Light And Small 400cc

[Carlos]

Rika- sounds like you took a look at the SV 650 & found it too large; I respect that judgement coming from a fellow road racer (and one who has had the experience of "road testing" your helmet & leathers against the pavement).

The 250 Ninja is a great bike with outsanding handling. I think you will like it quite a bit.

Atek wrote: "I saw VFR250 and VFR400's for sale. FZR400, ZXR400, all cool stuff."

-these are awsome bikes but are grey-market in the USA. Two things to watch out for on these are that they can be lawfully tagged/titled in your state (California?) and that there will be parts available. Many dealers will refuse to order parts from Japan for a bike that was never sold in the USA. Those bikes mentioned, however, are very very cool bikes (especially the RR versions). Too bad that the US got so hung up on bigger displacement bikes; our loss.

[atek3]

Blasts have a notoriously bad reputation on reliability.

While we're on the topic of unreliable bikes, consider the ducati monster 620. It's got a v-twin like the SV, but is a bit less powerful and slightly shorter. They look great too.

atek3

[SJ]

I was super-interested in that diesel KLR650 until I learned it would probably come in at $8-12,000, instead of the originally estimated 20% premium over the gas KLR650. The guys on the KLR board were going nuts over the price, and I think the project will be a failure at that level. Since they already have the successful military model at a much lower price it is hard to figure how they can justify the price. Also would be very interesting to buy their engines for fitting into ATVs and such. Oh well...

[Trisha Lowry]

Rika, surprisingly enough the smaller bikes are more difficult for someone our size to ride than the heavier ones. It is a matter of a lower center of gravity on the bigger bikes. Also a matter of being seen on the roads.

If you are planning on riding on the freeways in AZ don't go less than an 800 in anything because here speed can save your life if you need to get out of the way. My first bike was an 883 and I took it up the mountain to Payson and immediately upgraded to a 1200 because it just couldn't make the climb. As you know my current one is a Low Rider which is about 1400cc......the whole point about not being able to lift it up yourself is to NOT lay it down. I haven't dropped my bike since the first month I had one so don't drop it!

If you don't have your license yet I would recommend going to a Team Arizona training class. It is a great training/refresher course and they will test you for your AZ license.

[1911user]

You can probably pick up more of a bike than you imagine. Technique is very important.

http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/pickup.html

[dshooter3]

I ride a 99zx600 but if i was to go smaller and stay with a sport bike it would deffinatly be the ex500. Twin liquid cool, smoth power. I have rode them and they feel just a little biger than the 250 ninja. Cood luck

[Tangram]

Here is a pick up line.

http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/pickup.html

Rick

Edit: Didn't see the post with the same URL until after I posted.

Edited December 26, 2005 by Tangram

[Carlos]

Rikka - I think either the 250 Ninja or the EX 500 (500 Ninja) are the best options out there as far as reliability and decent power/handling.

If you have tried the SV 650 and it is too much to handle, then a harley is out of the question. This lightest harley seems to be the "model 883" and it is supposed to be: "Claimed Dry Weight: 488 lbs" - add gas & oil & that thing's over 500 lbs! Not to mention, your first post specified reasonable price and the harleys start at $7000 + and there is a wait list to buy them. Besides, the 883 apparently can't climb hills due to lack of power.

You mentioned racing a 125? I found pics of the Honda RS125:

and here is a link to a photo of an RS racing against some sort of Single for comparison sake:

http://www.bikepics.com/pics/pics/honda-rs...pics-216537.jpg

I never raced 125s (being 6'2", it would have been a tight squeeze) but I helped friends load them up after races; the RS has a claimed weight; semi-dry of 157 lbs and when my back was in better shape, I could lift one into the truck by myself (those days are long gone). I did borrow a TZ-250 GP bike & those were some of the most terrifying laps of my life; un-Godly power, massive brakes and tires that seemed to be made of glue. GP bikes rule.

Happy hunting & please let us know what bike you decide on.

Edited December 25, 2005 by Carlos

[mpolans]

I miss my RS125! Nothing is as much fun as a lightweight two stroke! I wish there was something of similar size and weight that was street legal here in the US.

[Rikarin]

Carlos

OHMIGOD! I used to race that "Bumble Bee", which I called since the chamber I had makes my bike buzzzzz like a bee. NOT this exact RS150 but stock class RS150. I LOVED that bike. Loved enough, I cheated DMV and obtained license plate to use on the street:D

I comuted to my college with it rain or shine and talk a out the speed of 0-400! I kid you not I dusted almost everybody at every intersection (yeah, no freeway in Japan) for the first 3 seconds and by the time other big guys caght me up, its already next traffic signal and we all start over.

Even its 2 cycle, it had quite a good torqe too. I just love that feeling of letting the clutch go and my front tire starts lifting up... Of course if I am not careful, it was waaaay too easy to willie. But then, I had both of my feet flat on the road, it wasn't a problem!! I miss my bumble bee

mpolnas where you can ride this thing in the US? Only in race circuit I guess????

Thanks for the pick-up-line... I have tore munisucus on my knee and that's the reason I don't want to lift up heavy stuff as much as possible.

Trish oh boy you are something, girl! 1400!! Great you never dropped it. Amazing skill you got. I rode about 10 years and I can't even count how many times I dropped my bike!

