LAMS bikes

[NuffNuff]

Greetings,

Since I've now got a daily driver from work, the SS is barely driven and might get sold soon.

I'm looking for peoples opinions on LAMS bikes, not too keen on a cbr250rr or anything like that (bit small for my long legs)

The duc 600 monster is something I'm looking at, also the hyosung gt250r


The ducati looks a bit harder to find, will I find any difference using a dry clutch over a wet one?

(something around 5k that isn't 20 years old)

[Trewman]

Id go for something in the suzuki family. I personally ride a cbr250rr but as you said your too tall for it (pity they are mint bikes). Would be good if you could get onto a gsxr but not sure whether they are lams approved. Also clutch wise all I know is wet would be better for mono's? haha

[Kiyoshii]

Hey mate,
What style of bike are you looking to stay on, IE jap sporty or happy to go to a cruiser style bike.
I ask because there is a lot of 600s in cruisers that are nice to ride. Have you checked out the LAMS website to give you an idea on what you can and cant ride??

[VY5.7LTR]

If your looking at a V-twin, try a Suzuki SV650 similar to the Hyosung but much better build quality and slick gearbox.
Ducati is a waste of time, price of parts then parts supply, insurance etc.
Hyosung build quality is marginal at best so I would stay away from them (1st hand experience).

Do you only have a learner permit or is this the type of bike that suits you?

[255-LS1]

assuming you are on learners, looking at the list of LAMS bikes, if it was my coin and i wanted something to play on the road a bit id go a KTM 525 EXC or WR450F and get some motard wheels for it. Then on weekneds swap back to dirt wheels and hit the bush, but this is only cos i love trail riding.

But a motard spec bike might be something to consider.

[CunningStunter]

I like the 'which bike for me...' questions.........not to flame ya or anything lol.

The problem is you have left some details out - height, weight, being the most important but also stuff like previous riding experience and the type of riding you'll be doing. No good getting a WR450 dirt/motard if you're running 500kms/week but if ALL you're doing is inner city driving and want to head bush on the occasional weekend then you have a contender. You have mentioned the SSV doesn't get alot of use but doesn't really elude to how much and what kind of riding you'll be doing.....

That aside only you can decide which bike feels right for you however I'm a good sport so:

If you're tall and say heavier (than my race ready frame of 62KGs) then go for things like (if you want a sports/touring type road bike) Suzuki GS500 or the Kawasaki ER5 or the newer ER6. These are semi nakid so another contender would be as someone else mentioned the SV650. There's older/cheaper bikes avail for your first time around (save your $$ for when you can afford a 'real' bike LOL read post restrictions) but you could also get the Yamaha TRX800 - another older twin model.

If it's cruisers you want then be prepared to be as uncomfy on some of them as you are on some Jap sports/touring bikes. Unfortunately I won't recomend one since I know nothing of the cruiser market (other than the fact alot of them are built with 1960s technology, twin shockers, dodgy brakes and no ground clearance or turning circle and you still pay through the nose for them) - however there is a decent range available.....OPPPPPS where do you live again?!?!?! If you're lucky enough to live in the Porn Capital of Australia then you are only restricted to 150KW/tonne of weight (or is that ton lol) meaning alot of cruisers are available due to terrible power figures and even worse weight figures VS some other states whereby a 250cc rule applies.......

End of the day, you only want to spend enough to get you somethnig reliable to get around on until the bug REALLY bites you, you're on your full licence and you can come with us to track days......my first choice for a taller rider would be an AIR cooled Suzuki GS500.....they were a bit harder edged than the new ones, not alot would or to go wrong on them (water cooling on bikes is a bit of an overkill in cruising/commuting terms and again why crusiers can get away with air cooling alot of the time) assuming your state allows this.

Any bike you get - first thing (other than good tyres) go get your suspension dialled in. IT.IS.VERY.VERY.VERY.VERY.IMPORTANT. A bikes suspension will usually come in too soft in the front (to give you a plush ride over rougher stuff) and a bit stiffer in the rear because you have a passenger seat so could be adding another 50kg+ to the rear. So straight away, your brand new bike off the floor is almost guarranteed to be wrong for you - let alone the fact it's not been setup. I'm 62kgs and this is the case for me so if you go adding another 20-40kgs ontop of that you can start to imagine the problems you're gonna have > now apply that to going around corners where a bikes suspension needs to deal with up and down forces, whilst the bike is tipped over and the forks/shock are not facing directly up and down......

