Unpopular bikes

[The Shaggy D.A.]

I might be looking at a YBR 250 tomorrow as it ticks a lot of my boxes. I'm wary of the fact that there's been less than 300 registered in the UK :-

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/yamaha_ybr_250_07#!newreg

2/3rds of those are still registered though. How likely would you be to consider a bike that hadn't sold that well?
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[Derivative]

Depends on the part availability and whether a lot of it is transferable from a more common bike like the YBR125.

In car land, I've certainly enjoyed the Civic just because there's billions of them. Purchase price is lower, parts are cheap as chips, someone's already had every conceivable problem, etc.

I'd probably do it for something exciting like a Husqvarna, but a 250 sounds like a pretty boring bike to take the risk on.

[DrDonnyBrago]

If it was something special to cherish then rarity wouldn't be a big deal, perhaps even desired. For daily use though, I like my vehicles to be as common as muck (hence ford focus and honda CBR). Parts supply is always at the back of my mind when choosing something motorised.

Would a parallel twin 500+ tick your boxes?

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[arry]

Have a look at the inazuma instead.

[c_dug]

There's a ybr250 on my commute that seems to have been going strong for a while, seems in good condition too for a bike that's used year round, but I've no idea on how it's stored or looked after.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[angryjonny]

I had a rare car for a few years (Mitsubishi Galant - not uber-rare but like hens' teeth at breakers')

The occasional part would go missing. Wing mirror glass being very neatly removed overnight was one example - presumably because they're hard/expensive to source elsewhere.

[DrDonnyBrago]

Has the market for 500 twins tanked since the licence changes? Could be a good time to buy another CB500 or a GPZ500 etc?

[Derivative]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

How does the ybr250 go up against the cbf250? I seem to see the latter every now and again. Can't imagine there's much difference tbh.
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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

[-]

52 TDR250's either taxed or SORN? I'd take that site with a pinch of salt.

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/yamaha_tdr_250#!tax
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TZR250 2MA road, TZR250 1KT road, TZR250 2MA race, TDR250, YZF-750R Boost colours.
Jaguar S Type 3.0 V6 Sport R, VW Transporter T5 GP LWB Shuttle 140ps DSG.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Huh - interesting. The YBR does look better on paper. However and for admittedly stupid reasons I prefer carbs - even though the mpg is worse. Even though they gum up without use. Even though EFI can be and often is just as smooth as carbs (the FI on the W800 is incredible and imo provides better fuelling than the carbs of the W650).
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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

[The Shaggy D.A.]

I was spoiled by the YBR125's Honey Badgeresque fuel injection.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[arry]

[Rogerborg]

WeMoto has consumables, it might be worth a punt. I get the whole "just enough" bike thing, and if it is parts-compatible with the 125 then you're laughing.

The prices being asked on eBay for YBR 250s are pretty optimistic though. For comparison, I paid £1300 for a 2010 Ninja 250 with just 3600 miles on it and a long MOT. Sure, you want nekkid, but plastics can be taken off.
____________________
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

[kawashima]

It's a rare bike also in Japan here.
Owners were saying like below in bikebros

[Azoth]

+1 Inazuma...

I stopped and chatted with an old boy who had settled on one as his final bike, not long ago. He seemed very happy with it, though I could tell he missed his old big bike. Had a good look at the bike - it has all the benefits of modern technology: Ohlin-type adjustable rear shock, fuel injection, etc. Appears robustly made, from quality parts. Looks like a much bigger bike, so it has the road presence needed for safety reasons in the UK. Ride position is fairly upright, commuter-style, but the fairing probably makes it look more edgy to non-bikers. Quite a lot of plastic to damage in a crash, but there are bungs and things available. Overall, it seemed to me to be the sort of bike you buy with your head rather than your heart, which is a good thing.
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Safety in numbers

[Rogerborg]

The Inazuma has a 13.3 litre tank and masses 183kg wet. Fuelly reckons 75mpg, which is what I'm getting from my Ninja with its 20 litre tank and 170kg wet and fully faired.

That said, the Inazuma is probably tuned to produce more torque where you need it.

That said, I've taken to riding the Ninja on the rev limiter.
____________________
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

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Gave it a good half hour test ride, would have one but not at the £2500 price being asked. I could get another Enfield and a 125 for that.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[pepperami]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Undoubtably. Problem is, I'm a sucker for the ThudThudThud.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[P.addy]

I know they aren't cheap or easy to come by with low miles, but I really reckon you'd enjoy the Varadero 125.