Honda Nsr150 Pro Arm

[JUDAS]

So, here's the story. I've spent months now thinking about buying a bike to use up here in the Buriram/Surin area. The wife and I spend around 2 weeks out of every 4/5 here. Basically the bikes just goiing to be a toy, taking it out for an hour or 2 to enjoy the road between Surin/Buriram.

Was considering the Ninja 250 or the CBR 150. Quickly ruled out the CBR as at 6 feet tall and 90 kilos ( hardly large) I felt just too big for the bike. Ninja, well, nice machine but just can't justify 150k for a toy that I'll only use from time to time.

Finally decided (90%) on the NSR. Would appreciate your views on this bike. The good, the bad, the ugly...

[submaniac]

NSR is a good bike. Keep in mind the "pro-arm" aka nsr150sp, is a bit of a 'collector's bike', and fetches quite a bit more than the other variants. Apparently the SP, and especially the Repsol painted ones, are being imported to Australia, which means less are available, and the ones that are, are significantly more expensive than the other variants. If you just want a cheap 'knock around' bike the nsr150rr (which is what I have) is not a bad bike. Much cheaper than the pro-arm.

Watch out if you are a big guy, because the NSR is about the same size or smaller than the CBR. The pro arm appears a little bit bigger, but I know my RR is tiny in comparison. I know you like the NSR, but another one I would throw out is the Yamaha TZM, which I also have (and may be for sale ). Yamaha is not popular in Thailand as Honda (which appears to be the reigning brand in Thailand). But I have the TZM, and if you are a big guy, the TZM will actually fit you pretty good. The TZM is a 150cc bike, but it has the size of a big bike and is probably the size equivalent of the Ninja 250. No joke. I do not know why more large sized Falang don't look into this bike. I am attaching a picture of my bike.

Pros of the NSR are: they are fast. The last of the two strokes, and they make significantly more power than the CBR and about the same power as the Ninja 250. Cheap, very cheap both to buy and to repair. Two strokes don't have valves, and engine rebuilds on those suckers are very easy. Also, because there are so many of them on the roads, parts are inexpensive and any motorcycle mechanic knows how to work on an NSR. The bad? They stink. 2 strokes make alot of pollution and some people don't dig that they only come with a kick start (no electric starts).

[JUDAS]

Hi submaniac,

Thanks for the fairly comprehensive reply. Somewhat of a coincidence you mentioning the TZM. Was out this evening and saw one, quite liked the look of it and you're right, seems bigger than the NSR. Anyway, got home and googled the TZM and read your post on TV about buying one earlier in the year!!

Believe you mentioned in your post about TZM that it was a "bit rough" looks great in the pic though I know from experience pics on the web don't show up the detail too well. If you are thinking about selling maybe send me some details, year, kilometres, whatever work you've had done on it etc. Suppose you might want to mention price too

[Richard-BKK]

Hi Submaniac,

I belief that the Kawasaki KRR 150 was the last two-stroke sold in Thailand, I belief that you can find them until build 2007.

NSR is a good bike. Keep in mind the "pro-arm" aka nsr150sp, is a bit of a 'collector's bike', and fetches quite a bit more than the other variants. Apparently the SP, and especially the Repsol painted ones, are being imported to Australia, which means less are available, and the ones that are, are significantly more expensive than the other variants. If you just want a cheap 'knock around' bike the nsr150rr (which is what I have) is not a bad bike. Much cheaper than the pro-arm.

Watch out if you are a big guy, because the NSR is about the same size or smaller than the CBR. The pro arm appears a little bit bigger, but I know my RR is tiny in comparison. I know you like the NSR, but another one I would throw out is the Yamaha TZM, which I also have (and may be for sale ). Yamaha is not popular in Thailand as Honda (which appears to be the reigning brand in Thailand). But I have the TZM, and if you are a big guy, the TZM will actually fit you pretty good. The TZM is a 150cc bike, but it has the size of a big bike and is probably the size equivalent of the Ninja 250. No joke. I do not know why more large sized Falang don't look into this bike. I am attaching a picture of my bike.

Pros of the NSR are: they are fast. The last of the two strokes, and they make significantly more power than the CBR and about the same power as the Ninja 250. Cheap, very cheap both to buy and to repair. Two strokes don't have valves, and engine rebuilds on those suckers are very easy. Also, because there are so many of them on the roads, parts are inexpensive and any motorcycle mechanic knows how to work on an NSR. The bad? They stink. 2 strokes make alot of pollution and some people don't dig that they only come with a kick start (no electric starts).

[submaniac]

Hi submaniac,

Thanks for the fairly comprehensive reply. Somewhat of a coincidence you mentioning the TZM. Was out this evening and saw one, quite liked the look of it and you're right, seems bigger than the NSR. Anyway, got home and googled the TZM and read your post on TV about buying one earlier in the year!!

Believe you mentioned in your post about TZM that it was a "bit rough" looks great in the pic though I know from experience pics on the web don't show up the detail too well. If you are thinking about selling maybe send me some details, year, kilometres, whatever work you've had done on it etc. Suppose you might want to mention price too

Hehehe...well it looks great in the photographs because that is a new paint job! Just finished painting it in July of 2008 (and was left untouched until I came back in September) I also had the engine on it rebuilt too. At least I think it was rebuilt. I did not quite understand what the shop was saying. I took it in because it was running rough. Two days later I came back to check on it and they showed me the piston! Two days after that it was all put together and running great. I have to ask the shop for the receipts for all the work that was done to it. But pretty much everything was rebuilt on it.

I am in the USA right now and was going to try and sell one bike when I got back to thailand. If you look at my other posts, there is a post about me trying to take an FZR 400 away from my cousin. Well he is selling it to me now, and I will now have 3 motorcycles, TZM 150, NSR150RR and FZR400, and I need to get rid of one of the small cc bikes. I want to keep one of the 150's as a spare bike, but was going to advertise the NSR and the TZM on the classifieds and let the buyer choose between which one they want to keep. Both have been freshly repainted, and everything broke has been repaired. I was going to ask $600 USD or 18,000 baht for each (which is more than the cost of repairs sunk into the TZM). The price is negotiable. I won't be back in Thailand for a few months, but if you really want to take a look at the bikes, I can have my relatives show it to you.

Edited November 23, 2008 by submaniac

[JUDAS]

submaniac,

Was in Buriram this afternoon and came across a couple of TZM's. They actually looked a bit rough but took a seat anyway to check them out for size, felt the same as Pro Arm too me and prefer the Honda styling actually. Asked the price out of curiousity, 20k!! Obviously the farang factor....

The only NSR I've seen up here belongs to a guy who lives 500 metres away and was lucky enough to get a quick ride on it. Took her up to 140kph with plenty left!! Bike was in excellent nick, asked if he'd sell, he mentions 45k but might come dowm to 40k

Gonna stick with plan to get NSR. Thanks for the help submaniac.

Anyone know of a good NSR Pro Arm for sale in the Buriram/Surin area?