Originally Posted by
zique
Aren't the newer 250cc bikes heavier than the older ones?Reason I ask is because I have a back problem and if my bike did fall,I know it would be a bit of a struggle lifiting it up.
Wow,seems like I got so many things to factor in.
I wish I could choose your last option but I only want to buy a bike once and keep it for a long while.So basically I shall be learning on it then using it for work and riding on weekends and the odd track day in the future when my riding skills are very good.
I wish I could say I'd a GN or Scorpio but I am someone who finds it hard to drive or ride something that doesn't particularly inspire or make me happy and excited to ride it.I've fallen for honda cbr,sadly.I love the older bikes better as I grew up watching Wayne Gardner and Mick Doohan racing to victory.
Well I'm another GRUMPY OLD BASTARD, and if you search my posts, you'll find one I started yesterday,, I dropped a bike after well over 20yrs since the last time... And like some others here, I am a 'full time' Motorcyclist, and have been since 16yrs old.
I've read your posts and the replies.... If you are determined to 'go for it' no one is going to stop you... however... There's a reason us old bastards recommend GN's, Scorpio's and the 250 twins V or parallel.
Look I'll come at this from the old farts perspective, and one of them that survived (London) as a learner in the days of, buy it, slap plates on it, ride it out the shop door, school of learning to ride. Having to be 'inspired' is going to kill or injure you. It took just a split second' of dropping full attention, and I ended up on my arse. You 'locked' up the brakes on your car.. I am not even going to sugest it was due to 'bad driving' I dont know the circumstances involved... Brakes?? There is a reason over the years the japanese only put a single disc on 250's Even the quick ones like the 250LC, X7 etc.... twin discs are easy to lock up in panic braking, and the likelyhood is you'd end up sitting on your arse, or worse. Sprot 250 (4cl and 2T) are NOT learner bikes.. regardless of what some here will say.... These bikes were produced after the biggest 250 learner market (UK) dropped the limit to 125cc in the early 1980's.. due to bikes like the LC/X7 being too fast. (and they only JUST broke the 160km barrier) A ZZR/Ninja/GPX 250 twin will exceed their top end performance << these are the 'slow bikes'.
You as a car driver have a huge learning curve to climb onto, of that I can guarantee. You in a car have no need to observe drain lids (wet) slight oil patches, the grungey crud at traffic lights, wet white lines when braking, rough surface on the road, tar snakes. patches of tar with no 'mettle'.. lumps of mud, cow shit on the road. Any one of these WILL put you on your arse.
A 250 sprot bike will out accelerate your sport car to 100kph and some.
Gn's/twins have a more 'gentle' power delivery and are far more 'forgiving' of rider error... the CBR etc are 'riders' bikes.. they were designed for experienced riders, just in NZ you still had the 250 law in force. I've ridden a few of these high performance 250's and to put it in perspective for you... I owned a kawasaki H1A-500 triple... known as the 'widowmaker' due to its 'interesting' handling characteristics and the brutal power band it had... a KR-1 250 kwack is only at most 5-8kph slower on top speed. (H1= 125mph/200 kph) the 250 honda i9s only slightly slower than that.. however, they are peaky regardless of what you get told here, they are low torque high HP for a 250, high revving and need 'riding' proprly to get the best out of them. Ridden even half competently, most performance 250's can outrun, or, give serious trouble to bigger bikes on tight twisty stuff. as has been pointed out, most 'old' 250's will hae been used and abused by a plethora of spotty faced urchins during their lifetime... just loook how many of the 'boys' have old 1990's sooobies that are dented, smoke like a chimney, but still used to the death... same kind of twat who will likely have owned the high power 250's at least once in its lifetime....
Ducatilover suggested a VTR V twin, I'd have to agree it would be a better 'learner' machine... or buy a bloody GN, learn to ride for 6 months then look at a faster 500/600cc machine. In fact something like a GB500 single... a great learner bike... XT660, DR 650, all about as 'fast' as the 250's but more flexible and used by many full licence riders for commuting and distance riding...
EGO will kill you, period. I think someone said it well in 'my' thread... you start to believe you cant do anything wrong, been at it for so long without incident.. and BINGO... how the fuck did that happen?.... when learning your highest concentration is on the TASK of riding and the peripheral information gathering is greatly reduced... and I can assure you, i do drive a car sometimes, the concentration is far less, the mental 'input' for correction, road assessment, road conditon/surface assessment, etc are nowhere near as pronounced as required on a bike.
If the road to hell is paved with good intentions; and a man is judged by his deeds and his actions, why say it's the thought that counts? -GrayWolf
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