Going to convert from commute by car to commute by bike. 50 miles each way with a fair bit of motorway involved, and I have a 3 bike short list, once I have finished the Direct Access course in the next few weeks.

Bike choice in no particular order:

Triumph speed four
Triumph 955i tiger
Honda VFR 800i

Looking at £3.5k max and riding in all weather, except snow and ice

Discuss?

IMO, If you are a noob, those bikes are too heavy/powerfull

A 400/500 commuter bike would be better bet until you get some experience

not tryign to dampen enthusiasm but what's prompted this?

anyone I've ever worked with has who's tried it has said that commuting by motorbike is;

a) dangerous.
b) costly (assuming you have a bike on top of a car)
c) not really quicker on any journey under an hourby the time you include getting all the kit on/off at each end (and assuming you ride sensibly)
d) miserable in the wet, wind and fog.

OK, so what smaller bikes can do motorways?

CBR600F

a) Whats life without a little risk?
b) actually, no, it could get me out of L code zone, as the car is a tad thirsty…long story
c) I would disagree, on the basis it takes 50 mins on a good day in the car, but in peak rush hour and other usual M25 way, I regularly sit in a tin can for over 2.5 hours for the same journey, and even if I crawl along in the jams on a bike, I will make up an hour at least.
d) No worse than going for a muddy winter mtb ride in the right clobber. Have shower at the office too

also, never said I wouldn't have the car as a standby, if it really looks gopping that day.

I always thought the CBR 600F and the Thundercat were a little small. (I'm 6ft). Also the lights are worse than the VFR for sure.

A bigger bike may be more powerful, but surely it's down to how I ride it? This is my MLC don't forget!

Not really looked into bikes for a while, but how about something like an SV650? They do still make them don't they?
Or would the lack of a full fairing be a bit of a chore?

Hence my resistance to the speed four, which would otherwise be a great choice I think?

Suzuki Bandit
Honda CB 500

Both used, not exciting but you have a better chance of staying alive

CBR600 definately not a first bike IMHO!

You will be fine on the VRF, the CBR600 is a great bike but I agree with you that whats the difference between that and the little bit extra the VRF has, and the VRF will have a lovely smooth power delivery, and dont they have ABS too?..

I had a Bandit 600 and a CBR600 you can get in just the same agro on the Bandit as on the CBR, its all down to the rider.

I am not so sure on the Triumphs, as I dont have first hand experience of them, you need a bike with a durable finish to it, if the Triumphs dont match the Honda in that respect then ditch them, and Bandits dont hold up well to all year riding either, all that bike for so little dosh shows in the finish if it isnt looked after..

I would go for a lightweight like an er5 or 6 much cheaper to run .Bigger bikes are expensive to run thirsty and expensive on tyres chains and sprockets.To be honest it's no cheaper than running a small car .Unless you can filter a lot to save time on your commute I would not bother

The only bike on your list that I'd consider for that journey is the VFR800. DON'T get the VTEC one (although I doubt you will for the price) but get as late a model of the older one as you can. They had gear driven cams so needed very little maintenance (the standard phrase of old VFR owners is that they're barely run in by 100,000 miles) and are fast and fun without being silly. They have about equivalent power to a CBR600 so not too much for a new rider.

Also, consider the SV650S – properly fun bikes and there are quite a few SH ones with full fairing conversions. The CBR600 is a good, reliable bike or how about a Fazer 600?

Ignore all the comments about danger, weather, time spent putting on kit, etc. Commuting by bike is great fun, whatever the weather, shaves lots of time off your journey and you arrive at work ready for the day not half asleep from sitting in a crap tin box listening to junk on the radio.

But please, please ride defensively, think for everyone else as well as yourself and treat everyone as a complete idiot who isn't paying any attention and probably hasn't seen you. After your direct access, book in for a few days with an instructor learning to ride properly. The course you'll do just gets you a licence but advanced training teaches you good road positioning, reading the road and how to preempt what others will do. And buy this book and read it from cover to cover.

Have fun!

Ian

Thanks Ian

I will definitely buy that book too.

I had an early model Fazer and that was a good bike and your money should buy you a later model.

VFR800s do get boring pretty quickly though, power delivery is so linear and it sounds like a sewing machine.

I do 25 miles each way – Mway when late – almost every working day on my Triumph Sprint RS and its ace.
You will end up taking a longer slower more enjoyable route after a while, i bet.
Invest in some good kit and the weather will only take the edge off your enjoyment.
I get 50+ mpg if I keep the speeds leagal-ish, 220 miiles to the tank-full. And it is quicker than in my car.
If you get the bug you will go right off cars – very dull unless something a bit special.

