Sister is looking into a cheap bike, I know little about bikes
 

^ However I find that I can typically trust the opinions I find on here.

About a week ago she asked me to look into a low-cost bike. She's not mechanically inclined - probably enough to change the oil or tighten a loose mirror, but she won't be doing any mechanical repairs on a bike. She originally linked me to a Chinese 250cc Ninja clone. I did some reading and what I've found suggests that it has a simple and fairly reliable carburated motor coupled with a very short 5 speed tranny - looks like it caps out around 65 in top gear due due to revs. It's advertised on some sites as getting "up to 80mpg" but I bet that's going to be at 25-35mph in top gear.

My first suggestion was that we should go to a Honda dealership and look at a CBR250R... and find out if her feet can even touch the ground on one. She's about 5'2".

She's open to the idea of other bikes but a scooter is pretty much out, she wants something that resembles a sports bike at least in looks.

Some other thoughts:

I think it might be worthwhile to go with a Honda so parts/repairs are easier to find.

It has a much more comfortable top speed of ~90mph. I don't think I'd trust taking anything that can only do 60 on a freeway. However, she's concerned that since she's very light and a 250 is a pretty light bike too, it might not be safe to take on a freeway anyway. What's the truth behind this?

What kind of parts/warranty do dealers typically offer, and do you suggest going to a dealer and getting a new bike, or maybe a certified preowned, or should I also consider hitting up craigslist, considering my limited knowledge about bikes?

Has anyone had any experiences with cheap Chinese bikes? Might it not be a bad option? Certainly the Honda is more expensive, but is it worth being ~twice as expensive?

Any other thoughts/suggestions?

I think the Chinese bikes are best suited to the very mechanically inclined who are able to/don't mind working on them.

agreed i wouldn't go with chinese bikes unless ur mechanically inclined. Remember this "you get what you pay for" as in if you buy a cheap bike problems are more inclined to happen.

also check out ninja250r's and i would look on craigslist as with any motor vehicle if they are taken care of they can still be very reliable

If she's wanting a sport bike, Honda and Kaw are the only 250 options.

Dual sports are better first bikes IMO, so Suzuki DR200 or Yamaha XT225 come into play or Honda CRF230L. Learning the basics on grass or dirt is way better than on the street. The first 2 have been made for quite a while and have low seat height. Kawasaki made a 250 Super Sherpa (KL250) that might short enough for her to be comfortable as well. Yamaha replaced the XT225 with a 250 in last year or two not sure if it got taller or not. Last would be the odd TW200 by yamaha.

Old Mechanic has a interesting standard Yamaha SR225 or something like that. Willing to go 500 Suzuki GS500e is a nice standard, somewhat recently replace with 500S with a fairing. Ninja 500 with it's half fairing. Suzuki Bandit 400 is a neat standard but rare and older.

Unfortunately I don't think she'd go for a dual sport. For one, off the lot they're more expensive, and she likes the sports bike look. This is going to be her primary mode of transportation so I'm thinking of trying to talk her into getting a cruiser instead.

Incidentally, at work today I asked a coworker about his bike and he offered to sell it - a Suzuki LS650 (2002) for $800. It's in good mechanical condition and has about 6k miles, says it's been garage kept and it looks it.

A 650 is probably a bit much for a first bike but I'm tempted to pick this up for myself if nothing else.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...5b44&zw&atsh=1

I would grab that 650 in a heartbeat. Get your sister a Rebel. The Chinese stuff is basically junk after a couple thousand miles.

Buy a used Rebel then sell it if she actually evolves into a regular bike rider. If she is smart she might actually decide to keep the Rebel. Simple, good mileage and even at my 200 pounds + and over 6 feet height I could get mine very close to 80 on the Interstate, but it was personally tuned and carb cleaned to perfection. Mine was an 06 with 1800 miles that sat in a shed until the carbs needed work and it needed a battery.

$800.

This way if she decides she doesn't want to ride a bike then she can sell the Rebel for very close to what she paid for it. I put 5k miles on mine and sold it for $1400.

If she stays on a bike then look for a nice used CBR 250 R if that is what she wants. By then they will be cheaper on the used market, but a good old Rebel can't really be beat.

regards
Mech

Don't discount the modern scooters! A Honda Reflex is a good looking 250 that has adequate power. Our own Yamaha Majesty(400cc) has been bullet proof, has sports bike looks, excellent performance and delivers 60+mpg! It's light enough for a beginner to handle easily, but is heavy, and powerful enough for interstate use. Mrs. Mini learned and got her license on it and it never fails to put a grin on my face when I ride it.

What is her target money wise ?
I would definitely buy a used japanese bike with 30K on the clock at twice the price over a brand new chinese bike.

