Buying used 250

[atoyne29]

Hey guys, new to PSB and about to go for my test at the end of this month.

After spending a fair bit of time going through the 250 threads on here I'm thinking I'll grab a used ZZR250 as my first bike, just wondering if you guys have any advice/warnings for buying used 250's?

There's one here that looks alright, and is currently still licensed, that i like the look of;
Kawasaki ZZR250 | Motorcycles & Scooters | Gumtree Embleton

Just don't know what I need to be looking for to avoid buying a trashed old bike as opposed to a solid old bike.

Any help you can give is appreciated, cheers!

[Cbr Junkie]

get a mobile mechanic to inspect it for you!

[PBF]

Lots of wise words in here:

New to Riding? Looking for a 250? A guide for n00bs..

[Twigs]

NOOOOOOOOOO! I was looking at that one
Ah well. I guess I'll have to wait for another one to pop up.....
DAMN IT. didn't have enough money anyway... it was a pipe dream. If you do end up getting the bike- I hope you enjoy it and have fun!

[atoyne29]

Cheers for the advice, most of the posts i've been reading are quite old so wasn't sure if i'd actually get any replies

Just read through the [New to Riding? Looking for a 250? A guide for n00bs..] thanks, was very helpful. Also liking the idea of getting a mobile mechanic to come check it out at the time as most of my mates who are riding are just starting as well.

Starting to look at the Hyosung GT250R as i'm about 6'5 and by the sounds of it this is the largest 250 out there, the zzr could still be yours Twigs!

[nikonzero]

Hi mate,

Just FYI, I'm 6'4 and the ZZR was absolutely fine. Go sit on it first and decide.

Sent from my GT-P1000T using Tapatalk

[atoyne29]

Yeah I've sat on a zzr before and it felt better than the ninja, just been told recently about the GT250R's and how if you don't want to upgrade engine size too quickly then being 6'5 means i need to grab the biggest 250 i can get my hands on!

Plus, hate to admit it but the fact they look that much better than the zzr and also are slightly cheaper used makes them more tempting. Anyone had one before? Only thing that i'm thinking as a negative for the GT250R is that the fuel tank looks massive and might give you an uncomfortable seating position for daily commutes?

[Twigs]

6'5''???
Holy crap! I've been dwarfed! (I'm 6'2'').
Whatever you buy- I hope you enjoy it and have fun, As for seating positions sometimes it's something the rider can control with use of his/her knees etc etc.
Sit on one- see how you go, my dad held the back of one the bikes I sat on so I could get my feet on pegs properly and sit on it like you would riding- was really really helpful....but that's a bit of weight.
Many people have preached Hyo's are good for tall people. Go onto the 250 thread and I think they make mention of two different Hyo's on there for prospective riders. (Don't quote me though.) However- there is no mention of a ZZR so it didn't help me
Here's the thread:New to Riding? Looking for a 250? A guide for n00bs..
See if you can find member on here who have the bike your interested in and pick their brains- I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help you out!

[Twigs]

Just to let you know mate (sorry for double post) but a GT250R is up for sale on PSB by The Maze (username?) It's up for 4600 (PSB discount)
Thought I'd let you know as he's had it up for a sale for a little while now it seems.... if you don't want to buy it- I'm sure you can pick his brains about the bike.
Hope you find the bike your looking for!
Emma

[PBF]

Twigs, why do your research and thought skills only come out in threads where you are trying to be helpful instead of asking the questions yourself?

[Desmo]

Attention?

[Blind]

If you want the bike checked out before you buy it by a mobile mechanic I would give Derek Ball a call (0438926511). He was really helpful when I was looking at bikes, looked at two for me and let me know how they were mechanically and any faults or things that might need to be changed, saved me from buying a bike that would have needed a fair bit of money put into it haha

[atoyne29]

Thanks for that Blind, was wondering specifically who would be good to call so if I buy outside of PSB i'll give him a shout.

