First big(ger) bike advice

[roo12]

I have a 1,500 pound (or thereabouts) budget with which to start looking for my first bike on a full license (gained in 2012 - haven't been able to afford anything until now!). I am a bit stuck with which bike to go for so any advice would be great!

I am looking for something that is good on fuel, a good commuter, and can handle rural as well as urban roads. I'm only 5"5 so I need to find a bike that is ok for shorties too!

Does a bike that fulfils these criteria exist?! I guess a 250 might be best in terms of fuel economy?

Thanks for any help.
____________________

[pinkyfloyd]

An older XJ600 is a great commuter. Not fantastic on looks but a real mile chewer.

Being short isnt much of an issue, its all down to your inside leg. I'm about the same height and I have no problem and I have stumpy legs.

Other choices. ER5, CB500. etc.
____________________
illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[BravoCharlie]

i spent quite a bit of time looking at XJ600's, Bandit's, Triumph Trophy's and sprints, and thundercat's for around that price range last month. i think they would all be ideal for what you need them to do (not sure how you'd feel about the tcat to be fair), i've just decided that instead of buying a new bike i'll fix up the Honda and then buy a thundercat when i've saved up, and my insurance is cheaper too!

with regards to the Triumphs, engine wise they are a fair bit bigger than the other 2 and personally i'd go for an XJ but as pinky said, they aren't most eye catching.


big decision, buying a bike. put a lot of thought into it (unlike me!), take a look on ebay, get a feel for what you like the look of, if you see one nearby go have a seat/ride on it, have a quick look online (or ask here) about the bikes, someone might know something you don't and save you some hassle.


Edit: you could also consider a Fazer too, i never used to like them, but they grew on me!
____________________
Current: Kawasaki ZL600 Eliminator
Past: Suzuki GZ125, Kawasaki GT550, Kawasaki GPX600R, Honda vrx400,Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Suzuki SV650 K5
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.

[Rogerborg]

How "rural" are we talking?

There were never that many 250s around, which means choice is limited. If you're on a budget, I'd be looking at the 500 twins: CB500, GPZ500, ER-5, I suppose a GS500 if you can't find anything else. Cheap to run, cheap to drop, I got over 60mpg out of my GPZ when ridden the way that I typically ride my bikes (careful now). XJ600, Divvy 600, sure, why not. But the main issue is that you can only buy bikes that are for sale, and £1500 is a funny price point. The "new" commuters (ER6 era) haven't fallen that far yet, and you'll see plenty of fantasy merchants asking top dollah for 500s or round-the-clock 600s, particularly as we get a few sunny days.

So the usual advice: get your budget together in cash, be patient, and when you see a good candidate, get in quick - within hours.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[ficedula]

FWIW, I commute on an XJ600 Divvy, and I work on a farm in the middle of Lincolnshire - does that count as rural? Deals with the frankly appalling back roads around here fine, and manages ~60-65mpg even if you're not particularly trying to ride efficiently, so it's pretty cheap to run.

But as rogerborg says - it's a question of what's actually for sale near you at a sensible price.
____________________
Bike history: YBR125 -> XJ600

[sidewinder]

I can say as a divvy owner it a good choice.it is.also not a very tall bike so you should fit it ok.but best advice I can give is to find a few bikes you like and have a sit.

[gavbriggs]

Go out looking. Leave your money at home and take a small deposit. That way if the dream bike comes up your in a position to haggle and put a deposit down.

Not sure where you are but a co called cubo moto in Huddersfield are cheap and have a varied range of bikes. Maybe pop along to some dealers and see what's about then go look private for the best cash deal.

Don't be afraid to walk away with your cash in your hand if the price won't change. There's always room for a discount!!

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

If you decide on one of the '90s 500 twins (ER5, CB, GS - the CB500 is fairly low height btw), £1.5k can get you something that will basically run forever. By which I mean an excellent low miles bike - one that's only seen dry miles, has below 10k miles on the clock, with absolutely no sign of any oxidation. Might need one or two consumable - a tyre here, a chain there. Also, you might have to work the bastard quite hard (or very hard if it's the GS) to "do the ton". But nevertheless - your budget can - CAN - go very far. Just don't get trigger happy on the buy-it-nows. Bide your time and wait for the right bike. Preferably within viewing distance. Sort by nearest first.
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Rogerborg]

At that price point, dealer bikes start to look way overpriced. I'd only visit in order to "test sit".
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[roo12]

Cheers guys, that's some really helpful advice.

I've had a look at used dealer bikes online, but like you say, they seem to come up pretty pricey when you compare similar models being sold privately. Though I suppose you have added security of warranty, servicing etc.

I'm liking the look of the ER500s, and like you say may hopefully find one with quite low mileage within my budget. Fuel economy is definitely a big thing. Fazers are lovely but I've heard that the older models (which are probably more within my budget) aren't so good on fuel.

I do have a bit of a soft spot for the honda CBF250 though, especially as I passed my full license on a CBF and loved riding it. These seem more expensive and hard to find though.

Thanks again people
____________________

[roo12]

[ficedula]

TBH, I prefer taking the bike to work on crappy country roads to my car. At least with the bike I have a chance of picking a path around the potholes - in the car, keeping one wheel out of a pothole pretty much guarantees I'm putting another one straight in a different hole...
____________________
Bike history: YBR125 -> XJ600

[Rogerborg]