02 What kind of bike should I buy?
Description
This article is from the Australia Motorcycles FAQ, by Cameron Simpson cs@zip.com.au with numerous contributions by others.
02 What kind of bike should I buy?
Compiled by Zebee Johnstone <zebee@zip.com.au>.
Bikes come in 4 main types:
* Cruiser (harley clone)
good for small people - low seat height
good commuter - upright riding position
OK for luggage, although heavy loads can be awkward, too
far back and high up.
OK for light pillions, but again, too far back and high
up.
* Sports
Ok for most folks, may be too high seat for small
people, too cramped for tall ones.
Ok to poor commuter. often too peaky, hard in slow
traffic and riding postion too radical for town work.
Usually poor for pillions, seat too small, pegs too
high, weight too high up.
Usually poor for luggage, no attachment points
Good for freeway riding.
Good for recreational riding (ie fanging)
* Standard
Good commuter/tourer but can be slow to accelerate
often overweight/underpowered.
Good for luggage
Good for pillions
OK for freeway
Poor for sporty riding, too slow.
Few made now - usually mid-80s bikes.
* Dirt or Road/Trail
Amended by Ian Mason <ianmason@one.net.au>.
Good for tall people, short people can't touch the
ground; good commuter - upright position plus good
accelleration; poor on freeways, and can be not fast
enough
OK for luggage
Ok for pillions, although can compress the suspension
too much; brakes and lights may not be up to road bike
standard; knobby tyres ok but suboptimal on bitumen, and they wear
fast.
High centre of gravity, thus less stable at speed than
road bikes.
Which you choose depends on your type of riding. Plus, not all bikes
are the same - a ZZR250 is a sports bike, but is more friendly to
pillions and luggage than an RGV250 would be.
Go to all the dealers you can, and sit on the bikes. See what fits you
and which ones you like.
You need to ask yourself these questions:
* Kind of riding.
Lots of city riding? traffic jams etc? Lots of
freeway riding? Want to spend time playing in curving
roads? Are there bush trails near you? Are you
unusually tall or short? How heavy are you?
* Pillions and luggage
Will you need to carry a lot of gear? shopping? lots
of books? More than you can comfortably get in a
backpack? How about another person? Is this other
person tall? Heavy?
* Maintenance
Do you want to work on it yourself? How much can you
afford to spend on servicing? Some bikes are much
easier to work on than others - a single cyl 4 stroke
cruiser like an SR250 is a doddle. A 4cyl sports bike
like a GS250FW is much harder.
* Money And Future Plans
How long will you be keeping it? Do you plan to buy a
250 to learn on, and upgrade as soon as you get your
unrestricted license?
Many riders will drop the bike in the first year. Do
you want to buy an expensive faired bike now, or wait
till your skill improves?
Do you want insurance? Comprehensive? Have you
factored in your riding gear? Helmet? Boots? Gloves?
Jacket? Wet weather gear?
Once you have sorted out your needs, you can then peruse the 250cc
list for likely candidates, and cross check with your local paper for
likely price and availability. The monthly bike trading magazine Just
Bikes is also a good resource for pricing and model identification.
You should also try and locate the beginner's magazines that Two
Wheels puts out from time to time. They usually have good advice on
how to buy a second hand bike, models, riding gear etc.
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