Hi all, i am a newbie with almost zero experience in riding bike. I am thinking to buy a motorcycle for commute from/to work, which cover almost 100km daily, 70% hiway. Appreciate your advice/suggestions for best motorcycle for a newbie like me. Im looking for 150cc - 250cc bike.

pcx? auto, seat storage, big fuel tank, easy to drive with style

for that size?
VN250
kawasaki

I also looking at pcx and nmax, but do they stable on hiway?

I dont think that motorcycle that size suits a noob like me.

SYM T2 250cc

I would go for the VN bro. Its not that heavy, plus you traveling 100 km daily. I wouldnt play around with comfort bro, got to take care of your back.

modenas ns200?

Scooter with cc of 200 to 250 would serve you with comfort n travel safety. IMO VTS200, SYM, Elegan are some of the scooter that will do a good job for you.

if you're on a budget, pcx and nmax should do the job.

i'm using a vespa lx150 travelling 70km per day and no complaint, so pcx and nmax should be better.

Is it reliable?

I dont know if i am able to ride bike with clutch

thank you for ur suggestions. how bout their fuel consumption and maintainance?

Thank you, nmax (or aerox) is on top of the list.

Well if your budget allows, Moednas Elegan 250 would be way better choice in term of comfort and safety on highway in view that your daily travel involves more than 100km. Handling is the same as nmax or pcx.

yes..better than kawa of similar model year

owh...if that case better you get nmax/pcx/elegan

i was same like you, zero experience in riding.

i bought a ninja 250, until today still L license, i learn how to ride all by myself through watching youtube.

the first 1000km is scary, i also fell 3 times within my first 2500km.

but now it's 5000km already i can say i can ride well enough.

so my recommendation? buy a 2nd hand bike with clutch first, maybe fz150i or kapcai or 2nd hand ninja 250 if you want. then progress from there. but for 100km daily, i wouldn't complain with my ninja 250. it's comfortable, yes it's a sportbike but the sitting position is almost upright for me.

go test drive vts200, nmax, and pcx and tell us your choice . btw vespa also good choice with style. for starter u dont really need to drive so fast anyway

In term of ease of ride and comfort nothing can beat scooter IMO. However, if you are into learning to ride and other technical aspect of riding then a clutch bike offer more learning experience. So ultimately, its all up to what you want.

how long does it take for you to build up the confidence?

I need to learn how to ride first before going for a test drive, lol.

Thank you, would definitely think about it.

Since you do not have the basic riding skill. The learning curve of handling a manual clutch bike will be steep and the falls will be costly. Bear in mind the sitting and riding position of the 200cc sport bike are higher and less comfortable than scooter and as such less easy to mange especially for a newbie. So u have to ask yourself whether you have the time and patience to master the bike riding on highway.

got license or not. else just get a 2nd hand spacy to practice driving slowly first

I agree, learning to ride is one thing but learning to ride on highway and in traffic especially heavy traffic in the morning and evening with other bikers tailing you is another animal all together. So my advice is get a second hand bike (at least u wont feel the pinch of scratch and dents on a new bike if the bike falls n believe me the bike will fall) and learn to manage the basic skill of riding on off peak hours and weekend until you are confident. Then only work you way slowly into riding during heavy traffic and long distance.

I don't have license atm. I have some experience riding in residential area and in campus. But no experience or the confidence to ride in heavy traffic.

I plan to get nmax (or wait for aerox) and learn how to ride for few weeks, to gain confidence. Im not in a rush as i still can drive to work.

I I were you, I'll go for AEROX... sportier than NMAX and comes with keyless.

Since you're truly newby, I would suggest starts small (any second hand bike / scooter will do), then gain that much needed riding experience (heavy traffic, safe lane splitting, fast riding, cornering, wet road, heavy weather, etc). Once you have that under your belt, than can think of a much bigger bike. Either clutch bike or maxi / big scooter. The choice is your's.

As for riding license, go straight for B. It sounds intimidating, but it's not that difficult. Same test course, just different bike.

The only thing is that aerox have smaller fuel tank compared to nmax and pcx. Since i travel quite a distance every day, i need to refuel frequently.

How bout 150cc kapchai like y15zr, rs150r, and fz150?

+1

wow, aerox looks really good. but small fuel tank. nmax also good choice. scooter very good for commuting. clutch bike can do some stunt n big fuel tank, but up 2 u can drive that long with aggressive position. kapcai normally small fuel tank although got 150cc.

