Discussion
I've just sold my 99 zx6r, and am after a smaller bike. It all started when I borrowed an msx125 whilst mine was in for a service. What a hoot, perfect for my 11 mile a road commute. So sold
Mine to fund something smaller lighter and city commute friendly. That was the plan until a few days ago, but second hand there scarce in my area, and £3k new is too much for me to justify. Looking around, I stumbled upon a 15 plate duke 200 for £2.2k with 6k on the clock
I've booked a test ride tomorrow, so was wondering what everyone thinks of them. Not many reviews here in the uk, but could be perfect for the job in hand.
Anyone got anything to offer?
Mine to fund something smaller lighter and city commute friendly. That was the plan until a few days ago, but second hand there scarce in my area, and £3k new is too much for me to justify. Looking around, I stumbled upon a 15 plate duke 200 for £2.2k with 6k on the clock
I've booked a test ride tomorrow, so was wondering what everyone thinks of them. Not many reviews here in the uk, but could be perfect for the job in hand.
Anyone got anything to offer?
Well done on genuinely coming out to say you are DOWNsizing your motorcycle! First such post I've seen for a long time.
Perhaps its being PH or something, but most look to quadruple CC / power blah blah, perhaps to justify other areas that are lacking.
The KTM's do appear to offer that high seated riding position, ideal as commuting machines. Although would a bike with no fairing prove to be an issue, on cold/wet/windy days? Plus big looking bikes in the smaller engine sizes.
Being Orange, its going to be pretty visible too (just thinking practical), which is another Plus, as a commuting machine.
Don't know about dealer facilities, if you had a preference for that - would be worth a bit of research.
Coming from a 600cc Supersport, you should immediately see savings on everything, insurance, tax, fuel, etc etc. Sounds a plan.
Perhaps its being PH or something, but most look to quadruple CC / power blah blah, perhaps to justify other areas that are lacking.
The KTM's do appear to offer that high seated riding position, ideal as commuting machines. Although would a bike with no fairing prove to be an issue, on cold/wet/windy days? Plus big looking bikes in the smaller engine sizes.
Being Orange, its going to be pretty visible too (just thinking practical), which is another Plus, as a commuting machine.
Don't know about dealer facilities, if you had a preference for that - would be worth a bit of research.
Coming from a 600cc Supersport, you should immediately see savings on everything, insurance, tax, fuel, etc etc. Sounds a plan.
A new one was less than £2.5k not so long ago.
I considered buying one just as a town bike, but the riding position seemed a bit odd - footrests too far back. Perhaps they are in the same position as the RC390's, so match clipons but not the higher bars?
Edit: still available new for £2495 (ebay).
I considered buying one just as a town bike, but the riding position seemed a bit odd - footrests too far back. Perhaps they are in the same position as the RC390's, so match clipons but not the higher bars?
Edit: still available new for £2495 (ebay).
Edited by gareth_r on Tuesday 30th August 18:05
Well I'll take it for a spin tomorrow and see how I get on.
I commute to work by bicycle when the weather is ok, and train when it's grim, the motorbike gives a little more flexibility.
All my mates have got rid of their bikes, and if the sun is out I'd rather cycle than be on my motorbike.
The msx was a laugh for tooling around on, hopefully the duke will offer that bit more poke if I detour onto nsl roads.
I commute to work by bicycle when the weather is ok, and train when it's grim, the motorbike gives a little more flexibility.
All my mates have got rid of their bikes, and if the sun is out I'd rather cycle than be on my motorbike.
The msx was a laugh for tooling around on, hopefully the duke will offer that bit more poke if I detour onto nsl roads.
gareth_r said:
A new one was less than £2.5k not so long ago.
I considered buying one just as a town bike, but the riding position seemed a bit odd - footrests too far back. Perhaps they are in the same position as the RC390's, so match clipons but not the higher bars?
Edit: still available new for £2495 (ebay).
Thanks for that, interesting to know. I considered buying one just as a town bike, but the riding position seemed a bit odd - footrests too far back. Perhaps they are in the same position as the RC390's, so match clipons but not the higher bars?
Edit: still available new for £2495 (ebay).
Edited by gareth_r on Tuesday 30th August 18:05
How was it apart from rider position?
craigthecoupe said:
Thanks for that, interesting to know.
How was it apart from rider position?
I didn't ride it, but, static, it felt a bit "supermoto" - pushed forward with my feet behind me - whereas the 690 feels more conventional. How was it apart from rider position?
In the end, I decided against it, but it seemed like it would be handy in traffic.
