1987 1988 Fender Korean Paint Colors
Like best acclimatized riders, I try not to anticipate about it because it's aloof too embarrassing. I'm talking about those aboriginal clutch-popping, bike-stalling canicule on two wheels.
We all alpha somewhere. That's why I'm blame off the year with a analysis of 250cc abecedarian bikes -- inexpensive, easy-to-control models that let riders log some saddle time afterwards damaging their credit.American manufacturers don't do small, so all of the models I've called are from beyond the Pacific. Best accept been active about aback the '80s with about no upgrades. The exceptions are some of the new Chinese bikes, which may save buyers some banknote up advanced but, based on the brace I advised (and rejected) for this review, could amount them time in a hospital. And the Koreans, best conspicuously Hyosung, which entered the U.S. bazaar in backward '05 with a appealing acute bold plan: to ample the starter-bike void.
Of the 200 or so artery bikes on the market, novice-friendly 250s accomplish up alone 3.7%, yet 18% of motorcycle purchasers are first-time buyers, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. Clearly, a lot of new riders aren't starting with a 250, alike if accident statistics say abounding are affairs too big for their benumbed skills.
Go ahead. Dream big. But it's best to alpha small, body abilities and barter up.
Honda RebelDespite its name, the Rebel is about as apostate as a Che Guevara T-shirt. That's why it's so accepted with beginners, abnormally baby ones. The bench is alone 26- 1/2 inches high, the bike weighs no added than your boilerplate NFL amateur and the power's as angry as a declawed cat.Smooth in accelerating but not too fast, the bike's abstinent ability is acceptable and bad. It agency beginners won't be rocketing out of control. They'll calmly get the adhere of dispatch up and shifting, but they may additionally annoy of the bike adequately quickly, abnormally afterwards months of blind out in the right-most lanes as beyond bikes smoke them on the street.
Longevity of affairs apparently isn't its able suit, but the Rebel is added than accomplished at what it's advised to do: about-face absorbed newbies into constant enthusiasts in the atomic aggressive way possible. The oldest archetypal of the bunch, the Rebel's been canoeing about aback 1985 for the best allotment banausic except for the attach brightness and the carb, which was downsized to advance gas mileage. Honda put the bike out to affirmation from 1987 to 1996, but added than 100,000 Rebels accept been awash in its 13 years on the market, for acceptable reason.
The ultimate accessible rider, aggregate about this bike works well. Lean, low and lightweight, it's accessible to handle. And its five-speed manual is easier to about-face than a cellular buzz plan. With a distinct disc anchor out advanced and a boom in back, the bike doesn't stop on the accepted dime, but for new riders who are decumbent to avaricious the advanced anchor or stomping on the rear in a panic, the brakes additionally won't accelerate them over the handlebars.
Star Motorcycles ViragoThe Virago has a resume agnate to the Rebel's. The alone changes to the bike aback its addition in 1988 accept been 1) the carb, 2) the colors of its agent case and bodywork and 3) its name. Originally alien as the Yamaha Route 66, it was rechristened as the Virago in 1995 and is now a Star Motorcycle, alike if Yamaha is still the name on the rear fender.
With its 60-degree V-twin motor, pullback handlebars, spoked auto and shimmery chrome detailing, the Virago is for Harley-Davidson dreamers on a beginner's beer budget. It's advised to get cruiser riders through the aperture and adequate abundant in the saddle to barter up, hopefully to addition Star Motorcycle (as Yamaha has rebranded all its cruisers, to assume beneath Japanese, added custom). Star alike offers aftermarket, chrome accessories for the Virago, including batten advanced arbor bolt covers and bead mirrors, so beginners can feel added hip to the game, beneath new, beneath like they're benumbed a 250.
The bike doesn't feel so abundant like a 250 anyway. At 27 inches, the saddle is aloof bisected an inch taller than the Rebel. At 302 pounds, its dry weight is lighter by a brace of accoutrements of flour. But it feels and handles like a larger, added able bike, acknowledgment to torquier V-configured cylinders. Its five-speed manual is additionally added broadly geared, so the bike's agent doesn't feel like it's straining. The ability is bland and linear. There's some beating in the handlebars, but it isn't auger caliber. It feels added like captivation an electric duke mixer.
Handling wise, I was impressed. I was out on this bike on a airy day back the alley was blowzy with approach fronds. Considering the Virago's weight and size, I didn't feel abnormally absolute about because it's so low to the ground, and it was a breeze to bend about alley debris, alike admitting the bike has a adequately continued 58.7-inch wheelbase. The scope advanced angle and adjustable-spring accompanying rear shocks fabricated for bland sailing, whether I was benumbed streets, freeways or canyons.
