GN250 on the open road

[Lewis 1711]

Hello all, after some fun times with my fa50 I am looking right now to get one of those new GN250s. Heard they're reliable, no nonsense type bikes, sounds good.
I'm pretty much wondering how fast they are...I mean, I'm not out to do any racing obviously, but I want something that can go on the open road comfortably, and pretty much keep up with traffic without straining it. Too much to ask from a gn250?

[MSTRS]

Welcome Lewis. GN250 is really designed as a commuter/city bike. It will travel on the open road, but if that's what you want to do there are better options out there.

[Blakamin]

My CBR400 was passed by a gn250 once.....
(only had the cbr for 3 days so it was quite new to me)

[jrandom]

Most of the time, a GN250 will do 100kph on the open road with no hassle. It would be an excellent bike for you, unless you're really really feeling the need to do 180, in which case you'll need to buy one of the obligatory shiny plastic Jap import boy-racer two fiddys instead.

[Jonty]

When I took a GN250 out on the motorway it half scared me to death, guess I was feeling a little exposed and underpowered after riding my aptly named "boy racer jap import two fiddy" :shake:

[toads]

In my experience with gn250's they are capable of doing 100kms but not in a head wind, that cb250 that celtic sea lily seems to be a great bike in terms of reliability and and also seems to go fast enough, although I suspect that experience has a lot to do with how a bike performs, I was very nervous riding altogether when I had my gn, and that maybe why I felt it was too slow.

[campbellluke]

I find that GN250's a frustratingly slow in the open road. Although the one I took for a ride, had 80,000km on the clock ( wow ) , and was 12 years old.

I guess what your hear about reliability is very true. But I still think that they are slow. Slower than those twin GPX's.

To be honest, I would rather have one of those Suzuki FXR 150's.

But instead I imported a 250 Katana. 4 cylinder 250's rule, out on the open road!

[Warren]

They will handle the open road ok, but you will have trouble keeping up when going up hills and with head winds. If you want it to handle the open road comfortably then you will want a 4cylinder 250 sports bike.

[Warren]

Saying that, the GN's are a fraction of the price of the 250 sport bikes.

[hobdar]

I spoke to Stewart from TSS (Lower Hutt) He suggested NOT buying the new GN250, mainly cause its made in China and you can get an older one for under $1000 easy and it will probably be more reliable.

If your like me looking for a bike to hack around on until you get your full licence it should be fine. There is one advertised on trade me up near you but hes asking too much for it. Old ones have been selling on trademe recently rego and wof for 500 - 700. 1984 upwards....

All people i talk to say that the older ones are great learner bikes pretty much indestructible (check the oil regularly as it has a small sump) and you should be able to sell it pretty much what you paid for it. When i first got my learners (10 years ago) i think the same GN250s selling for $700 were about $1000 so they hold there value...if you want to go fast on the open road look for something else...FZR250 (my third bike handled the open road great but had to watch the overheating trundling through town)

[Lewis 1711]

Thanks for the replies everyone! not looking to do commuting at all mainly riding medium/long distance onthe open road. How about a '93 gsx250s? Looking for something a bit more sensible than a flat out sport 250....but something that can travel long distances well.

[jrandom]

Thanks for the replies everyone! not looking to do commuting at all mainly riding medium/long distance onthe open road. How about a '93 gsx250s? Looking for something a bit more sensible than a flat out sport 250....but something that can travel long distances well.

Oh, right. Medium/long distance on the open road, but not commuting, eh. A GN250 prolly isn't your best bet, then.

You want an FZX250. See my profile.

It's the perfect 250cc motorcycle for every occasion, excepting the times when you might need to go faster than anything, well, faster, of course. I see Colemans still have their nice minty blue one, and Boyd Honda is advertising one as well.

Keep your eyes open for a while, and you'll undoubtedly find an abused dunger like mine for a lower price, too.

[Blakamin]

an abused dunger like mine
:Oi:


only coz you abuse it!!

[jrandom]

only coz you abuse it!!

And the filthy little whore of a machine loves every minute of it. :stoogie:

[vifferman]

I've ridden a GN250 only once, and it was so long ago (somewhere back in the Cretaceous, if my memory serves me correctly, which is doubtful) that I can't remember what it was like, only that it seemed incredibly, ponderously slow, compared to the XB500RS Mutant I was thrashing around on at the time.

So why am I replying to this thread? How the hell should I know?!?
Because I can? :spudwhat:

Anyway, more recently (in the Quaternary, perhaps), I rode that fire-breathing monster, the Volty. It was sad that I 'enjoyed' it's quirky character for but part of a day, and travelling at nearly a bazillion km/h down the aft side of the Harbour Bridge is a memory that will remain with me forever.
Or at least until the courses of psychotherapy and strong mind-altering drugs expunge it from the sponge that is my brain, and normal, fitful sleep resumes, without those racking, cold-sweat nightmares, daytime hallucinations and ... :brick: :crazy:



WTF was I ? :confused:

Oh yeah.
GN250, you say?


