Touring on a 250?

[Jizah]

From the 1st to 7th of October I did just under 2,500km on my GT250. No problems with bike at all. I only stopped for fuel but when I did it was a relief because my knees were killing me.

[sunhuntin]

arent those bikes cruisers? might be the peg reach is too short for you. i know my knees go funny after a couple of hours, so i tend to hang my ankles over the pegs and also push myself back in the saddle, just to get a bit of extra room.

[No FX]

iv been from christchurch to the west coast and back 8 or 9 times (just got back from grey street races this afternoon-- great weekend!!!) on the cibby since iv had it and its been sweet.
i have my main bag stapped to the pillion and a very small bag on my back for easy reach items like phone, wallet, woolen undergloves etc. and i tend to get 200k's/tank travelling at a fair clip.

the only issue i really have with being on a 250 is the canterbury plains-80ish k's of dead striaght boring road where at 110kph the CBR is doing 10,000rpm in 6th gear- it just feels bad for my baby

[Pickle]

Small bikes are fun to tour on especially if you can talk a few others to ride with you, same speed, range etc.
Ive done Cold Kiwi on CB100 twice complete with all camping gear, group of us took up 12 x 9 tent all on 100's so anything is possible.
Try a group of CT110's to Gisborne & back, also took CT on Coast to coast - top speed of 85/90kmh.
We have KLR250's single cylinder trail bike & have ridden them all over the Nth Island thru Molesworth / Rainbow / Portage, took them to Tauranga via Gisborne, The Motu & return via Waikeremoana.
I dont know why more people dont just get out there ride their 250's or smaller bikes & enjoy the country YOU dont need to have a big bike to enjoy the ride.

[homer]

Hey guys, I own a GSX-R250R (1989).

Last Saturday, my old man, a mate and I went for basically a thousand K ride. From CHCH > Ashvegas > geraldine > fairley > Lake tekapo > twizel > omarama > through the lindis valley, past cromwell, through alexandra and through the pig route past ranfurly, to palmerston, then back up SH1 to chch.

I had no issues at all keeping up, even when we were nailing it from the lindis valley onward as we realised we wouldn't get home before midnight otherwise. I was less sore than the others as well, because my bike's pretty much 100kg lighter than theirs, so I needed to do less work through corners. Surprisingly, I wasn't sore afterwards (should I be?).

so apart from constant fuel stops (10 in total for this trip, counting my top-up in chch when we left) would there be any issues touring on this bike?

I would suggest ferquent oil changes
and your bike should just keep going i had a 250 trail and i clocked up 30000km in less than 2 years it did slighlty burn oil when i got it and i changed oil every 2000 k , then getting the top end rebuilt completely it should have gone to 100000 easily but due to writing it off it only made about 63000 64000 from memory
oil changes are the key to any motor
i just changed the oil in my 1200 it had about 3300 km since last done
62 $ for 4 litres ....is it expensive
i say not
a rear tyre 350 360
oils cheap repair are expensive

[swbarnett]

I'm planning a week off in January. Friday night down to Hamilton where my wife will be staying for a while (finishing off her PhD) and then who knows. All on a GN with a tent on the back with box and soft panniers.

I've had it down to Hamilton once before and it cruised at the speed limit quite nicely.

[Usarka]

Awesome. For some reason, the people I told about my trip thought I was mad doing it on a 250. dunno why

Probably owners of "big" bikes who have got soft in their old age

[avgas]

i used to go everywhere on an RG150, i only had saddlebags, tankbag n backpack.
the more you keep stuff off your back the longer you can go for.

[Slicksta]

Went from Hamilton to Tamranui and back 2 up on my Lead 100 80kph most of the way.Was alot of fun other than the fact that i had an x Gf on the back at the time who was bitching..

[MarkyMark]

Next week I am heading from Dunedin to Auckland with as much luggage as I can strap on to my SR250. Here goes nothing...

[@mmie]

Man Dunedin to Auckland, dat a heck of a treck!! I bin ridin a VL250 for bout 3mths and looking forward to doing a few longer trips through the summer. I'm totally keen to do a trip around the south island, it others are keen we should totally try and organise a tour party.

[@mmie]

**if other are keen...

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Next week I am heading from Dunedin to Auckland with as much luggage as I can strap on to my SR250. Here goes nothing...

ferk thats a long haul... heaps of stops and stretches etc... have fun...


however, I still don't see any reason why not either...

[sunhuntin]

ferk thats a long haul... heaps of stops and stretches etc... have fun...


however, I still don't see any reason why not either...

agreed! and he wont be riding the whole way... the ferry will do all the work for 3 hours at least! LOL. hella good trip... id be keen to do it, but dont like auckland and wouldnt be keen to ride there

[UberRhys]

Next week I am heading from Dunedin to Auckland with as much luggage as I can strap on to my SR250. Here goes nothing...

That is a big haul, I found that journey bad enough in the cage when I used to be at Otago. The best way to do it we found was in 2 stints, Akl - Wgtn, sleep then Picton - Dunedin with a gas stop in Timaru or so...

Would be good practice for the Grand Challenge or the Southern Cross runs though...