I have just sold my ninja 300 and am looking to my next bike. Im looking to get something a bit older, cheaper and more simple. I don't care about scratches or trying to keep up with 600s. I just want to be on 2 wheels for cheap where doing regular oil changes and general maintenance will keep it going strong. This criteria made me think of a honda cb250, suzuki gs500 or kawasaki er5. From what I have read and general reputations these are all reliable japanese workhorses that go forever if treated right. They are all relatively cheap with cb250 obviously the cheapest however I know they are down on power after being a bike hero in bali. And i can't pretend not to be drawn to the 500's. Does anyone with more experience than these and can offer any advice,? Any quirks of the bikes or things to be aware of. I have had a suzuki across and know the cold starts were a nightmare and the carbs were not exactly reliable. Do the gs500's have this issue? And is there anything to know about the er5? Cheers
Hey Milt CB250 is very down on power from what you are used to, the GS500 and ER5 and known as workhorses, try and find a motorcycle courier who doesn't have one. Take them for a spin and see which one gives you the biggest smile Kiffsta
Ninja 300 not reliable enough? I'd like to know why you sold it. If you want reliable starts in cold weather, fuel injection is the way to go. GS500 is a 2-valve per cylinder engine, and it should go forever. The original ones have needle roller bearings on the crank. 88-00 models have the "slingshot" carbs (basically Mikuni BDST like the FZR250's and GSXR750). 01-current models ER-5 is only 34hp, about the same as the Ninja 300. Reliable it may be... I've never owned or ridden one. Can't find a lot of info on them. You could go for something like a DRZ400SM
I thought about the drz 400sm but just a bit too pricey. I loved the ninja dont get me wrong, but due it didnt really fit my needs/budget. I obviously had the purchase price but not much more and i was always worried about dropping it, and if I did I would have been more concerned with money then my own skin. I'd much rather have something cheaper and older that i might have to work on from time to time that keeps my mind at ease then a beautiful new machine that stresses me out both on and off it. Thats not what riding is about. I know carbs are only getting older/ worse in comparison to injection, but it just fits better.
basically starting in the morning after sitting overnight or not riding for a few days, cold engine etc I probably overthink this aspect due to my first bike ('97 suzuki across) not starting in the morning the day after i bought it. Instead it flooded and was prone to doing so and struggled to start even with start ya bastard.
If its flooding the last thing you want is more hydrocarbons going in. Anything with carbs is going to struggle when the temperatures get really cold. But making sure they are set up correctly goes a long way.
what does it take to set up the carbs properly? I have read about re-jetting but am still rather unfamiliar
Shouldn't need to rejet on a stock bike. A friend bought one a while ago that had been sitting with stale fuel for 8 months. He charged the battery and it turned over twice and started with the old fuel still in the carbs. Spluttered for a bit and ran fine as he rode to the servo to fill it up. I guess that it could have been a 'cold start'.
