[Anonymous]

Ok, I’m new to the world of bikes and I have looked at bikes of every kind and shape for over 2 months. I’ve read every review of every bike listed on this site including the information for beginner riders. Basically, what got me into bikes is the fact that they get great gas mileage (I can hardly afford gas for my 97 Mercury Sable and can’t afford a new efficient car). Now, I really hate the look of scooters and thats what steered me away and pulled my attention towards motorcycles (They look better and from what I hear are pretty fun to ride!). Tonight though, I was digging through the net and saw a CF Moto V3 250cc bike. First off, would you consider this a bike or a scooter? Secondly, do you guys think this vehicle would be just as good as a Ninja 250 or even better for touring/commuting? Lastly, would you recommend this vehicle to a beginner over the Ninja 250? What are your thoughts on it? What do you think? Would you want to own one?

Right now, I’m stuck between this vehicle, a Ninja 250, Ninja 500 or a ZZR 600 (which I would have to wait for). I weight 250 pounds and am 6’1…

[Matt]

I presume this is scoot you are refering to:
http://www.cfmoto.cn/product/moto/v3-3.asp

firstly, it is a scooter, not a motorcycle. What is the difference? This one has a CVT (automatic) transmission. There is more to it than that, but as a starter bike that is really all you should care about.

What this means is that when you move up to a ZZR 600 (or whatever your next bike is) you won’t have trained your brain and body to shift gears properly. Lots of people learn on scooters, but they rarely jump from a scooter to a sport bike. It is usually to something more relaxed…

Comments specific to this scoot:
It has a listed top speed of 100km/h (60 mph). That is much slower than any of the bikes you listed. My ZZR-250 (engine of a ninja 250) happily plays at speeds above 130km/h. Personally, I would not take any bike that can’t do 115km/h on a freeway or interstate.

So, will it be a better tourer than the Ninja 250? Nope.
Does it get better fuel economy? Yes, but just barely. The difference in cost between running that scoot and a ninja 250 would be dollars a month.

There appears to be a number of reviews/comments about the scoot on the net. I haven’t had a chance to read any of them, so I really don’t know what is being said about it. But I am very skeptical about bikes made in China. China’s motorcycle industry is not even close to the quality of Korea, let alone any of the big bike companies.

You may spend more time fixing that scoot than riding it.

Lastly, do NOT get a ZZR-600 as a starting bike. I know it is not as hardcore as a current ZX-6R, but it is still a very hardcore bike. The ZZR-600 is simply last gen’s ZX-6 with a more comfortable seat adn higher bars. Seriously, it is not a friendly bike to start out on. It has every vice and danger of any other 600cc super-sport.
Too boot, it is not a comfortable bike. I’m 6′ and it has my knees bent pretty hard. My ZZR-250 is a much much more comfortable bike.

Ninja 250, Ninja 500, GS500 – all are good choices.
The CF Moto V3… can’t do freeways, won’t teach you clutch control and shifting, and you roll your dice for quality.
The ZZR-600, make it your second bike.

[megaspaz]

By all accounts, it’s a scooter. It’s a scooter with a motorcycle look. There’s no rear brakes and no clutching/shifting. I don’t think you’ll learn diddly squat about the mechanics of motorcycle riding with that. With that in mind, I couldn’t tell you if it’s good for a commuter since this isn’t something I would actively seek to ride. With the max HP at only 18 HP, it certainly isn’t something I’d take out on the highway either.

—
If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…

[megaspaz]

Bah! beat me to the first post by mere seconds…

—
If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…

[Matt]

Quick clarification on scooters and back brakes: They do have them. The back brake is controlled by your left hand lever (normally your clutch level on a motorcycle).

From the few scooter riders I’ve spoken to, it takes virtually no effort to mentally swtich between braking on a scooter and a motorcycle. The overall dynamics are the same, and when you brake you normally pull in the clutch lever anyways.

And then there is the fact that Bicycles use a similar setup, but (usually) with the right lever activating rear brake and left lever activating front brake).

[Author]

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