From sixteen I had a motorbike. 50cc first,. then 125, moved onto 250, then 350 (RD350 YPVS - the most fun anyone can ever have, ever), VF500. Terribly dangerous and all that. I was mental back then, it's astounding I'm still alive. Twenty years on, I want another one in typical MLC form.
But my plan is, cool, sounds good, looks ok and is quite cheap. Help needed from the STW motorbiking community.
So I'm looking for suggestions in buying a motorbike. Up to 500cc. Mostly for messing about on but the odd commute (easy 15 miles on A roads), nipping up to the biker cafe with my wife on the back. All middle aged bollocks. Nice to ride, not too fast, crap handling to keep me in check. Most important is sounding great. Big solid V2 or something.
Go on then, advise me.
sv650
thread closed 😉
oh didn't see the crap handling bit- Enfield single then.
Honda CB 500. Faster than anything you rode back then good solid reliable bikes. Kawa er 600. suzi SV 650 are two other options
Ducati monster - one of the smaller ones perhpas?
Modern triumph bonnie?
The Sv650 owners club website worries me. They have a fallen friends section, it seems to have a lot of ex-people in it. That's exactly the sort of behaviour I don't want to get back into.
Attack a w650 with a bit of duc tape and a few zip ties?
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Actually the smaller Monsters are nice to ride, not so mental etc
Motorbikes are not dangerous people are.
BMW 800?
Hornet 600. Nice and easy to ride but you can scream the bollocks off it
I like the CB500 TJ, that's been pretty much on the top of my list so far.
The w650 looks massively awesome but I suspect will be a little too crazy for me.
Don't like BMW's.
BMWs are riders machines - not for posers. BMW 800 in two different flavours
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teh w 650 willbe slower than a cb 500 - nicve bike by all acounts or go for a modern bonnie
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you might have trouble getting your wife on the back... but who cares..? she can take a bus and meet you there later..
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That's exctaly why I don't like BMW's, the crazy colour stuff is bonkers.
That Bonnie looks fantastic though. Exactly what I fancy, just way out of what I want to spend. Very cheap is another driving factor. This is a toy.
We've already got two cars with a third no doubt due when my son turns 17. The bike will have to come cheap and will be funded by sales of cycles.
I love that bike yunki. Dirty great single cylinder, tiny tank, ridiculous brakes. That's what motorbikes are all about.
it's just motorbike.. nothing else added.. nothing uneccessary.. just grrrr and metal..
there's a huge custom xs650 (twin cylinder BTW I think) scene..
I love 'em cos my godfather had one in the late 70s and early 80s.. a low.. mean.. dirty.. noisy minimalistic thing with big apehanger bars.. well as mean as it could be in bright pink
Most important is sounding great.
Went looking at Enfields a year or so ago.
The guy who owned the business (D & C Classics in Cowling) had a demonstrator with an open pipe - Jesus H Corbett, it sounded like the apocalypse.
Nice bike too.
If you don't mind the image, you could always get a Sportster, the new ones look quite nice:
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Modern Bonnies are lovely:
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As are Kawasaki W800's and some of the newer Guzzi's:
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[img] http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcStjwLdm4OygGEcisw7BSkcdKl2SxDyhn99vQDy3DpCnWYabBrTbg [/img]
But, if you've ridden LC's in the past, why not buy another one before prices get totally out of control?
Go on, you know you want another one:
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I know I do. An LC with a powervalve motor, Allspeeds, a Pro Am bikini fairing and a bellypan please, in Roberts speedblock yellow.
And I promise not to destroy it this time...
second that about dave at d & C classics in yorkshire.. great guy to deal with he ll set you up with a nice low mileage indian RE no probs.. and cheap
Enfield india are very slow indeed. I have one
TandemJeremy - MemberEnfield india are very slow indeed. I have one
Which one do you have TJ?
The newer alloy, 5 speed, fuel injected bikes are a totally different experience to the older iron engined ones.
QC has improved massively too.
An older iron one - with a gas flowed head, bigger concentric carb, open exhaust, electronic ignition - much faster than stock - still a sub 30 bhp slug.
Sounds perfect. 😀
Let's have a picture then!
350 or 500?
500 - In a sort of trails trim with half a tonnne of pig iron removed from it, laid up in the lockup for years. Needs a bit of wiring to run again. I must get round to it
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That's actually pretty nice, in a ratty kind of way.
I like the kits that Hitchcocks produce for the older Indian models:
1950's style:
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Fury:
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Continental:
[img] http://assets.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/pictures/category3762/large/99021.jp g" target="_blank">http://assets.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/pictures/category3762/large/99021.jp g"/> [/img]
Still quite fancy one of the new ones, but the prices have got a bit much recently.
