[Maelynn Dickson]

Hello All,

I'm a fairly new rider and am looking for a bike to start my journey with.
I found 2 bikes on Craigslist that look like possible hits.


The first, is a used bike but has great reviews from what I've seen. (See specs attached)


The second, would come brand new, but the reviews aren't as good compared to the KLX. And after all the assembly fees for this bike, I'd be paying around the same amount. (See specs attached)



Anyone have any tips on which one I should get? Anything helps!
Thanks!!

 

[FlipFlop]

California Scooter Company (CSC) has some good chinese bikes however, IMO the best new chinese scooter still is not as good as a used Japanese model.

Just a thought though, the worse bike can be decent if proper maintenance is performed on it, and it does not get modded outside of your experience level. So many buy the chinese equipment and then modify it with limited knowledge (to learn) and mess things up quick and then you are stuck like chuck then.

 

[stexch]

I'd take the Kawasaki in a heart beat. The dealer network and parts support are critical. Many experienced mechanics. Peace of mind.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

The TT250 goes under another name/brand as the Hawk 250. By all means, both are popular bikes among the Chinese rider communities and are decently reliable. However, there are some caveats:

1) Fork seal leaking is common with the TT250/Hawk 250. You'll get the part replaced under warranty, however the new ones will eventually leak too.

2) Chinese bikes sometimes have parts break that really don't break on their Japanese counterparts. Thankfully such repairs are cheap so long as you're willing to work on it yourself once the warranty goes out.

3) Like Aph said, it's hard to beat the Japanese bikes on quality. If this is a first bike, I'd recommend the Kawasaki. That said, the Chinese bike would be compelling to me because it's brand new and you don't have to trust that the seller isn't lying to you when they saw xyz about the bike. And even then again the Kawasaki comes with a strong dealer network.

I like Chinese bikes because their cheap price, cheap parts, and cheap build means I can learn how to work on and modify bikes without busting the bank. I wouldn't recommend them as a first bike unless you have a similar curiosity for tinkering. If you want something that will ride with you every day without breaking, get the Kawasaki.

 

[Major Sphincter]

The Kawasaki gets my vote. You made the a great decision starting with a dual purpose bike. Get some good dual purpose tires and get off the road and learn to ride.

 

[Calculon]

after all the assembly fees for this bike, I'd be paying around the same amount.

I'm curious how much you're paying in fees? If it's the usual fees and based on the $2,200 MSRP of the CSC, then they're asking top dollar for the KLX, which seems high for a bike selling on CL rather than a dealership.

Fit is very important on a motorcycle, so I say go sit on them to see if one works better than the other. Lastly, you didn't say what kind of riding you plan to do? There may be a better fit out there depending on the particulars. Good Luck.

 

[Stablefull]

Welcome from Seattle.

Chinese bikes are garbage. I'd steer clear. Call me a bikist if you will, I have never known anyone that had one that didn't have problems with it.

 

[photomacman]

I have heard that Chinese bikes will give you 300 worry-free miles. Not sure if this is an exaggeration, but I would also take the K first, although as others have said a) It sounds like this guy is asking too much for that many miles on the odd, and b) you have not said what kind of riding you really wish to do. There may be another option that would suit you better.

 

[DE Nichols]

I have heard that Chinese bikes will give you 300 worry-free miles. Not sure if this is an exaggeration, but I would also take the K first, although as others have said a) It sounds like this guy is asking too much for that many miles on the odd, and b) you have not said what kind of riding you really wish to do. There may be another option that would suit you better.

I was all for the K until you mentioned high miles and high price considering. Hmmm...

...if it was only an either or, with all the issues I saw with my sister-in-law buying 3 Chinese scooters, all of which barely survived their first "service" - everyone in town refused to work on them.

They were brand new! Took her a year or 2 to find service enough for them to get rid of them all.

They usually say buy cheap and buy twice, but thrice? Oi ve.

All that said, it seems to me if you can't get the K owner to come down, it could be that neither bike would be right and you can always be patient and look for a 3rd bike, used, better quality and not so many miles.

 

[DE Nichols]

The Kawasaki gets my vote. You made the a great decision starting with a dual purpose bike. Get some good dual purpose tires and get off the road and learn to ride.

I agree with this completely. I mostly learned on dirt first, and when the street was a relief for being so much easier to ride on, it left a lot of focus left over to learn to deal with traffic.

 

[Maelynn Dickson]

Hello All!


Thank you so much for the tips in regards to my bike purchase.
From what I gathered, I will most definitely steer clear of the CSC.

As for the Kawasaki, I agree with those of you who said the price is a little high. I was thinking the same thing but wasn't sure if my inexperience was getting ahead of me. My plan is to negotiate the price and if the seller wont budge, I'll keep hunting.

Some of you asked what kind of riding I'll be doing. I plan on using a dual bike to ride around town and venture off road every now and then, since that's where I learned how to ride and where I find joy.

I recently came across a "2002 YAMAHA TW 200 FAT WHEEL FACTORY DUALSPORT." This is the first time I found a Yamaha interesting and fitting the needs I'm asking for in a bike.


Any recommendations on a Yamaha Dual-sport bike? Or any other dual-sport recommendations?



Thanks again everyone!

 

[Calculon]

Any recommendations on a Yamaha Dual-sport bike? Or any other dual-sport recommendations?

I sat on a XT250 once. I liked it cause I could flat foot it, which is unusual for me on dual sports, given my 5'9" height, though I believe the KLX has more power if you can do the higher seat and find one at a reasonable price. That's all I know.

 

[Stablefull]

If you could find an older Honda XL in good condition, they are bulletproof. You could likely put a lowering kit on it as well if it was too tall. They also made a line in the late 80's/early 90's called "NX". I rode an NX250 in my first motorcycle safety class and it was super easy to ride. I have no idea why they had that line, as it was pretty much the same as an XL250, except it was blue.