new bike - looking for ideas

Q_Ball

Hey all,

I'm looking to get a new bike. Upgrading from a varadero 125 after a year and a half and i'm stumped at what to get. Plus i'm doing the 'whole way round' and i dont think it would be able for it!

Have had my eye on a hornet 250 but after reading a thread about the factory restricted SV650 i rang carol nash chancing my arm for a quote. funnily enough it was roughly the same cost of changing my policy as the hornet! This has opened a whole new world for me and now i'm a little lost.

Ideally what i'm looking for is a good commuter bike. That is something that will run for ages and something fairly streamlined (like a sports bike, cbr anyone?) thats easy to filter with. it also has to be relatively low, as one of the problems i've had with the varadero is the high centre of gravity. it also has to be relatively new, because if i might sell it on in two years or so and the first thing a buyer looks at is the year! i'd say anything dated 2000+.

As for budget, i'd rather get a bike i really want and that will last instead of limiting my choice to a certain range. Looking to buy second hand at the same time tho.

Anyone any recommendations? the thought of a wee ninja is making me drool

galwaytt

http://www.onyerbike.net/2006/kawasaki/er-6f.htm is the jobbie, methinks........

Steffano2002

I'm recommending the Suzuki Bandit. But that's just because I have one and I've never ridden anything else! Great bike though! I loves it I do!

Idleater

Q_Ball wrote:

Have had my eye on a hornet 250 but after reading a thread about the factory restricted SV650 i rang carol nash chancing my arm for a quote. funnily enough it was roughly the same cost of changing my policy as the hornet! This has opened a whole new world for me and now i'm a little lost.

I'll sell you a FR SV650 if you like. I use it every day, and it is a brilliant bike.

The difference between it and a Hornet 250 is that you have loads of power and torque available low down in the rev range on the SV. The Hornet you have to rev like hell to get it to go anywhere.

Should be better for longer distances too as you will always be running well within the engine's limits. What I mean is that the 250 tops out at 40hp (at something like 15000rpm) but the SV has 33 horses available from about 4000 up. For example, 120kmph is 6000 rpm, 160kmph is 7500rpm (mondello before anyone asks ).

L.

KTRIC

galwaytt wrote:

http://www.onyerbike.net/2006/kawasaki/er-6f.htm is the jobbie, methinks........

Don't bother with this bike, I had one and I found it very badly built. Brought it back after 6 weeks.

Q_Ball

i had the RiDE issue when that was released and they had nothing but great reviews for it. saw a yellow naked version and town and thought it was ugly. cant believe everything you read tho

I was looking at the bandit alright but i'm gonna do a ring around to see what shops have in stock. I wonder how hard it is to find factory restriced bikes

worded

I live in the city and filtering no problem with givi box on a rack on the back.
Also there is a very good turning circle.

Im selling this ...... new battery, serviced Feb .......etc.
http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=18778

Idleater

Q_Ball wrote:

I wonder how hard it is to find factory restriced bikes

* cough * see above

L.

He nereid, is there an adverts post up about your sv or is it advertised elsewhere? I might be interested if the price was within budget. I'll be buying in the 2 - 6 weeks timeframe.

MrPudding

Q_Ball wrote:

Plus i'm doing the 'whole way round' and i dont think it would be able for it!

Cool. There are a few from boards, myself included, doing this. I can't wait.

I can't offer much advice for you bikewise. My first bike (November) was a zzr600. It is a lot of fun and I would have no problem recommending one, I am really going to miss it.

Mine is for sale but I don't think it would suit you. It is a 1998 so quite a bit older than you want, though it has low mileage.

The other problem is it is UK regged.

MrP

Q_Ball

looking forward to it myself. having a bit of trouble raising the funds but this month and eary next month i'm gonna blitz so hopefully i'll raise enough.

I'm going to ring a number of garages during lunch to see what FR bikes they have. at least then i'll have a fair idea of what the range is!

getting all excited now!

gsxr1

clicky

stipey

As far as I am aware CN don't make any allowances for factory restricted bikes.

