Why would you ever need more than a 250?

[Slyer]

I've only ever ridden 250's and I'm not planning on changing that until I have a full license.
I guess I don't understand the need for these large large capacity bikes.

I can see the point in a 650 twin, much more power and cruisier ride. But even then people complain that they have to rev them to "get it to go anywhere".
But christ how lazy are you guys?
Do you need all of that extra power sitting in reserve, not because you use it but because you just like it there?

Eventually I'll upgrade to a 650 twin, any bets on how long it takes me to feel the need for a 1000cc bike?

[aprilia_RS250]

REASONS WHY YOU DON'T NEED MORE THAN 250cc BIKE (Talking from a 2 stroker point of view of course and the likes of CBR250s etc)

- The joy of embarrassing the bigger bike riders who can't ride and you can with a smaller engine
- If you're slower you can easily use the excuse your engine is smaller
- 250cc bike riders are less likely to have fat girlfriends hence why they only need 250cc
- 250cc bike riders save more money (ACC fuel cost etc)
- Speed limit is 100km/h, 250cc easily ride at that speed, mine can even do 200km/h but it's unnecessary to drive anywhere near that on public roads
- You're bike is likely to be old school and much more cooler and rarer than some new I4 which looks like any other jappa.
- Powerband don't forget the powerband
- The smell from that racing 2 stroke oil
- It's temperamental, it requires care, so you appreciate it more when you give her a good ride.

Possible reasons for owning a bigger bike
-Your gf has a big arse and you need the bigger rear tyre to make "things" look more proportional
- You like spending more money on ACC, insurance, fuel, tyres etc
- You need more torque/power and straight line speed to catch up to the 250cc guy on the straight 'cos you can't ride corners

[RDjase]

REASONS WHY YOU DON'T NEED MORE THAN 250cc BIKE (Talking from a 2 stroker point of view of course and the likes of CBR250s etc)

- The joy of embarrassing the bigger bike riders who can't ride and you can with a smaller engine
- If you're slower you can easily use the excuse your engine is smaller
- 250cc bike riders are less likely to have fat girlfriends hence why they only need 250cc
- 250cc bike riders save more money (ACC fuel cost etc)
- Speed limit is 100km/h, 250cc easily ride at that speed, mine can even do 200km/h but it's unnecessary to drive anywhere near that on public roads
- You're bike is likely to be old school and much more cooler and rarer than some new I4 which looks like any other jappa.
- Powerband don't forget the powerband
- The smell from that racing 2 stroke oil
- It's temperamental, it requires care, so you appreciate it more when you give her a good ride.

Possible reasons for owning a bigger bike
-Your gf has a big arse and you need the bigger rear tyre to make "things" look more proportional
- You like spending more money on ACC, insurance, fuel, tyres etc
- You need more torque/power and straight line speed to catch up to the 250cc guy on the straight 'cos you can't ride corners

I have a 900 Duke Monster and a 1980 RD350LC road and a LC race bike,

The Duke does everthing easy, heaps of tourqe, brakes, handling etc. Probably only got half the HP of a new 1000 I4. I ride it less than the LC tho

The 2 stroke 350 is so much more fun to ride and I have done a heap of touring on it to, loaded up with pack racks and tank bags, shingle roads. have done 2 up touring as well. Dont like 2 up at any time.

I can see the arguemant/discussion from both sides

Give me a windy back road on the LC or my TZR and day, I still get bored after a couple of hours riding on roads, or 5 minutes on infested mains roads

A small bike bike on Track 2 Taupo is a blast, corner speed and blitzing "Point and Squirt" 1000 riders is great fun, then they pass you again, and you pass them, repeat this 4 times till the 1000 riders backs off as you are showing them up on a 25 to 30 year old 250/350

Straights are just the boring bit between corners

A 250 Inline 4 would drive me bonkers in 10 minutes tho, The FZR I had did, didnt do anything till 9000rpm

[imdying]

REASONS WHY YOU DON'T NEED MORE THAN
250cc BIKE (Talking from a 2 stroker point of view of course and the likes of CBR250s etc)

Well, not to rain on your parade or anything...

- The joy of embarrassing the bigger bike riders who can't ride and you can with a smaller engine

Gotta laugh when you go for a ride with a guy on a buzz bomb and they tear off thinking they're the shit. You make a nice police car buffer though, so cheers!

- If you're slower you can easily use the excuse your engine is smaller

Ride around all the time with the attitude that it's a race and of course you're going to need excuses

- 250cc bike riders are less likely to have fat girlfriends hence why they only need 250cc

lol what?

- 250cc bike riders save more money (ACC fuel cost etc)

I'd wager a fireblade would use less gas/oil over 1000kms than an RS250

- Speed limit is 100km/h, 250cc easily ride at that speed, mine can even do 200km/h but it's unnecessary to drive anywhere near that on public roads

Contrary to the rest of your post... fail

- You're bike is likely to be old school and much more cooler and rarer than some new I4 which looks like any other jappa.

