Looking at a 250. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Looking at a 250.

M

Migmonkey

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Hi guys,

30 year old male from Scarborough.
Just finished the Learning Curves M1 exit course. WOW.
Way worth the money. Even without the potential insurance savings.

I do not currently own a bike.
I have my eye on the Honda CBR250R and the CRF250L.
I was thinking about a KLR 650, but the insurance premium is not worth it for me.
I would prefer the dual sport for the more straight seating posture, and for taking it on to some narlier roads.
I am pretty handy and don't mind tinkering and troubleshooting.
Although generally I prefer reliability and ease of maintenance;
I drive a Corolla and a Camry, after all..
I am not in a rush to buy.
I wonder if it is true about the winter specials on bikes?


I am looking mostly to commute, some 401 (sparingly) with mostly street driving.
Fuel economy and insurance premiums are primary concerns.
Secondarily, I would prefer injected rather than carburated to get going quick without preheat, and for the fuel economy.
ABS/CBS would be nice but I can live with standard brakes.
Also, I would hope the stator has enough output to run some heated grips or gloves for those cooler months.


So far my experience has been a friend's VFR 800. I find that bike a bit heavy and somewhat overpowered for what I'm looking for.
During the course, we had little 125CBRs. The first day I thought they were a bit under powered. On the second day, the little 125 grew on me.I weight 240 pounds. I also will need the bike to lug around a tool box that is another 20 pounds or so ( maybe once or twice a month).

I can also entertain alternatives.
Thanks guys.
 
Welcome and congratulations! Now that the season is ending, you will find some deals. And if you take a little bit of time, I'm sure you could score a great deal on a 250 as people seem to think that they "outgrow" them quickly. And if you are handy, something like a 2010 may have been passed through a couple owners and even a better deal could be had. Good luck in the search, and I'm sure some other gtamers will chime in with much better and useful info.

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At 240-lbs perhaps you should consider a somewhat larger bike, such as a CB500F. Still very "beginner friendly" but it will be much more comfortable on the 401 and will handle 240#s better and has a more upright seating position than the rakish 250R.
 
With the extra weight I would think about a 300-400cc bike. The 250 will be great, but a little slow on hills hauling 260lbs. Of course, if MPG is the big issue, go with the 250.
 
Another option is the DRZ400/DRZ400SM. Usually cheaper on insurance than a 250 and is a reliable bike.
However I would recommend a 400-500cc bike like others have suggested.
 
FI bikes will limit you to the newer models.

Consider some carbed bikes, such as the Suzuki Savage LS650/Boulevard S40. It is a single, so relatively lower in power. Insurance should be quite good, and large enough for heated grips and a wind shield. At 384lbs the S40 is pretty close in weight to the 300-500s. Cheap and plentiful on the used market. Only for the street though, but should be a good commuter bike.

The newer CB500 series looks like a good fit for you, but will be more expensive to buy and insure (being newer you'll need collision, theft, fire, etc) and not only liability.

The Honda Shadow 750 is larger and heavier but is FI, can commute well but would be more expensive to run and to insure. They are cruisers so no ridiculous amounts of power, and as V-twins all the power is down low and well distributed, as compared to inline 2s.
 
In situations like this I usually recommend Suzuki DR650. It does everything. And it's engine is more than 2.5x 250cc. Massive aftermarket to turn it into what ever you want and sure to be a classic.
 
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Budget would help us give you a better opinion. But if money is no object i like the idea of a cbr500 for you, where the looks and functionality eill be up to you (i would choose the x).

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Migmonkey said:
3 to 4k is my budget. I can go higher but prefer not to.
Click to expand...

Had a 250r for years and really enjoyed it. No issues with pick up, hills, keeping with traffic at 160lbs. However when I loaded it up with gear for a camping trip definitely could feel the added weight while riding up hills.

how much are the 300s going for? My buddy is about your weight and has a Ninja 400R and that's a very capable bike. Bigger frame (same as 650R) but smaller motor so people will say it's not worth it but for 4K you can definitely score one this time of year.
 
