commuter bike ideas for £1000 or under
Discussion
anyone got any ideas, i want something to avoid the traffic on as im bored of spending ages sitting in traffic every morning and i dont want to use the 600RR on rainy crappy days or really when im riding not to enjoy the bike so i want something thats cheap to run and insure, comfortable and 4 stroke, i cant be bothered with the rebuilds as much as i like 2 strokes, the only thing ive really thought of so far is a CB 500.
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/list.asp?s=637&...
No claims on insurance prices on a few of those....
No claims on insurance prices on a few of those....
I'd recommend a CB500. After my first marriage ended, a CB500Y was my ONLY transport (times were hard...) I did loads of miles on it, good tank range, reasonably comfortable, very good handling, sensible turn of speed. I ran it on Dunlop tyres which lasted well but were cheap. Once warm, they gripped fine - both hero blobs got knocked off! Changed the oil every 3000 miles and kept spraying it in any oily preservatives I could find to keep the road salt off it. I used to ride blackburn - cornwall on it quite regularly which was just about bearable too. Definitely worth you considering, I'd say.
Another vote for the CB500; I've had one for the last few months as a winter bike, and I've had just as much fun on that as anything else 
It's clearly not a rocket ship, but it does realistic commuting speeds, sips fuel, pretty easy to strap stuff to the back of it, and it doesn't handle too bad. Very easy to handle in tight traffic as well.
You could always look at the equivalents like the ER500, or maybe the new Kawa 650 twins like the Versys...maybe a Bandit 600 would do the job as well?
If you've got lots of fast a-roads and motorways you could probably do a lot worse than a Dullville for a practical bike....
Other thoughts if are you doing only town work would be an Innova or a C90. You might laugh, but a C90 is the only bike that's ever spat me off the back
It's clearly not a rocket ship, but it does realistic commuting speeds, sips fuel, pretty easy to strap stuff to the back of it, and it doesn't handle too bad. Very easy to handle in tight traffic as well.
You could always look at the equivalents like the ER500, or maybe the new Kawa 650 twins like the Versys...maybe a Bandit 600 would do the job as well?
If you've got lots of fast a-roads and motorways you could probably do a lot worse than a Dullville for a practical bike....
Other thoughts if are you doing only town work would be an Innova or a C90. You might laugh, but a C90 is the only bike that's ever spat me off the back
Another vote for the CB500. I've just come through a winter of commuting on one. Reliable, quick enough on the open road, handles ok, narrow enough to filter in traffic, looks better with a flyscreen.
Just beware of dozy gits in Citroens who turn right without looking in their mirrors or signaling. it still hurts.
Just beware of dozy gits in Citroens who turn right without looking in their mirrors or signaling. it still hurts.
mywifeshusband said:
Another vote for the CB500. I've just come through a winter of commuting on one. Reliable, quick enough on the open road, handles ok, narrow enough to filter in traffic, looks better with a flyscreen.
Just beware of dozy gits in Citroens who turn right without looking in their mirrors or signaling. it still hurts.
Yup, mine had a flyscreen which later on got replaced by a Givi "Windscreen" that I blagged from a Givi rep. It looked awful but kept the cold off.Just beware of dozy gits in Citroens who turn right without looking in their mirrors or signaling. it still hurts.
Also, beware of dozy folk in volvo's who knock you and take your foot with them... it still hurts.
How about a mid '90s Triumph off ebay?
You can pick up a Trophy or Sprint 900 for less than £1000 if you're quick, sometimes with luggage included!
High 40's fuel consumption, protective fairing, comfy seat and enough road presence you won't get bullied, cheap insurance from Carole Nash if it's over ten years old (modern classic).
There are still a lot of low mileage 2/3 owner bikes out there that have been fairly cosseted, so you can get a bargain easily enough as they just aren't fashionable right now; but you don't really want a fashion accesory for commuting anyway, do you?
You can pick up a Trophy or Sprint 900 for less than £1000 if you're quick, sometimes with luggage included!
High 40's fuel consumption, protective fairing, comfy seat and enough road presence you won't get bullied, cheap insurance from Carole Nash if it's over ten years old (modern classic).
There are still a lot of low mileage 2/3 owner bikes out there that have been fairly cosseted, so you can get a bargain easily enough as they just aren't fashionable right now; but you don't really want a fashion accesory for commuting anyway, do you?
Rubin215 said:
How about a mid '90s Triumph off ebay?
You can pick up a Trophy or Sprint 900 for less than £1000 if you're quick, sometimes with luggage included!
High 40's fuel consumption, protective fairing, comfy seat and enough road presence you won't get bullied, cheap insurance from Carole Nash if it's over ten years old (modern classic).
There are still a lot of low mileage 2/3 owner bikes out there that have been fairly cosseted, so you can get a bargain easily enough as they just aren't fashionable right now; but you don't really want a fashion accesory for commuting anyway, do you?
Would insurance cripple me as a new rider? I think the cheapest I was quoted for a CB500 was £600 TPFT.You can pick up a Trophy or Sprint 900 for less than £1000 if you're quick, sometimes with luggage included!