Rarer? I've seen a lot less new blades than I have RS250s.

- Powerband don't forget the powerband

Every engine has a powerband....

- The smell from that racing 2 stroke oil

No argument there. Worth the price of ownership in itself

- It's temperamental, it requires care, so you appreciate it more when you give her a good ride.

Errr, that's not really a good thing... On a 2 stroke, it's acceptable though.

When you get a bit older, you too will realise that you don't have to justify your choice of bike to anyone. I have an RGV which I love to bits, but realistically, it's not a patch on a new thou for 99% of situations. Some days you're in the rape it constantly zone, but generally not. I have a friend with a heavily modified NSR300, and it's pretty quick, but it's irritating having to plan a journey around its fuel stops.

[RDjase]

I'd wager a fireblade would use less gas/oil over 1000kms than an RS250

When you get a bit older, you too will realise that you don't have to justify your choice of bike to anyone. I have an RGV which I love to bits, but realistically, it's not a patch on a new thou for 99% of situations. Some days you're in the rape it constantly zone, but generally not. I have a friend with a heavily modified NSR300, and it's pretty quick, but it's irritating having to plan a journey around its fuel stops.

Forgot fuel consumption, My 2T's love the stuff.

Rode back from wellington with a GS1000 and a 999 Duke, gased up in welly then at Linton? Same distance riden, Duke used $9, GS1000 used $10ish, My LC used $13. and we wernt fanging it.

[aprilia_RS250]

Contrary to the rest of your post... fail

Not contrary really, I never speed at ridiculous speeds on straight roads but I like going fast around the twisties. At times you end up going faster than the bigger bikes because you're more maneuverable and lighter, then they catch up to you by doing 150+ on straights so I find it bigger bikes are more likely to get cop's attention.

As for fuel consumption Rs250 vs blade I seriously doubt it. My bike is on par with 600s, we each have a look at how much we fill at petrol stations.

As for new blades, the reason you don't see many of those is because they're butt ugly with that flat nose, why spend 20k on something that looks like a bulldog taking a shit...

[imdying]

As for fuel consumption Rs250 vs blade I seriously doubt it. My bike is on par with 600s, we each have a look at how much we fill at petrol stations.

You're living in a dream world. Besides which, the 600s are chewing up $20 a litre oil at the same time. You can bullshit all you like, but I've one of each and I know what the real deal is

[aprilia_RS250]

Well if you count in 2T oil which you only have to refill ~1000km then you have to take into consideration the extra ACC levy you have to pay for owning a 600cc which a 250cc 2T bike can keep up with.

But seriously how often would you put down all the power of a 1000cc superbike on the road?

Every time you show-off to that skyline at the lights?
Every time you need to overtake?
Every time you decide to be doing 250km/h on public roads?

[imdying]

The ACC levy doesn't mean much to me, I have multiple bikes and I do enough miles that if pales into insignificance. Not sure what your fascination with using the road like a race track is?

[aprilia_RS250]

The ACC levy doesn't mean much to me, I have multiple bikes and I do enough miles that if pales into insignificance. Not sure what your fascination with using the road like a race track is?

I don't think of the road as a race track.

Question was why would you need more than 250cc for bike.

My opinion is you don't need more than 250cc in unless you live in Germany, race track or somewhere where there is no speed limit where you can really open the bike up because a 250cc can pretty much do anything a 1000cc apart from go really really fast.

As impractical as a 1000cc superbike may be for NZ roads they're still very cool because they're powerful and fast. I can't see any other reason for owning one otherwise.

[onearmedbandit]

I don't think of the road as a race track.

Question was why would you need more than 250cc for bike.

My opinion is you don't need more than 250cc in unless you live in Germany, race track or somewhere where there is no speed limit where you can really open the bike up because a 250cc can pretty much do anything a 1000cc apart from go really really fast.

As impractical as a 1000cc superbike may be for NZ roads they're still very cool because they're powerful and fast. I can't see any other reason for owning one otherwise.

Can your RS250 overtake in 6th gear at 90km/h safely? Sure my bike, thrashed, is too much for the road. But it's fast and flexible. Whereas yours is just fast.

[imdying]

I don't think of the road as a race track.

Well the only way you'll 'take down a big bike' on twisty piece of road is to totally commit to the job at hand. That robs you of your ability to compensate for the unexpected. Fine on a track where it's unlikely to matter, a recepie for eating a tractor on the road.

But that is both the folly and attraction of a 2 stroke 250 IME... on the one hand, you have to rape it to get anywhere which takes a lot of your concentration, but on the other, it's that total commitment to extracting the most from your bike that makes it a total pleasure (when you're in the mood).

Question was why would you need more than 250cc for bike.

Indeed!

