Currently I’m driving a Hartford HD200S. There’s nothing wrong with it. It looks great, handles well, has been reliable so far, is cheap on fuel, and good around town. BUT I’m really hankering after something with more power. And my girlfriend is learning to drive a manual motorcycle, so I want to give her the Hartford as it’s the ideal bike for a learner.
I’ve got a white-plate motorcycle licence which I’ve held for only 3 months, so it’s a while until I’m eligible to take the big bike test. In any case, I’m not sure I want the hassle of a red-plate bike, and the higher running costs (particularly the much higher fuel consumption). All enquiries and much reading online have led to the Kawasaki Ninja 250, which seems (on paper) to be the ideal bike for Taiwan. Fast and capable enough for most Taiwanese road conditions, fun on out-of-town trips to the mountains, but still with reasonable running costs and with all the benefits of the white licence plate. It’s rare and relatively expensive here compared to other countries but the resale value seems high. I’ve driven several thousand km on a 650cc Ninja - not in Taiwan - but have never tried the 250 version.
Anyway, my money is coming through next week so I’ll be in a position to buy one. My question is: other than Ruten and Yahoo (both of which I’m checking daily), are there any other places I should be looking? I live in Kaohsiung but there seem to be very few Ninja 250s in this part of the country. I’m aware I’ll probably end up having to travel to Taipei to get one. I’m a cash buyer, which I’m hoping will help bring down the high advertised prices. Prepared to spend $180-200,000 for the right bike. I don’t speak Chinese.
Any other advice about buying a Ninja 250 would be much appreciated.
The 250’s sold here are actually around 249, so you don’t need a special plate or the big bike test.
If you have a big scooter license, you’re ready to go. Now you just have to find one. Can’t help
you out much there.
i would suggest you to check the Hornet 250… i had one for over a year and it has superb performance… it has the same engine as the CBR250, has the body of the Hornet 600 and it feels and rides like a dream with more power that you would need for Taiwan…
You should seriously consider the SYM T2 and save yourself a bundle on import tariffs. I rented one last year for an island tour and it was a great bike.
I’ve driven a few Honda CBR250s (in Thailand) and I thought they were OK, but I have to say I didn’t get too excited about them. I prefer the look of the Ninja 250. Head-to-head road tests seem to indicate that the Ninja is considerably quicker. The Honda seems to be even rarer in Taiwan than the Kawasaki …
The Hornet 250 is probably number 2 on my list after the Ninja. I’ve got a soft spot for the classic Hondas - I’ve driven several CB400s before and really like them - but the Hornet is old now and I wanted something newer. Also from various reports it sounds like the Ninja is a better all-rounder with a more usable power band, good in town as well as on the open road.
The SYM T2 is heavier than the Ninja and has less power. I’m also not a fan of the “naked” look. I’m after the ultimate 250cc-or-less motorcycle, and I’m concerned that the Taiwanese-made SYM won’t be that much of a step up from my Hartford HD200.
So by process of elimination … it sounds like I’ve got my heart set on a Ninja 250, doesn’t it …
Any further thoughts or suggestions, or pointers about where to find one (apart from Ruten or Yahoo), gratefully received and appreciated.
Cheers
dominic77
The thought of owning a bigger, faster bike seems very appealing until I think about having to wear a proper full face helmet. That would have to be torture in this heat. That’s why I stick with my painfully slow scooter, and the $200NT eggshell that passes as a helmet.
I would wear my ff helmet even if my bike were smaller. You can drive slow and somebody can make you fall and hit your head badly. When I was a kid another kid challenged me to run against him. Since I was winning, the psycho kid made me fall and all my face was scrapped by the concrete floor. I’m sure you ride faster than what I run by then.
PS: I recovered of the injuries after some time and now I’m very handsome and appealing.
