What do you look for in a motorbike?

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Bit of an experiment and fact finding for something I am doing in my spare time but in three words what do you look for in a bike to be used on public roads?

Realise this is a peculiar question but would greatly appreciate anybody's genuine input. Also aware that it will be very individual but that's what I'm looking for.

Thanks for any help..
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[owl]

petrol, oil, keys

[AshWebster]

horses for courses innit,

for me a bike is a weekend toy so it needs to be fast, flashy, and loud.

fast - as im an adrenaline junkie

flashy - rolling through town on a decent bike turns pretty girls heads... peacocking some might say, and they're right.#

loud - see above, also acts as a bit of a safety device. they hear me well before they see me.

this is me though. everyone is different.
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Honda cg125 J reg peice of shit ---> CB650F ---> 2016 CBR600RR
Ford KA ---> 93' MR2 ---> 94'MR2 ---> 98' Subaru WRX STI Ver 3 (track car)

[Pjay]

[thx1138]

legal dirt bike

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Grinworthy - I need to be able to open the garage door and smile when I see it, and keep the grin when riding it.
Economical - Most of my riding is commuting, so it needs to be a lot cheaper than running a car, at least.
Simple - I need to be able to maintain it myself, and I'm a simple man.
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[bigdom86]

a balance between realiability, comfort, fun and looks as I am a year round commuter - went with an 02 cbr00f4i which ticked all the boxes in balance for me

[chickenstrip]

[DrSnoosnoo]

just look at my thread recently about tank range and how I wanted something sensible to commute on...

Then my heart went, nah get the (old)big ZZR
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I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[owl]

[SDFarsight]

Reliability- There's no point looking great and having the speed advantage over someone if you're spending half your time waiting for an AA van.

Look-backability- Even if you buy a bike for less than 1K it should still make you want to turn around for another look before you walk back into your house thinking- that's my bike. Bye bike! I love you bike...who's a good bike...you are!!

EFI- I just can't stand carbs. Even if you have the patience to maintain them well (I don't) all they reward you with is worse performance, a delayed start on a good day or a non-start on a bad day. Yes they're easier to fix but their lower reliability cancels that out IMO; and unless you're living in some Mad Max wasteland then EFI replacements shouldn't be *that* hard to find. And don't give me that "proper bike" nostalgia; the Jerrys were using Fi systems over Dover in 1940.

[redeem ouzzer]

Electric start and a rev counter. Always has been.
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Be a REAL MAN!

[notbike]

build quality, speed, handling

also must be power ranger looking

[redeem ouzzer]

Oh can’t stand EFI either. Too heavy (needs a fuel pump, 20 miles of wiring and an ECU the size of a house), complicated to work on and can only be fiddled with electronically (if the ECU allows). Also still not found an injection system that can match the throttle response of a perfectly set up bank of carbs.
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Be a REAL MAN!

[bigdom86]

[sickpup]

[chickenstrip]

Carbs are ok if they're properly set up. Mine need a balance once in a while and that's it. They're smoother at low revs than many an EFI set-up, don't have that snatchiness.
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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!

[Polarbear]

Comfy

Lots of surplus power

A barn door fairing

A stereo


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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[WimbleHJR]

Pretty (F800st is maybe an acquired taste but I would argue she's pretty)

Upright (F**ked shoulders means anything too sporty just isn't going to work)

Tourable (maybe not a word as such, but I like to be able to cover the KM's on motorways when necessary and still be able to enjoy the twisties)
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YBR125, FZS600, FZ6 S2 F800ST

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Red.
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Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[Holdawayt]

Uni students take note - this is how you ask for our opinions and get results.

Personally:

It needs to look good
Not kill my wrists or back
Enough power to lighten the front wheel when rolling on.

[chickenstrip]

[ThatDippyTwat]

Must be-
Reliable.
Cheap.

Otherwise, I look at these criteria.
Fast? Nice, but I'm not that bothered any more.
Unusual? Hell yes, if I can get parts.
Looks - Muscle/Naked bikes, but Anything will do (I currently ride a VFR)
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[WD Forte]

BEADED SEAT COVERS
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bikers smell of wee

[stevo as b4]

Light weight is good for a fun bike.

Simple is good for when you keep messing with it and have to keep taking it apart/fixing things.

Anti social is good for zero fucks given. Be that a carb fed Litre twin on race cans, an off road dirt digger, or a smelly blue smoking hooligan tool.

Things like the three R's:

Reliability
Rideability
Residuals

Are however great if you actually use your bike and want to do A-B to be able to earn a living.