Here in Mexico bikes are pretty expensive, usually thay cost 50% more than US MSRP due to vehicle taxes and import fees, that's why I am asking about 250cc bikes which here cost around US$5000.

A friend asked me which first bike to buy, his budget and skills and likes works only for a small 250cc custom, and there are 3 candidates: the Suzuki Marauder GZ250, the Honda Rebel 250, and the Yamaha Virago 250. If it were for the looks I'd choose the Yami, but I guess it'll be the more expensive due to the V twin engine, not sure. The Suzi seems to have one piston and the Honda has i2.

So, which would be better? any ideas?

I've only riden the Rebel and can tell you that it handles terrible.

The Virago 250 is a nice bike to cruise around on. A reasonable amount of power for a 250. Parts aren't too expensive either, and they tend to retain value OK. Handles as well as you'd expect a small cruiser to. I tooled around on one for a couple of months with no problems.

R.

I rode a Virago250 in my MSF course last year.  It was pretty fun to put around on.  it sounded 10 times better than any other bike in the lot (GZ250's, Rebels, and a few Dual-sports).  the only drawback was that it was nearly impossible to do "the box" figure-8 maneuvers with it.  It is definitely not designed with tight turning in mind... but it was a FUN bike none-the-less.  comfy, too.  I could have ridden all day on it.  :mrgreen:

I on the other hand rode a GZ250 for MSF. It wasnt fast obviously but I liked the looks, the wide tank attempts to give it a bigger look. I'm 6ft and it was fairly comfortable. The instructors were telling me to slow down through the cones after I got comfortable so it handles fairly well. But its a single so...
-ash
http://beginnerbikes.com/guide/gz250.html

Do you get the Honda Knighthawk 250 ? It has the same engine as the Rebel but in a standard chasis. Tthat handles well.

how hard is it to buy one in the states then take it to mexico in little pieces?

Quote from: Blueknythow hard is it to buy one in the states then take it to mexico in little pieces?

I wouldn't think that it would be that hard, although it might be time consuming.  I rode my CBR600 from LA to about halfway down the Baja peninsula and never had a single problem.  The Federales at the check points just waved me through each time.

Adam

Quote from: Blueknythow hard is it to buy one in the states then take it to mexico in little pieces?

Well, not in pieces, but that's my dream whenever I came to buy a 600... I think it wouldn't be so difficult, but the problem is the title, in order to keep it legal here in Mexico I'd have to do a lot of paperwork which I don't know, pay some taxes, perhaps 20% of the bike's price, and save 30%, that usually is dealers profit, from the 50% higher mexican prices.

But If I get caught with no papers then big problem... and this time isn't my bike to worry about that.

So, winners seem to be Virago 250 and Nighthawk 250... Thanks to all of you...

Do you get trick Japanese imports in Mexico, like the CBR 400, RGV 250 etc?

How big is motorcycling in Mexico?  I saw an episode of "El juego de la vida" where they showed a little of motorcycle culture in DF.  Just curious.  I'd ask my girlfriend who lived there for 6 months but she's asleep (and probably wouldn't have noticed either)

Adam

ok, sounds like you need a PO box across the border for a mailing address, then just title it in U.S.  with that Address. A used bike wouldnt hold the same value a new one would, if you pay 500 U.S. for a bike, taxes shouldnt be all that bad in mexico. i paid 50$ for my yamaha xj650, when i was questioned why it was so cheap even for a used bike, i told them i had to rebuild the top end of the engine to make it run, and put new tires on and that it was now rideable. dont think they can charge you book value if you didn't "Pay" book value for it.  come to think of it, all my vehicles were under 500$.

Well, in Mexico city, which practically covers all D.F. (Federal District) there a huge bunch of 125's. all brands. All sort of couriers and pizza guys are sneaking around, also a bunch of 250's, specially nighthawks, some enduros that suit very well for the asphalt jungle, and the top courier class has GS500s. Then there are insurance guys on katanas, CBRs and some Ducattis. Cops has some very old HD, a few new HD, and  recently Honda Twisters.

The rest has a wide variety of bikes and mopeds, you can see all sort of 1980's 750's to liter bikes ridden by no-helmet guys, very few women I've seen. Also there is a few clubs, mostly HD, but they accept all brands. Weekends small groups ride out of the city to backroads on their sportbikes and power-ranger suits. A bunch of bikers stop in a nearby town to have a snack.

Anyway, there are too many cars, no matter how much bikes are... I've been in other cities, all of them are smaller than Mexico City, and bikes are more suitable for them. The rainy seasson in Mexico City is a big obstacle, as I confirmed this morning when I low sided my bike in a wet pedestrians cossing.

Basically we have the same models you have in USA or less from the 4 big japanese brands and a few of europeans, but they are kind of exclusive or offer only moppeds, and other brands which sell chinese-like cheap models.

Quote from: Blueknytok, sounds like you need a PO box across the border for a mailing address, then just title it in U.S.  with that Address. A used bike wouldnt hold the same value a new one would, if you pay 500 U.S. for a bike, taxes shouldnt be all that bad in mexico. i paid 50$ for my yamaha xj650, when i was questioned why it was so cheap even for a used bike, i told them i had to rebuild the top end of the engine to make it run, and put new tires on and that it was now rideable. dont think they can charge you book value if you didn't "Pay" book value for it.  come to think of it, all my vehicles were under 500$.

What you say about cheap vehicles is ok, the problem is driving a bike with foreing plates. We need to surrend the title and pay a fee to introduce a foreign vehicle, because many`people used to buy cheap american cars and resale them here, so national car dealers had looses, and couldn't compete against the foreign vehicles cheap prices... Anyway, I am not willing to pay 50% more on a new bike, specially since we must pay a vehicle tax for the first 10 years, and this one starts at 2.6% of the price when the vehicle was new, and decreses a couple of points every year. Perhaps I'll buy a leftover and import it legally.