Motor bikes are good for playing on and shite as a means of transport (In this country any hoo) Period.

I would very strongly recommend a smaller bike for a first bike – remember something like a cb500 will do 120 mph, cruise at 70+ without strain and out accelerate most cars. Spend the extra money on good quality kit – its expensive but makes a huge differnce. Big bikes are very expensive to run as well – something like the triumph will have a £120+ rear tyre that will wear out in a few thousand miles – you could do in he best part of £1000 a year in tyres! Have you looked at insurance costs?

You don't start learning to ride the bike until after your test. A smaller bike is easier to learn on.

BMW 650, CB500. ER650, SV650 – all better bikes for you IMO. Easier to learn to ride properly, cheaper to run.

If I was doing that commute tho I would probably get a megascooter such as the yamaha majesty. Easy to cruise at the legal limit or above, easy to ride, practical with on board luggage space and so on.

Bigger bikes are expensive to run thirsty and expensive on tyres chains and sprockets.To be honest it's no cheaper than running a small car .

My mate runs an R1 and seems to find it pretty economical in comparison with my cheap as chips car?

Coffeeking he is fooling himself – or he rides very slowly. An R1 will go thru a rear tyre in under 5000 miles and a front in under 10 000 – probably half that. The rear will be £120+ the front £90+. Petrol consumption will be similar to a car – 40 – 50 mpg chain and sprockets are a couple of hundred and last 10 – 20 000 miles

Go for it, but take care.

My first bike was a VFR (or VRF above ….) though the 750. I also did the equivelent of direct access after a 1 week crash (whoops bad choice of wording) course i.e. I took the test on a 125 and then bought a 750 on the Friday that I passed but that was just before the new regs came in.

I took it easy at first and, as pointed out above, you really teach yourself to ride after you've got your ticket (as you do with car driving really).

There's all sorts of stuff written about learning better/more through riding a smaller bike and never using the full potential of a big bike. Well yes, but a) its usually written by people that don't ride/don't ride anymore or who have smaller bikes and b) who gives a toss.

Buy what you wish and take care. It's not like you're training to be Rossi's replacement……is it?

Boblo – you will find the advice to get a middleweight to learn on and for your first bike comes from any experienced rider. I know its the view taken by all the riders I know. They cringe when someone new wants a 1000cc 100+ bhp bike.

If you want a bike bike to pootle around on then get one – if you want to learn to ride properly than get a midleweight.

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OK then BMW F800s – I want one anyway. But a bit pricy even used.

My mate runs an R1 and seems to find it pretty economical in comparison with my cheap as chips car?

If he rides hard it's a back tyre every 1000 miles that's not cheap

I bought a KMX200 when I passed my test then a SV650 (in sensible mode) the SV650 is an excellent first proper bike choice as they are light, cheap, 60mpg & if you fit crash bungs you won't damage much if you drop it.

I could never get more than about 1200 miles out of a rear tyre & 33 mpg on this – good fun though!

R1 looks lovely, but I'm not really into that stylie. Just saw the BMW F650cs and can't quite decide if its a great idea, or hit al the branches of the ugly tree on the way down.

Has nobody made a mid weight bike that isn't a race replica but has a full fairing?

BMW would be very reliable & sensible choice but many consider them a tad dull!
Try a SV650 before you make your mind up – they're a very good bike.
http://www.sv650.org/

Andy – you might have to settle for a half fairing.

SV 650 as above. cb 500 er6 fazer all have uprightish riding positions and half fairings

I've been there and got the T shirt.

I bought an SV650 after passing my test and for at least a year it will be all you'll need. Will out accelerate a Ferrari up to about 70 and can easily reach over 120 mph. Will corner better than you for quite a while.

Commuting by bike won't save you any money, nor will it save you much time when you include changing into and out of bike kit. In the winter a journey of about 40 mins will be the most you can comfortably do without getting really cold.

You WILL have an accident. Hopefully it will be small and you won't get hurt. By a bike without a faring as they're expensive to replace.

BUT it is fantastic fun, and I can thoroughly recommend it.

WEAR EAR PLUGS

PS my SV650 is for sale soon:- 2001, tatty, cheap, about to be MOT'd, near Bath

TandemJeremy – Member
Boblo – you will find the advice to get a middleweight to learn on and for your first bike comes from any experienced rider. I know its the view taken by all the riders I know. They cringe when someone new wants a 1000cc 100+ bhp bike.

If you want a bike bike to pootle around on then get one – if you want to learn to ride properly than get a midleweight

<sigh> Predictable, as you always say that when this subject comes up 🙂

Yes, you and your cronies hold one view but that isn't neccesarily the be all and end all as you (presumably) don't have exclusivity on experience or opinion?

