Used Motorbikes

[itsMiller]

Anyone know a good place for used motorbikes, aside from the classifieds?

I'm looking for a Kawasaki KSR or something similar to it. ~150cc. Manual, preferably with a clutch.

I'm hoping to buy in the 30-50k baht range.

[mrclough]

There's a second hand bike market every weekend at Meechok Plaza, behind Rimping on the 1001.

I would imagine you're going to be looking more at the 50k end of your budget rather than the 30k end.

Also try www.mocyc.com

All in Thai but lots of bikes for sale

[kjhbigv]

Firstly the KSR is semi-auto, so no clutch, similar to a Wave and such. You can get manual clutch kits BUT go for a Takegawa not a Thai made one, expensive though, around 14000bht for the kit.

To be honest, I had a KSR 3/4 years ago (with a Takegawa manual clutch conversion) and they are not that great, underpowered (standard), impractical and expensive aftermarket parts....would I buy one again...never! They are also a little bit embarrassing, unless you are an 18 year old!

Best bet, is go for a new or 2nd hand Honda CBR150R or Sonic 125....just watch out for the 2nd hand ones...bike of choice for debt collectors (not that that matters) but a LOT have been abused.

If it was me, go for a new CBR150R around 80k and when you sell it, minimal depreciation OR if you can find one, an NSR150SP, but being a 2-stroke, little bit more maintenance and again, a lot are in poor condition.

Edited May 10, 2012 by kjhbigv

[itsMiller]

The CBR150 looks really good, I may have to splurge a bit then.

Also I remember riding a standard Sonic 125 up to Pai and thoroughly enjoying it, but that was 5 years ago and they seem to be rare these days as I've only seen one so far.

[mrclough]

Wouldn't even consider a Sonic or NSR personally.

All of them are old bikes and most have been thrashed.

Sure the NSR's are a 2T and you can squeeze loads of power out of them once you've completely rebuilt the engine but also burn through fuel & oil like its water.

New CBR is a good option but if you look around you can buy a 2nd hand / nearly new 250 for the price of a new 150, close on anyway.

[itsMiller]

How much does a new CBR 150 go for? And where could I find one?

I think anything above 150 is overkill for me

[kjhbigv]

How much does a new CBR 150 go for? And where could I find one?

I think anything above 150 is overkill for me

Any large Honda dealer around town will have at least one CBR150R in their showroom.....cost is 80k THB. The Honda dealer on the road up to Doi Suthep/Zoo, on the left should have one.

[barefoot1988]

if you are travelling up pai and down or similar, probably best to go with something with clutch. I dont know how others, but it feels like freewheeling going down the slope with semi auto.

30-50k could get you a older model cbr. but i would suggest getting a nsr instead with that budget since the cbr are likely gonna be trashed as well. choose wisely, usually the nsr just need a new gasket, piston rings and maybe a set of clutch plates and it will be good to go, pretty dam_n cheap to top overhual a nsr. its easier and more economical to fix up bad 2 stroker than a 4 stroker imo.

not sure about the consumption on cbr150, but my old ksr gets between 35-40km/l with an open air filter and aftermarket exhause. my nsr fetch between 23-25km/l, its arent that bad actually. the only issue about the nsr i have is that it kind of bogs at lower rpm, cant seems to get rid of it

Edited May 11, 2012 by barefoot1988

[mrclough]

if you are travelling up pai and down or similar, probably best to go with something with clutch. I dont know how others, but it feels like freewheeling going down the slope with semi auto.

30-50k could get you a older model cbr. but i would suggest getting a nsr instead with that budget since the cbr are likely gonna be trashed as well. choose wisely, usually the nsr just need a new gasket, piston rings and maybe a set of clutch plates and it will be good to go, pretty dam_n cheap to top overhual a nsr. its easier and more economical to fix up bad 2 stroker than a 4 stroker imo.

not sure about the consumption on cbr150, but my old ksr gets between 35-40km/l with an open air filter and aftermarket exhause. my nsr fetch between 23-25km/l, its arent that bad actually. the only issue about the nsr i have is that it kind of bogs at lower rpm, cant seems to get rid of it

Also consider the oil your constantly burning and regular top end rebuilds as all 2 strokes need and what your quoting is a complete false economy. Uses much more fuel (which seems to keep rising in price) uses lots of oil, not that cheap for decent quality oil. Needs top end rebuilds ( time off the road, buying parts, paying a mechanic etc) are all going to add up pretty quickly.

