Hi ozbargainers,
I recently got my learner's licence and now looking to buy a used motorbike.
I would prefer to get a naked bike as I find them more comfortable than sports bike.
I quite liked the Honda VTR250.
Could you please provide any other recommendations? Budget: $3k
Another problem I have is that most bikes are too far away from where I live in Sydney and do not feel comfortable yet riding a long distance back home. Is there any way around it?
Please help!
It will happen even when experienced. For example, you have boots with thicker soles, you press as you normally do, you lock the tyre.
You have new thicker winter gloves, you can't feel the levers as much, same thing.
I wouldn't want my children to learn how to drive in an unsafe car. Why would I want that on a bike?
I've been riding every day for 12 years and I can't actually think of a time when I've locked the front wheel on a solid surface. I'm not against ABS, but I don't think it's as important as people make out. Most accidents are caused by people not braking hard enough, rather than too hard.
live in Sydney and do not feel comfortable yet riding a long distance back home.
I rented a bike trailer for like $50 for the day I think it costed. Off gumtree. Held 2 bikes. Was home made bike trailer, but worked fine, even free straps provided and excellent service. Make sure you strap it on very well though, we had to stop at least once to adjust straps.
A van, or ute might be fine also.
Regarding learner bike. Consider saving your $$ for now, since you will probably want something more powerful once you have full licence. I don't know what sort of means you have though, maybe you have plenty of $$ still to buy something better later on.
Btw, I'm very surprised that you cannot find what you want around Sydney. I think It's a city of about 3 million population. You might find what you want fairly closeby, if you are patient (and this is how I usually find great deals on vehicles, patience and flexibility in what you want to buy, and being ready to jump on a good deal and buy straight away, when I find an awesome deal)
The 2 bikes I helped my friend and his father transport recently were I think from pickles auction, but fixed price sale, they had ex postie bikes going really cheap about 6 months ago
Thanks for the tips - I'm also trying to see how much towing companies would charge to deliver the bike to me.
I will hopefully have some more money next year so will definitely be looking to upgrade in the future. Any recommendations for future upgrades?
Most of the listings I have seen are located near the city centre while I'm out in the West.
Me again.
Bike is only half of the story. Buy the most expensive gear you can afford. You will not regret it.
VTR250 is a great first bike - really good build quality since they’re one of the few small bikes that are still made in Japan (vs Thailand, Malaysia, India for the ninja cbr125/250 for example).
Good smooth torque curve which makes it easy and predictable to ride unlike 4 cylinder bikes plus they look and sound like a baby Ducati monster - where as most small bikes sound terrible with an aftermarket exhaust.
Seen a lot of them go to 80,000kms if maintained but check the basics such as oil colour and if it starts easy when cold - if not then could be a sign of engine wear from lack of maintenance or a hard life.
Sometimes synchros may be worn which makes it tough to change gears, especially from 2nd to 3rd
As with any bike, check the basics: steering head bearings, brakes, clutch, straight forks, chain and sprocket condition etc
Before 2001 they didn’t come with a tacho but many people have fitted an aftermarket one
From 2009 they had a facelift and became fuel injected but otherwise the same as before
VTR is an excellent bike! I'm a little shorter than you at 165cm. I started on a SFV650 Gladius which is similar style engine to the VTR250, those sweet Vtwins. You can't beat them for a learner bike. Torque makes them easy to learn and ride and forgiving if you're in the wrong gear. Been riding for 8 years now and ridden many many many different bikes regularly and I still consider the Vtwin bikes the best.
Negotiate with the locally available motorcycle sellers . I ended up trading my 2014 Suzuki inazuma 250 for $2000 because of very little buyers. Buy a 600cc+ motorcycle because you will outgrow the 250-300 cc quicker
I've been riding since 2003, had several bikes. most of them are naked bike (it just comfort factor)
KAWASAKI ER6F not too bad - commuter bike. I ride every weekdays, rain or sun shine.
"I would prefer to get a naked bike as I find them more comfortable" - Very smart choice.
if this is your first bike? then go reasonably CHEAP as you will be out grow. most of LAMS bike will suit you.
I would spend good money on Protective gears. & build your habit of wearing them even you are going down 10 min away shop.
good luck with that.
VTR250 is an excellent 1st bike. easy to ride, good mileage. I prefer the vtwin to the parallel twins in most newer learner bikes.
I would say look at bikesales and gumtree and see what comes up near you. Be patient.
