Morning all,

Me and the mrs have decided to lose one of our cars and go down to having a car and a motorbike.

Can anyone recommend a motorbike that is reliable and cheap looking for minimum 600cc so I can get myself out of trouble if I need to.

Also if anyone has one they want rid of I’ve got a lovely ridden 5x Yeti Sb6c I’d swap for a nicer motorbike to save me buying one.

Cheers

Uncool and cheap and 600cc

How much is cheap?

And how uncool do you want?

And why does it have to be uncool?

But define cheap – costs £20, will break down within 100 miles and brakes are as reliable as Donald Trump’s promises? A dealer/repair shop I know refuse to touch Chinese bikes any more having taken one in for a repair and found it to be dangerous. They called the owner, told him they couldn’t fix it and advised it go in a skip.
Is that how uncool and cheap you want to be?

Budget probably about £1000, uncool so it’s cheap. I’d take uncool and lower mileage/reliable over paying a premium for a well loved and sought after machine.

Bit like how Honda VTR 1000s are super cheap because no-one wants them (Ugly). Whats the 600cc comuter equivalent?

BTW – CBR600, not the cheapest to buy but servicing and maintenance will be negligible. Yamaha Fazer or Suzi SV650, cheaper to buy but less reliable so saving on purchase disappear into running costs

600cc so I can get myself out of trouble if I need to

This is a load of drivel. Power will ALWAYS get you into trouble, never out of it. Riding sensible gets you out of trouble. I do 12,000 miles a year on a bike with 47bhp that struggles to crack 100mph. Not once in my entire riding career have I ever “used power to get out of trouble”
You’ll be telling us ‘loud cans save lives’ next.

I’ve currently got a Honda NC700x with 40,000 miles on the clock. It’ll be FAAAAR cheaper when you account all servicing and running costs than anything currently mentioned simply because of its economy. 80mpg is easy to get, tyres last 12,000 miles, services every 8000 miles are easy to DIY, nothing goes wrong with it. I’d be willing to put money on my entire running costs being little more than just the fuel on a CBR600

What about one of those larger engine twist-and-go bikes?

A long-time biker (ridden bikes for 40 years+) had one at a place I used to work (I think it was a 400cc).

There was nothing cool about it, but it has a decent screen and fairing, plus room under the seat for some shopping & I think he had a top box on it.

He used to overtake me on the way home & it had a fair old turn of speed.

Or one of those bikes with two wheels at the front – I think they’re a Yamaha model…?

Too cool?

looking for minimum 600cc so I can get myself out of trouble if I need to.

Oops. Retracted 😀

Yamaha Fazer or Suzi SV650, cheaper to buy but less reliable so saving on purchase disappear into running costs

My Fazer (well, the naked version) has done over 110,000km so far, only let me down once when I killed the battery leaving the parking lights on by mistake in the middle of winter…

Might be a bit over the OP’s budget, though.

600cc so I can get myself out of trouble if I need to

This is a load of drivel. Power will ALWAYS get you into trouble, never out of it. Riding sensible gets you out of trouble. I do 12,000 miles a year on a bike with 47bhp that struggles to crack 100mph. Not once in my entire riding career have I ever “used power to get out of trouble”
You’ll be telling us ‘loud cans save lives’ next.

I’ve currently got a Honda NC700x with 40,000 miles on the clock. It’ll be FAAAAR cheaper when you account all servicing and running costs than anything currently mentioned simply because of its economy. 80mpg is easy to get, tyres last 12,000 miles, services every 8000 miles are easy to DIY, nothing goes wrong with it. I’d be willing to put money on my entire running costs being little more than just the fuel on a CBR600

Your opinion. I disagree, having had issues on an underpowered 250 in the past when pulling up a motorway slip road and a row of lorries were in convoy.

My last bike was a cbr600rr so a 600cc commuter won’t be getting me into any trouble.

Yamaha Diversion 600
The Dwayne Dibley of motorbikes.

Is large bike necessary? (more than 250CC)

If you’re commuting into London a cheap bike will be no used in a couple of years- euro emissions coming in

Diversion looks like a good shout, cheers for that!

It’s for use in Nottingham, to be fair it only needs to last a couple of years and we’ll probably go back up to 2 cars.

Wife’s just gone back to work only 3 days after a year on maternity. It’s to help pay the hangover of debt off from the last year.

Wife’s just gone back to work only 3 days after a year on maternity. It’s to help pay the hangover of debt off from the last year.

Are you actually going to save that much money? If you’re going to be using it year-round don’t forget to budget another 500 for clothes/helmet/boots/gloves…

Anyway, my opinion: look for a Japanese 600CC of whatever kind that fits your budget, check the tyres don’t need changing and that it hasn’t been dropped too many times. I wouldn’t worry about specific models, although the Diversion mentioned above is a spectacularly good fit for the “uncool” criteria 🙂

I have a CBF600 for sale.

Its the definition of uncool but it has never once let me down and i’ve done year round commuting on it.

55 reg (2006 year) with 27k on it.

Comes with hard panniers and I am just about to put it on MCN for around £1500 but would happily let it go to a STWer for £1200

I’m in East Sussex

mogrim – Member
Wife’s just gone back to work only 3 days after a year on maternity. It’s to help pay the hangover of debt off from the last year.
Are you actually going to save that much money? If you’re going to be using it year-round don’t forget to budget another 500 for clothes/helmet/boots/gloves…

Anyway, my opinion: look for a Japanese 600CC of whatever kind that fits your budget, check the tyres don’t need changing and that it hasn’t been dropped too many times. I wouldn’t worry about specific models, although the Diversion mentioned above is a spectacularly good fit for the “uncool” criteria

I’ve got a loft full of different motorbike kit from when I had one before.

