ZZR250 to ZX2R?

[John H]

Hey there

I've been riding my little ZZR250 for a while and come off the power restriction in a few months time. I'm old and boring and tend to ride slowish.

I know some guys go straight from a 250 to a ZX12R, but I'm more along the lines of wondering if I even want to go straight up to a 600. My main complaint with the ZZR250 is the lack of power at highway speeds, apart from that I really haven't pushed it anywhere near its limits.

Would a ZX2R be a nice next step up from a ZZR250? Or is there bugger all difference between the two in terms of power on tap at 100km/h, and I should go for an ER5 or ZZR600 or something like that for the next bike?

[Duane]

nup - whatever you do - i wouldnt get a 250 to replace a 250....


They are all the same. in the end.

try a ER5 or the ZZR600 if your too concerned.

Also for a learner to jump straight onto - the Suzuki SV650 (two cyl) bike would also be a good choice if your concerned about performance

[Nanna10r]

Duane is bang on the money... maybe even a really early zx6r (95-96). It's more over attitude then actual CC size. Your attitude will keep you safe till you become comfortable with the extra hp.
my 2cs
Cheers Brett

[MickLC]

....'cept they ain't too stupid

[bonester]

I would look at your intended use for the bike:
around town I would stick to the 250.
highway something else bigger would be better.
cruising or riding sporty fashion?
Long distance or short distance?
Etc- these could decide what would suit you. E.g. I bought a GT550 the other day coz it was cheap- did a 2000km weekend on it last weekend- best bike I have ridden on that sort of trip- even better than ZZR1200 for touring believe it or not.(more comfy and licence friendly) Great on fuel- (well over 400km to a tank 21.5L), comfy as, sounds good, basic, solid engineering- air cooled so no stuffing around with radiators and the like, shaft drive- maintenance free (well I did change the diff oil which took no more than ten minutes) etc etc.
$1500-2000 will get you a pearler and will last you forever- mine has 160000km or 260000km on it and it doesn't even blow smoke or use oil. It's no sportbike, but it's other attributes make up for that. Did I mention I did 2000km in a weekend TWO UP...still got 20km/L fuel economy.

[icebreaker]

mate IMO it's a no brainer..

Go the 600.. it's run better without beeing pushed as hard, along with parts being cheaper and easier to find, because every man and his dog on L's and P's with a 250 who has a stack will be sucking up the spare parts along with the fact 90%+ of them are Jap imports to start with.

[mick_dundee]

Go the 600 as everyone else says. To replace a 250 with another 250 is a waste of time and money. 600 is a good intermediate size, they will do legal speeds with cmfort and handle very well.

[John H]

Thanks guys for all the feedback, especially bonester. In answer to your queries, most of my riding is around town (where the lack of power is less of an issue and the small size of the 250 is more of a benefit) and if I never had to ride at more than 80km/h, I'd probably never be unhappy with the 250. I just find that when I have to do a longer distance trip, the seat is not comfy, it struggles up long hills and/or against headwinds, and I get the feeling that I'm a bit more fatigued from sitting on a motor that's buzzing away 8000-9000rpm than I would be on one that's cruising at something more like 4000-5000rpm. And I think I like bikes with fairing, both for the style and for the little bit of wind protection.

If anything, you've all managed to convince me NOT to run out and get a ZX2R in the short term and to wait until I get off the power restriction.

Maybe I end up with two bikes like I ended up with two cars - a big one for the weekend, a little one for a cheap weekday commuter. Mmmm - four lots of rego a year...

[mike-s]

Remember the phrase "do it once, do it right" also has a smaller sister saying "don't piss a load of extra money against the wall for nothing"

[ZZR_Bandit]

what about an ER-6N? or an ER-5. You should take a few bikes around the 600 mark for a ride and see which one best suits your riding and your main use. I will get shot for saying this but you don't HAVE to stick with a kawasaki. Find a bike that suits you.

Cheers
Ben

[mick_dundee]

I think a road trip to Albury is called for to shoot ZZR Bandit Remember John that not only 2 lots of rego but also 2 x $50 safety levy too....

Ideally John we would probalby all have 4-5 bikes, a scooter for commuting, a sports bike for the fang around the twisties, a dirt bike for when you want to go dirt bagging and a cruiser/tourer for the long distance stuff, alas money comes into play and for most people it's just a pipe dream.

Depending how much you like riding, an upgrade to a 600+ also opens up the possibility of motorcycle touring, great way to see the countryside IMO.

[smek]

small size of the 250 is more of a benefit

If you're talking about the physical size, then I'll add here that I have noticed no difference in agility around town going from a zzr 250 to a zx6 ('99). I commute everyday and lane split and zip around in traffic a lot.

IMO the zzr 250 is a better bike than the zx2.

I'd look at things like an er6, zr7, z750, pre 03 zx6 stuff like that.

[John H]

Yep, I meant small as in narrow/tight turning circle/other stuff that's handy when you're lanesplitting or trying to park or other commuter-type things. Nice to see the ZX6R is still good at this. A mate of mine recently went to a ZZR600, I sat on the thing and it felt really heavy and seemed a lot wider, hence my comment about "not as big".

The other concern I have is budget (I'm a poor bastard), so it kind of rules out newer bikes like the ER6, which is probably exactly the bike I should be riding (especially if Kawasaki does release the full-fairing model here). I was probably thinking of a budget of up to $8K, which I guess means getting something a few years old.

So older ZX6Rs are a bit milder than the current ones? Is the riding position a bit more relaxed/upright? Dunno if I'd like to spend all day hunched over the fuel tank.

Thanks again for all the tips guys.

[mick_dundee]

John, I ride a 96 ZZR600, turnig circle isn't great but the riding positiuon is very comfoirtable for long hauls. Yes they are a bit heavier but you're going to find that in any 600 I reckon.

Feel free to give me a shout if you're ever on a KSRC ride and you can take the 600 for a spin if yu like.

[John H]

Feel free to give me a shout if you're ever on a KSRC ride and you can take the 600 for a spin if yu like.

That's a very nice offer Mick - after I'm off the power restriction I might just have to take you up on it! (NB - make sure you've renewed your insurance before letting me anywhere near the bike!)