Madness or genius?

**Milts** · 24th July 2010, 14:21

So I'm still on my restricted (until this December at the earliest) and ride a ZZR250. Although I'm not bored of my ZZR, I'm keen to ride as many different bikes as possible and I really like the look of 150cc two strokes. I have also seriously considered buying a bucket racer but I have no access to a trailer to take it to the track, I would need to buy some leathers (instead of codura gear), and you can only ride them once every few weeks.

As a result I'm considering buying a cheap, preferably beaten up Kawasaki KR150 or a Suzuki RG150 mostly to blast around on the weekends, and maybe find an empty carpark and spend some time on one wheel

(a skill every rider should possess...)

I would be buying with the intention of selling it possibly within 6 months (ie this summer). I should add that while I (think) I can afford it, I'm not made of money... Am I likely to have trouble selling it? Is it a waste of money and I should stick to my ZZR? Is this genius or madness?

**Rosie** · 24th July 2010, 15:00

Originally Posted by Milts

So I'm still on my restricted (until this December at the earliest) and ride a ZZR250. Although I'm not bored of my ZZR, I'm keen to ride as many different bikes as possible and I really like the look of 150cc two strokes. I have also seriously considered buying a bucket racer but I have no access to a trailer to take it to the track, I would need to buy some leathers (instead of codura gear), and you can only ride them once every few weeks.

As a result I'm considering buying a cheap, preferably beaten up Kawasaki KR150 or a Suzuki RG150 mostly to blast around on the weekends, and maybe find an empty carpark and spend some time on one wheel

(a skill every rider should possess...)

I would be buying with the intention of selling it possibly within 6 months (ie this summer). I should add that while I (think) I can afford it, I'm not made of money... Am I likely to have trouble selling it? Is it a waste of money and I should stick to my ZZR? Is this genius or madness?

I learned to ride on a KRR150, it was a cool little bike. After owning it for 18 months, eventually I sold it for only a bit less than I bought it for, but had to put up with a lot of crazy low offers for it because it was "only a 150". Selling unusual bikes to learners can be a challenge. One person wasn't prepared to spend too much on it because they figured it would have less power than their GN

**Milts** · 24th July 2010, 15:16

I guess a lot of riders on their learners don't know the difference between a two stroke and a four stroke...

What was it like to ride? There's one for sale in Wellington at the moment but it looks like it puts out about 8 HP less than the rg150?

**Gibbo89** · 24th July 2010, 16:04

Originally Posted by Milts

So I'm still on my restricted (until this December at the earliest) and ride a ZZR250. Although I'm not bored of my ZZR, I'm keen to ride as many different bikes as possible and I really like the look of 150cc two strokes. I have also seriously considered buying a bucket racer but I have no access to a trailer to take it to the track, I would need to buy some leathers (instead of codura gear), and you can only ride them once every few weeks.

As a result I'm considering buying a cheap, preferably beaten up Kawasaki KR150 or a Suzuki RG150 mostly to blast around on the weekends, and maybe find an empty carpark and spend some time on one wheel

(a skill every rider should possess...)

I would be buying with the intention of selling it possibly within 6 months (ie this summer). I should add that while I (think) I can afford it, I'm not made of money... Am I likely to have trouble selling it? Is it a waste of money and I should stick to my ZZR? Is this genius or madness?

could you drive the zzr harder? what do you want to do on the rg150 that the zzr wont do?
i'd also add the two stroke might be more temperamental than your kawasaki.

**Milts** · 24th July 2010, 16:11

Some of it is that I really really don't want to even lie my ZZR on it's side let alone drop it, because it's so heavy and I intend to sell it for mainstream money...

ZZR's are a pain to get on one wheel because they're so heavy and have such a long wheelbase. I've also taken my ZZR to the track and while you can lean it pretty far, nothing compared to the buckets I saw last sunday... but as much as all of that, I just want to try something different. I've only ridden two different bikes in my life so far, my ZZR and a 125 Yamaha which I hired for a few days overseas... more and wider experience can never be a bad thing, right?

**YellowDog** · 24th July 2010, 16:35

Originally Posted by Milts

Some of it is that I really really don't want to even lie my ZZR on it's side let alone drop it, because it's so heavy and I intend to sell it for mainstream money...

ZZR's are a pain to get on one wheel because they're so heavy and have such a long wheelbase. I've also taken my ZZR to the track and while you can lean it pretty far, nothing compared to the buckets I saw last sunday... but as much as all of that, I just want to try something different. I've only ridden two different bikes in my life so far, my ZZR and a 125 Yamaha which I hired for a few days overseas... more and wider experience can never be a bad thing, right?

Me thinks getting a bucket is a good idea. You'll pick up better skills and be able to experiement without any $$$ fears.

