Middle weight upgrade, best value and performance...

ROGO

ROGO

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I'm a new rider since April of this year. I've recently got a 2011 Ninja 250 and sadly I've out grown the bike. I plan to either keep it for track days or trade it in for a bigger bike. (I've yet to go to a track day but will eventually get around to doing that. Figured if I do drop a bike better a 250 than something more expensive.)

Besides my bike, I test rode a Yamaha YZF6R, Suzuki SV650S and a Triumph Street Triple 675 and I really love the Triumph and may just end up buying that next year.

However, I am also interested in the Honda CBR600RR, Suzuki GSXR750, Monster 796 and Yamaha FZ8. I'm hoping to be able to test ride these machines some time this summer.

My question for you experienced riders who've had the opportunity to go through several different bikes is... Which Street bike would you recommend as a good looking, well performing daily commuter that has track potential?

When commuting to work I travel roughly 80km per day from Brampton to Downtown Toronto. Depending on the day I'll mostly ride through the city but do on occasion hit the Gardiner and 427 when I know they are clear and not parking lots.

And yes, I will ride more bikes and pick the one that feels best to me, which right now is the Triumph. Overall it's got the right power band, horsepower, is very light and flick-able and price wise it sits somewhere in between 650cc and 600cc SuperSports.

I look forward to some of your responses.

Triumph_Street_Triple_R_4.jpg
 
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If you want less headaches go with a GSXR600 or 750 used parts are plenty and cheapest for these bikes.

But being a new rider I think you should stick to the ninja 250 for at least a full season.
 
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Thanks Rossi86. The practical side of me thinks that way regarding parts and getting value out of my 250. How about the GSXR750 on longer rides like 2 hours? Would you consider it a good commuter?
 
The Street Triple R is what I want as my next bike.. trying to find a used 1 for sale has so far been almost impossible >< (not that I can afford, or even have the skill to comfortably ride, one anyways)
Such a beautiful bike...


Anyways, just make sure you get insurance quotes before making any final decisions on what you buy.
 
I've always lusted after the Daytona 675, and the street triple is a sexy looking bike. But the only advice I can give is try out as many as you can via demo days before you take the plunge. That and as stated above, get insurance quotes before you buy!!!
 
I may be a little biased as the owner of a 2011 GSX-R750, but I can't think of a more capable street/track bike for the dollar. I went on a 7 hour tour past Bobcaygeon last Saturday and my 55-year-old bones lived to talk about it.
 
That's a beautiful bike OP, what's the price on it brand new? I would be VERY wary of how much it costs to fix and how available are the spare parts on it, I would go japanese.
 
I will never regret getting my St3R, street and track. If you're concerned with parts availability or bang for the buck, get a Chevy.
 
IMHO.. keep the 250 for a while, ride the hell out of it then upgrade. You'll be happy you did as it will make the transition to a more powerful bike a lot easier and more fun. This is year 7 for me and looking back it's hilarious how good of a rider I thought I was in the first couple years. There are things to learn about riding about that you won't even discover for a couple years of being out on the road.
 
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I'd be pleased to show you why you haven't outgrown your 250. (I see your 250, and raise you a 125.) Even better, take the Racer5 track school www.racer5.ca and see for yourself why you haven't outgrown that bike.

None of the CBR/GSXR/R6/ZX6R group are designed for comfort on longer trips. In the city commuting usage that you describe, they are just going to kill your wrists and cook you in the summer while testing the duty cycle of the cooling fan - and you DON'T need the power of a 600 sport bike for that usage pattern - and premium 600's parked downtown are theft magnets. Have you priced out the insurance ... ? ? ?

Stay on the 250 for at least a full year AND take the track course.

Best / most fun urban commuter bikes are scooters, small light bikes (like the 250 you already have ...), 250 - 400cc motard-style bikes, etc. - not supersports. If you insist on something bigger then at least the naked bikes have a more comfortable riding position and they generally aren't subject to the "supersport" insurance classification.
 
