One for the Bikers on site - advice sought

Hi... Ive got a big birthday coming up and Mrs B. has allowed me to buy myself another bike... and as we all know this time of year is the best time to buy. All good so far but deciding which to get is causing me some grief.

A little background... I've always had pretty powerful bikes... with my body weight I need something that can get me up hills as well as down :-) My last five bikes have been two Honda Blackbirds, two CBF1000s and a Triumph Bonneville. Budget is £3K in cash.. no trade in. I also would like to buy reasonably local to me in South Wales... one bloke didn't seem to think that a four hour ride home from Lancashire should put me off from buying his bike :-)

Obviously I do like sports/tourers, and the Bonnie was a nice change as an upright bike. I would not rule out a streetfighter style naked bike or even a mild adventure style bike. The Bandit 1200 and the 1250S seem to be well regarded, but I would rule out the Fazer 1000 as it seems a bit lairy to me and at 143 bhp it is right up there in Blackbird territory - I remember the odd occasion when the Blackbird would whizz me up to "motorway" speeds frighteningly quickly and I'm past that sort of thing now. There is a 900cc Hornet which appeals (I do like Hondas) and the CBF1000 is always an option, but I haven't seen anything else which floats my boat. Another thing I have to consider is that riding along at 70-75 (only when overtaking, officer!) is tiring when the bike is running at 6000 rpm to maintain that speed so I want something with low down power which OFC means a larger capacity. Now I'm not into the 'full luggage touring' thing (although I do like a top box) so bikes like the Pan European are just too bulky.... my garage is on a slope so getting big heavy bikes in and out isn't the easiest thing.

Moving on to slightly smaller bikes someone has recommended a BMW F800R which is a middleweight naked bike which sounds interesting but is belt driven. I rather like the look of the Triumph Street triple 675 and the Suzuki GSR600, which both seem to be readily available locally. As to adventure bikes, I really liked the V-Strom 1000 that I test rode a few years ago, but there are more 600cc bikes out there than 1 litre bikes. Kawasaki do a similar range called the Versys but they seem to be a bit newer and therefore pricier. Honda do a CBF500 adventure bike but I don't really think it's suitable for motorway or fast(ish) 'A' road riding. Another thing I have to consider is that riding along at 70-75 (only when overtaking, officer!) is tiring when the bike is running at 6000 rpm to maintain that speed so I want something with low down power which OFC means a larger capacity.

Any advice/guidance gratefully received.
Rob

Have you thought about the triumph sprint st1050. You can get bikes with 3 piece luggage, centre stand, and for £3k you’ll get a 2009/2010 with sensible mileage that has been looked after. Great engine.

5 star reviews here. Luggage comes off in seconds

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-...-st-1050/2005/

The BMW F800R is chain-driven. I had two of them and they’re great bikes!

If I was spending £3k on a bike I'd get a ZX9R E2 all day long. Sports touring superbike that can really do anything for the money on the road.

Hi Rob

If you’ve previously ridden good quality sports tourers, you might find some of the more budget options (Bandit / Fazer / Hornet) disappointing as chassis / brakes / power train can be a little basic in comparison from my experience. I would be looking at something like a Speed Triple for fun and plenty of performance.

Probably not for you but I will shortly be selling my 2008 ZX6R (1 owner, full Kawasaki service history) which is a great bike but very much at the sporting end of the spectrum.

Triumph Tiger 1050? Cracking all rounder, fast but not mental, comfy, lots of low down grunt and can take plenty of luggage options. Good mpg too.


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Originally Posted by tz-uk73

Have you thought about the triumph sprint st1050. You can get bikes with 3 piece luggage, centre stand, and for £3k you’ll get a 2009/2010 with sensible mileage that has been looked after. Great engine.

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I’ve got a 2006 model with 55k on the clock that I’ll be selling for around £1800 come spring. Lovely bike but far too competent so feels a bit dull to ride.

My main ride is an XJR1300 which would suit the OP well apart from the slope to the garage. Same for the GSX1400 and CB1300 probably.

