Buying a 250 motocycle, your suggestions?

[Belamar]

I'm going to buy a 250 motorcycle. It's probably will be a used one. I'm mostly thinking of Honda CBR250 and Kawasaki Z250 2013, or maybe Kawasaki Ninja 250. I like the design of Kawasaki Z250 2013 a lot, but CBR250 seems to be more well known, easy to find a used one and even a bit faster.

Are they about(!) the same? Without making a deep analisys, which one do you recommend?

Edited November 13, 2013 by Belamar

[IMHO]

Possibly better in the motorbikes forum?

[Kwasaki]

Possibly better in the motorbikes forum?

Yep !! if there was one " Bikes in Thailand " that forum.

My 2 bahts worth no there not the same.

[thaicbr]

maybe more info on where, why , how you are going to use the bike.

example: if you are going to be riding 2 up (passenger) then the Cbr is better.

if you are up Chiang Mai way and think you are going to cruise the mountains then the Ninja may be better (more revs)

How much do you want to spend?

2nd hand Cbr's go from about 75k-90k

Ninjas 85-110k

I have a Cbr and have ridden the Ninja.. I prefer the Cbr for it's ergonomics and the ability to carry a passenger with ease. Do i sometimes wish it had more power, sometimes YES but that's the nature of 250's really.

[IMHO]

Possibly better in the motorbikes forum?

Yep !! if there was one " Bikes in Thailand " that forum.

My 2 bahts worth no there not the same.

Just when I thought I was doing OK at this English thing

[Belamar]

maybe more info on where, why , how you are going to use the bike.

example: if you are going to be riding 2 up (passenger) then the Cbr is better.

if you are up Chiang Mai way and think you are going to cruise the mountains then the Ninja may be better (more revs)

How much do you want to spend?

2nd hand Cbr's go from about 75k-90k

Ninjas 85-110k

I have a Cbr and have ridden the Ninja.. I prefer the Cbr for it's ergonomics and the ability to carry a passenger with ease. Do i sometimes wish it had more power, sometimes YES but that's the nature of 250's really.

Mostly therel'll be no passenger. But sometimes I'll need to carry somebody.

Price-wise - yes, cbr is better but ninja is ok as well since it's not too much more expensive.

Where will I ride? Everywhere.

How anyone ridden kawasaki z250 2013?

[ll2]

Best bang for the buck allrounder 250 is cbr 250. Can get ok one for 75 k. I prefer cbr 250 as ir is more humane but id top speed is a concern for you than get ninja 250.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[KRS1]

cbr 250 is good in the city and in the mountains, the ninja only just barely faster when you are drag racing them side by side, wide open throttle, but you dont do that often at all. But when you do do it, its so close its negligible.

On absolute top speed the ninja is faster, do to the foam airfilter and smaller catalyst, but once you eliminate the restrictions from the cbr 250 its neck and neck on top speed. Trick is to stay ahead of the ninja 250, since it just barely nudges ahead of the cbr 250, itll take about a kilometer to catch up and pass the cbr.

for normal riding the cbr 250 has a much more peppy feeling, the ninja engine however is smooth as silk. For the passenger the cbr feels much more secure, the ninja doesnt have anything for them to hold on to, except for a strap on the rear seat, which aint very good.

the ninja 300 is a different story.

[Nickymaster]

Best looking is the Z250, and most practical bike is the CBR250.

[AndersM]

I'm going to buy a 250 motorcycle. It's probably will be a used one. I'm mostly thinking of Honda CBR250 and Kawasaki Z250 2013, or maybe Kawasaki Ninja 250. I like the design of Kawasaki Z250 2013 a lot, but CBR250 seems to be more well known, easy to find a used one and even a bit faster.

Are they about(!) the same? Without making a deep analisys, which one do you recommend?

My wife and I went to Kawasaki khon kaen and the z250 is a real nice looking bike but for a little more you can buy the ninja 300. I think that is what she's going to get. It's quite a bike for the price

[Richard-BKK]

It is said that the Honda CBR300R will replace the CBR250R early in 2014, if this happens you can expect secondhand CBR250R's to be more cheaper... Also if you thinking about buying now it is maybe wise to postpone the purchase of your motorcycle....