Kawasaki KLR650 is about as cheap as bikes get. Kind of like a hardtail MTB in that it's OK to ride offroad and on. Sitting up nice and high for the commute, tons of torque from that monster single, and gets 4.4l/100km. I'm loving mine.
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I was going to suggest a single cylinder trailie as above or a Honda Dominator. I have a 1995 BMW F650 which meets all you requirements
Nice to ride, not too fast, crap handling to keep me in check. Most important is sounding great.
The bike will have to come cheap
Ok well its cheap, has crap handling and is slow.
The Dakar versions look nice but cost more
Jon - another alternative is a SuperMoto style jobber. There's some nice lowish cc 4 stroke single versions about. Suzuki do a 400 that looks schweet.
I was going to suggest a single cylinder trailie as above or a Honda Dominator. I have a 1995 BMW F650 which meets all you requirements
I would go along with that, or even the BMWs mentioned by Tandem. My personal choice would be a bit bigger and the BMW 1200 GS as my back informs me sports bikes are not the way forward.
SV650 as has been mentioned but might handlle a bit too well (that has got me into trouble)
Not good if you're tall either.
650 Transalp(v twin,rides like a big mtb) or XT660 (3 versions currently)
Have fun 🙂
Motorbikes are not dangerous people are.
Yeah, people on motorbikes 😉 I think the OP recognises this though given the requirements he mentions..
Personally I like BMWs.. OOPS what am I saying..!?
Why on earth would anyone specifically want a 'crap handling bike'??? 😯
Believe me, you're a LOT less likely to crash a good handling bike!
I do love those Enfields though. I want one with a sidecar. Phutphutphutphutphutphutphutphutphutphutphut.... 🙂
In the end though, bikes are all about WHAT YOU WANT, not what you NEED, or what anyone else says you need. Look until you find one that makes you [i]want it[/i], makes you [i]need it badly[/i]. One that you can look at and sit on that makes [i]you feel good[/i], one that has you checking your reflection in shop windows. Bikes aren't logical, cold decisions. Go with your heart, not your head, then and only then will you be happy. 😀
Ahh. Mr Molgrips on a bike thread again! 🙂
When are you gonna let me take you out for a ride, now that I have the appropriate bike for the job? 🙂
Enfields can be made to go indecently fast.
Don't know if the scrambles cam can be got or replicated these days, but with that, some inlet port work, and a Wal Phillips fuel injector an original Bullet can be made to fly. At least as good as the contemporary Bonnie. The brakes were best replaced though.
Next time I am down in F'boro 🙂
I presume the OP meant handling aimed at comfortable cruising, rather than sporty razzing.. but I could be wrong. That's the kind of bike I'd like anyway if I were in the market for one.
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Kind of falls down on the "cheap" criteria, but it would fit right in at Top Barn. They'd be throwing themselves all over you
My father in law has an old Enfield, ugly POS. Why would you go all retro or even a Bonnie???.. Gawd they're ugly, break down, fall appart, crash into pieces, rust, smell, you'll look like a nob (and old nob at that), I could go on..
Simple 4cyl 500ish roadbike, like one of those seventies styled things they all produce these days, it'll work well, go well, not breakdown, be clean, tidy, do decent mpg, be comfortable.. I should go on...
Or go senenties/eighties retro on one of these things (I very briefly had the 250cc version, it was mental )
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Why on earth would anyone specifically want a 'crap handling bike'???
same reason that some people prefer the driving experience in an ancient Triumph Dolomite to that of a Ford Focus maybe..?
I do love those Enfields though. I want one with a sidecar. Phutphutphutphutphutphutphutphutphutphutphut....
Nah, you want one of these........
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Ural Cross.
same reason that some people prefer the driving experience in an ancient Triumph Dolomite to that of a Ford Focus maybe..?
Point missed! You don't go specifically for 'crap handling' do you? You just happen to like Dolomites! 🙂
If you wanted crap handling a mk1 Nissan Micra would be worse too.....!
Simple 4cyl 500ish roadbike, like one of those seventies styled things they all produce these days, it'll work well, go well, not breakdown, be clean, tidy, do decent mpg, be comfortable.. I should go on...
But that's not a reason to buy a motorbike is it? That's a reason for buying a washing machine!
Point missed!
doubtful
It's my point and it was missed. Fact. 🙂
not by me it wasn't.. in fact.. you utterly missed [i]mine[/i] 🙄
Yours? You had a point? Doubtful......
excellent
Well the OP did ask for something cheap yeah.. so you can buy those homogenous bikes for the price of a batterd pizza n chips.. And the lad said he'll take his OH on the back, well the Enfield will vibrate like a washing machine so who knows, she maybe making the decision for him harrrdy harr harr.