Suitable 250 cruiser for adult learner?

[sunhuntin]

my partner wants to get her license. she weighs in at around 90kg. what bike would be suitable?
ive got the virago, which she had a short go on yesterday, but im not all that keen to offer my lil bike up simply cos of repair costs if the worst happens. plus i can see myself getting shitty quickly. would prefer for her to have her own. i was thinking a cheap-o 80s gn250, but we dont want to pay the earth.

whats the learners and restricted periods for over 25s?

cheers!!

[firefighter]

6months for restricted, 6 months for full- and maybe the go with a GN if you think shes gonna drop it

[sinfull]

Ummm think ya find its more like do the bhs then you can sit the written, 3 months learners, then 9 months once you have done the restricted test, unless you book in for a defencive driving course which then brings the restricted down to 6 months then your elegible to sit yr full !

[firefighter]

Ummm think ya find its more like do the bhs then you can sit the written, 3 months learners, then 9 months once you have done the restricted test, unless you book in for a defencive driving course which then brings the restricted down to 6 months then your elegible to sit yr full !

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/licensing/motorcycle/motorcycle-restricted.html

erm no.what I said before.

[sinfull]

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/licensing/motorcycle/motorcycle-restricted.html

erm no.what I said before.
Well the Mrs must have got spethal treatment then she did her learners in feb and restricted in june !
My oppologies FF

[firefighter]

Well the Mrs must have got spethal treatment then she did her learners in feb and restricted in june !
My oppologies FF

really? she scraped in a month early can't complain there! I just went off the website- plus I recently became a safer rider by turing 25 so I could sit my full after 6 months instead of 18! (bloody rediculous that rule)

[sunhuntin]

6months for restricted, 6 months for full- and maybe the go with a GN if you think shes gonna drop it

cheers. its not so much the dropping im worried about, its the lack of knowledge about gearing, clutch and all that good shit. she drives an auto you see, and i hated hearing my lil girl struggle due to lack of revs with the clutch not pulled in due to susans fear over going through the fence! i cant afford engine repairs, and cant afford to be without the bike either.

pity auto bikes arent standard yet, otherwise thatd be the go for her.

[sinfull]

really? she scraped in a month early can't complain there! I just went off the website- plus I recently became a safer rider by turing 25 so I could sit my full after 6 months instead of 18! (bloody rediculous that rule)

Still having trouble working out how she did this as she never got the bike till xmas ! I may have fucked up when i said feb but even if she did the learners in jan she shouldnt be able to do the restricted till after june but she sat it on the 4th june !
Other thing that i just found (thanks for bringing up the ltsa site mate)
Was she went in to AA (i think) yesterday to see when she could sit her full (as i was under the understanding it was in sept if she did the course) but she was told that she couldn't till dec which had me thinking i was mistaken and it was 6 months when ya do a course ! The Ltsa site says she can after 3 months (over 25)
So my first post is totally up the crap !
Woooohoooo bike shopping we will go

[<Rhino>]

You can reduce your restricetd period from 6 months to 3 if you do a certified course.

[firefighter]

You can reduce your restricetd period from 6 months to 3 if you do a certified course.

I think that's the same with the full too........

[Griffin]

Not sure where the misunderstandings are coming from but this is how it works for those over 25 (and i have just completed the process not so long ago so I know this is fact)

Sit BHS course, gain BHS certificate, go to AA or other licensing authority and sit the learners theory test (25 road code questions and 10 motorcycle related questions) + eyesight test. Assuming you pass, you get issued your 6L learners licence. The minimum period you can hold this licence is 6 months - no exceptions.

After the 6 month minimum period you can apply to sit your restricted... this is a practical test around your local area + eyesight test. If you pass this you gain your 6R restricted licence. The minimum period you can hold this licence is 6 months - UNLESS - you sit an approved Defensive Driving course which is usually 4 x 2hr classroom periods + a 1hr on road component. If you complete and pass the Defensive Driving course you can reduce your 6R restricted licence from 6 months to 3 months.

After the 6 month minimum period (3 month for DDC passees) you can apply to sit your full licence... this is a practical test around your local area + eyesight test. If you pass this you gain your class 6 licence (full) and this is what you need to ride any size bike at any time with or without pillions.