My opinion is you don't need more than 250cc in unless you live in Germany, race track or somewhere where there is no speed limit where you can really open the bike up because a 250cc can pretty much do anything a 1000cc apart from go really really fast.

Pass cars in top by giving the wrist a little twist? It's nice to be able to concentrate on the pass, and not getting the bike to pass. Doesn't matter for the first 20 bikes, but when you've ridden 400kms beforehand, easy passing takes a lot of the irritation of riding a small bike away. Brutal torque anywhere in the RPM range never gets old

As impractical as a 1000cc superbike may be for NZ roads they're still very cool because they're powerful and fast. I can't see any other reason for owning one otherwise.

Cool, powerful, fast... how more many reasons do you need!

Remember, you don't actually have to ride flat out to enjoy a bike on the road! (yeah crazy concept I know but there ya go)


Neither type is superior to the other, they both have their uses. So why would you ever need more than a 250:

- Taking a pillion: In general bigger bikes have more torque and more physical room
- Touring: For one, caning a buzz bomb gets old after a few hours in the saddle, and for another, you know how much 250 strokes like sitting at the same RPM for an hour (not)
- Relaxation: Being able to pass anything else on the road with a mere twist of the wrist is a lot more relaxing than having to plan your attack
- Safety: You're not always having to plan how you're going to work around the bikes faults (like a lack of bottom end), so you can concentrate on the road better. You never have to go like a bat out of hell to catch the group; if you want to catch them up, you just do it. Sure you can beat on it and do a million mile an hour, but that's only one of their many tricks

Personally I think everyone should have one of both, the 250 two stroke is too much of a hoot not to have experienced one! I love my RGV, but a ride to Greymouth or Nelson on it? No thanks, I'll take one of the thous.

[Smifffy]

So now, you're saying that a 250 is a "Proper bike"?

Do you just make half-arsed statements for giggles or what?

Going back to a 250 now are you?

What will tomorrow's hare-brained scheme be I wonder.

[Gremlin]

because a 250cc can pretty much do anything a 1000cc apart from go really really fast.

Your list of requirements must be tiny. Tell you what. You go get your favourite 250, I'll load it with say, 30-40kg of luggage, you throw a pillion on, and then we'll tootle off for a nice trip around the island for 7 days. We'll cover several hundred kilometres a day, seeing the beauty the country has.

Alternatively, drop the pillion, keep the gear, and do two weeks around both islands, cruising at an average of 90kph odd, including stops. My current steed for example, we'll do 4+ hours without a single stop. End of the day we'll cover over 1000km, and still be happy to do it again the next day.

Pretty much anything?

[ducatilover]

CBR250RR lap times around pukekohe are about the same as stockish jappers if you have a good rider onboard like Vtec or someone.

A ZXR/CBR will whoop any turbo car to the legal speed limit and do the 400m in mid to low 14 seconds with a good rider (not shitty meremere strip) ... you'd be hard pressed to get under 15 with a stock japper I'm sorry.

I agree with you if you are talking about the average scenario but the difference all lies in rider ability. Also rider weight is a huge factor with these bikes.

I will wager plenty of money that a DC2 type R Integra will beat a well riden 250 4 stroke around puke, a DC2 will do a 14.7 out of the box, and it has no turbo. A CM5A GSR Shitsubitzi for example, will do 14.7-9 depending on how agressive the driver is and the temp on the day. Any model Evo or STi (before it runs a bearing) will deal to a 250 off the line.
My gutless 400 is faster than a CBR250, and I think it's slower than a wet week. Torque is a nice thing and I miss the torque of my 650.

Correct. Absolutely stock S15 200 SX Six speed. Stock wheels, exhaust, intake, everything. My first drive at a dragstrip (and the Masterton Motorplex is hardly a drag strip) and I ran 14.2.

14.2 is a very tidy time for an S15 in NZ, considering the usual lack of VHT at the motorplex.

well they possibly rule the 250 size, but I'll stick with my 647 just the same, you just can't go wrong with a honda v-twin

Damn straight, passing up hills in 6th while drinking a coffee and touching females in greasy spots, not even at half throttle. That's how life should be. I need VTR thou.

Quoted 1/4 mile time for the S15 6spd Turbo is 13.8. I reckon it would take a good driver to replicate this, but it would take an amazing rider to beat one on a 250

http://japan-used-car-exporting.info...tion-page.html


And around town? A cyclist could beat a car around town. And to 100km/h? About the same sorry, a good Jap turbo will do it in mid 5's, a fast one in high 4's. Quoted times for the CBR250RR is around 5.3-5.5 seconds.

I have had a scuffle on the desert road on an MC22 vs an S14 turbo, the MC22 was quicker up to 1xxkm/h and I know I had more fun, but, I was fucked when I got home, Aucks to the Manawatu on a CBR250... horrid. Only fun for a thrash, and it wasn't good on gas for a 250 either.