VTR 250 or Hornet 250: Which is best for me?

[Akzle]

you should definitely base your purchasing decisions on what it looks like.

[GrayWolf]

Here we go....
there are going to be 'supporters' in both camps. So lets deal in a few 'facts'?
You can buy up to a 660cc.... Take a serious thought of the DR50/XT660/KLR660/savage etc singles.... roughly the same performance as a 'good' 250. About 1/3 to 1/2 the RPM needed at motorway speeds. Plenty of torque and they are ALL big mileage bikes that many experienced riders have as 'the bike'.
Servicing.. more cylinders, more money, regardless of capacity. Ask at your local bike shop their A,B,C service charges for singles, twins, four's. Unless you have a service history, that 'expense' for 4 pots, will often mean they have not been correctly maintained, and whether the supporters of hornets/cbr's/jade's etc like it or not. They are getting old, and a vast number will have been owned by young Ernest Thrasher and his mates.
Running costs? Big singles will give about as good a consumption as a 250.
You could pick up a nice GS500 twin, or the Kwacker EN500... not much more power, less revs, better torque, slightly better performance and if you've been riding to 200cc? They will not be intimidating.

I have ridden the VTR and a Jade {same motor, the style before the Hornet} Both ARE nice 250's... Jade requires more 'revving', the V doesnt have the ultimate 'performance' of the 4. However on the road?? how often are you going to be 'drag racing', flat out over the tank, etc? The absolute performance then becomes less important than the style of riding, distances, personal requirement is.

[hayd3n]

Here we go....
there are going to be 'supporters' in both camps. So lets deal in a few 'facts'?
You can buy up to a 660cc.... Take a serious thought of the DR50/XT660/KLR660/savage etc singles.... roughly the same performance as a 'good' 250. About 1/3 to 1/2 the RPM needed at motorway speeds. Plenty of torque and they are ALL big mileage bikes that many experienced riders have as 'the bike'.
Servicing.. more cylinders, more money, regardless of capacity. Ask at your local bike shop their A,B,C service charges for singles, twins, four's. Unless you have a service history, that 'expense' for 4 pots, will often mean they have not been correctly maintained, and whether the supporters of hornets/cbr's/jade's etc like it or not. They are getting old, and a vast number will have been owned by young Ernest Thrasher and his mates.
Running costs? Big singles will give about as good a consumption as a 250.
You could pick up a nice GS500 twin, or the Kwacker EN500... not much more power, less revs, better torque, slightly better performance and if you've been riding to 200cc? They will not be intimidating.

I have ridden the VTR and a Jade {same motor, the style before the Hornet} Both ARE nice 250's... Jade requires more 'revving', the V doesnt have the ultimate 'performance' of the 4. However on the road?? how often are you going to be 'drag racing', flat out over the tank, etc? The absolute performance then becomes less important than the style of riding, distances, personal requirement is.

ive ridden my friends gs650 and found it very boring compared to the vtr, , i guess ive never been a singe fan,

[Engifar]

I have definitely thought about dual-sport singles such as the drz400/dr650 etc in my dreams over the years. For some reason i always seem to go back to looking at the two hondas though, even though the singles would probably suit my urban riding better with the torque. I do like the idea of a sports bike; i am a road cyclist, and i love being tucked in tight over the bars and screaming into corners downhill. Perhaps this is why my thoughts on the singles dont last that long. I guess at the end of the day it will be heart vs mind. Thanks for all the ideas though, this is going to require more thinking than i initially thought!
Also, one cannot forget the sound that 4 cylinders make at 16000 rpm...that would be half the reason i would go for a hornet alone! And yes, looks are a MAJOR part of a young man's first bike, you must all know that!

[hayd3n]

even tho mines 600cc , they look boss