Test ride time!

[CaptainSlow]

Tall_Paul said:

There aren't any 07 onwards fazer 600's under £2500 on either bike trader or mcn, apart from a cheap px to clear and one with no mot.

Most are nearer £3k.

ok..but you said up to 10 years old? It seems you want the youngest bike for under £2.5k which is fair enough but you won't get the best bike for £2.5k when restricting the age.

[Tall_Paul]

CaptainSlow said:

ok..but you said up to 10 years old? It seems you want the youngest bike for under £2.5k which is fair enough but you won't get the best bike for £2.5k when restricting the age.

I said the fazer s2 (07 onwards) are nearly £3k, early models are cheaper but I cannot stand the early dials with digital rev counter. I've nothing against older bikes, at the top of my list is the cbr600f, so 2001/2002 onwards. It's just that if I got a fazer I'd want the 07 onwards model

The only issue is finding bikes reasonably local to test ride - not many cbr600f or shivers about in dealers round here.

[CaptainSlow]

Ok, you may be refering to the early S2 Fazers that have the digital rev counter. Take a look at the Foxeye S1 Fazers 02/03 plate (like the one in my garage). These are considered to be better than the S2 models.

I've been running mine as a commuter 35 miles each day into London. They are close to 100 bhp and are well thought of as good all rounders. The only thing about it not on your list is FI but I've never had any issues. You'll get a really good low mileage one for less than £2k.

eta
Also not faired but you may tire of a naked bike on a 50 mile commute.

I went though the same process as you...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Edited by CaptainSlow on Wednesday 22 October 15:11

[Renn Sport]

What about the v Strom 1000cc? I check this out on MCN and its got great reviews. Also you could get a half decent bike for £2500.

From the MCN review the 1000cc V-Twin is smooth. Only 100bhp and 210kg so it wont kill you to death with power.

[Ed.]

How goes the search?
I did my CBT in March and was on a Varadero up until last week. Agreed to part ex for a CBR600f before passing my Mod 2 last week and now following this thread to see if it was a good idea
Ed

[Tall_Paul]

Ed. said:

How goes the search?
I did my CBT in March and was on a Varadero up until last week. Agreed to part ex for a CBR600f before passing my Mod 2 last week and now following this thread to see if it was a good idea
Ed

The CBR600f is 2nd on my list, unfortunately there aren't any locally to me available for a test ride. Number one on my list is currently an Aprilia Shiver - under £3000 will get a mint one owner from new, full service history, low mileage 2008 model, and there's nothing else out there for that money that is as well specced, and I have to admit I love v-twins. There just one problem of getting a test ride - I tried both my local Aprilia dealers and neither of them have demo bikes, so like the honda I'm gonna look around for one to pop up locally.

I've ruled out the likes of the vstrom or versys - the vstrom is fking hooooooge!!! Far too big for what I want, same for the versys along with the fact it that it's basically a dual sport version of the er6 and I wasn't a huge fan of that.

Just out of interest, how much did you get in part ex for your varadero? I was given a rough figure by my local Honda dealer which was only a couple of hundred under what I paid, so I don't mind losing a few quid especially seeing as it's coming up for its mot in a few months and will need a new rear tyre by then too.

Edited by Tall_Paul on Saturday 25th October 00:45

[vonuber]

Tall_Paul said:

Hornet - tank range!

I get about 120 in central London before I get nervous, and about 170 on a long run before I start looking for a petrol station.
Whenever I do fill up I always seem to have a good 2 or 3 litres left in the tank, so it's not that bad.

[Tall_Paul]

vonuber said:

I get about 120 in central London before I get nervous, and about 170 on a long run before I start looking for a petrol station.
Whenever I do fill up I always seem to have a good 2 or 3 litres left in the tank, so it's not that bad.

Is yours the later model hornet? They have 2 or 3 litre bigger tanks than the early models.

Went and had a lengthy sit on an 06 plate CBR600f and I definitely need to test ride one - my legs fitted, and it seemed a good size, the CBR and the shiver are both completely different bikes in pretty much every single way though, I need to try and get a decent test ride on both to see which I like the most. I didn't have a test ride on this one, so I'll keep a look out for both a CBR and a shiver in price range and a bit closer to me so I can try and get a test ride on both.

Neither of my local aprilia dealers have demo bikes either. Oh and they had a Dorsoduro 750 too, just sitting on that thing I can imagine it's a hoot to ride, but I struggled to get my leg over and I'm 6ft 3!

Had a decent sit on an sv650 too and it's too small - when my foot was in the position to change gear my knee was out the tank cut out and on the top edge of the tank, and it was a longer reach to the bars then the CBR.

I'm in no rush tbh, I need to wait until I get paid next week anyway, and my little varadero will happily zing along doing 70-75 on the motorway with ease, so if I need to wait a little while I'm not fussed. Plus you can get some better deals around Xmas and the new year when dealers are like ghost towns

Edited by Tall_Paul on Saturday 25th October 16:35