Edited November 13, 2013 by Richard-BKK

[schondie]

Also a vote for the CBR. I've had mine for just under a year and I've been more than happy with the bike. It feels confident when cornering, easy to get parts and gives a decent all round ride for a bargain price.

Whatever you choose, have fun and ride safely.

[pokerkid]

cbr has better mileage

[Bingo66]

If your on a budget, get the CBR otherwise the Ninja is a better bike.

CBR looks very plain and cheap, it's common, the clutch is horrible, no feel to it. And it's like the honda click of big bikes.

My Ninja

[AllanB]

I am thinking, how many drag races are you going to have in an average day on these lovely smooth Thai roads, assuming you are 15 years old? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to consider everyday general use and things like comfort?

I have ridden a CBR250 an didn't like the riding position at all, (I am not 15 years old) the Kawasaki seemed much better.Take someone with you to the shop and try it 2 up in the show room, then a test ride would be a good idea, possibly on a second hand one of your choice..

On paper, I suggest you look at the torque figures, much more relevant on a small engined bike, in my view.

Next on the list are looks....reliability, bhp, I wouldn't have thought were issues, they are all 250cc PI Jap bikes.

There are some real CBR bargains around, a mate of mine got a 2012 one for 60k and there are a lot more CBR's around.

.

Edited November 13, 2013 by AllanB

[Belamar]

<<There are some real CBR bargains around, a mate of mine got a 2012 one for 60k and there are a lot more CBR's around.>>

this is a good deal. where did he find it? where could I find a cheap one like that one? I looked for it in bahtsold, but the prices were around 80-90.000.

[pokerkid]

<<There are some real CBR bargains around, a mate of mine got a 2012 one for 60k and there are a lot more CBR's around.>>

this is a good deal. where did he find it? where could I find a cheap one like that one? I looked for it in bahtsold, but the prices were around 80-90.000.

now that's value or money. I find that sellers on bahtsold are usually farang and they want unrealistic prices sometimes. You need to look on the thai boards like mocyc.com etc.

[Lancelot]

I had a CBR250 and liked it. I'm 6'2" and I was comfortable riding the bike, but that was just me. The Ninja will be faster but the CBR was fast enough for me and handled great on the curves

Prices are coming down on the CBR, especially with the arrival of the new CB500 and the upcoming CBR300

Try some of the Thai language classifieds, I have seen CBRs as low as 65,000. If you can take your time, you can get a good deal

[pokerkid]

http://mocyc.com/market920117/@@@(%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%97%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AB%E0%B9%8C..%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B8%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%99..%E0%B8%8A%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B2....%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%94%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%88%E0%B9%86)%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2hondacbr250

60.000 baht and there is an abs one for 70.000

Edited November 14, 2013 by pokerkid

[CBR250]

I'm biased, being a Honda aficionado - although I am partial to bikes from other companies too, so not overly one-eyed. And I have some friends who swear by Kawasakis, and others who swear about them.

Having ridden both 250s, I found the Honda a smoother and easier ride. It has lighter controls (throttle, clutch, brakes). Non-intrusive ABS. Easy to chuck around on twisties. Smooth engine for a single. Very economical - fill the tank every leap year or so.

I did a few trips around Thailand 2 up on the Honda with luggage and it was a fun little bike. No problems at all over 13,000 km, and it still ran like new when I sold it. (I only sold it when the 500X came out, as I wanted a little more power and a more upright riding position). The new CBR 300 may be an even better choice for cheap and friendly motorcycling. If you have money to burn maybe try the KTM 390 too.

But as all riders have individual preferences for feel, hire one of each for a few days and ride the same roads.

[Lancelot]

<<There are some real CBR bargains around, a mate of mine got a 2012 one for 60k and there are a lot more CBR's around.>>

this is a good deal. where did he find it? where could I find a cheap one like that one? I looked for it in bahtsold, but the prices were around 80-90.000.

Agreed, some of the prices on bahtsold were unrealistic.