Try AON or AXA. I used to drive a restricted Bandit 6. Got the renewall quote from AON and gave CN a buzz only to find their quote was twice that of AON.

SonOfPerdition

worded wrote:

I live in the city and filtering no problem with givi box on a rack on the back.
Also there is a very good turning circle.

Im selling this ...... new battery, serviced Feb .......etc.
http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=18778

The transalp is an excellent machine, highly recommended!

Garibaldi

Don't mind all that tommyrot (word of the day) above! The Honda VFR 800 is your only man.

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=18145

Q_Ball

Garibaldi wrote:

The Honda VFR 800 is your only man.

Wow, Thats a beauty! Pity about the asking price

What are GS500's like?

I have no personal experience but I rode an ER-5 which is a parallel twin like the GS500. It was a pretty forgiving bike and completely unintimidating. There is a decent wikipedia page about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_GS500

Hotblack Desiato

I used to own a GS500. Easy to ride, power isn't intimidating for an inexperienced rider, more revvy than you might think for a twin. Poor finish, chronic oil leaks (filter housing and valve cover), quick-rust exhaust, pogo-stick bargain basement suspension. Front brake was good, rear brake way too powerful and easy to lock up. Not the worst bike overall (and maybe the quality on later models is better) but I wouldn't recommend one unless it was pretty cheap. Also my experiences with Priory for parts and a warranty claim were a disaster - I'll never touch Suzukis again. That said, it never let me down on the road and I was all over Ireland and France on it.

Niall06

Currently have a 03 GS500 and think its a great bike.
Its reliable, comfortable, good value for money.
Not the most powerful bike on the road but more than enough power for everyday riding.
If you see a good example of one, go for it.

evoblade

id recommend a honda bros 400 as a stable and reliable way of moving up the ladder,ive had 3 of these,1 of which was a hawk gt 650 the american import,they are a cheap bike to run if you buy a good one from the get go,and despite the age are still quite a nimble and modern machine,alloy beam frame single sided arm etc.

evoblade

Niall06 wrote:

Currently have a 03 GS500 and think its a great bike.
Its reliable, comfortable, good value for money.
Not the most powerful bike on the road but more than enough power for everyday riding.
If you see a good example of one, go for it.

i believe these bikes are prone to decay due to cheap build quality,good engine though and they take a fair beating

Pabloescobar

Have a 02 GS500 does the job for getting around the place wouldnt fancy touring on it though!! They are prone to oil leaks and you do need to keep an eye on the oil levels. Build quality isnt the best but I wouldnt expect it to be either as its designed and sold as a basic commuting bike. You will need a GS500E verison which is the factory restricted one I think otherwise the insurance will be a killer. Have driven a 250 hornet didnt like it far to revy for me reminded me of my NSR 125R which was a 2 stroke not a bad bike though

Q_Ball

I'm been considering a bros to be honest. I like the idea that they're bombproof. If I could get a good import I'd give it serious thought. Only problem is that nowhere is getting imports in any time soon!

I rang my insurer CN and got a quote for a 2002 sv650 (i pulled it out of thin air, although pulling an sv650 out of thin air would solve all my problems!) and they quote the same extra as what it would cost to insure the hornet. It seems that FR'ing a bike brings it down to the highest group I can get insured at until I pass my test. Even at that its two years until I can move up so what I get now is what i'm keeping until that restriction lifts.

Cheers for the reply guys, keep them coming

evoblade

Q_Ball wrote:

I'm been considering a bros to be honest. I like the idea that they're bombproof. If I could get a good import I'd give it serious thought. Only problem is that nowhere is getting imports in any time soon!

I rang my insurer CN and got a quote for a 2002 sv650 (i pulled it out of thin air, although pulling an sv650 out of thin air would solve all my problems!) and they quote the same extra as what it would cost to insure the hornet. It seems that FR'ing a bike brings it down to the highest group I can get insured at until I pass my test. Even at that its two years until I can move up so what I get now is what i'm keeping until that restriction lifts.

