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echomadman posted:i have a 95 f650 and its pretty fast up to 70, will do 100mph flat out but its not nice, 80 is about as fast as its comfortable to. it'll out accelerate 99% of cars. and it'll only wheelie if you're trying or if you dump the clutch in first. Dammit, I really have to stop reading this thread. It's making life a whole lot harder. I know I'm poor, I know I have a brand new full motorbike license that's being wasted on my 125, but that doesn't stop my heart yearning for something more shiny. One of the bikes I was looking at was a F650GS since I'd been told it was like my dualsport but actually had some legs for highway use. Nice to hear another opinion that's not completely contradictory. I think I'll settle for something after christmas.
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Oct 7, 2008 00:21
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 02:24 |
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quote:
Erm, height doesn't normally matter unless you're talking about being too short, but you might want to at least sit on the a few bikes before you make the decision. I'm 6'4" and did my test on a GS500, which, although smallish (aparently I looked too bike for it) fitted me fine for the most part. I only encountered a small difficulty when it came to the turn-in-the-road and my knees impacted the handlebars when they were turned to full lock. Had to lean my knee out before I started the turn, knee-dragging at 3mph on test ftw (didn't actually drag the knee, but it was definitely out there). But yeah, from what I've seen, weight is a tiny tiny factor, and only affects accleration and braking. Top speed is all about drag and engine power.
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Oct 13, 2008 09:48
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iroc_dis posted:That sort of thing doesn't do anything bad for your finances or credit rating or something? If you're going to do that, then you'd make drat sure you get a loan without a fixed payment schedule or an early repayment penalty. But I can't see any reason why it would screw up your credit rating. It might not do anything good to your credit rating (that's a wierd one, normally getting better when you've paid back on time but there are some really wierd variables in there) but it wouldn't make it worse (you're not going to be late in any payments). Only problem I could see is if you're trying to recoup most of your original payment, you may not want to buy a brand new car as the depreciation may be too much for the budget, and you'd lose 10% of the money straight off. Moving on towards me, I passed my test a month or so ago, DAS course, Britain, so there's no limit on what bike I can ride (apart from finacials). I've stuck with my Honda XR125L for the moment because it's bloody cheap to run and I'm fairly poor atm, but I've just got a new job. I don't want anything too big (insurance and fuel economy), something 600 would probably be the top end, although the SV650 is definitely a possibility, and I'm 6'4" (in case some of the bikes are too small) so there's nothing really too big. Budget will be about £2000, hopefully £1500. However, I'm wavering between two options. Either something like mine but with a bigger engine (I love the riding position and the visibility though I don't do much (any) offroad atm, so XR650R or F650GS type machine). Other option is something similar to the bike I did my test on (Suzuki GS500) which would seem to be better for long distances than the dualsport option. I do like the naked/standard look, and I've been told the ER-5 is a good machine, a friend of mine has a CB400 which is a nice machine. Can anyone recomend any other models? Preferably a bit more recent, I'm not hot on the wrenching side and it will be a bike for commuting so something reliable would be nice.
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Oct 17, 2008 17:01
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Since it's a variation on my dirtbike, and I really enjoy my current bike, a supermoto is scarily tempting. I think it would be so much fun, though probably too much fun. That Pegaso looks nice. The F650GS has always seemed a sensible idea, but there's two problems, one, the whole "I'm not an old man, what am I doing owning a BMW?" thing, two is the fact that either due to target market or to the fact that they're BMWs, they're fairly expensive bikes to buy compared to other options. I was scared at how cheap SV650s were when I started looking. A 600 Hornet is my other tempting bike, I'd love one of those but they have a tonne more power compared to things like the SV, GS500 or the CB400, I guess it's the inline-4 engine rather than a V or Parallel twin. Obviously the CB400 loses out due to being smaller.
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Oct 18, 2008 18:03
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Captain Apollo posted:Looks like I've found a good beginners bike. Brilliant bike for starters. I think it's what the MSF uses (assuming you're a yank). Standards are quite comfortable and being 6'1" you won't have any problems flat footing it. You won't be too big, I'm 6'4" and I was fine on the 125 standards we trained on. Only question might be if you're planning on doing a lot of highway work, some people seem to think 250 doesn't really have the legs for it. I've done some miles on the motorway on my 125, and although it's WOT all the time, it's not as bad as it was made out to be before I went on. To each their own though.