I've had a succession of big bikes since getting into it and 'pootle' is not a description that would normally be used by most people to describe how these have been/are ridden.

I'm sure you, having served your apprentiship are one of the few to regularly scratch with your knee down on your BMW K75 (or whatever it is/was) that you usually maintain is the only sensible bike choice out there….

The OP asked for feedback on 3 bigger bikes. He's got that in the form of some that have gone that route before him. Just because you didn't doesn't neccesarily make it a bad choice.

more over, the Arpilia Shiver, is aimed squarely at beginners, according to their own gumpf, which is a 750cc twin, which outputs 95bhp. So as both the VFR and the Tiger 955i are in the same range, I remain confused. I am 6ft and Heavy, and don't want to be bunched up into a ball on a midweight bike that was never designed with a rider like me in mind. I also have no intent of getting my knee down, and I wish to keep my license intact too.

The more I look into it, the harder the choice appears, as I want a quality bike, that won't rust at the first sign of rain, and has bullet proof reputation. Hence the vfr choice, and the tiger.

It remains a mystery……

SV 650 is a good choice, apart from the suspect finish. I had a Triumph TT600 (faired version of the Speed 4) and it was an excellent bike. Triumphs have a far superior finish to Suzuki IME. Only problem I can see with the Speed 4 is the riding position – it still has the clip ons of the TT. Tiger would be fab, a tad ugly (955, not 1050), but excellent to ride and capable of crossing continents if you want to. Only problem is the size and the weight for a new rider. Also, Triumph 955 & 1050 triples feel a bit top heavy at low speed, again a bit unnerving for a newbie.
Hope this helps.

OP I'm NO motorbiker or claim to be.

However I dont think you should commute straight away in rush hour etc from the off. I'd run your commute in mid-evening and at weekends first to get used to the bike/route first.

For sensibly priced bikes, I'm pretty certain most would agree, the best for finish and finsh longevity is with a Nonda though BMW may well be in the hunt now particulalry with their more recent tackle.

Go for the VFR. Try to get a low milage '95-97 750 version though. Fast enough (although a bit heavy) and will last many a winters ride. Not much to go wrong (possibly the most over engineered production bike ever made) and will start first time every time. Only expensive issues are the collector box on the exhaust which can rot at around 20k (depending on use). Ideal all-round bike. From tour to track (a bit crap on the track thb but still great fun). It's got plenty of torque for someone of your experience. Just fit an aftermarket can and listen to the V4 angels. Use it for a year or two and sell it for the price you paid.

The CBR600F (not the RR version) is a decent sized bike. Much roomier than a Fireblade (i'm 6'5") but I really wouldn't recommend an inline 4 6oo to a rookie as 'funny things can happen if you rev it past 10k

Stay clear of an Aprilia for all round use. Great bikes but not really suited to british winters.

Whatever you get you you'll turn up to work with a smile on your face and take the scenic way home.

boblo – its not just "me and my cronies" its any experienced motorcyclist will give you that advice – you don't have to take it but it is a simple fact that newbies with big bikes are overrepresented in the accident stats and it is easier to learn to ride a middleweight.

Andy – something like the old Fazer 600 perhaps?

Many 600s are full size bikes – but are lighter than 1000s and are cheaper to run. ( tyres and chains as well as petrol – tyres and chains can easily cost you as much as petrol) A more upright riding position is easier as well – I found the VFR too low at the bars for me. Less bodywork is cheaper when you drop it which is likely to happen in your first year or two.

Cost of insurance is a part of this as well – have you got quotes? Decent kit will make life more pleasant on the commute and can easily take a huge chunk of your cash. You get a newer middleweight for the same money as an older 1000. They are not slow or small.

Go to one of the big showrooms and sit on a few bikes. being able to get your feet to the floor easily and balance the bike well makes life easier as does high wide bars. 60 – 80 bhp is plenty for a bike to feel very fast.
faser 600 – not small and dull.

Built down to a price but a lot of bike for your money

Basic rule, don't confuse your toys with your transport.

Get 2 bikes. One for fanging, and one low maintenance for commuting.

"d) No worse than going for a muddy winter mtb ride in the right clobber."

Having commuted by motorbike in all weathers and ridden an mtb in winter I would far far far far rather go for the mtb ride, winter motorbike commuting can be ferkin dodgy!

I would have one of these for that commute – but then I am old and sensible. Easy to ride, economical, no chain to wear, good weather protection, luggage capacity, all those dull practical things. Will do 100mph and cruise at 70+