Best Learner Approved Bikes

Don't believe the knockers – The 125e without a doubt is cheap reliable and fun to ride. At age 64 and living on 20 acres I needed something other than an ag bike which are over… Read more

rated and over priced in my opinion to move sheep around from paddock to paddock.The bike is also ridden to my nearest regional town 300km round trip on a semi regular basis half of that trip is on dirt and goat tracks.The only mods I have done to the bike are change front sprocket from 15 to 16 tooth,this allows the bike to sit on 90ks with top speed 100ks and allows the engine to enjoy being revved out through the gears rather than peaking way to early with the standard front sprocket.I also put on a hybrid set of knobbie tyres as I go through a bit of sandy country at times,and also fitted a loobmans chain oiler as well as running the hotter spark plug recommended by Honda for prolonged high speed riding.Last but not least I fitted a Fumoto quick release oil valve which replaces the sump plug making oil changes a 5 minute job,money well spent,given that I change the oil every 1,000 kilometres. The bike has behaved flawlessly, runs on the smell of an oily rag,and has a good sized tank that gives up to 450ks of riding depending on conditions.Whether you want a cheap commuter or just a bike to have a bit of fun on without breaking the bank the 125e won't disappoint.At the end of the day,you get what you pay for....if your after speed and adrenalin rush...stay away from this bike. Cheers and safe riding to you all.

Great for commuting – I appreciate that the engine of my Honda CBR500R responds better to commuting than to extreme sports riding, as this is more applicable to me and that the suspension that feels good in the corners is also compliant on the bumpiest of freeways

Great dirtbike for fun times – Chose this for my first dirt bike. I was a moderate level street rider and never had ridden on dirt, this bike made it easy and fun I loved my… Read more

CRF230. The handling as you would hope from this bike is great as is the suspension which I did aggressively and it performs very well.

Budget bush basher – Well, its time to update my review of the gen 2 klr650. Mine is still going strong. After nine years it now has 107,000km on the clock! Yep. That's… Read more

right, 107,000km. No oil burning. No "Doo hickey" modification. No power pipe. No carby mods. No air box mods. Totally stock and original. I use Castro 4t oil. Do the air cleaner often since 80% of my riding is on dirt. Yep, it's still a heavy pig. It's still awkwardly tall. The brakes are still very average. It always has at least one thing that needs fixing, and it's still put to shame by the average 250 for power. But.........after the zombie apocalypse, the cockroaches will emerge from the smouldering ashes riding a klr650! They won't be breaking any records, but it will keep on running. Cheap to buy. Easy to work on. Parts are readily availble along with a huge range of aftermarket farkles in every price range. I'll be keeping mine for a while yet I reckon

King Commuter – I purchased this bike new and it was my first bike. In the year I owned it I found it was more than capable of the suburban commute. Pretty quick at… Read more

the lights and as it's a motorbike not many cars tried to race me. But on that front, if you're unfamiliar with bikes, the R15 is as fast as a Toyota Hilux Ute. 80km:hr was the bikes sweet spot.

Highway was doable, but you're pushing your luck. There's no overtaking ability to speak of. I have heard that 130km:hr was achieved on a closed track, in full tuck going down a slight decline but I can't speak to that other than to say I'd believe it.

Fuel economy is incredible. Just a tad over 2ltr:100km. The most I got from the 11 liter tank was 530km but I was sweating bullets on the ride into the Petrol Station.

Lane filtering to get to the front of the queue at the lights was easy peasy. And as stated earlier. Give it the beans at the lights and you're up to the speed limit and ahead of most cars pretty easily.

Mechanically I had ZERO problems but I bought it from new and it was serviced on time. The only "issue" I had was I seemed to be checking tyre pressure regularly. I asked on a forum how often people checked their tyre pressure I was told *maybe* once a week, I was checking / inflating it every second day.

Lack of ABS wasn't a *real* issue.

If you drop it :-( it's a light bike to put upright. Note to self. Don't apply front brake on gravel

Sitting position was fine. I tried the R7 recently and that was to aggressive for me (I'm currently on a naked).