I transfer my 110cc learnt skills to my 1050cc bike without even thinking about it

**Milts** · 24th July 2010, 17:39

I would love to get a bucket. However, I would then also need to buy or hire a trailer, get some leathers, and I work every second sunday so would probably only get to ride it once or twice every two months. I'd probably get better value for money buying and totalling a RG.

**release_the_bees** · 24th July 2010, 20:53

I've owned two KR150s in my time and learned to ride on one of them. They are great fun to ride, and for what they are they go reasonably well if pushed.

Be warned that they are pretty expensive to run though. I used to chew through the 10 litre tank every 100 kilometres or so. My GS500 (which I owned at the same time as my last KR150) was much faster and had over twice the fuel economy. Decent two stroke oil isn't cheap either.

**JR1** · 26th July 2010, 18:51

Iv wanted to do exactly that for a while now. I think track days are guna be more likely to happen tho haha

**Milts** · 10th August 2010, 17:35

Well cheers for the information guys, I've gone and bought a late 90s KR150A for a total of $1100! Some slight damage and it needs to be reregistered, but costs less than $150 + the cost of 6 months rego and a WOF. A good deal IMO, although I would have preferred a RG150 (swaps anyone? lol)

I thought it'd be a bit slower than my ZZR especially at higher speeds, but by god it's mental! You hit the powerband, KIPS kicks in and off it goes! Faster than my ZZR between about 30 and 110 I'm pretty sure, possibly even past there. Less low end power and you have to get the gear changes exactly right, but that's all part of the fun. My biggest complaint so far is that the speedo is way off and the suspension is shit. I think with some decent tyres, suspension and brakes it could be a seriously quick bike. As it is I'd still rate it above my ZZR for fun value.

I've even managed to get the front wheel properly off the ground in a sealed off track

... now if only I could work out how to keep it up... I think a bigger empty space and 2nd gear might be easier than doing it at extremely low speed in first, but would require much more distance.

**tigertim20** · 11th August 2010, 17:00

Originally Posted by Milts

So I'm still on my restricted (until this December at the earliest) and ride a ZZR250. Although I'm not bored of my ZZR, I'm keen to ride as many different bikes as possible and I really like the look of 150cc two strokes. I have also seriously considered buying a bucket racer but I have no access to a trailer to take it to the track, I would need to buy some leathers (instead of codura gear), and you can only ride them once every few weeks.

As a result I'm considering buying a cheap, preferably beaten up Kawasaki KR150 or a Suzuki RG150 mostly to blast around on the weekends, and maybe find an empty carpark and spend some time on one wheel

(a skill every rider should possess...)

I would be buying with the intention of selling it possibly within 6 months (ie this summer). I should add that while I (think) I can afford it, I'm not made of money... Am I likely to have trouble selling it? Is it a waste of money and I should stick to my ZZR? Is this genius or madness?

So, you want a toy as well as your daily ride eh? fair enough. I have about 6 toys now..
IMO, I reckon you should just go for the 250 2 strokes. if its a toy, you may as well get the fastest toy you can. If you can afford an Aprilia RS250, there are heaps of TZR's and stuff out there, and you can pick them up for 2k quite often.
Just be prepared to do the maintenance, and if you do, you may find that you learn a shitload more about bikes and maintenance in general than you ever thought you might. The 250 strokers are great fun, kinda wish I never sold the TZR...

I expect to see some photos in a couple months of you on one wheel on a smoker!

**Milts** · 12th August 2010, 20:35

That's the one, and the toy is here! Unfortunately the 250 twosmokes were a bit beyond my budget, and on top of that I strongly suspect they could get me into serious trouble... the KR150 is more than willing to go above and beyond the speed limit as it is, let alone a 250cc RG or TZR...

As for the wheelies, it'll get the wheel up, but keeping it there is proving difficult, and after my last practice my RHS indicators have stopped working - I suspect a connection has been shaken loose. So without some serious practice or outside instruction, photos of me on one wheel may not be forthcoming. At least not without a camera with a very high shutter speed...

**release_the_bees** · 13th August 2010, 12:34

Congratulations on the purchase. I know you that you will have a lot of fun with it. One thing I will advise is getting a spare throttle cable. I went through four or five of them in the two years that I owned my last KR150.

**avgas** · 13th August 2010, 13:45

avgas is pleased with this thread.

the correct choice has been made. and the universe is now once again balanced.

**Milts** · 13th August 2010, 18:50

Originally Posted by release_the_bees

Congratulations on the purchase. I know you that you will have a lot of fun with it. One thing I will advise is getting a spare throttle cable. I went through four or five of them in the two years that I owned my last KR150.

Broke it within a week of purchase

Luckily they're only $30 a pop.