Cheers for the reply guys, keep them coming

if you are looking for a bros contact me on my e-mail,evoblade99@excite.com,there are plenty to be had in top condition but there are also many in a bad way needing alot of maintaining to put right,i have seen anythin and everythin that can go wrong with these and to be honest its all very simple and cheap stuff that rarely occurs,they are even good for 2 up touring for such a small cc bike

Q_Ball

cheers for that evoblade i'll definately keep you in mind.

I rang carol nash today because i saw a restricted (not factory) bandit 600 for sale. they said that they take my word that the bikes restricted. Basically if i say its restricted and its not i run the risk of my insurance and tax being invalidated. Therefore the onus is on me to tell the truth. So with that in mind, i've been thinking of getting a CBR600 or Ninja and putting a restriction in it. that way it can be removed for cheap after two years from passing my test!

evoblade

on that note i would say go for cbr,honda reliability and on a bike that counts for alot more then say a car would,ive had 11 bikes in last 8 years,8 of which were honda,from a moped to a fireblade and they served me well,the 3 others were yamaha and although they were for the most part good machines they had problems that just dont occur on honda's.an early 90's cbr6 are fantastic bikes and when you do deristrict it you'll find it has all the power you need on roads over here,feel free to ask any advise and if i can help i will as i know it can be difficult trying to weigh the pro's and con's of all the bikes

wotsasilencer

Work out what you want the bike for....

Courier work, posing, commuting, short distance, long distance, how important is keeping your license, touring, insurance costs, off road riding......

These are the things you should consider in coming to your decision. Once you have worked it all out there will only be a few bikes that are relevant.

supersports - Expensive to insure and painful on the wrists on any journey over 30 miles, a pain in the hole in traffic.

sports - not as expensive to insure, better riding position, still plenty quick

Streetbike / Muscle bike - cool, nickable, not too bad on insurance generally, good riding position and great visibility

Custom / Cruiser - Great for posing, not fast but hey, fast is not the requirement, loads of torque, people hear you coming, comfortable.

Trail / Enduro - Great Visibility, fantastic gearing for slow traffic, comfortable but I'd never want one.

My bike is a GSX750FW - a toned down GSXR engine - still does 148MPH, good riding position - you can ride comfortably between filling the tank up - about 130 miles, but any more than 300 miles in a day is uncomfortable - it lacks the torque not to be able to wind it on in any gear. Love the bike but will be swapping it soon for either a softail chop or cruiser like the Valkyrie - getting older and more sensible so I'm slowing down but I do like the idea of a more relaxed ride. Cranking it on at over 100 watching for every little thing is becoming a chore, where once I loved to be in control of a rocketship (thinking I was invincible) I have got to the point where I know I'm not sharp enough at those speeds anymore.

If you have not got the experience, get it before getting a fast bike. It might be a tad uncool but touch wood, I've probably done 100000 miles on bikes (I lived in England for 20 years commuting, touring) and never had an accident. Been close a few times and always someone elses fault (unless you count the fact that I may have been speeding and the driver could not judge a bike at 150 properly

The main thing is enjoy your bike. There is nothing like riding out for the day (or week) stopping in places you've never been and someone will always talk to you cos you have a bike.

Q_Ball

Hey all,

Sorry for digging up an old thread but i'm looking for opinions (again )

There's an absolute mint of a 01 CBR600F that i've seen for sale. I've worked out the finances and feel that, even tho it will be more of a struggle than getting a cheaper bike, i can afford something so beautiful.

Am i mad buying a sports bike for everyday commuting? facing all the traffic through town, filtering through gaps and the like. would i not be better off with a smaller nippier naked bike?

For those of you who drive sports bikes, how do you find them for filtering and general everyday use?

Hotblack Desiato

600F is fine for commuting, I did that for 5 years on one and lots of long distance trips too.
600RR would be a different story.