A cheap hack for bad weather?

[Alpinestarhero]

I've been home this weekend, and my dad has done alot of major work (clutch, valve clearances / replacing some cam buckets...thanks neeja!). Upon his workings, he's found the bike to be in a right state. Which I knew, but not as much as it is.

Soooo

I want to get a cheap, reliable bike...smallish capacity, for the not so dry days and for the winters ahead of me. It'll be mostly used in london, for a 45 mile round commute. Ideally it'd be something really easy to work on aswell. I was thinking of a sort of enduro / motard type bike, like a DRZ400 (spoke to luckypants about this a while back :D) but I am also thinking I would be just as good off with a 125, like a honda XR125. My dad has an old yamaha XT250 which would be great for what I want that sort of bike for....but he isn't giving that up too easily :lol:

Suggestions please, and any comments about buying and ownership you care to make :) I also don;t want to have to spend alot :lol:

Scooters could also be included, easy peasy twist 'n' go, get me home when its 5 below

Matt

[yorkie_chris]

Gpz500 :)

[dizzyblonde]

Gpz500 :)


lol the OP said 'cheap' but does he dare go 'ratty'??:smt081

[maviczap]

Gpz500 :)

+1 Ride magazine has it included in the 6 bikes to buy for a grand or less. (5% commission to me on the sale YC :p)

[maviczap]

Scooters could also be included, easy peasy twist 'n' go, get me home when its 5 below Matt

I enjoyed riding my wifes scooter, twist & go, plus electric start. Feet stay dry too. But I always wanted it to go faster, so I'd opt for one of the bigger cc models.

My C90 is ok, but temperamental to start, and is so sloooooooooow :-?

[Alpinestarhero]

Na, don't want a GPZ500 ;)

I want something thats simple and easy to work on (something that I can work on easily) and dosn't need alot of money to keep it maintained. A single cylinder bike would be perfect really...and minimal plastics means less to break if I drop the bike in an icy car park

Mav....yea, I was thinking about a big capacity scooter, like a suzuki burgman or something. No fuss (and no frills) riding really, but oh so uber comfy

[dizzyblonde]

I know what you need.

An SRX600, single cylinder, comes in both electric start, and kicker (but you need the knack)
Cheap, nakid, cafe racer style, cheap to insure, nifty,

And old!

[fastdruid]

CB125RS? SRX400? GB500?

Druid

[yorkie_chris]

I know what you need.

An SRX600, single cylinder, comes in both electric start, and kicker (but you need the knack)
Cheap, nakid, cafe racer style, cheap to insure, nifty,

And old!

Good on fuel, bugger all to insure...
BUT they rot and the electrics are SH*TE!

IMO you want a reliable charging system for decent lights, depending on how long and trafficked your commute is.

[dizzyblonde]

Plenty of ways to play and learn though Chris, can fix em easy enough. Some fine examples out there.

Although even the scabbiest rottenist SRX600 refuse to die, and start after a year of sat still and silent, only a little gentle persuasion and away they go. The rust holds it together quite nicely :-)

And on occasions rotten SRXs leave sports bike left at the lights coughing and spluttering, or beat em round corners, as they handle so well..hehehehee

[Alpinestarhero]

CB125RS? SRX400? GB500?

Druid

All stonking great big beasts of bikes

with the notible exception of one third of the suggested machines

But still beasty in its own right

[Sid Squid]

A cheap hack for bad weather?
You've got one - it's called an SV650.

Clean it and look after it by all means - but there's no need to be precious about it.

[maviczap]

Mav....yea, I was thinking about a big capacity scooter, like a suzuki burgman or something. No fuss (and no frills) riding really, but oh so uber comfy

How about a stealth scooter, burgman outer shell, with a GSXR1000 engine shoehorned into the frame :p

High top end with Burgman comfort. When you wheelie off the line everyone's going to say WTF!:cool:

[Durbs]

I'd go for an old Transalp (and indeed probably will do next winter).

[Alpinestarhero]

You've got one - it's called an SV650.

Clean it and look after it by all means - but there's no need to be precious about it.

Ah, so your buying me that RC30 then ;)

Na, I am precious about it. As far as big bikes go its all I can afford and I want to keep it nice, because I've made the SV the bike I want. So I want something cheap to use on crap days and something I can look after easily myself, and not really care about if / when I drop it

[Alpinestarhero]

I'd go for an old Transalp (and indeed probably will do next winter).

I was thinking this...are they quite heavy? are they a single or a twin cylinder? I cant remmember

How about a stealth scooter, burgman outer shell, with a GSXR1000 engine shoehorned into the frame :p

High top end with Burgman comfort. When you wheelie off the line everyone's going to say WTF!:cool:

great idea :-D but can we keep it twist and go :lol:

[fastdruid]

I was thinking this...are they quite heavy?

Yes.

are they a single or a twin cylinder? I cant remmember

Twin.

CD200/CD250? Twins but simple small ones.

Druid

[Sid Squid]

Ah, so your buying me that RC30 then
Ahhh, no. That precious will be mine, I may let you peek at it - if you're lucky.

[Durbs]

I was thinking this...are they quite heavy? are they a single or a twin cylinder? I cant remmember



V-Twin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Transalp), and no, not really that big and heavy. Although they are in an Enduro stylee, they are not like, for example, a big thing like a Varadero. Rock solid reliable too.

Edit - just seen the post above, i've sat on a few as i fancied one and didn't think it either big or heavy.

[fastdruid]

V-Twin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Transalp), and no, not really that big and heavy.

191Kg! I class that as pretty heavy, my VFR750FJ[1] is only 203Kg.