Kawasaki Ninja 250RAnother decades-old plaything, the Ninja dominates the entry-level sportbike chic -- and not alone because it's commonly been the alone one on the market. Fully fairinged with a 55.1-inch wheelbase, it looks and rides like a beyond apparatus but is still abecedarian friendly. I wouldn't put it on the dragstrip abutting to Kawasaki's latest and better Ninja, the ZX-14, but it's got a lot added abstract than I accepted for a bike that sounds like it's activity to backfire at 9,000 RPM.
A high-revving, inline accompanying with four valves per cylinder, the 250R isn't abnormally torque-y, which is why it's abundant for beginners. It is a sportbike, however, and needs to be ridden like one. A new addition alive too anon will be apologetic back that Mack barter is dispatch afterpiece in the rearview and all six apparatus accept been accursed through. The bike redlines at 13,000. Upshift at 9,000 or 10,000 RPM, and you can calmly cruise the freeway carpool lane, which is why beginners may additionally end up captivation on to the 250R best than anticipated.
The advanced and rear brakes on the 250R are dual-piston distinct discs. Like the added abecedarian bikes I tested, they weren't able so abundant as controllable, but they got the job done.
With an extra-large, 4.8-gallon ammunition catchbasin and 70 mpg rating, riders could go a few weeks amid fill-ups, but they apparently won't. The Ninja 250R is too fun to ride. As a macho acquaintance already said, we acquaint our wives we're affairs a bike for the mileage, but it's absolutely because we can go 0 to 60 in three seconds. Yes, the Ninja 250R is a abundant driver that's attenuated abundant to calmly breach lanes, but it's additionally a bang in the canyons, acknowledgment to a downtube-free, design anatomy that sits the agent afterpiece to the ground, and bottom-link UNI-TRAK rear suspension, which additionally lowers the bike's centermost of gravity. On Angeles Crest, 250R riders may aisle the bigger sportbikes on straightaways, but they'll abruptness the big guys in corners.
Hyosung GT250 CometOf all the 250s I looked into, the Comet afraid me most. In a acceptable way. The aboriginal time I took it out, I anticipation Hyosung had absolutely accustomed me the 650 version, which shares the aforementioned chassis, alike admitting the rocker awning said 250. The bike has so ample a contour and so abundant ability for its displacement that it may not alike be for beginners.
The tach already says this is a performance-oriented machine, but the autograph on the bodywork spells it out: "twin-cam -8-valve." The Comet is a torque-y, 70-degree V-twin with a sportbike-esque four valves per cylinder. The apparatus are additionally tall. Acceleration and alive are smooth, alike admitting the manual wants to blow in aloof amid aboriginal and second. At 441 pounds with a 31.3-inch saddle, the bike feels hardly top heavy, but it is amazingly flickable and accessible to handle, with an astern advanced angle accomplishing assignment for the advanced suspension.
If the Comet looks agnate to Suzuki's SV650, it's apparently because Hyosung has been accomplishment Suzuki genitalia aback the '70s. The Korean architect additionally secretly builds a brace of Suzuki models, and it's bright the company's best up a few tricks. The affection is absolutely aerial on the Comet, admitting there are some kinks. Kilometers boss on the speedo. The single-disc anchor out advanced formed well, but it articulate like metal on metal. "Objects in mirror are afterpiece than they appear" is accounting absolutely like that -- in quotes. And the amount point is according with the Japanese, alone the artefact is unproven. I assumption that's why Hyosung offers a two-year bumper-to-bumper warranty.
susan.carpenter@latimes.com
*Begin argument of infoboxAt a glance2007 Honda RebelBase price: $3,199Powertrain: 234cc, air-cooled alongside twin, SOHC, two valves per cylinder, bristles speedDry weight: 306 poundsSeat height: 26.6 inches*2007 Hyosung GT250 CometBase price: $3,199Powertrain: 249cc, air/oil-cooled 70-degree V twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, bristles speedDry weight: 441 poundsSeat height: 31.3 inches*2007 Kawasaki Ninja 250RBase price: $2,999Powertrain: 248cc, liquid-cooled alongside twin, DOHC, six speedDry weight: 304 poundsSeat height: 29.3 inches*2007 Star Motorcycles ViragoBase price: $3,499Powertrain: 249cc, air-cooled 60-degree V twin, SOHC, bristles speedDry weight: 302 poundsSeat height: 27 inches
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