The looks of the F750 don't quite do it for me - too much of a sports styling, I suspect.
I've removed the Vitpilen from the list, as I'm gravitating back towards a more classic look. I do like the styling of the Icon a lot, I have to say. Kept the MT-07, though, as it clearly fits the bill in terms of size and performance.
Tony if you want the ultimate classic look take a look at the Triumph Bobber, it's the fourth biggest selling bike in the UK at the moment over 125cc. Ignore the 1200cc engine size, it's only 80bhp, I had a go on one a few weeks ago, it's not an intimidating bike at all, it's a very lazy laid back engine. It has endless customization possibilities too and gets rave reviews
Just a suggestion if you want something retro and classic looking, this has a very low seat and is all about the style
That Bobber does look the biz doesn't it tbh.
Stuart
Its funny because it was a Voodoo chopper on SC that made me want to learn to ride a bike.Originally Posted by cinnabull
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...o-Bobber-(1994)
And it’ll be the biggest selling used bike next year as they are pretty crap unless you want the out of the box bobber look that lacks any originality. The HT tuned engine is exciting for about 15 mins. Personally I’d make a bobber not buy one.
Re the HD comments above. Having had quite a few they were all comfortable and rode one from Edinburgh to London in one stopping once to refuel. I think HD are great if all your mates have them it’s a good lifestyle bike.
Bottom line is there are lots of bikes as there’s lots of opinions and once you’re on it only you care so buy it for the right reasons.
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RIAC
With regard to Harleys, one of my sons has one, a 1200 Sportster. I went from Warrington to Barmouth on it, a journey I love through the summer and do it many times on my bikes. I would never do it again on a Harley with the 'feet forward' position. It feels fine at first, but becomes very tiring after half an hour or so, and my hips and lower back were in agony for days after. And don't even mention the lack of brakes and vibrations !!
Ducatis are nice and I love 'em...... till they go wrong or need servicing. They have deffo got more reliable in recent years though, but I recently paid £700 for the belt service on my Diavel. They need doing every 5 years of 15000 miles, and also with single siders the rear wheel has to come out and the hub needs servicing/shimming/greasing or whatever which also adds to the cost. I think most of the cost is labour, as Duc main dealers charge a fair bit hourly rate. Also if they go wrong be prepared for a bit of a wait for parts, I needed/wanted a new brake lever for mine after I caught it getting into my garage, 3 weeks from spaghettiland to arrive, now if that was an off the road part I'd have been stuffed. I still suggest you try to get an extended test ride on your shortlist, a short ride is neither here nor there, and you'll only really get the feel for the bike on a decent run.
Don't forget to get some decent clothing as well. That's an area you shouldn't skimp on. A decent make set of leathers is always a good idea, and include boots and gloves in this as well. Its very tempting to nip out in jeans and tee shirt, especially in this recent weather, but gravel rash in the event of an off, even at low speed can be extremely bad. My Bro can testify to this, he still has the scars from 20 odd years back. And also factor in a lid. Again, don't skimp here, try a few different makes on as like bikes, they all fit differently.
I'm sure you'll get something which will keep you happy, but like another poster has suggested, bikes are akin to watches, even when you are initially overjoyed with your purchase, you WILL want to change in time !! Good hunting.
Stuart
Whereas I did John O'Groats to Swindon on my 97 (carb, solid mounted) 1200 Sportster in a day without too much problem other than the driving rain.
I was considering carrying on to Lands End, but it was only the fact that I'd have to turn around and ride back to Swindon that night that stopped me.
I learnt to ride on an MT07, Tony. I loved it and went out and bought one without looking at other makes and models. It’s easy to ride, smooth power delivery, and will more than you need until you have a couple of years experience under your belt. If you buy new, they are a great price but there is a good chance that you will spend a small fortune on upgrades. If you buy used, low mileage, barely used examples are widely available, with upgrades already fitted, but check the rear swing arm for rust which can be a problem. The titanium Akrapovich was the upgrade to have. Fitted without the baffles, the bike sounded like the apocalypse! This was mine;
An absolute minter, upgraded massively, 2300 miles on the clock and sold for less than £5k.
Last edited by stefaulkner; 9th August 2018 at 09:36.
Damn!
Anyway, I've put it back on my shortlist as - despite the more modern styling - it could still be the perfect bike for me.
Right now, I'm happy with the four that I look like testing, albeit that the CBX500 Rebel is a bit of an odd man out. I do have an intuitive feeling about that one, though.
Here’s how the last 6 years looked.
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RIAC
Wish I did I chop them
Every year!
But being back on a Thruxton feels quite good.
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RIAC
I could never have the Thruxton as my only bike, but it defo is one bike that you would look back at, after you parked it up.........
Great for weekend blasts and a night/weekend away too.
Been taking things easy on this for a few years.........
.....had to put the mid position foot controls back on though.......
..but have a hankering for something different now, Maybe R9T or MV Brutale for a complete change although always had a fascination with the Griso, dunno why.
