First bike advice

[jrandom]

Get a brand new Yamaha Scorpio 225 for $4,000. Best learner bike on the market right now. Wonderful wee machines.

[MsKABC]

but I think the naked look is something that grows on you the more you get into bikes. Well that was the case for me anyway.

Definitely the case for me - when I first got into bikes, I liked fully-faired bikes only, but ended up with a gpz (with a bikini fairing) for my first bike. Now I have a naked bike, and I really like it

[Gummie]

I'll probably go to the Wednesday night meetings just so I can improve on my riding after I obtain the bike, although riding from East Auckland all the way up to Westgate isn't exactly close.

Give me a PM i you want to go i come from the deep south and i believe some come from your area too. just post up in the apropriate thread and someone should stick there hand up.

[quickbuck]

Ummmmmmm


Have you smelt a two stroke lately phaaaoooorrrrrrr (find that word in the com)

Why, yes I have.......
As my CBR is still broke, I am getting the NS 50 VINNED and using it as my daily commuter.

Amazing how many memories the scent of Castrol TTS brings back

[Fatt Max]

welcome to kb mate. kawasaki gpx are a good bike, been around for years and are easy to maintain. but if you want something with a bit more go a cbr or zxr would be a better choice than a 2smoke, most 2strokes have been thrashed and are 3 parts worn out. get out and test ride a few once you get your licence and see wich bikes you like the feel of

Welcome dude,

Great advice. I'm a 'larger' fellow and looked at heaps of 250's before I decided on mine. It came down to comfort which is a major tick box when you are looking around.

You have a decent budget to spend so that should see you right to cover off all the requirements.

On a side note, you have now had a taste of what a great site this is judging from the previous posts. Keep at it, be safe and enjoy.

Let us know how you go with the bike mate....

[Insanity_rules]

Welcome dude. First things first, do your BHS on whatever 100cc nightmare they rent for the test. I did mine on a cb125 that was so old it was insured against fire, theft and maori war party. Reason is they fit the cone weave well.

Then visit heaps of shops and ride as many 250's as you can get away with. Not only will you find the right bike, you'll find a shop that you can create a relationship with too.

Personally I wouldn't buy a learner bike with too much fairing as when you drop it (and lets face it every learner drops it at least once) it'll cost less to fix. Oh and on the two stroke thing my old RG 250 was mean even compared to the cbr 600 I had before the bike I have now so I wouldn't unless your a old hand dirt biker thats just legalising.

My 2 cents. Have fun whatever you decide.

[blossoming]

I'm surprised how easy the BHS test was. And yeah, I took it on a CB250.

Anyways, my mate recommended me an Aprilia RS125 but after researching that bike on these forums didn't give me the best impression of it.

I'm currently looking at a CBR250RR from a private sale which I'm going to take a look and possibly a test drive as well.

I was wondering if the Suzuki GSX250 were good bikes?

And with recommendation to get a bike without much fairings, I really should get something like a VTR?

And yeah, I'm trying to book with as much people around the Auckland region to test out their bikes.

Thanks all for your recommendations and advice.

[hospitalfood]

the higher it revs the faster it will wear out, if you go high revving you want reasonably low k's, low revving can be a bit higher.
250 cc revving fours i think 40,000 k's is high.
lower revving twins 60,000 k's is high.
a four stroke will be more reliable, and probably easier to sell later.
if you find a four cylinder with low k's and minor crash damage it may be worth looking at, could leave you more to spend on gear while giving you performance.

[ducatilover]

basic way to put it

two smokes- generally quick and harder to rape
il4 with fairings -mc22 and zxr are the way to go there id take an mc22 [reliability]
nakeds- buy my spada.

[Big Zappa]

Stay away from bikes with fairings because you will drop it :P

I speak from experience, I've dropped mine while parking it (windy day etc :P) and I just looked like an idiot and picked it up. Had it had fairings I would have looked like an idiot and been out of pocket for the repairs.

[quickbuck]

Stay away from bikes with fairings because you will drop it :P

I speak from experience, I've dropped mine while parking it (windy day etc :P) and I just looked like an idiot and picked it up. Had it had fairings I would have looked like an idiot and been out of pocket for the repairs.

They come up better from a stand still drop than most expect.

Nakeds are the ones that cost in a slide... at least the plastic protects the aluminium casings from grinding on the ground.

[blossoming]

So its one or the other perhaps...

Oh one thing I need to ask you guys is quite important.

What should I be checking on a second hand motorbike? Certain parts? Servicing history? Please advise me.

[samgab]

So, in foresight, I was wondering what good 250CC bikes do folks at KB recommend?

I have a budget around 4.5k so I think I should be able to get a pretty decent bike at that price range... preferably one that is well-known within the community for being a good commuter (I possibly want to drive to uni in it) but also not too slow and also reliable would be a good start.

Put me down for a vote for the VTR250. You'll get a really nice mint one for the amount of money you're planning on spending (I assume you already have protective gear: Helmet, jacket, pants, boots, gloves?).
They are great fun and easy to ride.
They have sufficient grunt for a beginner-medium rider.
Economical.
Reliable.
Great build quality.
Look really good, IMHO.

I test rode quite a few different 250's, and it was my fave. Thus the purchase.

Oh, and you ride, rather than drive, a bike.

[samgab]

So its one or the other perhaps...

Oh one thing I need to ask you guys is quite important.

What should I be checking on a second hand motorbike? Certain parts? Servicing history? Please advise me.

You really have to take someone along with you who knows about bikes. There's a lot of stuff to check or be aware of.
Some things I like to check:

Mileage. If it's low, check stuff like the wear on the hand grips and gear shift rubbers, which should be worn in accordance with the claimed Kms.

Yes, service history, if available.

Chain and sprocket condition. The chain shouldn't pull away from the rear sprocket much, there should be about 25-35mm up/down play on the chain, and the teeth shouldn't be sharp, or asymmetrical.

Oil colour and condition.

Play in steering.

Unusual engine noises.

That all lights, switches, and electrics work.

Dents, scratches, signs of being dropped, etc.

Shifts through all gears smoothly. Where the clutch grabs.

Suspension.

Brake pads and discs, wear.

Revs right up to the redline when warm without missing or smoking or dying.

Starts easily and idles smoothly.

Rego, WOF - get them to get a new WOF before you buy it. If they refuse, wonder why?

Do a lemoncheck http://www.lemoncheck.co.nz/
or www.vir.co.nz
or for free, but not as extensive: http://www.carjam.co.nz/
$1 txtb4ubuy to see if any finance is owning http://www.ppsr.govt.nz/cms/searchin...ppsr/txtb4ubuy

Ummm, that's all that springs to mind atm... But there are plenty of things I've missed out.

[Quailboy]

My vote is with the CBR250RR MC22, but of course it would be. Mine is 30,000kms, which is okay, it should (with regular servicing) last to 100,000km easily.

As said above, spend as much as you want on the bike, but make sure you have enough left over for the gear! Leathers or good cordura (but thats another topic).

When you go to view the bike, make sure before you start it that the owner hasn't warmed it up prior. If so, let it cool down and make sure it starts first or second time. Check for any odd noises etc...
Obviously ask for receipts of servicing, electrics all work, brake pads, check chain and sprocket condition, tyre wear so you know costs that may come up later - all common sense really.

I live in East Auck and as Gummie said, throw up a thread or drop a PM and I'm sure someone will be keen.

G/L!