Clear as mud??? :done:

[Amazon]

This is how it worked for me... (I'm over 25). Firstly basic handling skills, 6 months learners, 6 months restricted ( the restricted part can be fast tracked by 3 months if you do the defensive driving test. I just finished mine yesterday (thank goodness) so now I'm going to book for my full licence. Yah!!

[varminter]

If there is that great a change for the over 25s then as learner at 60 I feel it's fair if I get my restricted after one week and my full a fortnight later... that ain't gonna happen:weep: I dearly wanted a 250 cruiser, all new and shiny, wife talked me out of it and I got the gn 250, great learners bike and now I want a bigger one,(when I get my full) so wife was right...bugger.:angry2:

[sunhuntin]

Not sure where the misunderstandings are coming from but this is how it works for those over 25 (and i have just completed the process not so long ago so I know this is fact)

Sit BHS course, gain BHS certificate, go to AA or other licensing authority and sit the learners theory test (25 road code questions and 10 motorcycle related questions) + eyesight test. Assuming you pass, you get issued your 6L learners licence. The minimum period you can hold this licence is 6 months - no exceptions.

After the 6 month minimum period you can apply to sit your restricted... this is a practical test around your local area + eyesight test. If you pass this you gain your 6R restricted licence. The minimum period you can hold this licence is 6 months - UNLESS - you sit an approved Defensive Driving course which is usually 4 x 2hr classroom periods + a 1hr on road component. If you complete and pass the Defensive Driving course you can reduce your 6R restricted licence from 6 months to 3 months.

After the 6 month minimum period (3 month for DDC passees) you can apply to sit your full licence... this is a practical test around your local area + eyesight test. If you pass this you gain your class 6 licence (full) and this is what you need to ride any size bike at any time with or without pillions.

Clear as mud??? :done:

cheers for that. still looking for more suggestions on bikes for the missus please? her aim is to buy a friends 600 cruiser, so a cruiser to begin with would be suitable.

[Griffin]

cheers for that. still looking for more suggestions on bikes for the missus please? her aim is to buy a friends 600 cruiser, so a cruiser to begin with would be suitable.

The 2 problems with the 250cc cruiser market is 1. that the majority are overpriced, considering that you can buy much larger cc rated bikes than 250 int the 4 - 5 K range and 2. for most people their 250 is a very temporary bike - as they aim to get something bigger and better as soon as they can.

You have a few options...

...buy the 250 version of your mates cruiser so that your staying with the same styling - then try and get back what you paid for it but probly lose some cash.

...Look out for any other cheap (read bargain) 250 cruiser that will last the 12 month learner/restricted period and then onsell for as much as you can.

...get a cheap, tried and tested GN250 or similar renowned 'learners' bike that will do for 12 months then on sell to another learner without losing your hard earned cash.

As for bikes - any of the well known branded cruisers are good... the Suzuki Intruder VL250, Yamaha Virago XV250, Honda Magna 250, Kawasaki Eliminator EL250 and even the Hyosung Aquilla GV250 is getting good reviews. I had the Yamaha Dragstar XVS250 for my learner cruiser - an excellent bike but a tad on the dear side. Have a real good look around and see what meets all your wants :niceone:

[Blackbird]

It's not a cruiser, but what about this: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=82847. Honda produced them in 250, 400 and 500 sizes, based on their 4 valve head off-road motors. Beautiful bikes, all of them. The 400 got me back into riding in the 1980's.

[sunhuntin]

cheers. i might end up taking her window shopping this weekend. :) not really looking to spend too much... less than 2grand if possible, so might end up getting her a scrappy 80s gn i think. doesnt need to be flash. just needs to run and be in wof condition.

[Tank]

As for bikes - any of the well known branded cruisers are good... the Suzuki Intruder VL250, Yamaha Virago XV250, Honda Magna 250, Kawasaki Eliminator EL250 and even the Hyosung Aquilla GV250 is getting good reviews.