Since your main concert is for daily long distance commute, then the best bet is PCX (the most expensive of all, RM12k). It has 8 litres fuel tank. It's serves you best from distance perspective. The underseat storage also the largest. The PCX suspension also the most comfy, more on soft side compared to NMAX.

As for 150cc kapchai, I can only give some info on RS150R, my brother use it. It rides firmly and quick too, but the fuel tank also smallish. 4.5 litres. You need to refuel twice as much as PCX. No underseat storage, you'll need top box for your raincoat, etc.

The choice is yours.



Yup, smallest fuel tank among PCX, NMAX and AEROX.

btw if 100km per day. if u lazy to go pump fuel better get clutch bike with >12l fuel tank. ~30km/liter

about 200km and a week of practising. confidence and experience is different thing lol. riding a clutch bike is easy, the tricky part is on how to downshift.

versys250 if you want something sporty

but it's a bit pricey

Noted, I will try all 3 scooters first before making any decision


Well, z250sl or used z250 also in my consideration IF i decided to go for clutch bike.

Well, we have to start somewhere. Training is not a prob for me especially riding on empty road. The confidence to ride in heavy traffic is what worry me, even if i choose to ride a scooter.

A bit bulky for a newbie dont u think? And yeah, a bit pricey

Anyway, IF i decide to go for a clutch bike, is z250sl a good choice? Or used z250?

Z250SL = no...quite a number of issues with this one.

Z250 = yes...go for this instead


i was once considering the Z250SL too.. joined the FB group and was horrified with the problems this bike has..... bought a used Z250 instead and been very happy for the past year with about 20k km on the bike already.

Mind to share the issue faced by sl owner? And ur opinion on z250 for newbie pls?

opinion on z250 for newbie... one of the best beginner bikes.. super reliable.. super easy to manage and handle etc. just need to keep in mind that the maintenance will be a huge jump from kapchais....even for normal servicing

Z250sl... current most common problem is cracking headlamp. but when i was doing my research previously there were 2-3 cases of broken crankshaft.. and even now a few other engine related problems are popping up...

go for used ef6n

just go out and ride, if the traffic is heavy and you have no confidence, just do it slowly, don't care about those kapcai, they want to die first let them potong you only.

This is very true, especially the highway & its traffic part. I ride daily using AKLEH and I’m always on alert when I enter it as everyone speed through, cars or bike alike.

I plan on getting a bike, 150 - 200cc. Is there a checklist on what to lookout for when checking a 2nd hand bike? My current bike Wave Alpha 110 is bought new hence I have no experience in this. But the riding has been killing my back & knee (I’m a 6footer) hence planning to get a bigger bike.

do u keep renewing ur L licence? or u juz let it expire?

L license has a 2 years expiry date. Mine is expiring on this coming October

well, will take an exam before that, still have 4 months to go

I renewed it for 6 months every time.

Take a slightly bigger bike.. Fz150i or rs150r or y15zr.

Those 3 are still within kapchai category, so Maintenance is not so expensive

FZ150i WAS my prime choice until Bajaj NS200 was launched here officially by Modenas. The other 2 is still the same category with Alpha i.e. kapchai, which are not suitable for my need.

Perhaps I’ll buy new with NS200 since buying a second hand big bikes poses lot of after buy maintenance ( big cc, more speeding, more wear & tear).

Thank you for your suggestion bro.

oic...noted. i will consider to renew mine...i juz checked and realise mine only have a 3 months validity

yea, you can renew it too at the post office.

renew it for 6 months la

btw, police never stop me before.

noted bro...will renew it when its due...anyway, what do we need to produce when renewing L licence?..passport-size photo?..or juz bring the old/expired L licence will do?

just the initial L license with photo will do. (separate passport size photo is NOT required)

they will give you another piece of license for extension of validity period, you will need to carry both the initial license and extension license with you all the time.

