Advice for a newbie from the newbies

[peasea]

I was asked by a female workmate today about getting started on bikes. She knows she's limited to a 250 and is going to do everything right etc but she wanted to know what would be a good 250 for road use with the occasional trip off the asphalt. I have no freakin' idea what to tell her. My first bike was a 650 Triumph for gawds sake.

What have people found to be good value for money, reliable and capable of jumping the odd puddle? A dual purpose bike, if you like.

This lady has ridden small bikes before (overseas) and is confident but not a Moto-X pro. It'd be good to get her out there but I have no idea what kind of bike to point her at.

Any suggestions you young'uns?

[yungatart]

A road legal DR 250 or Yamaha XT 225?

[James Deuce]

If she wants new or near new, it's hard to go past a KLX250S.

Oooo look! Here's one now: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=94521

[tri boy]

If the lady is short in leg length, then the Kawasaki Sherpa would be worth a look. (about 5.5k).
A Volty can be converted for light gravel rides, and is also low to inspire confidence. Rosie has been doing some serious distance on her Sherpa with Clint, and Kanny would nanna along on the Volty on as many adv rides possible.
If leg length isn't an issue then the bikes mentioned previously would be a great starter.
So long as the bike can manage a steady 110-120kmh then all is good.

[Ms Piggy]

Not a GN250!!

[klingon]

How about a Honda CRF230L?

I test rode one for a few days - took it from Auckland to Whangarei and back one day and it was great fun and very easy to ride. Apparently it's one of the lower trailies so shouldn't be too much of a stretch for most women. Worth a test ride anyway.

[Rosie]

If she is more modest of inseam, then the sherpa would be an excellent choice Or the new Yamaha XT250 (pre '07 XT's are actually a 225 and aren't quite as well specced).

If she's a tall lass, then something like a DRZ250 or KLX250 could be a good choice.

I think any of the 4-stroke singles are going to be pretty reliable. Taller bikes like the DRZ tend to be a bit more off road oriented (better suspension, more suspension travel etc), but something more soft-core (like my sherpa ) will still manage moderate off road riding.

The best thing would be to find a few dual purpose bikes and have a sit on them, to see which ones are a comfortable size, and then go from there. The seats on them tend to be based around a plank of wood, but DIY seat remodelling is fairly straightforward. I redid the sherp's seat myself, and it's comfortable for long-ish days on highway (600k's is the longest I've done in one day, and I wasn't sore).

[3L4NS1R]

+1 for the klx. But then I would say that wouldn't I?

[peasea]

That's an excellent start folks, thanks for taking the time to post. I'll fire all the suggestions at her and there's actually a Sherpa up for grabs locally but as yet I don't know my workmates budget.

Again, thanks to all.

[cave weta]

How about a Honda CRF230L?

I test rode one for a few days - took it from Auckland to Whangarei and back one day

Shit what a deal!- when I ask to take a bike for a weekend they look at me like its a Tui advert!

Those road legal CRFs are horribly overpriced for what you get though- I would go the Sherpa for a shortie and the TTR225 or DRz250 for a long lass,
Then come see me for setup and offroad skills course

[klingon]

Shit what a deal!- when I ask to take a bike for a weekend they look at me like its a Tui advert!

Those road legal CRFs are horribly overpriced for what you get though- I would go the Sherpa for a shortie and the TTR225 or DRz250 for a long lass,
Then come see me for setup and offroad skills course

Yeah well it wasn't a conventional test ride... I was asked to review the bike for a mag. Big Dave gets all kinds of flash stuff to ride and I get a 230cc Honda. Honda sees it as a great commuting bike for women, and I think it certainly has its place for that market but I won't be rushing out to buy one!

[peasea]

Shit what a deal!- when I ask to take a bike for a weekend they look at me like its a Tui advert!

Those road legal CRFs are horribly overpriced for what you get though- I would go the Sherpa for a shortie and the TTR225 or DRz250 for a long lass,
Then come see me for setup and offroad skills course

And I see your location is 'In the bike shed'. Is your course held behind the same shed?

[cave weta]

And I see your location is 'In the bike shed'. Is your course held behind the same shed?

Reminds me of that time at band camp when I caught you with that fat chick behind the bike shed. I think you were enjoying that more than you let on too....

Ha ha! I have a range of venues close to Waihi- go here to view details of the curriculum! http://www.overthetopadventures.co.n...ing-clinic.htm

[peasea]

Ha ha! I have a range of venues close to Waihi- go here to view details of the curriculum! http://www.overthetopadventures.co.n...ing-clinic.htm

We are in Nelson, bit of a distance to commute. Thanks anyway.

[meteor]

Good advice above about types of bikes... I've a DR250 Djebel. Good around town as you sit higher and see through or over the cars. I've got road tyres so a smoother ride but after a couple of hours you still need a walk if you know what I mean. They'll do about 120 Kph (on closed roads with no one around of course) but it's not comfortable at that speed, and I get about 360km out of a $20 tank of gas. There's a good one on TM at the mo for about 4.5K, happy shopping.