Honda VTR250 and First Bike Advice

Joney on 01/07/2017 - 09:46

Hi there, I'm about to get my first road motorbike and am seeking the advice of any experienced riders on OzBargain.
Firstly, I'm looking at getting a VTR250, mid 2000's model. Anything to look out for in these bikes? Any second hand bike buying advice in general?
Need gear also, helmet, jacket and gloves are my first priority. Want good quality of course but will be trying to keep costs down. What should I budget for helmet and jacket? Best shops in sydney/western Sydney would prefer to try some stuff on first.

For reference,I'm in NSW and currently have full car licence.

I'd appreciate any advice in general about riding so don't hesitate to comment.

Cheers

Automotive

Comments

  • Seven8Nine on 01/07/2017 - 10:45
    +2

    pls jump to 'netrider' and 'whirlpool website's automotive forum' for advise on this topic. You will get more response and possible topic been discussed already

    link :
    https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/133?g=170

    link :

    https://netrider.net.au/

    • Joney on 01/07/2017 - 10:51

      Cheers!

  • naplutetium on 01/07/2017 - 10:53
    +2

    I do recommend the VTR250, it was my first bike and loved it. Also have a read here:

    Link: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/290868

    Lots of useful information and recommendations. There are a few other good posts on this topic to check out on ozbargain too.

  • rompastompa on 01/07/2017 - 10:56
    +1

    Yep, the VTR used to be the most sort out after bike before LAMS. Nice balance and handling. I have a VTR 250 with 65000k on the clock.

  • Lon Chaney on 01/07/2017 - 10:59
    +2

    Joney
    You don't need advice from this forum because you have decided on the perfect bike.
    I'm seventy and have been riding for fifty plus years and owned a slew of different bike models. For the past six years I have owned a VTR250 efi and I can tell you it is the most perfect bike for my needs. Although I have been tempted and bought two other larger bikes during that time and consequently sold them.
    My VTR I bought in Perth and rode it home here to Sydney in an easy six days. It will do 170 and can purr along at 130kph all day. Everything I want in a bike is here. But there are two things it doesn't do well. Offroad and touring more than 400 klms a day. I was doing 700 a day and had a burning arse for the last 300 but was fine again the next day.
    Also, it is probably the safest bike around. I bought a similar model in NZ and had an absolute ball touring on their winding roads last year.
    Anyway, just read the product review forum.
    There are only two reasons you might not go for this bike other than the two I mentioned: 1 you are overweight or over six foot. 2 you will always be tempted by bigger is better. My advice. Start your riding experience on this bike and you will look forward to a fabulous riding life. Get the wrong bike and you may well hang up your helmet forever, or worse, damage yourself.
    Lastly, try and get the EFI model. It's a bit smoother than the previous models and not that much more expensive. Although, they are all excellent. Around 3 to 4 $grand for a bike with less than 20k on it.
    Don't muck around. Get one.

    • Joney on 01/07/2017 - 11:14

      Thanks for the reply mate! Yeah the VTR250 does sound like the bike for me.
      Have you had any experience with the carby models?

      • Lon Chaney on 01/07/2017 - 15:58

        I had one twin carb 2006 model and it was great. Still very reliable but, as I said, not quite as smooth as the injected model and slightly worse fuel mileage. But nothing to write home about. Very little difference in performance but getting a bit long in the tooth. But with Honda that's not much of a problem though because they are built in Japan and built well.
        You are probably quite young and prefer the looks of the pre-EFI models. I understand. If that's your situation go for the carb model.
        Look, there are better suited bikes for the highway and for the track but as an all-rounder it can't be beat and there are none better for commuting.The size in relation to performance is what I like best. It's almost as nimble in heavy traffic as a bicycle which is nice for lane filtering. Plus you can park it anywhere and IF you drop it you can easily pick it up and if you get into a tricky situation you can easily get out of it and no one can go faster than you because the speed limit is 110 (120).

        • Joney on 01/07/2017 - 18:44

          Thanks again, I appreciate your advice. Yeah I was looking at the pre efi models, because of cost, but I also like the looks too. Might be easier to work on I was thinking? Anyway, thanks again. I think I know what I'm getting, just have to find one now!

  • edwardsajl on 01/07/2017 - 12:56
    -1

    For gear make sure you spend up big. I am talking $700 plus for a helmet. Get name brands like arai or shoei. Do not buy cheap Aldi crap. Everyone on here will complain and whinge like last time but it is true. Why would you skimp on safety. Stay away from no name Aldi crap. As for first bike i would suggest an MT-07 or ducati monster. Even the triumph is pretty good its a bit heavier though. They are all good value at around the 10k to 14k mark.

    • manlol on 01/07/2017 - 13:15
      +1

      "As for first bike i would suggest an MT-07 or ducati monster"

      Haha, really?

      • KBZ on 01/07/2017 - 13:47
        +1

        10-14K for a first bike as well…

      • edwardsajl on 01/07/2017 - 15:36

        Yes really. Not everyone is in the lower range of people. Some can afford the nicer things in life.

        • 1101011100010101 on 01/07/2017 - 18:12

          Your advice sucks, it starts out reasonable and then goes poo poo fast.

          A 700 dollar helmet and a 15k bike for first ride? 😕

          Dude buy good quality gear that meets Australian standards and is comfortable, you can have the best gear but it's useless if you dont wear it.

