Suggestions please...

[MissR]

This is probably the billionth thread about what bike to get, but I'm stuck!

I crashed my 125 (Yamaha TW) in the summer and since then its failed its MOT twice, is 'dangerous to ride' now so I'm not bothering to repair it, just sell it for spares. I've passed my theory and plan to do my test ASAP, then buy a new bike, but have no idea where to start looking.

I'm a short lady rider at 5ft0, so would appreciate something where I can actually touch the floor with the whole of my foot as opposed to just my toes. I looked into the Yamaha Virago 535, but am kinda changing my mind and don't know whether I want to go for a cruiser any more. Not too keen on faired bikes... Any suggestions would be muchly appreciated!

Probably worth noting I'm a student with a slightly limited budget...

Thanks

[chillyman0]

Rocket III

[No More Names ......]

Try this ...

https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/covdude/rack.jpg

Or these ...

https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/covdude/stab.jpg

Or TITS or GTFO ... xx

Welcome to BCF ...
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[chillyman0]

https://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/smalltoe-the-world-s-smallest-motorcycle

wont be going fast but you will defo be able to get flat footed... knee down shouldnt be too much of a problem either

[Ingah]

I'm thinking commuter-style bikes. (Student finance friendly and lower seats/size/weight of the bikes).

CB500 has a low-seat (lower than most), but i found it very heavy in comparison to a 125 (all the 500/600s are though).

Your height makes me think CG125 / YBR125 / equivalent (little commuter bikes), but i'm not sure whether you were thinking big bike (like that virago), little bike, or not too sure.

How much riding are you planning to do on it?

I think you should go and have a sit on a good selection of bikes at a dealer, to see if you can find ones that fit your height.
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-- Ingah

[MissR]

thanks for the one decent reply!

I'll be using it at uni, and possibly travelling the couple of hours to see my boyfriend at his uni at weekends (he's currently the one being mean and making all the short jokes). It's two hours solidly on the motorway, so something bigger than a 125, which will happily sit at 80-90 without screaming at me like the tw did at 65...

[chillyman0]

90mph!!!
thats speeding dont you know!?

[MissR]

sorry, dear. I meant 70mph all the way, must have slipped.

[Ingah]

Never quite understood why it's bad to say 90mph on the internet. It's hardly unequivocal proof of breaking the speed limit - after all, how many people brag about stuff that they never actually did (just look at the "my 50cc scooter does 100mph" threads). Of course, i wouldn't be surprised by anything these days (the world's mad).

When you say "using it at the uni" this indicates to me short journies. For a short journey again a commuter style bike is again fitting that bill as they are by and large designed to stay warm for as long as possible (hours in cases), so that you can start the engine again easily, and there will be less wear from repeated stop-starts than on say a sports bike which will be stone cold within a few minutes.

HOWEVER, sports bikes are often lighter. But then they don't crash well (e.g. a thick steel commuter style petrol tank will not bust open in most crashes - a thin aluminium style sports tank will).

I agree with getting something bigger than a 125, as to do those speeds on the motorway on a 125 you'd be needing a 2-stroke, which i'm reluctant to recommend to anybody (especially as a main vehicle).

A commuter 250 might be able to manage those speeds - but it would be near it's top speed. Example (apologies for my obvious Honda bias): CB250 (20bhp, top speed ~80mph, 75mpg). That would probably be the cheapest bike you can use for the type of usage you want. A Kwak Ninja 250R (4-stroke) maybe a good, more powerful idea (33bhp, probably 100mph?) but they are very new bikes so i'm not sure if it would fit your budget.

400cc imports (usually sports style bikes) are a possibility as they'd have a good balance of speed and lightweightness (not for me as insurers aren't as keen on them, and parts availability is vital to me - and you'd need to check on a model by model basis).

500cc commuters are probably the bikes most suitable for a couple of hours of student-price motorway work (anything sub 100mph will be great for these bikes). ER-5, CB500/CB500S, GPZ500S, GS500. 50-65mpg and absolute top speeds of 110-120mph. Designed to be reliable bikes (provided you don't buy a lemon) and cheap (not nearly so much as a 125 though) in all but the case of the CB500 which is the most expensive one of the 4.

I'll admit i don't know much about 600cc+ bikes etc (the most popular choice with working riders), so i'll leave other people to fill that gap.

"You pay for power" - i was told this by a mechanic who'd ridden bikes since he was young and i largely believe it. You need to decide what you can afford, and maybe follow what you want too (personally i picked the CB500 as it was theoretically the best for me, but it's 14 months later and i'm not sure i've made the right decision as i never considered how unbelievably hilly and difficult to manuever it is round here).

One thing to add, seats can sometimes be lowered to suit a shorter rider.
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-- Ingah

[MissR]

ta have had a look at all your suggestions... like the look of the er-5 but had a look at some reviews and it a couple said that it wan't good for the lighter rider... and being 6 and a half stone at a push that's pretty worrying!

[skyremote]

6 and a half stone? How tiny are you?

[Ingah]

[Clanger]

As I say to most people, look around this forum, there are tonnes of 'what bike next threads', write down the list of bikes you have seen listed, go onto google images, look at all the bikes. Cross off your list the ones you don't like.

Then go out to a few bike shops and look at the ones you do like, and if possible go for a test ride, (if able) if not, at least sit on the bike and get a feel for it - distance from seat to footpeg, how long the reach to handle bar is, that sort of thing...

Then make an informed decision based on what suits YOU.
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