Dunno.
But I got my first bike (CB175) up to an indicated 85 mph, before they outlawed mph's. Or m's ph. And/or wrecked it. Or both. Or neither.


So, how come GN250s are so slow?:spudguita

[jrandom]

So, how come GN250s are so slow?:spudguita

I think it's because, in outta-tha-factory state, they're "softly tuned".

Ahem. That's as it may be.

However, I think that if you rocked up to a tuning shop on your GN250, having just shelled out for the obligatory pre-tune go-fast paint job with skulls, flames, topless centaur maidens, etc, in time-honoured petrol tank paint job mode, and said "Now I wish this motorbicycle to go fast, my good man. See to it!" there would be much laughter from the GSXR riders, yea verily.

GNs have a purpose in life, but it is not to go fast.

[White trash]

I spoke to Stewart from TSS (Lower Hutt) He suggested NOT buying the new GN250, mainly cause its made in China and you can get an older one for under $1000 easy and it will probably be more reliable.


Not true. :spudwave:

[vifferman]

GNs have a purpose in life, but it is not to go fast.
Not even with GSXR stickers and paintjob? :spudwhat:

[jrandom]

Not even with GSXR stickers and paintjob?

Well, mebbe... true...

My FXR went a lot faster after I wrote 'TL1000S' on the side in black marker pen, you know.

[vifferman]

My FXR went a lot faster after I wrote 'TL1000S' on the side in black marker pen, you know.
You do know that doing that caused all the TL1000Ss in the world to slow down by an infinitesimal amount? Somewhere, at just that moment, some TL1000S owner was tearing his hair out, because he'd spent a bazillion dollars on the latest go-faster doodads, and yet, inexplicably (shit - that's a hard word for this time of day, especially following after 'infinitesimal') his bike was slower than before. :brick:

[jazbug5]

Welllllllll.

I think anyone who has suffered outings with me & my arthritic old bike will testify that she ain't fast. I have tried various (apparently hilarious) methods to improve her speed: plastering myself across the tank, imaginitive and multiligual swearing, tickling... but no. Stick her on a slight incline or point her into wind and she spits her dummy and gives a (very) grudging 80. However, combine those factors in reverse - ie pointing downhill with a stiff breeze at your back- and a death defying 120 is your reward. It might be even faster than that if you're heavier than 50kg, though..!
However, reliable is certainly an accurate description; parts are comparitively cheap, there isn't a fairing to f*ck up (or to help deal with buffeting,mind you) and they're as tough as old boots. And about as sophisticated.
As for distance, I have gone Welly to Taupo and back, and am now in Northland, having ridden up here from Welly. I am probably doing in the region of 60-150 on her every day, and apart from guzzling huge amounts of oil, she's taking it well.

Oh, and one more thing: the handlebars they come with SUCK. Paul in NZ (All hail to the King) very kindly gave me a different set to use, and helped me fit them too (after Toad suggested it would help). The handling was ridiculously better afterwards.

Hope this is more use than a poke in the eye with, er, something poky...

[vifferman]

Jazbug! You're back!! :2thumbsup

Go on - tell me you've been here all along, and I just failed to notice...:confused:

I wasn't meaning to denigrate your choice of steed.
Well.... yes, I probably was, but not at your expense.

To be fair, the GN250 is probably an ideal learner's bike for all the reasons you mentioned. AND it doesn't have a stupid name, like Xelvis, or Zeal, or Volty, or Goose...

[jrandom]

AND it doesn't have a stupid name, like Xelvis, or Zeal, or Volty, or Goose...

You forgot 'Jade'.

And 'Intruder'.

And 'Scarver'.

At least I have 'FZX' as a backup description when in Serious Motorcycling Company.

[jazbug5]

Yeah, maybe we could have one of those silly competitions to come up with bike names..??
Like, er, 'Thruster' or 'Rabid Gerbil' or or or....

ANd nice of you to notice my absence Mr. Viffer.

I have been languishing in Northland these last few weeks; chained to a radiator because they liked my 'purdy mouth'.It's been fun (hmmm) but it is time to return to the Wellington flock (and running water, tarmaccadem<sp> and... the internet...)

Anyway, I'd better go; I think I hear the hound dawgs again...