With you 100% right up to the Hobag. I was given one as a loaner and it was terrible - rust in the frame - was not confident in its safety - even tho the miles on the clock were low it really felt like it was falling apart - not many on the road for a good reason - I think its the worst of the hobags out there.

edit - thats not a general hobag bash - I'm specifically talking about their 'big' (in physical size) 250 cruiser. Pity really - because like their 250 'sports' bike - there would be a good market for a decent sized reasonable cost 250 cruiser

[Tank]

Not sure where the misunderstandings are coming from but this is how it works for those over 25 (and i have just completed the process not so long ago so I know this is fact)

Sit BHS course, gain BHS certificate, go to AA or other licensing authority and sit the learners theory test (25 road code questions and 10 motorcycle related questions) + eyesight test. Assuming you pass, you get issued your 6L learners licence. The minimum period you can hold this licence is 6 months - no exceptions.



Close - but not 100% correct - you can get exceptions (generally based on a requirement to be riding on the open road / motorways requiring you to ride 70km + safely.

for example I had my learners for about 2.5 months (from memory) and went directly to my full.

Most people think that the dispensation system is there only for larger bikes (looks like that is closed down) - but it is also there for the other restrictions (evening riding for night shift workers etc), and the period of being on a L or R licence.

Of course ride the 250 - get dispensation for the full licence then get a bigger bike.

[Griffin]

Close - but not 100% correct - you can get exceptions

Cheers Tank - good point to clarify... I am aware of exceptions to bike cc rating due to rider size / weight etc and to certain exemptions if you work outside of the learner hours but the learner period itself (as outlined to me by the AA) is 6 months - no exceptions. I tried everything in my power to reduce my whole learners / restricted period and had no joy except for the DD course. Maybe there were ways to reduce it when you got your licence but (unless I was severely misinformed) there is no longer any exceptions in regards to shortening the 6 month learner period.

[Griffin]

With you 100% right up to the Hobag.

Hmmm... well, tho I wouldnt purchase one myself (due purely to the fact that I am a self confessed 'brand name' freak) I know a few people who have them for their learners bike and are very happy with them.

Would be interesting to hear from KB'rs who own them what their thoughts are... are you happy with your Hyosung or does it fall short on expectations???

[Horse]

I had a Hyosung GV250 cruiser for 9 months - it was 6 months old when I bought it with 2500kms on the clock, I added 10k to that total in the time I had it (weekend riding, no commuting on it). I really liked it, I like the styling and physically it seems to be a good size - I find all the 250 cruisers are too small, really.

I've sold it to a friend of mine who's loving it as his first "real" bike, and I've since moved on to something a bit bigger since getting my full 3 weeks ago. :)

[Irontusk]

Suitable 250 cruiser for adult learner? i was thinking a cheap-o 80s gn250, but we dont want to pay the earth.

GN250s are not cruisers. I wouldn't really call any 250 a cruiser, but there are some cruiser inspired 250s, GNs are not one of them. 250 cruisers don't really have a 'cruiser' riding position, not for me anyway, just a very plain upright position.

Being that the over 25 licence periods are so much shorter (stupid rule) it'd probably be a better idea to go with a much more temporary choice of bike. It's more worthwhile for under 25s to spend a bit more because they're likely to be stuck on the 250 for so much longer.

[<Rhino>]

I bought a Hyosung as my learner bike. Got it seccond hand, 2800km on the clock.

Have done over 5000km in 3 months, commute to work over a steep hill and motorway. I'm a big guy well over 100Kg and my Hyo pulls along well. I can keep up with traffic, take the hills and generally cruise just fine. It does struggle to get over 115km though which means on some occaisons if I need to get past somone it can be a bit difficult so I generally dont.

Mechanicly I have not had a single fault (touch wood) and will have to get it serviced real soon. It starts first time and runs well, gears are ok, breaks squeek just a little.

For a cheap bike, cost effective learner bike, I think their just fine. I woulndt keep one forever and will upgrade as soon as licenece or funds allow (which ever comes first). But that is due to size and power more than anything.

