24 yr old just passed and need advice on 1st bike

[papadon]

I have just passed my bike test was wondering if someone could give me some advice on which bike to get, i am looking to spend around £1500 and it needs to look sporty. I have looked at cbr400 and gsxr400`s the insurance is cheap on these two (£400 ish) but as soon as i try the insurance on a 600 cbr it is close to a £1000, i will be using the bike 7 months a year to get to work (60 miles a day)

Any advice would be great

[iCraig]

How about a nice GPZ500S?

Or if you want more sportier but cheaper insurance go for something like an SV650, with it being group 10 it will be quite abit cheaper than a CBR600 at Group 14/15.

Other bikes to consider is the Bandit 600, Hornet 600 etc.

[McJamweasel]

Trouble is, you won't get an SV for £1500. What level of cover was your £1k quote for? On a bike worth £1500 only TPO is needed. If you had TPFT and it did get stolen, by the time you have paid the excess and had you premiums (car and bike) loaded for the next 5 years you won't get much (if any) cash back.

If you are looking for sports bikes, there are several 400's, CBR, VFR, ZXR, GSXR, FZR that would all be about the same. Or there are the older 600's, CBR, FZR, GPZ. Or even an older FZ750, insurance should be cheap on those too. You should be able to get any of those in your budget. Or, for non-sports bikes theres the Bandit, good for a learner and up to a commute too.
____________________
BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[papadon]

The GPZ500 looks really nice and got some good reviews on the web, looks like it will be a good daily commuter and hopefully low on the insurance, the £1000 cbr quote was tpft with a £400 excess, with the area i live in i think i will have to get tpft

Cheers lads !!

[papadon]

One last thing, with the bike insurance is it possible to use your car no claims bonus ? and if i claim on my bike insurance will it affect my car insurance ?

[McJamweasel]

No, and yes.
____________________
BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[Bendy]

Some companies will take car NCB, try H&R (www.insurance2000.co.uk).

[papadon]

GPZ 500S quote from www.insurance2000.co.uk was only £400 tpft with £200 excess, pretty damn good.

Looks like the GPZ 500S is the bike for me, anyone know the performance on this bike 0-60 etc ... and mpg

[iCraig]

The GPZ500S is a damned good bike, so much so I have one .

Should do about 0-60 in about 5-6 seconds and MPg ranges from about 40MPG riding hard to 65MPG riding more reserved.

My FAQ on 500's is here too tells you most about all the other 500's available aswell as the GPZ: https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=281300#281300 .

<----tis in my Avatar.

[Claud 14.7 to 1]

Old cbr600. Reliable as well. Fairing as well, good for higher speeds.

Insurance will be cheap enough if you search around.

[iCraig]

[Laura]

Old cbr 600 are good learner bikes.
____________________
Good girls ride motorcycles bad girls thrash them.

[Davo]

Papadon, when I passed my test I insured a 1983 GPZ550 A4 for £294 a year TFTP (I'm 21 with no 0 no-claims). Not a bad beginners bike, 0-60 around the 5-6 second mark.

Pretty good bike, bullet proof engine, as long as serviced well won't let you down.

[8316]

i got to say to have a look at a cb400 super four. the newest one even has a v-tec engine (old one still good). typical honda build quality. detuned cbr400 engine, but it still packs a punch. recommend one!
____________________
Now own a Fireblade!! Speed Limits? Bah!

[papadon]

I like the looks of the cbr 400 (looks like the cbr 600) but am a little worried that to get the thing moving i am going to have to rev the nuts off it all the time were as the 500 might have to power available without pushing it to its limits ? what the 0-60 of a cbr 400 ?

I would love a cbr600 or even a zzr 600 but the insurance seems too high, although i am sure it will be a little cheaper when i tell them i will be insuring it for only 7 month ?

[Ste]

You're looking at 0-60 on a CBR400 of about 5-6 seconds, so quite quick. Don't believe that insurance places will do you a seven month policy they'll tell you to get a 12 month one, and after 7 ring and cancel it and you'll get a partial refund (not 5 months worth though).

[papadon]

Cheers mate

0-60 in 5-6 secs will beat most cars on roads, what are these bikes like from 60 - 100 compared to cars ?

So the cbr 400 is about the same speed as as gpz500s ?

Good idea with the insurance mate !

Probably get better mpg on the gpz500s compared to the cbr 400 ?

[map]

[iCraig]

The GPZ his a more tractable engine IMO, you can pull off from as little as about 3000 RPM and the torque of it is nice too.

And the CBR400 will require a little more revs to get going and doesn't have as much torque and no doubt if you go for an RR tyres will be more expensive and servicing will be more with it being a four instead of the GPZ being a twin. .

It all comes down to what you can afford at the end of the day, I get people saying to me buy a 600 Sports bike, I think and the look at running the thing and its way way more than I can afford at this moment in time for me.

Just my

[8316]

my brother has a cbr 400 gullarm. he recently did a 600 mile trip from london to top of scotland, and managed 70mpg! that was at a constant 75mph, so quite good. he got it derestricted as well. in top it didn't go past 13,000 rpm, but it'll go to 14,000 rpm now, and it is noticeably faster in the first 2 cogs.
i've read a few cbr400 reviews, and they say about 4 seconds.
even a gpx250 with only 38bhp could do 5 seconds to 60.
____________________
Now own a Fireblade!! Speed Limits? Bah!

[Claud 14.7 to 1]

Cbr400 will do 0-60 in under 5. You do have to rev them though. 60bhp.

The gpz looks more commuter like. Not sure on power. Probably commutes better. Looks wack. Doubt it will handle as well.

If you want a 500 look at a nice Honda cb500, or Suki gs500 they are cool. The 500s wont be as fast as a cbr400, becasue the cbr is a sporty engine, those above 500s are commuter type engines. Not a great deal in them though... well for a new rider anyway.

Or a bandit 600. Cbr600 also. cbr600 will beat cbr400 pretty easily, and handle reasonably well also, as will the bandit.

[iCraig]

[Claud 14.7 to 1]

Wanna swap bikes for a razz, and we'll see?

How much does it weigh may i ask?

[iCraig]

GPZ500 is about 170KG I think.

[papadon]

CBR was what i always had my eye on, it looks mean, like a proper sports bike, are they the same size as the 600 version ? and is it possible to service them yourself ? also is this true about the 0-60 being sub 5 secs as this and fuel consumption are my main buying points, i dont want to be beat on the roads by a souped up corsa !!