first bike

advice...if this is your first bike remember it is important that you get decent riding gear. everyone lays it down at some point, with the right kind of gear you have a better chance of walking away.

 

I got a bike last month, although I went with the Kawasaki GPX250R.

Bought it from a dealer 1 year old with 5000km on the clock and 1 year warranty left. Cost savings were $1000 on the bike, and $500 on the ORC.

I figure I can sell it for almost what I paid for it a year down the road without having taken any of the new vehicle depreciation. Not sure that would apply to the Hyosung. The naked version is about $6.5k new, yeah?

 

I've read the reviews on the Korean-made bikes & wonder when they'll kick down the mainstream doors. It'll take some wins on the track & "you first" success stories to build a following & thriving dealership network to build consumer trust. Right now, the Japanese are scared of these guys & for good reason. Quality product the likes of Cagiva have looked into. The wins will happen sooner than later. The naked bike is a beaut - aka The Comet, right? Downsides on this cc range seem to be unadjustable front end, heavy frame & rear brake pads. Duck's advice is spot on - however, it applies equally to experienced riders. Dress to slide.

In the meantime, Thrawn's riding the one I've recommended time and again. Called EX250R in the US, max torque at 10K, bulletproof, nimble & reliable some 20 years after it's intro.

 

A co-worker here has a Hyosung 600 or 650(don't remember), but he enjoys it. At first, he bought it for his wife(4500 brand new with warranty) but she lost interest. He's been using that as a daily rider, and leaving his GSXR1000 and Hyabusa 1300 for weekend and track use. He said something about the motor being the same from the Suzuki 600's or 650's(again, don't remember the size). For what it is and waht he paid, seems like a fun little bike regardless. I only took it around the parking lot briefly(I'm not a sportbiker, I'll stick with my cruisers). Insurance also on that thing was CHEAP! I don't know if that's because of the brand or what, since it's not all that popular here yet. Best of luck, and definately invest in gear...I know mine cost me about 1900 when I was done buying mine and my wife's stuff.

 

you're lucky that you guys get cool 250's in AUS.

here in the US all we have is the ninja 250 and the hyosung. :/

i REALLY want a street legal RS250, as i am in love with that bike..COMPLETELY impractical...but i love it.

as for the hyosungs, they are nice bikes for the money, but the thing i've heard is that they're basically built with cheap materials, then overbuilt so it holds together, the result is a heavier machine, with [probably] lower reliability.

 

Jeans will not protect you in an accident. In a fall at 60km/h, it will take roughly a third of a second for the denim to be shredded.

I'd recommend a pair of kevlar lined cargo pants or jeans by Draggin Jeans or equivalent. They've been tested up to 130km/h without failing. I bought mine (1 pair traffic jeans, 1 pair black cargos) from Peter Stevens for ~ $200.

 

How is it that much different from the states?

Is the RS250 not legal there?

Alot of the 250's here (e.g. Honda CBR250s / CBR250RRs) are grey imports of questionable history and condition. They've been left in storage for years after the Japanese 250 sportbike market collapsed in the 1990's. Many have had the clock wound back, a new coat of paint slapped on and then sold here for the cost of a new GPX250 or Hyosung. Not surprisingly, insurance companies won't touch such bikes.