PS as for the brand bashers, I can garuntee you that your chosen brand of bike has had its fair share of breakdowns, faults and poor designs. Its the nature of mechanics. You should worry about more important things than what sort of bike OTHER people ride. (Tank this is NOT a dig at you, I read your post, you have your opininion based on your experience, fair enough :-)

[Tank]

(Tank this is NOT a dig at you, I read your post, you have your opininion based on your experience, fair enough :-)

Understood ;-)

I actually think that they have done a smart thing with the larger 250's - there has to be a fairly large market for them - and the GT250 isnt a bad looking bike.

I do believe that there is a considerable difference in quality between the GT and the cruiser GV - possibly because its harder to do quality chroming etc to a price point where as fairings are cheap to make.

[KiwiKat]

cheers. its not so much the dropping im worried about, its the lack of knowledge about gearing, clutch and all that good shit. she drives an auto you see, and i hated hearing my lil girl struggle due to lack of revs with the clutch not pulled in due to susans fear over going through the fence! i cant afford engine repairs, and cant afford to be without the bike either.

pity auto bikes arent standard yet, otherwise thatd be the go for her.

Bike gears are a hell of a lot easier to use than car gears.

If you want to go auto consider a Burgman 250. Automatic, plenty of grunt, very comfortable and relaxing to ride. Good handling in all conditions and amazing weather protection and storage for handbags helmets and such. These will keep pace with most bikes up to 115k. Can always trade up.

And no, I don't own one and they :scooter: aint my style.

[<Rhino>]

I think they sloved that on the GV by making some of the chrome parts plastic! :rolleyes:

At least I can get spare parts from the Wharehouse :laugh:

[Irontusk]

I think they sloved that on the GV by making some of the chrome parts plastic! :rolleyes:


Suzuki also did that on the Intruder :( it's also an issue of weight though, 250s don't have the power to lug all that shiny stuff around just for show.

[mnkyboy]

When searching for a 250 I looked at a lot of options - the gn's were IMO not the sort of bike for a larger sort.

Ended up getting my current Kawa VN250 for ~5k from a dealer. Its defintily not a cbr250 as far as speed goes but its fine for 115kmh and isn't too bad on fuel.

Of all the 250's I've ridden it's by far the most forgiving and 'learner friendly' of the lot. It isn't the cheapest for parts being an import and it does weigh in fairly hefty but she's a dream to ride and doesn't look too bad either. It is a little short seat wise for me but not uncomfortable.

Shame you're in wanga's cause i'd let you have a ride and see what I mean.

I'm selling my bike soon, having aquired my full

[CookMySock]

Would be interesting to hear from KB'rs who own them what their thoughts are... are you happy with your Hyosung or does it fall short on expectations???We have two GT250Rs and a GT650R. One of the 250's had sidestand switch problems, and other niggly things. The GT650R has 16,000km on it and just had its first fault (leaky fuel tap $146.70), and the other GT250R we have not put a spanner on it (6,000kms).

Wherever we park them they are WIDELY admired and commented on, except on KB where they openly and rudely despised, often with some hostility thrown in for good measure, but the general public absolutely love them to bits. If she is unable to reconcile this, then stay away from them, or stay away from KB. Seriously.

They are not good commuters (under 70km/hr) for newbies as there is a lot of weight on the wrists. It will take some months to get over this, but then right as rain.

On the open road they are just great, except for the harsh suspension and the yuck shinko tires, which is dead simple to fix. Throw the rear shock away and fit cartridge emulators to the front forks - end of problem.

Mostly, chix want something that will make their hot ass look hotter, and the GT250R certainly does that, especially the solid colour ones. Yellow - hint hint.

Yes after 16,000km I like my GT650R. This summer it gets digressive suspension and michelin pilots, and I think I'll keep it for a while.

http://homepages.inspire.net.nz/~meshnet/bikes/DSCF3138.JPG

best of luck
Steve

[jrandom]

my partner... she

So, uh, you're gay now, then?

:blink:

Suits you ma'am.

