Winter hack

[menz83]

With winter fast approaching, I cant bare the thought of my Dorsoduro facing the salty roads or risk sliding on ice and causing thousands of pounds of damage.

I have been looking into getting a cheap winter hack, budget of around £800 on the road. I dont think I could cope with a CB500/ER5 etc and was looking for something a bit more exotic. I have my eye on 3 bikes and could pick one up this weekend so I was hoping you guys could offer some advice on all 3. I do want to have a bit of fun on the frost free sunny afternoons and I wouldnt mind getting some money back at the end of winter so resale value would be important.

Here are the 3 i've found so far:

Bandit 600, have negotiated £900 via email and im going to view on Saturday. Quick quote shows TPFT for only £60!:

https://aberdeen.gumtree.com/aberdeen/98/67296498.html

ZZR 600, havent negotiated on price but the asking is £700. I emailed the guy and set I wouldnt be happy purchasing a bike that needs a little work (see ad). He emailed a few hours later to say he fixed it, leaves me a bit suspicious?

https://aberdeen.gumtree.com/aberdeen/30/67176530.html

ZXR 400, really keen on this bike, viewed it tonight although it was dark. Started no problems, sounded sweet. Struggled to get him to budge on price, wants a minimum of £1000. He has had it advertised for a while and has had no interest so I reckon I could get him to come down another £100.

https://dundee.gumtree.com/dundee/23/67057823.html

Are there any problems with any of these models I should be aware of? Based on the info, what would you buy and why?

Thanks

[Louise]

Ill comment on the Bandit, as that was my first big bike and winter hack.
Loved it - brought mine for £900 1998 model.
However, spray pipes,hoses ect with ACF50...
It was a good winter hack for me, 5 miles to work, then 60 miles to my partners house on a regular basis.
Crud would build up, but on a wash up everything was fine.
others I cant comment on.... But seriously looking to get another Bandit for this winter

[Teflon-Mike]

Bandit would make most sense by way of comfy riding possition, easier power delivery, softer suspension & all that, but exposed alloy & engine & winter salt, I wouldn't like to try and keep it looking half reasonable.

ZXR400 I wouldn't even consider. Too cramped, too harsh, too demanding to ride less than 100%. In the winter where you cant use the handling to full advantage, I think it would be utterly furstrating and pottentially an accident looking for somewhere to happen.

Leaves the ZZR6 as favourite. Easy power delivery, comfy, not too cramped. They're quite an under rated bike, any weather. Thge all enveloping bodywork is easy to wipe down and keep looking reasonable through the weather, & keeps some of thr crap off the componenets, though out of sight out of mind, could conceal horrors, & be worth taking the panels off and giving it a good winterisiation, loosening stuff off, copa-slipping it & giving it a dose of silicone before putting it together again. On THAT basis, given that its also the cheapest of the bunch, by a margin, think I'd be highly tempted.

'Occassionally Wets the plugs', sounds like it might have perished carb diagphrams or a sticky choke mechanism. Either way, £200 less than the Divvy to begin with, and with the idea of doing a little preventative on it before putting it to work, theres margin in there to do a complete carb overhaul, provided everything else seems OK.... though old ZZR's dont seem to be in short supply, and searching a little further afield could turn up something more promicing in a similar budget.

Most important thing on a winter Hack, to my mind least wise, is decent tyres, something with a fair amount of relief grooving on it for all the wet weather, probably factor in a new set of touring tyres into whatever I bought.
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Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[potato]

I'm going to get a piaggio zip 2 stroke 50 for a winter hack,
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OOOooosshh!

[menz83]

[menz83]

Couple of ZXR 750's have just come up, only £70 to insure

https://aberdeen.gumtree.com/aberdeen/38/67367638.html

https://aberdeen.gumtree.com/aberdeen/84/67363084.html

What you think?