Unfortunately my budgets a bit less than $4.6k, especially since most of the riders i know think i'll need to upgrade pretty quick just because the larger bikes will be more comfortable for me. Then again, if there was ever a reason to get some extra shifts at work money spent on a bike is money well spent

[Chaos-incarnate]

Re Hyo tank size- I thought the same thing but when you sit on the bike, your legs hug it underneath where it curves in nicely. Its actually really comfortable and gives you a good grip on the bike. Sit on one in the shop, you'll see what I mean straight away. As soon as I sat on one I was sold
My brother is 6'2" and he had a Ninja 250, I took it for a spin but didn't really like it. After he rode my Hyo he said he would have preferred it over the Ninja for his height.

The Hyo is a more aggressive riding position- you're leaned over more. When I first started riding mine, it hurt my wrists on long rides until I learned to hold myself up with my core muscles like your supposed to. Now I do it unconsciously and don't get that so its made me a better rider IMO.
The Hyo is great for practising getting off the seat and racing- the Ninja is a lot more upright. You notice it a lot on longer rides, and colder weather lol- when I take out my VT250 I freeze my ass off! The lower body position and full fairing protects you a lot from the weather.

The starter motor stuffed up and I got it replaced on warranty, and I had another little glitch which wasn't to do with the bike itself but apart from that its been a very reliable bike. Starts easily in the cold too, and Ive hit the button and listened to it idle while someone spent 10 mins trying to start their GPX250- its the small things If you want the real picture on reliability, read the threads. Bikes stuff up all the time, and it doesn't seem to be Hyos that often. I think part of that is a reputation gained from their earlier models. One thing however- I googled all over and asked around, it seems the builders have a lot to do with the finished quality. Dale Brittons have the best reputation for putting Hyos together, and that's where mine is from.

Its all each to their own though- Ive had/ have 2 different VT250s and the Hyo GT250R and much prefer the Hyo, but that's because it suits my requirements:

Racing body position
Comfortable on long rides
Suits my height better, although I'm not that tall I hate feeling restricted in any way especially on a weapon of freedom
More like the 'bigger' bikes I like, such as the GSXR750, in terms of position and handling.
Looks heaps better IMO

Negatives Ive noticed:
Not as fast as the VT250 on the straight, although once you hit top speed they're about the same
Bit heavier bike- until I found the balance point it felt too heavy almost, but once you can feel it its actually quite light.
Not as good as a commuter as the VT- the VT250 is a smaller lighter bike and the more upright position makes it feel easier to nick through traffic. The VT feels like a trail bike to me- reminds me of riding on the farm

There are two models as Twigs said, the GT250R which is full fairing, and the GT250 which is naked. And no, you cant put fairings on the naked from ebay or whatever. That's why its a grand cheaper. Lol at the idiots who think they've found a cheaper bike scam

If you have any more questions I might be able to answer as a Hyo owner fire away, or feel free to PM me

[WhiteNoize]

Question 1.

Do you have a penis?

Question 2.

Do you use it?*

*no homo

[Blind]

I have to agree, my friend has a hyo and it was quite comfortable. Im only 6ft but was perfect size wise for me, I ended up with a zeal which is a bit smaller but i think its fairly suitable, I hated the ninjas they felt way too small and cramped.

[Chaos-incarnate]

Question 1.

Do you have a penis?

Question 2.

Do you use it?*

*no homo

Err, who are you addressing?

[HK31A]

s/h 250?
check the rear disc
as those bikes tend to have the proportional valve arse about

also see how many kilos the last owner was to give you an idea how much weight the poor thing had to carry- ie look at my avitar we are not small people

[Stavtech]

Now I do it unconsciously and don't get that so its made me a better rider IMO.

fuck u ride unconsciously?

thats awesome!!

[Chaos-incarnate]

fuck u ride unconsciously?

thats awesome!!

I know, I'm heaps awesome hey. Sometimes I even open my eyes