I hear you, but honestly I’ll take my chances in this heat and I’m certainly not the only one. I actually get around faster on my bicycle than my scooter and I don’t even wear a helmet. :no-no:
I had some bad crashes riding my bicycle back… and, one of them, I broke my helmet into 3 or 4 pieces. I sometimes rode without helmet, that day I said “what the heck, I should take it”. And yeah, I was lucky I took it.
I also enjoy to ride without a helmet, but… I don’t it anymore.
Are you from Taiwan?
i am just trying to understand your logic which at this point should be right next to the one of a Taiwanese family with 2 children, 2 dogs a father and a mother all in a 50cc scooter… and only the father and mother wearing egg-shell helmets…
I have a 2009 that I practically rode every day for over three years. Nice bike, great performer, and I never regretted buying it. It mostly sits these days since I have to take more than one kid to school… my heart pangs every time I walk past it to get in the car. You can easily ride with the scooters, and also out maneuver most big bikes on the twisty back roads.
Thanks twricky, that’s good to know. I don’t suppose you’re considering selling it?
Depreciation seems absolutely minimal. I was looking at a black 2009 today on Ruten advertised for 188,000, and 2012 models for 198-200,000. If I can avoid crashing it or getting it stolen, I reckon there’s a good chance of selling it for not far off what I paid for it.
Do you have those “anti-down balls” fitted? They look like a good investment to save the expensive plastic fairings in case of a tumble.
Are you from Taiwan?
I am just trying to understand your logic which at this point should be right next to the one of a Taiwanese family with 2 children, 2 dogs a father and a mother all in a 50cc scooter… and only the father and mother wearing egg-shell helmets…
No, but I’ve been here a while and haven’t won any Darwin awards yet. In fact, I’ve pretty much rode bikes, skateboards and inline skates my whole life without a helmet. I feel an eggshell is adequate for my little Yamaha 50, but if I was cruising on a little crotch rocket, I’d concede and buy a full face helmet. Which is why I wouldn’t want one around here.
On the helmet sub-topic, I don’t even ride my BICYCLE without wearing a helmet. On any trip out of town on my motorcycle, I’m the guy wearing a leather jacket, full face helmet, reinforced gloves and boots - even if the temperature is 95 degrees.
The road hurts you just the same, whether your 20mph tumble is from a 50cc scooter or a 1000cc superbike. It took me just one low-speed crash to realize that I didn’t ever want to feel pain like that again, and since then I’ve been only too happy to wear a proper helmet and protective clothing no matter how hot the weather.
[quote=“dominic77”]On the helmet sub-topic, I don’t even ride my BICYCLE without wearing a helmet. On any trip out of town on my motorcycle, I’m the guy wearing a leather jacket, full face helmet, reinforced gloves and boots - even if the temperature is 95 degrees.
The road hurts you just the same, whether your 20mph tumble is from a 50cc scooter or a 1000cc superbike. It took me just one low-speed crash to realize that I didn’t ever want to feel pain like that again, and since then I’ve been only too happy to wear a proper helmet and protective clothing no matter how hot the weather.[/quote]
Everybody is free to kill himself, no doubt, but why people are always so proud of themselves when they do stupid things like not wearing any protection is beyond my comprehension. You are basically saying “I’m the coolest guy here: if i get crashed i could die, seriously”. Well, good luck with that
That’s kinda harsh, don’t you think? I’m certainly not claiming to be the coolest guy on here. In fact, I’m pretty much like everyone else I see on the road. It’s freakin hot in this country and the thought of wearing a full face, properly padded helmet seems unbearable. So much so, that I’d almost consider it a safety hazard. Throw in a leather jacket on top of that in bumper to bumper inner city traffic and I’d become very agitated, possibly even start hallucinating or suffer heat stroke. This is something one must consider when buying this type of bike here. When you factor in all the rain, this is more of a toy than a daily driver. But it would be a hellava toy and a heck of a lotta fun, especially during winter.
BTW, I’m a safety conscious person, and wouldn’t even consider drinking and operating a motor vehicle,which is more than I can say for a lot of foreigners I’ve met in this country.
