Best LAMs Learner bike with comfy seating position

[furythree]

Hi guys,
ive scoured the net for a good learner bike

ive concluded that i dont want the fastest cbrrrrrrrrr etcetc
i dont care about speed or whatever. i only care about:

1) price
2) handling/performance in terms of easy to learn on
3) cost of rego - has to be <$500
4) looks decent, not like i built it in my garage by cutting a go kart in half.

most importantly, id prefer something with an upright seating position, as i dont want my asscrack showing or hurt my back (i know im only 24)

i like the VTR 250 but concerned about the seating angle, rego and the thin tyres. I understand thicker tyres are better right?

if im going to go for an sh!tbox, id prefer to keep it under $3k. that way i wont care if it gets thrashed or stolen

it will be for commutting to work. therefore i dont want to look retarded on it either.
i seriously doubt id ride enough to want to upgrade later on, so longevity would be good (unless you show me a $1000 bike that i can just throw away)

any tips guys?

thanks

[Aaron1259]

I like the CBR125r, its looks really neat too

[furythree]

but isnt that even weaker than the vtr250

im tossing up between the kawasaki ninja 250r and the honda cbr250 second hand of course....i cant pass over the looks of the ninja! >< but i love the cbr
problem is. theyre both about 5k second hand. decisions decisions....

was originally going to go for a vtr250 or a suzuki but both not worth the money.

[nAYEE]

CBRs are worth the money. Theres a few on bikesales that are worth a look at. I use to own a CBR and rode my mates ninja, ninja just couldnt compare. Try old ninjas zx2rs, more HP than cbrs but very few in good nick nowadays. Just have a look around man, you'll find one thats nice.

[son of eevil]

GPX250/ZZR250

PLENTY under $3k.

[nAYEE]

You'll get bored of them in a month, same engine as the ninja just that the looks are outdated. Everything is pretty much the same, i would stick to a CBR250RR on my Ls then look to possibly upgrade to a RVF400.

[Jccck]

VTR250 is an amazing bike to learn on, it'll only make 180/190ish but they're really zippy, heaps comfy and handle suprisingly well!
And as nAYEE said, when you're a good rider and you want the most power you're allowed to ride.. RVF400s are a weapon of a bike

[Twincam16]

RVF holds it value and has longevity, awesome bike, but not a comfortable ride on Syd roads, and if you bin it without insurance GG importing original panels.

Id consider a 650 lams approved. Look at the 08+ Hyosung 650's and the Kawasaki ER6n lams version. Good bikes.

[furythree]

Thanks for the input guys
i think i will settle for either a cbr250r or ninja 250
reason being the value and looks.
ALso with a newer model i wont have to worry about buying a shonky one with questionable maintenance. The looks will also be more refreshed

problem is i cant find many good ones in NSW! they all seem to be in QLD or VIC!
is there a way to buy a bike interstate and transport it here? i am not flying out to melbourne and riding it back to sydney lolz 11 hrs ride zz

[Twincam16]

Yes there's a few transport companies that do interstate transport for bikes. Costs around $400 from Melb from memory. Difficult part would be to cancel and re-issue registration here, not that hard actually, just a pain in the arse.

Please dont buy a Ninja 250 - btw, dropping one will result in an instant write off from what ive seen at bike auctions...

[darkprinceken]

I don't think so, I own an 08 Ninja 250 and I love it, with an Musarri slip on it sounds bloody awesome and stand tall above the rest, I rip my mate's 2011 CBR250 with it. Yes the newer models have less HP but they are more reliable in term of engine age and maintenance. Try and sit on AS MANY bikes as possible before you decide to purchase anything. Every bike has its selling point so find what suits you. There are several articles online on how to buy second hand bikes (what to look for when inspecting a second hand bike etc). Have a good read before you go out and get your own, I did and it was worth every second. Hope my input helps. Good luck.

[EG52NV]

I own a complete stock MC22 tri-colour when I first bought it it felt like death! 3 weeks down the track and it already feels slow unless I'm up at 18,000rpm!