It's rough around the edges for sure and not as nice a the bigger bikes I've tried, but I've gotta say I'm in love with the aesthetics Happy with the purchase and I'm enjoying all my rides and learnings with it.

For now, I'm just going to try every bike I can and see if anything tickles my fancy. One thing's for sure, I'm set on a naked bike above 600cc..hahah

That was me when I first started, even had the good practice such as preloading my brake levers, and gone as far as a little honk when the space between cars get too tight. Now I just speed through everything, which is bad I know.

Sometimes you tend to get into an autopilot mode, especially when you are driving. Your mind wanders off to other things while you only have 20% maybe left on the drive/ride itself, that's when things get really dangerous.

I wouldn't get anything without ABS anymore, it's kinda like medical insurance, you may not need it all the time, but you'll be glad you have it when you need it.

Hmm, I hope I don't get to that level of complacency that soon. I make it a point to say a quick prayer and also to remind myself that I need to get back home safely to my family. Hoping that could help me focus and keep my mind on what's important.

But a good point regardless, to always err on the side of caution when out on the road. I've had my share of stupid on the roads enough to know you can be the safest person out there but all it takes is for someone to lapse and down you'll go.

Hopefully when I'm looking to upgrade, bikes with ABS will be more within my budget. heheh

Rough handling means? How’s the overall experience of Leoncino 250?
Im glad that you are complimenting Vstrom 250, as I am eyeing on Gixxer 250, I assume the engine setup is quite close to Vstrom.

Glad you are enjoying the experience.
Don't test bigger bikes too much else you can't keep it off your mind and ended up blowing a hole in your pocket like me

Hahah, ain't that the truth...It's a dangerous kind of 'racun'. But I keep focus by reminding myself, you just need to get yourself from Point A to Point B without getting caught in jams. Anything else is nice to have, but not necessary.

But of course, we always look at ways to improve the 'commute'. For me, one of the key things I'm looking at is stability on highways and that I don't sound like I'm stressing my bike especially when I'm going above 110km/h when the roads are clear.

Hence, the lookout for my next bike being above 600cc.

Like @JPlaSMaY666 mentioned it's rough around the edges for sure. But surely eye catching at traffic light stops due to it's aesthetics of a scrambler aka cafe racer style... After fork servicing, handling and cornering improved vastly.. Yep Vstrom 250 uses the same engine as Gixxer 250 but with some minor updates.. Wanted to try out a touring bike thus got the Vstrom 250.. So far loving it..

MT07 a serious do-it-all bike; you have lightness for daily use, power more than enough, cruising speed at 120-140kmh, very cheap to maintain.. the only prob with my mt07 is v1, no abs.. other than that i have no complain.. what you must do when got a mt07 is change the rear sus and service fork with thicker oil..

last xmas, i did rode my 07 to Thai, covered nearly 2000km back and forth.. haha

This post has been edited by mytaffeta: Jan 15 2025, 04:17 PM

Got a MT15 since 2023, before that I had never ridden a motorcycle

I'll say the bike is very great at short distance travelling(less than 30 mins) and navigating through traffic jam

Then I'm already looking for a bigger CC bike(650+) since I've already used to bringing the bike over 100 kmh all the time and want more power(I drive 120-140 when I'm bringing my car)

In the end it depends on how you drive, some people might not even use their bikes that much and some would really enjoy the speed a bike can bring

Yea, the only thing is the MT07 I'm targeting does not come with ABS. ABS itself bumps up the cost of the bike by quite a lot.. And if I'm already getting a bike without ABS, might as well look at cheaper options like the Benelli TNT600. Hahah, and it's an inline 4 for that nice exhaust note.

No doubt, the MT07's reliability is right up there as I've spoken to a few owners and they mentioned aside from the usual maintenance, will run like a champ. So definitely will be tempted if something comes up with the 'right price'.

Decisions decisions, but no rush as I'm still enjoying and learning during my commutes on the Leoncino. Slowly building the confidence to lane split and filter through slower traffic which I'm surprised didn't take me long as I took the advice to 'just do it' literally.

Yea. I'm glad I started on a 'smaller' bike instead of going straight for the bigger bikes. I felt it was easier and less stressful figuring and trying new things. More forgiving per se, and the size makes it very easy to 'cilok' between traffic. Hahah

Bringing my bike above 100km/h really shows me the bike is 'nearing' it's upper limit. That said, I've not sped a whole lot on highways but I do understand my bike is only a 250cc, so can't really ask much of it also. But it's a great bike to learn and gain some experience on. I think my max was 120km/h but my inner voice was already slapping the back of my head telling me to roll off on the throttle. That and the vibration from my bike...

I'm not much of a speed freak so I do try to use the motorcycle lanes on Federal Highways but my God, the bumpy roads and reckless riders is a nerve-wrecking experience in itself. I don't know if that's just my bike setup but I feel the roads are crazy bumpy and uneven which surprises me that the kapchais can whiz through at the speeds they're going.

