Which bike for beginner?

[BlackMDK]

Thanks very much for replays. To be honest I would buy that Lifan if it would be $1000 but on the end it was sold for over a $2000 and for that money I can get much better bike. I noticed there are some presumptions about my budget; I did not set the budge at this point. I was thinking to buy some cheap bike so I would not be sorry if I damage it and also if I don’t like it would not me much of a loss. All I need is something to learn on and then move on to something that I like (hopefully by that time I will know what I want) after all is only for about 9 months until I get my full license.

[Insanity_rules]

Ride as many as you can get a leg over, that'll help you decide. Oh ever heard the expression "goes like a chinese motorcycle" before?

[breakaway]

Personally I don't like the look of crusiers, so I bought an RG150 to learn on, best decision I ever made. Has a good amount of power (for a beginner), and best of all it was quite cheap.

[Smorg]

Im gonna say CBR400 I would have loved to learn on one of these, enough power to keep you interested but not enough to get you into the poo (unless your a retard) may not be legal but not much is these days.

[Boob Johnson]

Thanks very much for replays. To be honest I would buy that Lifan if it would be $1000 but on the end it was sold for over a $2000 and for that money I can get much better bike. I noticed there are some presumptions about my budget; I did not set the budge at this point. I was thinking to buy some cheap bike so I would not be sorry if I damage it and also if I don’t like it would not me much of a loss. All I need is something to learn on and then move on to something that I like (hopefully by that time I will know what I want) after all is only for about 9 months until I get my full license.

If you are thinking around the $1000 mark then expect to spend money on it in the near future, expect maintenance costs, maybe enough to cost the same as a good one in the first place


Thats the conclusion I came to after looking around at what $1000 would buy.

Half the challenge with the 250 market is that its artificially inflated due to our licensing restrictions. This as you may or may not have noticed has 250cc bikes at a premium on the 2nd hand market compared to bigger cc bikes.


$1000 = a pretty rough 250cc (cruiser) bike that will HIGHLY likely need more $$$ spent on it while you own it.


$1500 will get you a reasonable bike


And $2000 will get you a very well looked after model with low mileage.


Aint no such thing as a free lunch

[Steam]

Aint no such thing as a free lunch...

If you are thinking around the $1000 mark then expect to spend money on it in the near future, expect maintenance costs, maybe enough to cost the same as a good one in the first place

I disagree, you can get free lunch bikes, you just have to wait wait wait, go look at a lot, and keep your eyes open. I got my first two bikes for great prices, a steal really, about half of what they should have gone for. They were both in excellent condition and less than $1000.
Bargain-hunting is all about waiting and not getting attached or excited.

[Boob Johnson]

For sure, there is always the exception to the rule. Im a real bargin hunter myself but finding these deals IS the exception. You have to know what your on about or you can get caught out......big time.


As the saying goes...........with knowledge comes power........with a small amount comes danger


No offence to MDK but he/she doesn't strike me as the type of person who should be capable of sniffing out a bargin bike unless they had the appropriate help. I could be wrong of course but thats the impression ive got from this thread.

[BlackMDK]

No offence taken, but don’t discard me that fast I have fair mechanical knowledge and I worked in body shop for a while so I'm on a lookout for bargain. The whole lifan saga was only while it looked it will go for a $1000 no matter what all you say a new bike for that money will do the job it only needs to last couple of months, anyway it is gone now . I don’t know much about what a good secondhand bike is or where to look for one but I will get there. Reading threads and gathering information and ideas is first step.

[McJim]

Personally I don't like the look of crusiers, so I bought an RG150 to learn on, best decision I ever made. Has a good amount of power (for a beginner), and best of all it was quite cheap.

Good amount of power for a beginner? I've heard of people fiddling with them and putting them on a dyno and showing 37hp AT THE BACK WHEEL. for a bike weighing about 140kg (128kg Dry weight Blah blah) that is a shitload for a little bike.

Oh - and as well as my VTR being for sale I know of a bloke seling a cosmetically beat up (mechanically still good) FXR150 and another bloke selling a RG150 (with recent top end rebuild) so if you're interested send me a PM and I'll let you know their contact details.

[skidMark]

Oi you young man...... the cruiser is not a death trap..... and I can see way ahead of me in traffic when I'm riding my VIRAGO and they are really comfy sitting on them with your feet forward. Just like sitting on a comfy chair.

So you wont get to sit on my bike again.....



BlackMDK - Yep the VIRAGO are approx $4grand second hand to buy but in saying that, they do hold their value and price.


But since you dont have much money, buy a GN250 or the FXR150 as both are also ideal to learn to ride on.

