First Thread, GN250?

[Twig]

Hi there, first thread so here goes!

I've just past my learners and am starting to look around for my first bike! I've had the Suzuki GN250 recommended to me by a friend. He said they are one of the best bikes to learn on, as they are really easy to ride and don't cost that much. Is this the case or is it just down to personal opinion?

Any advice would be a great help!

[surfchick]

drive a mix of types of bike before you buy (a road bike, a cruiser style etc)- instead of buying first like me and wondering about it later- definitely check what people say in this forum- i think Gn's seem to be a sound 1st bike (a safe bet), but you might be able to score one that's more fun and a bit speedier...

[Joni]

Hi Newbie!!
Welcome to KB...

I suppose it is up to persoanl taste, however I have never really heard anything bad about the GN... they are very popular bikes... Storm has a pretty new one, why dont you PM him if you have any questions, I am sure he will be more than willing to answer them.

Be safe out there

[woody68]

This one comes up alot.
Best thing to do is go through the Motorcycle Trader and pick say 10 or more bikes you like the looks of then go to your local dealers and ride them all.
Make it a good ride on them not just around the block.
If they complain about the lenght of your ride take your money some where else,you need a good 20,30 minites on each bike to give you a bit of a feeling of the bike.
You want to get a bike that will see you through the licence process ,you dont want to have to get a second 250 because you wiil grow out of them as you get more expirecened.
most people go to a 400 or 600 as soon as they can.

You may be able to get one of the KBers to have a look at the bike you think is the one you want the most.

Theres a lot of guys and gals on here that would like to help if they can, we've been down this road and know the pitfulls.

[Twig]

Thanks for the advice!
Is buying a bike off a shop a safer bet than a privite sale?

[Sutage]

Most shops will give you a warranty, Red Baron gives 3mths/3000ks on learners.

Also a shop wont sell you a piece of shit because they have a reputation to maintain, if word gets around you got a lemon, they aint gonna sell too many more bikes, where as private sale if it shits out they aint gonna care i dont think.

Im looking for my first bike and definately gonna buy from a shop, even though it costs more i think its worth it until i know what to look for when looking privately.

Oh also a shop will give you discount on gear if you buy the bike from them.

[Storm]

As Joni said, feel free to ask about mine. Personally I would go with a shop, as that way generally you get a warranty and they give it a once over for you.
Now finding a good bike shop, thats the hard bit

[Jeremy]

If you buy from the shop then you can get a brand new one for $3000 which comes with a one year warrenty. You don't tend to get a warrenty on bikes you buy off other people. And remember that it pays to get a good relationship with a shop anyway as your going to have to buy gear, and eventually your bike is going to break down and you'll have to get it back to the mechanic.

[woody68]

Buying from a shop may not cost more at the end of the day.
By the time you get gear and stuff .
Dealers tend to look after customers if they think you will be back for your next bikes.

[tuscan]

Everyone seems to recommend gn250s to learn on...

I got a FXR150 which ost about the same and it has been great over the 9 months or so I have had it. Cheap as to run, easy to maintain, reliable and a lot of fun for the daily commute

Guess it depends on what type of bike you are looking at but at least with the fxr you can take it up to 12000 rpm and pretend you're actually riding something with a bit of go. ...even if it really is a 150 with a top speed of bout 140kmh.

I hopped on one straight from doing my basic handling course and found it easy as to ride.

Whatever you get, enjoy it!

[sels1]

Welcome to the site Newbie.
Yeah, GN fairly safe option but as suggested, try a range of bikes to see what "fits" you best. If you are so inclined, a street-legal trailbike is a good thing to learn on, as you can take it off road and play/experiment/increase your skills on the soft stuff.

[Twig]

Thank you all for your input!
It seems that the general consensus is to buy off a bike shop. I defiantly like the idea of a warranty, even if it is just for 3 months. Then if anything were to go wrong you have some sort of come back.

Other than the riding I did at the “basic handling skills course”, I've not ridden a motorbike on the road. Is a bike shop going to let someone in my position take a bike on a test ride? What's the easiest way to solve this problem?

[surfchick]

i felt the same way- was to shy to drive a bike off the showroom floor in case i fell off- or worse. so- throw your leg over some and see if all the bike is comfy and the goodies feel in the right place (as well as stylie) get a buddy or someone from here to test drive the one's you really fancy. or go pillion w. the shop guy- if the 250 can lug you and him it'll prob be sweet. I did it this way as i was too impatient to find a buddy to help me- i noticed the gear box was clunky on the test ride as a pillion- the sales dude said it was 'cause his feet were too big for the pedals and he was sort of slamming it into gear without his foot on the foot peg- but when i rode it myself the gears WERE clunky!!

[tuscan]

Mate, I was the same the first time I took a bike for a test ride...

Its pretty hard to get any experience before you've actually got a bike obviously. I don't know what dealers are like but I was lucky enough to be buying from a guy off this site and he was all good about me takin it for a spin.

Cheers Frosty!

[Twig]

Yeah, the last thing I wan't to do is take a bike for a test ride then due to my lack of experience stack it! Wouldn't that be an interesting one to try and explain!