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Small displacement bikes

Started by erkishhorde, June 11, 2009, 03:28:06 PM

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erkishhorde

June 11, 2009, 03:28:06 PM
Do the Japanese brands not make small displacement bikes anymore? I'm talking like 50, 125, maybe 250. Just kinda curious since their websites don't list them. Well, Kawasaki still lists is Ninja 250R but that's the smallest thing I can find in a sport bike styling (non dirt/dual sport). I saw a Derbi bike a few days ago and it's been making me think about the small cc bikes again. Might be fun to get one as an around town scooter eventually so I was browsing around with my abundant free time  [roll] and I'm having a hard time finding anything. Only other things I could find were an Aprilia RSV 125 and some Derbi bikes.

Also, question for anyone that does have such a bike, what kind of mileage do they get? Do they get astoundingly better mileage? Do you get over 70mpg or something crazy like that? I mean, if I really wanted to I could baby my monster and change my gearing to get 50mpg freeway but that's no fun.
ErkZ NOT in SLO w/ his '95 m900!
The end is in sight! Gotta buckle down and get to work!

Bick

#1
June 11, 2009, 03:55:02 PM
Some BS about sales being banned because kids getting lead poisoning because they were chewing on the plastics that were painted with Chinese lead based paints.

There was a big discussion several month ago about exactly why.


This was the first of @ 23,000 articles that came up on a Google Search:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/5/2382/Motorcycle-Article/Lead-Ban-Stops-Youth-ATV-and-Motorcycle-Sales.aspx
It's all in the grind, Sizemore. Can't be too fine, can't be too coarse. This, my friend, is a science. I mean you're looking at the guy that believed all the commercials. You know, about the "be all you can be." I made coffee through Desert Storm. I made coffee through Panama while everyone else got to fight, got to be a Ranger.

* A man can never have too much whiskey, too many books, or too much ammunition *

erkishhorde

#2
June 11, 2009, 04:33:12 PM
I didn't think that would affect the small cc sport bike types. Blah..
ErkZ NOT in SLO w/ his '95 m900!
The end is in sight! Gotta buckle down and get to work!

DarkMonster620

#3
June 11, 2009, 04:59:10 PM
Well, here in Panama, that's the majority of the motorcycles on the street range between 100cc~250cc, mainly used by messengers.
Yes, they do about 300kms tank[186mls] for 2 galons of 91 octane...
By the way, 99% are made in China....
Carlos
I said I was smart, never that I had my shit together
Quote from: ducatiz on March 27, 2014, 08:34:34 AMDucati is the pretty girl that can't walk in heels without stumbling. I still love her.
"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

slowpoke13

#4
June 11, 2009, 06:12:11 PM
We've got tons of them here in Japan. You probably don't see them on the Kawasaki and Honda websites because you're looking at the US arm of the company (and thus, US based bikes). Those are the ".com" sites. Most actual Japanese sites list ".co.jp" for an address. But, those sites will likely be in Japanese.

As mentioned, it is true they don't import the smaller displacement bikes to the US (regulations, lack of market, whatever). I'm sure if you try really hard, you can find one. It might cost a premium. But, it's doable. I'm bringing my M400 back to the states with me. And, if I didn't have a limit of 1 vehicle here, I'd probably bring 3 or 4 bikes back.
slowpokesan

filter

#5
June 11, 2009, 06:28:02 PM
My wife just bought a Hyosung GT250.  It's a great little bike although it has some quirks.

If you don't like the Ninja, look at Hyosung for some other options.  They have a cruiser (GV250), standard (GT250), and sport (GT250R).
01 Monster 750 Dark (El Matador Tail Chop, Arrow CF exhaust, K&N Filter, CA LED Taillight, Radiantz LED License Plate holder, Blue LED Instrument Cluster, black belt cover, lifted suspension, 14T sprocket, Cycle Cat Billet Side Stand, CRG lanesplitter mirrors, custom Desmo reservoir caps)

Simon

#6
June 11, 2009, 07:19:59 PM
Yes they do..

Used to be mine, just sold it recently.

Kawasaki KSR110.



Duck-Stew

#7
June 11, 2009, 11:18:10 PM


'90 Ninja 400RR...  Can't explain it, but I want one. 

Maybe the drugs wore off....then wore back ON?!?


No, seriously (besides that I actually DO want a Ninja 400) the lack of small displacement 'sport' bikes here in the US leaves newer and younger riders at a disadvantage when jumping from the MSF course to the "beginner" bikes on the street.

Sure you can still currently pick up a '70s beater for a few hundo, put a few more hundo into it and then learn your street riding on an outdated pile of parts that's not too far (usually) from the salvage yard, but what's going to happen in 10 more years?  There haven't been GOOD small displacement bikes here in the states in a LOOOOOOOOONG time.

There was a post in the General forum a while back about the Honda VTR250 with the trellis frame...  If they imported that bike, I WOULD BUY IT!  Hands down...no bs.  (and then mod the sh*t out of it of course....)
Bike-less Portuguese immigrant enjoying life.

Grug

#8
June 12, 2009, 02:13:20 AM
Here in Australia, until very recently you were restricted to 250cc for the first 15 months of riding. So they're very common down here, new rules allow up to 660cc but are governed by power/weight ratios - which is how I was able to get my Monster 600!  ;D

redxblack

#9
June 12, 2009, 07:20:03 AM
I picked up an 85 Honda Rebel to learn moto mechanics on. My plan is to take it apart, powder coat just about everything and then put it back together.

yotogi

#10
June 12, 2009, 08:26:14 AM
Eliminator?

http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Product-Specifications.aspx?scid=7&id=369

Used for MSF, but there isn't really a market for small displacement bikes in the US. Scooters eat up most of that segment, methinks.
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