Riding something with character - where to start

[naturals]

I'm wanting to get something with two wheels for commuting to work and a bit of summer fun.

I have a car so it'll be almost exclusively for fair weather use. The commute is usually well before / after rush hour so while I'm not too worried about keeping up with traffic, it'd be nice to have something with a tiny bit of poke. I mostly want something a bit interesting and retro that I'll enjoy using. Modern mopeds and superbikes don't really do anything for me I'm afraid.

Would my best bet be to go the full DAS and get something like a Bonneville straight off the mark?

Alternatively would you recommend a CBT and something along the lines of an older Vespa / 125 as a stepping stone to something bigger if I enjoy it?

The old bank account isn't exactly overflowing so what would you do in my shoes? Also if anyone knows any good schools in SW London I'm hoping for some suggestions.

[marcella]

A street 675 seems to be a perfect bike for what you're after. Great for commuting and the triple engine is awesome. Personally I don't think they look that great but the bonnie's are good but quite slow and heavy. The street cup looks pretty cool though.

The MT07/09 are supposed to be a hoot too. Have a look round some local dealers and get some test rides. Get an idea of what type of engine does it for you, twin, inline 4, triple etc. Then take it from there!

[K8-600]

I personally found bigger bikes more enjoyable to ride so I'd recommend something a bit larger than a Vespa. Getting mugged by cars on faster roads isn't much fun.

I guess if I were in London, I'd be considering how safe I could keep the bike given the bike theft problem there. Do you have somewhere relatively safe at home/work to leave the bike?

I'm not sure what your budget is but the retro XSR900 is a fantastic bike to ride with a lot of torque/power when it's called on and to my eye looks amazing. I've had a go of one and loved it and thought the finish was good on a fairly budget bike.

[boyse7en]

Lower budget and lower performance are retro scramblers/cafe racers such as the Brixton (http://www.brixton-motorcycles.com/en/), Mash (http://www.mashmotorcycles.co.uk/), Herald (https://www.heraldmotorcompany.com/) and Bullit (http://bullitmotorcycles.com/)


I rather like the look of this Mash 400


or this Herald 250 if you like a scrambler vibe



You can get from a CBT-friendly 125cc up to a slightly more pacy 400cc. None of them will set the world alight performance-wise,but you're not really looking for that

[sc0tt]

954

[crofty1984]

What about a Harley Sportster 883 or a Royal Enfield?

[naturals]

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions!

Harley Sportster 883 - really liking the look of them. Had no idea Harley's were that affordable used.

Herald / Brixton / Mash / Bullit - great looking bikes. Will do some more research on these but look ideal.

Royal Enfield - love the look but maybe a bit too 'vintage' for me!

XSR900 - probably a bit more than I'm looking to spend tbh.

954 / MT07/09 / Street Triple - A bit modern looking for me. Fantastic bikes I'm absolutely sure, just not for me.

[CaptainSlow]

Get your DAS done and then worry about the bike.

[optimate]

Sportsters keep there price well

but don't bother with a 883 go for a 1200 they are real cheap to run if you service it your self next to nothing to do on a service

[Garybee]

I'm in pretty much exactly the same situation (location aside). Currently I'm liking the idea of a Yamaha XSR700 or Triumph Street Cup. I live out in rural Lincolnshire (edge of the wolds) though so insurance/security isn't as much of an issue.

[url]

|https://thumbsnap.com/1yEJezbO[/url]
These both look fantastic in my eyes.

Edited by Garybee on Saturday 22 April 22:35

[10penceparalyzed]

Ducati Monster S4 or S4R / S4RS if you want a sense of occasion and theatre one of these will tick that box, open clutch open pipes, there are loads of bits to make it your own. the down side is they can come in with heavy services costs. I had a S4 and it's the only bike that gave me a sense of occasion and theatre when you rode it. I don't regret selling it as want to try as many bikes as I can, currently have a speed triple as good as it is, and it is good it just seems to lack that specialness.

[optimate]

no get a sporty

[crofty1984]

I'm not a Royal Enfield fan boy by any means, but I had a look at some new ones when I was on Pune a few weeks back. I have to say they felt like a modern, reliable bike. In the 90's I'd agree with everyone that said they're just old bikes that were out of date when they were new, only being built in India with worn-out tooling. But they had a complete redesign in the early 2000s and are a completely new bike that's styled like an old fashioned one.

As far as quality is concerned I'd imagine they're not as good as a Bonneville, but much better than a mash or similar rebadged Chinese thing.

Of course they're not that fast or powerful, even for the style of bike. But that depends what you want.
I'd not have one purely because I have two actually old British bikes.

[Max5476]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I can't comment on the street cup, but the street twin I rode, while not a featherweight, does not weigh a metric ton and manages its weight very well. It was great fun to go out on for an afternoon.

[CarsOrBikes]

If I wanted anything interesting and that has character, I'd remove Japanese or German from the search

[optimate]

Max5476 said:

I can't comment on the street cup, but the street twin I rode, while not a featherweight, does not weigh a metric ton and manages its weight very well. It was great fun to go out on for an afternoon.

if you want a triumph with character get a pre Harris bonny or trident

[Gunk]

CarsOrBikes said:

If I wanted anything interesting and that has character, I'd remove Japanese or German from the search

Then you'd miss out on probably the best retro naked bike currently available

[Garybee]

I'm liking that too, what is it?

[Gunk]

Garybee said:

I'm liking that too, what is it?

BMW RnineT

http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/uk/en/fascination/ni...

[Ho Lee Kau]

sc0tt said:

954

That would be a good choice!

Or any Ducati, even 696 Monster is a hoot to ride (once you get it above 4000rpm, in particular).