Hornet or VTR 250

I’m thinking to buy a second-hand 250cc motorcycle and it seems that only two of them are available here, Honda hornet 250 and VTR 250…Since there are a lot of bike (or big bike) experts :notworthy: in this forum, I need your opinion on these two bikes…what are the pros & cons?..

I’m looking for a 2001 or 2002 model…does anybody here own or know someone who want to sell theirs?..

BTW, anybody interested in 2000 Yamaha Majesty?..I need to sell mine to get this 250cc bike…

Thanks :help:

Why a 250? If it was because of not wanting to get another license I could understand. Why not spend a little more and get a 400? You will out grow a 250 4-stroke (Hornet) or V-twin (VTR) in a few months. The Hornet is zippy and sounds amazing with an aftermarket pipe, but still fairly tame. If it was a 250 2-stroke than that would be a different story, but unfortunately they are illegal here. If you still want a 250, I would go with the Hornet. Zippy, sounds good, and better suspension and looks than the VTR. Wouldn’t even touch the VTR. That’s just my opinion.

Kawasaki rider, my thoughts exactly…

BTW streetspec, pm sent!

The VTR’s monoshock suspension might be better. Plus you would save on maintenance costs I think – 2 fewer cylinders and a sensible back tyre unlike the Hornet’s unecessarily big one.

The 250 V-twin likely has a wider powerband and would suit me fine. But, concurring with above posters, the four-cylinder Hornet has more power, and if you really want something sporty I suppose you should be looking at a bigger bike.

[quote=“joesax”]The VTR’s monoshock suspension might be better. Plus you would save on maintenance costs I think – 2 fewer cylinders and a sensible back tyre unlike the Hornet’s unecessarily big one.

The 250 V-twin likely has a wider powerband and would suit me fine. But, concurring with above posters, the four-cylinder Hornet has more power, and if you really want something sporty I suppose you should be looking at a bigger bike.[/quote]

The Hornet is monoshock as well…The VTR is a hunk of junk!..I’ve ridden one and must say that it just isn’t worth the money…maybe it’s best used as training bike for a beginners riding school!..cheers

I haven’t ridden the VTR, but isn’t it supposed to have more low-end torque? That might come in handy in the mountains instead of having to rev the Hornet up into its power range.

I can understand your interest in buying a 250; the leap in power and comfort from a 150 4-stroke is considerable, and you don’t have to spend as much money on the bike, the licensing or the insurance. One could also argue that why buy a 400 when you could get a 600? etc., etc. That argument has some merit, and many people will probably do that, resulting in some nice, newish and cheap 250’s on the market soon (not to mention 400’s and 600’s that people “outgrew”).

I rented a Hornet about a year ago and found it to be a solid, comfortable bike with a nice ride and faster than anything I came across that day (though I didn’t come across any NSRs or RZRs). Cruises very solidly at 130+ speeds, corners nicely on mountain roads, but average power at lower revs for traffic maneuvering.

Thanks for the advise guys

Everybody seems recommends the CB400 instead of hornet or VTR and yes I have considered about that too and also the Yamaha XJR400R…Well, the main reason why I choose a 250cc bike at the moment is that I’m not qualified to have a big bike license yet since I just got the small bike license 9 months ago. In the mean time, while waiting to qualify for a big bike license, I’d like to get familiar with a real bike cause it had been +/- 12 years since I rode a bike with clutch :smiley:

The other reason is that I only have around $130K in budget right now…well, it is slighly lower than most of 2nd hand hornet cost at Yahoo auction (which is around $150k and up) but I’ll manage to get the rest of it…The cheapest CB400 cost almost twice of my budget there, so there’s no way I can afford it at this moment…

Does any of you guys know any bike shop selling 2nd hand hornet around taipei area? :help:

[quote=“StreetSpec”]
The other reason is that I only have around $130K in budget right now…well, it is slighly lower than most of 2nd hand hornet cost at Yahoo auction (which is around $150k and up) but I’ll manage to get the rest of it…The cheapest CB400 cost almost twice of my budget there, so there’s no way I can afford it at this moment…

Does any of you guys know any bike shop selling 2nd hand hornet around Taipei area? :help:[/quote]

You could do what I did…use the money you’ve saved as a first payment on a new bigger bike. You could get yourself a 400. And make payments. if the bike is properly insured…the 3 months without the proper license shouldn’t really matter. They rent out bikes all the time to people without the “proper” license. There is a shop in Taoyuan (45min south of you) that would help you with the financing…etc. The owner is one of those “I love foreigners” types.