Better off going for the newer CBR rather than the old one as they're ultra reliable, have a warranty, have fuel injection which means very cheap running costs.

The difference between getting the cheaper NSR or a new CBR 150 is quite a bit but i really don't think it would take too long before the NSR ended costing more than the CBR.

As for the older CBR's being thrashed? 99% of people who want a NSR over the CBR want them purely because they are a faster bike, No other reason at all. Not rocket science to figure out which ones are most likely to be thrashed and need work doing on the engines

[mrclough]

Just saw this on the classifieds, may be of interest to you.

http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/automotives-vehicles/motorcycles/black-honda-cbr-250-r-abs-16000km-89k-baht-obo-chiang-mai-166139.html

[itsMiller]

Just saw this on the classifieds, may be of interest to you.

http://classifieds.t...mai-166139.html

Thanks, although I'm still hesitant going with anything bigger then 150. I'm paying for more power, which I don't need or want. Are the 150 and 250 the same physical size? Because I like the medium size of the 150.

Also, I'm more of a beginner rider just looking to get around town while having some fun, and the obligatory visa runs when necessary.

I'd really love to get an oldschool cruiser type, but hassle free low maintenance is big for me and I'll get that with a newer sport bike I'd imagine.

[barefoot1988]

if you are travelling up pai and down or similar, probably best to go with something with clutch. I dont know how others, but it feels like freewheeling going down the slope with semi auto.

30-50k could get you a older model cbr. but i would suggest getting a nsr instead with that budget since the cbr are likely gonna be trashed as well. choose wisely, usually the nsr just need a new gasket, piston rings and maybe a set of clutch plates and it will be good to go, pretty dam_n cheap to top overhual a nsr. its easier and more economical to fix up bad 2 stroker than a 4 stroker imo.

not sure about the consumption on cbr150, but my old ksr gets between 35-40km/l with an open air filter and aftermarket exhause. my nsr fetch between 23-25km/l, its arent that bad actually. the only issue about the nsr i have is that it kind of bogs at lower rpm, cant seems to get rid of it

Also consider the oil your constantly burning and regular top end rebuilds as all 2 strokes need and what your quoting is a complete false economy. Uses much more fuel (which seems to keep rising in price) uses lots of oil, not that cheap for decent quality oil. Needs top end rebuilds ( time off the road, buying parts, paying a mechanic etc) are all going to add up pretty quickly.

Better off going for the newer CBR rather than the old one as they're ultra reliable, have a warranty, have fuel injection which means very cheap running costs.

The difference between getting the cheaper NSR or a new CBR 150 is quite a bit but i really don't think it would take too long before the NSR ended costing more than the CBR.

As for the older CBR's being thrashed? 99% of people who want a NSR over the CBR want them purely because they are a faster bike, No other reason at all. Not rocket science to figure out which ones are most likely to be thrashed and need work doing on the engines

did you have any bad experiences for nsr150? these are cam driven, sturdy enough. a really trashed one will ended up with seized piston or a burst conrod bearings. its only between 5-6k for a conditioned used engine, plentiful of them. a top overhual cost less than 3k. you absolutely dont need regular top end rebuilding. a yearly top end servicing will do, its only 500 baht. 2t is only at 20ml/l, the good old yamalube will do the job. its not that bad as many imagine.

im only quoting for his budget at 30-50k. obviously pushing out a new cbr will be a better and hassle free idea. a nsr is dead cheap at 8-13k in maejo, you could pretty much do up a nsr to a reliable state with plentiful of mojo left with his budget

[Semper]

What's a top end rebuilding?

Edited May 12, 2012 by Semper

[highonthai]

Bottom end= Crankcase

Top end= Cylinder,piston/valve train

[heybruce]

Also, I'm more of a beginner rider just looking to get around town while having some fun, and the obligatory visa runs when necessary.

Are you sure you want to go to Mae Sai and back on a small bike?

[mrclough]

Just saw this on the classifieds, may be of interest to you.

http://classifieds.t...mai-166139.html

Thanks, although I'm still hesitant going with anything bigger then 150. I'm paying for more power, which I don't need or want. Are the 150 and 250 the same physical size? Because I like the medium size of the 150.