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Oct 21, 2008 14:07
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Not entirely sure what registration is in the States, but I laugh at car owners over here, 15 pounds a year for road tax is one of the largest selling points of a motorbike. Even with the increased cost of insurance (drat you insurance company, drat you for not caring if I worked hard to get my full license), with road tax for most cars being in the 200 pound region, it's really brilliant to watch their faces when I burst their little bubbles.
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Oct 27, 2008 17:43
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The other thing I would definitely empthasize to new riders is that just because it's a small bike, doesn't mean it's not fun. It's hellishly fun riding any motorbike, and just because it's not got 100 thundering horses squeezed between your thighs, more plastics than an ICI refinery and the looks of a supermodel mated with some sort of insect, doesn't mean it won't knock your socks off. I remember being able to snap my head back under acceleration when I first got my 125, it still brings a grin to me face when I ride it and I've still yet to relegate it to the realm of a tool, which is what a lot of people treat their cars like. It's still an adventure everytime I swing my leg over and start her up. That said, I am an unusual character, I'll put up with a lot of poo poo from the stuff I own and I'll work around almost any flaws/problems/issues. I also don't care that it will take me 5 hrs to get to my gran's house when I could do it in 3 if I had a bigger bike. Hell, I passed the full bike test nearly 6 weeks ago and I've still not gone past the gawping at bikes on sale stage. The other thing I'd point out (not that anyone will listen, anyone reading this is probably far more experienced or already has their mind made up) is that smaller bikes weigh less (a lot less? not sure). I've only riden my XR125 and a GS500 but my XR weighs about an order of magnitude less. And struggling to pick your bike up after laying it down doesn't help your mental well-being any. My bike is light enough that I can manhandle it around without any fancy footwork, just bend and lift.
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Oct 28, 2008 12:18
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I was always led to believe that if you used a cheque to buy a bike or a car, you'd have to wait the five days for the funds to clear. Which means you have to wait 5 days longer but you don't have to wander around town with a few thousand in your pocket. Also, friend of mine is going to be selling her CB400 in the spring, I think it's a 2002 (she knows what it is, my memory's just being fuzzy). It's a very tempting offer, it's a very good price and a stonking little bike. It may be slightly small, but I think the worst case is I hand it off to my mum or sister and move on again in 6 months to a year. Anyone know much about these bikes?
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Oct 29, 2008 11:27
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I'm going to look at a '93 Honda CB400 Super Four that a friend of mine is selling. She was asking £700 but then had to do a 100 quid's worth of suspension stuff to it, so she's now asking £800. Hoping to at least knock some of that extra 100 off, maybe even a little bit more. Is there anything specific about these bikes that I should be checking? Or just the normal run-from-cold, tyres, oil, rust, crash marks etc. Loving the insurance though, 3rd party fire and theft is going to be about 130 quid compared to the £450 I'm paying for my XR125L.
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Dec 28, 2008 00:30
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AKMOTOGP posted:I'm puzzled by the <100hp for a first bike rule that people are preaching. There's a couple of things I'd mention. One, although there are a lot of americans here, it's not completely american, and us non-yanks don't have the MSF course. So you can't just say "take the MSF" because it doesn't exist for us. Yes, the MSF is good, yes we have training similar, but it's just training and there's no substitute for experience. I'd also say that just because something is 500 dollars and came off craigslist/autotrader/friend of a friend, doesn't mean it can't be reliable and safe. Saying "spend 2k" just means you might have a more expensive unreliable scrapheap, and then when you target fixate on a corner and ram into a lamp-post, or drop it at some lights because you forgot how heavy a bike was, you're in just the same pickle, except it's going to cost more to fix. Hmm, that's sounding rather vicious, and I'm not meaning it like that. It does also depend on where you live. I live in Britain, in the Midlands, and I'm quite happy doing 40 miles on my 125 each way (note, I am insane enough to do 300 miles each way without ever hitting the motorway, but I am not an average representative of bikers). If I lived in the middle of a desert, where I had to ride 40 miles to my nearest shop, I might not have been as happy with my 125, but I'm not there, and I am happy with my bike. Yes, I can see your point. Yes, if you're responsible and lucky (you can't control other road users) then you can get away with a big(ish) bike as your first bike. Yes, there are many piles of scrap out there if you're looking at the cheapest bikes. Yes, some of them may fall apart when you sneeze. But the riding's not just about the power. My 125 has taught me all sorts of stuff, most of it that I'd not have learnt on my CB400. It's less powerful, so I can't get myself into as big as a mess. When it falls over I can pick it up without thinking about it. I can ride it far closer to the limits than I