So what motorbike do I want?

How about one of these?  I have not ridden it for 20 years but just committed to sending it to experts for a very expensive engine rebuild.  I may have lost the plot totally :-)bsa 2 by TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr

Ooo, I like that Beezer.  How about a SV650?  Fast ish, fun, economical, light.

My Dad found an abandoned BSA (A10?) in a shed up on the bog in Donegal. He finally gave it to a friend to rebuild but it disappeared after that. I’d love something like that. Problem is the cost..

My Dad found an abandoned BSA (A10?) in a shed up on the bog in Donegal.

I have a 1968 bantam in my shed in Kerry, with electric ignition fitted to it. So once or twice a year I pull it out of the shed, clean the plugs, check the fuel and carb, kick it over and every time the bastard refuses to start. There’s a reason the British bike industry died and the twenty seven year old Honda that lives in the same shed and starts without fail is a handy reminder why.

Is it just me or is the forum dog-shit slow again today?

Bantams usually start very easily – I bet the crankcase seals have gone.  thats what happened to mine

At the risk of derailing the thread, here’s my ’49 Matchless. Spent most of it’s life in Pakistan before coming back to Scotland with a neighbours dad who worked for the UN.

It had a very, very hard life in Pakistan 😅

I got it in bits, and spent a fortune getting it going.  It broke down, or something rattled loose, every time I did more than 20 miles on it…

Riding it was a bit like juggling, what with the gears on the wrong side and upside down, rigid frame and the manual retard.

The patina was just perfect though, it looked great.  If I had a mancave and plenty dosh I’d have kept it just to fire up occasionally and enjoy the smell of old oil.

I passed my test in 1982, even for folk my age an R65 was never on anyone’s Wish List…

Big Scoot would be my response.

Vfr is the commuting bike of choice.

What about a kwasaki er6n?

Not fast. Comfy and a nice looking thing

R1150GS would be in budget, and if one day you fancy just keeping on going until you hit the Mediterranean it would be ideal.

As mentioned somewhere above, I would suggest looking at a Honda NC700 / 750.

I own a few motorcycles, and have owned probably 60 or so over the years. Last year I bought a used NC750X to use for local runs and in the bad weather. It’s ace! So convenient with it’s onboard storage and frugality. Fun too! My BMWs (K1600, R9T and GSA) haven’t had a look in since I bought the Honda. I even picked the Honda over the K1600 for a recent tour around Scotland :-)

I would consider Honda NC750x with automatic gear.

But then I always like automatic gear like a scooter.

I have no problems with scooters, I just don’t want one. I love that Matchless (which is much more my taste in bikes).

I also have a ‘you dropped it, you pick it up’ rule. So no R1100GS.

I hired an NC700 a few years ago and I really liked it. As already mentioned the onboard storage is good and you can fit a helmet in it

Aprilia Peggy Sue

I keep thinking I should suggest my first bike a BMW F650 single, was great fun to ride, pretty slow but it wasn’t pretty! The Aprillia is essentially the same bike but slightly less ugly.

Not what I’d get for the purposes outlined. However as it seems to be name a random motorbike thread…I’ve got a 1986  Yamaha Tenere XT600Z 1VJ in Gauloises livery sitting in my living room with only 25 000km on the clock. Been off the road for about 5 years. It’s very clean…. Just need to re-fit the airbox for this spring. …and then get better at getting it in and out of my narrow front door…Also got my old MZetz251 in bits in the loft. Mostly been re-painted and plated etc. Next job in the process is to finish building the wheels.

The Classic motorcycle channel reviewed the Triumph 400’s recently. They sounded pretty good.