Hi All, I'll be getting my learners in a weeks time, and hope to purchase a bike by mid spring. I've done a bit of riding around on a 185cc Suzuki, but to be honest that was bashing through my parents property, and I doubt I ever got much over 40k's I really like the look of the mid 90's Kawasaki ZZR 250, and the cheaper CTP insurance for a 250cc is a real incentive to go that route. Problem is that I live in a rural area, and work in Canberra, so the majority of my riding will be on highways. A friend of mine is adamant that I need to get a larger bike, at least 500cc for highway riding because a 250cc may struggle at highway speeds, especially with overtaking. What do you guys think about this? Which learner legal bike would you recommend as a semi touring/sports bike? TIA, -- SL "The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never again escape from it" Joseph Goebbels - Nazi Minister of Propaganda, 1933 - 1945
<snip!> 'Ullo! I would imagine that the ZZr would be pretty spot on for what you want, actually. Nice and simple to work on, nice and comfy (so long as you're not 6"4, like me ), with a fairly effective fairing to keep the wind off you on the highway. Sure, they're no powerhouse, but they'll sit on 100kph pretty easily. Not as "fast" as the cbr250's, but likewise don't attract a higher premium for that very reason (if you're looking at comprehensive, don't know about the other types). And anyway, if fast is what you're after, you'd probably be looking at a 600 anyway. All this said, I've never actually owned a ZZR. A cousin had one for a couple of years, used to ride it into work every day. He never complained about it, so he can't have had much trouble with it. He was living on the north side of Bris (Petrie-ish, I think), and would commute down the highway and back every day. He did a spot of two-up with his missus too, and seemed to go OK. So, in short, I like them. Honest, reliable, comfortable, and look not too bad to boot. That's my 2c, anyway! Good luck with your learners! Matto 05 Sprint ST - 2 WEEKS OLD!!! WOOHOO!!!
Not yet, thankfully! It's going back to the shop this weekend (new fuel injection mapping, apparently), so they may install the leak then. That'd be the thoughtful thing to do, rather than call me back in again later... That said, it's not really spent a lot of time in the garage yet (surprisingly), so it may just be waiting for it's chance. Matto 05 Sprint ST - Wouldn't a British-built bike be up to the same exacting standards of build as the booming British car industry? Oh yeah, right...
Thanks for all that! I think I'll go with the ZZr until the insurance companies don't view me as a menace to society anymore -- SL "The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never again escape from it" Joseph Goebbels - Nazi Minister of Propaganda, 1933 - 1945
