Best budget Motorcycle that’s better than a GPZ500s?

[Scaramoosh]

I’ve finally paid my Finance off my ZX10R after having my crash two years ago. So I’m looking to get a new Bike on Finance, but I don’t want to get stuck again paying off so much money. So I want to get something in the £5000 range, but it’s hard to find anything good there that’s new or an ex Demo that is almost new.

The Ninja 400 looks good, but it’s quite slow, my GPZ will probably still be faster. Other than that I cannot find much, I’d really like something with a bit more power. I’m not really fussy about the type, I’m only using it for commuting. A 600 is probably a great balance, but they’re all just too expensive.

Thanks.

[bigdom86]

MT07?

[DRZ4Hunned]

Triumph Street Triple easy
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DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[Kyle.]

CBR650F Had one as my first bike and loved it, sporty commuter and within price
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GSX-R600 L5

[doggone]

SV650 maybe, good suggestions already.
Bikes below 600cc are rather sparse, consider an older 600ish if need be to keep within budget.

[Tdibs]

5K you can probably get the majority of the second hand market.

If you meant £500, then its more a case of what comes up in that budget in good nick, than being set on a specific model.
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Previous : 09 Vanvan 125| 02' Sv650s || Current: 1999 Xj600n | 1992 DR650 RSE | 2005 Fazer 1000

[NJD]

£5000 of someone elses money is a lot. What do you actually have saved?

In regards to your question: just about anything?

Half of that figure would give you a lot of wiggle room on the second hand market.
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[Enduro Numpty]

V-Strom 650

[barrkel]

Why are you looking to buy an almost-new ex-Demo or equivalent if you're only commuting on it? Commuting will just age the bike so much faster.

If you want something reliable, buy an older common 600 with lots of spares. That's what I did with my Hornet. I only commute on my Brutale on sunny dry days, and even then only when I'm in the mood. It's a hard bike to ride slowly.
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Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
Best road ever ridden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MhNxUEYtQ

[chickenstrip]

5 grand but nearly new? Hmm, is there much that fits that category? Bit limiting I'd have thought. Go a bit more used, but well looked after, and as DRZ said, Street Triple. Loads of fun, but useable every day.

Except that it would be wasted on commuting. What's your commute like?
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THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Get a 650 Royal Enfield twin.


Someone's got to start the second hand market
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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

[stevo as b4]

You can see OP's point though, and while I know inflation is a real thing, isn't it sad that you can't buy a new or say low mileage nearly new dealer bike over 125cc for 5 large today?

In these times of zero technological development, (steel framed pretend ZXR and CBR's) then it grates even further. I wouldn't expect rider modes, fully adjustable Ohlins, variable valve timing and rider aids for £5k, but I'd expect a new bike of some description in the 400-500cc area if I so wanted one. Ain't that not asking the earth?

You can't come the old pony and say bikes cost that much because they have to meet Euro 4regs and that's why you must pay £7k for a budget bike. It does not cost that much extra to get a clean tail pipe or slap on a few reflectors or a daft long plastic number plate holder etc.

I'm not here to solve OP's problem, but if I had £5k and for some reason wanted a nearly new bike for the sole purpose of commuting, then saying I could pick up a 20year old low mileage 600cc sports bike for better value and less cash, would not be an acceptable solution.

You can see why motorbikes and new bike sales are an old man's game now, as apart from the disinterest generally of young people, no one other than the mortgage free kids grown up sector has got the £20k required to walk into a dealer and pick out the machine they like the look of most to take home with them.

[Howling Terror]

SV650.
Upgrade the suspension.

Still loads of money left to spend on coke n whores n trackdays.
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[stevo as b4]

I'd agree with you that there's nothing essentially wrong with a bike like an SV650 other than fashionable love to hate opinion.

But OP might be tea total, not like dirty filthy wild sex, and prefer hiking in the countryside at weekends instead of ragging the arse off a bike on race tracks. So therefore the second part of your suggestion might be pretty poor advice?

[chickenstrip]

[RhynoCZ]

Better than GPz500? How about GPz550?
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[linuxyeti]

Royal Enfield 650 . Absolutely lovely bike to ride. 3000 in under 3 months not a single issue. Oh, that's not quite true,when I'm back off holiday front disk is being replaced under warranty, to be fair, I never even noticed that there was a problem, but it's just very slightly warped.
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[chickenstrip]

[adam277]

Make sure you take out the appropriate insurance so if you crash this one your not left paying it off.
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Bikes: Previous Bikes: Piaggio x8 125: 2012/2013, YBR 125: 2013/2013 BMW R1150GS 2013/2017, Honda CBR600RR 2017/2017, Honda CB500 2018/2018, Suzuiki Address 110cc 2019/2020, BMW R1200GS 2021-2023
Current Bike: Honda CBF 125: current

[Bhud]

I know you said you're after a new bike, but I can't see the use of getting into another finance agreement. Are the new ones really so much better? You can get a lot of bike for well under £5K if you're open to the used market. Older, lowish-mileage ZX6Rs are very cheap at the moment. They will easily outperform your GPZ500S. The usual caveats apply: avoid track bikes, look out for the usual neglect, etc. Sort out all the niggles and you'll have a fast and reliable bike for not much money.

[stevo as b4]

Is say a typical 98 ZX6R a much better and far superior everyday bike than a 2019 Honda CBR500 or similar? And if so what makes a 20year old 600 a better commuter or just better bike overall?

[chickenstrip]

Does the OP require a bike that has any fun potential? Is it just for transport, pure and simple? We can all suggest bikes until we go blue in the face, but it'd help if we knew a bit more about what he wants from a bike - I do get the impression it is purely for a workhorse. Might even be able to find a decent nick Divvy 900 in that case.
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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!

[Bhud]

[A100man]

[AndrewJDC]