Beginner bike: D-tracker, Ninja, CBR, Keeway?

[MrHammer]

Which one is your pick for a beginner in Bangkok? I am probably buying a black D-tracker for the price, looks and size in traffic. The Ninja looks very cool, while the CBR looks a bit more bland. The Keeway I'm sort of mixed on, it looks like a mix of a supermoto, streetfighter and sportsbike, but not quite any of them. A bit pedestrian look imo.

[dave_boo]

The CRF 250L (or M) will be less expensive than the D-Tracker. Haven't heard of any major mechanical issues with it.

CRF 250L:

CRF 250M:

[Issanman]

I have the TXM200 Keeway. It has given me no problems and the seat is very comfortable. Only paid 62K new.

[MrHammer]

I have the TXM200 Keeway. It has given me no problems and the seat is very comfortable. Only paid 62K new.

Cool, I saw one the other day. It looks better imo in real life than in pictures. How is the riding position though and how would you compare it in terms of what kind of bike it is (supermoto, sport, streetfighter etc)?

[Issanman]

Supermoto style, monoshock rear end, led tail light, oil cooler, upside-down forks. Handles well. The riding position is great. I don't like leaning over forward like on the CBR. The CRF has a very skinny seat that looks like it wouldn't be comfortable for very long and is over twice the price of the TXM200. Incredibly easy valve adjustment. I do my own service. I've had nearly 40 different motorcycles in my day and at least half of those were Kawasakis. You can't beat the price on the Keeways for the quality of the bike that you get. Lot's of Chinese bike haters on the forum but the people that actually own the Keeways haven't complained about the bikes.

[edwinchester]

If you are a beginner in BKK then you are going to have a really hard time of it in traffic on a bike with wide handlebars like the dtracker. Get something with narrower bars.

If it were my choice from those listed I would get a second hand CBR. Nice one can be got for 70k and it's easy to thread through traffic as is the Ninja which is more expensive.

Get some miles in and then trade up to what you really want.

[MrHammer]

If you are a beginner in BKK then you are going to have a really hard time of it in traffic on a bike with wide handlebars like the dtracker. Get something with narrower bars.

If it were my choice from those listed I would get a second hand CBR. Nice one can be got for 70k and it's easy to thread through traffic as is the Ninja which is more expensive.

Get some miles in and then trade up to what you really want.

Right, I just really don't like the look and feel of a CBR. It has a bit of 'utility bike' feel, sort of like the Honda Wave of the small sportsbikes. Just my opinion of course. I talked to a D-tracker owner recently though and asked him exactly about the width. He said he didn't have any problems at all with it, so that's one opinion also.

[ll2]

If you are a beginner in BKK then you are going to have a really hard time of it in traffic on a bike with wide handlebars like the dtracker. Get something with narrower bars.

If it were my choice from those listed I would get a second hand CBR. Nice one can be got for 70k and it's easy to thread through traffic as is the Ninja which is more expensive.

Get some miles in and then trade up to what you really want.

Right, I just really don't like the look and feel of a CBR. It has a bit of 'utility bike' feel, sort of like the Honda Wave of the small sportsbikes. Just my opinion of course. I talked to a D-tracker owner recently though and asked him exactly about the width. He said he didn't have any problems at all with it, so that's one opinion also.

i think d tracker has more utility feeling than cbr250 too and it is anemic. At least consider crf250 m if you like that style.

Also had to squeeze it through especially Bangkok traffic i am sure.

If you will be buying a first hand, get the ninja 300 if you have money, if you dont have money, get the cbr250 second hand for 75 k.

cbr250 has good low torque which will help you a lot in Bangkok traffic as well and fuel bills will cost you less.

[BirdsandBooze]

If you don't like the CBR250 don't buy one, they're not everybody's cup of tea. For a new bike the Keeway is good value and owners here seem to like them and report no problems. If you're handy with the spanners the Keeway is a simple bike to maintain. If you're not there are a fair few SYM/Keeway dealers that can take care of it and my own experience with the Tiwanon Nonthaburi dealer has been positive.

[Briggsy]

You want a beginner bike, Honda MSX 125.

[jdinasia]

I am liking the CRF250M .. much more upright position than the CBR 250RR.

I may order one soon.

[MrHammer]

You want a beginner bike, Honda MSX 125.

That's a toy bike for people 20 cm shorter than I am. No way I can fit on it.

[pokerkid]

You want a beginner bike, Honda MSX 125.

That's a toy bike for people 20 cm shorter than I am. No way I can fit on it.

have you tried it ?

[Briggsy]

You want a beginner bike, Honda MSX 125.

That's a toy bike for people 20 cm shorter than I am. No way I can fit on it.

This relates to a point I made on another thread about there being no "best" bike. Each purchase depends on the rider's height, weight, experience, needs, location, desires. Extrapolating from this, perhaps you could share your height and weight and previous experience so posters can give you their best advice.

All you asked for was a beginner's bike for Bangkok. On the info provided so far, an MSX 125 is a perfect beginner's bike for Bangkok.

Ain't no toy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DA0w1Q3gb8

Make your mind up. Your post seems to contradict each other. "Beginner's bike" vs "toy bike". Do you want a bike for beginners or a 160 km/h + sports bike?

Edited December 2, 2013 by Briggsy