Ian
Really Why?
Done 3000 miles in just over 3 weeks now
RIAC
Which did you prefer the most? And would you go back to it if you could??
Jim
Here’s how the last 6 years looked.
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I bought this new 11 years ago now still love it:
Personally I think it's the perfect novice's bike as long as you have a bit of self discipline. Light, wieldy, low seat height, with a grunty engine that will pull from 30mph in 6th quite happily. The three-pot engine is a masterpiece and sounds awesome when giving it the beans
This is the nicest bike I’ve seen this year around the cafes
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RIAC
I had that one for a few months while it’s legitimate owner was in the army.
Outstanding bike. Not many could keep up on twisty roads.
Brutal
Supremely uncomfortable in its day to day use: a thoroughbred isn’t meant for trivial stuff like going from A to B.
Forget painful wrists, the joke started when you needed to turn around.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I think he should try them. Once he has he will be more able to listen and understand. At the moment it’s only hear say for him, he can only base his judgment on aesthetics.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
That's my feeling at the moment too. Kerry, can I ask why you say that?
By the way, I managed to ascertain the difference between the R and the R LRH; an inch lower seat height and slightly less fork travel on the latter.
Had the older version as one of my DAS bikes (see previous replies to this post) but couldn't get on with it. Reason: short legs and arms and the seat height and reach to the bars made it difficult to get to grips with some of the slow speed manouvres, partiuclarly the U-turn. Got on the ER6 and cracked it straight away.Nobody seems to have mentioned the SV650 - any reason why? Looks beautiful!
Perhaps the geometry is different on the newer bike. Your school might even use them so you can try out before you think about buying. Personally I hated it but that's the nature of these things.
As mentioned, used by a lot of schools which I guess gives it a bit of a vanilla stigma.
A perfectly good, and vfm, starter bike imo.
I like the look of the CMX - it caught my eye in the local dealership (Letchworth ). I was surprised it was only a 500 but that wouldn't put me off.
Hi Tony, I have a Fat Boy if you fancy trying one. Great bike. I am very pleased with it.
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Its not a quick bike by any means. But it does take a bit of experience to ride one IMHOThere's running, and there's walking! Thanks though
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Is that the current Fat Boy, or the last generation, or the one before that...?
I tried the current generation earlier this year and it was astonishing better than the ones that came before.
Whilst logic dictates that for me to own a Harley again makes no sense whatsoever, and if I did it should be one of the new ones, I'm taking a detour tomorrow to look at a Softail Slim S on the way...
Mine is a 2008 Fat Bob. Fuel injection. Stage one. Lots of noise. Easy to maintain. I just chug around on it. Although it did get a run on a TX GTG earlier in the summer.
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This first bike stuff is a hotbed of potential overthinking
In the end I just bought a vfr750 - cheap, does everything well, reliable and enough power to ensure I don't get bored.
Now I have a much better idea what I want from a bike and I'll probably end up keeping the viffer as a commuter bike. Glad I didn't spend 6k on a naked triumph!
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I absolutely loved the VFR in its 750 guise. Superb built quality, extremely capable on twisty roads, comfortable on long journeys...
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
The “stop worrying about engine size” is certainly the best advice you can take. A 1200 cc HD will be easier to master in terms of power delivery than a Duke 390, less than a third its size.
The other advice about getting second hand first is sound too, but if you can easily afford to get brand new there is no harm. Remember thought that you will be caught out and you will drop it, most of the time when manoeuvring at a stand still (sloped curbs are a trap), especially if you are short arsed.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Agree with all of that.
It was very hard not to say "told you so" when a mate, a 50-year old beginner, dropped his new triumph in a petrol station.
We'd told him repeatedly that he should buy something older or pre-disastered first but he was having none of it.
I meant those roads where the sides are lower than the centre, near the curbs. When you’re near the curb, the outside leg easily touches the road but the nearside one not so easily. If the bike leans the wrong way, by the time your foot is fully down and you can use your leg muscles, the bike will be too far gone.
You will only fully understand once you’ve been caught out, and it’s not a situation that you’re likely to encounter during your training.
Another trick is to learn to never park front wheel first against a curb: bikes don’t have a reverse gear and even a slight incline makes it very difficult to leave.
All those things have little to do with getting your DAS and the sort of things you’ll learn by falling for them first. Learning to pick your bike up may also be useful
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Been riding over 40 years and was caught out in a similar way like that last year. Didn't realise the front wheel was on a slightly raised section. Sidestand was too short because of it and down it went. By the time I realised it was too far gone! Much to the amusement of my buddy who was with me!I meant those roads where the sides are lower than the centre, near the curbs. When you’re near the curb, the outside leg easily touches the road but the nearside one not so easily. If the bike leans the wrong way, by the time your foot is fully down and you can use your leg muscles, the bike will be too far gone.
You will only fully understand once you’ve been caught out, and it’s not a situation that you’re likely to encounter during your training.
