what 250/600 should i get

[carb0n]

Ok, so, im looking at getting my tests done, not really sure what 250's are around. I will be using the bike every day to get to work. I was thinking along the lines of a ninja, but they don't come cheap... what would you suggest?

[iooi]

What sort of milage are you going to be doing?

What other uses will the bike be used for?

How much are you prepared to spend?

How long you been riding?

Best advise I would give, based on the fact I have ridden 250's in the last few years before changing to 600's is.....

Forget the 250 and run a restricted 600.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[carb0n]

[Vincent]

Trouble with the 250 multis is that parts are hard to come by and a lot of them had reliability problems. What's up with getting a 400?
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Space Is Deep

[scream aim fire]

ninja 250's are nice! in your price range too
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CBT PASSED 18/01/09 THEORY PASSED 14/04/09 DAS PASSED 17/04/09 3 minors wet test.
Bikes: 2009 Aprilia RS125 (PX'D) - A1P ZX6R - Stolen -Triumph Daytona 600 -wrote off via BMW
Current bike: P7F ZX6R

[carb0n]

[DrDonnyBrago]

[Rogerborg]

License changes next January will make 250s pariah bikes. Get a 500+, slap on a cheap restrictor kit, job done.

Take the restrictors out when your license upgrades and bingo, you've got a "new" bike.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[shooter]

[Vincent]

[DrDonnyBrago]

[Mikey3]

[Vincent]

I don't think you'd need to spend anywhere near £2500 to get a good condition, reliable 400. They're not all sports bikes either.
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Space Is Deep

[.Chris.]

Much as though I love 250s, you're probably better off getting a 500 twin and restricting it. Particularly so if you were thinking of the 'Ninja' 250, as that'll probably cost more to insure than something like a CB500 anyway.

Perhaps the main problem is that 250s haven't been popular bikes for a good number of years now, so there aren't that many around. Cheap ones are often seriously old, and newer ones seem poor value for money in comparison to larger bikes. Some of the older 250s also suffer from poor parts availability, which won't be a problem with a 500 twin.
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[robbieguy2003]

In your situation, with a commute and with the odd bit of weekend blatting, i'd be looking at any of the following;

SV650 - or SV650S (same thing but with fairing)
Honda Hornet

I think you'd have more fun on the nakeds, they'll take restriction better, they're not actually slow at all and you'll get a good bike for your money. If you've got a £2.5k budget (assuming insurance is separate), personally I'd put ~£1000-£1500 tops on the bike, and I'd spend ~£500-£800 on restricting and a damn good all-around service (pads/oil/oil filter/air filter/sparks/pads/chains and sprocket/tyres etc). You 'should' then have a pretty much mint bike.

It'll then look after you for a while, if you spend the whole £2.5k on the bike and find out it needs bits, you might be running short. Having a slightly older, but properly sorted bike might make more sense.

I wouldn't touch the 400s, they're nice, but now they're really starting to become collectors items/occasional use bikes, they're getting on. I'd imagine 'most' of them will need bits of work done that might get ignored in normal servicing (bearings/cables/brake lines etc), going for such an old bike might cause you more issues. Plus once you're restriction is up, you'll be getting another ~50/60bhp out of the 600

If I was back in the position of getting my first bike, this is more than likely how I'd be approaching it.
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[iooi]

[carb0n]

the SV650/S does look very nice and sounds pretty reliable kinda cheap aswell around £1.4k

[Vincent]

[DrDonnyBrago]

[carb0n]

[Blau Zedong]

I thought OP was race tuning his Hyosung?
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[carb0n]

[Mikey3]

[Kal]

I love my 250s

But then I ride like a twat and they keep my licence fairly safe while I do so.

Most 250s will either be old and abused. Certainly my two were and have been complete money pits. Parts are becoming difficult (actually in the case of the Clubman its been off the road three years while I searched for parts) to source.

I would seriously, as someone who loves this size of bike, recomend you get something else.

One of the commuter 500's or 600's for favourite. Plenty of spares, low tendancy towards theft and enough wellie to enjoy yourself.

If you are bored then you aren't riding hard enough.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[Nope.]

400s are great fun to ride, especially the GSXR 400s, but they aren't every day bikes. They're unreliable and parts are usually hard to get. They're great fun for the odd sunny day ride, and I have commuted on one so it is possible, I just don't recommend it.

I stripped my GSXR down so I could clean it up, its surprising how much dirt accumulates in 20 years!
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Former: Derbi GP1 50, Sachs XTC 125, Suzuki GSXR 400 GK73A, Kawasaki ZX7R, Suzuki DR250, Yamaha RD350
Current: 2011 Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré, 2003 Yamaha YZR-R1 5PW (In Build), 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400