:niceone:

[moT]

Murder Death Kill Murder Death Kill

[1 Free Man]

my partner wants to get her license. she weighs in at around 90kg. what bike would be suitable?
ive got the virago, which she had a short go on yesterday, but im not all that keen to offer my lil bike up simply cos of repair costs if the worst happens. plus i can see myself getting shitty quickly. would prefer for her to have her own. i was thinking a cheap-o 80s gn250, but we dont want to pay the earth.

whats the learners and restricted periods for over 25s?

cheers!!
:niceone: Go for the Suzuki 250 Intruder. It's a nice bike, well balanced, reasonably spritely, and looks ferkin good to with all the shiney bits.
6300$'s brand new on the road. comes in Black with blue metalflake or Silver.
Get her one. lots of brownie points. nudge nudge wink wink!!:hug:

[Irontusk]

:niceone: Go for the Suzuki 250 Intruder. It's a nice bike, well balanced, reasonably spritely, and looks ferkin good to with all the shiney bits.
6300$'s brand new on the road. comes in Black with blue metalflake or Silver.
Get her one. lots of brownie points. nudge nudge wink wink!!:hug:

The blue looks nice when you catch a glimpse eh! I didn't realise until I had it for about a week, cause I only saw it inside at the dealer and at night at home.

And.. the RRP for the Intruder has gone up :) It's $6100 before on road costs now. What an investment :p

[Switch]

I purchased my Hyosung GV250 when i got my learners (end of 06) And i bought it with 6,000k's on the clock, and is just about to click over 22,000k's.
I love the look of them, chrome (some fake, i know). The tank is a nice shape, I'm completely in love with it. The only downfall is that its a bit underpowered on the open road. Around town they are fantasic, very easy to ride, plenty of torque for a 250.
Ive been around the Coro loop a couple of times, no problems what so ever. Riden for around 8-9 hours + and wasnt very sore after it ;) Very comfortable bike.
I am looking at upgrade shortly, also got my full licence about 2 weeks ago. Hopefully its not too hard to sell my bike. Its done me well, and given me massive confidence on the road. Very Very easy to ride. Fantasic learners bike!

Have a look at my pictures :)

matt.loudas.com/files/RidingintotheSunset.jpg

matt.loudas.com/files/CambridgeToyRun.jpg

matt.loudas.com/files/CentennialMemorial1.jpg

matt.loudas.com/files/Picture161.jpg

[Ryan432]

cheers for that. still looking for more suggestions on bikes for the missus please? her aim is to buy a friends 600 cruiser, so a cruiser to begin with would be suitable.

I know its not a cruiser but look into a bike like an xt250 or other similar dual purpose bike, I have a couple reasons for this, She can learn clutch, throttle and general bike control offroad first, this makes a HUGE difference in learning times and confidence, as well as not having to worry about her getting taken out by a car while shes trying to learn how to hit second. Learning offroad first also allows you to feel the limits of a bike in a safer situation, that way if one day the bike happens to step out in a corner the reaction is instinct, saving valuable seconds, sometimes the difference between a crash or not.

Also it means you can go and have a thrash on it from time to time which is awesome funn :) :thumbs up:

[1 Free Man]

The blue looks nice when you catch a glimpse eh! I didn't realise until I had it for about a week, cause I only saw it inside at the dealer and at night at home.

And.. the RRP for the Intruder has gone up :) It's $6100 before on road costs now. What an investment :p
:niceone: Sure does. they could have been a little more heavy handed with the metalflake. Like you I only saw it when I caught it in the right light. Mines usually that dirty Ya can't see the blue anyhow.:whistle:
To busy riding the sucker to be cleaning it.LOL.
Interesting the price has gone up ..Must be to popular.:niceone:

[1 Free Man]

I purchased my Hyosung GV250 when i got my learners (end of 06) And i bought it with 6,000k's on the clock, and is just about to click over 22,000k's.
I love the look of them, chrome (some fake, i know). The tank is a nice shape, I'm completely in love with it. The only downfall is that its a bit underpowered on the open road. Around town they are fantasic, very easy to ride, plenty of torque for a 250.
Ive been around the Coro loop a couple of times, no problems what so ever. Riden for around 8-9 hours + and wasnt very sore after it ;) Very comfortable bike.
I am looking at upgrade shortly, also got my full licence about 2 weeks ago. Hopefully its not too hard to sell my bike. Its done me well, and given me massive confidence on the road. Very Very easy to ride. Fantasic learners bike!

