has anyone owned one or riden one? ive been looking at reviews and some are really positive but others arent that happy with them, seen a few on trademe but a bit of a novice when it comes to them
tazcsv,
Oct 9, 9:48am
I brought a 2008 gt250r, found it good size wise compaired to older cbrs ect but they do lack power. It would sit on 100kph no worries so for a commuter or 1st bike they seem all good, bike always ran good and never gave any problems.
mals69,
Oct 9, 10:36am
Just buy a Honda and be done with it !
dingo011,
Oct 9, 11:15am
I had one long enough to get my bike liscense AGAIN when I decided to get back into riding ten years ago. Great bike for learners as full size etc but not that exciting for a experienced rider. I think if you went from learners to full liscense ( 2 years these days? ) on a Hyosung 250 then you will probably ready for something else by the end.
tamarillo,
Oct 9, 3:00pm
Comparing apples with apples and they're pretty good though newer the better. Just like Korean car makers they're a lot better over last years. Helped mate get a 250 single before lams rule change and it rode just as well as similar simple 250 Hondas etc and seemed as well made as latest Asian made Hondas. And it proved reliable, well made and worthy. He only upgraded once fully licensed. Ridden with folk on the bigger (650?) models and there seems no reason to dismiss them. They have no problems at all and they don't rust all the nuts as soon as it rains as earliest ones did, and some Chinese stuff still does. My advise; worth less than a Honda but good value for you're money so just normal checks needed. This from a euro lover!
tamarillo,
Oct 9, 3:01pm
Are you on learners? The 250 models aren't worth same money as they were with new lams rules allowing bigger learner bikes.
tigertim20,
Oct 9, 4:26pm
what one are you looking at? a cruiser or a sportier version? 250cc? 650c?
Te earlier models were dogged with a LOT of issues, piss poor brakes, shit handling, hand grenade electrics - but they have rapidly improved over the last few years, and for someone that just wants to go for the occaisional ride, do represent reasonable value for money.
however, almost every hyosung model will pale a little when compared to most of its japanese equivalents, in terms of reliability, build quality, sevicability etc. the hyosungs will often be about 10-15% cheaper than the jap versions though.
If it were me buying, I would say if you plan to be an occaisional rider - then yes, the hyosungs are a reasonable bet, but if you plan to ride regularly, and or commute or whatever, I would spend the extra 10% and get an alternative.
just my opinion
2sheddies,
Oct 9, 4:35pm
I don't know much at all about bikes but, on the few occasions I've pondered getting onto 2 wheels, I always thought the Hyosung looked the business. just don't like the funny looking front headlamp assembly. The bonus for us taller blokes is being full sized compared to it's competitors, like the Ninja. I think I'd feel cramped and look silly on one of them.
Also having watched a few vids of Hyosungs, it looks and sounds as though the 5 speed box could be a bit of a disadvantage. You can tell it needs a 6th cog. Runs out of puff a bit lol.
quickbuck,
Oct 10, 10:52am
Runs out of puff . At 160+ Km/hr! So unless you are in the Hyosung Cup race (which you would know more about them anyway) I am not sure where you can actually use that sort of speed. Even the 6 Speed Ninja 250R maxes out at "only" 150.
Back to OP. Hyosungs are all good. I raced a Ninja against them and used to have a slight advantage, however is a little smaller as has been said.
Yes they are improving all the time. Not many little bikes made in Japan anymore. In fact I would say None! Parent companies are, but they are made all over Asia. Everywehere except Japan. Yes, gone are the days of the 45Hp Superbike Replicas. Little bikes these days are much better commuters. 28 Hp out of the 250 is plenty. Bring it to me and I will show you how to put 1000's to shame at Track Days.
To put it all into perspective, off the line although they feel "gutless" they will actually keep up with an LS1 manual Clubsport easily.
