Another new bike rider (BecauseImaKiwi)

[BecauseImaKiwi]

Hey everyone!

I need some help with buying my first bike..
My dad doesn't want me to get one (I think it's mostly because of how he crashed his back in the day?) and wants nothing to do with it lol.

I was thinking a:
Brand new Scorpio Z, or
This RG 150: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-183868834.htm or
This Kawasaki ZXR: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-178666534.htm


I don't really want to buy a brand new bike because I'll be on my learners.. And I'm not fussed on buying from Trademe because of the risk.
But I've gotta choose one or the other.

All those bikes look low enough for my 5'3"-ness haha.

What do you experienced riders think??

[Pedrostt500]

Hi Good on you for joining KB, Yep i can understand your Dad, but there are risks associated with every thing you do in life. There are a few ways that you can subdue some of your Dads fears, about you having a bike, The first is to check out your local Motorcycle training courses, also hooking up with a KB mentor in your area would be a good thing to.
As far as bikes go the kawasaki looks the best of that bunch, you could also look at a 250 cruiser, they have a low seat height and often a V twin motor, but the bike you choose comes down to the type of riding you wish to do.
go around some of the bike shops and sit on a few, to get the feel of the bikes you like the look of.

[Monie]

i have just got my full i was on a ninga 250 for nine months it is a good bike and i am only 5.3 as well . i am selling mine it s on trade me.. really nice and light and easy to handle... as a mum i can understand your dad but hay we do have live and just take it easy and you will be fine....

[DUCATI*HARD]

GO THE NINJA:scooter:

[BecauseImaKiwi]

Thanks everyone!
It'll be used for commuting and going to town etc.

I'm getting more info on the Kawasaki :)

[rachprice]

Hey chic, was in exactly the same boat.
In a way my dad is the only one I actually listen to when it came to bikes because he has been there and understands what its like.
He just worries about me (kinda natural, they would worry with any risky activity) but I explained how much I get out of it and he has accepted it, guess he truly understands!
My mother on the hand doesn't want to know....
Bike wise...its down to what you like personally, who you are, how you ride.
I have a 2stroke 250 which most people would say stay the hell away from, but I learnt on it and I havent crashed.
So yeah just ride them I guess, see what you like.

[Unit]

The Scorpio is a great buy, bang for buck best on the market, easy to ride, looks great. The Ninja is in a higher price bracket but if its in your price range also a great bike. Depends on if you have any bike experience at all, the upright Scorpio is very user friendly, the more sports positioned Ninja will lead you to understand that style of riding.
Best of luck. Whats your budget by the way and dont forget the riding gear in your budget.
Wear all the gear all the time :scooter:

[cowboy]

Hi there & welcome to the wonderfull world of two wheels:niceone: My dad didnt wont me to buy my first bike so I did it just to piss him off:mad: Mind you he got me back when I crashed it:slap: Whatever you buy have fun & if you need help just ask. Some one here will be able to help:scooter:

[Katman]

Bear in mind, regarding the ZXR, that maintainance costs for a four cylinder are considerably higher than for a single cylinder. Also, they are a bike that usually gets caned within an inch of their life.

The Scorpio would make a great learning bike.

[naphazoline]

i like the ninja,(although they look even better with all their farings)but the scorpio would be an ideal learners scoot'

nice to see more ladies getting out on two wheels:niceone:

[Petal05]

I am 5ft....um well thats it really, LOL, just purchased a Scorpio 2 weeks ago and love it. I had no riding skills at all, and am picking it up real quick. Nice light bike, very easy to ride, and looks good as well. I went for a new bike as it is covered by warranty, and was almost the same price as a second hand bike with low K's, and no knowing much about bikes could have just brought a whole ot of trouble!!!
Anyway would recoment the Scorpio to anyone just starting out!! Good Luck.

[Charlie41]

welcome chic!!! Kawa!!! Enjoy it and be safe :)

[centercore]

I used to have an rg150 but moved up to a zxr250. The zxr is more of an all rounder and the rg150 is awesome for weekend riding. You gotta rev the shit out of the rg to make it move. The zxr is tame, easy to ride, less messing around with gears to stay on the power and its reliable.

Go for the bike thats in the best condition for your price range.

[mj_scorpio]

Hey everyone!

