Hi all, newbie here.

I'm planning on transitioning from kapcai to big bike. I've been looking at the Yamaha R15 for awhile now and it seems it like a good option for a beginner like me. But I've also been thinking of getting a used 250 instead of just putting money on a 150cc. I have little experience on clutch bikes and looking to use for leisure ride with friends or perhaps some long distance traveling.

A used Kawankasi Ninja 250 or z250 were some of the bikes I've considered. Any advice would be useful, and bike recommendations too. Thanks in advance

if u ask me...id say u better try buy a second kapcai that has clutch to try....bigger CC motorcycles are on another level....but if u are confident enough to ride and use a clutch for the first time then by all means go and take 250cc...if not, just get a kapcai clutch one.....

A used Kawankasi Ninja 250 or z250 ANYTIME!

dont bother kapchai or any other 150cc bike

hi TS,

i would recommend TS to get a 2nd clutch bike first and learn how to play clutch, then only proceed to 250cc bike, unless you have budget straight to 250cc bike and don't mind "jatuh bodoh" and get some scratches here and tear, then go ahead

If you kapchai raider then R15 would be a bad choice. Since the sitting position is way to sporty. Usually this is the first thing you noticed.

Best bet is z250 r25 or ninja 250. Since it's a bit more relax
Don't go cbr250r or cbr150rr. Since it similar to r15

If you not familiar with sport attack sitting position try the bike first.

If you are looking for a bike for konvoi to lemang Toki or nasi Bamboo. R15 is not the best choice. 1st it's riding position is more aggressive. 250cc except for Honda cbr250rr have much more relaxed body position for long highway miles. Also for highway bigger is always better. Saves more fuel as you don't need high rpm to cruise. R15 you will be near the end of the rpm range most of the time on highway.

Cons is bigger bikes get heavier. When parking you will definitely feel it.

Since you consideration inc kawa 250.try and avoid the sl(single cyl) version. Yes it's faster slightly than r15 but the price of 2nd sl and 2cyl is not much. Get the better one

With OP budget second hand CBR250R or Z250 should be no issue, forget the 150cc bikes 'sport bikes' they're really not worth it.

depends how well u ride kapcai, and how fast u think u are at learning clutch bikes

now, if u ride kapcai, is it disbrake or drum brake? aggressive riding or slow slow almost never need to brek? do u brek with all fingers (except the thumb) that hold the handle, or u already very good can do 1 finger or 2 finger braking

when u use clutch later, r u going to do the same? all fingers clutch the lever? or, u will ride with 2 finger clutch?

when u ride bumpy roads, do you panic and tense body? or relax and let the bike handle the roads?

above question means if u are able to handle kapcai confidently, i think u can learn big clutch bikes easily

R15 is still R15, is kapcai engine put on sportbike fashion
R25, Ninja 250 and CBR250RR are aimed at higher performance, their speed can lawan some big CC machine like CB500, Kawa650 etc, but of course the power (torque) is much milder than big cc, as they say 'no replaecment for displacement'

weight is another matter, and only can manage from practise slow speed control, JPJ mandate titi, tight roads, U turn and figure 8 are the good examples that can save u during traffic emergency, so when take heavier bikes these need to keep practise

if travel with friends, do take care of each other, and make sure no new riders get left behind, i ride fast fast but got new members I sweep their backside from a distance away, make sure no give them stress and learn to enjoy the first maiden ride

anyhow, buy the bike u really like
if end up the bike no suit you, if can adjust, learn to adjust
is better than buy the bike u no like, end up rosak here rosak there u also lazy to fix it and disappointed with the whole biking experience

good luck to you and hope to see u on the road some day

you'll get used to riding hand clutch bike in no time just need to ride more to get a good grasp on it.

As for bikes, i would say the same as others here, don't waste your money on r15 as it is basically kapcai engine bike with sportier riding position.

There is no replacement for displacement....go for 250.
Z250 seems a good choice

the path i took was kapchai for 20 years then to a used z250. the transition for me was super easy and seamless and became 2nd nature in a matter of days. so i didnt worry much about clutch and weight and all that. the power increase wasnt that big of a jump to surprise me either. even going thru traffic daily wasnt that bad. though kapchai still easier la for traffic. even took the bike on multiple 6-700km day rides with no issues.

as long as u buy used then itll be a good investment. u can even get them cheaper than a new R15. best part is you can sell it later on at probably the same price u bought it or maybe just a tad bit lower so u dont lose much money. just make sure the bike u buy has all its necessary maintenance done on schedule including the valve clearance.

however, the maintenance will definitely be costlier than an R15 being 2 cylinders and chain and tires will cost a lil more but can still save money if u know where to look.

R15 may be good if this is the first bike ur buying... but ur upgrading, so better to go to a z250.

Get a second hand 250cc bike. Get used to its size, power, and handling. See how you like it.

After that learn the maintenance. Of course it'll cost more than maintaining a kapchai.

Then you can decide if you like it or not. Whether you want to use it for daily commute or just weekend fun or both.

Basically a second hand 250cc bike is a good way to test the water. Like it? LOVE it? Then jump in deeper. Tak suka can just let go the bike after a few months, you won't lose that much.

second hand R25 better than R15.