaha R1 and the Honda CBR1000RR would all be well suited.
Sit on them and pick your choice!

[newby]

Yeah but your forgetting the whole license thing! lol

[Maki]

Yeah but your forgetting the whole license thing! lol

Yea, tell me about it... I am suffering through it myself as we speak. As soon as it's over it's gixxer time for me though.

You cant really go wrong with a new, or newish well maintained Honda or Kawasaki. Beware of old 4 cylinder Honda's, etc. that people are asking ridiculous prices for. Don't buy other people's problems. Get a bike that will reliably tide you over till you have your full license and then get one with some power...

[newby]

Yup, im really interested in a brand new suzuki intruder 250, looks good to me,i just havnt had a chance to actually sit on one yet! And have to get my finance and license sorted before i can put my name down for one!

[blue eyed savage]

zxr 250 or cbr 250. maby the hyo gt250r
if it dont have an R dont get it
the old zxr 250 is good got to love the revs

[fridayflash]

just be aware that smaller cruiser style bikes can be a bit hard on the
arse and tailbone for travelling long distances due to the vertical seating
posi,and feet out in front rather than under you etc etcim sure this isnt the case with alltho...

[Maki]

Cruiser style bikes also have a harder time going around corners.

[Griffin]

Cruiser style bikes also have a harder time going around corners.

Not that this matters too much on long cruises at a cruising pace.


The Suzuki is a great bike but do check out the Yamaha XVS250... (as opposed to the XV250) its the model I started on and was a great bike for a beginner.

Many people also recommend the Hyosung GV250 tho resale could be an issue. Also - as stated above, the 250 cruisers arent great on your backside for long rides - I found I could only do an hour to an hour & a half before having to get off and 'de-numb' my buttocks. This problem dissappears once you step up to a larger bike... I guess if you need to ride long distances you could invesytigate an after market gel seat or similar.

[Irontusk]

Hi everyone, I'm new here too.
I've been going over what I should get as a first bike too, I wasn't going to register yet but I saw this thread, and saw you've decided on the Intruder 250, that's what I'm going with. I'm putting my deposit on it tomorrow (unless I'm too busy at work) and I have my basic riding test booked in for 2 weeks from now.

I decided on a cruiser cause the 250 sports bikes just feel too small, and a brand new VL250 (with warranty as a nice bonus) just seems like a much better deal over a 15 year old magna for the same money. The riding gear + riding test are also a better deal through my local Holeshot as opposed to Cyclespot right next door. I've also compared videos online and the Suzuki sounds so much better than the Honda (not that an online video is reliable).

[newby]

Hi Irontusk, what shop are you getting yours through? Ive found Mr Motorcycles in Pukekohe absolutley excellent to deal with.

[Irontusk]

I went in and looked at Honda Cyclespot and then Suzuki Holeshot, they are right next door to each other on Barry's Point Road in Takapuna. I work just a little bit further down the same road and it's been driving me nuts seeing all those bikes lined up every day :laugh: (Hearing the custom bikes fired up that are built next door to my work gets me worked up even more!)

Holeshot have been easy to deal with so far, I've been in 3 times in the past week sorting things out and they don't seem too annoyed yet :laugh:

Oh there's a Kawasaki shop a couple of doors away aswell, but they were shut and as far as I know the only Kawasaki I would've wanted is a ZXR250A.. but they're just too expensive for their age/milage.

Do you mind me asking you how much you're getting yours for? Mine is $5995 (rrp) +ORC, $600 for helment, jacket, pants, gloves and boots, $150 for the riding test/training (which I get back when I pick the bike up). Seemed good compared to what else I've seen.

This is getting to be a long post, but one more thing. The only thing I feel let down on is they don't have one there to fire up for me, just the one on the floor with no oil/fuel, I just want to listen is all. And no, I havn't taken it for a test ride.. I can't.

[newby]

Your lucky! I havnt even seen on except for on paper! lol. My bike is the same price, although im getting a pretty good discount on gear cos i know a guy who knows a guy kind of thing...lol

I know Mr Motorcylces has some gear packages, i think one was for $500 and another for $1000. Because i can get stuff cheaper for myself i will prob end up picking and choosing the higher end stuff that i want. Mr motorcycles did offer to do me a 'deal' though if i bought all the gear at the same time i bought the bike.

[Irontusk]

Yeah I work behind Cycletreads, I think they sell everything to do with bikes except bikes. If I had gotten off my ass earlier then I probably could've gotten a good deal there, but the guy that would've done that left for another job months ago. So I suppose I'll just start with a basic set, except for maybe the helmet cause I wear glasses which doubles the effect of fogging up.

Did Mr Motorcycles say what the 'deal' was?

[Slyer]

I work on barry's point road too. Convinient having all the car and bike places so close to work. :D
$160 Shark Helmet and $109 Jacket from Cycletreads, both selling under half price. :P
Spectrum(Kawasaki) are pretty good, I'll go get a new Ninja 250 from them once I have money.

[newby]

Nah he didnt say exactly.....If i were you i would get some actual prices (including bike) from your place, then ring Tony (one of the salesmen, really good guy) at Mr Motorcylces, tell them what you have been offered, and see if they can beat it. I would be surprised if they cant....

[Pedrostt500]

I belive you can get a dispesation for a larger sized bike for your learners, though you will have to ask about it, LTSA will not offer the information, If you are a larger guy and maybe the distances you intend riding may be a factor for you.
other wise I would suggest some thing like a suzuki VL 250, Yamaha Vstar 250

[Irontusk]

Nah he didnt say exactly.....If i were you i would get some actual prices (including bike) from your place, then ring Tony (one of the salesmen, really good guy) at Mr Motorcylces, tell them what you have been offered, and see if they can beat it. I would be surprised if they cant....

That would be much too far for me to ride it home, and the cost of delivery would probably balance it out (that would be a bit far for a courtesy delivery).
I've been looking on the cycletreads website to compare prices and $600 for the lot seems pretty good, from what I remember about the gear in the Holeshot package getting a similar setup from cycletreads would cost a fair bit more, or atleast just as much anyway. I don't think the jacket has armour in the back though, which I would like, I know it has armour in the shoulders/elbows. The brand of most of it is 'Strada' (same as Cyclespot had in their starter kit) but I don't know more detail than that really.