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MotorScooterShopper.com - The Motor Scooter Buying Guide
50cc -
150cc -
250cc
Information, Resources, and Tips to Help You Buy the Right Motor Scooter
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The Best First Motorcycle for a New Motorcycle Rider
The three most important criteria to consider when deciding what to buy for a new rider's first motorcycle are 1) Safety, 2) Learning Curve, and 3) Cost.
1) Safety
While most motorcycle enthusiasts will tell you that “bigger is better”, when it comes to beginner riders, “bigger is dangerous”. Too much engine in the hands of a novice operator is a lethal combination. For new motorcycle riders, it’s recommended that the first motorcycle they own have nothing bigger than a 250cc engine. After moving beyond the motorcycle novice stage, then it’s safe to move to a bigger engine.
2) Learning Curve
Only $1,999
MXMotorSports.us
(last checked 4/19/09)
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The Motobravo GS 250
Built by Zongshen,
230cc air cooled engine, standard shift,
Top speed: 65 MPH,
60 MPG, Disc breaks,
17" wheels.
Buy the Motobravo GS 250 from MXMotorsports.us.
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Only $1889.96
MrScooters.com
(last checked 5/2/09)
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The Roketa MC-64 250
Built by Lifan,
Standard Shift,
233cc Air cooled, two cylinder engine,
17.4 HP,
Top speed: 62 MPH,
60 MPG,
18" & 15" wheels,
3.0 gallon gas tank.
Buy the Roketa MC-64 250 from MrScooters.com.
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Nearly all beginner motorcycle riders must experience the learning curve of moving from an automatic four wheel vehicle to a standard shift two wheel vehicle. Moving from four wheels to two wheels is one challenge. Moving from an automatic to a standard shift is another. Instead of tackling both challenges at once, take them one step at a time. First learn how to operate a motorized vehicle on two wheels, and then learn how to operate a standard shift. For this process it’s recommend that the first motorcycle a beginner motorcycle rider owns is an automatic. After learning how to ride on two wheels, then it’s safe to move to a bigger engine with a standard shift.
3) Cost
Most beginner motorcycle riders have yet to really determine just how committed they are to being a motorcycle rider. Is it just a passing phase? Is it going to become a lifetime hobby? Is it going to become a lifestyle change? A beginner motorcycle rider can end up losing thousands of dollars if they buy an expensive name brand motorcycle and find out later that their motorcycle just sits in their garage because they never use it. For this reason it’s recommend that the first motorcycle a beginner rider owns come with a very low price tag. After learning what the new rider’s real interest is in motorcycles, then it’s safe to move to a bigger engine, with a standard shift, and a bigger price tag.
Given the criteria above, the best motorcycles for a beginner motorcycle rider are the 250cc Chinese clones of the Honda Reflex and the Suzuki Burgman.
The Honda Reflex was a popular 250cc fully automatic that sold well for many years... until Honda decided to discontinue sales of the unit in the US market in 2008. A big reason for the discontinuation of the unit is due to the recent production by the Chinese motorcycle industry of clones of the Japanese 250cc automatics that sell for less than half of the nearly $6000 Japanese price tags. For much the same reason Suzuki and Yamaha have completely exited the 250cc automatic market, which means all the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers have left the 250cc automatic market for the Chinese manufacturers to own.
The market decision of the Japanese manufacturers proves one thing... that new motorcycle riders won't pay $6000k for a 250cc automatic when they can get a clone for less than half of that. Although the Japanese 250cc automatics met criteria 1 and 2, they didn't meet criteria 3. A 250cc automatic is an entry level motorcycle, so it should come with an entry level price tag (the Chinese clones sell new between $2000 and $3000).
The term clone is debated as to whether it is entirely accurate in describing the Chinese motorcycles. What the Chinese have done is cloned the looks of the Honda Reflex, which means the engine under the panels of a Reflex clone is not a cloned Reflex engine. However, it is a clone of another Japanese engine.
The Reflex clones can come with one of two different engines. If it's a 244cc engine then it's a CF Moto built engine, which is a clone of the Honda Helix 244cc engine (the Honda Helix is another 250cc automatic that's been discontinued by Honda). If it's a 257cc engine, then it is a clone of the Linhai-Yamaha 257cc engine. All of the Suzuki Burgman clones seem to come with the Linhai-Yamaha 257cc cloned engine.
The CF Moto 244cc clone of the Honda Helix is also used in many other styles of Chinese 250cc automatics if the looks of the Honda Reflex or the Suzuki Burgman don't appeal to you.
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