This post has been edited by cyh03176: Jun 28 2017, 12:58 PM

alrite got it!! thanks for the information. apprecfiate it.

for newbie...better choose KTM rc 200.. keep safe with middle range cc...
they also got discount RM4000 ..

hi im using fz150i, daily use, 70km/day (except weekend), 70% highway. IMHO it was good learning bike.

this bike got clutch. (please learn clutch, very worth it, srs )

sparepart some of them you can swap with LC, wear and tear cost was cheaper than 250 and above (still within kapcai budget, the cost just 30% more than my previous honda wave maintenance)

not that heavy. not that tall. fuel consumption was good and have big tank, with today fuel price, rm20 fuel was enough for 5 days to work.

easy to commute in heavy traffic, like Klang Valley, Tuas/Woodlands CIQ, etc...

can go far... the only state in peninsular malaysia that i'm not come visit using this bike was Perlis, the rest, done.

but, your comfortable cruising speed will be 100-120kmh only. got tapau by old LC in highway was consider normal.


if u want to get bakul one, try y15zr and rs150r. if top box / side box is good enough, consider fz150i and new 200cc Modenas bike

plz no.... this bike is not for beginners thats for sure... the riding style is so aggressive that long commute will not be a pleasant experience.

now for TS, get a used bike since u never ride a bike before. learn to use it and build some confidence 1st then slowly ride and familiarized before u ride to work. at least a 2nd hand bike if anything happens (such as falling or jatuh bodoh) u wont be so discourage as much. furthermore, build some experience riding on a traffic and on a rainy day. it will help u alot. since ure going to commute on a long ride just invest a bit on safety too. we dont want anything bad happen but sometimes its beyond our control. at least ur safety accessories will protect u in a way.

Currently i have shortlisted FZ150, NS200 and NMax. Gonna survey more and decide by the end of the month. Thank you for your suggestions

I'll keep that in mine, safety is my priority. I will be training on weekends and at night at least for a month before i ride to work. Thank you.

haha..ya...agreed with u..
front lean and seat height quite not comfort fr beginner..
also RC 200 dun have ABS...

done my long commute today..wet track..not bad fr noob la..just dont be mat rempit sgt nnti jtuh bodoh gitu..

If you want a scooter, the Honda PCX or Yamaha NMAX is my suggestion. Both are reliable and are comfortable for long distances. Plus, if you needed to add more storage you can always add the aftermarket top box options.

However, if you are thinking of clutch bikes, I'd recommend on Yamaha FZ150i, Kawasaki Z250 or even KTM Duke 250/390. All these bikes are easy to handle and you could more or less get the hang of it within the first 500km. The only downside is, you either have to use a backpack or get a top box to fill in your stuffs. Personally, if you are riding daily 100km, I would seriously recommend a top case, or even side cases. This is to lessen the fatigue of having to ride on long distances daily.

As much as I love the RC line, this is not really a good choice for a newbie especially on a long distance commute

n ktm line with single cylinder the vibration will take time to familiarised with too. i rode my brother's duke 200 and i need to stop every half an hour because of the vibration. my hand feels numb, n i can't feel my balls. hahahaha

I once consider z250, but since my main objective is to reduce my cost of travel, it have to wait lol.

NMax and FZ150 is on top of my list, as well as pulsar ns200. I don't mind using backpack as i dont bring much stuff to work. But having a case is a plus.

Well then, it now comes down to either you want a really convenient bike or a bike that offers a bit more fun for a daily commute. But seriously though, if you really don't mind having a backpack everyday then take the FZ150i or even the Pulsar NS200. Or, you can actually try looking into KTNS RS3 SE. Its a lightweight tourer and it won't break the bank; around RM15k for a touring bike.

As far as I read the owner reviews of this RS3 bike, mostly are positive as long as you take good care of it. A lot of people actually recommend this bike for budget starting tourer rider, or simply for those riding on long commute daily.


Plus look at this photo! (Stolen from FB group, sorry if the owner is here but damn you look cool You can add those aluminium top and side boxes and it makes you look like a Beemer rider already

My HD mechanic using one and recommend this bike, as you can actually add BMW GS hard case and Vario sidebox into the bike, he did it...

yup..i need smooth handle grip for make it less vbrate..

KTN RS3 is slightly over my budget. (I can actually scretch my budget till up to 20k, but choose not to)

What stopping me from buying FZ150i is because that bike is already at the end of their life cycle, and i heard MSlaz is going to replace it soon (I dont know how soon, lol). While for NS200, the bike is still new in the market, and its realibility and spare parts availablity is still unknown (for me). But sill consider both.

Anyway, is learning curve for bike clutch is steep?

Learning the clutch bike is easy pisy. With clutch, you will have more control over the bike imo.