I think I'm just going to buy an MT-07 to replace the Speed 4.
took it out for a ride. the dealership was in yeovil, so out into the country and through a couple of slow villages, replicates my commute pretty well. i thought it was good fun. i like the riding position, more spacious and relaxed compared to my old bike, but not as upright as some. engine felt good, but i realise how lazy you can be with gears on a larger bike, god knows what a thou is like, you'd never change gear!
it certainly felt smaller, and i'll be sad to be loosing an element of that, but it does feel more like a big bicycle, so will be fun to chuck around. upshot is, deposit paid, service being carried out, ahead of collection monday, when i'll be riding back to devon. should be interesting.
it certainly felt smaller, and i'll be sad to be loosing an element of that, but it does feel more like a big bicycle, so will be fun to chuck around. upshot is, deposit paid, service being carried out, ahead of collection monday, when i'll be riding back to devon. should be interesting.
i think with the 200cc they were designed for their liscense laws???
the extra 75c gives about double the power to the msx i tried out. it doesnt feel twice as powerful, but don't feel like you have to wring its neck all the time.
plan to sort out the whale tail on the back, and some new rubber, as it's on horrible budget stuff at the moment, then it should be good to go.
the extra 75c gives about double the power to the msx i tried out. it doesnt feel twice as powerful, but don't feel like you have to wring its neck all the time.
plan to sort out the whale tail on the back, and some new rubber, as it's on horrible budget stuff at the moment, then it should be good to go.
yeah so i understand. this bike has a few k's on the clock, so hopefully anything niggly will have been sorted already. i'm probably going to keep this bike for a while, happy to sort the bike out for the long term, so looking to make a couple of mods to get it how i want.
it's a shame there isn't much choice in terms of cc and style of bike category wise. especially as the country gets more grid locked.
it's a shame there isn't much choice in terms of cc and style of bike category wise. especially as the country gets more grid locked.
sorry guys. yep, got the bike, had it about ten days now.
first impressions are its slow
you pull gears a lot to keep it in the right place, though i do have an up and down devon commute to contend with, this is coming from the zx6r mind you.
once in the city though its great. so far ive chopped off the whale tail, and trimmed the bars down to make it more traffic friendly. new boots coming soon as the tyres on it are cheap and nasty, with a gouge in both. sadly i missed that on the test ride.
it'll do the speed limit with a bit in hand, though my trip from yeovil to exeter on the 303 was about as far and as fast as you'd enjoy.
so far ive filled the tank once, on super, for £9, i'm currently on 50 miles, and the dash has moved one bar.
it handles sweet, and feels like it'll be pretty chuckable once it gets it's new tyres bedded in.
longer term, it sounds a bit like a large hairdryer, so a can would be nice, and i'm also looking into a piggyback ecu to smooth out the slightly lumpy single.
if i had the budget, id have plumped for the 390, but the bike is all i need for a half hour commute.
build quality seems to get a hammering on these, though mine looks to be ok, and much internet chat is of overheating, though most of these ended up in asia not the uk. mine does have a better fan mounted to the rad than the earlier models, and so far has been no issue at all.
i'm pretty happy with it as a daily ride, will see how long that lasts,
anyone got any questions, then fire away.
first impressions are its slow
you pull gears a lot to keep it in the right place, though i do have an up and down devon commute to contend with, this is coming from the zx6r mind you.
once in the city though its great. so far ive chopped off the whale tail, and trimmed the bars down to make it more traffic friendly. new boots coming soon as the tyres on it are cheap and nasty, with a gouge in both. sadly i missed that on the test ride.
it'll do the speed limit with a bit in hand, though my trip from yeovil to exeter on the 303 was about as far and as fast as you'd enjoy.
so far ive filled the tank once, on super, for £9, i'm currently on 50 miles, and the dash has moved one bar.
it handles sweet, and feels like it'll be pretty chuckable once it gets it's new tyres bedded in.
longer term, it sounds a bit like a large hairdryer, so a can would be nice, and i'm also looking into a piggyback ecu to smooth out the slightly lumpy single.
if i had the budget, id have plumped for the 390, but the bike is all i need for a half hour commute.
build quality seems to get a hammering on these, though mine looks to be ok, and much internet chat is of overheating, though most of these ended up in asia not the uk. mine does have a better fan mounted to the rad than the earlier models, and so far has been no issue at all.
i'm pretty happy with it as a daily ride, will see how long that lasts,
anyone got any questions, then fire away.
I've got the 390 - can recommend the "touring screen" - it takes a surprising amount of wind blast off considering it's the size of a credit card. Also the standard tyres for the 390 are very good hot or cold, wet or dry and will bolt straight on your 200.
How much did you trim off the bars? The standard mirrors are exactly the right height to clatter of van mirrors when filtering so an inch or some more room seems like a good idea...