could on a big bike. Getting the entry speed and line through a corner just perfect gives you the same awesome satisfaction no matter what the bike costs, what power it makes, what colour it is or what it looks like. Bugdrvr posted:Maybe a quick explanation of the "Why isn't a 100hp bike a good beginner?" question should be put in the rules. Probably a good idea. At the very least, it would stop me going off on my "I started on a 125 and I had loads of fun" speech/rant/lecture every time. Everyone has their own bugbears, and that's mine, closely linked to people discussing only the power/engine size of their bikes. We're forced to start on a 125 over here, and although it is annoying at times (look at the price of 125s for a start), I am very glad I had to and I did. There's a reason I'm going to fix up my 125 and keep her for a long while yet. Orange Someone fucked around with this message at 12:44 on Jan 7, 2009 |
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Jan 7, 2009 12:41
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Hmm, freaky, for a moment, I thought I'd made a dual account and posted something. I too will be driving down the UK, across the channel and down France this summer, though for me I'm heading towards Spain. However, I will be doing it on my CB400 Super Four. Couple of names I'd throw out. When I mentioned the F650GS late last year, someone threw out the Aprilla Pegaso as an alternative, it being an almost identical bike with a smaller price tag and non of the BMW cockishness. Looks like a nice bike, upright riding position so good for commuting. It is a thumper though and I've heard mention of it not being too happy starting in the cold. Could look at a Suzuki V-strom. My DAS trainer had one and rode it all year rode with great glee. I think there's a 600 odd and a 1000 odd version.
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Jan 14, 2009 20:16
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I'm really jealous of my friend who's just got into motorcycling. He's rather anal about picking really good quality kit, and then getting a bargin on it. He's the guy that got the 450 quid Rev'it jacket and trousers combo for a smidge over 200 and he did something similar for his boots. Though I'm not jealous of his bargin hunting ability, that's just because he spends time looking for kit, I'm jealous because he can fit into almost any kit, he's not 6'4", 155 pounds and built like a bean pole. Sometimes I wish I had a gut, just for stuff being able to fit then. Seconding the cheap helmet mention, particularly when you're a new rider. You have to replace your helmet if it ever comes into contact (not just resting it on the ground of course) with the floor, and I'd hate to have to do that with a 100+ quid helmet. Also, I love dirtbikes and dualsports for learning on, they're quite forgiving, they're upright so you don't start to ache after a while, they're light and they're fun (plus I can fit on them).
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Jan 22, 2009 18:23
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Infinotize posted:I'm oddly torn between a Versys and a Tuono. I'm going to make my SV track only and "need" a new daily do-everything bike. The Versys is the wise choice surely, but there's a Tuono local that's in awesome shape, has quite the tasteful mod list, set up for my weight, and would run me about the same price. It wouldn't be nearly as useful, without rear luggage opts and almost half the tank range... but it's a loving Tuono! If the V wasn't so ugly I wouldn't even be considering it... If you're trying to decide between an Aprilia and an upright(ish) semi faired sports touring bike, do both and try an Aprilia Pegaso. Sorry, couldn't resist and I'm starting to sound like a stuck record (I think I suggested it last time I piped up with a suggestion, but someone suggested it to me and then I saw three in person in the showroom, they look and sound like sweet bikes). And I don't really feel that the V-strom is an ugly bike.
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Jan 29, 2009 21:52
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Gnaghi posted:Ugh are there any SS bikes that are comfortable? Reviews were making it look like is the supersport for the street. I'll probably end up getting a DRZ anyways. That much fun for close to 3 grand used is a drat good deal, regardless of what ends up getting dragged. From what I remember of the reviews and shootouts that I've read, the CBR600RR is generally consider the best of the 600SSes to use on the road due to suspension setup and engine and ergonomics. But the 675 has gotten rave reviews due to it's engine and the ease with which it's usable on the road. If I were to get a 600SS, I'd want the Triumph. Comfort? Hmm.
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Feb 25, 2009 12:05
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:. . . If you go for the Bullet Electra, it's got a brand new engine using design cues from the old one. From what I can gather, the engineers got bored of tinkering with the old engine trying to get it to pass Euro smog and emission laws, so they decided to come up with a new one. A 500cc thumper that doesn't have dollops of power, but does do 98mpg (Imperial) and is massive fun from everything I've heard. It does depend on how you approach maintainence. If you just want to do reactive maintainence and fix stuff that breaks, by the time it's broken, loads of other things have gone kaput as well. Whereas if you're not adverse to doing a smidgen of preventative maintainence every week/month, it'll run forever. The Triumph Scrambler is an awesome looking bike though. We ran into the Triumph stand when we were at the Carole Nash show at the NEC, sharp looking machine that. My friend fell in love instantly.
