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Pagan posted:That would be good news, actually. But every time I've looked, people online act like it's a big deal. I suspect maybe they're just thrown by the name. It would be really shocking if the one thing they did to the US version was somehow to use an incompatible shock, given that to do so would mean building a special US-specific frame and US-specific swingarm , while leaving everything else on the bike the same.
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Dec 3, 2010 18:32
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KozmoNaut posted:This is a good place to start: Haha, no kidding. Thanks for this.
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Dec 4, 2010 05:50
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I'm thinking of checking this out. I'd prefer a road-trail but there are very few in my area that aren't covered in flame decals and other stupid poo poo; not to mention that road-trail owners seem compelled to charge at least $7000 for second-hand bikes that are ten years old. Are there any notable 250 bikes, other than road-trails, that you ride with a straight back? Most of the ones in my area seem to be Honda VTRs or Honda CBRs, which are, to some extent, bendy spine sportbikes.
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Dec 8, 2010 04:37
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freebooter posted:I'm thinking of checking this out. I'd prefer a road-trail but there are very few in my area that aren't covered in flame decals and other stupid poo poo; not to mention that road-trail owners seem compelled to charge at least $7000 for second-hand bikes that are ten years old. Dual sport? Dirt bike? Is "road trail" an Ockerism I haven't heard before because I'm ignorant, or did you make that up?  Anyway, that looks like a really nice little VTR. If you don't want something that puts weight on your wrists (CBR250RRRRRRR. SP.) or folds you up like a pretzel and shoots bugs up your legs (Virago 250, Rebel, cruisers generally etc.), I don't think you need to look much further than a VTR.
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Dec 8, 2010 10:31
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I'm tossing that VTR aside because I've found a reasonably-priced road-trail! I've called the guy and I'm going to check it out tomorrow. And yeah, I've heard both "dual sport" and "road trail" but I assume that's because I'm an Internet-raised citizen of the world. Type in "road trail" into Gumtree and you get plenty of results, type in "dual sport" and you get 0, so I guess it's a regional term. Dirtbike I think generally means an off-road bike that's not street legal, whereas a road-trail is.
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Dec 8, 2010 13:16
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freebooter posted:I'm tossing that VTR aside because I've found a reasonably-priced road-trail! There you go, I have learned a new term! KLR250s are nice bikes, if not exactly fire-breathing (perfect for a first bike). Will you be riding lots of unsurfaced roads? If you're not doing a lot of dirt, I'd suggest putting a much more road-biased set of tyres on it. You'll be able to stop and turn corners and all that jazz much better. E.g. http://www.proaccessories.com.au/products/avon/distanzia.htm
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Dec 8, 2010 13:32
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Thanks, I'll look into that. I'll definitely be doing some off-roading in January when I go camping, but after that I don't know. I'm moving to Melbourne next year, and I do intend to drive there from Perth, but I don't know whether I'm going to settle down into a career or whether I'm going to throw it all in after a few months and go vagabonding around Australia. People keep telling me I shouldn't try riding across Australia on a 250, but whatever, I rode up Vietnam on a 125. I don't have a choice anyway because I'm limited to 250 for the first year of my license, which I don't even have yet.
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Dec 8, 2010 13:39
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freebooter posted:Thanks, I'll look into that. I'll definitely be doing some off-roading in January when I go camping, but after that I don't know. I'm moving to Melbourne next year, and I do intend to drive there from Perth, but I don't know whether I'm going to settle down into a career or whether I'm going to throw it all in after a few months and go vagabonding around Australia. Dirt riding's fun and I understand that if it's one thing you have a lot of in WA, it's space. And awesomeness. Definitely give it a go, it's good for learning bike control anyway because you get to do lots of sliding around. Oh, and the other thing is you can have a lot more fun on dirt with 250cc than you can on on tarmac. I agree there's no reason you can't ride a 250 long distances. It'll just take you a while!