+1 on going to the track first... You cannot outgrow a bike in 2 months...I've owned a 125, 250, 600cc bikes and havent "outgrown" any of them yet...and I've been riding for 5 years.

Supersports generally are not comfortable, depending on your definition of comfortable. I've rode one for 18 days, back to back, for 12 000kms crammed on the stock seat with 60 lbs of luggage behind me...not comfortable but maybe bearable. Plus they make a lot of heat in traffic....overheated once on the 401W/Weston construction in the heat of summer. And you will never use the potential of one on the street...unless you want to risk losing your license.

Its a different matter if you want a more powerful/nicer looking bike, which admittedly is why I got my CBR600RR but that was after 3 years of riding. But if you've only been riding for 2 months, there is much more to learn (than just going in a straight line and the occasional turn which is what most of Southern Ontario is).
 
Brian P said:
I'd be pleased to show you why you haven't outgrown your 250. (I see your 250, and raise you a 125.) Even better, take the Racer5 track school www.racer5.ca and see for yourself why you haven't outgrown that bike.

None of the CBR/GSXR/R6/ZX6R group are designed for comfort on longer trips. In the city commuting usage that you describe, they are just going to kill your wrists and cook you in the summer while testing the duty cycle of the cooling fan - and you DON'T need the power of a 600 sport bike for that usage pattern - and premium 600's parked downtown are theft magnets. Have you priced out the insurance ... ? ? ?

Stay on the 250 for at least a full year AND take the track course.

Best / most fun urban commuter bikes are scooters, small light bikes (like the 250 you already have ...), 250 - 400cc motard-style bikes, etc. - not supersports. If you insist on something bigger then at least the naked bikes have a more comfortable riding position and they generally aren't subject to the "supersport" insurance classification.
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Couldn't have said it any better...
 
ROGO said:
Thanks Rossi86. The practical side of me thinks that way regarding parts and getting value out of my 250. How about the GSXR750 on longer rides like 2 hours? Would you consider it a good commuter?
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I have commuted on my ninja 500, gsxr 750s and 1000 but I don't buy my bikes for commuting. For me the primary reason for riding is recreational. Sportbikes are comfortable only when you're riding them for what they were built for: acceleration and cornering; maintaining a constant speed while going straight for over 15-20 minutes kills your wrists, legs and back. For downtown riding the 500 was the most maneuverable and the engine is good in the low & mid rpms in stop and go traffic. I have ridden your bike and I thought it was a great comfortable commuter bike in the city.

Sportbikes have a twitchy throttle response, they want to either accelerate or decelerate, holding a constant speed is uncomfortable. And for commuting in the city they're the worst, since in the low range it feels like they don't have any power. Then when you get above 5000 rpm feels like the bike wants to get away from you, and now you need to stop for the next red light... Of course with good throttle control you make the transitions smoother. Sportbikes don't forgive when you make mistakes, I'm just saying on the 250 or 500 you don't have to worry about this stuff.

Like Brian mentioned do a track course or take an advanced riding course like ProRider at Humber College to see what your bike is capable of. I did ProRider on my 500 years ago at the end of my 1st season and it was a lot of fun. When I moved from a 500 to a 750 I didn't feel like I outgrew the 500, I just wanted a sportbike but I started on a 500 to be on the safe side.
 
Brian P said:
I'd be pleased to show you why you haven't outgrown your 250. (I see your 250, and raise you a 125.) Even better, take the Racer5 track school www.racer5.ca and see for yourself why you haven't outgrown that bike.

None of the CBR/GSXR/R6/ZX6R group are designed for comfort on longer trips. In the city commuting usage that you describe, they are just going to kill your wrists and cook you in the summer while testing the duty cycle of the cooling fan - and you DON'T need the power of a 600 sport bike for that usage pattern - and premium 600's parked downtown are theft magnets. Have you priced out the insurance ... ? ? ?

Stay on the 250 for at least a full year AND take the track course.