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Mar 20, 2009 18:08
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Gr3y posted:Honda built a CB in the 400 range, which aren't that hard to find. Also don't count out the 600-750 cc bikes. They're not too big and pretty common. I drat well hope they build a CB400, I've got one. Though mine's from 1993, so a little later than the pictures of the GSes that have been posted. I'm in the UK and it's imported from the Continent. Nerobro posted:If you want a hot rear end little bike, try to find a CB400-4. What sort of era were you referring to? Mine definitely goes like a rocket, but my mum's dream bike for about 20 years has been a late 70's Honda 400-4, which is the CB400 by any other name (I think that's the time frame, don't quote me on that). I would definitely suggest getting a bike like mine. Lots of power (relatively speaking, it's not a litre bike) if you're man enough to call on it (I'm not most of the time), really smooth engine, really smooth power delivery, quick enough to push your limits but small enough that you don't get overwhelmed, and pretty decent fuel economy to boot. Except if you're doing lots of motorway miles, a 6'4" frame stuck on top of a mostly unfaired bike (tiny aftermarket screen) at 80mph does chew through the fuel somewhat. Oh, and she'll do pillion without complaint.
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Mar 22, 2009 12:37
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BronYrAur posted:What does everyone think of the Honda CBR 125, it has come up as viable option for my first bike purchase, so what do you think? of the 05+ make specifically (I don't think they have changed at all since introduced in Canada but you never know). Bird-o-matic was right, definitely right. But adding into the cheap bit is the fuel efficiency. Personally I learnt best once I'd done my CBT by going out there and getting practise, and it's a lot easier on your wallet if it only costs 7 quid to fill the tank. I think it's got a 2.5 gallon tank, but depending on your height, weight and how much you wring it, I know people who can get 100mpg. Only provisos are the fact that it's a superbike, so the seating position can be uncomfortable for people, so try it first. And, some people really hate how thin it looks, I like it being thin because it means that it's engineered for it's actual engine, not just to look good (it doesn't have a huge amount of power, so it doesn't need the massive rear wheel a lot of sportsbikes get. And the engine is a 125 thumper, so it's not very wide there either, compared to the I4s you tend to get). *edit* and yes, 70 or 75mph is going to be about your top speed. I know people and I know of other people, all of whom claim to have higher on the flat, but I'm rather suspicious of those claims.
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Apr 5, 2009 09:35
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I've a friend who's learning to ride and is looking at getting a bike whenever he passes the DAS. I've sold him on buying something like a GS500, but he then fell in love with a KLE500 when we saw it in a showroom. Then I showed him the Aprilia Pegaso on ebay, and he fell in love . . . again. Anyway, 1995 Aprilia Pegaso going on ebay for cheap. I know it's not on the road, but we've both had experience fixing cars, and now bikes, so I was wondering how much work there is involved in fixing the problems he mentions. I know sprocket and chain can be replaced easier, and the light sounds like an electrical fault, which are time-consuming to track down, but not normally that difficult. More curious as to the head-bearing and the suspension bush. And the radiator of course. It's not a "ooooh, must buy if I can", more a "that'd be a good deal if nothing's too shot". To me, the head-bearing throws up alarm signals, but I may be over-reacting. Plus the km on the clock makes me think it's an import.
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Apr 15, 2009 17:08
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The SV is the uper end of the power spectrum that tends to be suggested, but there is a reason for why it's so very often suggested. They're cheap, powerful enough without ripping your arms out of their sockets, and rather friendly, or so I've heard. I'd suggest you check out the SV650 thread and see what looks you prefer. The only thing I'd recommend from a learning point of view is to get the unfaired version. It's less painful on the wallet when you fall over (fairings are expensive), plus you tend to at least recognise the speed you're doing on an unfaired bike. And I personally prefer the look of it.
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Apr 26, 2009 10:14
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Budgie posted:I'm sick of car drivers seeing my L plate and assuming I'm some 16 year old who doesn't have a license so the direct access is getting booked next week when I have cash. A lot of DAS courses use GS500s, so you'll be able to find out then whether you can ride one comfortably. Talk to the guys that run the course, and if you show that you're genuinely worried if you'll fit, they'll normally let you sit on the bikes, maybe have a ride around the pad. If you can't fit on them, look for a 1993ish CB400. I've got one, and my friend's just bought one (we really didn't want the same bike, it just happens) and the seat height on them is really really low. There are some courses that use them, don't know where you're located, but, for instance, CMC in Cannock does.