TS have you got your new ride?

Belum upgrade lagi though I'm already capable of doing so. Still with my Leoncino. Hahah, figured I better get a few more miles under my belt before even thinking of upgrading as I'm realizing more and more how the bump up in power might not be a good idea especially on our motorbike lanes.

Been riding on the Federal Highway motorcycle lane and I'm experiencing firsthand why everyone's complaining. Uneven Roads, crazy sharp curves, unexpected potholes, deep drainage grills, speeding kapchais, last but not least, the flooded parts. Gotta say it's a great learning curve for me though. Felt like I'm learning faster being thrown into the thick of things. Hahah... touch wood, I've not gone down on my bike yet.

By the way, what's the official take on the Federal Highway with a big CC bike? Motorcycle lane or no? How do you otais on bigger bikes find our motorcycle lanes?

Just as an update, I've been riding as much as I can and enjoying each and every minute on the road. Cut down my travel time from 2 - 3 hours per day to just 1 hour which translates to more time with family. It's calming to ride steadily with the drone of the exhaust just cutting in over my earplugs. Almost therapeutic.. I cannot stress this enough but I couldn't have done it without everyone's thoughts and push to go out there and just ride. Thanks everyone

For federal motorcycle lane, I only use during daytime and good weather. If its raining for some time/night time, I'll use the main road.

during peak hour? i'll use other highway such as NPE or Kesas, longer distance but lesser stress

I hated it in the beginning, but am starting to appreciate the safety of being away from the cars.

What I learned riding a 400cc (and a particularly light one) among the kapcais in motorcycle lane is that the kapzais will always be faster than big bikes at the turns as their bikes are a lot more flick-able due to the light weight and thinner tyres. However, you can utilize your power advantage in straight road to overtake them fast. Actually, if the sole purpose of your bike is to travel through the federal motorcycle lane, you will have worse experience upgrading to bigger bike simply due to the weight. Some of the tunnels are so tight and twisty that you have to ride really slow to be safe. Plus if you were riding a kapcai, you can speed through the potholes and road bump as much as you like since the front forks are cheap to replace... can't say the same for big bikes.

One thing I can't deny the motorcycle lane on Federal Highway is good for though, it's to 'train' you with all the 'obstacles' so you'll be on your toes each time you're on it

Some of the things I feel have developed tremendously over the course of my commute is that I'm much more confident taking the turns at speed and using my rear brakes to control the bike. I used to exclusively brake using my front which is not the best way to stop the bike, I know...

Also, avoiding bumps and potholes should train my awareness and bike control as I noticed don't have to look directly at the obstacle to avoid it. Hence, avoiding the dreaded target fixation.

Gear upshifts and downshifts have also been much smoother as I learn to feather clutch and rev-match. So all said and done, it's a win in my books. No riding school can substitute the real life 'saddle experience'.

Not sure if it's the same for everyone though.. hahah

I keep an average speed of around 80 with burst of 100 on the straights in the motorcycle lane, all good and dandy. The problem comes when I commute on the actual highways, that's when you can really feel the 250cc being stressed pushing 115 (Dare not go faster also coz the bike seems light and shaky).. and this is where I really feel the limitations of the bike. All things considered, it's a nice bike to ride, just not when you hit the highways.

You know what they say la... no replacement for displacement

For now, I'm just going to focus on riding techniques and also building on my roadcraft. But of course, keeping an eye out for bike deals and also reading up about bike issues and maintenance so I'll be better prepared once I take the jump to a bigger CC bike.

This post has been edited by JPlaSMaY666: Feb 25 2025, 01:43 PM

Biasness aside, I think the sweet spot is actually at 400cc. This is where you can still share tyre models with kapchais, giving you a lot of options even if you want to go cheap, and yet you're fast enough to overtake most vehicles on the road, and can cruise at 130-140 pretty easily.

i use the bike lane for both my bikes, versys 1000 and z900, when there is heavy traffic. i only use car lane late at night when there is much lesser cars. even if theres a sudden jam at midnight ill go into the bike lane.

sticking to the car lane and cilok2 with a big bike is not worth it tbh...even with kapchai its not worth it. bike lane may not be in the best condition but its gonna be a much smoother journey than cilok2 all the time which will just make u tired. n of course theres the safety factor la.

alternatively, use other highway if possible.

somehow this doesnt seem right....otais can correct me pls....but....

ur front brake is ur primary brake.. its the same for all vehicles. which is why some have discs up front and drums in rear. even bicycles have disc brakes up front. and also why most rear brakes on big bikes especially is so weak compared to front. and yes, front is the best way to stop the bike...if rear is primary, they would be putting double discs in the rear etc.

using the rear during corners can be dangerous me thinks...the rear is already under alot of stress for traction and drive, and sideways gforce, add to the weight shifting forwards, a slight tap on the rear can be enough to lock up the tire and cause a slide.

This post has been edited by mADmAN: Feb 26 2025, 02:51 PM