After a year and 10k I traded it in for a MT-03. I looked at the new R15 V4 and it looks very nice and has ABS which is welcome

If don't plan on riding over 100km:hr for extended periods the R15 is definitely a viable option. You just have to plan your lane position and over taking moves. It's one heck of a fun machine that loves to corner and you can give it the beans whilst keeping your licence (or not lose it in one hit).

Definitely consider it

Photo 1 - bike with the L plate Photo 2 - odometer when it was delivered photo 3 - First commute solo proof of life for my wife photo 4 & 5 full tank with trip meter from previous fill

5 stars! – Amazing bike. I bought mine almost new just after I got my L’s at $4500. Mint condition 2017 model 1200ks. Great little bike for a first timer or if… Read more

you’re a pro they are a great fun crap and giggles bike. I would definitely recommend to anyone to have this little rocket in their garage. Handles like a champ and not loud enough so you have every cop eying you off.

Great Bike, but still very heavy – I sold my KTM300 after six years and went over to a Four Stroke. The WR and Yamaha for that fact need no introduction and have a reputation for… Read more

amazing build quality and reliability. A trademark of Japanese companies. The 300 is a powerfull bike and very fast but its lightweight handling and low tip weight it never felt like it was a handfull in the Bush. The WR trumps the 300 for power and for a big bore four stroke revs to the moon. This thing has serious mumbo and puts it down to the ground as well, making it deceptively fast. The WR is at home on more open tracks as it has a tendency to flame out(Stall) at low speeds and you need to over the clutch to avoid this hapening when tackling technical terrain. I love the WR the build quality, the power. the looks, the brakes but it is a handfull and very heavy when compared to the 300. On paper it is only about 17kgs heavier than the 300 but it feels like 30kgs. Overall a wicked bike but Yamaha still needs to shave some weight of this beast. If i was to go again i would go the WR250 as TBH the 450 is way too much bike for all but the Experts among us.

Needs to be reved – Small bikes are fun. But I always want a bit more power. The Duke 390 was the most powerful bike out of the two, (MT03). I sold the Duke because the… Read more

suspension was set up for the road only. Could not do dirt roads. So I got an MT 07. The suspension on the MT03 is terrible like the MT07, but they both can go on dirt roads. I have seen others take the Duke on dirt online. Perhaps I was too precious with it. I bought the Duke new. I bought the MT03 second hand. The plastics are cheap on the MT03. Thin, and screw tabs break easily.

Brilliant – Owner of over 30 motorcycles! Should have bought one of these years ago . It will take you anywhere you point, it will do legal highway speeds all… Read more

day , super light agile deceptively quick of the mark very frugal on fuel, cheap to maintain , anyone can ride the xt 250 from learners to world champions and have fun all day simple and low demanding of either skill or fitness! Only fault is could be a slightly larger capacity by no means a deal breaker

It's very smooth and easy to drive. It handles well in traffic, accelerates nicely, and feels stable on the road. The ride is comfortable, making it… Read more

ideal for daily commuting or short trips around town. Fuel efficiency is great, and Honda’s build quality really shows.

Blue light, my blue light on dashboard of piaggio 50 cc zip goes on and off – My bike performance is excellent, have been riding it continuously for 3years, I have no complaints Show details

Perfect – The handling and cornering of this bike is better than any bike I have ever had over many years. Very predictable and smooth. I wish I could afford the 300 for highway riding with pillion The 155 is perfect for commute and town and local roads Show details

Fresh 2020 – Fresh 2020 model just purchased, I was using Suzuki Address in another country but this comes out pretty good. Since riding it, it has grown on me. I… Read more

do prefer R14 wheels, but this kymco Like125 with R12 wheels feels very smooth on city roads avoiding potholes. Off the line is fast on the like125, no lagging at the lights when it turns green. Plus Cornering on a good smooth surface is so fun, feels like a Cruiser

Sachs Madass pros and cons – You may find many complaints on this bike in many forums. Is this bike terrible? My answer is: No I have ever owned this bike since I bought the… Read more

first one few years ago. I then bought second and now I got my third one. Therefore I am quite familiar with this bike. When I got my first Sachs Madass 125, I spent a lot of money to fix the bike as the previous owner didn't keep it well. What I can share with you about this bike is in the following.

