Thoughts on this ebay bike - VF750 Sabre

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Looking at this as a real prospect.

This is the ebay ad.

Comments on the bike model, and thoughts on this one in particular if you fancy would be really appreciated.

I love the way it looks - all black and gnarly, well on the way in its rat evolution.

[Kickstart]

Hi

You would touch a mid 80s 750 V4 Honda? . Take it you like expensive engine rebuilds.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[D O G]

Not at all!!

Is this the type which require horrendous top end engine work setting valve clearances etc??

If so, no thankyou!

[Kickstart]

Hi

The VF750F was the really bad one. However the chain driven cam V4 750s rarely had the top end of the engine survive long enough to need the valves adjusting.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[veeeffarr]

They do look awesome, but have famous chocolate cams

[Kickstart]

[D O G]

Back to the CX500 then!

Thanks gents.

[veeeffarr]

[Kickstart]

Hi

I take it you are looking for a bike for Aus? If so I would wait until you get there. Not sure on the registration rules in the state you are looking to move to but they can be a bit strange.

For example in Victoria (from memory) you need their equivalent of an MOT to change the registration into your name, and this only lasts a short time (month or so). But once it is in your name you don't need to "mot" it again. So you could buy it now but then need to pay for another inspection before you can register it to yourself. Their equivalent of road tax is VERY expensive, but they are fairly lax on collecting it (not like the DVLA who view the fines are a way of getting more profit). The GPX750 I had ran out a few weeks before I came back. Vic Roads (the Victoria DVLA equivalent) basically told me on the phone not to bother as they had a load of leaway and I would have sold the bike and been out of the country by then (I did renew it anyway).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

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Hi Kieth, I know you have mentioned before about the cost of rego in Oz, so I did some digging into it.

In Queensland 12 months rego for a bike is $134, so around £60 at current rates.

Yes you need the RWC (Safety Certificate its called now I believe) - which as you say is the MOT equivalent.

The plan is not really to buy a bike from ebay before I go, but to make contact with the seller of a prospective bike before I get there (hopefully) - in effect reserving it for me!

In all likelihood I will be there before I buy one, although there is a bloke on the CX forum who has a nice CX500E going. Trouble is, it is a bit too nice looking - freshly repainted etc. I want something scruffy.

Thanks for the warning on the VF though - I was seriously considering putting them at the top of my list!

[Kickstart]

Hi

Not that bad. When we were in Melbourne 10 years ago it was far more than that. Looks like Victoria has no seperate rate for bikes these days and the light motor vehicle rate works out at Aus$575.40 ($172.80 rego, $366 transport accident charge and $36.60 insurance duty).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[D O G]

Ouch!

Qld is:

Rego fee: $70.45
Traffic Improvement: $42.45
Plate Fee: $21.05 (but I will only need that once).

Another reason to go to Brisbane over Melbourne!

[Kickstart]

Hi

Well, Victoria rego includes basic 3rd party insurance. Makes normal bike insurance dirt cheap there (for fully comp with a UK licence and without any no claims I could use it was about half what I was paying in the UK with full no claims for TPFT on an equivalent bike).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Stiffler]

[Whosthedaddy]

What's the bike choices like in Oz compared to here in Blighty?

Theres going to be some strange or odd makes or models, no?
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

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Doesn't appear to be really.

Some of the things I've noticed are that there are a lot more 'sports tourers' than the UK.

400's are nowhere to be seen.

European bikes (obviously) much less common.

There are a lot of 250 four strokes, and very few 125 2t's out there, the CBR/ZZR 250's are all over the shop - as that is the learner legal limit AFAIK.

Bikes are comaparitively more expensive. I could pick up any amount of hacks in decent nick in the UK for sub £1000. You have very little choice over there for the same money $2500, which is my budget, and £1,100 at current rates, has me looking at stuff all from the 1980s.

Hey ho, at least I will get to ride more when I'm there - on some fantastic roads.

Put 'Mount Nebo' and 'Beechmont Road' into youtube and you will find some of the tasty roads just outside Brisbane

[Kickstart]

Hi

When I was there I think I saw under 5 125 sports 2 strokes in 3 months. There is a 250 learner law generally, but some states limit it more than that (some you could get away with an RGV250, others not). Most of the 250s seemed to be 2nd hand imports from Japan.

New bikes were cheaper than the UK (same with cars) but held their value well. The GPX750 we had cost about 50% more than the same age model would cost in the UK (and the UK one would probably have less miles but be in worse condition).

Rego was expensive, insurance dirt cheap and petrol pretty cheap.

Similar situation with cars. Seeing 25 year old cars in daily use was pretty common.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

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