Info on 89 ZXR250A

[MrMelon]

Hi,

I'm pretty new to bikes.. just got my license a couple of months ago, and the running/maintenance costs of my car are just getting to be too much, so I'm looking for a first bike to start out on.

I've been offered an 89 zxr250A from a guy from work, for what I think is a pretty decent price. The fairing is a bit scraped up, but he says it's mechanically sound.

What are the differences between the zxr250a/b/c's?

It's done 50,000km's.. he says the following things are wrong with it:

His mech says it needs new plugs and the valve clearances adjusted. (occasionally splutters on a long ride, gets over it eventually). Service schedule says these should be done at 50k.
LHS fork seal will need doing again at some stage, I saw a drip mark in my garage, probably OK unless you want to park it in your lounge.
The battery isn't the best. Goes flat after a week standing.


I'm about 167cm tall, and 70kg.. I've heard these bikes are quite tall. Does anyone around that size have one of these bikes? I don't want it to be too much of a pain in the ass to ride if it's got such a high center of gravity that it'll try to fall over all the time.

Is there anything else about these bikes that commonly goes wrong, or are they a pretty reliable bike for a learner?

cheers.

[Coldkiwi]

Gidday,

I'm actually trying to sell my ZXR250A at the moment so I can probably answer some questions (and plug my bike too! haha)

I have no idea about model differences although i THINK the major aesthetic difference between the A and b and c variants was the headlight arrangment went from 2 rounds to 1 large.

I'd be a bit worried about the fork seals. being upside down forks if you get a leak it doesn't take much to get some on the brake discs which ain't such a great thing!

Sealed batteries are about $120 for zxr250's

I'm about 176 and 65kg (before easter anyway) and I had no problems with it. My g/f tried it on the weekend and struggled but shes only 5"2! I doubt you'd have issues with it.

personally i think they kick ass. If you get one with a sporty muffler (like mine) you get lots of people looking at them

Incidentally (yeah right!), I'm selling mine

89 ZXR250A

Black with gold trim. Mint paintwork. Tinted screen

Matched Pirelli Dragons with plenty of life left in them

Recent brake pads, chain and sprockets and oil filter/oil

New Clutch

best of all its got a DID pipe which gets heads turning

As for whats wrong, it needs a new cam chain tensioner (which I'll be doing shortly) and I need to get the ignition barrel replaced after some theiving prick ripped it out before trying and failing to nick it.

Its done 93,000 k's but hasn't given me any trouble at all since I've had it.

call me on 021-537-473 or 537 6334 A/h if you're interested.

 

Best of luck with the bikes!

 

[MrMelon]

cool, thanks

I'll try and go out and take a look at it, and maybe go for a bit of a ride around on it tonight (i've never ridden anything other than the gp125 that I sat my license on..)

The fairing's supposed to be a bit scratched, but for $1k you can't really go all that wrong I spose

[merv]

Others on this forum may disagree with me, but you started off by saying the running costs of your car were getting to be too much. In my experience on a km for km basis the car will always be cheaper and bikes are really for us to have fun on. Unless your car is some expensive to run super model that is what I would say. Think about it, the small amount you might save on fuel is chewed up by the cost of spares when servicing, tyres (go about 20% of what a car does and two cost about the price of 4 car tyres), chain (car doesn't need one), insurance etc etc. I admitted to myself long ago the bikes are for fun and are an expensive hobby. They are not cheap transport.

However, don't let me put you off, buy the bike you will love it, but don't think you are going to save money, be prepared for the costs.

[MrMelon]

I've got a high powered modified turbo skyline that's an absolute shocker on gas (lucky to get 8km per litre if i'm taking it easy)

It's only going to cost me more in turbo/injector/ecu upgrades to get the performance I'm happy with out of it.. so I'd prefer to have more fun on a bike that's 10x cheaper than the car..

The car's not a commuter.. strictly a weekend toy, so i've got no problem replacing it with a bike.

Parking costs for the car are pretty bad living in central wellington, but I can get a free park for a bike.

[Coldkiwi]

aye.. start factoring parking costs in and bikes really start looking economical!

You'll  be happy to find that the ZXR's can beat a vast majority of cars off the mark if ridden reasonably. :bigthumb:Sadly though, I've yet to find a boy racer with an ego that needs squashing since I got the 600!! My flat mate (ex twin turbo supra) reliably informs me that he would have ago at a 250 but wouldn't even contemplate trying it on a 600 (of course, there's plenty of fools that would.. I just haven't found them yet!)

damn I love bikes!

[Redstar]

The fork seals can be a major if the crome is pitted? little black spots on the inside of the legs if they are pitted you may have to replace them? and decent secondhand ones are like hens teeth.
if they are slightly pitted you can. rub them down with very fine wet and dry wash with white sprit and smear aradite glue over the pits rub down and polish that should be done straight after the seal change it should give about 10k before you need to do it again. Spectrum will do the seals for $120.
I have to argue with the running cost if you fit a quality chain and hard wearing tyres Bridgestones you will be getting at least 5 litres to the 100k on the 250 so long as you stay around the legal limit and thats got to be cheaper than any car to run? the zxr250 is a great bike and the fastest 250 by far.
Cheers

[Coldkiwi]

I agree but disagree Red!