(See you all soon)

[wolverine]

sounds like this thread is largely wound itself up, but thought I would just put my 10 cents in, and agree with Jazbug...

having just brought one of those new GNs last year (and sold it last week for a very immanent trade-up), they can get to 120km on the flat at a push, but will quite happily sit around 100km on generic motorway

hills do present a problem, where you're more down round the 80km mark, and a strong wind you'll certainly notice having to open it right up to keep up decent speed

as for distance tho, if you're happy at 100km then they seem to put up with it fine, but I think you'd get bored pretty quick having no 'extra' there when / if you wanted it (i.e. passing on a hill,...)

overall : great learner, great commuter, will put up with longer distance but not in an exciting way

- best of luck with the shopping tho =)

[hobdar]

Not true. :spudwave:

Which part? The older one being more reliable or new ones being made in china? or the older ones being under $1k? or all of it.....just saying what i thought i was told....although the context was i am only going to be on it 6 months max (fingers crossed)

[White trash]

The part about them being less reliable than an old one. They're exactly the same bike, just assembled in China

[jrandom]

The part about them being less reliable than an old one. They're exactly the same bike, just assembled in China

Mmm hmm. People need to realise that being 'made in China' doesn't imply crappy build quality.

Chinese industry is quite capable of building to the same, or higher, standards as anyone else, and will happily do it under contract if that's what they're being paid to deliver. They have a reputation for doing it cheaper than anyone else, too, which reputation is entirely deserved. Cheap doesn't have to mean crap.

These days, I'd be entirely happy to trust machinery or electronics built in China under the brand of a company from Japan, the USA, NZ, etc.

Dunno if I'd buy a bike *designed* and manufactured entirely under the auspices of a Chinese company, though.

[vifferman]

having just brought one of those new GNs last year (and sold it last week for a very immanent trade-up)
"Immanent", eh? I think you meant to post this on the 'Scottish thread' ("Religious Ravings")...
However, if you meant imminent, what are you trading up to, and how soon? :spudwhat:


Cute avatar, by the way...:niceone:

[wolverine]

"Immanent", eh? I think you meant to post this on the 'Scottish thread' ("Religious Ravings")...
However, if you meant imminent, what are you trading up to, and how soon? :spudwhat:

Cute avatar, by the way...:niceone:

Aww, and I even ran it through the Word97 spell checker - pity the thesaurus wasn't installed on these e-café 'puters. Can I be forgiven ?, English is after all my only and native tongue.... (sigh!)

up to RVF400 - paying way too much for it from a dealer, but with luck it'll be worth it in the longer run... mmm better than GN250,...

[Lee Rusty]

the GN. I rode one on a Southern Cross Road Rally - 6300 in 6 days - and I a am big bloke also had 2 sets of loaded saddle bags.

It was able to sit on 100kph easily and was cheap to run giving about 60mpg if I remember right. The only frustration caused was getting stuck behind a pig truck on the Canterbury plains, where I didn't have enough power to pull out and pass him at 100kph. It was easy solved tho I just stopped for a coffee and never saw him again.

It did stick for a while tho

[MSTRS]

So, how come GN250s are so slow?:spudguita
1950's technology?

[avgas]

mate got a GN125, and that did 125kph (prob about 110 cos we were passing traffic) quite easily (i was quite shocked).
To go against everyone here, stay away from four cylinder 250's unless u need to hit the electronic 190kph cut out. look for a GB250 or something similar - they are good for about 150k's, ride round town without a gear change every 10 sec's, and give awesome economy.
Plus they look (and can sound) baddass.
Those FXR's are great little bikes too - but the power on them IS too smooth, so it feels too electric and you will get bored.

[Krayy]

I'd go with Avgas and say that if you're after a smooth ride with good low down torque for city traffic stay away from the 4-pots. My VTR is a V-Twin (funny that) and pulls steadily right through the rev range so it doesnt hit that "power band" that the in line 4s have where torque curve sharpens after mid-range which can be quite scary for a newish rider. The other good thing about a steady torque curve is being able to pull out of corners without having to keep the revs so high.

Cruising is a breeze too.

[jrandom]

I'd go with Avgas and say that if you're after a smooth ride with good low down torque for city traffic stay away from the 4-pots. My VTR is a V-Twin (funny that)...

Is it yellow?

Was that you at the Nelson St turnoff yesterday morning?

[vifferman]

[I'm trading] up to RVF400 - paying way too much for it from a dealer, but with luck it'll be worth it in the longer run... mmm better than GN250,...
Mmmmmm. V4....[insert drooling Homer emoticon]

[ShadeeLady]

Hi Thread ..I hav e just been from Auckland to Bluff on my GN250 ..I can usually cruise at 110 kmps on th open road with no problem..The hills and a headwind are a bit of a pain,but just drop a gear and you are OK..It is cheap to run and never missed a beat..Watch buying one of the era of 2004 ..mine was brand new and has rusted and corroded to shit..a real bummer,but it is still my baby..all the best whatever you choose ..ShadeeLady