High 40's fuel consumption, protective fairing, comfy seat and enough road presence you won't get bullied, cheap insurance from Carole Nash if it's over ten years old (modern classic).
There are still a lot of low mileage 2/3 owner bikes out there that have been fairly cosseted, so you can get a bargain easily enough as they just aren't fashionable right now; but you don't really want a fashion accesory for commuting anyway, do you?
LongLiveTazio said:
Rubin215 said:
How about a mid '90s Triumph off ebay?
You can pick up a Trophy or Sprint 900 for less than £1000 if you're quick, sometimes with luggage included!
High 40's fuel consumption, protective fairing, comfy seat and enough road presence you won't get bullied, cheap insurance from Carole Nash if it's over ten years old (modern classic).
There are still a lot of low mileage 2/3 owner bikes out there that have been fairly cosseted, so you can get a bargain easily enough as they just aren't fashionable right now; but you don't really want a fashion accesory for commuting anyway, do you?
Would insurance cripple me as a new rider? I think the cheapest I was quoted for a CB500 was £600 TPFT.You can pick up a Trophy or Sprint 900 for less than £1000 if you're quick, sometimes with luggage included!
High 40's fuel consumption, protective fairing, comfy seat and enough road presence you won't get bullied, cheap insurance from Carole Nash if it's over ten years old (modern classic).
There are still a lot of low mileage 2/3 owner bikes out there that have been fairly cosseted, so you can get a bargain easily enough as they just aren't fashionable right now; but you don't really want a fashion accesory for commuting anyway, do you?
LongLiveTazio said:
Rubin215 said:
How about a mid '90s Triumph off ebay?
You can pick up a Trophy or Sprint 900 for less than £1000 if you're quick, sometimes with luggage included!
High 40's fuel consumption, protective fairing, comfy seat and enough road presence you won't get bullied, cheap insurance from Carole Nash if it's over ten years old (modern classic).
There are still a lot of low mileage 2/3 owner bikes out there that have been fairly cosseted, so you can get a bargain easily enough as they just aren't fashionable right now; but you don't really want a fashion accesory for commuting anyway, do you?
Would insurance cripple me as a new rider? I think the cheapest I was quoted for a CB500 was £600 TPFT.You can pick up a Trophy or Sprint 900 for less than £1000 if you're quick, sometimes with luggage included!
High 40's fuel consumption, protective fairing, comfy seat and enough road presence you won't get bullied, cheap insurance from Carole Nash if it's over ten years old (modern classic).
There are still a lot of low mileage 2/3 owner bikes out there that have been fairly cosseted, so you can get a bargain easily enough as they just aren't fashionable right now; but you don't really want a fashion accesory for commuting anyway, do you?
Staid image = unlikely to be thrashed.
Insurers love them!
Try Carole Nash or Footman James for older bikes; they are seriously competetive on price.
Footman James will allow a ten year old european bike (Triumph, Moto Guzzi, even Ducati's) or a fifteen year Jap bike to be insured as a classic! Much cheapness!
Last year we had my wifes VFR insured fully comp, two riders, agreed value, £50 excess for only £130.
She is a foreign license holder with (at the time) zero no claims bonus!
Everyone else was quoting around £400 for TPFT only!
LongLiveTazio said:
Rubin215 said:
How about a mid '90s Triumph off ebay?
You can pick up a Trophy or Sprint 900 for less than £1000 if you're quick, sometimes with luggage included!
High 40's fuel consumption, protective fairing, comfy seat and enough road presence you won't get bullied, cheap insurance from Carole Nash if it's over ten years old (modern classic).
There are still a lot of low mileage 2/3 owner bikes out there that have been fairly cosseted, so you can get a bargain easily enough as they just aren't fashionable right now; but you don't really want a fashion accesory for commuting anyway, do you?
Would insurance cripple me as a new rider? I think the cheapest I was quoted for a CB500 was £600 TPFT.You can pick up a Trophy or Sprint 900 for less than £1000 if you're quick, sometimes with luggage included!
High 40's fuel consumption, protective fairing, comfy seat and enough road presence you won't get bullied, cheap insurance from Carole Nash if it's over ten years old (modern classic).
There are still a lot of low mileage 2/3 owner bikes out there that have been fairly cosseted, so you can get a bargain easily enough as they just aren't fashionable right now; but you don't really want a fashion accesory for commuting anyway, do you?
Have you thought about an old BMW? They're cheap, last forever and tend to be owned by long-term owners. My old man's got a K100 that's 21 years old and only gets used once or twice a year, yet it still fires up on the button and takes him down to cornwall. (from blackpool)
Not trendy or fast, but very economical, easy to ride, comfortable, and the naked ones are thin enough to fit through traffic. Also, with Metzeler tyres on I can personally vouch that the hero blobs won't last all that long...
Not trendy or fast, but very economical, easy to ride, comfortable, and the naked ones are thin enough to fit through traffic. Also, with Metzeler tyres on I can personally vouch that the hero blobs won't last all that long...
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