[mpolans]

Only on a race track. The closest thing I've seen to it for the street have been the street legal two-strokes in Japan (TZR125 and 250, NSR 125 and 250, RGV 125 and 250, etc.) I wish they were legal over here...

mpolnas where you can ride this thing in the US? Only in race circuit I guess????

[Carlos]

mpolans wrote: " The closest thing I've seen to it for the street have been the street legal two-strokes in Japan "

Mark - I thought you lived there as a kid?

Rika wrote: "Loved enough, I cheated DMV and obtained license plate to use on the street:D I comuted to my college with it rain or shine and talk a out the speed of 0-400! I kid you not I dusted almost everybody at every intersection (yeah, no freeway in Japan) for the first 3 seconds and by the time other big guys caght me up, its already next traffic signal and we all start over"

Wow! That is very impressive since 125s/150s are notoriously difficult to launch off the line with their grabby clutches and ability to easily stall if not finessed just right. Sounds to me like you had the tecnique perfected. As for dropping the bike & "road testing" helmet & leathers, it was always a facto of life for us either on the racetrack or the street. What good is a fast bike if you don't ride it fast?

D.

[mpolans]

I did. But I couldn't afford one of them while I was over there and there's nothing like them over here.

mpolans wrote: " The closest thing I've seen to it for the street have been the street legal two-strokes in Japan "

Mark - I thought you lived there as a kid?

[Kimberkid]

Assuming Trish's Low rider has the 88 motor that works out to 1440 ci if I recall correctly. I passed on a Low Rider for my Road King, and am not always certain I made the right choice. I love my bike, but that Low Rider is a sweet sweet ride.

Rika, I think you are underestimating yourself alot. I dont think it takes as much to handle a bigger bike as you might think it does. You appear to have a lot more bike time than I do, so please dont think I'm talkin from on high. Your knee might limit you now, but not forever. Besides, you know you really want a 107" chopper, so just go get one already!

Carlos~ I havent ever seen someone wait to get a Sportster, but I guess that may be a regional thing. But you got it right about them not being cheap. Better resale than anything else, but costs more than anything else too.

[Trisha Lowry]

Kimberkid..you are right on the 1440 I just rounded Rika was nervous enough and I agree that she is underestimating herself and I think making the same mistake a lot of people do in thinking that smaller is easier to ride. I have only ridden a couple of years and started on an 883 hugger and have to tell you my Low Rider is MUCH easier to ride than that Sporty was. My only concern is the with road traffic here in Arizona that Rika is going to be riding in and putting herself on such a small bike. But the bottom line is go with what you will ride!

[Carlos]

Trisha wrote: "But the bottom line is go with what you will ride!"

I hear that! It's good advice and while we all have our biases, it would be better for everyone if we just stuck together as motorcyclists & put those differences behind us.

I also agree that the size of the person is less important than some may think; while at the U. of Oregon I worked for a motorcycle mechanic/shop owner who's parents were from Hong Kong & he was MAYBE 5'2" tall and likely not much over 100 lbs. Despite that, he could easily test ride the largest, most heavy bikes we worked on - even the 1980's Suzuki GS 1150s, Kawasaki GpZ 900s and 1000s, and the old air cooled Yamaha FJ 1100 and 1200 (all around 500 lbs wet). He could only reach the ground with one foot so that is how he would start off until the bike got rolling & upright. Point is: its possible. He was also very strong & could dead lift any bike back upright. More useless trivia: did you know that Harley once marketed a small, light 400 cc or less two - stroke? I think they were called "Aermacci" - or something close to that - after the Italian company that built them. They were air cooled, two stroke twins or singles that would suit Rika well (if only 2 strokes were not regulated out of US existance by the EPA in 1985 & Harley still sold other makes).

Rika- please let us know what you decide on & if it would not be too much trouble, could we see a photo of the new ride once you bring it home? Perhaps its time to start a "bike photo" section of the gallery.

D.

[jmaracing]

Hey Rikarin,

Did you get something yet? I would not recommend the 250 Ninja, it has a hard time getting out of it's own way, slower than the street-legal 125 2-strokes you rode in Japan. I wanted to mention not to get too caught up in the displacement, and remember that 4-strokes make roughly half the horsepower of their 2-stroke brethren. A twin won't make as much horsepower as a four-cylinder either, as they don't breathe as well, and the 650 twins that many have recommended have roughly the same horsepower and weight as the 400cc sportbikes you began looking for (in many racing organizations they race each other). I think the new Ninja 650 Kawasaki would be a great bike. Light weight, low seat height, relatively inexpensive for a new bike. However, I'd say look for a used 500 ninja twin, or what's sometimes called an EX-500. They should be quite inexpensive, under $3000 used, and are light weight and easy to handle while still allowing spirited performance. Also, if your heart is set on a 400CC sportbike, they are available but hard to find. The FZR400 was made for a few years at the end of the 80s and early 90s. CBR400RR's and RVF400's are around as grey market bikes and many have been licensed. Here's a picture of my wife on one going down the tight side of Mt. Palomar near San Diego (that's me in the background). We sold that bike a few years ago as it wasn't quite fast enough for Britt, but she's a racer, so that doesn't count

jmaracing

[jmaracing]

Oh, one other thing. If you do get a grey market 400, they really hold their value. My wife would get mobbed at sport bike gathering places asking questions about her CBR400RR. But, these are bikes that are 10-15 years old and people still get $6000 plus for em.

[chad allred]

I thing Ninja 250 is the best starter street bike