- This topic has 25 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 7 months ago by smokeizfire.
150cc and 250cc in america?
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September 8, 2008 at 11:21 pm #2059spiccnspamParticipant
why dont we get any of those sweet 150 and 250 bikes here in the us? its impossible to find a low cc sport bike in the states yet in europe and stuff they are everywhere. anybody know how u get one?
September 8, 2008 at 11:57 pm #11851BankParticipantIts mostly due to emission and EPA laws…but we should be getting more 250’s here in the next few years
September 9, 2008 at 12:08 am #11852CBennettParticipanti cant wait for some more 250’s, Im one of those people that actually thinks even after ive been riding and got experience I will probably stay with a 250..I just dont see a need(for me) for a larger bike. plus since i got into this for getting better MPG for commuting a better selection would be great..I could see owning a 500 someday but thats about it..something small and light..realtively speaking..in other words i will probably never own a Harley..not because I dont like them but they dont make a “light” bike. it would have to be something under 500 pounds and preferably closet to 450 or less. I love the weight of my Ninja
September 9, 2008 at 1:48 pm #11876MattParticipantHas nothing to do with EPA. Small four stroke bikes are easy to pass EPA with (burn less fuel in the first place). There are even clean 2 strokes that pass Euro-3 emissions. Euro-3 is very similar to the latest American standard.
It has everything to do with buying public. Aroudn here, Bigger is better. Even on this board there are plenty of people who will say that a 250 simply isn’t enough power to be safe (I disagree). In Canada we have the CBR125, and it works pretty well so long as you aren’t planning a freeway trip (though people use them on the freeways).
Due to the distances between cities in north america (as opposed to europe) bigger bikes meant for sustained 70mph speeds are a much easier sell.
Personally, I REALLY want some of the japanese 400cc bikes over here. Honda makes some 400cc bikes that are pure sex imo. The old Bandit 400 made more power than a Ninja 500
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“The two seconds between ‘Oh S**!’ and the crash isn’t a lot of practice time.”September 9, 2008 at 2:18 pm #11881ilnamParticipantthe 250 is extremely appealing to me. I got a GS500, but it was a close call between that and the ninja 250. I admit, I might move up to a 600 for a second bike (FZ6R?) – they’re just so sweet looking! But in my fantasy world, I’d actually keep a 250 sport or cruiser plus several others
September 9, 2008 at 3:54 pm #11887CBennettParticipantI agree on the 400’s its almost a prefect compromise between the 250 and getting into a 500/600/650. And thats the exact bike(the Bandit 400) that id like to see them “copy” off as a baseline for a new 400. actually I looked pretty hard at trying to find a 400 near me and the only thing I could find was a DRZ SM . Not a bad bike but just too expensive for me right now. But in a year or 2 when im the market for a “new” bike id love to be able to have the 400 as a option.
September 9, 2008 at 4:11 pm #11889WeaponZeroParticipantI think that the reason 150cc bikes aren’t available in the US is because in the US to get anywhere you usually have to get on hgihways, and engines that small just aren’t comfortable at highway speeds. They top out at what, 70-80mph? On many highways I’ve seen, traffic can be moving at up to 90mph.
September 9, 2008 at 4:35 pm #11890AndrewParticipantI understand the logic with how fast traffic moves on some interstates but the speed limit in IL never gets above 65. Outside Chicago I pass people doing 65 or less all the time. So it depends if you want to be the one passing other people doing over the limit.
September 9, 2008 at 4:43 pm #11891WeaponZeroParticipantThe speed limit isn’t the speed traffic travels at. I have seldom seen a road where traffic moves at less than 10mph over the speed limit, both in Florida and up here in Pittsburgh.
September 9, 2008 at 5:14 pm #11893NoobacycleParticipant13 years ago I used to have a 78′ Honda Hawk 400cc and too bad I had to part with it when I went into the service. I had nowhere to keep it. I’d love to have it back now.
September 9, 2008 at 6:15 pm #11897ccpharrellParticipantSince I do a lot of highway driving I can’t imagine having a 150 or 250 engine. I know in a lot of areas they would be great to have, but around here the flow of traffic is at least 70 – 75 (on a slow day) so I need something that is going to run comfortably at that level and still have power to spare in case it is needed.
September 9, 2008 at 6:22 pm #11898ilnamParticipantAndrew’s just saying that traffic does move faster, but there are several lanes of traffic – Some drivers are slow and some are fast. I will be taking expressways and I’ve given it some thought and decided to get a GS500, but I’m assured by riders that the Ninja 250 can do 70-80 rather comfortably. In the Chicagoland area, this would be more than adequate.
September 9, 2008 at 6:38 pm #11899BuddParticipant“still have power to spare in case it is needed”
i.e. wheelies while splitting traffic, impromptu road racing, and to make it through that gap that is closing.
The myth that you can outrun most bad situations on a bike, isn’t one that should be spread, especially on a beginner board.
9,999 times out of 9,999.5 on the interstate, if you are paying attention, there isn’t a situation that your brakes shouldn’t get you out of. Under normal traffic conditions the odds increas to 9,999 out of 9,999.1.
People want to kill me all the time but I see it coming way in advance and make the adjustments so that they think, “where did that guy come from behind me” and not, “hey what was that bump?I hope I don’t have a flat tire.”
The more experience you get, the less “close calls” you have.
I have an EX250 and it will go all day at 70-75 and has plenty left incase I want to run from the cops or something. I mean, I can’t get it up on one tire at that speed, but that is probably my lack of experience shining through.
“I am the best there is at what I do, and what I do ain’t nice.”-Wolverine
September 9, 2008 at 6:59 pm #11900WeaponZeroParticipantAnd where do you get the idea that “more power when needed” translates to wanting to do wheelies or impromptu roadracing? Also, I don’t know what kind of fantasy land you live in where traffic actually moved at the speed limit, but if you’re pushing your bike to do 80, then it has no business being on the highways. As I said above, oftentimes I have to do 90 just to keep up with the pace of traffic on some of the highways here, despite the speed limit being 65. Oh, and there’s Bigelow Blvd; a street that, despite having no intersections for miles, has a 35mph speed limit. Traffic moves at 65-70 on that street, and it is a part of my morning commute.
No, I would never recommend a bike to anyone that has to be pushed to its limits to keep up with the flow of highway traffic. And since the traffic in my area can be expected to be moving at up to 90mph, that means the bike must be able to comfortably cruise at 90mph.
September 9, 2008 at 7:03 pm #11901ilnamParticipanthahah, your inexperience is blinding me. I like those odds. I bet they’re official stats too.
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