Next bike ponderings

[Brettus]

Hi all, wow what happened here? I haven't seen the new look, been busy elsewhere recently. very nice! looks like a worthy winner of the banner competition.

Anyway, to the point (or in its general direction at least)
My bike is financed till June this year, from then it's settled. My logic from there is that I could/should part ex it before it loses too much more of its value and take the next step on my motorbiking career.

I know I could part ex it at any stage and the finance would just get paid off and offset but my gut feeling is that the finance value outweighs depreciation, ie in that last 6 months I suspect it wouldn't lose £800+ of its value which would have to be paid off to sort out the finance.

I don't have any gripes with the SV which is what makes it an awkward choice, my only reasoning for looking elsewhere is to find out what other bikes are like, obviously any choice will need quite a few test rides as my choices at this stage are wide ranging. I don't know if the thread will be useful to anyone else but I hope to use it to get opinions/advice and document the decision making process.

OK the mildly more interesting bit:
Here's the list of bikes I'm considering thus far. (open to any suggestions as always, I'm throwing this open to the wisedom of crowds)

Honda XL1000 Varadero
BMW R1200 GS
Triumph Tiger
BMW F800s
Suzuki GSX-R600
Kawasaki ZX-6R
KTM 690 Duke
KTM 690 SM
Suzuki SV650 (keep current one)
Honda Deauville

Honourable mentions:
Triumph Sprint ST
Suzuki Hayabusa
Currently these are my favourite bikes, I would LOVE a sprint but the insurance is just too high for me at the moment. I think therefore that will be my next, next bike. Then ideally moving on to the Hayabusa

Back to the list, as you can see, it's a varied bunch, some wildcards thrown in there.
Requirements:
I ride my bike in pretty much all weathers, I think there was 5-6 days I didn't ride it through the snow (mainly because my wife was off ill so I could borrow the car) I don't wash it down after every ride, I do 30 miles commute each day and as many pleasure jaunts as I can manage, totalling around 14k/year.

From this, my opinion is I'd like a workhorse (hence the dullsville getting a mention) but then I'd also not like to don my pipe and slippers just yet so something that can be exciting when called upon.
I'm not keen on naked bikes from the impression I got riding a naked SV but I'm still tempted to try some, the F800r I actually rather like the look of too
I am a little long in the leg (and deep in the stomach!) for sports bikes, I felt like a squirrel shagging a golf tee when I sat on some of the slimmer sports bikes at the show! but a lot of people seem to love them, so maybe I should give them a test ride at least, hence the ZX6r and GSXR600 making the list.

My primary driver for choice is a good finance deal, Ideally a 0% offer, but Suzuki's 2% deal is tempting too. I suspect most on my list don't appear on 0% offers but I'll enquire at the dealers and do some more googling to see if they have in the past.


so, from the waffling above, the easiest solution is to stick with the SV and just enjoy it. but I keep being tempted by wondering what else is out there. Am I right in my assumption that it would be a good time to swap or am I mislead in that?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated, I have few of my own

I don't think it's going to make much difference if you p/x now or wait until the finance is settled. Although I'm no expert.

If I were you I'd shop for the deal (as you point out above) as much as the bike. And either get on with it now or wait until next Autumn. I notice that Yam's don't appear in your list. Not considered the FZ1? There's also the Bandit 1250 or VStorm...

[Mr Speirs]

Why not keep the SV and find a cheaper second hand bike to have as a 'special' day bike?

Originally Posted by Mr Speirs

Why not keep the SV and find a cheaper second hand bike to have as a 'special' day bike?

+1

if your going to be paying out again anyway then I'd honestly think about keeping the SV but then getting a bank laon (better interest than finance) buy your self something fun for the weekends and keep the sv day to day.

[Brettus]

Originally Posted by Mr Speirs

Why not keep the SV and find a cheaper second hand bike to have as a 'special' day bike?

now theres a thought I hadn't considered, I knew it was a good idea asking the org will do some browsing and see what I can find.

Rich T, good suggestions, I'd be very tempted by a vstrom 1000 but they don't make them anymore (at least not for the UK) so I don't think I can find a decent finance deal on one.

Thanks for the replies guys, food for thought already!

[Biker Biggles]

Buying new on finance(even cheap finance)is the most expensive way of owning a bike.You have already done that on your current bike so have already paid the biggest cost---depreciation.
My advice is to keep your existing bike as long as possible as it will lose a lot less value over the next two or three years than it already lost over the last two.Any new bike you buy will simply repeat the process of massive depreciation losses.Id save the money you stop paying on finance and put it towards the weekend toy.

Iv got a lovely gs1200 for sale on here.
price is open to offers aswell.

and by no means is it a pipe and slippers bike in the right hands of course.

Zx6

[Brettus]

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Id save the money you stop paying on finance and put it towards the weekend toy.

Hmm, a good point well made! that may be the solution. and is by far the more sensible option.

plus if its a second bike I'm not SO reliant on it, being a mechanical newb I am a little exposed if I only had one bike and it was an old one. Having two older ones would negate this and I'd get to keep the SV.

OK so let's assume for now I go with this option, what would make a good stable mate for the SV, it's a pretty good all rounder (I feel anyway) so what would be a good pairing to go with it? sporty? longer distance perhaps? or something more upright like the adventures, I quite like the sit up and beg. hmm answers on the back of a postcard you smart people

I'd pondered loads over the weekend but after 10-15 mins reading and writing the posts on here I feel far better informed

Zx6r