Also, I'm more of a beginner rider just looking to get around town while having some fun, and the obligatory visa runs when necessary.

I'd really love to get an oldschool cruiser type, but hassle free low maintenance is big for me and I'll get that with a newer sport bike I'd imagine.

It's entirely your choice at the end of the day. The link to the 250 was an example of available options more than anything else.

As far as I'm aware the 150 & 250 are exactly the same size, just bigger engine in the latter.

If you're going to do Mae Sai visa runs on your bike then the extra power of the 250 would be a big advantage. Better for getting up those hills, which there are plenty of and not revving the engine quite so high when cruising along.

I travelled up to Chiang Rai quite a lot when I had my Ninja 250 and it was fine on those runs. There's very little difference between that & the CBR 250 apart from the price lol.

Out of town I now ride my 650 and it's obviously much easier going on those kind of routes and not really difference in fuel costs if you're doing the same sort of speeds as the engine doesn't work as hard.

Maybe that's also an option for you further down the line once you're ready.

I went from 150 to 250 to 650 and was glad I didn't try jumping on the big bike straight away as many people do. I think it was a confidence thing more than anything in my case.

[itsMiller]

Are you sure you want to go to Mae Sai and back on a small bike?

It's entirely your choice at the end of the day. The link to the 250 was an example of available options more than anything else.

As far as I'm aware the 150 & 250 are exactly the same size, just bigger engine in the latter.

If you're going to do Mae Sai visa runs on your bike then the extra power of the 250 would be a big advantage. Better for getting up those hills, which there are plenty of and not revving the engine quite so high when cruising along.

I travelled up to Chiang Rai quite a lot when I had my Ninja 250 and it was fine on those runs. There's very little difference between that & the CBR 250 apart from the price lol.

Out of town I now ride my 650 and it's obviously much easier going on those kind of routes and not really difference in fuel costs if you're doing the same sort of speeds as the engine doesn't work as hard.

Maybe that's also an option for you further down the line once you're ready.

I went from 150 to 250 to 650 and was glad I didn't try jumping on the big bike straight away as many people do. I think it was a confidence thing more than anything in my case.

I did ride up to Pai with a Sonic 125 and can't recall having any issues. I know that Mae Sai is considerably further, but asides from a comfort point of view, should I really be concerned about doing the run with a 150?

Will I be working the engine too hard and end up thrashing it?

Like you said, it's a confidence thing for me too, and I'm wary about jumping into a 250 right away. Although I do like that it's the same size, so maybe it's an option still.

[funcat]

Are you sure you want to go to Mae Sai and back on a small bike?

It's entirely your choice at the end of the day. The link to the 250 was an example of available options more than anything else.

As far as I'm aware the 150 & 250 are exactly the same size, just bigger engine in the latter.

If you're going to do Mae Sai visa runs on your bike then the extra power of the 250 would be a big advantage. Better for getting up those hills, which there are plenty of and not revving the engine quite so high when cruising along.

I travelled up to Chiang Rai quite a lot when I had my Ninja 250 and it was fine on those runs. There's very little difference between that & the CBR 250 apart from the price lol.

Out of town I now ride my 650 and it's obviously much easier going on those kind of routes and not really difference in fuel costs if you're doing the same sort of speeds as the engine doesn't work as hard.

Maybe that's also an option for you further down the line once you're ready.

I went from 150 to 250 to 650 and was glad I didn't try jumping on the big bike straight away as many people do. I think it was a confidence thing more than anything in my case.

I did ride up to Pai with a Sonic 125 and can't recall having any issues. I know that Mae Sai is considerably further, but asides from a comfort point of view, should I really be concerned about doing the run with a 150?

Will I be working the engine too hard and end up thrashing it?

Like you said, it's a confidence thing for me too, and I'm wary about jumping into a 250 right away. Although I do like that it's the same size, so maybe it's an option still.

I've had a couple of the "older" CBR 150's and I highly recommend them for someone on the budget.I did make some Mae Sai trips and would not do it on anything smaller...can go 110-120km/hr easy and hills are no problem...and you can get a decent one for under 50K baht...now,the new 150 has a bigger and heavier body,so I don't know,if there is enough power there left....

