Hey guys and gals, Been offered this by the neighbour ($300). Haven’t bought it. Says the front forks need something or another (seal? Regas? I can’t recall extactly), that it needs a “carby kit” (so I guess it needs work on the carb) and clearly a new seat (how much are these?). Is it worth it? Chasing a beater first bike and cheaper is better here for me as I’m not really well off. Probably need a battery also. About how far in do you think I’d have to be to to have it registered? Cheers.
How long has it been sitting? Probably looking at all fluids (oil, coolant, brake fluid, fork oil/seals), tyres (& check wheel bearings), clean up the chain/sprockets to see if they are OK (probably not). If it runs at all, what is the compression like, does it need a valve adjustment, does it sound like its going to poke a rod through the engine block, etc. Never owned an across but they are only twin carby for 4 cylinders, rather heavy at 200+KG and more oriented towards touring than sport. Better bikes to spend money on IMHO.
Depends how much time and effort u want to put in .... and how much u can do yourself Check the state of the tyres .... their age and condition may not be good even though they have visible tread https://www.2fiftycc.com/index.php?threads/tyre-information.1115/ Carby kit .... look in the fuel tank and see if its rusty https://litetek.co/Carb_Kit_Suzuki_GSX250F_Across.html The fork seals are probably leaking ... not uncommon New brake pads and fluid would be on the agenda for sure Across is a common bike so another seat shouldnt be too hard to find They are fine for a first bike and to commute on .... and anything old and cheap will have much the same problems
Hard to say how much you will need to spend on it to be honest... from the look of it I dont think it is worth $300, more like $150 to $200 if it isnt running at all.. 2nd hand seat from the wrecker is around $100 depending on how good it is.. $40 for fork seals and $20 for new fork oil. Around $180 for a service (oil, filters, plugs etc), around $90 for a battery and this is assuming you can do the work yourself and you havent touched the tyres, chain, or brakes yet.. that would put you at nearly $750 including the purchase.. If you have to pay for labour then that will bump it considerably.. Probably better options out there for your $750 to $1000 to be honest..
Unless you are competent with rebuilding bikes I would look for something simplier for a first bike. Something with one or two cylinders and a carburettor. This is what most of us started with to learn some skills (and mistakes) before tackling complex 4 cylinder bikes.
Hey guys, sorry for delay. I’m out at Dalby. Looking for as cheap as possible to learn and get licence on at some point.
A bit of patience can pay off, wait for a good deal. A bike that has been sitting and isn't running can be a can of worms; if you're not experienced with motorcycle mechanics, it is a steep learning curve. And expensive. There are some bikes that can be a good starting point, things like a single cylinder bike means one carby, one spark, no synchronisation, less costs of maintenance. Every bike needs tyres, fuel, oil, and fork seals eventually. If you want a LAMS bike that you'll keep, then look for something you want. If you're just after a bike for a starting point, get an $800 ninja 250 or something, they're about, less than 10years old, easy to get parts. The GPX/zzr predecessor can be found cheaper, but there's a reason they're cheaper: old and more problems. ALWAYS DO A PPSR CHECK! Go to www.ppsr.gov.au and for a couple of dollars you check for money owing, stolen or written-off. Don't bother with a write-off unless it is "inspected: passed." I'm up near Rocky, so too far to be helpful. But you're closer to Brisbane and Toowoomba than I am, should get a good deal. Or talk to @kiffsta as he might come across a deal for you.
And the blistering doesn't look like a real problem, more likely a bad paint job issue. But I haven't seen the bike.
Sold already, not to me. I just found out today that an old timer is selling a LOT of his stuff, hopefully including a very old car that I’ve been interested in for a few years. Going to chase that first as it’s rather than a modern made motorcycle. Thanks for the help though! I’ll be back eventually, but will try luck on this car first (1920’s).