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Trippen1
6th May 2009, 20:33
hey guys, i'm new to bikes and yeah, i would like to own a bike of my own and start riding one.

had never rode on a motorcycle before therefore i know nothing about them and so i want to get one to also know more about them too.

i was referred to a kawasaki ninja 250cc 2009, said they are 4 stroke and only 40hp, so it's a really good bike to learn in and also after it won't feel so slow either.

said to stay away from 2 stroke as they are quite powerful for a 250cc...

what do you guys recommend?

also what about licences? do i need to be on like, restricted to ride a 250cc bike? or is learners okay?

plus what's an average cost on services for these things?

thanks a bunch! :):):)

Slyer
6th May 2009, 20:49
Hey mate!
Lots of choices, have a really good browse on Trademe and get a feel for what kind of bike you would like. Cruisy, sporty, dual purpose etc.
The new Ninja 250 is closer to 30HP, I was going to get one but they are a bit too common for my liking now. :bleh:
250 is the max you can ride on a learners or restricted license and is what I recommend if you want to do any serious riding.

Definitely stick with a 4 stroke for a first bike, the important thing is to figure out what you would like to be doing with your bike once you get it. Commuting, cruising, going fast, touring or a bit of each. :)

If you like you can have a go on my bike and see what you think (older ninja 250)... I've let a lot of newbies ride it. I'm not a horrible teacher either. ;)

Trippen1
6th May 2009, 21:45
i'm liking the sporty looks for a bike, the kawasaki ninja looks very nice and it is the type i would like to stick to...in future i would prob just be upgrading the engine cc with the same type of bike, i wouldn't be riding it hardout.

for now all i really know is kawasaki ninja, i don't know how to tell between a 4 stroke and 2 stroke as i go through trademe and no one says what they are.

told to stay away from those hyoseng korean bikes as they aren't as good and also not to get an old bike, anything above 2006 would be good,

what about honda? suzuki? yamaha? they any good? or simply they are all good and it all comes to myself to decide what feels comfortable for me to ride in?

ta,

disenfranchised
6th May 2009, 21:54
told to stay away from those hyoseng korean bikes as they aren't as good and also not to get an old bike, anything above 2006 would be good,



The Hyosungs are fine...and if you're only looking 2006 onwards, then you're a bit limited for choice really.
Saying that, the older bikes can be fine too.

Set your budget, see what's available, try them on for size and pick one.

Slyer
6th May 2009, 21:55
Now now now, nothing wrong with older bikes. Anything 90's plus would be plenty modern enough.
My bike was an '88 Ninja 250 and I swapped the motor out with a new 2007 model motor because they are almost identical.
Only reason I did this was because the motor had done a lot of kilometres (over 80,000) and had not been taken care of very well over its lifetime.

It all depends on the number of kilometres the bike as done as well as the overall condition of the bike, it's not more likely to blow up JUST because it's old.

It might aslo pay for you to learn a little bit about motors. :)
http://www.carbibles.com/fuel_engine_bible.html
That link is a very good place to start, it's explained well with images etc and explains the difference between bikes/cars with different numbers of cylinders and the different layouts.

Basically 2 stroke bikes allow you to get a lot more power out of a small engine but require a lot more maintenance, they also require you to make lots of noise and smoke and keep the revs up to go anywhere. ;) The most obvious differences between 2 and 4 stroke to tell them apart is the sound they make and the size of the exhaust.
2 strokes go ringa ding ding ding! 4 strokes go braaaaap braaaaap in the example of MX bikes.
Also, 2 strokes are getting increasingly rare as they cause a lot of polution apparently. :bleh:
etc:
tC0O40_VIwk

ducatilover
6th May 2009, 22:02
How about a spada with a recon engine?


I won't want to sell it though. and no the new 250r ninja has a claimed 31ps [30hp], As far as I am aware the older gpx from back in the day had 40 odd hp.;)

Take time picking a bike and enjoy it

TomJ
6th May 2009, 22:34
How about a spada with a recon engine?