Druid

[1] The older, fatter, uglier sister to the RC30 ;)

[Durbs]

191Kg! I class that as pretty heavy, my VFR750FJ[1] is only 203Kg.


Its for riding though, not carrying around. Doesn't 'feel' weighty.

[Alpinestarhero]

Those CD's look kinda alright, bit of classic style to them and probably dead easy to work on. Have you had one before FD?

191 kg for the transalp...well thats not too bad, but if its top heavy it could be...i'll keep an eye out for them though

[speedplay]

You've got one - it's called an SV650.

Clean it and look after it by all means - but there's no need to be precious about it.


And I was going to say "yellow curvy" :(

[wyrdness]

I've got a 650 Deauville, which I'm thinking of selling. It's reliable, but a bit tatty.

[fastdruid]

Those CD's look kinda alright, bit of classic style to them and probably dead easy to work on. Have you had one before FD?

http://www.fastdruid.co.uk/albums/Cadwell_2000/thumbs/640x480042.jpg

;)

2m20s lap of Cadwell, flat out apart from the old hairpin and having to change down for coppice and the mountain (to make it up them) ...

Druid

[600+]

Financially I don't think it makes sense A*Hero

You have a 11 year old SV with the relevant scars to show it. I would just keep this, run it for as long as you can while saving for a newer big bike.

If you are spending too much on servicing then compare that to paying for a 0% deal or a loan in general that would get you a newer big bike.

[LK-SV]

As above ..... insurance, tax, mot, maintanence ...... doesn't make sense ..... you have a cheap hack already ..... put the money to one side to put towards a new bike in time ......

[yorkie_chris]

Maintanence is mileage dependant so doesn't really come into it.

GPZ paid for its tax in fuel savings over a couple of weeks, also you can use hardest tyres you can find on your hack meaning the more expensive (perhaps stickier if you don't have spare wheels) rubber on your fun bike doesn't wear.
Just something to think about.

[ophic]

Go for a cheap 125, cruiser style. Lightweight and comfortable. Much better fuel economy than an SV, cheap tax, insurance, etc. Single cylinder 4-stroke aircooled engine, bulletproof as not much to go wrong. Also simple to work on.

I've got a GZ125 Marauder for sale.... ;)

[LK-SV]

I used to have a GN125 ........ that was a great winter bike ...

Still not sure financially it works .... Not sure what you intend to gain .... what are you trying to avoid ??

[dizzyblonde]

Go for a cheap 125, cruiser style. Lightweight and comfortable.

make that heavyweight for the cc and see every scooter of 50cc woop yer ass up a hill;)

My 125 Honda Rebel weighed a tonne for a 125, and it only had 12.5bhp, boy was I embarrassed when that scooterboy flew past me:mad:

[ophic]

make that heavyweight for the cc and see every scooter of 50cc woop yer ass up a hill;)

My 125 Honda Rebel weighed a tonne for a 125, and it only had 12.5bhp, boy was I embarrassed when that scooterboy flew past me:mad:
Nah it'll see off a 50cc scoot... just. It puts out something like 9-12bhp i think, depending on who you believe. Tops out about 60mph. Really not bad in town, but a bit buzzy on open roads.

But, cheap, basic and light, you can't argue with.

[dizzyblonde]

They're certainly a lot of fun out on the open road. I used to love mine, but they really weren't built to cope with these hills in Yorkshire.
Mine could just do 70...but it really felt like I was flogging it.

[BanditPat]

Depending on whether I can persuade my dad to sell me his bike in the near future I may have a small cheap to run bike for sale (250 bandit) Have you considered one of them or a 400? cheap to buy tax and insure and parts are cheap

[Alpinestarhero]

Well, every year the same things happen...the chain and sprockets crude up, the brakes seize up, the bike looks a mess. I can't do the work so easily on it myself, and its not always possible to get home to get help from my dad. So I want a smaller bike that I can do repairs myself too, somthing that is a true hack :)

I get what you're all saying here, the SV is old and isn't worth alot etc etc...but get this, my old man has a VFR400 NC24, which compared to his GSXR750 could be considered a "hack" machine. Its old, its been crashed, its been repaired etc etc. Yet he still wants to keep that in good condition, so he has a scooter for the worst days :) (that XT i mentioned earlier, thats just nostalgia lol). So thats what I'm aiming for. Ideally, I'd have the SV for every day work, a hack for the worse days and something nice for weekends and recreational fun :)

FD - nice work there!!!

BanditPat - na, I didn't consider that. Good call, I'll look both up

[BanditPat]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/suzuki-bandit-400-1994-black-great-runner_W0QQitemZ280475967890QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ Motorcycles?hash=item414daba192


How cheap are you talking about?

[Alpinestarhero]

now thats a price that makes me feel warm and tingly inside :D

[fastdruid]

FD - nice work there!!!

It wasn't the plan! I was going to take my GSX250 but that broke the night before a trackday and well I'd booked it and paid for it so I took the CD200 instead...

16Hp and I wasn't the slowest, even overtook a couple of bikes...

Druid

[Bluefish]

mega FD, what did you overtake, R1's? :D

[fastdruid]

Lol, no only a bandit 6 and an MZ. :)

To be fair that was pre-stupid chicane, and in comparison I was doing something like 2m 4s on a borrowed NC30, these days *with* the stupid chicane I got 1m52s on the same borrowed NC30...

Druid

[monkey]

I've got just the Transalp for you! Loads of good service history, below average miles, starts on the button, GOOD wheels, engine bars, panniers, top rack for your topbox. It's a '98. How much do you want to spend though?

[monkey]

Oh and it's got a Scottoiler.