The ZX9R is a great bike but, like the ZX6R is a little on the sporty side and can feel a bit dull at legal speeds. Having said that, I’d have another in a heartbeat.

If the Fazer1000 is too revvy, but otherwise ok, the Suzuki SV1000 may fit the bill.

My reading of what you would like is something reasonably fast but not too fast and relatively low revving.

I bit left field but can you get something like a BMW Rockstar, which are supposed to be great fun?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-de...o=3000&fromsra

That online market place may have others

I own a Hornet 900 and find it to be a great all-rounder. It never really recovered from the panning it got by the media when it was released, as they were expecting a Fireblade without a fairing, which it certainly isn't, but 108bhp is plenty and it delivers its power low down the rev-range, which is something on your list. I've owned mine for 5 years now and not had a single issue with it.

Being all-steel, for its size, it is quite a heavy bike I find for moving around, but the weight disappears once moving. My only other criticism is there is practically no underseat storage, but other than that, it's a great bike.

May I be the first to suggest you have a look at some Guzzi's?
They may not be for everyone. This one for example is a 2 owners low mileage one. Yes, the Jackal is a basic specs California but it will offer a different ride (and a different way to ride) from what you already have/had.
You also have a couple of Brevas that would fit your budget on eBay.

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Originally Posted by FazerBoy

The BMW F800R is chain-driven. I had two of them and they’re great bikes!

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ah...apologies....it was the F800S, not F800R... Any thoughts on grateful one?

Rob

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Originally Posted by Barryboy

ah...apologies....it was the F800S, not F800R... Any thoughts on grateful one?

Rob

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Not quite sure what you’re asking. I think there’s a typo in there.

I had two F800R’s - each for three years from new, and they are very good bikes that I think might suit you.

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Originally Posted by samswatch

My reading of what you would like is something reasonably fast but not too fast and relatively low revving.

I bit left field but can you get something like a BMW Rockstar, which are supposed to be great fun?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-de...o=3000&fromsra

That online market place may have others

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That one is an R1100S Sport. The Rockster was a more upright unfaired naked, the R1150R like this one https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-de...02309282443896

A bit heavy but a very competent cruising naked rather than a sporting naked. The one downside is that this was the generation with electronic brake servo which weren't the most reliable and weren't cheap to repair if they did go wrong.

Re the BMW 800r , I have the F700GS it shares the same engine ( 800cc Rotax) with the 800 series bikes. At 75/80 you will find it buzzy. I love the engine and have had two and ridden over 40,000 miles on them. But high speed work is not their forte.

I really think you need to do some test rides, you said you liked the 1000cc Versys so that sort of creates a group of large capacity adventure bikes.

From my experience of listening to bikers justifying the selling of their “ keeper or grail bike” is the phrase “ I couldnt get comfortable, it highlighted previous injury OR I struggled to move it around the garage / slow speed manoeuvres “

At 750cc up riders rarely complain about performance, most of us only use 60/70% of the full bhp, unless we are tracking the bike like Andy T.

So spend some time in dealers getting comfortable on a bike, moving it around, imagining your sloped garage. Then when you have a top three or four go for a blast.

Lastly as Gyp says European twins Ducati / BMW Guzzi are torquey but have an accompanying service / maintenance cost. If it were me I would put my £3k in a across the frame triple of four from a Japanese supplier , possibly Triumph as well as their long term reputation is good.

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Originally Posted by Gyp

That one is an R1100S Sport. The Rockster was a more upright unfaired naked, the R1150R like this one https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-de...02309282443896

A bit heavy but a very competent cruising naked rather than a sporting naked. The one downside is that this was the generation with electronic brake servo which weren't the most reliable and weren't cheap to repair if they did go wrong.

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Yeah, the Rockster or the 1150r it is based on - is a big old bus.

The 1200r, however in oil-cooled guise (from 2005?) is a cracking bike (a naked) but performs well.

