Bikes

[mad082]

i'd suggest getting a registered dirt bike, like an xr250 if you don't really know how to ride too well, or are a bigger person. bikes like the cbr250 are smaller and if you are tall you are going to find them a bit cramped. also the dirt bikes are a LOT cheaper for fenders and farings, and insurance.

[chunkylover]

I learnt to ride on my dads 1985 GSXR750 when i was 15. Then when i got my licence, i bought my first bike a Kawasaki GPX250, it may look ugly but it was hell good on fuel! Then i bought a Kawasaki ZXR250, its better then a CBR250RR. Looks bigger, handles better, upside down forks etc. Then i got a 1988 Suzuki GSXR750 Slingshot (still got it). Then i bought my Suzuki GSXR1300 Hayabusa!

Start with a 250cc bike cant go wrong. I have mates that dont have a bike licence but ride like a ZXR600 and a GSXR1000, and they are scared to turn! Master your 250, then move on to a bigger bike if your confident enough.

Ride to your potential and not the bikes!

[Abo Bob]

Ok so I was going to go for a bigger bike just for the torque but it seems perhaps a 250 will suffice since I'm not getting into bikes for speed.

Thanks everyone.

[cowie165]

You can ride a large capacity bike under the NSW laws. Some of the 500cc bikes have low power but nice torque. Probably best to ride a few and see what you like Adam.

[legend01]

Go the busa

[lastlineofdefence]

Yeah, im thinking about going the bike path as well. Just have no idea which bike i should be looking at. Damn names are to confusing for starters.

But i want a learner legal, fun 'racer' style bike. Was thinking of a zzr250. They seem to be better vaule then a cbr250rr?

Any ideas of others?

Would want something pretty easy to ride, as im a novice.

[saliya]

I'm just doing my Learners course atm and wondering where's the best place to look for bikes to buy and what kind should I get.

Hey,

Something small and cheap. You can ride some 600s as a learner but I wouldn't - they're big and heavy; and

you'll spend more of your attention than you need to on just keeping the thing upright and turning corners.

Don't get a faired bike - you _will_ drop it - and fairings are horrendously expensive. If you do get a faired bike

pull them off it until you've dropped it at least once (or sold it). This can happen while you're riding but seems

to happen to most learners once they've parked the bike

IMO hard to go past the Honda CB (no, not CBR) 250 for cheapness and reliability - and when

you sell it in 12 months time you'll get back virtually what you paid for it. Riding position is relatively

upright, they are almost bulletproof and they are very cheap. The only downside is they look like

crap - depends on if image is important to you. They are also a little heavy compared to current

spec 250s.

Also I see "new sprockets" in a number of adds. How many k's do sprockets last? Are they expensive?

Sprockets/chains wear out. Depends on how well they're adjusted as to how long they last - also, on the

power level of the bike and how they're ridden. On a 250 kept adjusted I wouldn't be surprised to see

15,000 out of a chain/sprocket set. You need to replace both at once. A couple hundred for both sprockets

and chain.

Regards,

Saliya

[Revhead]

I get around 30,000 out of a chain and sprocket set on a CBR929RR. I'm not a particularly fast rider, I mostly just cruise around on it but it does get taken to track days and given the odd squirt here and there. I lube the chain religiously with chain wax, on a warm chain at every tank of fuel, and keep it adjusted - probably overkill (and flyoff is a bitch) but the chain lasts for ages

[Abo Bob]

I visited some friends in the country this weekend and was allowed to ride first a 1986 Yamaha XJ900 and then my mates 1986 Harley somethingerother.

I now know about shaft drive and found it nice and smooth and quiet. The torque these bigger engines have is something I really appreciated compared the old CB250's.

I also learnt how unreliable Harley's are but man I was the coolest person for miles while I was riding it.

All this has reignited my desire to get a bike (also reignited my sunburn) so what do you guys think about

this?

Here is the surprisingly thorough wiki.

ps, you might have noticed I've decided to spend less money on this hobby since I have plenty of other hobbys already.

[lastlineofdefence]

Do you already have your licence?

[Abo Bob]

Just L's

[Raikkonen]

I've failed my L's twice haha.

Going for my 3rd time this saturday.

I'm looking at a FZR250 yamaha (cheap, sporty & same power as CBR)

or maybe getting a ZXR250 Kawazaki (big more pricey, tad more power)

[Mattee]

i just sold my Hyosung gt650, as I'll be getting my full licence at the end of the month. i was much happier paying $6000 for a 2 year old bike then the same for one that is 10-15 years old, you can bye them with a restrictor fitted to make them Lerner legal, and if you want to keep it after you get your full licence you can just have the restriction removed. i never had had a problem with mine, was countable to ride, looked and sounded grate, and you didn't have to rev to 15000rpm to get it to move anywhere. if you go to there web site or just Google it, there's heaps of info out there.

ps; a big loud bike gets more attention, which makes it a lot easier for other motorists to see you

[Abo Bob]

Yeah that's true. I ended up getting a Yamaha TDM850 and when I go through a cars blind spot I usually give it a squirt which makes it louder and hopefully brings me to their attention.

[nuffsaid]

Enjoy Adam! nothing like riding a bike, but nothing as dangerous as riding one. Ride safe dude!

[123456]

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Edited January 29, 2007 by 123456

[cowie165]

Hey Adam I have a pair of Draggin Jeans I'm hoping to offload if you're interested. They're size 34 iirc, in the olive drab colour with cargo pockets. I'm 6'1" and they fit nicely. My oldies are in the Shire and we visit every few weeks or so.

Shoot over a pm if you're keen. Cheers dude.

[adoraa]

I learnt to ride on a little Honda Spada. Best 250 bike ever. Easy to ride, cheap, sounds mean with a good muffler and hard to damage.. Especially for a ditzy girl like me

Remember you need to put your foot down at lights when you stop!!…

Now have gone up to a Honda VFR400, still little but has enough power.

Just go and test ride a whole bunch of bikes, best to get one you feel comfortable on.

[Abo Bob]

The other thing I've worked out is that if you are coming to a slow stop using the rear brake then put your right foot down, you wont actually come to a stop.

I remember riding my push bike around with a my sister once and she stopped but for some reason didn't take her feet off the pedals. She sort of wobbled there for a second then crashed sideways into a handy bush. I pissed myself laughing. I hope I don't do that on the motorbike one day.

[Merudo]

ps-read keith code: a twist of the wrist :sorcerer:

Got every single book, including the Soft Science of Road Racing.

Abo Bob, Comparing a bigger bike to a CB250 at least just isn't fair. Unless you're talking about fuel economy, the parallel twin that's in the CB250 is quite uninspiring. The CBR250RR however is quite a nippy little bike, I own one and love the thing to bits, but like said, a ZXR250 will be the superior bike if you do end up deciding you want a sports bike (unlikely I know you want a cruiser) but the ZXR will be rarer and more exxy.

If you want a torquey loungechair of a bike but just want to get a 250cc for rego cheapness and cruising economy, I suggest a ZZR250, 03 or above... Insanely comfortable bikes, but while its comfortable, now I've gotten so used to the CBR I sat on one of those and just thought "no, no no! this is all wrong!" heheh

Also, what leads you to believe harleys are unreliable?

Lastly on the topic of bigger bore bikes, am I the only one here that is a fan of the Buell XB9R / XB12R ?

Edited January 31, 2007 by Merudo