I did help a friend ride a bike back that she purchased. It wasnt too far. 60km ride, not so bad. she just wasnt confident enough to ride that distance yet
Echoing the sentiment that VTR250 is a good first bike
Whatever bike you decide to buy, plan to stay alive whilst using it. My first 2 golden rules are:
1. Treat every other motorist as a moron and expect the unexpected
2. Understand countersteeing and become familiar with using it.
I'd suggest a bike with four wheels.
Oh hang on, that's a car.
Where do you live OP? if you are near Black Town. I can help you in a weekend.Send me a PM Or you can use a motorbike transport service which would charge you from $80 based on the distance which will alleviate your concern.I have used Sydney Bike Transfer (Enrique) previously he is professional and reliable. There are lots of good advises on the replies, use them and be safe on the road. Make sure to budget for some good riding gear.
VTR250 rider here.
This was my first bike as a Learner, still riding it as it's perfect for the urban environment, I've never looked back:
I am a 60kg 165cm female and had a Yamaha Vstar as my first bike. VTR was a consideration but I wanted something which 'looked cool', so it had to be a cruiser.
I had a friend ride it home.
Definitely spend on your gear - Kevlar jeans didn't stop the bruising when I dropped the bike on one occasion but they just got a bit scuffed up and I kept my skin (bike didn't fare as well).
When it comes to the Ps test, I paid to hire one from the centre as my bike was being stupid at that point, but there was a definite benefit to having something that small and light on the course over my cruiser. Didn't have to throw around my weight as much.
I noticed the good/reasonably priced LAMs bikes would sell really fast online, so keep an eye out.
Ride safe, and enjoy the fun that comes with a bike!
Ride one yourself. No substitute becaise how a bike rides is determined by your height, weight and body shape as it changes the centre of gravity of the bike.
Look at all the people that will tell you to get a jdm 89 model cbr250rr
Bikies
I'm in a similar position to you OP. Thanks for all the advice everyone
I can offer the follow advice:
Don't buy something new. Exact same principle as buying a new car vs a used car - you'll wipe away significant value the moment you drive it off the showroom floor. Buying your first bike used means you'll effectively be able to resell it for the same value you bought it for. This happens every.single.day on online motorbike classifieds sites/groups. Your first bike is a gateway to bigger and better bikes in the future. Don't throw away your money on your first bike if you can save it for your second bike.
Buy something with fuel injection rather than carbies. Sadly, this means the older 4-cylinder 250cc screamers are out, but you can always throw a pipe on one of the newer CBR250r's if you really care a lot about sound. I actually still have my old 4-cylinder 250cc screamer (a Suzuki Across, my first bike), and would never recommend someone buy one like I did. You'll be forever dicking around trying to keep it running. Those older 250's are complex AF and will give you weekends of grief regularly. Are they fun? Absolutely. Should you buy one? No.
Get an experienced rider to test ride the bike you're interested in. I had a local legend test ride my first bike for me, and he gave me invaluable info that I never would've known before making my purchase decision. Ideally, get someone who has previously owned the same bike as you're interested in to give it a test ride for you - they'll be well accustomed to flat spots in acceleration, vibrations, rattles, behaviours etc. that should or should not be expected.
Do a motorcycle maintenance course. Most TAFEs and similar insitutions do them. Yes, they cost a bit of cash (maybe $80-150), but the investment is well worth it if you're not much of a mechanic. Paying a motorcycle mechanic for basic maintenance costs is NOT cost effective, and you'll quickly total up running costs that are impractical. This isn't even advice meant exclusively for money savvy members of OzB, but anyone who owns a motorcycle needs to know things like changing brake pads, re-running cables, adjusting chain tension, changing spark plugs etc. if they want to keep their bike running safely and trouble-free.
ABS is a handy feature to have and could very well keep you upright when you least expect it, but you'll need to extend your budget if you want a bike with ABS. A good condition ABS equipped LAMS bike will set you back 4k or more. I'd be suspicious of any ABS LAMS bikes for sale for less than $4k, unless it's advertised during the depths of winter. Winter is generally the cheapest time to buy a bike. Spring is generally the best time to buy a bike that has been neglected ;)
Hope that helps you in your search! Sorry for any typos!
If you locked the rear wheel, braking in a straight line, in the wet, from 40km/h you would likely wouldn't have noticed much - you might have heard the slide, you might have felt a slight looseness to the back wheel, and, if you didn't have the clutch pulled you would stall (unless you pulled it quick enough or it gained traction again and bump started the engine). Locking the rear is a problem when you're on or approaching a turn, in a straight line it's pretty much a non event.