Change of styles

[Devils Advocate]

Now that winter`s over i`m eager to get back into the saddle but ive got a hankering for something different this time so flashy sportbikes are off the menu. Cant believe i said that but i did.

Ive been looking around for something new thats practical to run & use, but still with a bit of tart factor and enough power for quick overtakes and fun.

Ive come across 2 bikes i might be interested in because the prices from new are very appealing and i think they would suit the reliable-commuter-workhorse nature i`ll be using them for.
The new 2010 ER6-N (or F), and the aprilia pegaso strada.

Has anyone owned or own either of these bikes?

[craigs23]

Winter won't be over for another month or two.

I owned a 2009 ER6F last year. It was fair bike, but I think I was rather impatient to get a new bike when something second hand would have been sufficient. Everything on it was pretty average, but it was a sporty, capable all rounder with a reasonably pokey engine. The biggest draw back was the bike's crude, non-adjustable suspension. In stereo typical Kawasaki fashion it gave quite a choppy ride, with the front end smashing over imperfections rather than soothing them out - even with softer Maxton fork springs and lighter oil added. Not that great for committing to a corner...

Which was a shame as the rest of the bike was okay, and the engine was more than up for a bit of a hoon. Not a bad bike on smoother roads though - quite comfy too, frugal, good weather protection, reasonable headlights, sounded good with an end can fitted (although this made the fueling snatchy around 3,500rpm (just where you wanted it to be smooth rumbling through town)). Performance in a straightline was on par with my NC30 - although the 650 had better roll on and cruising ability.

In hindsight, I should have spent half/a third of the money on an SV650 - very similar in terms of performance, but with, in my opinion, more road-biased suspension (and that's saying something).

[G]

[hellkat]

I'm liking the look of that Aprilia.

____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Devils Advocate]

[G]

Yea, GSXR.

£3500 still seems a lot when it doesn't do anything really 'more' than a £1k-£2k bike. In my experience, new doesn't really mean more reliable, just means you have a load more hassle trying to get it sorted under warranty when it does go wrong .

[Devils Advocate]

You make a good point about the warranty thing but its a double edged sword really isnt it.If nothing goes wrong its a waste of money buying new, but if something does go wrong on a 2nd hand bike you`ll kick yourself later and wish you`d just paid a bit more for a new one.

as usual, youve thrown a spanner in the works and buggered my train of thought.
Need to go and look at all the older ones now and see if i can find any low mileage-well looked after examples.

[G]

Have you tried to claim for stuff under warranty?
After buying new and doing so, I'm wishing I bought second hand and just had the spare cash to sort it than have to even try and claim and be fobbed off etc (my excuse was the bike wasn't even out in the UK when I put the deposit down and the only example of the only rival bike I could find for sale second hand was written off a couple of days before I phone up.)

Saying that, plenty of people DO enjoy buying new and DON'T have any trouble (or they're gullible and THINK they don't, of course)! Anyway, it does 'work' for many, one way or another to be fair.

Saying that, the one good thing with buying new was the 'KTM Assit' recover, that were excellent when my clutch went in Spain - less excellent was the official dealer service, with test ride, just before I went (hadn't ridden it for some time myself) which didn't notice and in hindsight after fitting the new clutch it was bloody obvious it was on it's way out when I left if you regularly ride these bikes .

[27cows]

Warranties? Tartiness? What is this nonsense?

Get yourself a real bike, like an MZ
____________________
The RXS100: vehicle of choice for Chuck Norris

[G]

Incidentally the also questionable warranties dealers give away with their second hand bikes (often actually don't cover the legal minimum they have to) can be bought for private sales too. While these have limits on the cover, they tend to pay out a bit more easily and generally means a private sale wit one is still less than a similar dealer sale anyway.

[Devils Advocate]

[Devils Advocate]

[Devils Advocate]

[G]

I've known people that have made claims from those warranties ok - the garage is happy to do the work generally as they can put the claim in, while I strongly suspect official dealers have strong pressure put on them to reduce the number of warranty claims.

To be fair, with new prices a fair bit higher than they were a couple of years ago, £3500 for the kwak isn't bad, especially as they seem to be gaining a reasonable reputation.
I'd still just go for a £1k SV or TRX myself, though.

[Devils Advocate]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Devils Advocate]

thanks BH.

I must admit ive never heard of or seen that bike before but its got serious potential.Twin pipes too

Time to do some investigating.

[Devils Advocate]

Fuck, that one`s a definate no-no.
Stopped making them in 2000 and 10 year old bikes are out of the question.
Shame, i like those.

[thewildblue]

Check out the versys instead of the ER6. The suspension is adjustable and it has slightly more midrange instead of the top end poke. I found the ER6 too short in the leg (Im 5,11) where as the versys is better.

The versys wheelies better as well...

I nearly bought the ER till I rode the versys....then knocked up 10k miles in 6 months on the versys.

[Devils Advocate]

Versys definately a new contender.

Does that little cowl fairing offer any wind protection at motorway speed and upto about 90mph?
Any negatives about the bike?
What mpg does it return?
Has it got plenty of power for quick overtakes and can i use it for a bit of hooning?
Is there a fully faired or half faired opiton?

[thewildblue]

[27cows]

[thewildblue]

Why have you been looking at penis enlargers ?

Suppose its because your a bellend......but then again you might want to look for something to give you some bigger balls, so then you can manage to ride something with some real power...

If you dont like the versys you wont like my other toys...

[wizzzard]

[Devils Advocate]