some help choosing my next bike please

[Damien1080]

Because people like to not stop at roundabouts my er6n has been cat b off to the petrol station in the sky, so being a youngun could use some help deciding on the next ride!

Doing higher than average mileage a year ( around 18k ) about 70% motorway 30 a roads so pretty standard stuff.

After 2 winters on makers definitely after something with a fairing for a bit more protection from the elements.

So, have Max 5k to spend and am after some suggestions, the reason I'm not immediately going er6f is although I've had FANTASTIC service from my Kawasaki dealer, Kawasaki themselves were beyond unhelpful and think I spent close to 2k over 18 months on repairs from where stuff was breaking on the n.

On a gladius until Monday but am HATING it as it seems to have no stability in the corners.

Honda cbr600f has caught my eye though so I'm obviously a lover of weird and wonderful! Service costs and reliability of honda looks like a plus too but really open to anything,

Cheers guys , if I ever make it to a gathering \ bcf BBQ I'll bring a crate!

[sidewinder]

Looks like you have already choosen the cbr as your next bike

[Damien1080]

[flumpy7]

My weapon of choice would be a vfr800 for a decent mixture of commuting and fun
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2012 Sinnis apache

[bikersupermot...]

theres a 2001 cbr600f sport sitting in my garage. last got ridden july last year. immaculate conditon. 15k genuine miles, 1st owner was a first officer away flying most of the time and 2nd owner is my mate who im garaging it for.

its so clean you d think it was new. looking for about 2.5k for it if interested as my mate has just bought a flat without a garage and im not storing it for him forever. so he s selling it to fund upgrading his car instead as it got used 4 times last year.
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tinybikes

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Damien1080]

[Wonko The Sane]

how new / old are you thinking?

Could get a lot of ZZR600 and some change for that money
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[fozzym]

If you could put up with a naked then the new Yamaha MT07 is supposed to be the kiddy.......£5100 brand new and all the reports suggest it would easily sell for a grand more.

[Clanger]

[moppy]

I'm looking for something very similar, but with a budget of £3000. The usual options such as VFR800, CBR600F, Sprint 1050 aside, there are a couple of adventure bikes which would fit the bill: VStrom 650, Versys 650.

Then there are the oddballs which have attracted my attention, Ducati Multistrada, Aprilia Futura, Ducati ST4.

Very heavily attracted to the Futura, but they're bloody rare and I would hate to foot the bill if it ever goes down the road!

[nerald]

[Jenks]

do you want il4? v twin? v4 etc etc... or is that irrelevant?
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1978 MZ TS 250 1 Supa 5
1992 yamaha fzr1000 exup
1998 aprilia af1 sintesi

[Monkeypony]

With that sort if mileage, assuming it means long journeys, I'd look for something with a bigger engine for slightly more relaxed, less rev focused riding.

VFR800 has already mentioned, but any of the bigger sports tourers should provide a more relaxed ride on the dull motorway stuff, whilst still being enjoyable on the twisty stuff.
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Current bike - 2018 H2-SX, 2004 SV1000s, 2016 Aprilia RSV4 RF, 2017 Sherco SERF 300, 2003 Suzuki DRZ400 (stolen - AY53 JUU)

[J.M.]

If you're tall, I found the older (pre 2000 is the only one I've ridden) CBR600F to be too cramped.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Motorhate]

[DrDonnyBrago]

I have a 2001 CBR600f.

If you are after something that is both a good commuter AND a decent weekend toy then it is ideal. There are better commuters, there are better weekend toys, but the CBR is a brilliant compromise.

I have commuted to work on it daily since 2010. I get 48 mpg on average but have had 53+ when not riding like a bell end.

I got mine for £2,000 in 2009. Bike prices have risen a lot since then, but you should still pick up an exceptionally tidy and later pre 2006 model for £3k, I wouldn't entertain the idea of spending more on one, or of spending a lot more on the 2011+ model which isn't as good.

There is an F sport too, which has a different seat, an extra clutch plate and a valve spring difference (to make it more tunable, which none will have been). The non sport model (single seat) is a bit cheaper, comfier and more practical and the performance is for all intents and purposes identical. I can fit a scottoiler, basic toolkit and a 1.5 m chain with lock under the seat of mine.

Things to look out for:
Check the downpipes, st/st is a bonus. They fitted mild steel pipes to these which rotted like hell within no time. The best replacements are motad's Venom range - they perform like OEM and are made of thick, high quality ST/ST. I had some cheapos on there before I bought motads and the bike ran like crap. If they aren't st/st, budget on replacements and having to battle the exhaust studs (a c*** of a job).
The speedo sensors have a habit of going kaput, if you lose your speedo reading at any point, it is probably that. Replacement is a DIY job, about £30 used part.
Check for rattling noises, from the top RHS of the engine. If it sounds like a frying pan full of bolts being shaken then it is probably the CCT. This is about £70 for a new one, DIY in about an hour. Very common.
Keep an eye out for funny electrics, the R/R is supposed to be weak although mine has been fine.
They are common first bikes so many will have been dropped/crashed. I tend to see this as a way of getting a cheap bike but crash damage may not appeal to you.
Spark plugs are due every 16k, they are iridiums and aren't cheap. Allow about £35 for a set if you shop about.
16k is valve clearance time. This is a bit of a big job so if you aren't comfortable with a spanner, budget on £150-300 depending on whether they they need adjusting.

All in, a very capable and well made bike, I'd have another.

[Northern Monkey]

Honda NC700X?

+ves. 75-80mpg, plenty of protecton, storage where the tank should be for a helmet. You can get a 2 year old one with 1000 miles on for your budget.

-ves. a bit dull

[Snorty]

I'd just buy something cheap and cheerful that I wouldn't mind racking the miles up on.

Something with a reputation for being reliable, albeit possibly bland.
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Current: Yamaha FZ1 '07 | GSXR 750 SRAD

Past: CB125TDC | TZR125 | GPZ500 | CBR600F3 | ZX9-R | GSXR1000 K4

[Bubblin77]

Pre-reg nc700s for £5k with panniers from usual big name Honda dealers.

A bit bland, but ideal for commuting.
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Kawasaki Z800 (SOLD)

[biker7]

Suzuki GSX1250F - biggest bang for the buck. You are probably ready to move up from the 650. The 1250 is an IL4 but with lots of torque, excellent weather protection and smooth motorway cruising. Should be able to get a late model with gear indicator, maybe ABS and nice can for £5k. Silver looks great.
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Swansea area
Fat Bob (2019)