What to get? - I need some help.
 

Well mighty .Org I come searching your advice, advice for another bike.

Yes the GSX-R is rubbish and I'm going to sell it (ok so that's a straight lie, I'm keeping it a while yet).

The truth is that Holland has rubbish roads, a lot of policing, both cop cars AND speed cameras, no hills and a very conservative tight fisted population (a suprise to many) where 2nd hand bikes cost a fortune, and importing one from the UK is a right hassle. So although my GSX-R is an idea real world bike in the UK (definitely in Yorkshire), amazing for track days and the Ring, great for a week away touring it's rubbish for the flat lands here just above and just below sea level. So I need another bike out here.

What I need from my "other" bike:

1) Character - I don't want a UJM, CB500 etc. and I want to be smiling when I get off and want to get back on again.

2) Slow - an SV650 would end up getting me in trouble out here, I don't know how I kept out of trouble in the UK on one but out here I'd soon be locked up. No real need to go above 90 mph flat stick.

3) Fast enough - I'll still need to overtake cars sat at 55-60mph safely

4) Cheap - This also means old out here, my budget is tight, which means a UK equivalent of approx 1500-2000 max in UK prices, but possibly something that would sell for even less in the UK

5) A modicum of reliability - I want to be able to jump on the thing and use it, hence why I think late 70s/early 80s bikes are out of the window unless anyone knows better.....

6) Able to take a pillion - Not looking for super pillion comfort, just so I can take whatever girlfriend I have out for a drink somewhere on the islands, no more than 45mins stints at a time, maximum mileage of 100 ish in a day.

7) Be ok on single track roads - I live on the edge of Zeeland out here in Holland, a collection of islands, most of the interesting roads are single track and follow the polders, the surfaces tend to be dodgy with the odd bit of gravel on top of the tarmac mid corner.

8 ) Can commute - I only have 12 miles to work, fine on the push bike in summer, but the car gets used a fair bit still and gets held up for up, to 6 mins at an annoying set of traffic lights, there's a short stretch of DC but it's limited to 60 mph (the dutch in general hate high speed :rolleyes: ).

9) Handle a bit and be fun - I need to go round corners at some stage

10) Cool - I'm vain. Enough said.

So scoring each category out of 5, what do you think I should get?

Thoughts so far:-

Suzuki

DR 800 (DR Big)
DR 350/400
GSXR 750 Slab side

Honda

Dominator
Transalp
Africa Twin
Old 500 V4 thing

Aprillia

RS 250

Yamaha

XT600/660
TRX850?
TDM 850 (900s are too expensive)

BMW

old R90s

SO, what else is out there mighty .Org? And what are the scores on the doors (remember the budget)?

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

DL650? :) May be pushing the budget though..

Hmm, I have a copy of RiDE with just what you need!

And there's the list!

For around £1500

1999 KTM Duke
2002 Honda XR650r
2000 BMW F650gs
1999 Cagiva Gran Canyon

For around £2000

2000 Yamaha TDM850 (You said! On the ball)
2004 KTM LC4 640 Adventure
2004 Yamaha XT660r (You said?)
2000 Honda XrV750 Africa Twin (again you said)

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

can i ask whats wrong with the CB500 (bar being a honda). It's raced so i imagine it will easily get you into trouble and sounds bout right for your needs?

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

XT 660/600
Mechanic just got Rid of his, moved onto a Deauville, hes getting old.
This is just going from what he said/what I can remember.

1) 3/5
2) 4/5 Only got 50bhp or something from emory, and a single, so not exactly fast.
3) 4/5 Enough for general road use
4) 3/5 Can be quite expensive sometimes.
5) 4/5 Quite realiable from the words
6) 3/5 can't see it being that comfy, but its possible.
7) 3/4 /5 depends what tyres are on, knobblies would be good for this
8) 5/5 Nice and Thin, easy for filtering etc.
9) 3/4 /5 depends what tyres again, he didn't use it for hooning, so no feedback on that.
10) 3/5 Not very cool.


A big fat no to the RS250, things a beast, would demand to be ridden hard all the time.
And you wouldn't have a choice.

My post isn't very informative, sorry, all I really can remember.

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

All a waste of time & effort, Tim.
Get yourself a season ticket on the Hull ferry!
Job jobbed.

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Thanks for the suggestions. All those KTMs are still pricey here, the Africa twin etc will have to be older versions, that BMW is too "dull" for me, may look into the Cagiva and the XR650R (is it a hard core off roader? ) .

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

I think they're fine bikes, but they don't shout out to me, and I think they're maybe a little too quick/accomplished for what I want, if it can be raced I'll try racing it.....

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Seriously considering one of these (XT), ticks lots of boxes, and the possibility of some soft roading (I could tow it down to the Ring with the GSX-R and do all the fire tracks if it rained).

I think you're right about the RS, I'm just trying to justify one on the most tenuous of grounds, I'd be spanking it all the time!

And Puny, the ferry is a less good when you just want to take a girl out for a drink, I don't want her getting ideas and her thinking I'm taking her home to meet the parents etc...!

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

No need to justify it, I'd love one to. You'd either be spanking it or rebuilding the top end...

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

As much as I would love a RS, it would get you in trouble, lovely bike though.
Will try to get more info on the XT.
Reasonably sound bike as far as I heard, but someone with more knowledge will tell you better.

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Yep, I have decided to keep the two purchases separate, a bike for here/the islands, and a nice RS250 forever as a keeper....