I won't want to sell it though. and no the new 250r ninja has a claimed 31ps [30hp], As far as I am aware the older gpx from back in the day had 40 odd hp.;)

Take time picking a bike and enjoy it

Would highly recommend the older 250GPX. A great fun bike with easy handling and mild manners although it will get up and go once you gain experience.

this is my old bike as i have traded up recently

http://www.motorcycletrader.co.nz/View/Used/KAWASAKI-GPX250R-EX250F-gpx-2007/32285.aspx?N=4294967265+4294967056+0&Nf=P_Capacity|BTWN+125+250|

MyGSXF
6th May 2009, 22:38
also what about licences?

Welcome to KB! :woohoo:

Check these out... :yes:

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/licensing/motorcycle/

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/28.html

ducatilover
6th May 2009, 22:46
Would highly recommend the older 250GPX. A great fun bike with easy handling and mild manners although it will get up and go once you gain experience.

this is my old bike as i have traded up recently

http://www.motorcycletrader.co.nz/View/Used/KAWASAKI-GPX250R-EX250F-gpx-2007/32285.aspx?N=4294967265+4294967056+0&Nf=P_Capacity|BTWN+125+250|

That's a tidy wee toy! :yes: Nothing wrong about that as a first bike

TomJ
6th May 2009, 22:58
she is almost immaculate but then I'm biased!

sil3nt
7th May 2009, 00:31
I would stay away from a new ninja 250. Why spend so much money on a new bike that your never going to get the money back on when a 2nd hand bike can be picked up for less than 3 grand and easily last until your full license when you can sell it for close to what you got it for.

vindy500
7th May 2009, 00:35
my mate bought a new ninja in 07, paid 6k for it, just saw a 06 one go for 3500....

motorbyclist
7th May 2009, 01:01
It's good to start on a "neutral" position bike; not too sporty but not a cruiser either, so you can decide what you want after your 12 months learning, without having to relearn the new bike.

Good learners: suzuki FXR150, kawasaki GPX or ninja 250, suzuki GSX250, or honda VTR250. also the suzuki bandit (250) and honda hornet.

my personal recommendation for a newbie: the VTR250. all are reasonably new (decade old), cost around the $4500 mark, are totally 100% honda reliable and are very good bikes with very good motors for learning.

for sporty bikes, look at the CBR250, or the ZXR250 but be aware they eat cam chains and the forks are prone to pitting from stone chips. FZR and GSXR seem to be dodgy by design.

i'd like to meet whoever it is who keeps telling newbies to stay clear of old bikes:

provided it isn't being sold because it's fucked, it's usually fine. the only reason most bikes don't see 100km is cars, slippery corners, abuse and neglect.

my advice would be NOT to buy new unless you really have money to throw away. get someone who actually knows what they're looking at (plenty of us here on KB including myself) to come with you to check out bikes as there are plenty of people trying to sell you their problems, but it's pretty hard to go wrong with anything under 20 years young provided it's been taken care of.

anything that blows blue smoke is either two stroke or a very sick four stroke - stay clear for now. nuts two strokes include honda NSR, suzuki RGV, aprilia RS, yamaha TZR plus a few others; not good to learn on and need due care to maintain... I beleive the TZR is known by the nickname of "hand grenade"

EDIT: I see you're in auckland - maybe come visit us uni bike club guys and see what we've got ;)

YellowDog
7th May 2009, 06:24
hey guys, i'm new to bikes and yeah, i would like to own a bike of my own and start riding one.

had never rode on a motorcycle before therefore i know nothing about them and so i want to get one to also know more about them too.

i was referred to a kawasaki ninja 250cc 2009, said they are 4 stroke and only 40hp, so it's a really good bike to learn in and also after it won't feel so slow either.

said to stay away from 2 stroke as they are quite powerful for a 250cc...

what do you guys recommend?

also what about licences? do i need to be on like, restricted to ride a 250cc bike? or is learners okay?

plus what's an average cost on services for these things?

thanks a bunch! :):):)
Hello and welcome. There are so many bikes to look at and consider. Perhaps the style and colour are not the best place to start.

It doesn't sound like you really know where you are and what you are at yet. You really so need to sit and ride on a few bikes to see how they feel for you. You have had a great offer of a test ride on here and I would suggest that this is the kind of thing you should be doing before taking the plunge. Even riding pillion on a few bikes will help you get a better idea of what it is all about.