There is nothing wrong (sort of) with car suspension, from stock straight from the shop, for 90% of ppl 90% of the time...but the opposite is true for bikes and if you don't get it correctly tuned for your weight/riding speeds, when you get to a point where you either A) start going faster through corners or B) are faced with an emergency situation ALOT of the time the suspension will not cope with the extra forces and well ....that's where alot of crashes can occur. On cheaper LAMS bikes there's not ALOT you can do to address these issues......a cheap way of getting more preload is to dump $2.80 worth of 20c coins ontop of the springs but even just having the correct spring rates for your weight/speed is a must. Fork Oil and gas from your shocks should be (but rarely is) replaced every 10,000kms so 2nd hand bikes can be even worse suspension wise without there being any specific problems....

Other than that - get out and test ride. NO ONE is going to be able to advise you which bike is best for you. We can all give you some ideas and i hope I have with what I've written but looking at bikes is very personal choice. What works for me, my size/speed and how that relates back to a particular bike ergonomics (bars/seat/footpeg geometry) is purely subjective. What you need to do is ride a whole bunch of bikes from the categories you're looking at and buy the one that feels best for you. Some bikes are going to make you feel nervous or just don't feel right....others you'll jump on and feel at home. For instance I didn't like the 90s model Kawasakis, very heavy on the front end whereas the GSXRs are a very neutral bike and felt immeditately happy and at home on it.....that's not to say the other bikes aren't as fast in the right hands of course, but for me I'll always be more confident, therefore quicker and more relaxed on a GSXR VS most other things.....

Time to go test riding WOOOOT!!! :)

[NuffNuff]

Motard is perhaps something that i might look at

I've had a look at the Suzuki SV650 and is now on the top of the list, after reading about the hyusongs they've not got a very good rep (shit gearbox too)

I only have my L's for the moment and really dont have the experience to get something uncomfortable or hard to learn (like a 2 stroke or something).

Im a bit over 6 foot with long legs, I've ridden a CBR250RR before and it was tiny (getting sore legs) and the CB250 was killing me

Quite happy to go with the Suzuki SV650, the prices seem about right. (they look good without the front fairings)

Do you lot recommend getting one from a dealer or private? and how many KM is too many for a 650cc? i know it depends on service history etc, but is 40,000km on one like having 300,000km on an LS1?

Appreciate all your help :)

edit: looks like we posted at the same time.. will read through your post now CunningStunter

[CunningStunter]

Motards are heaps of fun,.....just hard work if doing closer to 100kph + all the time .....single cylinder and all......can be hard work, high revving all the time....you'd wanna be checking the valve clearances often.

Also some setups dont have a 'cush' drive.....meaning that your gearbox, via the chain and wheel is connected directly to the ground....there is no 'cushioning' in between and gearboxs get smashed.

DO NOT BUY HYOSUNG. I don't care who says what about em they are cheap as sh1t, parts take forever to arrive from OS, and they are plain shit. Take a look at the front brake caliper over just about any bike ever made and then tell me the brakes weren't thrown on as an after thought......absolute dogs breakfast don't be tempted.

SVs are good bikes, bit more torque than the GS/ER option. I'd generally try and find bikes with less than 20,000kms on them. for the right bike I'd happily take on one with 40,000. Depends on the previous owners as to whether 40K iis worth 100,000 in a car, or with a bad owner more like 300,000kms.

Things to check in what priority:
1. Check steering head lock 'lugs' on the bottom triple clamp and the matching end on the frame of the bike. If they are bruised or impacted it's seen a crash but [perhaps not too badly bent check rest of bike. If they are missing or snapped off, keep walking to the next bike. The steering lock lugs are the best and first indicator of crashes because when the bike goes down the bars 'slap' and generally bruise the lugs.

2. Check for steering head bearing play. Would indicate a life of wheelies (esp on twins). Get the bikes front end off the ground, generally by using the sidestand and steer slowly from left to right, if you feel a notch it would need bearings....

3. Check foot peg ends, bar ends, mirrors etc for any marks, usually a crash indicator.....non standard paint jobs usually mean a crash.

4. Check tyres - if there's a massive chicken strip on the edges of the tyre and it looks 'squared' off' (middle worn more than edges) then it's hasn't seen erither alot of hard riding or any corners. Bikes commuting LONG distances with high kms on clock aren't neccesarly a bad thing or like having 300,000 on a car...if the edges of the tyres are blistered, no chicken strips at all then bike has probably been flogged.....then it comes down to maintainence.

