Recommend a suitable late 70's/80's style bike

[nitrosurf]

Hello all,

Strictly speaking I'm not a new biker, but I will be new to riding big bikes post-test. I'm going to sell one of my 125's to pay for my DAS and keep one as a reserve vehicle. In the meantime I'm saving for the big bike, which up until recently was going to be a zzr600, triumph sprint st 955 or yam xj600/900, dependant on which one 'felt' right when viewing. The reason behind picking these three was insurance (all relatively cheap for me), reliability and they've all supposedly got a fair bit of poke yet are useable dailies. However, I've recently started liking the idea of having a bike like a GS/Z etc from the 70's 80's. I thought a fairing was essential, but my commute is only 30 mins and I've just bought some really good ARMR waterproof gear so am happier to brave the rain-lash. I read all the 'Bikes from around the world' style books when I was a kid (still do really), but can't afford the 'hero' bikes like the Z900 etc. Can anyone recommend a bike in this vein that is;

- obtainable
- theoretically reliable, though I understand any old bike could be a money pit
- at least 40bhp ish (preferably 60+ with good torque characteristics).

Capacity isn't an issue, big or small, and I don't mind any 'retro' modern bikes either. The clincher is I'll only have around 1200 quid to spend, what with the family, her car the house etc etc etc....

By the time everything is done I'll probably be buying this late autumn/winter, so will avoid the sunshine tax.

Thanks in advance!

[doggone]

With all your conditions and price range you could be looking forever.
You might find a decent XJ900 for that, GPZs are thin on the ground these days but were good in their day.
Better just keep an eye out for something appealing in the private ads.

Anything that age is likely to have a stream of issues lurking, especially if you actually try to use it regularly.

[ondabike]

Maybe have a look at bikes that are still stylish and could eventually make you some money , look at the Honda 400s from the 80s could snap up a cheap one

[Wonko The Sane]

Up until the requirement for 40+ bhp I was going to suggest a Royal Enfield as they're still being made and so parts easy enough to aquire.

The Kawasaki W800 is in the style of the 70's version but is a new bike

Of course there's the Triumph Thruxton / Bonnie etc
____________________
Looking to pass your CBT / Bike tests in Bury Lancashire? try www.focusridertraining.co.uk Would recommend.
They're also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Focus-Rider-Training/196832923734251

[nitrosurf]

I like the style of the '86 gs125 I'm pootling around on at the moment, a blown up version of one of those would be great. I was looking at GT Kawasaki's but the price on those has shot up. Are the Honda 400 twins any good or dead in the water? I don't care about top speed, but roll on acceleration has to be good...good enough to get away from the homicidal car pilots on the way to/from work anyway...

[nowhere.elysium]

[chickenstrip]

Kawasaki Z650? They do still come up at 'more reasonable' prices now and again:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1977-Kawasaki-Z650-Classic-Green-/152019032768?hash=item23650a5ac0:g:VfUAAOSwP~tW6s7K

Some places still bring them in from the US, and that may be the way to get them a bit cheaper. Mega Motorcycle Store in Swindon is one such place to keep an eye on.
The 650 is a nicer bike to ride than a Z1 anyway, lighter, and still with a decent enough turn of speed. About on a par with a 600 Bandit. Handle nicely for their era to.
____________________
Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[Snowdonia Rider]

GSX750
Kawasaki Zephyr
____________________
I want your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Suzuki GP125 Suzuki GSX600F Suzuki SV650S KTM EXC250F SkyTeam Bongo 125
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SnowdoniaRider

[nitrosurf]

That kwak is right up my street, as is the zephyr but I guess that's because they were reliving the past with those models. The 40hp thing is arbitrary really, as long as it's fast enough to be fun on the rare occasion when I get to ride on the weekend/after work. I have a lot of fun with the 125, I'm just pining for acceleration that pulls on the arms a bit...

Just had a proper look at the 80's gsx...I want one! The 400 looks ace, the torque of a 750 would be a bonus though. I am concerned about spontaneously dead old bike syndrome as rightly highlighted by those above, but the allure of a 'proper' bike and the safety blanket of the 'ickle zook still in the garage make me want to do it... Plus it may be wishful thinking but surely my amateur mechanic skills will be better suited to a bike of this ilk than say trumpet St?

[nowhere.elysium]

[Rogerborg]

[stevo as b4]

Nowhere elysium is right about the obtainable having already been obtained at the prices that makes them attractive. Its a shrinking market in that there are more retro hangers on, nostalgia heads, and people with cash much more than sense, than there are nice classic bikes.

I don't think good Z650's are going to come along in your budget, and you'd want your 1200notes for sorting out niggles and doing upgrades and stuff to make it better to use and live with in 2016.

The oldest your going to realistically find decent running tidy bikes for your budget will be mid-late 80's UJM iron.
Stuff from that era was getting quite plastic though so a true traditional naked will be unlikely, compared to stuff like GPZ's and GSXF's etc.

Don't be fussy with your budget, and be prepared to really look for bikes, not just wait for them to pop up under your nose.

[Snowdonia Rider]

[stinkwheel]

See if you can find a GS850 that hasn't been turned into a trike yet.

Heavy old busses but solid.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[nitrosurf]

Some good suggestions, thanks everyone. What's been said had lead to more research and a few realisations...

-These bikes really float my boat, as much as I love the idea of a big faired missile, I'm pretty sure this is the way I'm going to go.

-Although I could still break every speed limit in the world in the first two gears (unless it's a cb400...), I can't be tempted to try and hit some 160mph top end on the way to work every day. Because they can't do that.

-I may have to sell both 125's to actually have enough money for a 'good' one. I hate this idea as I've grown really fond of this old GS, and not having a back up bike unnerves me as I won't have used of her ladyship's car.

But at least I'm thinking about it now instead of realising it too late to make plans.