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Have you looked at the r125 or ninja 250 thing? Modern reliable but powered to your spec, good handling, pillion? Maybe, not mega expensive but possibly over your budget, frügal on fuel, and both very cööl

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Reading your first post my mind was wandering in the direction of a BMW, but forget the R90S (or genuine ones at least).

I have one of the earliest R90S and if they're genuine (people fake them) and in good nick they go for big money, £4k is not unusual. Having said that I saw a R90S "declared copy" on ebay a few weeks ago go for not a lot over £1k. Series 6 onwards are probably worth considering, I wouldn't go back to 5 series.

BMW's of that era had all sorts of niggly weaknesses, everything from breaking gear selector springs to wearing out rocker shafts to leaking rear crank seals etc etc, but if you're handy in maintaining a bike they can be a very usable "classic" and looked after they'll do big mileage quite happily. There are good websites chronicling the changes and faults to watch for.

The R80 (series 7) was quite a nice compromise, not greatly sought after so can be found quite cheap.

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Does the R80 some in that metal flake sunburst colour?

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Cool if I was 17 (I presume the R125 is the Yam) or on a restricted licence ;)

Trying too hard to be sports bikes, I want something that doesn't want to be a GSXR when it has grown up. I want the other side of the spectrum. And yes they'll cost way too much out here!

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

If you mean the "smoke" effect, it was only the R90S which came in smoke-orange (gawdy) or silver-smoke (very tasteful and the best paint scheme of any BMW ;) ).

Not sure what the R80 colours were, they did some metallics, blue and green certainly, pretty sure red also and a plain black at some stage I think, but not a smoked scheme.

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Could've told me this before I went to Assen! :p

Actually, it kind of surprises me? We bombed it all the way through Holland averaging probably about 90mph, pretty sure that was a fair bit above the limit, barely saw any police (actually the only police car I remember seeing was at Assen), and at any traffic jams most of the cars made a big effort to move over so we could filter through!

I'd have expected to see lots of police at Assen (was there for the WSBK weekend) but as said, just the one, and in addition there's a lovely bit of road next to the circuit which I'd think they would police if anything was to be!

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

It's different if you're on dutch plates and not a tourist... on my old UK registered bike I sat happily at a ton.....

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Ah...a bit like here then...!

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

What about something a bit retro - Royal Enfield or the suchlike? Not going to get yourself in too much trouble there, and can look fairly cool - particularly if you get a ****pot helmet....

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

XT500 thumper.

I crashed one of them before but would love to get hold of one in good nick.

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Tim, you said you always fancied a retro so surely now is the time to get one? How about something like a 70's Honda?

What about a CCM? I know theyre British so not sure how popular they are in the Netherlands but they're very cool! Saying that, im not sure if a Supermoto would be a sensible choice as you'd probably turn hooligan wheelieing it off the lights

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

2nd hand Guzzi 1100 Griso. =P~

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Modern Guzzis are too expensive overhere :(

And as for retro/late classic bikes, I don't know where to start (apart from a slab side GSXR), any reliable models to suggest?

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Its gotta be something single cylinder - a guy here had an old Dominator with a VERY loud can on it - it was a 1990 I think - for what you describe that sounds perfect :)

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

How about this? It should have a serious grin factor. And be practical.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmHkj6nD-DU


It's not often that you see devices huddled under the transportation and wearables categories, but you can certainly consider the above pictured contraption a proud member of each. Created by transportation design student Jake Loniak, the Yamaha Deus Ex Machina is an "electric, single passenger, vertically parking, wearable motorcycle, and the bike would theoretically be controlled via 36 pneumatic muscles and 2 linear actuators. We're also told that it would be able to accelerate from 0 to 60 in just 3 seconds, though the top speed would be capped at 75 miles-per-hour. Ah well, at least we know the wearable airbag is actually coming, right?

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

That is just the most uber nuts thing ive ever seen :shock: Its like a cross between a Tron bike and that contraption that Mr Garrison built in South Park...without all the controls in the wrong places tho :lol:

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Tim... an idea for you mate. If the cost between buying in the UK and in Hollands is gonna be substantial then maybe consider buying one here, getting someone to ride it over to you and then get a plane back, or of course you could fly here and ride the bike back?
Just a thought.

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Honda VTR 250

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

As I'm a resident out here I'll have to pay an import BPM tax and get it through the registration system, inspection, changing the lights etc.... The costs just won't work out after flights/ferries etc on a 2k bike, but can be worth it on pricier machines.

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

TRX850? - If a SV'll get you into trouble - that certainly will. Plus one for all the trailies people are suggesting.

XR400/600? DRZ?, DR650?

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Bandit 1200....

Or 650 on a tighter budget.

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

Some slightly more weird stuff...

Suzuki Goose 350
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gal...350%201992.jpg
Basically a tuned DR350 engine in a cafe racer style chassis. Not fast, good handling, although your girlfriend will hate you if you take her pillion.

Honda CBR250
http://www.cbr250.com/cbr250/bike/mybike.jpg
Lots and lots of RPM. Race can essential to let noise out. Quite old though.

VTR250 could be a laugh too
http://www.motorsports-network.com/h...ls/vtr2502.jpg
MT

Re: What to get? - I need some help.
 

I'm making enquiries into a few DR800s, seems the best mix of what I want. Although I've no free weekends until mid August, so may hold off purchasing until then, or after my trip round the Alps on the GSX-R in September.