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May 15, 2009 13:34
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I . . . I don't understand the hatred of a 250 cruiser. I mean, I started on a 125 dualsport, that's got maybe 8 or 9 bhp (supposedly 11 when new). I am slightly militant about enjoying a bike, and my only previous transport before that was a pushbike, so it was definitely an upgrade from that. But I'm six foot fricking four, sat bolt upright on a 125, doing motorways, albeit not always at motorway speeds, blitzing round town, carving country lanes. Were my expectations too low? Is that you lot are mostly americans and routinely do longer distances? Different attitudes? Different availibilty of bikes? The lack of the tiered license? The fact that you don't have to start small? I rode my 125 for 2 years, and I've still got the drat thing because it's still teaching me things. *edit* vvvvv yeah, I have z3n. Two CB400 Super Fours, which I own, and the GS500E I did my DAS training on. The 500 was back in september for 4 or 5 days, but I've owned of the 400s since early January, and put far too many miles on it. Orange Someone fucked around with this message at 21:37 on May 21, 2009 |
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May 21, 2009 21:18
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Yeah, I'll definitely second the "keep for your second bike, if you can afford to". My friend who's learning to ride and I went to a bike store a while back and they were having a prize draw for a a brand new GSX-600R. I mean, we both entered, but I was very very emphatic when talking to him that if he won the bike, we were (or I was) driving it back to his, parking it in the garage and then I was stealing the keys until he had at least 6 months experience after his test. In hindsight I may have been a little too emphatic, but there was no drat way I would let a friend of mine get on a gixxer six just after passing his test. Hell, I don't think I'd let myself ride one now, and I've got at least 3000 miles and 12 months of experience since my test. I suppose it's like politics, the people best suited to serve don't want to, and anyone who wants to shouldn't be allowed to. I dunno, maybe I'm a little too cautious, but I'm pretty sure if I should let myself go, I could and would drive far too fast and far too dangerously.
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Jul 18, 2009 13:41
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If it's such a good deal and you really would rather have the 250, why not get the 500, sell it and buy the 250? Not withstanding the advice normally given to get a used bike for your first one. You could always play the idiot when selling the 500 if you need a reason, say something about thinking it was a 250 when you got it. And again the advice for any taller would-be riders, look at dualsports. I loved learning on a dualsport, easy to turn, great visibility, comfortable and fun.
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Aug 28, 2009 12:04
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Leather pants may not be your cup of tea, but there are other options. I personally prefer texile gear, so you'll want to take a look at that. Even if you're eschewing any other protection on your legs, you'll definitely want some thin waterproof trousers, for those lovely occasions when it's pissing it down.
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Sep 18, 2009 17:55
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 02:24 |
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Aargh posted:This is probably a pretty stupid idea but I'm out looking for a first bike at the moment and a guy near me is selling a '94 CB400 for a reasonable price near me and I'm sorely tempted by it. Now there's a few problems with it, it's a grey import so parts might be an issue, it's got some damage that would need to be fixed and I'm really not convinced on how far it's traveled, the figures on the odometer just seem really off. The CB400s came with kilometer clocks, so if they're in miles, they have been replaced. That might explain some of the figures. They're quite easy bikes to work on, nothing's really tucked out of the way, except the carbs, and that's not unusual. Parts (at least for us, we're in the UK) aren't a huge problem, mostly found on eBay. Might want to check the charging system, one of my bikes needed it's R/R replaced, but we got that easily. Quite simple bikes, but for the price point you get some serious hardware over other bikes. They come with dual front discs and a single rear disc, compared to things like the GS500 or ER-5 which can only come with a single front disc and/or rear drum. Dual rear shocks, not a monoshock, so easily accessible. As for the bikes themselves, I can't recomend them enough for a new rider. Somewhere between 50 and 60 bhp (depending on where you're reading), so it's enough to have fun, get into trouble and still cruise comfortably. The smoothest engine I've ever experienced and they're so drat nimble. The bikes are small, but I'm 6'4" and I fit fine. Oh yeah, and the reason I keep talking in plurals, my buddy has another CB400. Both are almost identical, at least according to the V5. Both black 1993 Honda CB400 Super Fours, imported from Japan.
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Sep 27, 2009 13:17
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