GS500 or ZX250R?

[Occy]

G'day everyone.
Looking at buying my first bike and I'm assuming you guys would have some pretty good advice.
Obviously I'm LAMS restricted and I've thought that the 250R is a pretty good buy for a new bike but looking at the specs it seems pretty gutless.
I've been looking at the GS500 and the ZX250 now because most of the people I'll be riding with are unrestricted and a friend bought up a good point that if I learn on a bigger bike my skills will be better when I turn unrestricted.
Pretty obvious I know shit all but I want to learn how to ride properly.
So what would you guys recommend I want something with power and not to expensive.

[filbert]

i haven't ridden a kawa 250 for any real opinion since the gpx but i have owned a gs500 and i wasn't a learner i liked it, it's a full size bike, great to learn on but doesn't feel like a learner bike, it's slower and heavier than some more modern sports bikes but comfortable, smooth and capable, great as a commuter, respectable on longer trips and your mates won't have to wait long for you to catch up if at all. Only advantage i see to a 250 is weight around 30kg lighter wet, and possibly fuel economy the gs500f is still a good looking full fairing sports oriented bike. .

[Occy]

Awesome thanks for the reply mate I hadn't really read or heard much feedback about the GS500.
From what I read the GS is heaps better on fuel.
Other thing I wanna ask would the 250 struggle at speeds of 100-120?

[Jacko]

Are you talking about an older zx2r or the new 250r. I had a 91 zx2r and was an awesome 250. Would easily do 120, can even get to around 170-180.

[filbert]

no 250 won't struggle top speed on the gpx i had in 95 was 160 on the speedo if you had enough road and the new ninja is basically the same bar a few changes not as easy to get there as the gs though. the gs is pretty much just old technology, it's lower end of the big bike field, and was a commuter bike and riding school bike of choice when i got my unrestricted license in 96

[killswitch54923]

the ninja 250r will not struggle around 120 as it will hit about 175 and has much less chance of having anything go wrong with it as it is a newer bike. and no your skills will not be better learning on a bigger bike.

[filbert]

the gs 500 is also a current model killswitch just old tech. Same as the ninja is 20 year old tech with new plastic. Make you a better rider? possibly not but it will be less of a step from the gs 500 to a modern sportsbike.

[Occy]

Thanks for your help guys.
Thinking this week to test ride the two and maybe even the 250R since there is like a million for sale there should be some nearby.

[lee]

take the extra cubes dude..

[Retro]

I owned a GS500E and mate it was a top bike. Easy to ride and manouver, easy to split, huge tank (20ltrs) so excellent range and a rack fits on the back and tank bags look good as well. Power on tap at all times (just shy of $2.00 top speed). Plus, (not knowing what year you're looking at) maintenance was easy to do yourself, manuals are available and servicing is piss easy and cheap.

Very biased to the GS500 choice...don't overlook it.

[xanthian]

Assuming you're really talking about a old ZX and not the new 250 parallel twin, and they're both in good condition, CC isn't the whole story by a long shot.

The 250 will have the higher top speed due to fairings, be faster off the line due to having better power to weight (there's 2 horsepower difference on paper here, guys, and the zx has a smoother gearbox), larger range of operating revs on the 250, and due to about 30 extra kilos on the GS500, the 250 will be much better around corners and while emergency braking.

Why buy the gs500? Well, it'll be easier to wheelie at low speeds, less expensive in a crash, probably newer, and easier to work on. I absolutely can't stand their agricultural gearboxes personally, though. Hands down, the 250 wins this one on performance, in my experience, but ride both to make sure they're each a good example of that bike before you decide.

[lee]

Assuming you're really talking about a old ZX and not the new 250 parallel twin, and they're both in good condition, CC isn't the whole story by a long shot.

The 250 will have the higher top speed due to fairings, be faster off the line due to having better power to weight (there's 2 horsepower difference on paper here, guys, and the zx has a smoother gearbox), larger range of operating revs on the 250, and due to about 30 extra kilos on the GS500, the 250 will be much better around corners and while emergency braking.