Since NS200 is from India, it might've been better to check about it in their forums or groups. But from what I understand is, it is reliable and very friendly maintenance cost wise.

There's nothing wrong with buying a bike that is at the end of their life cycle if the said bike had proven to be reliable for many all these years. You won't even need to worry about aftermarket parts, there are plenty of them. And since it is a Yamaha, customization parts are also abundant. The problem with new bikes are always the limited parts that are readily available; and even then the price is also something worth noting too.

The problem with M-Slaz is that we won't know when it would be officially brought into Malaysia. And even price wise, if I'm not mistaken, is sold for RM10k in Thailand alone; so expect that the price to be hike up when its in Malaysia with all our taxes.

Regarding the learning curve of clutch bike, its not really that steep. Though it does actually depend on the person-to-person themselves. Read more and watch more on youtube, it'll give you more general ideas and preparation before you actually get on the bike.

Info utk bakal pengguna/pembeli KTNS RS3.
Share dari bro Nur Jehan.

1. Top speed berapa?
- 140km/j sustained speed bukan redline. Kalau takat nak rasa 160-180 kejap pun boleh....tapi redline la...dan ada syaratnya.

2. Masalah problem yg selalu ada?
- Side mirror patah/tanggal. (Solution dia: Beli side mirror EX5)
- Karburetor kdg2 semput. Tak semua...ada la dalam 2-3 persen pengguna yg alami. (Solution: Claim warranty)

- Susah nak cari tayar saiz 15 utk belakang. (Solution: Beli rim baru saiz 17. Tak perlu beli lidi (spoke). Terpakai juga utk rim depan (saiz asal 18, biasa org tukar ke 19). Utk pengguna SE, perlu beli wheel set lain.

- Radiator kering. (Solution: Pergi SC suruh dia bleed balik cooling system)

- Brek belakang lekat/sangkut/jammed. (Solution: Bleed balik brek belakang, atau tukar caliper baru.)

- Top box kecik tak muat letak donat Big Apple. (Solution: Jual motor beli lori.)

- Lampu tak terang la! Lighter gua lagi terang! (Solution: Tukar LED kepada halogen bulb, atau tukar the whole headlamp set. Atau tambah spotlight. Atau letak lighter lu dekat engine guard.)

3. Sesuai ke utk pergi balik kerja setiap hari dlm 1500km pergi balik?
- Sangat sesuai. Cuma jangan expect performance atas highway macam Versys (ramai yg suka compare dgn Versys. Ni 250 single kot!) atau Africa Twin atau GS. Motor ni bukan utk laju. Dua ratus lima puluh si si sahaja, satu silinder.

- Takat bawak bini pusing Malaya naik motor ni xde hal punya. Dah ada geng kental dalam ni yang dah buat.

4. Minyak jimat ke?
- Minyak jimat. RM 10 tu boleh pergi balik Subang - Bangi dgn kelajuan 110km/j.

5. Nak tukar logo BMW boleh ke?
- Boleh bang. Nak tukar logo Panasonic pun boleh. Motor sendiri, sendiri punya kreativiti.

the ktm...not even suitable for long distance riding...

its more like street punching machine... traffic light burst only...


long distance riding..can cry back pain, vibrate hand, leg and didi

YA DUDE..
200 cc is low CC anyway..sorry miss write it..
for long commute going KRABI..
better choose 650 cc and above..

That can be done in less than one day from KL.. no sweat

Hi there! I have zero riding experience. I attended couple of B Full classes in driving school, now only riding a clutch kapchai for practice in driving school since I have no bikes at home to practice. Currently I decided to get myself a SECOND HAND scrambler/mortard for practice and commuting. I'm 5'5 (165cm) tall, but I believe the height problem is not an issue if I ride with riding boots. Budget is within range of RM4k-5k. At most is RM6K.

Current options I have in mind were:-
Demak DTM 150/200
KLX 150 s/l
Honda MTX 200
Honda CRF250L

Would like to know your thoughts on the list of options above. Other suggestions are most welcomed as well.

KLX seems the best choice for me.

any special reason on why u opted for scrambler?

One of the main reasons is due to it being a durable machine for a beginner like me who is new to riding. The bike itself is forgiving as who knows I might drop the bike or get myself into accidents on the road, or even commit silly mistakes. Moreover, being able to practice on a scrambler which is naturally tall allows me to get more accustomed to the height of larger bikes so that I am able to practice with a bigger bike the next time I attend my B Full riding classes. For now, the instructor only allowed me to ride on a kapchai with clutch since I have no bike nor big bike to practice at home. So I will have to keep on riding on the kapchai for a very long time until they allow me to hop on to a bigger bike. I believe it will take some time since I only attend classes during weekends.