All that said, if I had to go through the L Plate Process again, I would look closer at the CBR 500, but that is me being a little biased toward CBR's since I have owned a couple (Yes, just 2, but a darn good run out of the pair of them) over the last 20+ years.
rugbgurl1,
Oct 10, 11:44am
ive got my learners and ready for my restricted and already got a little bike but just wanted something a bit bigger, i've been looking at a hornet or bandit but 250 version but seen the comet 250 and gt650 keep popping up, id rather get a bike which is an upgrade from mine but not too big that i wont be able to handle but which is also going to last a few years, the hyosungs (in my opinion) look pretty good but always a bit warey of non mainstream brands
mals69,
Oct 10, 12:45pm
Lay off the bong ! Put 1000's to shame on a track day LMFAO
quickbuck,
Oct 10, 1:07pm
Frequently.
Seriously.
You could also take a visit to www.prorider.co.nz and so should the riders of the 1000's who brake half way down the straight just quietly.
sr2,
Oct 10, 2:03pm
This thread has the potential to develop into one of the more entertaining pissing competitions we've had on this MB in a while!
tamarillo,
Oct 10, 2:25pm
I agree. A really good rider could lap our small tracks quicker than an average rider on a 1000. Same on road, a highly skilled rider could get over takaka hill quicker than an unskilled average rider on a bigger bike. Both safely.
2sheddies,
Oct 10, 2:31pm
I probably worded that wrong. I wasn't thinking so much top speed, but just open road cruising comfort. on the videos it seemed like it would be a bit more relaxed at open road speed with an extra gear, keep the revs down a bit. But what do I know. I've never ridden one, and am accustomed to big, low rpm 6cyl cars, which are very different beasts lol! So my opinion probably counts for sod all.
quickbuck,
Oct 10, 5:46pm
Manfeild isn't exactly a small track.
What my point is, is that there are many who say a 250 is gutless/ slow and boring, however they should not be under estimated.
quickbuck,
Oct 10, 5:52pm
The thing is that to lower the revs you don't need an extra gear. You just need a bigger front sprocket, or a smaller rear.
The issue with doing that is that you then drop the revs too low and there isn't enough torque in that part of the range to keep the bike cruising along at typically 100 km/hr.
Yes a twin might sound a little busy at 100. in fact is may well me doing 6000 RPM, but that is fine. It doesn't exactly have a very long stroke so of course it is going to rev high. Not as high as the 10000 RPM the late 80's and early 90's 250's pulled at 100k though.
richardmayes,
Oct 10, 6:05pm
One of the older guys I work with got back into riding bikes about 6 years ago after a decade or two off, for some reason he had to do a stint on a learners license (back when that meant 250cc max) and he bought an old cheapie and then traded up to a 650cc KTM once he had his license.
But said he seriously considered buying one of those 250cc Hyosungs and just keeping it once he had his license, as they were quite nice little bikes that went (and looked) much better than what saying "250cc" out loud would have you think.
(He didn't though. )
gunhand,
Oct 10, 6:14pm
Have you not seen minis take on and clean up thumping great manly V8s on the track? Same theory. Size isn't everything you know. It really can be skill and experience that wins.
cammey,
Oct 10, 6:15pm
I think they are OK. But they are not much cheaper than the Japanese brands that we KNOW are ok.
You are not thinking about the entire purchase price.
Your sensible evaluation is limited to the DIFFERENCE in buying a Japanese machine.
I would bet, that the increase in resale value would more than cover the gap.
quickbuck,
Oct 10, 6:20pm
As I said, Japanese brand and name, doesn't mean it was made there these days. Just saying.
jmma,
Oct 10, 6:22pm
Yes, thats what all the girls tell me (o:
2sheddies,
Oct 10, 7:10pm
That all makes perfect sense, cheers! Guess after years of driving cars, you'd just have to adjust your thinking.
sue193,
Oct 10, 7:31pm
Hi, I own a GV250 and I love it. I've owned it for 7 years and for a 250 it has a fair bit of get up and go. It corners very well and is not too shabby on metal roads. That's my opinion. I haven't ridden a lot of different bikes, my other bike is a 750cc Kawasaki Vulcan, I prefer the Hyosung. I learned to ride on it. It's never let me down either. Edited to add that it's a nice light bike and quite low if you're not a tall person.
mals69,
Oct 11, 8:43am
They must be racing around a gokart track or the riders on the 1000 are shite ! 250 cc are toys - learner bikes - a joke !
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.