First bike after 125, is a 300 worth it??

[MarJay]

To address peoples comments (and I'll keep it generic)

1.) Yes, the 300s are built down to a budget because people won't pay 1000cc money for a 300, even if they cost nearly the same to build. This means cost cutting is essential for that segment. Cheap suspension, cheap brakes, lower build quality etc.

2.) The Street Triple and MT-09 are a bit much for a n00b. My street Triple is great fun, but it is something of an animal, and will surprise you if you're unwary. I'm not saying it's a lethal b'stard like a '98 R1 or a TL1000S or something, but I'm saying it's urgent, sharp and urges you to ride like a nut. That's why it's the bike I've owned for the longest out of all of my bikes, and I'll hopefully never get rid of it.

3.) The MT-07. Every review I've read, every opinion I've heard, every video I've watched all say the same thing. That it's great fun in the same vein as something like an 09 or Street Triple, but that its a lot cheaper and doesn't have quite so much power. The newer 2018 onwards one is supposed to be the one to go for. Alternatively I could reccomend the heavier ER6/Z650 or the Suzuki SV650... but we all know what the forum thinks of those don't we?

The Kwak is heavier but really nicely built, and the Suzuki is lighter in older incarnations, but the current one has gained a bit of bloat and they were never built all that well. That's why the MT seems to be the one to go for.

I'd not bother with a 300. My first big bike had 55ish bhp, and that did seem like a rocketship for about a week. I think any rider would get pretty bored of a 300 in very short order.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[stevo as b4]

Depends on if its an only bike though?

Saying don't bother with a 300cc and that 55bhp bored you after a week isn't much good to an A2 guy/girl? You might as well say sit at home until you can be eligible to do an A test, and more importantly insure a 600-900cc bike.

I've had a fair few bikes under 300cc and found fun and lasting enjoyment from them for all different reasons. But then again I've never really owned just one bike at a time or not had a car to drive all the time I've owned bikes. So I've never had to slog up and down 100mile stretches of wet soggy windy motorway everyday on a small light commuter or learner bike out of necessity, and I never will.

But I've had the following small bikes as examples and can honestly say I've enjoyed riding them all, and none of them bored me after a week:

Honda CG125, Yamaha XT125, Kawasaki KMX 125 and 200, Aprilia SR125, Yamaha TZR250, and probably a few more bikes under 300cc besides.

I think the 90's ethos and attitude of pass test ASAP and get a big loud sports bike to thrash round on Sundays and evenings has long passed too. With more traffic, worse roads and bikes getting too much for mortals to handle, your 600-1000cc race replicas and that whole era and interest has gone now.

I haven't got a problem with some of the 250-500cc bikes that the manufacturer's are putting out now, but they could be so much better too. Then again if they cost big bike money, are really focused, or have high end componentry, and are too demanding then they won't sell anyway.

Remember that the A2 regulations have crippled the manufacturers too. KTM tried to go light, trick and fairly serious with the 390cc bikes, and ended up having to restrict the power well below the 47bhp limit to stay legal.

I remember when the Aprilia RS250 came out, and as gorgeous as it looked it was over GSXR600 money, so what is the average stable human being going to buy?

[redeem ouzzer]

Steve has a very good point. A trick small cc bike is hardly any cheaper to build than a bigger bike. Yamaha looked into bringing the 3XV TZR over in 92/93, worked out the selling price would be slightly more than the FZR600 and dropped the idea. Because of the nature of Japanese licensing laws a large percentage of riders wouldn’t ever ride a big bike anyway, so the fact that the small bikes were expensive was irrelevant. Granted we have our own (but less draconian) stepped licensing over here now, but the difference is there’s less “enthusiasts” these days who would coo over all the latest tech in a bite size package. The culture now is “small bike, must be cheaper” hence the tolerance for horrible 4t twins, crap suspension and cheap finish.
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Be a REAL MAN!

[MarJay]

In which case I'd be buying the bike closest to the 47bhp I could get, which is not a 300 in most cases. Maybe a 390 Duke...
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Teflon-Mike]

[redeem ouzzer]

^^Do you have any joy in your life whatsoever?
____________________
Be a REAL MAN!

[MarJay]

Buy MT07, restrict to 47bhp. Be happy.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[seeyalater]

I know very little compared to these guys but as a relative new rider id not have gone for a 300 when trained on a 600+ bike

there are bikes of around 600cc which wont blow your mind too much powerwise but will be nice to ride.

having said that the baby blade 400cc 60bhp, alot of 600's are 70-99bhp

but it is all about what you want and need etc. I test drove a TZR 250 once and was rapid lol but no idea what there like on big runs etc.

[ThatDippyTwat]

[seeyalater]

[Easy-X]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

reminds me of that time someone said, when they were at the garage, their petrol cap fell on the floor. No, apparently it didn't. It fell on the ground. Cue floor/ground debate.

good times, good times

back when bcf was a proper message board
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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

[redeem ouzzer]

[MarJay]

[seeyalater]

well il take that on the chin as i deserve

yes was 45bhp but a handy guy had just tuned it to be super smooth, so that power and at a weight under 150kg plus back then i was lean and smaller so all in all power felt good, plus id not Ridden much else.

for the record id also say Ground if out and floor if indoors.

[wilbur]

OK I think I'm pretty well qualified to answer this. I rode GPZ500s s for YEARS until about 5 years ago when they just started not to be reliable enough for a works bike any more. I wanted something lighter and there really want that much available and I saw a CBR300R for a very good sale price.

Its a fun bike. Its light. Its an overbored 125, its true, but I still enjoyed it and kept it until 2018. BUT I do some motorway riding and whilst it was quite capable of sitting there doing the speed limit, when it came to overtaking you had to thrash the nuts off it and at prolonged high speed the revs were just too high for it to be comfortable. I'd get off with my shoulders tensed and my teeth grinding, it really wasn't a lot of fun.

I've now got a Ninja 400 and I can honestly say the handing is in a different league and the extra HP makes al the difference.

Just my 2p.

[seeyalater]

[wilbur]

[seeyalater]

[wilbur]