Bike recommendations for newby, 125cc, 250cc...

That might be true if you're Robert Jensen, but nobody just starting out needs to do anything even approaching a rebuild that often. A stock SV will go multiple seasons with nothing more than oil changes and a few valve adjustments...especially the older ones.

Rountree, pretty much any bike worth owning and riding is gonna run you $3k minimum, so don't let that number alone scare you off of a 125 if that's what you'd like to try. The possible exception might be a V6MW bike (CBR600F2/F3, etc) which you might find in the $2000-$2500 range, but it sounds like you're interested in something smaller than that.

FWIW I started out last year on an FZR 400 and I had a ball. They're all old now, so there are more potentil maint. issues, but if you cna get a good one, or go through one front-to-back making it 'right' you'll love it.

My vote for cheap-ish starter bike is a 1st gen. SV650.

 

This is how i see it...First of all sv's are not bad at all I bought two of them for under 2k and i got some extra's that i bought new for around 2k thats a slipper clutch,bodywork rear set's,exhaust and my gsxr frontend conversion. So for the money its not bad cause all i have to do for race season next year is keep the oil change and worry about tires and im good. Will gp bikes there is countless hours im maintances and work. So if your up for it go for it. but i say look around sv's can be hand for 4k and under ready to race. also check out svraceshop.com. good group of guy and they know there stuff

 

True True, I am wrecked for life. All the tinkering and working on the GP bikes is well worth it. Note: many people who DO NOT HAVE GP BIKES tend to blow the "time working on the bike" thing way out of proportion.

Do you have to do more than change the oil? YES!
Are you rebuilding the top end after every session? NO!
Are you messing with jets, needles, ....... constantly? DEPENDS? (on how fine tuned you want the bike)
Are GP bikes MORE FUN than any other bike you will ever ride? YES!!!!!!

j

 

suspension is big thing for GP bikes, usually if you just set the sag on them they're good to go though.

 

Let me ask you, how many GP bikes did you own or worked on?

BTW my 93 TZ250 cost me 4600 bucks...... with more new spares that I knew what to do with.

 

countless hours in maintance and work? You change your top end every 300 miles, maybe 2 hours if you're slow. Then a crank and a cylinder replate, plus you rebuild it with new seals and all that over the winter, this may take 5 hours? I dunno, you're not rushed for time over the winter so it's no big deal.

 

newby bikes

i did a race school and a few track days on my FZR400, and although its a very cool bike and also has a bit of a cult surrounding it, once i stepped into a TZ250 i was lost in bliss. the weight difference alone on a 2stroke makes it feel like you have moved to a parrellel universe where everything is just way better.
how much does it cost to get an SV to 90 HP? (thats a guess on what a fast SV has)

there isnt tons of hours of wrenching involved, but if you are gonna own a 2stroke, you should at least enjoy wrenching on your own bike, cause you will be.

josh

 

Very good point. If you look at most sv's they are stock motors but heavy suspension, tranny and wheel mods. I am just getting into competive racing and with my sv i want some power from the motor. Carbs where 1100 and the topend kit from web cams was around 800.00 i think cant remember price. But for that price i could have bought a 250 gp bike and be good to go. No matter what bike you buy there is going to be a high price tag. But with some bikes there are place you can skip on and others you can not. I look at it know and i look at me size and I wish i would have gone after and Rs250 or a tz250.

 

you noticed that I said AT THE TOP OF THE HILL, as Robert Jensen IS ONE OF THOSE GUYS.

 

the nice thing about GP bikes, they already come with racing suspension, racing motors, racing everything. You can still modify them more, but for an SV, suspension upgrades would be almost mandatory to race.