Have a look at my pictures :)


matt.loudas.com/files/RidingintotheSunset.jpg

matt.loudas.com/files/CambridgeToyRun.jpg

matt.loudas.com/files/CentennialMemorial1.jpg

matt.loudas.com/files/Picture161.jpg
nearly went for one of those babies myself. Not a bad looking:scooter: at all.
At the end of the day SUZI UKI stole my heart:love:

[ferriswheel]

I looked at a Suzuki GN and a FXR
Fell in love with the Zeal the moment I heard it running the first time
it set me back $3000
Its easy to get it moving very smooth ride
Goes like a cut cat lol

My only gripe with it is at 4000-5000RPM there seems to be no power then it kicks in again does the same at 8000-9000 unless your giving it tons

[sunhuntin]

ferris... couldnt you sleep or something?? 1am and your on here? bugger that, lol.

all her learning will be off road, same as mine was.

main reason i was thinking ginny is cos they are cheap as chips [for the 80s ones] and she can trash it and not worry about the money spent. id love to get her one of the new ones, but neither of us has $6000 to throw at a 250.
but mnkyboy is right... they are rather gutless for us heavier girls. not interested in a bergman.

she did have a sit on the TU250, can anyone tell me more about them? i know they have a gn engine, but is it a new gn or old gn motor?


GN250s are not cruisers. I wouldn't really call any 250 a cruiser, but there are some cruiser inspired 250s, GNs are not one of them. 250 cruisers don't really have a 'cruiser' riding position, not for me anyway, just a very plain upright position.

Being that the over 25 licence periods are so much shorter (stupid rule) it'd probably be a better idea to go with a much more temporary choice of bike. It's more worthwhile for under 25s to spend a bit more because they're likely to be stuck on the 250 for so much longer.

i know gns arent cruisers, but they are a step in the right direction. easier to go from pegs under you to pegs in front, rather than pegs behind to pegs in front. my viragos got a very laid back positioning, least the way i ride it it does.

what sort of temporary bike do you suggest? any 250 will be temporary. the 600 will be the permanent bike for her.

[PrincessBandit]

I'd really recommend the ginny. Even now when i go back to riding it occasionally I still enjoy it. After the bandit it feels so lightweight and managable (and still very comfy). Did you say 6k for a new ginny? I only paid 3300 for my 06 brand new have they really gone up that much????? At the time we opted for it as we wanted brand new and it was the only affordable one!
Good luck with the hunting - keep us posted.

[firefighter]

she did have a sit on the TU250, can anyone tell me more about them? i know they have a gn engine, but is it a new gn or old gn motor?

Ahhhh I loaned a Suzuki Volty (TU250) for my full licence test, man it was bloody hard-case, had a bit of an issue at times going up the hills on the motorway at 100km but that was because of a strong wind, if you time it right like in a diesel it's all good, I reakon she'd be an awesome learner bike, turns on a dime, very easy for learning u-turns etc, I had it for about 30 mins and was used to the bike enough for my test- and (I was riding my current bike at the time hence the rental :girlfight:) I found it an easy transition from always being on sports bikes to going onto that little cruiser it was just so easy to ride, I thought it would have been awkward, iv'e got a lot of time for those things I actually didn't want to give it back I thought it was pretty neat. That's my limited experience, I reakon it might be an alright choice for you, and I think it looks way better than a GN.

[blossomsowner]

:niceone: Go for the Suzuki 250 Intruder. It's a nice bike, well balanced, reasonably spritely, and looks ferkin good to with all the shiney bits.
6300$'s brand new on the road. comes in Black with blue metalflake or Silver.
Get her one. lots of brownie points. nudge nudge wink wink!!:hug:

agree with you here..............nice bike to ride.............got my wife a black one and she loves it...............

[Blossom]

agree with you here..............nice bike to ride.............got my wife a black one and she loves it...............

yes and guess who keeps taking it out for a quick blat when he has errands in town... :bash:

[savedkiwi1]

Ive just got my learners and are riding a Hyosung GV250 cruiser. It goes up the gorge, Haywards and wainui hills eazy as an i'm 108kg. Its a nice bike, but since I just got my licence and it's the only bike i got, I'm a bit biased.