Performance At 33bhp

[WildGoose]

cos im gonna be stuck to that limit for 2 years

bikes im considering,

VFR400 (RVF too expensive, and dont like the CBR looks)
CB500
GSF 600 Bandit

i was just wondering, what kind of performance id get from these bikes, restricted to 33bhp, top speed, acceleration, and which will go fastest and handle the best

assume they are al nicely run in and in tip top condition

my main worry about the VFR is its age, gettin parts, and the fact that its a sports bike, and im an agressive rider, i have a feeling it may well encourage me to send myself into the back of a 16 wheeler at 90mph :?
if i didnt think this about the VFR i wouldnt even consider the other two

plus all the above bikes are in the same price bracket (if bought privately) of around 2000-2500 (2500 being my absolute limit)

so any thoughts would be good....


regards

[Keen]

considered an SV650S? lower insurance group than the 400's- dunno about cost to buy though. An older one might not be too bad, but more than £2500 I'd expect.

Your on an SR50 at the moment aren't you? why not try a 125 for a while first? They'll still do 100 and have reasonable performance enough to last you the 2 year restricted 'sentence' plus they're cheaper to buy and insure. They afterwards you'll have some NCB for a bigger bike. That's been my reason for getting one.

[WildGoose]

ive looked into the 125's but there are just too many problems with them

and as for the SV650, is the same insurance group as the bandit, has less power, and "apparently" the finish isnt brilliant, but they are nice lookin bikes

they havent been around for long though, and so are quite expensive

[G]

Though the SV may have slightly less power (the bandit doesn't have a great deal in comparison to the current sports 600s, which is why it a few inurance groups lower) the sv will have more tourqe and maore low down power, which should make it more rideable when restricted.

AFAIK the finish on the bandit isn't know for being that great either.

The vfr is gonna have even less low down power so will probably suffer the worst when restriced.

>>my main worry about the VFR is its age, gettin parts, and the fact that its a sports bike, and im an agressive rider, i have a feeling it may well encourage me to send myself into the back of a 16 wheeler at 90mph :?
if i didnt think this about the VFR i wouldnt even consider the other two<<

If anything the bandit will go faster more easily due to it's tourquier engione... the vfr makes up for the lower power & torque with better hadling though.

[bikerboy]

sorry mate but you need to go on the 125's first! you won't be able to handle a 400 or 600 or 650 think about it thats a massive jamp from a 50cc scooter to a 400 or 600!!!
____________________
It's time to race!!! here i come!!!

[TJ NSR]

ye but it will be restricted and im sure he can handle a cb500

[TiN]

IMHO, the only thing that you really need to get used to is the initial delivery of torque and power...after that, speed is speed...

...just spend a few minutes in a quiet area to get used to the gears, and then go for a blast!...you'll get used to it in no time...but then again, I'm not 17...hmm...

Tin

[G]

[Robby]

consider insurance and some oither bits here, cos i'm the same situation asd you but 2 years further on.
ok, i looked at 400s ,500s and 600s, but after reading lots of magazine and lots of chat with my mechanic, i decided that restricted bike isn't worth it. particuklarly the bikes on offer here, eg. a 600 bandit is close to 200 kilos. at 33bhp that would be utter shite but you still pay through the nose for insurance, the VFR is a 60 ish bhp bike i think, so half that and its crap.

the sv650 is supposed to be ok for 33 bhp, becuase it has a lot of torque which is largely unaffected by the restictor.

look at the jpa import 250-400s, many of them such as the yam srx400 are 33bhp and nice bikes.

alternatively, buy a crap bike like mine for 2 years, save your money on insurance and costs, the get a cbr6 after the restiction.

i got a CB250RS for 400 quid with shot exhausts. i just ordered 200 quids worth of parts, including a motad exhaust to tart it up and make it look a bit better, and when i switched my insurance onto it from from my NS i got a £15 rebate out of them. and its a much better bike than my NS.

just my contribution.

[G]

33hp with 200kg shouldn't be *too* bad, you should have a reasonable amount of torque and of course all these restrictor kits seem to have a habbit of 'falling' out... strange that

My mum's still got the BMW r60/6 she got 25 years ago... around 33 hp after being detuned so it could use dodgy fuel in Africa, skinny tyres single pot single front disc and rear drum. It went allright (hasn't got the back wheel on at the moment) recently as well.... not that it's a bike you'd want as a first big bike though.


Saying that if you don't mind sticking with a 125 it should improve yuor riding skill more than a bandit which'd be easier to ride.

[WildGoose]

thanks for all the advice and comments guys

i think the SV650 is a great bike, but the price rules it out completely

i dont think i like the bandit pre 2000, cos its had a make over and looks sooo much better now than it did before

so its just the others now

[Robby]

get a mag like used bike guide or used motorcycle guide and have a look through, ubg has a big listing of most bike made in the last 15 to 20 years with weight, bhp and a few comments. aim for less then 160/170 kilos wet to get a bike that will really move, and check insurance quotes, remember 15 years old or more and you can qualify for classic insurance, then just get some modren shocks and get the front forks stiffened, you have one top class bike for 33bhp.

[G]

I've mentioned this before and am considering getting one as a winter/commuting etc. bike... I quite like the looks of the suzuki goose:
It's just under the 33hp limit with a dr350 engine, as it's a single there'll be plenty of torque with a fairly light cafe racer stlye chassis so handling should be good as well.

[Doddmaster]

I want one of them so badly

[Demonic69]

IMHO
For the best performance at 33bhp the 250's do really well. If you can get an NSR250 (One on Yahoo auctions at the mo) or something like then the power/weight allows optimum performance without resrictin the engine.
Anything over a 400 restricted will start to cause the bike problems.
Standard restriction kits don't allow for every performance related tweak on the bike, so the reeds, jets etc may still be wrong.
A mate of mine - bloody good rider- restricted a zx7r. The reliability went down the pan. The power was ok but a bit sluggy, which detracted from the handling.
If you intend to ride for a while on 33bhp, either buy a restriction kit but don't fit it....(how can they tell? Strip your bike on the side of the road?) or buy a sub500.
____________________
Back on a Blade. Just feels so right.

[G]

AFAIK the restrictor kits have to be fitted by an authorised dealer and you get given the certificate... however once you've got the certificate the only way they'd catch you is if you were in an accident and tehy examined the wreckage (ie they might get suspicious if you stacked it doing 130mph on a restricted bike... however I doubt you'd be in a state to be prosecuted).
If they did stop you and arrange a time to have your bike checkd you can always chuck them back in again.