Best / most fun urban commuter bikes are scooters, small light bikes (like the 250 you already have ...), 250 - 400cc motard-style bikes, etc. - not supersports. If you insist on something bigger then at least the naked bikes have a more comfortable riding position and they generally aren't subject to the "supersport" insurance classification.
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Well said. WAY TOO early to be up-sizing.
 
Awesome replies all! Shows this forum has local riders with good feedback and more importantly concern for fellow riders safety.

My opinion why I've outgrown my 250:
- High revving therefore more vibration than I care for when riding at highway speeds. I find my right hand generally gets numb after about 30min ride. Regardless of gloves or grip strength.
- Noticed runs fairly hot on warmer days. Also seems to smell like something is burning after riding at 10000rpm, 120km+ for 10min stretch going with flow of traffic on 427. (Coolant level is fine, and just changed the oil, no components touching any metal)
- Power, Power, Power or lack thereof in low, mid, esp top end. My opinion only. I want more throttle response for all conditions in any gear.
- Choke vs. Fuel injection
- Skinny tires

Overall I love the Ninja 250 for it's fun factor, great handling and power for it's size, hence the reason why I mentioned in my post that it's a shame that I want a new bike so soon. I totally agree that I have much to learn but to make a long story short I ride daily to commute, stop in parking lots to practice all types of scenarios and ride weekends for fun, practice or light off road experience.

Really appreciate the links and comments Brian_P. I did see those type of vids in the past and that's why I also mentioned that I was thinking of keeping the 250 for track days. Definition of power and speed versus skill and experience I totally understand. I practice to get more skill and I experience every day how to respect all machines regardless of cc. I respect the tiniest of pebbles when riding two wheels.

A few comments to consider that you guys have mentioned regarding the middle weight bikes...
1. Insurance: I'm an older rider so not an issue. Currently with Statefarm and they go by cc. So likely next year I will be less than $130/month all in. I'm sure if I price around I'll find cheaper. (My Ninja 250 is costing me less than half that amount now. I'll look at Jevco as I heard they are less expensive)
2. Bike being stolen: So far not a concern with the Ninja. Has crossed my mind if I get the Triumph or GSX-R750.
3. Supersport not being good commuters and having all the throttle response up high.
4. Ride position of the Street Fighter naked bikes overall better.
5. Current Budget limit for next year $12k-$14k all in. Hopefully the Ninja will fetch me $4400 if I decide to sell.

What I can say is the Triumph Street Triple felt to me like a lighter version of the Ninja 250 with great overall power at all gears. This may be because I have not experienced riding a Hayabusa LOL. What I am saying is right now the Triumph is the ideal bike. I'm looking for your guys feedback on the other bikes mentioned to capture your own personal experience and thoughts why you bought them to help factor some of that into my decision making process.

Sorry for the short novel. That's all I'll say for now and Thanks for all your responses again. Really helpful.

PS. I did my M2 rider training with Humber and plan do do Track and performance riding courses too.
 
Even I didn't outgrow my 250R after 2 full seasons and high KM's. I also barely rode straight roads, was always trying to push the twisties and turns while also doing A-LOT of parking lot practices every now and then and try learning something new along with refreshing on other stuff. Believe me, the season barely started yet - I can guaranteed you didnt outgrow anything.

Also, that vibrating that gets your hand numb also occurs on my SS. I think it's a normal thing for bikes I guess on the highway at certain speeds/rpm's. Skinny tire? Well that just means you have better turning ability for that light bike. :)

As for your cooling problems, any bike will boil up in hot temps unless they got some super coolants, which I've just switched over to engine ice and loving it.
I say you take that racer 5 course and learn stuff.
 
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Your experience is very similar to mine and I did exactly what you plan. Started on a ninja 250 and rode last year....upgraded to a 2012 Street Triple R this spring and don't regret it at all. It's a terrific bike. The bike has a lot more power but never once have I felt that it was too much. It's not overly torquey at launch and still very forgiving. A great all around bike for city and commuting. A bit uncomfortable at highway speeds for longer trips but that's a naked bike for you.

If you feel you need a bit more power for your needs then go for it.

And let's go for a ride when you get your ST3!
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