In my opinion, this bike has simple mechanism and it means that it won't get you big trouble. The point is you need to know the bike and I suggest that you need to custom a bit by yourself. This bike is operated by the air cooled system with an airbox. Many people complaint the power as the maximum speed is around 80 or 90 km/h. The normal speed is 70. To improve the performance, you can change the airbox into a carburetor with an air filter. Or even you can get the oil cooled lifan engine to upgrade the capacity. The original engine is one cylinder 4 stroke petrol engine. The original bike has small and weak indicators so I suggest you should change all of them. It is very easy to change the front indicators. Just get a new one and plug in the cable. However, for the rear one you need to do the wiring under the seat. This bike can be used as a dirt bike if you change the tyres and the carburetor intake. It is recommended that you change the lever both in the front brake lever and the clutch lever as the original steel is poor. However the body and the main frame are very strong. You may also change the switch control unit as well, but you need to get the exact same cable connected with the power source. I firmly suggest that you get mechanic to tune the carburetor and the clutch play for you if you don't know how to make it. A proper balance of airflow and oil in carburetor won't get you any trouble of starting and it contributes to running smoothly. Adjust the spring preload of the shock absorber if you find that it is too high for you. Since this bike can be used as dirt bike so the seat height is a bit higher than other small bike. Get a new fuel tap as the cap of the original one is easy to break down and causes leaking! Highly recommend to use the viscosity grade SAE 15W/40 engine oil for this bike. Change some good quality stainless bolts and nuts by yourself. You can get them from Bunnings. Only use the battery of 12v6AhMF and the spark of NGK CR7 HSA. The generator is 12v150w. Make sure you clean the oil foam air filter if you have the original airbox. Check the clutch seal and front fork seals regularly. If you make all of these, this bike is perfect and reliable. People complaint because they don't really know this bike. I found that this bike is simple and it is quite handy. The fuel consumption is very low of the original engine. Better to get 125cc or upgrade it to 140 above. 50cc is too low for this bike as it has a normal dimensions with 1840mm and 760mm together with 100kg. All in all, this Sachs Madass 125 is fun with dual-sports. There won't be any issues if you follow the above recommendations.

Great.....amazingly underated motorbike, – I am not the dealer or an employee. I am a bike enthusiasts who was skeptical at first. I was however given this bike and simply cannot fault it.… Read more

Great value and after first service..silken riding! Seriously great value. Great after market service from dealer in NSW. Im in QLD.

Suzukis XR – Had one of these in Europe. Low down torque and soft suspension makes it more road orientated. Should have a 6th gear. More trail than ag bike.… Read more

Settles around 120km/hr and most comfortable around 80.

Good ergos but braking is average. Needs regular chain and oil. Takes a thrashing with dignity. Doesn't drink petrol. Bolt everything down every 10K clicks. Steering could be heavier, rear brake has little feedback. Oil cooled.

Fun cheap small road trail. Value for money, light and easy to ride. Teaches you to ride cause it's forgiving and easy to pick up. Nowhere near a crosser but one of the best positioned low displacement dual sports. Hasn't been around forever for nothing.

bad experience – i have had this bike for 2 years and i bought it brand new. After just 2 months the back wheel was lose or something and chain came off. Then when i… Read more

went to register it with department of transportation, they told me this company wasn't even registered in their data base.

Fun bike, but other 250's are better. 2007 Modal – Good on fuel. Easy to maintain and like any bike lots of fun to own. :) But it was always a pain to start on cold starts, my mates owned a 2006… Read more

and 2009 KLX250's, both of theirs didn't like to start too when cold, which was a pain when you work late shifts and trying to start your bike at 1am in the morning and all you want to do is go home and sleep. :s

I sold it and bought a DRZ 400, it is just as reliably as the klx, a little bit heavier, but the power of the DRZ and the fact it always starts in Really cold or hot weather is a deal breaker.