Suzuki DR series. Not sure if they are FI or not?
But i wouldn't let that discourage you. You can start and ride a carb bike and adjust the enricher/choke on the fly.

Find one with rubber for the asphalt and you have yourself a nice enduro to commute with.

Insurance should be reasonable for something with 400 cc. But need to check.





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You choices are

250-300cc series sport beginner bikes
Pros : cheapest insurance, easiest to learn
Cons: Your build might make it too slow to your liking
Models: cbr250, cbr300(r and f), ninja 250, ninja 300, yamaha r3, ktm 390?

Crf250
Pros: Fun and off road capability and cheaper on insurance too
Cons: Forget going on the highway with it

Cb500x or f
Pros: Enough power for highway passing with your build, comfortable stance, good tradeoff for insurance, very beginner friendly
Cons: Newer model, so more expensive and smaller used market

650s sport touring/dual sports
Pros: You will keep them for longer as more power = less bored, definitely can haul your butt on the highway, more comfortable in certain cases, much bigger used market
Cons: possibly $$ Insurance than the aforementioned categories, higher / steeper learning curve, a lot have bigger virbrations (especially the twins-engines)
Models: klr650, kawi versys, vstrom 650, dr650, sv650, etc
 
I think I'm going to stick to the 250 either the CBR r or the CRF. If only I could find a reasonably priced crf. Thanks guy for all the suggestions, took a look at them all.
 
240lbs plus gear plus your toolbox - that's a lot for a Honda 250cc thumper. Acceleration on the highway and uphill will suck. CRF250 will suck on the highway much more than the CBR. It also has around 7l tank if I'm not mistaken and with your weight your range will be minuscule.
I find ergos too cramped on those bikes, too. How tall are you?

KLR650 is very comfortable. Not much top end either but more grunt than a 250cc. Ergos awesome for around 6ft. Way more room for luggage than those small Hondas.
For $3,000 you can buy a nice one with farkles.

DR650 would be also a great option. A bit more geared towards offroad and a bit less towards the highway riding. Harder to find on kijiji, whereas there's always a ton of KLRs.


Unless you get a super sport or a monster cruiser, fuel economy is usually not something to worry about. Definitely not much of a difference carbed or FI. You are talking about few bucks a year to warm up a bike... If you really want to save money, don't buy a motorcycle. Insurance + maintenance + gear + sticker, all adds up.

30 years old - insurance shouldn't be an issue. Try getting more quotes.
 
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I've owned both CBR and CRF 250's...both great bikes. My CRF would cruise happily at 100-110km's/h, mind you I only weighed 150lbs at the time. Like someone else mentioned the tank on the CRF is tiny so the range sucks. I also found it lacking in the breaks department.
 
I'd tend to take a long view and score a CB500x and finance it.

For your goals this could easily be a 4-5 year bike and with a 470 cc motor insurance would not be bad. Make sure you try TD if you have any university association as that helps rates.

This will give you the upright seating and the braking you want, tall enough and a do everything machine that is fun to ride.

This is an excellent deal

$_27.JPG


with warranty to 2018 and super farkles plus barely broken in at 5900 km.

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-touring/otta...ty/1111801551?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
 
I have a CB500X and I keep recommending and telling everyone it is a great bike. I keep wondering if anyone actually bought one yet.
 
Mimico Polak has one. It's on my possible list for a replacement for the KLR in Australia at some point.
 
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MacDoc said:
Minico Polak has one. It's on my possible list for a replacement for the KLR in Australia at some point.
Click to expand...

OP if you go with the 500 series I've got the CB500F and love it. Outside of the lack of a windshield (soon to be fixed) I don't have any issue with the bike. Pulls fine on the highway all day long with ~350km range and insurance isn't much more than my 250 (maybe 20/month more).

highly recommend. I found the X version a bit too large in every dimension personally but the F fits me perfect.
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