Is there really no other 2nd hand affordable 200cc scramblers out there apart from just going with the KLX150?

I personally would advise against motards, they're very uncomfortable hence really bad for long distance riding, they are designed to be ridden standing up when off roading. On top of that, they're not gonna prepare you well for the big bikes. Height is not really the problem when riding big bikes, its the weight, and motards are super light.

If you want to try motards, i suggest visiting Most Fun Gym just behind Empire Damansara https://www.facebook.com/mostfungym/
Might be a little pricey, but the instructor there will teach you alot of things driving schools don't teach, like trail braking for example.

If you want to buy a second hand bike for practise, I highly suggest getting a second hand FZ150i and selling it off again when you want to move on to something bigger.

Speaking from my own experience, i took up the bike course late last year, and I had zero experience, couldn't even ride a bicycle. First day I trained on the kapchai, second day after an hour, my instructor told me to go on the 650cc 210kg ER-6n, dropped it after riding 10 meters becoz i pulled the brake too hard. And from there on I just kept training on the ER-6n, in total dropped about 6 times. Didn't get a bike to train on my own, got my license within 2 months of training, then bought myself the new Duke 390 that has an 83cm seat height, I'm 168 cm btw, and have been riding for 8 months now with it.

One advise i would have for you when training with the big bike, don't brake on the titi, don't jam the front brake when turning, try using the rear brake for slowing down and only use the front brakes when upright and coming to a full stop.

Thanks for the sharing of your experience. I do hope the instructor here in Penang is kind enough to allow me to hop on a bigger cc bike as I have attended like 6 riding classes with a kapchai, 4 times without clutch and twice with clutch. I remember asking the one of the instructors if I could hop on a big bike after the numerous times of practice, they ask me have I rode on a tall bike/ big cc bike before? My answer was obviously "no" and then he told me to proceed with kapchai. Then I was very reluctant to go back to training with the kapchai and he gave me tons of reasons in a rude manner eg: dropping the bike can be costly bla bla bla... I mean those bikes are expected to be dropped right?

Then a different instructor who is present in one of my riding lessons advise me to get a clutch bike my own and start practicing myself first since I only attend bike classes during the weekends as I have work during weekdays. Moreover, as a newbie like me who can't even ride a bicycle properly, I feel I need to be consistently riding in order to grasp the "feeling" to ride and balance on the bike.

Btw, are there any other options apart from a FZ150i? That bike is too common here in Penang. I want something that is different from what most people are riding.

[update]
Okay bro. After some time of consideration, I have decided to go over my budget for a bit and buy the Kawasaski Z250sl which is a little bit more expensive than the second hand Kawasaki KLX150. I find it a realistic option as I find its riding position similar to the ER6N that is available in the driving school just that the cc is smaller. Do you think getting a Kawasaki Z250sl is a realistic approach for me to practice riding and to commute? In fact even if I passed my B full license test I will still be riding with this bike for another few years before I upgrade to a new bike with larger cc.

This post has been edited by Shakalaka: Sep 26 2018, 01:26 PM

is it new or used?
if used, just buy z250. more reliable.

This post has been edited by leon898: Sep 26 2018, 02:34 PM

good option.... if the bike was actually reliable....Z250sl can be considered kawasaki's lemon.

seriously... dont overcomplicate it....riding a bike is not so complicated... no need to find same seating position...height etc etc.... if i were u... id go with the FZ150i suggestion... cheap to buy and also cheap and easy to maintain, reliable, fuel saving making it a good commuter etc etc.

even if u feel the Z250SL is similar on paper.... in height.. riding position bla bla bla....

when u hop on the new, bigger, bike its gonna be completely different.

instead of concentrating so much on a bike...how about concentrating on riding itself? getting used to the clutch... gear shifting... and most importantly... and i really mean MOST IMPORTANTLY.....learning to read other vehicles on the road so u can avoid any possible accidents....and this.. can be done on any bike. one ur used to being a motorcyclist.... ull be fine on any bike

Personal preference, if long trips, better grab something with more upright position and higher CC. The higher CC will help in comfort too at cruising speed