Would i buy another? Nah, I'd look at other makes before going KLX 250 again. But in saying that, if you don't have the money for other makes, the KLX250 is a cheap bike for the money, i paid $1,700 with rego.

Needs a little more go! – Now being a rider for all most a year now after buying my 2015 hunter bobber, I loved the looks and style but no guts. 350cc just isn't enough power… Read more

which you expect from a 350cc. It's not a bad bike for people on a budget who want a commuter around town but once on the highways that's where the dream ends. Especially for me. Revs its guts out like a fat kind in gym class dying for more air. I had a new sprocket put on the rear Tyre which gave the old girl a few more legs on the high but that's it.

Great kick around bike but all in all that's all its good for.

great alrounder – this bike for the price is an awesome machine highly recommend it to anyone wanting something other than an expensive European bike great power great… Read more

handling fast bought it From Mick Muldoon Motor Cycles In Bathurst with great service and fast bikes go hard on the green machine. came with hand guards

Excellent after some tuning – I pulled the lucky card and got the IronMax model, the one that’s way better and aggressive styling than the new techy stuff. Advantages of the… Read more

limited edition included Akrapovitch exhaust which was super low-sounding. I had to sell Akra as if was not to my taste. Got sc-project instead which sound right as i like it. It also improved roll-on, surprisingly after Akra... Other upgardes included full-metal footplates, as it was a shame to see rubbers down below; only the forward plates were metal in the Ironmax. They should have come full metal off the factory for the limited edition. I love the color scheme, liquid darkness. This is the only bile I copped many compliments from passers-by in the months before lockdowns. Also had to move the mirrors onto the steering bar as i hated the ant whisker look of the stock ones. Shall also mention i did some simple upgrades in the variator and the thing flies properly now. I tried the chip tuning but it has got a proprietary connector and the local specialist could not do it. This is the last bastion that i must somehow resolve, the dyno tuning. Overall very impressed, will never sell. Highly recommended, if you can source one and not shy of some extra spend on reasonable tuning.

Good – Great little scooter. Considering it's just a 50cc, it is very light & quick with decent amount of storage space. Fuel consumption is awesome, you… Read more

would never guess how far you long you can use it with it's little 5L tank. Very light, fast, very reliable. It's still just a 50cc, so sometimes it lacks a bit more power.

Great bike for shorter and not as strong ladies! – Great bike, easy to throw around - and reach the ground! Love the electric start. Would be good to have a kick start for a backup (new ones do),… Read more

although after 3 years have never had a problem with electrics. Was ready to give up riding until I bought this bike. Price is great! Low seat height and controllable power, but can still (almost!) keep up with the boys.... Suspension is not crash not, but for the price shouldn't complain. Does get put over some pretty rough stuff though.

Perfect daily commute – The most versatile scooter in the market for sure. Enough power to go to the M1 at 110kph and then turning off your exit for a really comfy 80kph max… Read more

ride to your work. As it is does have flat floor, you can accommodate both feet on it and your work clothes won't get dirty at all unless it is raining. Very good on fuel around 40km/l. Easy to maintain and it is still a low cost scooter to service even though it is an Aprilia. However, service costs go astronomically higher if you go for the 500cc or 750cc. Lots of extra technology there as well as lots of Tupperwares to remove to get access to the parts.

WR250F 2006 Model – I had a WR250F for about two years, it was used for trail bike riding, I found it very reliable, power was adequate for a 250. The four stroke motor… Read more

never missed a beat. Electric start was a great feature. Servicing was easy , Yamaha quality was great. Seemed to be very economical. I cannot really fault this bike. It performed just as I expected. It did not feel large and heavy. I could easily pick it up when I fell off. I only sold it as I am now 67 years old and falling off it, hurt too much, basically I always went too fast in the wrong places, thinking I was 25 again. Always make sure you have a nice new sharp front tyre for off road stuff. Just saying....:)

Excellent – I decided to step up from my other bike. I spent a lot of time researching 250cc bikes that were not full enduro bikes. End of the day the 250r was… Read more

the best. Got it, put bark busters on, bash plate, dropped a tooth on the front, put offroad tyres on and put a FMF powercore on it.