I need some help with buying my first bike..
My dad doesn't want me to get one (I think it's mostly because of how he crashed his back in the day?) and wants nothing to do with it lol.

I was thinking a:
Brand new Scorpio Z, or
This RG 150: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-183868834.htm or
This Kawasaki ZXR: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-178666534.htm


I don't really want to buy a brand new bike because I'll be on my learners.. And I'm not fussed on buying from Trademe because of the risk.
But I've gotta choose one or the other.

All those bikes look low enough for my 5'3"-ness haha.

What do you experienced riders think??

I was in the same boat about buyin 1 and not knowing anything about em but its good ya've found kiwi biker its great 4 all'ya questions :)

I ended up gettin the scorpio an as Katman an da others hav said its a great learners bike. been on it since April an tis loads of fun. really comfy and light and forgivin 2!

definately budget in getting protective gear it'l b good peace of mind 4 ur dad and it'l save ur skin 2 :) gr8 2 see another gurl gettin out there :niceone: :first: keep us updated on progress!!!

[-easy--rider-]

whats your budget? remember you ill need about 1000 for gear. get a gn! not mutch to break on them. or a scorpio but anything with all the fancy fairings you will most likely break.

[Chanak]

I was thinking a:
Brand new Scorpio Z, or
This RG 150: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-183868834.htm or
This Kawasaki ZXR: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-178666534.htm




All those bikes look low enough for my 5'3"-ness haha.


If the RG is low enough for my 5'(notquite1buttallenoughnottobe0)"-ness, it's low enough for your 5'3-ness :P

[TOTO]

Hey Girl, Welcome to the wonderful world of biking and KB (the madhouse).

Would strongly recommend you stay away from 2 stroke bikes like the Suzuki RG 150. You can learn to ride on anything but the 2 strokes are more temperamental and can sometimes get you in situations you dont want to be in.

The first step is to go to a bike shop and sit on some 250cc bikes and see what fits you and what doesnt. I recommend writing down the the make and model of the bike that fits you well so you can go looking for it on trade-me. After you have done that you can start looking on TradeMe.

Wether you go for a sports bike or a cruiser is entirely up to your personal preference, as both will give you the nesseserry skills for your later motorcycling life. There is a fair number of naked sports bikes - which means its a sports bike performance but without the plastics. Having no fairings (plastics) on your first bike is a good thing as the ammount of damage to the bike if it is dropped will be minimal, which realisticly sometimes happens.

Had a wee look on trade me for ya and found a few bikes you may wanna go to the bike shops and ask if they have them so you can have a sit on and see how they feel. here they are:

Sports bikes
Honda Hornet 250 - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-184713880.htm
Suzuki GSX250 - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-184358731.htm
Suzuki GSF250 Bandit - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports//auction-182414367.htm
Yamaha Scorpio 225 - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports//auction-168943781.htm
Honda CBR 250 - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-184292329.htm
Kawasaki ZXR 250 - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-178666534.htm

You should know that the last two - the CBR and the ZXR are some of the fastest sports 250cc bikes you can find, but the downside is that they are more expensive even tho they are quite old, and you may be faced with some extra maintenance costs fue to their age. I wouldnt buy anything older than year 1995.

Cruisers
Suzuki GZ 250- http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-184529143.htm
Suzuki GN 250 - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-184541383.htm
Suzuki VL250 Intruder (Super comfy seat) - http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-184361736.htm

Try to sit on at least those models and see how they fit ya.

Hope this is of some help to you. Also, armoured gear is essential from day 1 on a bike, make sure you have all the armoured gear - boots, pants, jacket gloves and ofcourse helmet :)

let us know how you go and if you need anything else :niceone:

[Brooke]

Hi Ya, Hope you are getting on well with making a decision on your bike. I am a new rider to this game too and am also on the vertically challenged side. With my bike I wanted to buy new for the warranty side of things etc and what I found suited me best was the Kawasaki 250. I found comfortable sitting on the bike and wasn't stretching out too much in my arms or my legs. I guess it comes down to what you want to spend and what you want to get out of your bike. I feel the most important thing is how comfortable you feel on your bike.

I know the last thing I wanted to worry about while trying to remember all the other things to do on my bike what what I felt like or how I was going to get my feet on the ground if I had to stop and especially if the road was on an angle!