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Dec 8, 2010 14:02
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what are some good sport touring bikes ala vfr 800?
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Dec 9, 2010 19:49
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GanjamonII posted:what are some good sport touring bikes ala vfr 800? Are you looking for larger bikes? Smaller bikes? Air cooled, water cooled, more touring or more sport? Sport touring is a pretty broad catagory, you gotta refine it a bit more than that. Is your ideal ride 700 miles of freeway or 500 miles of twisties? High speed open stuff or tighter stuff?
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Dec 9, 2010 19:58
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GanjamonII posted:what are some good sport touring bikes ala vfr 800? I've owned two VFR800s and I now own an Aprilia Falco.
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Dec 9, 2010 20:59
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The Triumph Sprint GT/ST and the new Ninja 1000 come to mind.
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Dec 9, 2010 21:28
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Z3n posted:Are you looking for larger bikes? Smaller bikes? Air cooled, water cooled, more touring or more sport? Sport touring is a pretty broad catagory, you gotta refine it a bit more than that. I should have put more details huh. So I would prefer something with fuel injection, watercooled and relatively modern eg 2004+ or so. Though thats just arbitrary really. Size wise - bigger than my SV with a more comfortable seating position and bit more comfy for the pillion as well. Ideally would be good in twisties but be able to cruise for a few hundred miles of highway without killing me. Eg I want to ride 300 miles to the hill country, spend a day or two in the twisties and then ride 300 miles home. Done that on my SV and it was pretty uncomfortable and has kinda put me off doing it again. Im not really gonna go 160mph down every straight bit of road but the ability to do it would be nice. Ideally it'd be something I can take to the track and have a good time on (but I dont expect it to be fast or keep up with anyone else.. im still a new rider and not brave/fast enough for the bike to really matter on the track I think). My price range is a little limited. Something < 5k. From what I've seen that rules out a lot of bikes like BMW and newer triumph spring. VFRs from about 2004-2006 fall into that range though which is partly why I was looking at those. Also if it came with hard bags that would be neat for long trips.
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Dec 9, 2010 22:36
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GanjamonII posted:I should have put more details huh. From more sporty to less so: Aprilia Futura. ZZR1200. Bandit 1200. VFRs are a good choice, and while they're really good bikes, I found them kinda dull. The B12 had more personality to it, the ZZR1200 was a great bike but isn't what I look for personally, and the Aprilia Futura is a rare bike without the issues that generally come with a rare bike. It's got some minor electrical issues but it is at the top of the sport touring list for me. I'd say the VFR or the Futura would be best on the track, followed by the ZZR and then the Bandit.
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Dec 9, 2010 23:06
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freebooter posted:Thanks, I'll look into that. I'll definitely be doing some off-roading in January when I go camping, but after that I don't know. I'm moving to Melbourne next year, and I do intend to drive there from Perth, but I don't know whether I'm going to settle down into a career or whether I'm going to throw it all in after a few months and go vagabonding around Australia. which state are you in? Most have LAMS now which is a power to weight restriction rather than a capacity limit. I've just got my first bike in QLD and got an ER5. Anyone have any comments or things i should know about owning one?
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Dec 11, 2010 08:43
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freebooter posted:Thanks, I'll look into that. I'll definitely be doing some off-roading in January when I go camping, but after that I don't know. I'm moving to Melbourne next year, and I do intend to drive there from Perth, but I don't know whether I'm going to settle down into a career or whether I'm going to throw it all in after a few months and go vagabonding around Australia. Shutup and do it. I've done 5k+ mile trips on my Ninja 250. (Till it crapped out at 28k miles)
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Dec 11, 2010 08:56
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Took a look at this 89 Ninja 250 today. Guy wants $1000 obo., it has a clean title and it runs pretty well. The seller sounds like he knows how to turn a wrench. http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/mcy/2100878196.html However it isn't perfect. The spedo. cable is out, the bike was dropped in the garage ,cracking the front right fairing, and there is some rust in the gas tank. The side fairings by the seat aren't attached to the bike. I took some photos.  Click here for the full 800x478 image.  Click here for the full 1003x600 image.  Click here for the full 800x478 image.  Click here for the full 800x478 image. Is this a good deal or should I keep looking?
