Apparently, alot. My dad, and my uncle are both no-noing me for getting a 4 cyl bike, and want me to back out of the deal while I can. The hell? Dad thinks I sould look for a SINGLE. His theory is that more pistons = more trouble, so I'll ask: how often do the pistons die?? How much is a replacement bank of pistons going to cost if - you know, as this happens alot - all four pistons die? or. Are my dad and his bro just being idiots? (I like that theory) I heard that pistons are hard to repair though, and expensive too. But if they're part of the engine I could always just replace the damn engine.. Thoughts? I'm really just looking for a good defensive arguement to smack them down so they'll shut up.
i dont think they are talking about the actual pistons dieing more about the fact that with a 4 cyl bike, every thing is more complex. Muliple carbs, and more complex timing make the thing harder to turn and such. so servives are more expensive
yeah have to agree with that. If you want a bike thats real easy and simple to work on then probably an old single or twin would be a better go. But to get a 250 single you'd have to be looking at either a dirt bike or an OLD piece of road machinery. You'd have f#k all power (decent torque though) compared to a four cylinder like the fzr or cbr, arguably i spose a good thing when your learning (but you learn fast if you ride a lot - a year is a long time i've discovered). It all depends on what you want to ride. Common sense shouldn't play too big a part in it! If you get a fizzer with a solid engine, it'll be a great bike to take you through your restrictions. If not, however, it could be an expensive year....
actually they seemd more worried about the pistons directly. However this does automatically default out to everything being more complex. But... Ahh fuckem. I want this bike. I dont know why people are trying to talk me out of it, as it seems damn fine to me, plus I like getting into the detailed stuff. Just wanted an opinion as to wether these bikes are too much of a headace to even begin with (I dont think so). And I dont want a dirt bike. Or anything that even remotely resembles a dirt bike. Or a bike that looks like a VT250 with no fairings *shudder* (I mean.. LOOK AT IT!) Well, guess I wont need this anymore *throws common sense out the door* PS. Yes, I am aware that the link above is a model, not a real bike, but its the best resemblence to all the VT's I've seen at uni.
Well they aren't wrong... but their far from right. It's like saying a motorbike is better than a car as it's only got 2 wheels and therefore less chance of something going wrong with a wheel. Statistically maybe... but pfft. Anyway, we all know motorbikes are better than cars. <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s --> A single cylinder bike like a CBX250 is a wonderful bike to ride! Their light as a mountainbike, and powerful enough to certainly have some fun on. They've got more usable torque, and around town or below 100km/h i'd say they're pleasure to ride... and supposedly they go to 150km/h or so. Just wait till TBone see's this thread. He's currently fixing up a couple of CBX250's and loves them! I must say, they are a little infectious as i've grown to love them aswell. They just seem to have more of a unique character than the inline fours. If your set on getting a FZR, then go for it! I'll happily say that as a first bike i absolutely love mine... and i'd always recommend them. I've had far too much fun on my FZR to ever badmouth them, even when mine does give me the odd bit of trouble. Just like i said the single's have a certain character to them, well so does the FZR - just it can be a little tempremental occasionally.
The way I look at it is this... get a single now. Then what do you do in a year or two when you want another bike? Are you going to limit yourself to another single? Or will you look at that r6/gsxr/sv1000 that you really want... May as well get comfortable with a more complex bike now, because it will help you out as you progress through the years!!!
are their cylinder concerns restricted to bikes? what kind of cars do they drive? <!-- s:???: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt=":???:" title="Confused" /><!-- s:???: --> i think you should get whatever will make you wanna get out there and ride... no one wants a bike that they really dont enjoy riding... i think the best thing for you to do is get a bike that makes you want to ride and get practice... simon
I'm with the multi-cylinder guys on this one. Now if you were talking about a large-bore thumper, then.... ummm.... well.... uuhhhh.....
FZR250 (and all 4 cylinder 250cc) are an over sophisticated compromise for the real world. They are ordinary to learn on, ordinary to commute on, have very little available power and beyond basic suspension. They are far from fuel efficient, expensive to drop since the plastics are weathered and brittle and being a grey import no one will fix them. Be true to yourself and get a kwaka twin (GPZ or ZZR) of a VTR250, if LAMs permits it get a better option of an GS500 or ER5. They will cost the same and be a better bike in the short and long term.
Seen it! Ok I think I know where your father and uncle are coming from... 2 strokes... Ok in the olden days popular small capacity bikes were two strokes and there were several models with 2 or 3 or even 4 cilinders.. Also the quality of the oil and other bits and pices resulted in the pistons getting holes in them!! So can you emagine rebuilding a 2 stroke every 10,000km (it does happen) and having to deal with 4 cilinders and 4 pistons and a whole more parts than a single cilinder and single piston?? Back to the CBX and other singles (SRX, SR, Z, LTD etc)... these bikes are very simple to work on from a mechanics point... also they are a heap more rider friendly... as they are lighter! and smaller! (Koma looks like a giant on the CBX) The way I look at it they are less intimidating to a learner than most other bikes... (and yes a GS500 can be a very intimidating bike if you have never readen b4)
I disagree a little with you starter. I rode an ER5 for 6 months (and about ~12,000 km) before I wrote it off and bought a FZR. The ER5 certainly had more torque and was definately faster off the line (as you would expect from a two cylinder bike that's twice the capacity). However, I found the FZR handles sooooo much better, and is much more fun to ride. I actually find the suspension on the fizzer better, as well. The ER5 tended to have too much rebound damping and would suffer from packing... particularly when going over old corregated roads, or raised lane dividers. I have since gotten back on an ER5 (my mechanic uses them as courtesy bikes), and it served only to reaffirm my decision to move to a sports bike. The ER5, whilst torquey, is ungainly and lacks the general stability through corners that the fizzer has. My test rides of the GS500 have indicated that it is very similar in feel and ride to the ER5.
I have found the GS500 to be quite flickable, I just don't like a single front rotor. Sorry to the guy's/gal's that only have one front rotor.