Good luck and do yourself a favour by now rushing into a bike purchase until you have qualified your decision.

Bend-it
7th May 2009, 10:06
hey guys, i'm new to bikes and yeah, i would like to own a bike of my own and start riding one.


Congrats! and welcome to a new world!



i was referred to a kawasaki ninja 250cc 2009, said they are 4 stroke and only 40hp


On a 170kg-ish bike, 40hp is plenty enough to get in trouble with... In fact if yo've never been on a bike, you'll probably think it's the fastest machine you've ever piloted yourself!



said to stay away from 2 stroke as they are quite powerful for a 250cc...
what do you guys recommend?


Yup, peaky power (meaning you get no power at low revs, then it suddenly all comes at once when you hit the correct revs) and higher maintenance costs.



also what about licences? do i need to be on like, restricted to ride a 250cc bike? or is learners okay?


Advice I gave another newbie here: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=1129190350&postcount=3



plus what's an average cost on services for these things?


$150-ish every 5000kms or so. A bike will save you money on parking if you ride to work, but cost the same as a car in petrol (uses less, but you'll ride more), servicing, tyres (only 2, but twice the price) etc.

Hopefully that helps. Use the search function... you'll find just about all the info you need.

Have fun!

MSTRS
7th May 2009, 10:23
i was referred to a kawasaki ninja 250cc 2009, said they are 4 stroke and only 40hp, so it's a really good bike to learn in and also after it won't feel so slow either.



That is not much different to a restyled GPX250, which has been around since the 80s. And they have maybe 32HP. The same inline twin was shared by the GPZ, ZZR and EL (different styling). The Honda Spada (mechanically up-specced VTR) had close to 40, and the racy ZXR, CBR, GSXR, FZR inline 4s went close to 45HP.
I second the call to avoid new for complete beginners. That way lies tears, as you watch your shiny new $8000 bike slide down the road after a silly newbie error. And insurers are hard on learner licencees.

motorbyclist
7th May 2009, 12:47
can we PLEASE end the myth that a ninja has 40hp!

they have 30! LESS than the GPX on which they are based

the IL4 bikes have 40 to 45hp - on paper.



Do remember to buy gear. Full face helmet (i'm a huge fan of the $300 HJC range), gloves and waterproof+armoured jacket is really a minium. All up that's $300+100+300 = $700.... you could knock that down to $300 if you really want to cut costs....

many suggest buying gear before buying the bike. makes sense cause you're not suddenly too broke for a jacket.
"Do I really need a jacket and gloves?", you ask? Consider jumping from a moving vehicle at 50kph onto the road without it, line things up to hit a curb or parked car before you come to a stop. Unless you enjoy skin grafts, yes you need gloves and jacket.
Pants and boots are worthy investments too.


meanwhile the salespeople will try to con you into buying a $1200 shoei or arai helmet with some "but it's safer" argument. in my extensive helmet testing experience, while a $100 helmet isn't quite as durable nor nice, they ALL meet the standards and the safety difference between $300 and $1200 is bloody well negligible; the extra 900 is just to reduce weight and wind noise but mostly so you look good on your overpriced ducati with matching leathers, and ALL helmets are fucked after a single impact, whether or not they were on your head at the time.



$150-ish every 5000kms or so. A bike will save you money on parking if you ride to work, but cost the same as a car in petrol (uses less, but you'll ride more), servicing, tyres (only 2, but twice the price) etc.

actually, just tp be pedantic, i'd point out the 250 tyres cost less than car ones typically do (depends on the car, of course) and are much cheaper to run in petrol - just consider that the $25 you burn on a liesure ride to kaiuia wouldhave been spent anyway if you went to the movies/pub/brothel instead

but $150 every 5000km, or $300 per year is pretty accurate; can of chain lube one or preferably two $40 oil changes, $40 brake pads, $50 wingmirror and a $180 rear tyre plus $25 for a 6 month wof and $270 for a 12 month rego.

Danae
7th May 2009, 13:55
Hello and welcome! I don't have a bike yet either lol. I've had a go on Slyer's bike, good fun and entirely more stable than a scooter (well, my scooter anyway) lololol.
Since I have a scooter I've got a jacket, gloves and helmet already.
Get your basic handling skills and license as soon as you can, that way the time between learner's and restricted can start counting down.