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Dec 12, 2010 00:48
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Eh I'd offer 750 and see if he goes for it. That tank worries me, and you could find an eBay replacement and swap it on for not too much. Its not a horrible deal, but its not a good one either.
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Dec 12, 2010 01:07
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Kommando posted:which state are you in? Most have LAMS now which is a power to weight restriction rather than a capacity limit. WA, we're about fifteen years behind the rest of Australia in every single aspect of society.
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Dec 12, 2010 13:21
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freebooter posted:WA, we're about fifteen years behind the rest of Australia in every single aspect of society. hey now i lived in Perth for 10 years and found it quite livable.
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Dec 12, 2010 14:59
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Ah, but you don't live here anymore, do you? Perth's alright for some (it does have the best beaches I've ever seen, including Thailand etc) but I think it's too hot and boring and far away from everything else.
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Dec 12, 2010 15:18
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How bad of an idea is buying this cb750 or the 550 in this ad? http://orlando.craigslist.org/mcy/2097342086.html
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Dec 12, 2010 16:08
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Seems kinda spendy.
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Dec 12, 2010 23:42
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Hi guys, complete bike newbie here - never ridden one in my entire life but I want to start. I'm in the UK so it will be a 125. The two bikes I've looked at are the CG and the YBR and I'm leaning towards the CG because it's cheaper and I hear that Honda are always a safe bet for reliability. They're both the kind of style I like as well, I'm not interested in a cbr/rs/etc.
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Dec 13, 2010 03:43
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Frankston posted:Hi guys, complete bike newbie here - never ridden one in my entire life but I want to start. If you're starting but have never ridden a bike before, I assume you haven't done your cbt yet. Might as well do that and see if you're still enthusiastic, not to mention that YBRs and CGs are staple CBT machines, so you'll get to ride them and see which you like best. TBH, either one will be just as good. Both bikes will be made offshore anyway, and both companies are capable of making a very high quality product. Are you intending to do only your CBT and ride on L plates? If not, are you doing direct access? If you are, buying one of these just to practice on between CBT and your test is going to be fairly spendy. The way the licensing system works now has rather distorted the market for these machines, to the point where I can go onto ebay and pick up a mildly unfashionable large capacity sports bike for less money than a weedy, abused 11 hp 125. If you just want a practice bike before DAS, it's worth trawling ebay and biketrader for less popular 125s going cheap. If you're just looking for something to ride on a CBT and a car licence, I can see an argument for either bike. If you're going to be riding on open roads (i.e. not just in a big city - national speed limit A and B road dual carriageway), there's an argument for getting a two-stroke 125 that you can sneakily derestrict to get more power. You will find that the problem with anything going at about the speed of a moped (like a four-stroke 125 that's not being thrashed to death) is that car drivers will do risky things to get around you. It may sound bizarre, but it's sadly true. They will tailgate you aggressively, pass you driving within your lane and all sorts of equally dumb poo poo. Aside from seeing this on the roads, I've experienced it on dirt bikes geared for 50mph or so max. My brother in law started commuting on a 125 while doing his DAS and had similar issues. It doesn't happen to him now that he's on something much faster. Also, you have notice the weather right? It's going to be less of a shock to the system starting CBT in April or May than January.
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Dec 13, 2010 08:17
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Saga posted:First bike stuff CBT is something I'm going to book when I get my next paycheck in a couple of weeks. Right now the main thing I want a bike for is my work commute which is only about 5 miles so I'm not too bothered about doing the DAS and going for a bigger bike straight away. I'm thinking maybe a few months down the line when I'm confident I'll do it. As for the commute, it's pretty much one straight A road all the way there and I work nights so heavy traffic and reckless car drivers won't be as big a concern. The weather isn't ideal I know but I'm spending a fortune on public transport at the moment so the sooner the better for me. It's depressing watching a third of my wage go to buses and taxis.
