Which bike for commuting - motorbike that is :)

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Which bike for commuting - motorbike that is :)

58 posts & 30 voices | Started 8 months ago by turneround | Latest reply from neninja

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superfli - Member

If you want to use it through winter and snow, then something light with nobbly's. A 250-400 trailie. I have a KLR250 which I bought to replace a sports bike for commuting about 3 years ago. Cost me £900, is very cheap to run, reliable (although I did screw the valves+cams when using it for greenlaning), gets me through snow to a certain degree, and is great fun to ride. You wouldnt want to sit on the motorway for too long though. My commute is only 7miles each way and only a short stint on m/w.
I would love a 400 xr or drz, but havent got the cash.
But as already said, very hard to get hold of atm.

Even more so then.

Posted 8 months ago #
Mostly Balanced - Member

Kawasaki KLE500, Honda Transalp, Honda Africa Twin, BMW GS series.

All the above would do the job in ascending order of cost.

Posted 8 months ago #
weeksy - Member

Faired CB500, cheap, reliable and efficient...

Some of the above ideas are a little insane.

Posted 8 months ago #
grahamg - Member

Honda 90

Those little buggers are bullet proof!

Posted 8 months ago #
tomaso - Member

Transalp is a great bike for touring and light off road and the engine is solid enough to go round the clock. But its not the most fun you can have on two wheels! I used to have one of these which has the same engine in a road chassis but is shaft driven GB Bikes Revere

This looks good value as it has a fairing and panniers with BMW reliability and shaft drive cheapness GB Bikes K75

Or an old Tiger GB Bikes Tiger

Posted 8 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

I would still be looking at a road bike. Most of the "trail bikes" listed such as the transalp do not come with properly knobbly tyres - they are really tourers in a trailbike shape

Yamaha XT 500 / 600 perhaps?

Posted 8 months ago #
hels - Member

Sorry to thread highjack - but how often does one need to change motorbike tires ? The manual is a bit useless on the subject, and I have conducted a visual inspection and check the pressure regularly but don't really know what the tread depth should be.

Have done a whole 6000 miles from new so thinking it will be a while yet ?

Posted 8 months ago #
Marge - Member

Firstly I commute 150km a day on a R1150GS & it's great.
Comfortable, stable, ABS, heated grips etc.
I've now done over 75K km on it without any problem in all weather conditions (even snow)
It's quite big & heavy but so am I so we get on well

secondly tire changes on the motorbike.
tread depth requirement is the same as cars but it's even harder to quantify / measure...
Like cars it's not about distance covered but wear rate. I get lots lots lots more distance out of my BMW than my Kawazaki ZX9R.
If the tire still has a profile that resembles the original shape (ie not squared off in the middle) and still has clearly visible tread pattern then you will be just fine...

Posted 8 months ago #
shedbrewed - Member

Hels, first off what is the bike, and what type of riding do you do?
The legal limit for tyre tread on motorcycles is 1mm over 75% of the tyre's breadth.
You also need to be aware of any perishing or cracks and damage to the tyre.
What you will find though is that the rear tyre will square off if you are doing long periods of riding on motorways or dual carriageways for example where the bike isn't leaning through corners.
The front tyre may also start to do some funny things such as develop shoulders and low spots.
Start with the legal depth and then see how the tyre feels when riding.

Posted 8 months ago #
hels - Member

Its a girly wee Yamaha YBR 125 - I use it to commute 36 miles round trip to work spring-autumn, on windy A roads and city roads.

With a top speed of 60 mph I doubt I will notice any shoulders or low spots but thanks !

I do check the tires regularly I have been the recipient of a few lectures on safety and keep eye on tires so there are no cracks or anything.

So it's the matchstick head ruler then ??

(and yes I know, I need a bigger bike, it's on the list...)

Posted 8 months ago #
shedfull - Member

Suzuki SV650S. Mine does around 60mpg, the power delivery gives plenty of low end torque for riding in traffic, the tyres are cheap and good, year-old, low mileage examples can be had for under £5k.

