when i have no expertise in anything mechanical.

when i say cheap i mean less than £500 (will have to save the money up).

not bothered about being tatty e.t.c just as long as it’s reliable/cheap to run insure and could do the national speed limit without any fuss 😉

what might you consider?

have held a full motorcycle/car license since 18 (am 39 now).just would like some motorised transport again.

thanks 🙂

Honda CG125

i would say that 125″s will fetch a premium as you more people want them on L plates etc

I would try to find a boring 200/250 seeing as you have a full licence, also look for 200cc scooters etc

+1 for the CG

Honda CB500 would be my first choice – especially as you mentioned doing the NSL with ease. A 125 is pretty much at it’s limit by that point! They may be pushing you budget a little mind….

I would be looking at 250cc+ though.

Reliable? A Honda of some sort.

£500?

I’d guess no, unless you get lucky.

thanks for the replies.unfortunately i thought £500 might not be enough.am thinking of trying to save up more over a year or so,then see how much i could have then (hoping maybe £1000 if i’m careful).also thinking of selling my duster 2011 model (know i won’t get much for it but maybe a few hundred perhaps?)

won’t just be transport,would be a motivation to get out of the house in helping my depression (could go to bournmouth coast/new forest e.t.c that i’m too unfit to cycle to atm).

tbh would be willing to wait and try and save as much as possible.aalso going to start the scratch cards too (hums luck be a lady 😉

It is possible to pick up cheap and reliable, the trick is knowing what to look for and a bit of luck (right place at the right time). You’ll soon pick up the mechanical knowledge from manuals and forums.

I picked up a CB350 as a non runner a couple of months ago for £260, and for less than £500 it’s back on the road. It has needed front and rear brakes rebuilding, forks rebuilding, swing arm stripped and rebuilt, exhaust chopped up and new sections welded in and various other bits stripping and fettling. It had sat unused for quite a long time though.

Look for old CBR 600, zzr 600, gpz 500/600, GS 500, just before/after Christmas is the best time to be searching, price are at rock bottom and cheeky offers are the order of the day 🙂

never thought about a zzr 600 😯 man that would be fantastic if i could ever afford a decent one of those 😀

just saw an ad from a localish 2nd hand bike shop that has one for under £1000 (looks good nick too). just wish i had the money to buy it 🙁 http://www.budgetbikesuk.co.uk/used/kawasaki/zzr/600-cc-sale-now-on-massive-reductions/swindon/wiltshire/7562

am definitely going to try and save that amount though after seeing how cheap a good nick version can sell for 😀

tbh that would be my perfect motorbike 😀

and the insurance for that zzr would be how much..

fair comment totalshell 😉

can imagine third party fire & theft would be a bit (don’t know how much though?)

am still going to try and save up for one though,as have always wanted a sports bike,and seeing the 2nd hand prices of the zzr 600 from a dealer has made me determined to save up now.

am going to try and save £2000 instead (i can wait tbh it will be worth it). reckon the insurance for my age,where i live will be £4-500 t p f & t? add money for clothing,helmet,lock,tax and reckon £2000 would be a reasonable amount to save.

sod it am going to save the money some how 😀

Yamaha xj600 diversion.

Well proven air cooled engine in earlier ones, very simple, reliable and not much can go wrong. Can pick them up for buttons. They’re not fast or flash looking, but simple, reliable and cheap.

just did a quote from moneysupermarket and they were quoting from £150 a year tpf&t 😯 (10000 miles a year e.t.c). was just a quote so will change but am pleasantly surprised by that,really thought it would be £4-500 (it was for a zzr 600 bike quote too) 😀

i would do a refresher motorcycle course before i buy another bike as it makes sense (haven’t ridden a bike since i was 18).

am going to do it somehow (can live off beans on toast for a while e.t.c 😆

Suzuki Bandit or the GSX600F.
Not going to win any fashion parades, but the same bulletproof air-cooled engine.

Honda CB500.
As above, 125s are too gutless for going out of town really. Scary on motorways too

Or a Suzuki GS500, even simpler to maintain than the Honda due to its air cooled engine…

There’s a reason training schools use the Suzuki Goose (gs500) – they are stupidly simple engines and take abuse like no other.

won’t just be transport,would be a motivation to get out of the house in helping my depression (could go to bournmouth coast/new forest e.t.c that i’m too unfit to cycle to atm).

tbh You are better off just getting out on your bike, eventually you’ll be fit enough to cycle there.

There’s a reason training schools use the Suzuki Goose (gs500) – they are stupidly simple engines and take abuse like no other.

Or that they are cheap crap that don’t damage much when you fall off? I’m sure that engine has been out for ever, and it wasn’t particularly good when it came out (in the 80’s?).

Remember you would need £500 odd to buy decent gear to ride in – helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and trousers. Then you would need some waterproof stuff and in time winter gear.

You also need to take into account a good lock (Almax is best), motorbike theft is really bad at the moment.

CB500 and GS500 as above are about the best on the planet for what you’re actually wanting.

How about a Yamaha Fazer?

gs500 and cb500 are very sensible, maybe even an er5 if you can find them cheap enough

saying that – sv650 for the win… its actually fun too!

