Best 600 to 900 naked bike?
Discussion
Riding this MT09 today got me thinking that the naked 'below 1000cc' sector should be a thriving one really. The largely crap roads we have and the ever increasing number of people in the country / vehicles on the road make the very fastest bikes pointless in many (not all!) ways and around 100 bhp is always going to be enough to have quite a lot of fun with. The lighter weight of these bikes always being a handy feature.
So what are the best bikes in this category? Let's say 3-5 years old and £5,000 budget.
The Z800 seems very heavy but otherwise a cracking bike. The Street Triple 675 is by all accounts a great machine. GSR750? Who knows about them? MT09? I like this one, it's a stolen recovered i got cheap with some damage but goes well for an 850 triple.
For me it's an important niche for the bike world and i can see myself getting something upright and a lot lighter and less powerful than my B King next year.
So what are the best bikes in this category? Let's say 3-5 years old and £5,000 budget.
The Z800 seems very heavy but otherwise a cracking bike. The Street Triple 675 is by all accounts a great machine. GSR750? Who knows about them? MT09? I like this one, it's a stolen recovered i got cheap with some damage but goes well for an 850 triple.
For me it's an important niche for the bike world and i can see myself getting something upright and a lot lighter and less powerful than my B King next year.
My B King has 4 cylinders and is certainly fun, most recently showing a Lamborghini Gallardo owner who's boss (20-110 ish) in Cumbria. (That was kms/hour officer...)
But i'd forgotten how heavy it and my Hayabusa actually are, you get used to lugging them around the driveway. Lighter can be better sometimes.
Anyway a mate has suggested a Ducati 1100 Hypermotard or Monster, now they could be about perfect. 1078cc of old fashioned 2 valve heads and plain old air cooling. No radiator or water hoses and a simple exhaust system so less cluttered than the 916/996 4v Monsters. A useful 100 bhp and a quite light kerb weight.
Brembo brakes on the Evo version, ABS and traction control. Jeepers that's a lot of great gear, Italian classic oomph and sublime noise for 5 grand.
But i'd forgotten how heavy it and my Hayabusa actually are, you get used to lugging them around the driveway. Lighter can be better sometimes.
Anyway a mate has suggested a Ducati 1100 Hypermotard or Monster, now they could be about perfect. 1078cc of old fashioned 2 valve heads and plain old air cooling. No radiator or water hoses and a simple exhaust system so less cluttered than the 916/996 4v Monsters. A useful 100 bhp and a quite light kerb weight.
Brembo brakes on the Evo version, ABS and traction control. Jeepers that's a lot of great gear, Italian classic oomph and sublime noise for 5 grand.
Thanks for all the suggestions. Many bikes suggested would have fitted the bill. BUT i have found the bike i want and am buying it at cheap winter price today.
I wonder if anyone can guess what this upright naked bike is!
Quirky. Virtually never seen on the UK roads. Over 1000cc. Built from 2004-2016. Any guesses?
I wonder if anyone can guess what this upright naked bike is!
Quirky. Virtually never seen on the UK roads. Over 1000cc. Built from 2004-2016. Any guesses?
Janluke said:
Grindle said:
Thanks for all the suggestions. Many bikes suggested would have fitted the bill. BUT i have found the bike i want and am buying it at cheap winter price today.
I wonder if anyone can guess what this upright naked bike is!
Quirky. Virtually never seen on the UK roads. Over 1000cc. Built from 2004-2016. Any guesses?
Italian?I wonder if anyone can guess what this upright naked bike is!
Quirky. Virtually never seen on the UK roads. Over 1000cc. Built from 2004-2016. Any guesses?
NNH said:
Janluke said:
Grindle said:
Thanks for all the suggestions. Many bikes suggested would have fitted the bill. BUT i have found the bike i want and am buying it at cheap winter price today.
I wonder if anyone can guess what this upright naked bike is!
Quirky. Virtually never seen on the UK roads. Over 1000cc. Built from 2004-2016. Any guesses?
Italian?I wonder if anyone can guess what this upright naked bike is!
Quirky. Virtually never seen on the UK roads. Over 1000cc. Built from 2004-2016. Any guesses?
It seems better made than i feared from what i can tell. Power is good, 140 bhp or so. Didn't like starting from warm this morning after a run out but it's getting a service today with new plugs and air filter plus a new battery which may well help in that department. £3,000 well spent. Nice addition to the Grindle garage. (Might need to be trimmed a bit soon, no room to move now).
I recently sold my (MK 2) KTM Duke 690 which is as light as you are ever going to find for a bike which is also pleasant on the road, not just an enduro bike fitted with tiny lights.
All told the 690 is the best ever really lightweight sporty road bike for sure, with 75 bhp, 9,000 rpm red line (incredible for a huge single) and good everything else, brakes, suspension, acceleration, lights, plus pretty good comfort even.
A slightly fettled 80 bhp and just 149 kgs made for a very lively bike, giving a WAY better PTW than something like a kawasaki H2 750 triple 2 stroke!
All told the 690 is the best ever really lightweight sporty road bike for sure, with 75 bhp, 9,000 rpm red line (incredible for a huge single) and good everything else, brakes, suspension, acceleration, lights, plus pretty good comfort even.
A slightly fettled 80 bhp and just 149 kgs made for a very lively bike, giving a WAY better PTW than something like a kawasaki H2 750 triple 2 stroke!
Edited by Grindle on Sunday 22 December 07:19
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff