I like it. Hopefully it will appeal to younger riders, and not just vintage fellows such as myself. I might even vote with my wallet and actually buy something not made in Italy.
https://www.advrider.com/2018-suzuki-tu250x-a-retro-bike-anyone-can-afford/ What's old is ne...well, it's still old.
If you still have it when I finish this little between houses - real estate sabbatical I’ll probably take you up on that.
Shoot I’ve always wanted one of those. Buying the Boxster last week, without so much as a conversation, wasn’t my smartest move ever. If I sent you the money, how long would you be willing to hold it for? Can you send pics? How many miles?
The w230 is uglier than a mud fence built by a blind electrician but it looks like a riot to ride to cars and coffee on Sunday.
Do you honestly think it's ugly? I know the styling may not appeal to younger folks, but actually ugly?
I think it’s too retro and grasping but I’m not the target market. The price is attractive. The twin version is slightly better looking but total pass at the price.
Looks are subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t think it looks ugly but it does look cheap because it is. Royal Enfield achieves the modern vintage look much more successfully. This W230 reminds me of every Suzuki TU250 used for MSF Basic Rider Courses and training rookies striving to become full-fledged motorcycle police officers on Harleys. That being said, I wish it was more culturally acceptable for inexperienced riders to begin their journey on slower, more comfortable, more utilitarian motorcycles like this. However, the young male brain being smooth as it is, no 16-25 year old with self respect in Western Civilization is going to buy that kind of motorcycle. Because of fragile masculinity. Honestly, the biggest hindrance to the sport is the fact that street riding is horrifically dangerous. It’s just another sign of the social contract withering away - too many people with no care for anyone else but themselves. Soon there will be no civilization left.
Q Not sure if it’s still this way but when I grew up in Illinois, you couldn’t have larger than a 150 until you were 18. So my first street bike was a Honda CL125. I read articles about people racing with alcohol and it was supposedly better. So I experimented and converted it to alcohol to learn how to jet it. I even ran out of alcohol on one ride and knocked on a farmers door, bought a gallon of gas and was still able to get it home. It just didn’t run worth a darn. alcohol is definitely better for drag racing to get consistency when weather changes, but I don’t currently run alcohol. I think I would have to convert to fuel injection to do it successfully.
Full license at 15 in Texas with a farm hardship. I was that stupid kid. RDs , Suzuki GT and Bridgestone thru high school. And a Honda. Worked my ass off for them Football and track practice. Working restaurants and machine shops. Cotton gins and hauling hay in season.
What you’re referring to is Graduated Driver Licensing for Motorcyclists. It’s standard across all of Europe. But in the USA, no state has a fully implemented GDL system including displacement limits for new riders. In Illinois, you can get a class L or class M instruction permit and/or endorsement on your drivers license. There is nothing legally preventing any ordinary 16 year old Illinois resident from buying and operating a Yamaha R1 on public highways. https://www.ilsos.gov/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_x140.pdf
Full license at 16. Already had my car temps and got in trouble with my parents. They wouldn't let me get my license, so I went to the courthouse and asked to take the motorcycle temps since I didn't need a co driver. 60 days later I got my M endorsement and stashed my DT250 at my buddies house. I rode (and drove) on the street for about a year in all weather until I got pulled over one night in my first car and realized that I had never bothered to get my actual drivers license. Passing the driving tests, both written and practical, ( plus a bit of community service) and Judge Heck let me out of the tickets. Pretty sure by that point I had been through a half dozen bikes and cars between crashes and popped motors.
Im guessing it changed? At 16, I already bought a 74 Kawasaki Z1 900 for only $800. I could only drag race it, even though it was still steertable. By Illinois law, I could not ride it on the street until I turned 18. That would have been in 80-81 timeframe.
I really dig it, but $5600 is a bit steep, no? That's Triumph Speed 400 and Royal Enfield INT650 ish money.
Thankfully, because 600-1000cc sport bikes are so expensive now compared to the paycheck of young kids, I've observed most people around me on smaller bikes. A bunch of Groms, some 300 Hondas and other small singles. Only notice a pair of guys on leader bikes, who go out in their power ranger suits for not even an hour ride, which I'm guessing is riding out to the freeway, doing 100mph+ to a couple exits down, and riding back.
I kinda like these bikes. My niece has been wanting to get a small bike to run around on and likes the vintage style. after looking at a bunch of junk from craigslist and marketplace and trying to find something we could build into a fun, reasonably safe, and reliable machine for her to start on these are starting to look pretty good and might get her on two wheels before she loses interest.
Not 100% accurate - In Illinois, if you are under 18 years old (16-17) - you have to complete the MSF course to get the motorcycle endorsement on your license. You have to take the completion documentation to the SOS office and take and complete written test to get the endorsement. When I taught the course 20 years ago, we would always have the kids wanting their M endorsement take the range/road test on a bike larger than the 150cc so they could get their M. Essentially, the MSF completion card was their "ticket" to test with the SOS for motorcycle endorsement. Disclaimer - these were the regs when I taught the course 2000-2006. It is possible its changed, Illinois has a habit of doing pretty stupid things on a regular basis.