When flogging a bike all the time replace the oil every 2000-3000kms. 5000kms max. If it has bad tyres, bad oil etc.....then steer clear....Big ends often go once the oil changing becomes slack.....

Private VS Dealer, no massive difference in bike terms......would normally go private though end up saving a bit.

[VY5.7LTR]

Motards are heaps of fun,.....just hard work if doing closer to 100kph + all the time .....single cylinder and all......can be hard work, high revving all the time....you'd wanna be checking the valve clearances often.

Also some setups dont have a 'cush' drive.....meaning that your gearbox, via the chain and wheel is connected directly to the ground....there is no 'cushioning' in between and gearboxs get smashed.

DO NOT BUY HYOSUNG. I don't care who says what about em they are cheap as sh1t, parts take forever to arrive from OS, and they are plain shit. Take a look at the front brake caliper over just about any bike ever made and then tell me the brakes weren't thrown on as an after thought......absolute dogs breakfast don't be tempted.

SVs are good bikes, bit more torque than the GS/ER option. I'd generally try and find bikes with less than 20,000kms on them. for the right bike I'd happily take on one with 40,000. Depends on the previous owners as to whether 40K iis worth 100,000 in a car, or with a bad owner more like 300,000kms.

Things to check in what priority:
1. Check steering head lock 'lugs' on the bottom triple clamp and the matching end on the frame of the bike. If they are bruised or impacted it's seen a crash but [perhaps not too badly bent check rest of bike. If they are missing or snapped off, keep walking to the next bike. The steering lock lugs are the best and first indicator of crashes because when the bike goes down the bars 'slap' and generally bruise the lugs.

2. Check for steering head bearing play. Would indicate a life of wheelies (esp on twins). Get the bikes front end off the ground, generally by using the sidestand and steer slowly from left to right, if you feel a notch it would need bearings....

3. Check foot peg ends, bar ends, mirrors etc for any marks, usually a crash indicator.....non standard paint jobs usually mean a crash.

4. Check tyres - if there's a massive chicken strip on the edges of the tyre and it looks 'squared' off' (middle worn more than edges) then it's hasn't seen erither alot of hard riding or any corners. Bikes commuting LONG distances with high kms on clock aren't neccesarly a bad thing or like having 300,000 on a car...if the edges of the tyres are blistered, no chicken strips at all then bike has probably been flogged.....then it comes down to maintainence.

When flogging a bike all the time replace the oil every 2000-3000kms. 5000kms max. If it has bad tyres, bad oil etc.....then steer clear....Big ends often go once the oil changing becomes slack.....

Private VS Dealer, no massive difference in bike terms......would normally go private though end up saving a bit.



+1 to what Cunningstunter wrote.:goodjob:

[inky]

The Ktm lc4 640 motard is and awsome bike and lams approved
you will give the bigger sportsbike a hard time kepping up in
the twisties

[vessloveit]

My son just purchased a 2009 Suzuki GS500F with just over 11,000kms on it previously owned by a lady rider, seems to be OK he is about 6'2 tall and about 80kgs.

Does anyone know what to look out for regards servicing and reliability for these?

[KeenGolfer]

My first bike was a GS500F - great learner bike. Rock solid, good economy, reliable, simple and easy to work on, great riding position, you can't go wrong on one of those. Highly recommended by me. I'm 6"2" and found it nice and comfy.

[CunningStunter]

My son just purchased a 2009 Suzuki GS500F with just over 11,000kms on it previously owned by a lady rider, seems to be OK he is about 6'2 tall and about 80kgs.

Does anyone know what to look out for regards servicing and reliability for these?

As the OP can see, ALOT of ppl start life on a Suzuki GS..... :)

Reliability/servicing - pretty basic. It's a basic/budget bike aimed at the lower end of town. Non adjustable suspension, basic single disc on front wheel.

Just follow the service manual and you're laughing....servicing every say 5000kms....on my road bikes that got ridden hard, stunt ridden and tracked I'd change oil every 2000kms, with a filter every other change, honestly no need on a GS unless it's being flogged and then like any engine, they love fresh oil...

Shouldn't have any reliability issues....these bikes have been goin strong since the 80s and due to it being a budget learner bike, not much has changed other than fairings/overall look......

