Another biker on the road (alastabesta)

[alastabesta]

hey all,
been a while since I passed the handling test, but finally decided to sit the theory yesterday and it was alright

now looking at learner bikes... at the moment have my eyes set on aprilia rs250 / honda cbr250rr / honda nsr250

as a learner, are these bikes good value for money? I'm looking for a sports bike and will keep the same bike for around 3-5 years (knowing its taken me 1 year to get my learners, I know it'll take another 2 years before i get my full lol). The bikes will be used mainly for 50km areas with the occasional highways. I don't really know much about bikes and have only chose those bikes by their outside looks + friend's recommendations. for a newbie biker, are these bikes easy to learn on? I'm also curious as to the running costs and maintenance costs for the bikes (never had one in my life)

cheers and hopefully will be able to ride with you fellas soon
Andee

[MyGSXF:Me]

hey all, been a while since I passed the handling test, but finally decided to sit the theory yesterday and it was alright

YEEEFERKINHAAAAA!! good shit!!! CONGRATS dude!

Jen

[Gremlin]

*sigh*.... you do NOT want the rs250 as a learners bike... it may look cool, but it is the fastest, and has killed other learners (not trying to scare you, just fact) If you have zero experience of bikes, the nsr250 is probably not very good either (one of the quicker ones too), and both the above are 2 stroke, which tends to make them less reliable (if you are not mechanically minded)

Do bear in mind that a sports bike (while it looks cool) is going to be more expensive, if you crash or drop it (fairings are expensive). You will not keep the bike forever, so perhaps once you are more experienced with handling bikes, you could get something with a fairing?

Sportsbikes... could be cbr250rr, zxr250, zzr250, gpx250, gsxr250, gsx250, I don't think I can even name them all (and those are only the 4 stroke ones)

Naked, (no fairings), I know the vtr250 is highly recommended, bandit... urrr... don't know many...

Please have a read of the forums, you will find a lot of threads of people that have been in EXACTLY the same position as you. People don't tend to re-type the same thing over and over, so to gain the info, read the other threads...

edit: here's a thread to give you an idea on bikes... there will be heaps like it

[Sparky Bills]

As a first bike, keep to 4stroke. That way you may stay upright for a bit longer.

Im amazed that learner riders are allowed to ride 250 2strokes! They are lethal! ( but amazingly fun!!! )

I suggest you ride them, and see what style you like best.

Personally, you cant go wrong with a CBR250. Fast enough, great handling, plenty of ground clearance, good brakes, fuel efficient...the list goes on.

Happy riding.

[alastabesta]

thanks for the heads up guys, think I'll stick to CBR250s for a while... not prepared to die just yet lol
and thanks for the info on "search"... there are tonnes of threads out there

[Finn]

That was easy.

[Terminated]

hey all, been a while since I passed the handling test, but finally decided to sit the theory yesterday and it was alright

The bikes will be used mainly for 50km areas with the occasional highways.

I'm also curious as to the running costs and maintenance costs for the bikes (never had one in my life)

Andee

Gidday Andee

Congratulations, ahead of you now are lots of decisions, not only what protective gear and bike to buy, but also where to practise and with whom [Mentor] to review your progress periodically.

You have taken your time from the BHS the theory test, take your time in
all the steps ahead of you.

If the bulk of your time is in the 50km area vigilance is your friend, and there will be no room for complacency. While I would not expect all to approach their new found pleasure in riding a motorbike and practising the way I have and continue to do, I do nevertheless offer this link to you as a 'heads up and enjoy'

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=30010

With the costs associated with the motorbike, talk to the dealerships and ask them about 1000, 6000, and 12,000km service intervals and associated costs. Also seriously think about doing a bike maintenance course, as it will give you another appreciation of the your new interest.

I see you are under 25 so the Full Licence will take a while to secure. You may be best served to try for a 'good' second hand 250 or splash out and get an economical new GN250 and perhaps sell or trade that at say 8mths or 12mths and go for the new bikes coming on eg Kawasaki and Honda 250's.

Once again enjoy your new found pleasure. And, do seek out a Mentor in your region, it will be one of your more important decisions.

Heads Up and Enjoy

[Swoop]

Welcome to KB. Good advice above ^^^.

[gijoe1313]

Howdy there, glad to see you joining the ranks of those who love to ride two wheels of freedom - looks like you got a whole passel of good advice already. So I'm just going to use my jedi mind powers and say ....

Honda Hornet ... You know you want to be part of the swarm!

[andrea]

hey yeah hi whats up, welcome to kb, posts some pics when you get your bike

[Animal]

now looking at learner bikes... at the moment have my eyes set on aprilia rs250 / honda cbr250rr / honda nsr250

Oh hell no, not another kamikaze pilot...

Mate, the RS is NOT a learners bike, and the NSR is NOT a good choice for a learners bike. The former is a serious weapon, and I'm sorry to be blunt but you're likely to kill yourself on it in no time. The latter is only marginally less of a weapon, so you'll kill yourself in a little more time.

Be realistic. You're new to this, and if your experience is well below your ambitions. Get a four-stroke, one that is comfortable to ride and learn on, and upgrade to something faster when your capabilities catch up with your enthusiasm.

We've had enough carnage this year already.