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Dec 14, 2010 03:32
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Generally you take the CBT first(i assume it's same as MSF in the states?) and then get a bike. Also buy gear too please. Edit: even worse quote:CBT must be completed before a learner moped or motorcycle rider is allowed to ride on the road with L-plates or D-plates in Wales.
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Dec 14, 2010 05:05
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Russian Bear posted:Generally you take the CBT first(i assume it's same as MSF in the states?) and then get a bike. Also buy gear too please. I assume he means he's looking for the bike and will schedule the CBT as soon as he's paid. It's typically done over a weekend these days. Surely a used bicycle is the really cheap way to do a 5 mile commute? Even if your work doesn't have a shower, a quick towel off in the loo and some deodorant is pretty much all you need. Get someone's Halfords garage queen for next to nowt and you're sorted. The even better, almost-free solution would be to run to and from work. Free exercise during your commute and we're only talking about 45 minutes to an hour each way. If I only lived 5 miles from my office, that's what I'd do, no question. That said, either of those 125s will certainly work. I wouldn't rule out just a 50cc two stroke scooter, Honda Cub (C90) or something like that either, if you're just riding late at night and early mornings when it's quiet. Given the "premium" you will pay for stuff you can ride on L plates, it's worth it to widen your search a bit. Looking on biketrader, it appears you can get a C90 for about half the price of a YBR. Derbi do a bunch of non-scooter 125s which look a bit sharper than the YBR and CG - worth a quick look to see if any used ones come up in your area. In case you haven't gathered, the consensus appears to be to avoid the no-brand Chinese e-bay bikes.
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Dec 14, 2010 12:51
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Frankston posted:I'm in the UK so it will be a 125. Wait, are you limited to a 125 at first in the UK? I nearly ended up living in London this year, came back to Australia instead, but if that's the case then I'm glad I did...
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Dec 14, 2010 14:02
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freebooter posted:Wait, are you limited to a 125 at first in the UK? I nearly ended up living in London this year, came back to Australia instead, but if that's the case then I'm glad I did... You do basic training - operating the controls, not dying at 5mph. THis is the "Compulsory Basic Training" - CBT. You can ride a 125 on L plates. You are basically on a "learner permit" at that point. To get a full licence, you then have to do a full test, which has an off-the-public-road component (harder) and an on-road component (easier). If you are under 21 when you do your CBT, you can get a standard motorcycle licence (class A), but under which you will be restricted for two years to riding a bike of up to 25 kW (~33hp) AND a power/weight ratio not exceeding 0.16 kW/kg. So a Cagiva Mito (old skool) would need restriction. Equally, you could buy a Hay Abusa' (TM Fast Bikes) as long as you had a restrictor kit fitted. If you are over 21 when you do CBT, you get the full POWAH option: if you do your test on a bike with at least a 35kw output, you can ride anything. As an aside, car licence holders who got their licence before 2001 automatically had a provisional moped entitlement - this is 50cc machines not designed to exceed 50kmh. Many folks who commute by train will buy a 50 for a cheap way to get to a suburban/rural station (and beat the car parking charges). Saga fucked around with this message at 16:28 on Dec 14, 2010 |
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Dec 14, 2010 16:25
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So... when you're doing your CBT, and are on your L-plates, you can ride on your own? You don't need an instructor/person with a full license with you?
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Dec 15, 2010 13:00
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It really sucks that they torture your genitals before you can get a motorcycle.
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Dec 15, 2010 13:08
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freebooter posted:So... when you're doing your CBT, and are on your L-plates, you can ride on your own? You don't need an instructor/person with a full license with you? Once you have your CBT pass certificate, you can stick L plates on a 125 and ride it around forever (I believe the pass cert doesn't expire). No instructor required. This handily lets you practice for your bike test free of charge if you buy your own bike.