On the economics:- for performance, if I were to ride my 250 like I drove a car (i..e same acceleration as opposed to bat out of hell and resultant tyre/brake wear through corners) and didn't pay for parking etc. I reckon the bike will be alot cheaper! As for chains, quality chains pay themselves off by going through less sprockets and chains

I have often wondered if the ZXR's are quicker than a CBR RR? I've thought not? and certainly slower than an RGV or RS..but they don't count :P Mind you, i don't think i ever had a drag race with a RR, RGV, RS in the whole time I've ridden the ZXR. And if you really want to smoke people just hold your tongue till you get the full licence and move on up to 600's or litre bikes... or marine turbined beasts!!! HO HO HO!

 

[Kwaka-Kid]

Hey there Melon - Its LoGo from AQ2 etc here

Now whoever mentioned the cars being more economic thing has a point, and a had one to argue, im not sure, because there are so many differnt angles u can look @ it from, but for sure my old 1985 Honda CB250RS has to be the cheapest damn thing on the street aside from a CT110   - but then again it runs on crossplys not radials etc etc...  Ive only recently enterrd the world of "performance" motorcycles as opposed to my commuters, or at least comparitivly speaking these days they are just commuters :P and have found that the rate they eat throught those radials is just crazy! and then the price they want you to pay is worse! i am not trying to put u off bikes, and fully reckon u shud do the switch, just saying bare that in mind.

and lastly whoever said that Fork oil on brakepads is not too good, hasnt experienced it :P Ive done it heaps and it all just adds to the fun of ridding that bike :P haha.

-lastly Melon You ought talk to Xyster/Code (if u ever do) as they are both keen on bikes and atm i think xyster has been looking @  a few CBR250RR's, get an idea of prices etc.. i heard him talking of a '91 CBR250RR for like 6 grand! thats criminal if you ask me, what are bike dealers thinking

[Andrew]

dood, ur so right!

I've been looking to upgrade from my RGV150 to a heavier bike. i.e, one that doesn't get airborne if you do over 120kph!

So I've been looking around all the bike yards, Colemans, Holeshot, Mt Eden, Red Baron etc, and absolutley nothing in my price range ($3k-$4k). It seems that all the bikes i look at (GSXR, CBR, FZR, ZXR. ZZR) are all late 80's with like 10,000k'ms on the clock - if you can believe it!! They're all imports from Japan and range between $5.5 - $6k.


Might aswell buy one brand new one for an extra grand!!

[twistymover]

Have you looked in the m/bike shop on the corner of Mt. Eden Rd. and Boston Rd?They sell just second hand bikes. Another s/hand only place is at the top on the corner of Des Swann Rd. and Barrys Point Rd. Come off the m/way at Barrys Pt Rd., and it's the first side street on the left.

[SPman]

That would be Mt Eden Motorcycles and Spectrum

[Gixxer]

hey Coldkiwi, if the boy racers don't have the Ego, look out for those idiots in the yuppy audi, mercs and bema's, they are all ego and think there cars can beat anything. always good the put them in there place.

MrMelon, I think $1 k is a damn good price to pay, I paid $4 k for mine, great bike and served me well, watch out for the rear suspension, mine went and I took it to spectrum and the guys there refered me to a dude in wairau rd who said it was a common problem with the bike and not to bother getting a new fatory one as they are crap and i was better off paying 100 bucks and get a 2nd hand one.

check the rear disc to see how much life is left, the rear disc are about $500 each, and real hard (near impossible) to get 2nd hand. I was lucky that the dudes from Spectrum keeped and eye out for my and scored one from action wreakers, I called all over NZL and started looking in OZ as I failed my warrent.

not too sure on fork seals sorry dude.

easy to maintain and damn fun bike. you will be lucky to find a 250 bike like the zxr and cbr for that price.

good luck man

[MrMelon]

Well I took it for a ride last night.. it was the first proper bike that I've ever ridden, so I was planning on taking it pretty easy, but it was really easy to ride and heaps of fun too.

It seemed to be the right size for me, and was quicker than I was expecting it to be.. that 18k redline is kinda fun too

I'll probably buy it this weekend, so I'll be needing a helmet/pants/jacket

Anyone know of any of these going cheap, or have any recommendations?

cheers

[Kwaka-Kid]

Originally posted by MrMelon
helmet/pants/jacket

Cheapest poss/got old levi's?/gotta denim one? or buy a 2nd hand oldskooll leather one cheap

or at least thats how i do it - otehrs might disagree... no wait on, they wil lall definatly disagree :P     The trick is dude, and keep this quiet... *whispers* "Just dont crash"   and ur all set!

Well melon, oh darn, u down welly aint ya? hmm, was just going to say ill go out on a ride with ya whenever, but anyways, Wkid_1 has just moved down those ways, and hes always keen when ur up for a Tiki Tour around the highways

Anyways man good luck, get that fork sorted as being new to riding bikes, somthing like fork oil on ur front brakes isnt going to be a fun experience, and just keep yaself outta harms way