But do also go into the bike shops and sit on all the 250's there to check out which bike is the one for you. Size and comfort wise.

viragos are pieces of crap, too easy to lock the front wheel which isn't good when you want to stop in a hurry,

go for a sportsbike, because if you learn on a cruiser it's hard to learn countersteering etc, and then you hop on a sportsbike as i discovered and go oh crap throw everything i know about cornering a bike out the window,

get either an fxr150 or a zxr250,

fxr is more in the pricerange of the lifans , but a much better bike , they will do 140 kph are cheap on gas have very good brakes, and are smooth through the power no sudden powerbands to worry about which you can get with some 4 strokes. they are not strong but when you are new can be a little off putting.

i used to work for lifan NZ for 2 years, assembling them and fixing them , and selling also.

they are rubbish, the exhausts break, frames snap , they vibrate like crazy , they are extremely slow, and the weld quality is extremely poor.

do not touch them.

take it from somebody who knows.

get an fxr150 i say , cheap on gas cheap for parts if you do lay it down and they handle like a proper sports bike ( i used to race one)

hope that helps.

oh and also don't go near gn250's they are underpowered and suzuki nz is going to stop bringing them in, as they goto america first and sit on the shelf so long the chrome is rusty by the time they get here because it's cheap chrome.

cheers : SM

[crashe]

viragos are pieces of crap, too easy to lock the front wheel which isn't good when you want to stop in a hurry,

go for a sportsbike, because if you learn on a cruiser it's hard to learn countersteering etc, and then you hop on a sportsbike as i discovered and go oh crap throw everything i know about cornering a bike out the window,

get either an fxr150 or a zxr250,

fxr is more in the pricerange of the lifans , but a much better bike , they will do 140 kph are cheap on gas have very good brakes, and are smooth through the power no sudden powerbands to worry about which you can get with some 4 strokes. they are not strong but when you are new can be a little off putting.

i used to work for lifan NZ for 2 years, assembling them and fixing them , and selling also.

they are rubbish, the exhausts break, frames snap , they vibrate like crazy , they are extremely slow, and the weld quality is extremely poor.

do not touch them.

take it from somebody who knows.

get an fxr150 i say , cheap on gas cheap for parts if you do lay it down and they handle like a proper sports bike ( i used to race one)

hope that helps.

oh and also don't go near gn250's they are underpowered and suzuki nz is going to stop bringing them in, as they goto america first and sit on the shelf so long the chrome is rusty by the time they get here because it's cheap chrome.

cheers : SM

Mark - very serious question for you here.

When did or have you ever ridden a Yamaha VIRAGO 250cc bike?

Yep you have ridden a Lifan..... but that is not a VIRAGO.
They are two very different types of bikes.
The Lifan you owned was/is like a pitbike.


Oh as to your comment re the front wheel locking up.......Bollocks.
As you know Mark I have ridden and owned my VIRAGO for 7 years.
On many occassions I have had to pull on the brakes hard and fast due to some idiot in a vehicle...... and NOT once has my front wheel ever locked up in the way you describe.

Your comment re the GN250 - This is very interesting comment.
When you once owned one and always went on about how great it was and what you could do with your one.... and how you went to all that trouble to give it that red paint job. Now you are rubbishing them.

They are also a great learner bike for someone to learn on.... sure the new ones rust fairly quick and the older ones seem to be more reliable....BUT they are a great bike to learn to ride on.

But you know it all comes down to what a rider likes to ride.....
A sportsbike, a cruiser, a adventure duel bike or a tourer bike.
There are many great learner bikes in each bike catagory.

Do NOT rubbish a Yamaha VIRAGO unless you have ever ridden one and owned one.

[skidMark]

Mark - very serious question for you here.

When did or have you ever ridden a Yamaha VIRAGO 250cc bike?

Yep you have ridden a Lifan..... but that is not a VIRAGO.
They are two very different types of bikes.
The Lifan you owned was/is like a pitbike.


Oh as to your comment re the front wheel locking up.......Bollocks.
As you know Mark I have ridden and owned my VIRAGO for 7 years.
On many occassions I have had to pull on the brakes hard and fast due to some idiot in a vehicle...... and NOT once has my front wheel ever locked up in the way you describe.

Your comment re the GN250 - This is very interesting comment.
When you once owned one and always went on about how great it was and what you could do with your one.... and how you went to all that trouble to give it that red paint job. Now you are rubbishing them.

They are also a great learner bike for someone to learn on.... sure the new ones rust fairly quick and the older ones seem to be more reliable....BUT they are a great bike to learn to ride on.

But you know it all comes down to what a rider likes to ride.....
A sportsbike, a cruiser, a adventure duel bike or a tourer bike.
There are many great learner bikes in each bike catagory.