Massive saving over my car running costs

£220 pcm on a loan (will clear this with the capital
£90 pcm on insurance
£25 pcm on tax
£200 per tyre
20mpg so about £200 a month on fuel

I’ll only be using the motorbike maybe 2 times a week, then using our other car 1 or 2 days per week then riding push bike the other day or 2 days.

Basically sharing a car and having a motorbike as a contingency. Will probably ride push bike a lot of the time, but the motorbikes is a good safety net for when I’ve got a cold or if I’ve got a late finish.

Winston, thanks but its too far away really

no worries

I commuted for a couple of years on a Bandit 600, never let me down. You’ll want a fairing if you’re on fast roads though, my Bandit was nekkid and that was fine for nipping through town but it was horrible on motorways.

Heh – I learned to ride on a CBF600 – fab bike – almost as easy to ride as my S1000XR!

That’s why I’d go for if I wanted a 600cc commuter.

Rachel

My CCM 230 is great for commuting. 100mpg is easy. Good riding position and as I live in the UK and don’t ride like a twit the 70 mph top end is perfect. In fact 50 is fine. Trials tyres are cheap and its lasting well.

I’ve got a loft full of different motorbike kit from when I had one before.

Massive saving over my car running costs

Fair enough! If you’ve got all the kit already that’s a big saving, it’s something people underestimate when they look at bike costs.

If you’re on an economy drive then mpg will be a factor, so why not go for a 250 like Suzuki Inazuma, 80 mph top speed how much more do you need. I’ve been astonished about how uneconomical a lot of motorbikes are: exception being the Honda NC700 recommended above. You can get a lot of 250 for £1k. flog it on for £700 in two years time…
Check out fuelly.com for real world figures. I zap about on on Suzuki Van Van 125 100mpg, almost embarrassing when you go into petrol station and hand over £4.23 to fill it up. But it is underpowered no doubt about it, for commuting. Plus one for recommending a windscreen and maybe even totally uncool muffs (fnaar fnaar) if you are seeing this a wet weather/winter option.

ER6N

Cheers, I really don’t want a 250, Fuel isn’t an issue really as it won’t get used that much. Maybe 50 miles per week.

It’s more to get me out of a situation when I’m too tired to ride a bike or can’t take the shared car we will still have.

The Honda NC700 looks perfect but that’s not happening for 1k from what I can see.

Not 600cc but bigger than a 250, so enough oomph

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/suzuki-AN400-burgman/332227636922

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUZUKI-gs500-e-1997-LONG-MOT/182593072045

Not too far from Nottingham either (I live here too), my boss picked up a cbr400 from £380 iirc.

Your opinion. I disagree, having had issues on an underpowered 250 in the past when pulling up a motorway slip road and a row of lorries were in convoy.

So you spot them before you hit the end of the sliproad and slow down and merge behind them like everyone else. a 250 still get’s off the line quicker than just about anything with 4 wheels.

]

Your opinion. I disagree, having had issues on an underpowered 250 in the past when pulling up a motorway slip road and a row of lorries were in convoy.

It is my experience and my opinion, yes,
And I’ve got a huge amount of experience to back it up.
250 will do 70-80 mph,
Trucks are limited to 56mph
If that wasn’t enough then it was your fault for putting yourself in the situation in the first place, you didn’t plan ahead far enough. End of. 🙂

That said, I wouldn’t do a motorway commute on a 250 either, you’ll kill the bike and it won’t be pleasant. A bit more size/weight is desirable for faster roads. £1000 gets an ER6 or Bandit fairly easily, I wouldn’t by a GS500 as they are pants for quality, if you’re lucky you’ll get a CB500, they’ll do massive milages without complaint. Weak spots are exhaust down pipes and suspension wear but both are easy to check for and sort. I did 34,000 miles on one of throes in just over three years, great bikes, good fun to ride and the old ones (90s bikes) are 10bhp up on the newer ones.

My opinion differs. I’m not here to argue about what I’d like in terms of size of motorbike.

I’d go for a big scooter depending on what the commute is like. Fast enough for a roads, dual carrigeways and much nicer to ride in poor conditions

OP – how much for the Yeti?
email in profile please.

What about one of those larger engine twist-and-go bikes?

A long-time biker (ridden bikes for 40 years+) had one at a place I used to work (I think it was a 400cc).

There was nothing cool about it, but it has a decent screen and fairing, plus room under the seat for some shopping & I think he had a top box on it.

He used to overtake me on the way home & it had a fair old turn of speed.

Or one of those bikes with two wheels at the front – I think they’re a Yamaha model…?

I’d go for a big scooter depending on what the commute is like. Fast enough for a roads, dual carrigeways and much nicer to ride in poor conditions

TBH you’d struggle to get a maxi-scooter on a £1000 budget.

Where are you based mate – I have an xtz660 coming up for sale soon – its just waiting on an MOT before I advertise – ideally looking for a little more than £1000 but not loads more. If you end up googling it be aware its a bit different to a standard one – looks ore dirt bike than adv these days.

just in case

So dull and uncool it hurts

An RGV250 can keep up with traffic…..

Actually a big trail bike makes a great short distance commuter – and works in the snow

I’ll pass on those above thanks guys.

Not my cup of tea and other is too high mileage.

OP – how much for the Yeti?
email in profile please.

£3000 No offers

Suzuki sv650, 70 bhp should be enough and there are loads about.
I actually agree with poster above that power doesn’t get you out of trouble, but when you have ‘enough’ it makes a bike much easier to ride.
Id rather have 90 than 40bhp any day.