She was willing to entertain the idea of spending $4,000 on the Honda, new off the lot, but I think that's pretty close to the upper limit.

What about the new Ninja 300? 4800 is a little high I suppose but the dual cylinder is a bit more exciting than the single (and a lot more powerful). Fuel injected so better fuel economy than the 250s which are carbed.

Well a Honda 250 wouldn't be carbed, and I think raw performance is less of a factor (for now) as she probably would've been happy with the sport-bike looking Chinese bike that tops out at 60mph.

More importantly, I checked the local Craigslist and found a few used CBR250R's in the range of $2700-3500, and a few older carburated Ninja 250's at around the same price and no Ninja 400's.

At the same price the Honda looks like a better bike. Will try to talk her into a cruiser though.

The Kawasaki 250s are good bikes. I've owned a couple of them. They typically need a simple carb adjustment, even new from the dealer, to make them run just right (can read about that on ninja250.org), but then they're great for miles and miles.

The CBR250R is an excellent starter bike if she likes the sport bike look. A Ninja 250 is excellent as well, but there may be a bit more maintenance to do with a older (carbed) model - nothing major (usually) if it's running.

I never recommend purchasing a new bike as a first - especially a 250. Many people think they "outgrow" a 250 almost immediately and sell it to "upgrade" - at a big loss. If you buy and older model be prepared to do some maintenance - tires, fluid changes, adjustments, all commonly get neglected.

Of the two, the CBR has some advantages for the new rider IMO, but either would be a good choice. Make sure she has money for full gear and signs-up for a MSF training course. You won't find any Ninja 400s in the US.


Jay

At $2700 a CBR250R would be a good choice, since it has already lost 1/3rd of its original price in depreciation. If you could find a fairly low mileage Rebel for half that then that would also be a good choice.

Either would give her a good chance to see if she really wants to ride a bike in traffic. Many people have an incident that scares them enough to quit riding, and if that happened then she could get out of the bike with very little loss of money.

If she keeps riding either bike would serve her well and long enough to move up later if she wanted to do that, and either would get great mileage.

regards
Mech

Just happened across the Suzuki GW250 neat looking, twin cylinder FI. Kind of a naked sport bike so issurance maybe cheaper than the plastic covered ones.

Absolutely. The CBR250R is the perfect riding bike for anyone that is not too big and heavy for it. She would have to have it (any sport bike) lowered and they also sell an aftermarket minus 1" seat now. Buy a used one for $3000 if not financing.

Local 2012 CBR with 1000 miles for $2700, it's a good time of year to buy used bikes.

Actually, she is small enough to fit well on a pre gen Ninja250 which will be worth about $1000 now that the 3rd gen Ninja300 is out. The carbs are easier to tune than the 2nd gen as there is no cat.

Grab a pre-gen Ninja 250, they're easily able to get 60+ MPG right out of the box with a stock tune.

Let her learn to ride and get used to controlling the bike before she starts getting into "other" ways to save fuel, but there's a guy on here who's able to get 100+MPG at times on his Ninja.

I rode mine like it was a super sport and still got ~65MPG with it even with the throttle pinned open almost 100% of the time.

+1 on the early Ninja 250R. These are fantastic bikes to learn on and you can find them cheap all day long.

There are two kinds of motorcycle riders: those who have crashed, and those who will. And most do in the first six months. Get something cheap to learn on that you won't get upset about crashing. More imporant is buying good gear (note: good doesn't always mean most expensive) because gear is a lot easier to replace than skin. Once you've got some experience, then worry about the bike that you REALLY want (which may be the baby Ninja you already bought).

I ride a Ninja 650R now, and while I never owned one, I've ridden the 250R as well. It was a hoot to ride, even as an experienced rider.

Since inseam-challenged women often buy them, there are a lot that have been lowered already. It's fairly easy to do if you find one you like that isn't lowered, but you will need a kit to do it.

Good advice from all. You won't go wrong with what has been presented so far. All the Japanese bikes are generally reliable and durable, if cared for. The Chinese bikes are only good if initially set-up properly, and you can learn to source parts on the internet. I put over 5000 miles on mine without worry after a few intitial issues.

It is very important to get high quality riding gear. It will make the experience more pleasurable, extend the riding season and of course provide as much protection as possible.

Have her take MSF and/or other riding courses designed for beginning riders. Probably should do this BEFORE purchasing, as she may even change her mind about riding.

Encourage her to learn about her bike and do basic maintenance. This can not only save a good amount of money but she will learn what to check, what is normal and if it is not right, is the bike still safely rideable. Remember, these are just simple mechanical vehicles.