The R1100s in the advert link - I still maintain that the 1100s on decent twisties - will hold its own against most bikes unless you are John McGuinness due to its torque and telelever suspension. BUT - bear in mind the age of those - could need suspension renewal, clutch, clutch slave cyl renewal, brake lines etc…….

You may just pick up an R1200s in budget, privately - they are even better than the 1100s, albeit you can’t get the (small) luggage now.

A bit left field but an Aprilia in the 750-1000cc range could fit the bill. Torquey V twin and not massively heavy but big enough for a big bloke.

My pick would be something like this.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276266667...mis&media=COPY

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Originally Posted by Dave+63

A bit left field but an Aprilia in the 750-1000cc range could fit the bill. Torquey V twin and not massively heavy but big enough for a big bloke.

My pick would be something like this.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276266667...mis&media=COPY

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Or a Tuono as MCN described it “ more grunt than a corn fed hog” !

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Originally Posted by Dave+63

A bit left field but an Aprilia in the 750-1000cc range could fit the bill. Torquey V twin and not massively heavy but big enough for a big bloke.

My pick would be something like this.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276266667...mis&media=COPY

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That's a good shout. I was looking for one of these when I bought my Hornet, but couldn't find one for the right money, so lost patience and went with the Hornet.

The styling of the Shiver (or the name!) isn't for everyone, but I think it's aged well, it certainly doesn't look 16 years old.

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Originally Posted by Richie_101

That's a good shout. I was looking for one of these when I bought my Hornet, but couldn't find one for the right money, so lost patience and went with the Hornet.

The styling of the Shiver (or the name!) isn't for everyone, but I think it's aged well, it certainly doesn't look 16 years old.

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My preference would be for the Dorsoduro but it’s a bit more focussed and less of an all rounder. The Tuono is a good shout too.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126296246...mis&media=COPY

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Originally Posted by FazerBoy

Not quite sure what you’re asking. I think there’s a typo in there.

I had two F800R’s - each for three years from new, and they are very good bikes that I think might suit you.

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Yes, typo...DUH!! My fault.. big fingers on tiny phone... I meant F800S, not F800R and asked if you had any knowledge of that one...
Thanks
Rob

I'm on my third Hornet 900. Amazing bikes. You need to do very little to get them to handle well. Brakes etc are more than good enough for the job.
In total I've done well over 100,000 miles on them over the years with absolutely no issues. Bullet proof. Incredibly easy to service, fantastic for touring.
Mine's a CB900F-2 the last generation. If you do decide on a Hornet, I'd recommend the F-2 as it has the updated ECU, and the injection/fuelling is better. (Easily identifiable with the gold brake calipers and darker coloured alternator clutch covers.
Sadly I'll be needing to sell mine in the spring. Good luck with whatever you go for.

Based on your history the obvious choice would be the VFR800 , often considered a baby Blackbird

I'm very wary of naked or sportbikes as i find them very uncomfortable after even quick a short ride ie buffeting or weight on your wrists , if you are a larger guy you might just not fit something like ZX6 or ZX9

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Originally Posted by Liner33

Based on your history the obvious choice would be the VFR800 , often considered a baby Blackbird

I'm very wary of naked or sportbikes as i find them very uncomfortable after even quick a short ride ie buffeting or weight on your wrists , if you are a larger guy you might just not fit something like ZX6 or ZX9

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If he will fit on a VFR800, he will fit on a Zx9r or pre B1H Zx6r, it was the 2003 B1H onwards zx6r that became more focussed (read smaller).

I still wouldn’t recommend either for the OP though and the VFR800 is a good call.

If your looking for something a little different I'm looking at selling my Ducati ST3 which I've owned from new in 2004. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ca7887b039.jpg

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All... Sincere thanks for all your suggestions and advice. I have finally (I know, I know...) made a decision and put a deposit down on a 2009 Triumph Street Triple from a private seller. It's immaculate, white paintwork, 18K miles, has FSH uprated rear shocker and an Arrow exhaust. Cost was £2200 Have insured it (cost £110) and will tax it tomorrow before I collect it.

Rob