New Rider, Many Questions! | GTAMotorcycle.com

New Rider, Many Questions!

Good news everyone!

First of all I'd like to thank getfunky for that awesome step-by-step walk-through!

I'm looking at getting a Hyosung GT250R, and have set my sights on a used one in the Toronto area. Unfortunately, I'm an absolute greenhorn when it comes to riding and bike maintenance, so I've got a few questions.

1. Where can I take the bike to have it looked at (in the High Park/Toronto area) by a mechanic who knows bikes? The bike is not certified but it has low miles and the driver claims it has had regular maintenance. Ideally, I'd like someone to take a look at it head to toe, not just the minimum certification requirements.

2. I'll have to transport this bike to Guelph before I can start having fun with it. I measured out my van and can fit it in there, and have some winches with which to strap the bike down. Does anyone have any suggestions for transporting a bike this way, or an alternative?

3. Where can I learn to change the oil, winterize my bike and adjust/oil my chain? Also other maintenance things a rider should be able to take care of by himself?

4. Anything else I'm missing??
 
Hey Dan, welcome to the community!

The Hyo's a great first bike (I started with one). Cheap, goes forever on a tank, enough power to get used to a sport bike but not enough to get you in too much trouble, and it looks like a full sized 600. Generally a lot of the things a newbie would want in a first bike. You'll probably want to trade up in a year or two, but 90% of people who get 250s do.

So, on to your questions...
1- There are two shops i know of close to you. The closest is Cyclewerx, which is literally next door. http://goo.gl/maps/DcHHJ I've never done service there, but the guys seem pretty nice and there are always a lot of bikes out front for maintenance. The second is Rosy Toes which is farther (up black creek from you) and is one of the most well known and well priced mechanics in the GTA. http://goo.gl/maps/QR8w8

2- If the bike fits, the van should work fine. Just make sure all the strap points (bike and van) are solid and won't break or warp under stress. If you get cut off and have to break like crazy, it'll really ruin our day to get run over by your own bike or have it get damaged because you used a non-load-bearing structure like the throttle tube to tie it down. I'd STRONGLY recommend that you have two people to load and unload, and have a very sturdy and wide ramp. It's pretty easy to tip over your 300lb bike while loading if you're not prepared.

3- Google. Those are all easy things described thousands of times over in forums, Youtube, and freely downloadable manuals. If you're still worried, make a rider friend on these forums and have him/her show you. Easy stuff.

4- Don't overfill your tank and leave your Hyo in the sun. The pressure buildup can pop the fuel petcock on that model (happened to me). Wear all your gear all the time (regardless of heat), especially in your first year. Doesn't matter how good you think you're getting, cagers and especially taxis do dumb things. Always keep learning and pushing yourself incrementally in controlled environments, but ride 80% on the street. This way when the inevitable unexpected happens, you've got that 20% left to save your butt.

Have fun!
 
Last edited:
Make sure you don't overpay for this bike. Hyosungs don't hold value well and can be had for way cheaper than a same year Ninja 250.

If you can convince their owners the bike is not "rare" or "better than a Ninja" they can be had for about 1k cheaper
 
  1. I live in that area. Someone already mentioned Cyclewerx, I would also check out Studio Cycle Group. I had some work done on my bike there a few weeks back and they guys are great. I think they are also a bit cheaper than Cyclewerx. Talked directly to the mechanic who did the work (can't remember names) and have a lot of confidence he knows what he's doing. I will definitely be going back there again.
  2. Can't help you with that :)
  3. Google and YouTube are your friend. If you can't find a video of doing something with your specific bike, you can at least find a video of someone doing it on a different bike. Watch a few of them, a few times each, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what you're looking at. In general, the parts might look different, be in a slightly different location, but general maintenance you're going to do yourself doesn't vary all that much in process. Also seaching for diagrams, forums, and articles seems to yield a lot of useful information. If you don't mind spending a few bucks, you can buy a copy of the Haynes manual.
 
Last edited:
If you can convince their owners the bike is not "rare" or "better than a Ninja" they can be had for about 1k cheaper

Haha, so true. So many "rare" bikes on Kijiji. I have even seen a "rare" CBR600 because it was painted pearl...

I liked Ninja better personally. That's how I ended up with a ZZR250 as my first bike. Fit and finish was much much higher quality, the bike was faster as well. But then again - ZZR was a pimped out version of the Ninja 250 with the aluminum frame and other gimmicks. For someone tall the Hyo may be more suitable. They are larger overall. I found it clumsy and top heavy but that's just me and I ain't no expert. ;)
 
I have also heard from friends about it being top heavy.

It's got a lot of stuff the 250 doesn't though, fuel injection to name a biggie. Getting replacement parts might be tougher and more expensive, but maintenance is the same, learn to do it from a manual and maybe getting a buddy to walk you through it the first time.
 

Back
Top Bottom