[quote=“skylarkpuma”]The VTR is a hunk of junk!..I’ve ridden one and must say that it just isn’t worth the money.[/quote]VTR 250s have had good reviews in other countries, so are you sure it wasn’t just the one you rode?

I must say I prefer fewer cylinders/wide powerbands even on small bikes and even at the cost of some peak power. Perhaps the CB400s with VTEC have such friendly power characteristics, although I prefer simpler technology that is less likely to go wrong and easier to fix.

Hey StreetSpec…check this out.

That translates into a 50,000 dollar 250cc with a new engine in my books.

Concur. NT$130k makes a nice downpayment on the CB400 which I believe is around NT$350 new. So perhaps NT$200-odd second-hand?

Watch out for the ex-driving school ones.

[quote=“Mordeth”]Hey StreetSpec…check this out.

That translates into a 50,000 dollar 250cc with a new engine in my books.[/quote]

haha price wise, it’s tempting…but I’m looking for a 3-4 years old 250cc bike…FZ, RZR, NSR are at least 6 years old, right?

BTW Mordeth, the shop of yours in Tao Yuan, do they sell 2nd bike?..and do they provide financing for foreigner?..any number to call?

Is the extra power from a 400 (say, a superfour) really worth the extra money, licensing, insurance, “steal me” yellow plates, etc? If so, then wouldn’t a little extra more for a 600 be even more worth it? To me, the Hornet seemed plenty fast once you revved it up, something I have to do to my present bike to get it going anyway, so I guess I’m used to it.

I’m not trying to argue; I’m actually interested. When my RZR finally becomes unridable, I’ll be in the market for a used “larger” bike as well.

Doesn’t the motor in the VTR go back like 15 years or something? :astonished: I seem to recall that it’s not exactly one of Honda’s golden designs, though that didn’t stop Sanyang from copying it. :wink:
I would take the Hornet, or save a little more for a 400.

[quote=“joesax”][quote=“skylarkpuma”]The VTR is a hunk of junk!..I’ve ridden one and must say that it just isn’t worth the money.[/quote]VTR 250s have had good reviews in other countries, so are you sure it wasn’t just the one you rode?

I must say I prefer fewer cylinders/wide powerbands even on small bikes and even at the cost of some peak power. Perhaps the CB400s with VTEC have such friendly power characteristics, although I prefer simpler technology that is less likely to go wrong and easier to fix.[/quote]

Joe, I guess you might just be old fashioned!..The one I rode was brand new out the box!..a real crapper!..Don’t get me wrong, I love V-twins, i’ve ridden all kinds…from Ducati to Honda twins…

The four cylinder engines are straight forward affairs…not rocket science for any DIY type…even the VTEC on the CB400 is not a problem…however, the VTEC on the VFR800(v4) is whole other affair!..

cheers

have u considered the suzuki grasstracker?(tu250)

simple design, with a new set of longer rear shocks u can convert it to the ‘big boy’ version, i think if u added a front fork brace, larger brake caliper or rotor, an improved drum brake mechanism it’d be a fantastic bike for taipei’s streets. to really kick it up get a port job, maybe some engine polishing, go down one tooth in the front sprocket, magnesium wheels and sticky race rubber, and a flatside carb(28-37) depending on the amount of engine work performed, oh yeah, a quiet looking race exhaust.

easy, laid back riding position
250 ccs, lower emissions(and taxes)
nondescript white license plate
lower power to weight ratio(21-22ps/130kgs)

some people have raised questions about suzuki reliability
may require some moderate/heavy modification to match top end performance of 250 hornet
skinny seat makes longer journeys difficult for pillion passenger
no storage space under that skinny seat

Grasshopper wouldn’t be a bad choice if you aren’t looking for a sporty bike. They look comfy and are quite cheap for a 250.

Yeah, unfortunately I’m looking for a sporty bike…

I don’t know …sounds like the CB 400 is a slug.

(Gonna get flamed for that)

I’ve never ridden one so I’m going by the specs.

Is it like 56 HP something on a 200 KG body with a V Twin?

Unless you weigh 70 KG it’s gonna be a tuna boat.

Get a NSR 250 if you want a “sporty” bike. I think Kawirider said he owns/owned one.

2 stroke 250’s are the way to go if you want “sporty”.

You’ll be wearing your testicles around your ears from the torque.

^^^ Dude, emissions regs here have been the California standards since they changed the law to allow big bikes in. No 2-stroke street bikes have been sold in Cali since late 80’s… Any 250 strokers you see around here are all illegal imports.

<-- also secretly longing for an NSR/TZR/RGV250 to wail around on