First bike - but which one?

[stephenplank]

Hi all,

I'm buying a my first bike next week (yipee!!)

I travel 100km each day, and comfort is far more important than speed

4 new-bike options are
1. Yahama 225 scorpio
2. Suzuki 250 intruder (VL250)
3. Yamaha Virago 250
4. Kawasaki Ninja 250 (seems a bit too evil for a first bike?)

I'm really interested in all views.....i.e. pro's and con's

Thanks
Steve

[jtzzr]

Take them all for a ride mate, when you ride the one you want to buy you will know.Happy hunting

Welcome by the way

[Pedrostt500]

Welcome to KB, yep they are all good bikes, what sort of riding do you want to do?, answer that question and it will go some way to helping decide what type of bike you want.
if you can test ride all of them.

[Gubb]

Mate, they're all great bikes, and all suitable for a learner, the thing you want to ask yourself is, what kind of riding will you be doing?

The Ninja will be great if you also want to take it out on the weekend, and have a bit of fun in the corners, The Intruder and Virago are great if you want to relax for a bit, and take the scenic route, and the Scorpio would make a brilliant commuter.

Take them all out, don't just buy with your head, but what you also have the most fun on.

[Slyer]

Ninja! Will be the most satisfying in the long run.
You need to pick a profile first, cruiser, standard, sport etc :)

[Ragingrob]

Do you travel into the city and back each day? What time? Commuting buddies FTW haha. Completely depends if you're keen on sport or cruiser. Sit on one of each type and see what you'd rather be on.

[HTFU]

Welcome to KB

If you have no experience at all on bikes then the Scorpio would be my pick for a complete newby. I road a GN for a year and 25000km before I got my ninja 250 and it was a good cheap progression to a faster bike.

No bins and no tickets have added to a fun 2 years of riding. I just rode the back roads and mostly by myself to reduce the need for straight-line speed.

However if you want to pass, maintain 100km/hr into a westerly and up big hills then the two cylinder options you have listed will be the ticket as the single cylinder scorpio will struggle a bit to meet your highway needs. Just take it easy for the first year especially into tight corners and you will be fine on the more powerful (relative) 250s.

Which one you choose out of the 3 twins you are considering will come down to cruiser vs sports - looks, handling and riding position. Although the ninja is pretty comfortable and would be quicker than the cruisers which is good on the open road when you need to pass. The ninja is not the same beast as the 4 cylinder race style bike that can be bought second hand. The new one is a more newby friendly bike.

There are a few of the gpx 250s on trademe which are good buying, lots of yellow 2001-2002 models for less than $4000 and black and red 2006-2007 models for $4500-5000. They are the model before the 2008 updated ninja. Very similar bike and good value second hand if you can get one for around $4000. Like this example http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-188035427.htm

[Atlas shrugged]

I hade the same problem chooing just a month or so ago



Ninja 250 (seems a bit too evil for a first bike?)

I vote for the Ninja but I am a bit bias as that is what I have, it's a nice bike to lean on dont let the look put you off.

They are all good bikes,
In the end I would just get what you like the look and feel of.

It dose not take long to want to try something bigger though I think in hindsight I would not have got a new bike but a older one and saved the money for a bigger and better one when I get my full license. But then patients has never been my best quality! <_<

[Sly_guy]

Hi all,

I'm buying a my first bike next week (yipee!!)

I travel 100km each day, and comfort is far more important than speed

4 new-bike options are
1. Yahama 225 scorpio
2. Suzuki 250 intruder (VL250)
3. Yamaha Virago 250
4. Kawasaki Ninja 250 (seems a bit too evil for a first bike?)

I'm really interested in all views.....i.e. pro's and con's

Thanks
Steve

Hey, Welcome..

I was posting very very similar questions only 6 weeks ago... This is an excellent place to get help and information, I've found it invaluable !

As the others have said, it's a matter of style of bike (cruiser / sports etc), then just go sit on a few, check out how they feel, even get test rides (assuming you've got your learners ?)..
I went up to Mount Eden Motorcycles, had a good chat with them there.. I tried the Ninja, very nice, but I found myself very much hunched over (i'm 6'1") and as a learner I didn't feel that the riding position gave me very good visibility. I then took out the Hyo GT250 (that I now own), and it had a much better position for me, (higher bars) and was a bulkier bike (so i looked less of a tit on it). I also had a go on the Scorpio... and to be honest, whilst it was VERY friendly, I just felt like I was on a slightly glorified scooter, very little grunt to shift my fat ass around...

So, just get out there and have a look / play... We've all got our opinions.. and often we're biased towards our own bikes :)

I would say though, spend some money on decent gear, hopefully you wont need to use it's protection, but you want it there in case you do !

