Which 250 please?

[Lelly]

Hello,

I haven't ridden a bike for 18 years. The last bike I rode was an XT350 which I came off, during my first and last 'off road' experience, breaking my knee and losing my nerve. (I'd ridden a variety of of smaller bikes from 175cc - 350cc for 15 or so years before that)

I'm thinking of getting a bike again for commuting purposes (60ish mile round trip 3 times a week involving unlit,poorly surfaced country roads, A27 dual carriageway and Brighton town centre) and am looking for something that's easy to ride, reliable, fun and cheap -ish - around £2,500.

I like the look of 'naked' bikes with a retro feel and had almost decided on the Herald/HMC 250, but then came across the Sinnis Retrostar 250 and then - through browsing the forums here - the Suzuki TU 250 Grass Tracker.

Any advice on which one to go for would be very gratefully received.
I won't be buying until the new year, and after I've done some refresher training.

Thank you...apologies for long post!

PS I've had a full motorcycle license for well over 20 years, but not having ridden for so long and given my budget, and having never ridden anything bigger than a 350 I thought sticking to a 250 would be a good idea. Happy to be advised otherwise
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Going back to biking...hopefully

[P.addy]

CB250. Ideal little runaround?

[pepperami]

Does it have to be new? do you have a preference for two or four strokes?
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[stevo as b4]

If your thinking second hand there is a whole world of nice clean older or even classic 250's in your budget.

New 250's are hard to find, but there's plenty of stuff out there if you search I down.

Im not fussy but for me Id be very much searching high and low for a VTR250 or maybe an SRX250. Then again, your budget would buy a nice Gamma 250 or even a TDR just about too.

[Sable]

The Herald and Sinnis 250's are the same in 'almost' every way. If you have basic spanner monkey knowledge or better, I would recommend the Sinnis. If you do not, I would only get one if you have a good dealer support near you. If you have neither spanner monkey knowledge or a good dealer support, I would advise against. Price and dealer support are the only things that differentiate the Herald's and the Sinnis.

I also wanted the Suzuki Grass Tracker, but parts are a twat in the UK.

For long term reviews / opinions on a Trackstar and Retrostar, clicky my signature.

[Lelly]

[Lelly]

[Lelly]

[Lelly]

[Polarbear]

My personal thought is if you have no mechanical aptitude, don't buy Chinese. New or not.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[thx1138]

CRF250L

loadsa second hand ones around now

I know the country roads around the south coast and Brighton well, I reckon it'd be ideal myself,( though I wouldn't venture onto chalk byways with the stock tyres,)

[Robby]

For a basic 250 for a person of 5'5, I would consider a Honda CB250 - probably the late 90s CB Two-Fifty, which will be basic and reliable.

The more modern stuff appears to be Chinese, or rebadged Chinese. I would take a 90s CB250 over one of them.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

I was at a local mechanics / dealers yesterday and there were two twin shocks in a sorry pile by the door. I asked the owner why they'd been replaced, because they looked brand new. He said he'd had to swap the pair out because they weren't damping properly. I said what, on a new bike or customer's or wtf??

Briefly, the story was as follows. The shocks had been removed from a new Sinnis bike - I don't know which model, unfortunately. But, once the bike had been PDI'd, and run around the industrial estate for a quick check, it was immediately apparent that something was awry with the damping on the rear suspension. Sinnis - or their importer, whatever - were contacted, and the dealer was told yeah we know about that problem. When asked why, if there was a known fault, dealers had not been informed, there was no good answer. In fact, iirc, there was no answer of any kind. Suffice to say, this dealer was not best pleased and is not keen to continue the arrangement.

As for other 250s, there was an Inazuma for sale in this week's MCN - iirc it was a 2011 bike with 1100 miles on it for £2.2k. A KLX can be found for very similar money. Two very different bikes, but with the same quite flat, linear power - around the low 20s. KLX is 30-40kg lighter. And about 5 less than the otherwise very similar CRF250L. One other possibility is the VanVan which apparently is going to be available w/ a 200cc lump from next year (was grey import only, and then the older carb'd engine).

But tbh if you're not arsed about 'dual sport' shenanigans, and to echo Paddy, the CBF is probably your best bet. I'd prefer it to the Inazuma at any rate.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[thx1138]

[Sable]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[G]

Why choose by engine capacity?

You can get 250cc bikes with 50% more power than 1200cc and over 6x the power/weight ratio.

Or 250cc bikes with under half the power of a 125cc bike and a quarter of the power to weight ratio.

So; generic answer; second hand SV650? (You could always by a '2' sticker to cover the '6'.

[thx1138]

[Ariel Badger]

Why limit yourself to a 250? I have come off many bikes from a 50cc to a 1000cc and to be honest the pain is about the same. A 60 mile round trip would be far more pleasant on a 600, remember...you are in charge of the throttle.
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[monkeybiker]

Screw this 250cc nonsense. A faired 600cc bike would do for commuting.

A 250cc bike would do the job and would be O.K for short journeys but 30 miles I would soon get pissed off/bored with the lack of power.

[hmmmnz]

i had a tu250 in new zealand for the mrs,
also owned a gn250 which is the staple of learner bikes in nz

my mrs little brother has the sinnis cafe 125,
which is a great little bike

and would assume the 250 version the same, it uses the suzuki gn/dr/tu 250 clone motor, so parts arn't a problem at all, and cmpo keeps a decent stock of frame and brake related parts.

if i was decided on buying a new 250, i think it would probably be a sinnis or hereld 250 of some iteration.

and if you find you want a little more 300cc kits are available as well
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the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[Rogerborg]

[TheDonUK]

Second Vote for the CRF250L

Not fast but capable on all sorts of roads. And the stock tyres are not that bad.
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

KLX is routinely a grand cheaper, 5-10kg lighter, and otherwise the equal of the Honda.
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[tactical_pancake]

Practical / had to be 250 / offroad : CRF250L / M (popular, parts, reliability)
If there was a bigger road route: 500 twin or similar .. loads of choice

In my humble experience 250s can be great fun on 0-50mph type roads, single track, city and traffic, because they are light. But tend to be rubbish for big fast roads.

If it was 10 mile commute I'd happily use a 250, but for 30 miles there's surely gotta be a big bike route (even if slightly longer)?

Also security: Where are you gonna park it at work? 250 trail bikes attract tea leaves.