[NZSHAKER]

I have just bought myself a 2010 GT650 naked and I love it...not everyone's type of bike and yes there are good and bad things about them and every bike if you look hard enough.

Really you need to go for a ride on each bike you like and go from there and if there are 2 close bikes see who gives you the best deal for you.


here are the new LAMS bikes from hyosung

http://www.hyosung.com.au/lams/

[Rors]

Motard is perhaps something that i might look at

I've had a look at the Suzuki SV650 and is now on the top of the list, after reading about the hyusongs they've not got a very good rep (shit gearbox too)

I only have my L's for the moment and really dont have the experience to get something uncomfortable or hard to learn (like a 2 stroke or something).

Im a bit over 6 foot with long legs, I've ridden a CBR250RR before and it was tiny (getting sore legs) and the CB250 was killing me

Quite happy to go with the Suzuki SV650, the prices seem about right. (they look good without the front fairings)

Do you lot recommend getting one from a dealer or private? and how many KM is too many for a 650cc? i know it depends on service history etc, but is 40,000km on one like having 300,000km on an LS1?

Appreciate all your help :)

edit: looks like we posted at the same time.. will read through your post now CunningStunter

If you are going to be doing any kind of performance riding (trust me, you will) or plan on moving up to a bigger sports bike when you get your full license (you will) then there is really only a handful of genuine options.

Top of the list is the CBR250RR. I know you say it hurts your legs but it's a sportsbike and they will all be uncomfortable. This is just the way it is. I'm 6 foot, 90 kgs and I learnt on a CBR250RR. I too thought it was a bit uncomfortable until I rode a heap more sportsbikes and realised it was actually pretty decent in the scheme on things, especially compared to the 2010 Triumph Daytona 675SE I have now. The more uncomfortble they are, generaly the more "race" the riding position is and the better it will handle. I left many a larger capacity bike for dead in the hills on the little 250 purely because it's a true sports bike and handles accordingly. You can also adjust the suspension to raise the height up. There is quite a decent amount of adjustment there so you may find the seat height is much less of an issue when fully adjusted. If you're a bigger fella you will want to do this anyway as jap bikes aren't setup for 90-100kg Aussie blokes and will feel slow to turn in if the rear is sitting too low.

The other thing with a CBR250RR is they are cheap (can get good ones for $5000 easy), look the part, sound great with a pipe (way better than any motard or agricultural GS), parts are plentiful and there are heaps of them around. There is also the Kawasaki ZXR250RR which is very very similar to a CBR250RR and also a great little bike. Either of these bikes will have more than enough power to learn on. They both rev to 20,000rpm (thats not a typo), are good for 180-190km/h (try that on a motard....) and are a great stepping stone to a bigger sportsbike. If you get a ducati monster or a GS (both of which are commuters, not sportsbikes) you will absolutely shit yourself when you ride a newer 600 sportsbike that will do 140km/h in first with the front wheel off the deck.

If you are really struggling with the size of the little ninja or baby blade you can try the Suzuki GSX-R 250 or the Yamaha TZR-250. Both are good little sportsbikes almost on par with the honda or kwaka and both are a bit closer to a 600 in size. They are a bit harder to come across tho (especially the Suzuki) so you might have to have a bit of a look around.

The Suzuki SV650 is an ok bike but it is a commuter designed without any real consideration to performance or handling. If you are actually into riding or think you may get into it then you will out grow this bike quite quickly and find yourself wanting something a bit more sporting. No fairings might seem like a good idea but it's actually terrible. You get constantly buffeted by the wind which is annoying and tiresome (especially at highway speeds) in warm weather and downright freezing and awful when it's cold. If it rains you will also cop a lot more water than a fully faired bike. The fairings and screen draw the wind and rain over and around you and at over 60km/h you can actually stay resonably dry. On a naked bike you will be soaked in minutes.

I wouldn't get a motard unless you're really into riding dirt bikes. The single cylinder engine makes the bike shake a lot which will get very annoying riding any further than down the road. You also have to change gears far too often, they have hopeless range so you will be constantly filling up with fuel and they have a top speed similar to my mates girlfriends aprilia scooter.... not cool.