I hope you find a really cool bike and have as much fun as me!

Best of Luck.:woohoo:

[BecauseImaKiwi]

Wow! Thanks for all the help! I didn't expect this many responses lol.
I'm definitely leaning towards a Kawasaki, I've read heaps of good things about them and have gone to a Kawa shop here and sat on a Ninja.. :drool:

Does anyone here know much about the Suzuki Across?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=186899164

I'm liking that 'glove box' haha.

[portokiwi]

Welcome kiwi:hug: to KBer. Good to see you are asking for advice.

[slimjim]

nooo...a yama....:rolleyes:....
and welcome too......:niceone:

[jrandom]

Welcome to the forum.

Scorpio's the best learner bike by far. You can't go wrong for 4 grand brand new, and they hustle along the road just fine and dandy.

[sinfull]

Welcome to the forum.

Scorpio's the best learner bike by far. You can't go wrong for 4 grand brand new, and they hustle along the road just fine and dandy.
I find ours to be a bit sluggish !

[MyGSXF]

purchased a Scorpio 2 weeks ago and love it. I had no riding skills at all, and am picking it up real quick.

Welcome to the world of motorcycling...:grouphug:

I would like to suggest that you give Andrew & Lynne a call at "Roadsafe" & book yourself in for a rider training course!

www.roadsafe.co.nz

Will be the BEST investment you can make on for your riding passion!!! :first:


BeacuseImaKiwi.. welcome to KB & great to see another chick joining the ranks!!! :sunny: As mentioned, I also recommend you go round shops & sit on bikes to get a feel for what you like. Looking at pictures of one, is very different to actually sitting on it. :blink:

& as Unit said... wear ALL ya gear ALL the time!! :done:

Jen :rockon:

[jrandom]

I find ours to be a bit sluggish !

I wasn't suggesting that she ride it back to back with a Speed Triple.

:laugh:

[sinfull]

I wasn't suggesting that she ride it back to back with a Speed Triple.

:laugh:

If i have my way tommorrow there could be an addition to the family !

[jrandom]

If i have my way tommorrow there could be an addition to the family !

Way hey hey! Own the muthafuckin RACETRACK au.

:Punk:

[madbikeboy]

Welcome to KiddieBiker. There are loads of really great and helpful people here - make sure you get some training and perhaps a Mentor (they have a green ME next to their name).

You'll have some good days and some tough days in the beginning, but it's well worth it.

[cheshirecat]

Hi,
A friend of mine has just got into bikes so I've spent some time riding with her - keeping cars off her taillight, setting lines through corners, braking techniques, etc etc. I think you could ask any Biker and they would be happy to do the same for you. Just stop by the roadside and look as if there's a problem with your bike and you'll get the first biker coming past.

Aside form all the above spend lots of time doing low speed manouvers, figure of eights, braking practice, road positioning etc. Oh and always ride within your envelope - very important, ride as if you are invisible to other vehicles and always imagine a brick wall around the corner.

Good luck

[GrayWolf]

Plenty of good adivce being given here.
All engine types have there good and bad points.
Singles tend to be slower, lighter and good around town with a more upright seating position. Cheap to run, cheap for servicing costs. Major services about half the cost of a four cylinder (4 pot). They usualy dont need a fistfull of revs to pull away in traffic.
Twins like th ZXR or ZZR (same engine ZZR looks) to me are the best compromise, still ligher, reasonable open road abilities but not so expensive to maintain as the 4 pot bikes. Pretty reasonable in traffic too.
4 pots, fastest and frequently the most abused (apart from 2 strokes which have to be abused :whistle:, just because they are 2T's)
The biggest concern is the amount of abuse/thrashing/and lack of proper maintanance they've had. A major service (A service) for a 4 pot is in the region of $600, not many young hoons are going to 'out' that kind of spondoolicks on a regular basis.
Singles are easier to ride, thats why the basic training schools tend to use single pot bikes for their courses.
ZXR/ZZR are not a full sport bike for performance or seating position. One of your best friends in riding is 'the view' the higher up you are? the better road reading distance you get. So leaning really forwards does restrict the distance you can see in traffic.
Comfort for the rider? the more race/sport oriented the bike is; (Seat construction and rider position) the sooner you are looking for a pit stop to stretch the body, rest the wrist ache and unkink the neck.