What bike for new learner rider?

**Old Steve** · 11th February 2010, 19:17

Yeah Everlasting, I like the look of the GV250 too. Though the 2009 models in orange can stay on the showroom floor as far as I'm concerned. Hyosung should concehtrate on the two tone grey/silver and red/cream colour schemes. I think they really look like a much bigger bike, something I think I want while I'm carryiong the yellow and black "L".

**Missinglink** · 2nd March 2010, 20:27

I heard that Kymco manufactured parts or assembled parts or something for the honda Magnas for years.

They are a huge name overseas but just not here in NZ yet.

Parts are ready available theres a Kymco dealer on Beach road in the centre of Auckand city.

I would by a Kymco over a Hyosung any day. Hyosungs are crap and only good for 20'000kms.

Actually thinking about it............... I wouldn't buy a Kymco either because selling it would be to hard and probably lose to much money.

**Missinglink** · 2nd March 2010, 20:41

Hey Old Steve,

I commute on a Vl250 Intruder great bike if you can nab one within you budget.

I am 6ft and 100kg and dont think i look to stupid, looks and feels full size when your riding it.

Can haul my fat arse up to 130km as long as its not tooo windy.

And its a Suzuki so cant go wrong

**Cayman911** · 2nd March 2010, 21:04

Honda NXR 125, great looking bike. more so than the cbr 125. tough. has enough grunt and is the most easiest bike to manage. not to mention its as light as a feather.

highly recommended

**Jules13** · 4th March 2010, 19:46

Originally Posted by efp0wa

What about a 96 Honda Hornet?

IF you bought this bike you would not be dissapointed at all. I have had mine for 9 years and it handles amazingly. Am just about to sell her actually. I see you havent been on for a while, a bit like me. I have a couple of 250s that I use for different rides, do you ride with others? what size are their bikes? what sort of roads do you normally ride on? What do yo like the look of?

**Scorp** · 9th March 2010, 16:44

Hi all,

I'm newbie here on this site, and a complete novice rider. Taking my BHS in about a fortnight. Just posted on another thread that I'm thinking about the following for my first bike:

Cruiser - Yamaha Virago 250
Naked - Honda VTR 250
Sports - Kawasaki Ninja 250

I'd love to go for a Honda Hornet or a Suzuki Bandit, but there's so few of them about under 10 years old for a decent price.

At the moment I'm leaning towards the Virago because I think it combines the best of what I'm looking for in a beginner's bike. A good trainer that's easy to ride, looks good and can easily be found for under 5K. I love the look of the VTR. Great naked beginner's bike. But they're generally dearer than the Virago and harder to find. I'm considering the Ninja because all the beginner bike reviews rave about it, plus the fact that I've read several safety reports that seem to suggest faired bikes are more visible to drivers, and therefore safer. Based on some of the talk on this thread I might try the CBR125 too.

At the moment, I haven't a clue whether cruisers or sportsbikes are my thing. I love the look of them both. So my plan is to test ride all of the above and go with the one that feels the most comfortable to ride/operate.

Great site this. Really enjoying looking around.

Scorp

**Slyer** · 9th March 2010, 17:51

The VTR is definitely the best learner bike, the new ones are fuel injected and a bit nicer too. Definitely the best pick if you can afford the Honda price tag. I'd say the Ninja comes second.

**Old Steve** · 23rd March 2010, 19:48

Well, four weeks tomorrow since I got my bike - a 2005 Hyosung GV250 in burgundy and silver.

Happy? You bet, I like the lower softer seat, I feel that I will be seen on a bigger bike (and the Hyosung looks to be the biggest 250/learner bike out there), I'm getting 30 km/L in a mix of commuting and road mileage, and I paid $3200 for it with only 9000 km on the clock. I've put over 1200 km on it in the last 3 weeks and six days!

It will do 110 km/hr, but I have found I chop it down a gear going up the steeper hills and drop to 90 km/hr. I rode on the weekend's Tauranga Easter Egg Run and because I was a marshall at one of the roundabouts I had to catch up to the tail of the run and clocked 120 km/hr - albeit downhill with a tail wind.

I'm not an expert rider, but I feel confortable, stable and safe on the 'Sung, yet I can lean it over quite a bit using countersteering and have a lot of fun. There's a set of curves on the way home to and from work, an uphill left, a right, left and right again on the flat - not sharp corners but really enjoyable at about 60 to 70 km/hr.

Only four weeks on it so far, so I can't comment on reliability. But I'm happy with what I've got. We've had a fair bit of wind lately, and I think that the 'Sung with it's heavier weight is less affected by side gusts, I've just felt less threatened by them and have ridden my bike to work every day. This weekend is the Ulysees run out to the pancake place for lunch, I know I can cruise at 100 km/hr but lets see how I manage a road run and keeping up with a crowd.

**bluebird** · 24th March 2010, 16:00

For your money...a Hornet 250. had one as a loan bike while my M109 was in the shop, loved it, would buy one for commuting if I could.

**blackdog** · 24th March 2010, 16:22

Originally Posted by Missinglink

Hyosungs are crap and only good for 20'000kms.

are you retarded?

**Laxi** · 24th March 2010, 16:36

I miss my ZZR 250, was an awsome learners bike, comfortable, could handle motorway speeds, left a lot of bigger bikes for dead through twisties. the best thing was, you could change gears or accelerate while leaned into corners and she just wouldn't break lose on you. (admitedly its limit was cornering on diesel)