Posted 8 months ago #
shedbrewed - Member

Ok, well 125s won't wear the tyres so hard as larger bikes; less weight, less power, less wear. Keep an eye on the tyres for the cracks and punctures etc, but truth be told you will probably get another 6000 miles out of them just fine.
Bigger bikes are more fun, but that said I REALLY want a VanVan, and I've 6 bikes in the shed and used to have a Hayabusa!

Posted 8 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

hels - Member

Sorry to thread highjack - but how often does one need to change motorbike tires ? The manual is a bit useless on the subject, and I have conducted a visual inspection and check the pressure regularly but don't really know what the tread depth should be.

Have done a whole 6000 miles from new so thinking it will be a while yet ?

For me? Any scalloping of the front, squared off rear or less than 1.5 mm at any point the tyre gets binned. By the time it reaches the legal limit you are riding on a very compromised tyre.

As for mileage - depends a lot on riding style - My BSA with a 110/90 cross-ply rear lasted around 7 000 miles, my BMW r 1100 about 3-4 000 miles. I tend to be heavy on tyres. The BMW cost me nearly as much in tyres per mile as petrol

Posted 8 months ago #
PeterPoddy - Member

I REALLY want a VanVan

They are becoming a very cool bike actually, they have a big following, people take them everywhere, touring, off road, the lot!

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/RidingEvents/Ridingeventsresults/Touring-travel/2010/may/may2810-Suzuki-VanVan-the-2679-Multistrada-rival/

It's probably the best suggestion so far for the OP I reckon, seriously.

Posted 8 months ago #
Marge - Member

As for mileage - depends a lot on riding style - My BSA with a 110/90 cross-ply rear lasted around 7 000 miles, my BMW r 1100 about 3-4 000 miles. I tend to be heavy on tyres. The BMW cost me nearly as much in tyres per mile as petrol

I get as much 30k km on a rear on my BMW but that says a lot about the route my commute takes me.
I get them free too so it's not like I am being tight...

Posted 8 months ago #
hels - Member

Thanks chaps !

Posted 8 months ago #
hels - Member

Would I look like a normal size person standing next to one of those Van Van things ??

Posted 8 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

30 000 km on a bmw on a tyre? Do you open the throttle at all? I would ahve used at least 6 tyres by then. even the 100 cc bike I had only did around 15 000 miles per rear tyre

Van van is a good call.

Posted 8 months ago #
Marge - Member

Do you open the throttle at all?

I ride on the highway except 2km either end of the trip...

Posted 8 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

I just find that astonishing. 30 000 km on a tyre on a motorcycle. I would not get to 10 000 km

Posted 8 months ago #
shedbrewed - Member

hels - Member

Would I look like a normal size person standing next to one of those Van Van things ??

I dunno? I'm 6'2" and make an Enfield Trials look small;

but I don't care, the VanVan is so awesome I must own one at some point. I particularly like the purple colour scheme, though it would have to have a brown seat. They made a 200cc version for the domestic market, same as the Yamaha TW...

Posted 8 months ago #
solamanda - Member

Depends on distance and type of road. I use a Kawasaki ER-6F with a few mods for winter, (heated grips, diy hand guards, tall screen, scottoiler). I have a 90 mile commute and have racked up 41k on it. Does 55-65mpg depending on how it's ridden and gets good tyre life using dual compound Michelin tyres, 10/18k rear/front despite being ridden hard in the summer months. If you're going to ride all year expect decent wear/tear. It helps alot to be handy at diy repairs and any bike will have it's issues if ridden high mileage/winter roads. Personally I favour a bike which is common so spares from breakers are easy to come by. I can do things like pickup a near new shock for £40 as it's so common and low budget.

I also ride an Aprilia RSV1000 and even still a cheap bike like the ER can be alot of fun plus alot easier to ride when things get icy/dirty roads.

Posted 8 months ago #
neninja - Member

Did you get sorted with a commuter?

A friend has let me know she has a 2009 BMW F650GS for sale with only 300 miles on the clock. Yes it really is only 300 miles so not even run in yet.

Would make a perfect commuter/touring bike on a budget.

Posted 7 months ago #

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