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Dec 15, 2010 13:39
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Ho. Ly. poo poo.
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Dec 15, 2010 14:11
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2ndclasscitizen posted:Ho. Ly. poo poo. "Vehicle does not have an existing warranty". They should have added, "neither do your testicles if you're going to ride this thing"
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Dec 15, 2010 14:22
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Z3n posted:Yeah I'd go with the DRZ. But you already knew that Hey Z3n...based on your extensive DR-Z knowledge, what are the mods you'd be looking for on a used DR-Z (RWU forked trail or enduro, not the 400SM)? There was some discussion recently about not buying one new because of all the mods they need to work well, hence the query. Thinking about adding it to my very short list of "road capable dirt bikes that aren't complete pigs and don't need a new top end every 20 hours", along with the 690 Enduro and the WR250R. Basically because the KTM and Yamaha are brain-breakingly expensive over here, and not that many were sold in the first place, making good used ones tough to find.
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Dec 17, 2010 14:52
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Saga posted:Hey Z3n...based on your extensive DR-Z knowledge, what are the mods you'd be looking for on a used DR-Z (RWU forked trail or enduro, not the 400SM)? Honestly, all it really needs is an FCR. The higher compression base gasket and better cams from the E model are nice. Suspension setup/upgrades are nice, so are proper handguards. I prefer quiet pipes, so the E model pipe is good because it flows better but isn't too loud. You could also get a quiet insert for an aftermarket pipe. Basically, a clean one in good shape with an FCR is where I'd start. Anything beyond that is just stuff to sell or stuff that's not essential.
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Dec 17, 2010 18:12
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Z3n posted:Honestly, all it really needs is an FCR. The higher compression base gasket and better cams from the E model are nice. Suspension setup/upgrades are nice, so are proper handguards. I prefer quiet pipes, so the E model pipe is good because it flows better but isn't too loud. You could also get a quiet insert for an aftermarket pipe. Good to know, a thousand thank-yous. Unfortunately I think the carb is a rare mod over here - most likely to be seen on the pure enduro model, but those aren't that common. Plus I want the electric leg for sure. So I guess I want a regular old DR-Z that's clean and well maintained, maybe with a set of decent barkbusters. You wouldn't happen to know if you can run the SM wheels in the normal dirt version with the SM axle, spacers etc. would you? I've seen a regular DR-Z for sale that's had a SM conversion but comes with the dirt wheels. Not sure how easy it would actually be to switch back for weekend dirt riding.
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Dec 17, 2010 20:49
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Saga posted:Good to know, a thousand thank-yous. Where are you located? The kicker models are drat near impossible to find anywhere. And you can retrofit a kicker kit to an electric if you're concerned about it not running in the middle of nowhere. You can run either SM wheels or dirt wheels on the same axle, you just use different spacers. Same is true if you want an upgraded rotor. It's about an hour of switch time if you have to remove and rebleed the front brakes, less if you can just swap a front brake system or use a relocator plate. The rear is super easy, just out with the old, in with the new, the front can require some finangling due to rotor relocation or different calipers, depending on your setup. You'll also want the speedo drive for your model of wheels, but nothing major. It's pretty much bolt up and go.
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Dec 18, 2010 00:15
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Z3n posted:Where are you located? The Uk. There are currently two enduros advertised nationally. Good to know you can add the kicker, but I like not swearing, sweating and lying on the ground clutching my shin, all possibilities with big 4Ts. I definitely want the starter, though a retrofit kicker would be handy. So you just buy the official spacers for each model (SM and regular DR), or do you have to make any up? Plain spacers are easy enough to get and modify, but if you have to have a top hat spacer made I'd have to hunting for someone to do it.
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Dec 18, 2010 09:35
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