Im talking CBR/ZXR/FZR here, and probably the two smokers too, but i havent ridden a 250 two smoker so cant comment on them.
Anyway, i took out a ZXR250C today after riding my 100hp R6 for the last year... ahhh memories!
She took a while to warm up, but thats ok because i had to adjust myself and my riding to the different handling and not so good brakes. After that it was all fun and games.
I was told to take it for a ride to see how it felt and see if there was anything that needed attention (brakes were quite obvious) and also to 'go for as long as i wanted'.
Well i couldnt be assed going up to Albany to play in the short twisties in the back roads so i thought feck it, and went down into the Albany Industrial Area around Bush road etc where i used to work. The road surface in this area is approx 8 years old and is similar to the stuff laid on Taupo racetrack. I scouted out a short 'circuit' that had no traffic on it and that i could ride around with little interuption/good view of adjoining roads so i have time to stop if need be.
Anyway, i spent about 10minutes doing laps of the 'circuit' putting the ZXR through its paces and i can say without a doubt its got to be the most fun i've had on a bike in quite a while. It was pure enjoyment... not scary or a massive adrenalin rush like on the R6 but just good old time fun. The bike had bigger balls than i remember my old ZXR having, and handled about the same if not better but with the brakes needing attention i was hesitant to leave the braking til too late.
What can i say, i thoroughly enjoyed the half hour or so i spent on the little beast. Better condition tyres and brakes would have made it that more fun but i was quite content with the slower pace i was doing as it wasnt my bike, and it was a public area with a 50kmh speed limit which i wasnt exactly sticking too.
To be honest the only thing that i missed from my R6 was not being able to lift the front wheel under acceleration or with a bit of clutch abuse. The power output and speeds attainable on the little 250's is under-rated. Now that I have experience on a 'big bike' I can say that 250s are more than adequate and that spending more time on one isn't as bad as some people have made out. Yes i love my R6, and the way i ride it gives me a massive buzz, but if i could still have a ZXR250 on the side I would do.
I think that people saying that they are too good a rider or tired of the 250 power output are generally talking shit. I currently only know of two or three riders that ride their 250's near the edge of its performance handling wise, and if you are an aspiring racer then until you are consistently pushing the limits of a 250 then you still have a lot of power to play with.
I do not condone copying what i did today, nor do i advise or recommend that you do the same. There is a time and a place for everything and if you get caught doing it on the road then expect to be punished accordingly.
What i wanted to get at is that the 'little' bikes are really quite a piece of engineering excellence. To be 15+ years old and still doing what they do is quite amazing. Don't discount your bikes ability, i know i was nowhere near the performance abilities of the bike i rode today, but there is a lot of fun to be had on a 250 and i reckon that those on their learner/restricted licences should be thankful for what they have been given and enjoy every moment of it until the time comes that they are able to ride a big bike on their full licence.
So all you 250 riders bitching about wanting a bigger bike get out there and ride your 250, enjoy it and remember it, because when you get on to a bigger bike its a totally different ball game, and you might not enjoy it quite the same.
Take it easy out there and stay within your limits. Small steps at a time will help you ride faster - not big leaps, you all progress at a different rate and the second you get ahead of YOURSELF is the second that you will end up in a ditch. Ride safe and wear the gear.
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Originally Posted by R6_kid
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