40,000 kms is quite a lot for a bike. I'd be trying to find something with 30,000 or less. Ask to see service history. Bikes rev very high and wont appreciate not having the oil changed regularly. Look for any signs the bike has been dropped at speed. Paint that doesn't look factory, scratches on anything, new mirrors, new levers, new bar ends are all signs it's been down the road. If your sus, just walk away. There's heaps of bikes out there and it just isn't worth the trouble. If the frame or forks are bent you might not realise due to not much riding experience and it will be a nightmare for you. Check all the lights, brake lights, indicators etc make sure they work. If the bike is warm when you get there ask yourself why? Is it hard to start when it's cold?

Go to dealers to test ride all the bikes you are thinking about buying. Dealers are normally very good about giving out test rides, that's how they sell bikes. Test ride them all, every bike you are considering. I test rode a VTR 250 and was thinking about buying it until I rode the CBR250RR. I couldn't believe how different two bikes of the same capcity could be!

Once you have ridden them all and decided which is best for you then it's time to buy. Unless you are buying new, always go private. Dealers pick the bikes up on trade ins for a good price (the price you should be looking to pay) then add $2k to make some money. Can't blame them but if you want a good deal, go private.

Let us know what you end up getting. All the best and remember: Sight fixation is the number one enemy. Focus on where you want the bike to go and it will go there. Focus on a tree, armco etc and you will hit it every time. Confidence is the key. Ride safe.

:goodjob:

[carnas]

I started with the old hyosung 250 cheap good size definatly did the job only wanted to keep it till i got my big bike licence

[matls1]

http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/ww159/jamesdriver99/017.jpg http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/ww159/jamesdriver99/matt035.jpg this is what ive got for now:rofl:

[HSV,_I_GOT_ONE]

Hey Guys,

To save on starting a new thread I thought I would continue with this. I had my first lesson last Saturday and absolutely loved it. Going through Q-Ride and will be restircted to a LAMS bike for at least a year.

Now, I know I have no idea on different types of bikes. I am currently learning on a CB 250 and while it is quite gutless (I've been told they have a restrictor to keep us out of trouble) and it can't rev past 6k I do find it quite comfy.... almost scooter like :rofl:

So I'm not sure what I want, a cruiser or a sports bike? I know I will probably have to test both but I wouldn't mind recommendations on either type. The bike will be purely a weekender thing going to Nebo, Mt Cootha, Sunny and Gold Coasts etc. I'm about 182cm tall and 80kg. Also have done a lot of road cycling so I'm fairly used to being hunched over all the time which makes me think a sport bike won't be so bad for me. I was hoping to avoid getting a CBR or Ninja but if they are the best then I will go that way.

Budget is about $7k including all the gear. I kind of have my heart set on an Aprillia RS250 but have no idea what it would be like. Reviews for them at the time were quite favourable. Also are 2 strokes as brutal on power delivery as people make out?

[VY5.7LTR]

If you are LAMS restricted you cannot ride the RS250 as the pwr to weight ratio is too high. They are an awesome bike though!!

By a sh1tter to get you through your restrictions and once off them you'll have more of an idea of what type of bike you'll want by then.

Good luck and stay shiney side up :goodjob:

[vessloveit]

My son purchased a Suzuki GS500F seems like a good compromise between sports and touring bike.

[scharged]

I was looking at the Honda RVF 400 and VFR 400 for my LAMS. Very good looking bikes.
Can't remember which one was LAMS and the other non-LAMS but from memory there was only a minor difference between the two.

250 sounded soft, 600 was prohibited so I wanted to go boredline with the non-LAMS 400 for a reasonable piece of mind. Again, very good looking bikes.

[[TOPGEAR]]

the RVF400 wouldn't be LAMS approved.........

If your looking at a new bike the Yamaha XJ-6 is lams approved. Its pretty much the same as a FZ-6 which the motors are based on the R6. Pretty much exactly the same just detuned (cams etc) still goes hard.

All they have is a throttle restrictor to make LAMS approved which is easily removable when you are ready. If anyone is keen, PM me ill get you a good deal on a brand new one.

[evl.346]

A mate of mine just bought new Honda cb400 and it learner legal and apparently it hauls ass for a learner bike anyway.
That might be something of interest anyway

[Wozz]

You guys in the eastern states are so lucky with LAMS! No idea why WA is sooo backward with the 250 only system for a year crap! LAMS makes so much more sense and saves people time and money not having to lose money in selling their 250s to buy a bigger bike!

[HSV,_I_GOT_ONE]

I'm currently starting to eye off the Suzuki Gladius! Haven't seen one in the flesh but in pics they look quite tough, especially in gun metal grey with the red scaffolding! Anybody have any experience with these?