One seller told me that the dealerships really weren't interested in buying his CBR250.

There are deals out there if you are not in a hurry. An added bonus is that the exchange rate is improving for many western currencies vs. the Thai baht, if 'you draw your money from home

[nikster]

Ninja 300 or CBR250 as I guess you don't want to pay for and wait for the CBR300.

CRB250 is the best value for money by far. Used prices are crazy cheap. Ninja 300 is a great little bike and looks great, and will be lots of fun.

[coley]

Maybe not your style but what about the honda 250 motard or the kawasaki dtracker 250? Good for the rougher conditions. Reliable and fun.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[cornishcarlos]

I am also in the market for a 250/300 bike.

Problem I have is I keep delaying my decision as more new bikes get released.

The price of the CBR250 just keeps coming down and that is what I am probably going to get.

Now I have to wait to see what happens to the 2nd hand prices once the 300 comes along

As others have said, ex pats seem to over value and the Thai sites are full of good deals.

Try www.dealfish.co.th

Lots of CBRs and Ninjas on there (65-85k and 90-120k, respectively)

[santo78]

If I were you , I should wait for 2014. CBR250R will get facelift to become more like CBR1000RR style. New CBR250 will be shown at Tokyo Motor Show on 22nd this month. Also check motor show at Impact this month so maybe Honda can show it there. If not I bet we will see it on Febuary.

You can read news about new CBR250R along with it's photos link below

http://blog.motorcycle.com/2013/10/28/manufacturers/honda/honda-cbr250r-sticking-around-for-2014-getting-facelift-to-match-new-cbr300r/

[Belamar]

I had a CBR250 and liked it. I'm 6'2" and I was comfortable riding the bike, but that was just me. The Ninja will be faster but the CBR was fast enough for me and handled great on the curves

Prices are coming down on the CBR, especially with the arrival of the new CB500 and the upcoming CBR300

Try some of the Thai language classifieds, I have seen CBRs as low as 65,000. If you can take your time, you can get a good deal

I don't know thai language.

Well, mocyc.com, what else?

[cornishcarlos]

Like I said www.dealfish.co.th

Pick one you like the look of and send the link to someone who does read Thai.

If you don't know anyone, send it to me and I'll get the details to you.

[Ninja4me]

I have had a CBR 250 - and I liked it for transportation. I also liked that all the Honda dealers where able to service it.

What I didn't like was the riding position (I'm 5'2"), the engine sound and the lack of fun driving it.

Riding the Ninja 300 you need to work much more on the gears and travel higher revs to get the extra power out of it. As soon as you get past 7000-8000 RPM there is a huge difference between the bikes.

I sit better on the Kawa, but the seats are not as comfortable as the CBR - and not to forget the brakes... the ABS brakes on the CBR are way better than the Kawa.

In my opinion, if you want transportation the CBR is a great bike, but if you are riding for fun you should go for the Kawa.

Check this comparison out as well: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/93000/Motorcycle-Photo-Gallery-Photo/2013-Kawasaki-Ninja-300-Comparison.aspx

[transam]

I like this 250cc......................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=FwCF7jX9vIA............

[Ninja4me]

I have had a CBR 250 - and I liked it for transportation. I also liked that all the Honda dealers where able to service it.

What I didn't like was the riding position (I'm 5'2"), the engine sound and the lack of fun driving it.

Riding the Ninja 300 you need to work much more on the gears and travel higher revs to get the extra power out of it. As soon as you get past 7000-8000 RPM there is a huge difference between the bikes.

I sit better on the Kawa, but the seats are not as comfortable as the CBR - and not to forget the brakes... the ABS brakes on the CBR are way better than the Kawa.

In my opinion, if you want transportation the CBR is a great bike, but if you are riding for fun you should go for the Kawa.

Check this comparison out as well: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/93000/Motorcycle-Photo-Gallery-Photo/2013-Kawasaki-Ninja-300-Comparison.aspx

Sorry the link should have been: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/9/15984/Motorcycle-Article/Kawasaki-Ninja-300-vs--Honda-CBR250R.aspx