          Ride a few bikes find something that you like try to avoid overpaying, VTRs are great little bikes.

  • Gronk on 01/07/2017 - 13:46
    +2

    Good choice for a first bike, I mean the CB400 is clearly better but the VTR is a great bike too :D

    Don't pinch pennies with your riding gear, my everyday riding kit would cost me roughly $2500 to replace but you want to be giving yourself the best possible chance of not being injured should the worst happen.

    Make sure whatever helmet you buy conforms to either AS 1698 or UNECE 22.05 - you can buy from overseas if you want provided it adheres to one of those standards.

    • Joney on 01/07/2017 - 13:48

      I'm a big fan of the cb400 actually. Just thought I'd learn on vt250 for a while. Don't want to drop a more expensive bike

    • KBZ on 01/07/2017 - 13:49
      +1

      Agree on buying online as well! OP if you decided before the eBay Site wide discounts ended could have got 15% off on gear at places like ridersdiscount etc.
      So much cheaper!
      But Helmets you should try in store get sized up and I know its frowned upon can buy online.

      • edwardsajl on 01/07/2017 - 15:37
        -2

        Do not listen to this advice about going one size up. Go to a shop and get real advice and fitting. This is going to save your life in the event of an accident.

        • KBZ on 01/07/2017 - 15:38

          I said go instore to get sized up. Not to SIZE UP.

  • rambutann on 01/07/2017 - 22:31

    Around August Aldi will do their annual motorcycle gear sale. Its always a great time to get a bunch of gear at a reasonable price.

    I would say everything that they sell is fine, but I'm sure people will get super mad if I endorse everything so I will just endorse the things that I confidently know work well. As below:
    Waterproof pants (just the outer ones - wanting to buy a pair of the full on pants this year)
    Thermals
    Balaclavas
    Jackets

    As for the bike, I've been told that the VTR250's are a great learner bike with more than enough power.

    I had a CBR125R as my first bike - I rode it around tasmania and from Melbourne to Adelaide and back. It was obvs a struggle because its such a small bike but it really depends on what you intend on doing with your bike. If you don't intend on leaving the metro area then the smaller the better in my opinion. I often travel out into the country so I decided to upgrade to a larger bike. If I had a car and didn't need to go out into the country I'd still have the CBR125R.

  • avplol on 02/07/2017 - 13:08
    +2

    hey mate, I've been riding for about 60k, 5 years. I'm a fan of high quality gear, and have two sets of gear now. Here's how I'd do it if I was starting out again.

    You can buy jackets and pants online if you measure yourself and communicate with the staff. You'll save $200-300 on $800-900 items, and they'll be better quality / have more features. I use motoin.de and motardinn.com. Cheapest I've found. Textile or leather, both are good for road use. More important is impact protection. Get it everywhere you can afford it. Shoulders, elbows, forearms, knees, and shins. Don't just buy Kevlar jeans and think you're invincible. They don't do anything when you hit the curb or handlebars at 30km/h. Back is usually an additional extra.

    With helmets, you need to figure out your head shape. If you can, try some helmets on. This makes buying your first one online difficult. Also, legally, you need the Aus standards sticker, which you don't get if you buy overseas. Doesn't bother me as I'm buying helmets that adhere to higher standards anyway (SNELL / EC22 etc.) It's up to you to decide. Either way, I wouldn't spend $700-800. Those are approaching track / race use. You can spend $400 and get a reputable brand with some features. Learn about helmets (and every other piece of gear) at revzilla.com. Those guys are awesome for reviews.

    Don't cheap out on gloves and boots. Buy towards the top of the range. Buy boots with torsion control, so when your foot gets caught between the bike and the road, you won't break your ankle (or worse). Something like Alpinestars SMX-Plus. Get full boots, not the half ones. Likewise, buy full gauntlet gloves, with ulna protection, and pinky control. Get scaphoid protection if you can, but less important. I recommend thin summer gloves that let you feel the controls when starting out if you can. Winter gloves offer very little feedback and difficult to use with the controls.

    Finally, think about the weather you're riding in. Will it rain? Do you need ventilation? Summer gloves or winter? For a rider just starting out, I recommend textiles with impact protection everywhere mentioned above. Get thin leather gloves (with all the protection mentioned above) if starting in summer, otherwise get winter ones, you'll freeze without them. Boots can be leather too, get all the impact protection and torsion control as above. Get a helmet for touring position, not a race, chin-on-the-tank thing for $800.

    Good luck mate, have fun. Happy to continue if you have other questions.

    • KBZ on 03/07/2017 - 16:27
      +1

      Also, legally, you need the Aus standards sticker,

      Nope they accept ECE22.05 as long as the standard is attached normally on chin strap.

      An approved motorcycle helmet is a protective helmet for motorcycle riders of a type that complies with:
      United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation No 22 (UNECE22.05) as amended;
      http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/motorcycl…

      • avplol on 04/07/2017 - 08:11
        +1

        Oh that's great, appreciate you pointing that out.

        • KBZ on 04/07/2017 - 08:30

          🙌 means more choices for us!
          But the complicated thing I can never get a definite answer is what standards are set for shields. As in the tints etc.

        • avplol on 06/07/2017 - 09:00

          @KBZ: Yeah, it's surprising to see some commonsense from the government.

          Don't know about shields. Never seen anyone be fined for one. As long as it doesn't attract too much attention I suppose.

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