[BlackArtemis]

I hit up Gat (ngua?) in San Patong on Saturday and picked up a Honda nice, they had a lot of bikes there, including KSRs.

I went to the 7-11 at the beginning of Wu Lai road at about 5am and got one of the yellow trucks for 20B. Took the 30min ride out there, found a bike I liked, bought it and rode it back.

[itsMiller]

I hit up Gat (ngua?) in San Patong on Saturday and picked up a Honda nice, they had a lot of bikes there, including KSRs.

I went to the 7-11 at the beginning of Wu Lai road at about 5am and got one of the yellow trucks for 20B. Took the 30min ride out there, found a bike I liked, bought it and rode it back.

Nice what bike did you end up with?

[BlackArtemis]

I hit up Gat (ngua?) in San Patong on Saturday and picked up a Honda nice, they had a lot of bikes there, including KSRs.

I went to the 7-11 at the beginning of Wu Lai road at about 5am and got one of the yellow trucks for 20B. Took the 30min ride out there, found a bike I liked, bought it and rode it back.

Nice what bike did you end up with?

I should have capitalized that, Honda Nice. It's a 110cc 4 speed with a clutch.

I hope to have time this week and next to rip it apart and add it all to this:

I hope the larger disc brake will fit on the Chaly. The engine will fit with ease, the chaly I bought had a honda 100cc engine at one point, so it will bolt up in 5 minutes. I'd like to use the entire front fork from handle bars to disc brake from the Nice. I also want to retrofit the Nice's speedometer and instrument cluster into the Chaly's housing.

[mrclough]

Are you sure you want to go to Mae Sai and back on a small bike?

It's entirely your choice at the end of the day. The link to the 250 was an example of available options more than anything else.

As far as I'm aware the 150 & 250 are exactly the same size, just bigger engine in the latter.

If you're going to do Mae Sai visa runs on your bike then the extra power of the 250 would be a big advantage. Better for getting up those hills, which there are plenty of and not revving the engine quite so high when cruising along.

I travelled up to Chiang Rai quite a lot when I had my Ninja 250 and it was fine on those runs. There's very little difference between that & the CBR 250 apart from the price lol.

Out of town I now ride my 650 and it's obviously much easier going on those kind of routes and not really difference in fuel costs if you're doing the same sort of speeds as the engine doesn't work as hard.

Maybe that's also an option for you further down the line once you're ready.

I went from 150 to 250 to 650 and was glad I didn't try jumping on the big bike straight away as many people do. I think it was a confidence thing more than anything in my case.

I did ride up to Pai with a Sonic 125 and can't recall having any issues. I know that Mae Sai is considerably further, but asides from a comfort point of view, should I really be concerned about doing the run with a 150?

Will I be working the engine too hard and end up thrashing it?

Like you said, it's a confidence thing for me too, and I'm wary about jumping into a 250 right away. Although I do like that it's the same size, so maybe it's an option still.

You should be ok to Pai and Mae Sai to be honest. Just a little easier if you have a little more grunt as your not up and down the gears quite so much. A better way of thinking may be to rent one of each of the bikes you are considering (within your budget) and see which feels good.

I owned the Ninja 250 but considering the price and comfort level I couldn't realistically recommend this over the Honda. I just got fed up of waiting for the Honda to be released lol.

[mrclough]

I hit up Gat (ngua?) in San Patong on Saturday and picked up a Honda nice, they had a lot of bikes there, including KSRs.

I went to the 7-11 at the beginning of Wu Lai road at about 5am and got one of the yellow trucks for 20B. Took the 30min ride out there, found a bike I liked, bought it and rode it back.

Nice what bike did you end up with?

I should have capitalized that, Honda Nice. It's a 110cc 4 speed with a clutch.

I hope to have time this week and next to rip it apart and add it all to this:

I hope the larger disc brake will fit on the Chaly. The engine will fit with ease, the chaly I bought had a honda 100cc engine at one point, so it will bolt up in 5 minutes. I'd like to use the entire front fork from handle bars to disc brake from the Nice. I also want to retrofit the Nice's speedometer and instrument cluster into the Chaly's housing.