Another trick is to learn to never park front wheel first against a curb: bikes don’t have a reverse gear and even a slight incline makes it very difficult to leave.
All those things have little to do with getting your DAS and the sort of things you’ll learn by falling for them first. Learning to pick your bike up may also be useful
Ian
Just as an aside, my refined list is now looking like this (I've replaced the Street Triple with the Twin Bonneville, although obviously I could test both; however, the Twin does seem far more suitable and the seat is a lot lower):
Larger engines:
Ducati Scrambler Icon
Triumph Street Twin
Yamaha MT-07
Smaller engines:
Honda CMX500 Rebel (a nice low seat due to the semi-bobber styling)
Honda CB500F (a good all-purpose bike with a lowish seat height)
The StreetTwin is the look that's doing it for me at the moment, though - takes me back to the days when my mates were all on Bonnies and Tigers!
When I was looking the Triumphs had a stiffer clutch. Something to look for in your deliberations as they can be tiring in trafficJust as an aside, my refined list is now looking like this (I've replaced the Street Triple with the Twin Bonneville, although obviously I could test both; however, the Twin does seem far more suitable and the seat is a lot lower):
Larger engines:
Ducati Scrambler Icon
Triumph Street Twin
Yamaha MT-07
Smaller engines:
Honda CMX500 Rebel (a nice low seat due to the semi-bobber styling)
Honda CB500X (a genuine all-purpose bike)
The StreetTwin is the look that's doing it for me at the moment, though - takes me back to the days when my mates were all on Bonnies and Tigers!
IF you go for a StreetTwin...go for the most basic model available.
Will save a bit of coin, and give you loads of scope to mod it and add a few nice 'goodies' that will personalise it...and make it yours.
This is just why I warn people off tall trail bikes - apart from the engine braking of a big single.
It is fairly easy to slide your bum across the seat when you stop but nothing teaches you like the horror feeling of the bike’s descent overtaking your leg fortunately I didn’t drop that one but easily could have.
I also remember getting my jeans caught on the clutch bleed nipple on a Ducati - fortunately the jeans tore and I didn’t drop a bike 2 days into ownership.
There is a reason bikers wear big boots !
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While not new, I thought the Newchurch Bonnie in blue looked lovely
Ignore me... just adding the Moto Guzzi V7III Carbon to the list. Gorgeous, seemingly very rideable and a seat height of just 770mm. An airhead too :)
So...
Larger engines - all stunning bikes and seemingly not too large or demanding:
Ducati Scrambler Icon
Triumph Street Twin
Yamaha MT-07
Moto Guzzi V7III Carbon
Smaller engines:
Honda CMX500 Rebel (a nice low seat due to the semi-bobber styling)
Honda CB500X (a genuine all-purpose bike)
Honda CB500R (very rideable, and the benchmark in this class)
Have you dismissed the R9T?
If you're considering modern retros then it is worth a look. Will be easier to service and get parts for than a Moto Guzzi.
Various iterations are available:
I personally think the Urban GS is better looking than any of the bikes on your list so far.
Hahahahaaa....banana splits tyres on an urban machine?Have you dismissed the R9T?
If you're considering modern retros then it is worth a look. Will be easier to service and get parts for than a Moto Guzzi.
Various iterations are available:
I personally think the Urban GS is better looking than any of the bikes on your list so far.
Roland Sands must be laughing all the way to the bank.
I’d agree the R9T variants are better looking than most, but it’s also double the price of some. There is a Guzzi Stone on the GS forum with v low miles for around £6k. How much is an R9.
It all comes down to use. The R9T’s may have a longer life in growth as a rider, if it’s about progressing - but it’s wholly possible most of the choices are going to be absolutely fine for day to day commuting and fun use.
Id also look at the Kawasaki Z900RS, which looks like a very nice option for old school looks, with modern electrics and a decent size tank.
For a bit of balance, I enjoyed taking the 125 to work today :)
It's just a matter of time...
I didn’t drop my bike during a quite protracted DAS course. Heard all the cautionary tales about how I would drop it at some point once I’d passed.
Didn’t stop me getting a nice shiny bike which I promptly dropped twice in my first month.
First was fairly unavoidable riding towards a section of residential road that suddenly narrowed and became a one-way street in my direction. Car was coming down it which forced me to take a right turn over a brow of a hill with an adverse camber on it. Didn’t carry enough momentum into the turn and promptly came off at 3mph. Bruised ego and a new valve cover were the only prices to pay.
Second time was sat in my garage. Wheeled the bike away from the ground anchor and put it on the stand. Got on and somehow dropped it when taking it off the stand. I was quite tired after some night shifts so learned a second valuable lesson about staying off the bike when tired.
I don’t think you necessarily need to buy a wrecker as your first bike but just keep some money aside (or in my case some valve covers) for when you do drop it. You’ll probs not be able to sleep at night thinking about that scratch on the clutch lever or the gouged bar end.
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