Why buy the gs500? Well, it'll be easier to wheelie at low speeds, less expensive in a crash, probably newer, and easier to work on. I absolutely can't stand their agricultural gearboxes personally, though. Hands down, the 250 wins this one on performance, in my experience, but ride both to make sure they're each a good example of that bike before you decide.

WHAT?! What kind of stupid ass advice is that, don't you have some more median strips to crash into? Have you even ridden a 500? Any/as much torque as you can get your hands on is a HEAPS better idea than some angry mosquito sounding slow piece of shit that gets beaten by cars.

You're telling the dude to buy a 20 year old bike instead of a recent one? Are you on crack? How about all the 20 year old bearings that need replacing? How bout the 20 year old suspension that should have been rebuilt/replaced 20 years ago? How about the carbies that should have been rebuilt 15 years ago? And the brake calipers? And the master cylinders? Higher top speed because of fairings? So I guess a cbr125 would do better than a street triple by that logic huh?

It's time to stop leghumping old slow bikes that women point and laugh at, and make people move on with the times dude. A recent gs500 is a nicer, better ride hands down.

[Occy]

Vicroads just told me I cant ride a GS500F/E only the GS I didnt even think there was a performance difference.

[Retro]

Even the straight up GS500 Occy would be my choice. Depnding upon year of course but one more aspect of the bike I liked was the seating position. IMHO sporty enough to have that 'feel' yet relaxed enough that it didn't affect the wrists after 4 hours in the saddle.
I'd be checking out a few other things that may influence your choice such as availability, price, insurance(!)...to name a few.
Everyone here will have their personal choices, just make sure you balance the views from PSB with your wants and needs.

[Ty the Great!]

GS500. Cheaper to drop. I dropped so many times on R-E. lol....

[Occy]

Haha yeah I spose but plastics would be easily replaceable wouldn't they?
$74 for third party for the GS seems alright.
Cant wait to ride one...

[thro]

pillions will like the gs500 better.

but seriously, if LAMS is open to you go buy a motard...


I think even the Aprilia SXV is permissible over there?

[filbert]

aprilia sxv is an awesome machine but. Not really learner friendly it is uncompromisingly motard, too harsh to ride any great distance and poor fuel range. The drz400 motard might be a good option though. Still poor fuel range but more rider friendly.

[out_in_front]

WHAT?! What kind of stupid ass advice is that, don't you have some more median strips to crash into? Have you even ridden a 500? Any/as much torque as you can get your hands on is a HEAPS better idea than some angry mosquito sounding slow piece of shit that gets beaten by cars.

You're telling the dude to buy a 20 year old bike instead of a recent one? Are you on crack? How about all the 20 year old bearings that need replacing? How bout the 20 year old suspension that should have been rebuilt/replaced 20 years ago? How about the carbies that should have been rebuilt 15 years ago? And the brake calipers? And the master cylinders? Higher top speed because of fairings? So I guess a cbr125 would do better than a street triple by that logic huh?

It's time to stop leghumping old slow bikes that women point and laugh at, and make people move on with the times dude. A recent gs500 is a nicer, better ride hands down.

Have you ridden the ZXR?

I have one and is is a definite step up from a ninja 250r, and no doubt faster than a GS500 - provided you change the gears correctly. Also it will outbrake an absolute plethora of bikes due to it's 141kg weight, corners better, has adjustable suspension etc. I also find it is more comfortable than the Ninja 250R, I am sure that the GS 500E will be more comfortable though, but most sportsbikes will be worse off in that respect. As for the 20 year old problem, there are bikes that get looked after and ones that dont - give me a well looked after 20yr old ZXR over a mistreated 2 year old GS500 any day.

For full LAMS approved sportsbikes you could consider these - but they are bloody rare, ZX-4R, FZR400 and CBR400 RR they are all right on the limit of the power / weight cutoff.
Also for newer shit - there are leaner versions of Gixxer 600's and ER6n's out there (ER6L??)

[Semi]

I'd get the 250 as well, I rode a gs500 when I had my CBR250 and I was really glad to get back on the 250. hated the 500.