Do NOT rubbish a Yamaha VIRAGO unless you have ever ridden one and owned one.

yes when i owned a gn i thought it was great because i didn't know any better, ride a fucking sports bike and get back to me

and yes i have ridden an actual yamaha virago on an extensive ride ( had it on loan for 2 weeks), and it was rubbish and the front wheel will lock up much easier than a sports bike because all your weight is alot further back

and re the lifans , i worked for them for two years can't you read, ive taken every lifan on a test ride straight out of the box, and yes i owned a pitbike, and it was a pile of crap too.

don't piss me off i'm really starting to get sick of you crashe.

don't stick youre nose in when you don't know shit,

have you ever ridden a gn 250?

have you ever ridden a zxr250 an fxr150? a cbr? anything other than your bike for any length of time?

i used to race an fxr and ive done over 40,000 km's on zxr250's alone,

don't make comments when you know as well as i do i know a hell of alot more than you do.

in a way you are right about a gn250 they are a great learner bike,

but for somebody who wants to improve thier riding beyond your skill level , they need something faster with something you can put proper tyres on rather than absolute rubbish. i would not approve of anybody i know buying a gn250 as i consider them extremely dangerous unless you are puttering round 50 kph zones, the same for a virago

there is not enough power to get you out of trouble.

[crashe]

yes when i owned a gn i thought it was great because i didn't know any better, ride a fucking sports bike and get back to me

and yes i have ridden an actual yamaha virago on an extensive ride ( had it on loan for 2 weeks), and it was rubbish and the front wheel will lock up much easier than a sports bike because all your weight is alot further back

and re the lifans , i worked for them for two years can't you read, ive taken every lifan on a test ride straight out of the box, and yes i owned a pitbike, and it was a pile of crap too.

don't piss me off i'm really starting to get sick of you crashe.

don't stick youre nose in when you don't know shit,

have you ever ridden a gn 250?

have you ever ridden a zxr250 an fxr150? a cbr? anything other than your bike for any length of time?

i used to race an fxr and ive done over 40,000 km's on zxr250's alone,

don't make comments when you know as well as i do i know a hell of alot more than you do.

Gee Mark all I did was ask you a question re the VIRAGO.....
all you had to say was "Yes I have ridden one"

I do NOT put other bikes down Mark because I can not ride them due to their height.

But I am also aware that many bikes are awesome for people learning to ride bikes.

In fact I always encourage people to go and sit on different 250 or less bikes in the shops to try them out for size.


As to you thinking I am having a go at you...... I have purposely stayed away for any of your posts in a very long time since your last snarky remark to me.

I asked you a honest question and you have attacked me.
That is your choice to say what you wish to say......

But perhaps you maybe having a bad day.

Hell Mark I didnt even speak to you on Thursday night in case you jump down my throat.

I am not one that is/has been having a go at your riding.

When I had a prob I would speak to you in person re the prob.

So time for you to back off...... and think about it.

You are a nice young guy.... yep young but with time you grow... and you have done that recently in your postings of late.... I have read your posts and thought that.... sorry I didnt tell you that..... You were one who popped around to help after my accident... I thanked you for that.....

Yet all I am getting from you in the threads is you saying that I am pissing you off......
Cant see how, when I havent posted back to you in a long time nor spoken to you in person for ages. If by chance you are listening to what others are saying..... come up to me in person and ask me to my face.

Come and sort it out in person Mark and not on the forums.

in a way you are right about a gn250 they are a great learner bike,

but for somebody who wants to improve thier riding beyond your skill level , they need something faster with something you can put proper tyres on rather than absolute rubbish. i would not approve of anybody i know buying a gn250 as i consider them extremely dangerous unless you are puttering round 50 kph zones, the same for a virago

there is not enough power to get you out of trouble.

[Rhino]

and yes i have ridden an actual yamaha virago on an extensive ride ( had it on loan for 2 weeks), and it was rubbish and the front wheel will lock up much easier than a sports bike because all your weight is alot further back

in a way you are right about a gn250 they are a great learner bike,

but for somebody who wants to improve thier riding beyond your skill level , they need something faster with something you can put proper tyres on rather than absolute rubbish. i would not approve of anybody i know buying a gn250 as i consider them extremely dangerous unless you are puttering round 50 kph zones, the same for a virago

there is not enough power to get you out of trouble.

If you rode a particular bike for two weeks and still couldn't balance your braking, maybe you need to go back to a pushie. All cruisers have a greater percentage of the braking effort from the rear wheel. A sensible rider would adjust to that.

You say that the Virago is only good for 50kph areas. When I ran ScorpyGirls bike in, I took it down the Southern Motorway to work every day. Once it had loosened up a little, I was able to hold 120-130 kph no problems (I weigh 98 kgs.)

Your 40,000kms is nothing. When you have done 40 years and over 1,000,000 kms it will be interesting to see if your attitude changes.

[skidMark]

If you rode a particular bike for two weeks and still couldn't balance your braking, maybe you need to go back to a pushie. All cruisers have a greater percentage of the braking effort from the rear wheel. A sensible rider would adjust to that.

You say that the Virago is only good for 50kph areas. When I ran ScorpyGirls bike in, I took it down the Southern Motorway to work every day. Once it had loosened up a little, I was able to hold 120-130 kph no problems (I weigh 98 kgs.)

Your 40,000kms is nothing. When you have done 40 years and over 1,000,000 kms it will be interesting to see if your attitude changes.

edit: fuckit it's not worth the bullshit