Slyer
7th May 2009, 14:26
Hello and welcome! I don't have a bike yet either lol. I've had a go on Slyer's bike, good fun and entirely more stable than a scooter (well, my scooter anyway) lololol.
Since I have a scooter I've got a jacket, gloves and helmet already.
Get your basic handling skills and license as soon as you can, that way the time between learner's and restricted can start counting down.
You should have another go now that I've fixed it. :bleh:

Cheshire Cat
7th May 2009, 18:04
hey guys, i'm new to bikes and yeah, i would like to own a bike of my own and start riding one.

had never rode on a motorcycle before therefore i know nothing about them and so i want to get one to also know more about them too.

i was referred to a kawasaki ninja 250cc 2009, said they are 4 stroke and only 40hp, so it's a really good bike to learn in and also after it won't feel so slow either.

said to stay away from 2 stroke as they are quite powerful for a 250cc...

what do you guys recommend?

also what about licences? do i need to be on like, restricted to ride a 250cc bike? or is learners okay?

plus what's an average cost on services for these things?

thanks a bunch! :):):)

Hey hey welcome!! Hope you find a good bike! And have lots of fun!!! :banana:

Solly
7th May 2009, 18:46
I would stay away from a new ninja 250. Why spend so much money on a new bike that your never going to get the money back on when a 2nd hand bike can be picked up for less than 3 grand and easily last until your full license when you can sell it for close to what you got it for.

Yep, that's a really good point....save your money for your next bike.

sil3nt
8th May 2009, 13:31
can we PLEASE end the myth that a ninja has 40hp!

they have 30! LESS than the GPX on which they are based


Something silly like 26hp i believe on those new ninjas.



Do remember to buy gear. Full face helmet (i'm a huge fan of the $300 HJC range), gloves and waterproof+armoured jacket is really a minium. All up that's $300+100+300 = $700.... you could knock that down to $300 if you really want to cut costs....

many suggest buying gear before buying the bike. makes sense cause you're not suddenly too broke for a jacket.
"Do I really need a jacket and gloves?", you ask? Consider jumping from a moving vehicle at 50kph onto the road without it, line things up to hit a curb or parked car before you come to a stop. Unless you enjoy skin grafts, yes you need gloves and jacket.
Pants and boots are worthy investments too.


meanwhile the salespeople will try to con you into buying a $1200 shoei or arai helmet with some "but it's safer" argument. in my extensive helmet testing experience, while a $100 helmet isn't quite as durable nor nice, they ALL meet the standards and the safety difference between $300 and $1200 is bloody well negligible; the extra 900 is just to reduce weight and wind noise but mostly so you look good on your overpriced ducati with matching leathers, and ALL helmets are fucked after a single impact, whether or not they were on your head at the time.Yep i had a silly saleswoman telling me i was stupid for wanting to pay $300 for a helmet and wanted to sell me $800+ shoeis and what not. She also said she was saving up for a new $1200 helmet because it was safer. I turned around and walked out the door across the road and purchased a $300 HJC which has an excellent safety rating! And the saleswoman there was extremely helpful and did her best to find a helmet that i found comfortable.

Trippen1
8th May 2009, 17:47
OMG you guys are all legends, hahaha...helped me SOOO much and answered pretty much everything i need to know (apart from knowing how to ride a bike, of course) about the laws and values etc...

yes my thinking in bikes would be the same in cars, (not buying a new car to learn unless i have cash to waste which i don't, lol). i would definitely be upgrading in the future, so a decent cheap learner will do me fine.

i have a mate which will be teaching me how to ride on his 250cc bike so i can get my handling cert asap then learners, i guess after all that, i'll then be looking in getting a bike, for now i'm just learning prices of bikes n such, checking out the market.

as for gears, I LOVE THE HJC helmets...i had one before cause i go tracking sometimes at puke, guess all helmets serve the same purpose. so i should be looking out for bike gears too then huh~...

thanks for everything guys and yes, would love to come by to an event to see what i'll be like as a bike rider in the next couple years, hahaha.