Use it at our farm, and to date it has been flawless. I was pleasantly surprised recently when it out climbed a KX250 on a hill climb to the point where the guy on the KX gave up, turned around and went back. Although only 20cc more than the TTR230 we have (also a good bike) the power is vastly higher. It will whip up to 100km quite easily and catches the 230 without trying.

The reviews are correct, its not a beginner bike, especially as it it bogs down at low revs and likes to be revved, thus the few times i have come off are normally when im trying to be careful at low revs and stalls when i go for power. Simple answer is to drop a gear and keep them up.

If you don't have the money for a 250r, id personally look at the current KLX250.

these bikes are gutless – the performance of my kymco city 50 is terrible and do not pull out of any junction unless there is no traffic in sight its gutless

Better than US edition! – Used to ride the trails on a progression of 4 bikes, finishing up with a Yamaha XT650 back in 1998. Finally sold it too, to get something "safer" - a… Read more

Suzuki Sierra soft top. Debatable which one was actually safer!

Anyway, getting back in after 1/4 of a century's break - with a 1/4 century of maturity added to the mix!! Started very carefully, on a CRF230L - quintessential, bulletproof "returning rider"/learner bike, then added a 250L - heavy, soft, but a lot of fun. Wanted like mad for Honda to "let us have" the legendary XR650L which is almost identical to my all time favourite - the XL600R that I sold to get that XT. "NO" is their answer ... they refuse to import them despite overwhelming demand and suitability to our landscape.

SO, with Suzuki withdrawing their nearly as legendary DR650, leaving only the antiquated 400, and Yamaha withdrawing their WR250 leaving just their insanely overpriced Tenere, and Kawasaki letting their porky KLR slog it out and get bigger and fatter, there wasn't much easy choice.

CRF450L insanely priced with equally insane maintenance requirements meant that when Honda FINALLY released their 300L at a price just north of $9K and a big on-paper improvement over the 250 it superceded, it seemed about the only remaining choice. The reviews were spectacular, so in I jumped.

Wait time was around 4 months, but a bloke cancelled his order and I was next in line ... two months early!!

The reviews say the suspension should be the first thing to chuck out. It hasn't bothered us too much in the 5 months we've owned it. I'm used to the 250L, and my days of doing grand leaps are well passed! The long soft suspension is actually a bonus on the tarmac, although the front can dive a little under hard braking. It is super reliable, the Aussie model by sheer good fortune happens to be the one targetted at greater Asia and scores terrific LED light gear ... our American mates have to suffer the pretty ordinary halogen headlight and bulbous indicators inherited from the 250L!!

Motor breaks in well, fuel economy is astronomical - the computer, which is super accurate shows us averaging over 32Km/L across mostly road, and some belting around the paddock. Many say the tank isn't big enough at 7.8L. There are after market options, or the Rally version of this bike comes with a much bigger tank . So you really must decide what you're hoping to achieve with the bike and choose accordingly. We just have a couple of 1.5 Fuel bottles in Nelson Rigg holders. Perfect.

Apart from the good trip/fuel computer mentioned, there is lots of customisation for the display, and there are 2 different odometer options. Tacho, which can be programmed to momentarily hold the peak on the display - very cool. Easily seen rev limit warning light which can be user programmed too. Gear indicator ... although on the matter of gears it has to be said that sometimes the indicator shows neutral, then when we let out the clutch the bike will suddenly drop into either 1st or 2nd and stall out, so the indicator can't always be relied upon. Sometimes it just can't really decide which gear the bike's in, and displays an utterly useless "-"!!