How much did you trim off the bars? The standard mirrors are exactly the right height to clatter of van mirrors when filtering so an inch or some more room seems like a good idea...
craigthecoupe said:
sorry guys. yep, got the bike, had it about ten days now.
first impressions are its slow
you pull gears a lot to keep it in the right place, though i do have an up and down devon commute to contend with, this is coming from the zx6r mind you.
once in the city though its great. so far ive chopped off the whale tail, and trimmed the bars down to make it more traffic friendly. new boots coming soon as the tyres on it are cheap and nasty, with a gouge in both. sadly i missed that on the test ride.
it'll do the speed limit with a bit in hand, though my trip from yeovil to exeter on the 303 was about as far and as fast as you'd enjoy.
so far ive filled the tank once, on super, for £9, i'm currently on 50 miles, and the dash has moved one bar.
it handles sweet, and feels like it'll be pretty chuckable once it gets it's new tyres bedded in.
longer term, it sounds a bit like a large hairdryer, so a can would be nice, and i'm also looking into a piggyback ecu to smooth out the slightly lumpy single.
if i had the budget, id have plumped for the 390, but the bike is all i need for a half hour commute.
build quality seems to get a hammering on these, though mine looks to be ok, and much internet chat is of overheating, though most of these ended up in asia not the uk. mine does have a better fan mounted to the rad than the earlier models, and so far has been no issue at all.
i'm pretty happy with it as a daily ride, will see how long that lasts,
anyone got any questions, then fire away.
first impressions are its slow
you pull gears a lot to keep it in the right place, though i do have an up and down devon commute to contend with, this is coming from the zx6r mind you.
once in the city though its great. so far ive chopped off the whale tail, and trimmed the bars down to make it more traffic friendly. new boots coming soon as the tyres on it are cheap and nasty, with a gouge in both. sadly i missed that on the test ride.
it'll do the speed limit with a bit in hand, though my trip from yeovil to exeter on the 303 was about as far and as fast as you'd enjoy.
so far ive filled the tank once, on super, for £9, i'm currently on 50 miles, and the dash has moved one bar.
it handles sweet, and feels like it'll be pretty chuckable once it gets it's new tyres bedded in.
longer term, it sounds a bit like a large hairdryer, so a can would be nice, and i'm also looking into a piggyback ecu to smooth out the slightly lumpy single.
if i had the budget, id have plumped for the 390, but the bike is all i need for a half hour commute.
build quality seems to get a hammering on these, though mine looks to be ok, and much internet chat is of overheating, though most of these ended up in asia not the uk. mine does have a better fan mounted to the rad than the earlier models, and so far has been no issue at all.
i'm pretty happy with it as a daily ride, will see how long that lasts,
anyone got any questions, then fire away.
cwis said:
I've got the 390 - can recommend the "touring screen" - it takes a surprising amount of wind blast off considering it's the size of a credit card. Also the standard tyres for the 390 are very good hot or cold, wet or dry and will bolt straight on your 200.
How much did you trim off the bars? The standard mirrors are exactly the right height to clatter of van mirrors when filtering so an inch or some more room seems like a good idea...
ill look into a screen, it'll make a difference come winter, the one mentioned, is it the same sort of thing i can buy on ebay for about £15?How much did you trim off the bars? The standard mirrors are exactly the right height to clatter of van mirrors when filtering so an inch or some more room seems like a good idea...
the 390 came with metzlers i believe, the 200 and 125 came with some crappy something or others. im going for diablo 2's so hope to get them on and scrubbed before the weather turns grim.
i suppose i cut about an inch from each side of the bars. i basically moved all the controls in and then eyed it from there. there is an orientation hole on the throttle side, so you'll need to drill a new one if you do it. i'll be putting r&G heated grips on soon too, i could take a touch more off the bars, but will see for now how i get on.
craigthecoupe said:
ill look into a screen, it'll make a difference come winter, the one mentioned, is it the same sort of thing i can buy on ebay for about £15?
the 390 came with metzlers i believe, the 200 and 125 came with some crappy something or others. im going for diablo 2's so hope to get them on and scrubbed before the weather turns grim.
i suppose i cut about an inch from each side of the bars. i basically moved all the controls in and then eyed it from there. there is an orientation hole on the throttle side, so you'll need to drill a new one if you do it. i'll be putting r&G heated grips on soon too, i could take a touch more off the bars, but will see for now how i get on.
It's this one:the 390 came with metzlers i believe, the 200 and 125 came with some crappy something or others. im going for diablo 2's so hope to get them on and scrubbed before the weather turns grim.
i suppose i cut about an inch from each side of the bars. i basically moved all the controls in and then eyed it from there. there is an orientation hole on the throttle side, so you'll need to drill a new one if you do it. i'll be putting r&G heated grips on soon too, i could take a touch more off the bars, but will see for now how i get on.
http://www.rocketcentre.co.uk/parts-finder/ktm-pow...
Looking at bigger ones now as I'm changing the riding position on my 390. Want my old one when I get a replacement?
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