250cc Cruisers?

[guym]

Yea I ended up getting a very nice 09 ninja 250 and i love it!

[YamaMana]

Well done!

[Dog Beatr]

I'm riding a Honda Rebel 250 cc as my first bike and am loving it. Currently I have no need for highway riding, although on regional highway roads I have been able to get it up to 110 no problem.

[adri]

Just got back from a 5 day trip - Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, visiting friends and partying. My 2008 Kymco Venox 250cc was fine. Hit 145 km/hr in full tuck indicated, GPS said just over 140. I'd like to see the older japanese cruisers with engines designed 30 years ago do that.

[CruisnGrrl]

from my talks with jevco when i was shopping for a replacement bike after my maxim got run over, the only thing that makes a difference on insurance costs is engine cc, super sport surcharge and if you put comprehensive on it (that may or may not be available depending on the age of the bike).

[nyx]

Today is one of the few days I got out on my 250cc bike, and came straight back home. Felt like the wind was planning to blow the bike off the road at some point.

I would prefer to not buy a 3rd helmet in 2 months period.

[Niki]

Glad you got home OK.

I was thinking of going for a ride, but I have dealt with wind before and it is ***not*** fun. And, then, they kept on calling for isolated showers.

Now, when I look at weather, I check for rain + wind.
It's now an obsession!

[nyx]

Me too!!! This labour weekend totally blows. There are some isolated showers now.
By the time the weather clears up, it's back to work.

I got out on my bike tonight after the winds slowed down. But it's not the same as a half-day out of city ride.

[unL33T]

If you're looking to eventually get on a 600cc, definitely consider the Ninja 250. Going from a tiny cruiser to a sport bike is a STEEP learning curve (ask me how I know!).

Really? I've read in a few other places that standards and cruisers are actually harder to ride (due to worse handling and more weight) than a supersport so once you learn on a cruiser or standard and move to a supersport it feels much easier to control.

[short stop]

Really? I've read in a few other places that standards and cruisers are actually harder to ride (due to worse handling and more weight) than a supersport so once you learn on a cruiser or standard and move to a supersport it feels much easier to control.

Not in my experience. Granted, I jumped to a sport-tourer, not exactly an SS. But the higher CoG, dual front disc brakes, twitchier throttle and heavy engine braking made for a steep learning curve. I had to be far more precise when handling that bike. I've since gotten an HD Sportster which has almost twice the engine displacement but is far easier to ride in general. SS bikes will perform better because they are built for it - they have far better brakes, suspension, and power to weight ratio. But that doesn't make them easier for a newer rider.

[unL33T]

Not in my experience. Granted, I jumped to a sport-tourer, not exactly an SS. But the higher CoG, dual front disc brakes, twitchier throttle and heavy engine braking made for a steep learning curve. I had to be far more precise when handling that bike. I've since gotten an HD Sportster which has almost twice the engine displacement but is far easier to ride in general. SS bikes will perform better because they are built for it - they have far better brakes, suspension, and power to weight ratio. But that doesn't make them easier for a newer rider.

Was the sport tourer you're referring to the 650R? Because it's really not very SS-like and the main place where I've read that SS bikes are easier to ride is on a 650R forum where a guy says any SS he's ridden is way easier to ride than the 650.

As for engine braking, the 650, being a twin, has a lot more engine braking than an inline 4 as far as I know.

[CruisnGrrl]

Really? I've read in a few other places that standards and cruisers are actually harder to ride (due to worse handling and more weight) than a supersport so once you learn on a cruiser or standard and move to a supersport it feels much easier to control.

standards aka ujm are way more forgiving than a supersport. super sports are twitchy

[unL33T]

standards aka ujm are way more forgiving than a supersport. super sports are twitchy

Good to know. I haven't yet had the opportunity to ride one yet.

I know I have a friend with an F4i and an older ZX6 and he says if he rides the ZX6 too much when he gets on the F4i he feels like he sucks at riding because it's a lot more twitchy and unforgiving. He can be "sloppier" on the Ninja.

[short stop]

Was the sport tourer you're referring to the 650R? Because it's really not very SS-like and the main place where I've read that SS bikes are easier to ride is on a 650R forum where a guy says any SS he's ridden is way easier to ride than the 650.

As for engine braking, the 650, being a twin, has a lot more engine braking than an inline 4 as far as I know.

I wasn't originally comparing SSs to the 650R. My original point in this thread was that it's a steep jump from a small cruiser to an SS. A cruiser and sport-tourer or standard are not at all alike. SS bikes are not nearly as forgiving and require far more precision when handling them.