Would love to see some pics of the project once it's done. Love these little bikes and there's almost unlimited amounts of mods you can do with them. Saw a lot of Thai's out on them and the old Honda Cub's yesterday. See a lot around the Phayao area on weekends.

[highonthai]

Here's some pictures of a Chaly bike I built a few years ago.

Sold this one and never saw it again.

Still have another one that at some ponit I'll throw together.

If you have any questions let me know.

Edited May 13, 2012 by highonthai

[BlackArtemis]

Here's some pictures of a Chaly bike I built a few years ago.

Sold this one and never saw it again.

Still have another one that at some ponit I'll throw together.

If you have any questions let me know.

I remember you building that, you finished it after I left the country and moved back to the states.

Going to build this at my friend's shop again, this time I will be more hands on and learn a bit more.

Didn't you throw a wave engine on yours?

[highonthai]

That one I put a 100cc Dream engine in. I have a 125 wave engine that will go into the other Chaly frame I have, when I get motivated.

I still have to start on this project, early Suzuki F70.

[itsMiller]

You should be ok to Pai and Mae Sai to be honest. Just a little easier if you have a little more grunt as your not up and down the gears quite so much. A better way of thinking may be to rent one of each of the bikes you are considering (within your budget) and see which feels good.

I owned the Ninja 250 but considering the price and comfort level I couldn't realistically recommend this over the Honda. I just got fed up of waiting for the Honda to be released lol.

Ya renting sounds like a good plan for now. Any idea on where to find a place that rents them out? Particularly the 150, as I've only seen 1 place renting out a 250 and have yet to find a 150 for rent anywhere.

[mrclough]

You should be ok to Pai and Mae Sai to be honest. Just a little easier if you have a little more grunt as your not up and down the gears quite so much. A better way of thinking may be to rent one of each of the bikes you are considering (within your budget) and see which feels good.

I owned the Ninja 250 but considering the price and comfort level I couldn't realistically recommend this over the Honda. I just got fed up of waiting for the Honda to be released lol.

Ya renting sounds like a good plan for now. Any idea on where to find a place that rents them out? Particularly the 150, as I've only seen 1 place renting out a 250 and have yet to find a 150 for rent anywhere.

I think you're more likely to find the older style 150 for rent to be honest. These are much smaller and thinner than the newer ones. I know Tony & Jeff have 250's at Tony's big bikes in town. I know they have given a few riding lessons / guidance to people who want to rent but have little to no experience. May be worth looking them up.

Not sure of the address and number but I'm sure a quick google search will put you right.

[itsMiller]

You should be ok to Pai and Mae Sai to be honest. Just a little easier if you have a little more grunt as your not up and down the gears quite so much. A better way of thinking may be to rent one of each of the bikes you are considering (within your budget) and see which feels good.

I owned the Ninja 250 but considering the price and comfort level I couldn't realistically recommend this over the Honda. I just got fed up of waiting for the Honda to be released lol.

Ya renting sounds like a good plan for now. Any idea on where to find a place that rents them out? Particularly the 150, as I've only seen 1 place renting out a 250 and have yet to find a 150 for rent anywhere.

I think you're more likely to find the older style 150 for rent to be honest. These are much smaller and thinner than the newer ones. I know Tony & Jeff have 250's at Tony's big bikes in town. I know they have given a few riding lessons / guidance to people who want to rent but have little to no experience. May be worth looking them up.

Not sure of the address and number but I'm sure a quick google search will put you right.

I found a 150 at Mr Beer's today, and you're right it does seem very thin. It looks like a scooter from the front.

It was hard to get a good feel for it as it's older and has been ridden hard over the years. I drove halfway up Doi Suthep and it handled the hill easily. It was a good enough amount of power for me, especially since I'll be doing a lot of city driving. Putting it into neutral was almost impossible, so I ended up holding down on the clutch, which I forgot to adjust before I started riding (I have small hands and it was at the max distance), and destroyed my forearm. Hopefully it's ok for tomorrow and I can try out the 250 without too much discomfort. I walked by Tony's Big Bike awhile ago so I'm sure I can find it, it's close to Mr. Beer's.

[BlackArtemis]

Tony has an SR400 or two doesn't he? Swore I saw one when I went past. I am interested in getting one and using the Chaly for around town. But I want to try it out first.