Good on the road, curves and corners no problems, stock tyres said to be utter crap off road or in the wet. Haven't tried them in the wet yet, and to be fair, they will need to be upgraded if you want to do a lot of offroad. The bike is buffeted around by the wind a bit - it's light in the scheme of things, so you'll feel a headwind or a passing semi. I'm 97Kg suited up, and it's fine at 100Km/hr. Will burst OK to 120, but she's pretty well done at that. To be brutally honest, it's at its most comfortable around 90-95. Another 50cc's would work wonders.

The fuel injection is terrific, starts first time every time in the blistering heat or near zero winter. Throttle can be notchy in 1st, and even 2nd to a certain extent. But you get used to it. Gear spacings good, and 6th can still pull away, despite it being very much an overdrive. First is quite low, and it's pretty easy to just bypass it and start off in second. Fuel cap removal and replacement is a cinch - really groovy system.

Servicing intervals about the best I've ever seen on a dual sport, and you could almost change the oil and filter with your eyes closed! I'm pretty sure it takes the same filter as the 250.

Good on the dirt ... but you'll absolutely need a bashplate - not a lot of protection around the lower sanctum at all. In fact we put a B&B Offroad on the day after we bought the bike, and a set of Barkbuster handguards. There's just enough handlebar space to throw on a quadlock too. Seat pretty well standard fare for the class. 90 minutes or so will see you needing a rest.

Downsides ... the suspension travel is sooooo damned long. It seems like you'll never get your leg over it ... and then it sinks a foot when you finally do. The interplay between kickstand and suspension is such that you will find the stand badly wanting. The bike is unstable at rest on anything other than a firm level surface, or even a slightly uphill one. Don't even try on a soft surface!

If you have limited space in your garage, this interplay can become a pain here too ... the bike likes to really spread out when you park it up, and unless you get your angles just right, you'll find it happily leaning riiiiiight over against your car/boat/wall or whatever. Needs a better designed stand for sure.

Paintwork around your boots is not at all durable. Some blokes fit guards to protect it - we couldn't care less .... matches the 250L!!! Brake lever needs to be a lot wider ... several times I've braked thin air when trying to get it down with the Tech 7's. A really weird experience I've not had before. I've had to develop an unnatural inward thrust of the right foot to make sure it hovers over the pedal in case it's needed unexpectedly. I'm reliably informed it bends like butter too, but it apparently quite happily bends back again too!! The gear lever only just passes. I'm thinking a foray into the aftermarket world may be in order for these two ...

The two selector buttons for the display need ridiculously heavy finger pressure to activate. I mean really silly. You literally have to grasp the display cluster in one hand and wrestle your finger to what feels like the first joint into the button to activate it. This is really unusual for Honda stuff ... but there you go.

Engine note is sort of like an angry buzz ... that matures a little as it breaks in. One youtuber likened it to an angry hornet .... and that's about the most honest description I can think of. Is it good?? Is it bad?? I'll just call it personality!!

It's better than the 250 by a good margin on the tarmac, but doesn't really feel the 7KG it's meant to be lighter on the dirt, in my opinion. Mind you, both it and the 250 are perfect in the dirt ... the 300 just doesn't feel that much lighter despite the on paper figures.

At the end of the day it meets our brief here. It ain't the 650 I reeeeeeally want it to be, but it's honest, reliable, cheap to buy and run, and a miser on the gas. A keeper for now. Until that 650 sneaks under the radar!

Loved bike for a short time until problems arose, dealers have kept bike for months on end and when given back still exact problem. Love features but… Read more

can't enjoy riding it with check engine light always flashing. had 3 coils and plugs in 10000k. last dealer Dale Britton motorcycles refused to even look at it now and Falsey claim I was rude to their staff, saying I am not happy they had for 3 months and still the same is factual and not being rude! consider paying a little more and get something with backup that can fix it if something unfortunately goes wrong. Sad because I love the look of bike and it used to go so well. (waterpump, dashboard and now misfire/engine light it has spent as much time in shop as being used). Service guy once even said you get what you pay for, we sell these for people who cant afford a honda :-(