small/mid displacement street singles

You're just saying that so I don't label you NUTS.

BLING!

Reminds me of Ducati sport classics.. that GT1000 or whatsitcalled.
In a good way, of course.

I don't mind 250cc, but 17hp on the TU is really "thin".
Not to mention it doesn't have a rev counter! WTF :huh



So, 500cc single, air cooled, FI.

Double displacement for double the power? 2x17=34hp.
Would that do? Might work if the bike is around 330lbs.
330lbs including the rev counter, damnit!

The Hyosung V-twins are older generation Suzuki motors (think SV-650), for both their 250cc and 650cc motorcycles. Just like the Koreans licensed the older generation Honda motors for their first generation of cars.

Based on.

I researched the GT250 and GT650 6 or 7 years ago. Talk to the dealer. Or search the web. It's not a secret. All of the information is out there. I don't have any of my email queries from that era of my search, so I can't give you addresses, but it's not hard to replicate the searches. The earlier motors are still pretty good. The transmissions and carbs aren't quite up to what we expect, and the GT's weigh a lot more due to their use of all steel frames with less sophisticated (heavier) welds - at least they did in 2006. The suspensions were older designs, too - damper rod forks in inverted tubes, non-adjustable shocks. They may, and I hope that they have, gotten better since then.

I WAS the dealer.
And no they haven't.

Yeah, that says alot!

Got a friend who bought the Aquila 650 cruiser, wanted to set it on fire
after a lot of dealerships and the importer couldn't stop it surging and
randomly shutting off.

2008 or 2009, I forgot.

Think it's fine now.

The leftover (2010+) GT650 nakeds are sold cheaper then Ninja 250s here
at the moment, or for the price of a good 250-300cc scooter, and that thing
looks great.

Also the GT250's frame is based on the GS500.

Suzuki TU-250
Honda CBR 250R
Cleveland cycle works Misfit
Kawasaki Ninja 250
Kawasaki Ninja 300. I know the Kaw's are twins, but pickings are so thin I had to count them!

OK....what's with Yamaha? how bout a 250 Aprilia based on the moto 3 bike
same for KTM!
how bout Triumph

there should be at least 6 or 7 street singles in the 250-500cc range if not a dozen.

for my money's worth, as of today, the Honda CBR250R is the pick of the available litter

What is with Triumph?
The smallest bike they make (in Thailand no less) is about 900cc's I think.
Can they not make a 400 pound or less single or twin?

I am looking to get an SR500, KZ400, or GS400, because they make nothing new I want and have not for a long time.

The cbr250 is great if you do not want to carry stuff, or do not plan on putting your wife on the back, and you are used to riding a bicycle for 8 hours.
Plus, like all water cooled bikes, it seems very over weight for a 250.

I hope the middle east explodes and gas goes up to $8.00 a gallon, then maybe we will get something other then a rocket 3.

A 30hp 6 speed 400 pound 400cc twin or single will do everything I need it to do, and get 60+ mpg doing it.

Take a look at the KZ400 or GS400, about 100 mph top speed, 6 speed trans, good 2 up, solo just strap stuff on a rear rack or just the back of the seat and head to the other coast.
Electric and kick start, 400 pounds, a center stand, good range, smooth motor, easy to service, where is that bike today?

I had an ancient yamaha 360 twin, 4 stroke kicker only.
Rode it all over Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and parts of Nevada.....
there were times loaded I wished I'd had more than the 20 or so hp it produced, but an SR400 or KTM390 Duke, or for that matter a Suzuki TU400 would be almost perfect.
As long as it has a kicker!
I totally agree with how jaded we have become with regards to displacement, weight, and power.
When I started riding I thought a 500 was a mid/large bike
today most riders think a 500 is a toy
I can remember when a Morbidelli 125 cracked 110 on the salt flats in the 70s

I think it is the CB500F, though it is 20lbs overweight by your standards (wet). hepco and becker has a centerstand for it. No kick start because srsly it is 2013.

I owned an XS400 for a while - 6spd, front and rear disks, decent sized tank. But it was still slow, and its highway manners were marginal. These new Honda 500s are everything you want -whats the deal? Too much plastic, not enough chrome?

Since we are talking about street worthy thumpers. I think a 650 would be best. My DRZ400 wasn't so good on the freeway. I think a 650 would be perfect.

These motors do exist in long legged dirt bikes. DR650,KLR650,XR650. All they need to do is give it a nice cafe chassis and gear it tall for the street.

My wife is not going to sit on that seat for 5 minutes, let alone an hour or four.
And if you do not want hard bags out in the wind, where does the cargo go, on that little seat?

But yes, it seems like its a good bike, gets good reviews, and I think it looks ugly as stink.

I would love to have a small/mid displacement street single, but it would have to look like a motorcycle, not a crotch rocket or a dual sport. Though it is a bit small for me, I would already own a TU250 if only it had a centerstand. Same thing with the S40. The CBR doesn't do it for me because of it's looks and riding position. I also love the Royal Enfield's looks, but it's basically junk. The Blast definitely has a totally unique look, but it is very cheaply made, and not designed to hold up for a long period of time, at least not with a lot of use. It was a beginner bike that was designed to be replaced by something else before it broke. I have an XT225 (with a centerstand) but it just isn't a street bike. I've been hoping for the Truimph or the Yamaha SR400 (with tubeless tires or a centerstand) but have not heard anything encouraging.


I also owned an '82 XS400 Special for a couple of years, and was completely happy with it. I don't have anything bad to say about it. That's one reason I would love to see the SR400 single, complete with kickstarter and centerstand. Even though it was a twin, I would buy another new '82 XS400 special in a heartbeat. Not only was it comfortable and reliable, but unlike like the Honda, it looked like a motorcycle.


I had so many nice bikes, and foolishly sold or traded them. But how was I supposed to know what motorcycles would turn into? I'm thinking I should buy a new Triumph T-100, before they disappear forever.

I never had a lot of bikes that I might like now and back then.
I never had the money to buy lots of great bikes (and still don't).
SR500, gpz550 (was interesting to me when it came out), sl350, gs400, kz400, xs650, and many 2 strokes.

Yes, if I knew what they were going to do to bikes (make them all heavy and modern looking) I would have tried to stock up.
The end for me started with the king and queen seat craze of the 80's.
Now its tail in the air giant ugly gas tank time...

I do not feel that way with cars (yet) and like some modern cars.

Just read through this thread. It started about low to mid displacement thumpers. Then was broadened to allow twins. Then the acceptable weight was pegged at 400 lbs.
O.K. so have you guys ever looked at Ducati Monsters ? At slightly under to slightly over 400 lbs. and in displacements of 600 to 1100 cc.
And if you can use a wrench , older ones are out there for way less than any new 250 from Japan. Love the look of the VTR 250 ? Look what Honda mimicked, the Monster range.
In the Lexington, Ky. Craigslist recently a guy,"Just want them out of the garage." 2 Monsters a 600 and a 620 . The price for both ? $3175.

if that is what you want, check out RYCA motors. they have some excellent kits for the Suzuki 650 single.
Personally having had a 600 street single, it's really a bit more than I want.
I love the immediacy of a 350-500cc single. the SR400 would drop right into my sweet spot