How about a Yamaha Fazer?

You won’t get one of those for £500.

Or much else for that matter. Used motorbikes hold their value amazingly well. I’ve had a few around the £500 mark and without exception they’ve all had major issues. A £500 bike can easily need £200 tyres and a £400 exhaust within 1000 miles of buying it
There’s also a LOT more to it than buying a bike when it comes to economy:
How long do it’s tyres last? How much are a pair of tyres?
How often does it need servicing? – Lots of bike have 4000 mile service intervals and need regular valve adjustment. Can you di it yourself?
How long does a chain and sprockets last? I had a CB500 and it was tough to get over 10,000 miles out of a set at £90 a shot. Parallel twins and singles are known to get through chains. It’s not power, that kills them, it’s engine configuration. The Speed Triple I had after the CB500 was still on it’s OE chain at 33,000 miles in which time the CB500 with half the power had done 3 sets
Fuel Consumption: Yes, bikes can be good on fuel. But if you pick wisely you’ll save a packet
Insurance – With no no claims it’s gonna cost you. I’ve just insured a 700cc bike fully comp, unlimited milage, 2 riders, for commuting for £89. But I’ve got 12+ years no clams, I’m 43, and have been riding continuously for 15+ years. Starting from scratch won’t be cheap.
Then there’s clothing, somewhere to keep it, chain lube, adjusting the chain… etc 🙂

Not trying to put you off, just pointing out stuff that you need to be aware of!

Just had a quick look – A cheap CB500, in reasonable nick that won’t need too much spending is over £1000 even at nearly 20 years old. Keep saving.

thanks for the replies everyone.

after doing some sensible thinking (rare) tbh there’s no way i can afford a motorbike as i’m unemployed at present.was just maybe hoping that i could with a lot of saving up.but as said all the extra costs would be too much 🙁

that doesn’t mean i won’t get one again one day though 😉

am planning on upgrading my duster bike in stages (as i can achieve that aim 😉

Well PP knows way more about bikes than I do so I’m not going to say much but I’d take slight issue with his insurance comment. I just took delivery of a brand new NC750 after not having ridden at all in 15 years and fully comp insurance with zero bike no claims was £275 so it needn’t be too expensive.

I’d say anything made in the era of the late 90’s very early 00’s should be fine, shabby but fine. Looks wise you’ll get some god awful plastic attached to a decent frame and half decent engine of 500cc’s at least. Bloke I know boTught a CB500, surface rusting bucket of carp but it’s done 70k’s and drank half a pint of oil (so he says) Looks like no one will nick it as it’s a shoddy looking bike, but then you are not after a Jota are you.
Failing that a CB250 of Yam/Suz versions.

Edit, just seen the comments above, I know nothing it appears 😆

Ok, an old Beemer 80’s R45?

insurance is cheap. I’m 43 and passed my test last year – I just insured a cbf600 TPF&T for £70 with Bennetts with only a 1 year NC on a 125

I’d echo what he said about about buying cheap though – bikes seem to be more expensive now than ever and I doubt you would get a decent ride for £500 unless you are a wizzard with the spanners. Gear can be got from ebay for a song and reasonable helmets are less than a £100 new though obviously they need to fit properly

There’s some Honda VFRs that have sold on ebay for around £1000. Good solid bike. fast, relatively fun, good allrounders. Reliable.

honda xr250. pop some road tyres on or cross sport tyres.

Surely with the OP’s user name and needs the only candidate is the Honda Cub 90?

If you want to help the cost of insurance get yourself on a bikesafe course, it’s only a day, if you want to take it further there is the IAM, a very good course over a number of weeks, with a couple of classroom sessions, and the rest out riding being observed/debriefed.

I’ve seen a Kawasaki GT550 for £700, pretty bullet proof and easy to work on. Description says shaft drive, but I thought they were chain drives and the GT750 was a shaftie. where are you?
EDIT – they also have a ZX6R (high mileage for £999, but may be open to negotiation
EDIT – and a CZ 250 for £399

aberdeen – bummer, no use for you then

GT550 is a good shout, an yes they are shaft drive, check gumtree, seen taxed and tested GT’s selling for under £400 a month or so back. Sadly spring has sprung so prices have gone up, they’ll drop again next winter, always the best time to buy.

Oh and welcome to the old farts club re insurance, the CB350 is going to cost me in the region of £70pa 😀

CB500s are like VW Vans in that they all seem to command far higher prices than similar vehicles with a different badge.

£500 really isn’t very much when it comes to buying a motorbike. I recently sold a 25 year old grey import VTZ250 with new MoT for £625 and I think I may have been a bit hasty in accepting the first offer. If you can increase the budget to £800 to £1000 you’ll have much more choice.

Plastic maggot FTW. Honda CX500 V-twin, not the prettiest bike, but bike of choice for city couriers. Perfect everyday commute bike.
http://shaftdrivemotorcycles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/honda-cx-500-plastic-maggot.html
Some interesting takes on re-styling the Maggot here, too, so if you turn up a cheap tatty one, it might give you some ideas:
http://www.bikeexif.com/cx500
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