Have fun mate... Buying your first bike is really cool... I remember riding mine home the first day, couldn't shift the grin on my face...

[slimjim]

and dude don't just go for a blat around the block....try each one from roughly the same distance ...what's 5 bucks gas in the tank...better to ride each one for a couple of hours as its not something you can quickly change if you want a loss in money valve wise...

[nodrog]

have you considered a GSXR1000?

[portokiwi]

Welcome mate. go to the shop sit on the ones you like try and go for a test ride talk to the sales guys.... Most of them will be bikers. Let them know how far you will be going each day. They are there to help:lol: and trying to get a sale.
you buy the bike that best suits your needs and budget.
Good luck.:clap: The main thing is you are getting a bike:headbang:

[Duke girl]

Like the others have said on here, take them all out for a test ride and see which 1 impresses you the most as what suits 1 person doesn't suit another. I am really enjoying riding my Ninja and if you buy 1 of these brand new you have to run it anyway like any new bike you buy. Goodluck with whatever bike you finish up buying and may you have loads of fun and safe rides on it.

[wybmadiity]

Hi and welcome.
My first bike was a GSX 250 (sports/tourer) I both commuted and did decent rides on the weekends. I never outgrew the bike in cornering (mind I am a nana) in the end it was the power to overtake etc that I needed more of, but you will get that with most 250's.
Good luck. Might see you out there one day :D

[davebullet]

Highway riding, uphills or if you weigh more than 80Kgs - go for a twin (rules the scorpio out).

If you don't mind buying second hand - also look at the Honda VTR250.

If you are travelling 100Kms - I'm assuming 50Kms each way. Therefore whatever bike you settle on you need to feel comfortable for at least ... 1 hour? Don't feel like you should only test ride for 5 minutes. It won't highlight any discomfort.

[ringmybells]

I've got a Keeway Shadowcruiser 250cc. It looks like a Yamaha Virago but without the price tag.

Seems to be alright so far. I only bought it a month ago and I've done one long distance ride (over 100km) without any problems.

Check out the below thread, it might provide you with some helpful info.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=64833

[Gizzit]

Welcome to the site mate.
Lots of good advice here as usual. I would just like to second what has been said about a bike certainly worth considering, and thats the Honda VTR 250. These are very good reliable bikes. My son had one, and I found it to be a very high quality 250, and was loads of fun. They are a naked bike, so if you do have the misfortune of dropping it, it's not going to get a fairing damaged and need replacing, and thats expensive. A naked bike is probably a better bet for a beginner because of the possibility (likelihood ?) of having a spill at some stage .... it comes with the territory ...
Another one is the Honda CBF250. It is a good reliable bike, also a naked. My step son has one and he loves it. I have been on it a couple of times and it gets along quite well.

Any of the bikes you have considered would be fine, with maybe the exception of the Yamaha Scorpio, as it may be a little light and slightly underpowered for the open road.

And .... some majorly important advice !!!!

DON'T skimp on riding gear!!!!!! You need it. Factor it into your budget right from the start. The very least is a helmet, jacket, and gloves. With a helmet, make sure it fits right. Not loose at all, but not tight causing any pressure anywhere on your head. You will soon get a major headache if too tight. If it's too loose, it won't provide the protection you need. Try different brands of helmet if one style doesn't suit. Get help from the guys in a bike shop with fitting. I would definitely recommend a full face helmet! You also must have a jacket with armour in it, and gloves. Boots are also necessary, and I rate good trou the same. I won't ride without all my gear on now.

Incidentially .... and a plug for our locals .... you can buy good cordura (or leather if you can afford it ... it's the best for protection) gear on TradeMe or on here.
For cheaper but excellent quality cordura gear, 1Tonne or MohsinBikeWear have good jackets and trou. 1Tonne has helmets, gloves, and boots to. They are cheaper than in bike shops and in my opinion just as good as some of the more expensive "name" gear.
For leather gear ... 1Tonne and Mohsin have it at reasonable prices. For top of the range stuff ... Quasievil (Quasimoto.co.nz) on here has real good leathers.

If you do have an "off", then you will be much much better off with having protective gear on, than not!!

All the very best with your choice in bikes and gear! Have fun !!!! :niceone:
Cheers,
Grant.

[SARGE]

. Yahama 225 scorpio

[ViragoVixen]

Hi ya, I can vouch for the Ninja (hubby's) and the Virago (mine). Hubby loves the thrill of the ninja and I quite dig the reliability, look, sound and feel of the virago. Yes I'm biased - go figure.

Definitely go for rides and consider what you want from the bike. ^VV