Need a 'super' hack!

[sauluk]

I'm putting too many miles on the CBR so am thinking of a second bike to take on the commuting / distance work.

I don't want something rubbish mind, it has to still be fun but cheap to run and if at all possible good looking. Initial thought was a naked SV but would welcome some views here!

[andrewsmith]

What you thinking distance wise?
UK and France etc...

If so;

Thundercat
Faired Hornet
CBR600F
Blandit 600s
SV

If your thinking hacks

ER5
CB500
CBF500 (weighs a ton but good bikes)
GPZ 500 (Jury out on the motor)
GS500

HTH

[sauluk]

The CBR would be doing the touring, else I'd sell it! This would be for commuting and donkey work / motorway miles

[Jackie_Black]

Just get a honda deauville, clearly an excellent real world motorbike that just looks cack

[mikerj]

GPZ 500 (Jury out on the motor)


The engine is fine, but the flywheel on the older 'A' bikes tends to lose it's magnets which can causes a fair bit of damage. The later D series bike don't do this.

[andrewsmith]

The engine is fine, but the flywheel on the older 'A' bikes tends to lose it's magnets which can causes a fair bit of damage. The later D series bike don't do this.

Fair enuf didnt know that

[Whyte25]

My Naked SV is for sale....

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=166198

Had all the major stuff done...

[Bedhead]

The engine is fine, but the flywheel on the older 'A' bikes tends to lose it's magnets which can causes a fair bit of damage. The later D series bike don't do this.

I put 75k on one of these, needed shimming around 28k but never missed a beat otherwise, needs looked after as the build quality ain't up to neglect. Engine is docile until 7000 revs then takes off like a 2 stroke. :-D

It'll actually sit all day at 90 if you need it to.

I'd take an old CBR1000F, reasonable economy for a big bike, decent protection and utterly unburstable. Dirt cheap too.

[yorkie_chris]

Except the GPZ tends to scuff it's cams, the starter clutches crack up, etc. Was an OK bike but would never have another.

CBR1000 is OK until you have the world of pain trying to do a camchain tensioner on one. Lovely comfy things, though rather heavy.
Dullville is OK, except complicated, lots of plastic sh*t in the way if you want to do anything on one.

[Bedhead]

Except the GPZ tends to scuff it's cams, the starter clutches crack up, etc. Was an OK bike but would never have another.

CBR1000 is OK until you have the world of pain trying to do a camchain tensioner on one. Lovely comfy things, though rather heavy.
Dullville is OK, except complicated, lots of plastic sh*t in the way if you want to do anything on one.

I think the GPZ top end wear is very dependant on oil changes and level, I'm a strict 3000 mile guy when it comes to that sort of thing, damn thing is still going, gawd knows how many miles are on it now, I saw it parked up a couple of years ago and the mileage had miraculously halved since I sold it in 2000!;);)

Later CBR's should have the camchain woes sorted, the ones with the indicators in the lower part of the fairing and linked brakes had a modified tensioner from the factory, the only problem with the later ones is the linked brakes have 10 hoses and they cost £250 to replace! Of all the bikes I've owned, they have been the most comfy, a 150mph sofa!:-D

[Juju]

I bought a gpz500, an 98 r reg at 17k and ran it to about 60k. No real issues with it at all, survived being stolen recovered, parked outside for its 3 years, used as a hack, with a certain amount of neglect - indeed, my view was that it was surprisingly hard to kill. Build quality was no worse, and probably better than SV, and it even survived running low on oil a fair few times. Good kit for the cash, with a comfy semi sporting posn and sensible half fairing - indeed, its closer to the SVs than you'd imagine.

Actually, I used to ride about faster on the gpz than I think I do on the SV - certainly on the sv on the motorway, I don't tend to exceed 100-110 max, but recall shifts up the old m40 following beemers and mercs at up to its max of 125.

The engine has some character as well, its docile til about 7-8k, and then it finds a power band and gets on with it - I don't really think it is much slower than my SV tbh - although the power outputs of 58 vs 68 should say otherwise. But I liked my GPZ to be honest, it was a great starter big bike. And I never had an issue with the engine despite some of the posts above. Indeed, "bulletproof" was used to describe it by the guy who used to service it.

[mikerj]

I don't really think it is much slower than my SV tbh - although the power outputs of 58 vs 68 should say otherwise..

I found the same, my SV would only very slowly creep ahead of my GPZ on acceleration with my brother riding the Kawasaki, though he is a bit lighter than me. The SV had a bit more at the top end, but they were surprisingly well matched under normal road use.

The guy that bought mine came all the way from Leeds to Plymouth to buy it and rode it back and has been absolutely delighted with it. Then again it was only a relative youngster with 30k miles on it.

[xXBADGERXx]

TDM 850 :)
Africa Twin
Super Tenere