I feel like a kid in a sweet shop :)

[GTR1400]

Getting paid on Friday , which means... you guessed it.. yet another "First Big Bike" thread .

Basically I'm not asking you to pick for me like lots of others have done previously.. Just need to know a certain few things about the bikes I'm considering as to know whether or not they'd suit my needs. Reading reviews doesn't always help ya see!

Currently considering the following:

Kawasaki GPZ500s
Kawasaki ER5
Suzuki SV650
Suzuki GSF600
Honda CB600F

I've already found potential sellers for the top 3 bikes .

Just wondering if anybody could help out and let me know what these bikes are like for the following:

1. Comfort (solo and 2-up)
2. Motorway riding
3. Riding throughout winter (starting up first time etc.)
4. Insurance for an 18 year old lad
5. Anything else that is worth knowing

Any info is much appreciated guys , can't wait to be on a big 'un .

Liam

[Billo63]

My 1st big bike was an er5, very comfortable, very forgiving with newby errors & not rediculously quick off the block to leave you sat on the ground.
Great handling = confidence building.
Rode it a few times now on a 300+ mile round trip - m/way & A roads & once you adjust yourself to the traffic conditions it's sweet.

Granted it doesn't have the grunt & power of some others you mention , but I found it to be an ideal 1st bike, but hey, each to their own I guess.
____________________
I might not be a gynecologist, but I know a cunt when I see one

[CaNsA]

1995 > 1997 cbr600f

will do everything you want.

[GTR1400]

[the_quick]

If you can have a ride on all 3 of them and compare, my choice would be SV650 - twin,should be cheap to insure and is fun to ride - I learned on one and loved it. Only reason I did not buy one, was there were none available in my location for my budget.
I would go for faired version, to protect me from the wind

I think I would not get and 500cc bike, as I would get bored very quickly and wanted to keep the bike for at least 1 year, before mowing to something different.

I got my self Bandit and really happy with it, have some power but real power kicks in around 5-6k revs, below that is much more tamed and easy to ride. And that hos I ride it most of the time. Learning on with lower end revs to build confidence and skills a bit, but sometime give it bit more go, just to see how my skills are.
Bought it less than a month ago.

Bandits and SVs - tons of parts around, ebay and such. Not sure how it is with 500 bikes
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Bandit GSF600 '00

[Rogerborg]

GPZ500S:

+ Plenty of parts. Cheap to run and insure (£0 swap from a 125 for me). Half faired, screen is OK. Bit more poke than the ER-5. Economical if you keep the revs down, then goes into Fun Mode abruptly at 7000rpm. You can lose your license on it, but you'll be in no doubt that you're doing it.

~ Low bike, could be + or - depending on your leg length. Stock screen is just OK, and it can get a bit buffety and weavy in NSL cross winds. Seat is OK but not all-day great.

- Saggy, creaky shock, I'd hesitate to take a pillion on mine, although others report it's not a problem. Link pipe on the stock headers will rust through. Stock mirrors are useless. Fairing cracks easily around the mirror mounts. Gap between the top and belly fairings looks 'tarded, like it can't decide if it wants to look like a sportsbike or a commuter - stinkwheel quoted his mate calling them "sports commuters" which seems apt. £70 infill panels can de-tard it, if you're a tart.

Reported second hand: the end cans rot through from the inside at the bottom where they join the headers. Engines get lumpy at low revs if not kept balanced. 16" wheel models have assplody stators. Single front disk models don't stop too well (mine is the later dual).

On balance, I'm really enjoying mine. Yes, some bikes do some things better, but for my purposes it's just the bike that I need and want right now, no more, no less. This could tilt you either way, but when I did a ride with the local IAM, about 1/3 of the bikes there were GPZ500's.

One thing though, restricting it might remove some of the 7k lulz, I can't speak to that.
____________________
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

[GTR1400]

Cheers for the input

Roger, regarding seat height, I think it'll be a little odd at first after being on my (relatively) tall Derbi Senda, but shouldn't feel too cramped as I'm not exactly a giant. Roughly 6ft, maybe 6ft 1 with boots.

I'll PM you a link to the GPZ I was looking at , looks immaculate. Hopefully I'll be able to have a look within the next couple of days, as it's only 10 miles from me .

Thanks guys

[ThoughtContro...]

SV650 S (Faired)

Great on the motorway and open road. Can be a PITA in the stop/start city, due to the riding position, where your wrists will feel it. Comfy enough, though legs feel cramped after all day ride outs and your shoulders might ache.

Insurance is buttons on the Mk1. Spares are fairly plentiful. If it's to be ridden in the rain then make sure you fit a fender extender as the front cylinder plug hole is a great water trap. In the Winter use ACF50, it's a Suzuki.
____________________
Prize cunt
--
"In a world of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell

[Polarbear]

[angryjonny]

My first bike was an ER-5. It was an excellent first bike but if I'm honest I regretted not going bigger. It was scary and exciting for about a week - then I went on the Essex air ambulance run and I had the smallest bike there. I felt a bit emasculated pootling round on my 500, surrounded by 600+cc machines. Also I used to commute in on the motorway and at that sort of speed it didn't really have anything left to give.

I had some fun on it and got some good experience but it lasted months before I chucked it in against a Fazer 6.

It was worth having a naked bike though - it ended up on its side 3 times for one reason or another.

[Rogerborg]

[ScaredyCat]

[Slacker24seve...]

For the Hornet (CB600F):

1. Comfort (solo and 2-up)

Really very comfortable. Even better with Renthal bars which lean you forward just a little bit more. My girlfriend liked the Hornet for comfort but prefers my 675 as its more 'vibratey'.

2. Motorway riding

Not ideal, over 90 for sustained periods (aka normal motorway speeds) takes a strong neck. Much over 100 is a challenge for anything other than sustained bursts. 70-90 is reasonably comfortable though, the clocks do a good job of deflecting the wind. A half faired one would be better.

3. Riding throughout winter (starting up first time etc.)

Did two winters without a hitch. Crashed in a big way too and it survived that admirably. CBR600 based, its bombproof. Parts are plentiful, should the worst happen.

4. Insurance for an 18 year old lad

I doubt thats ideal, its group 12 or 13 I think.

5. Anything else that is worth knowing

Tank range is poor, fun factor is high. It is over tyred for the job it was designed for but that adds to the stable, big bike feel. They are very capable bikes and mine taught me a lot before moving on to a sports bike. Equally at home teaching you to knee down or lift the front as commuting and quicker than the rest of the 600 nakeds for when your restrictors fall out.

In short, if you can afford the insurance, get one.
____________________
Triumph Daytona 675 track bike + girlfriend's Honda Hornet 600
Selling a hack/winter bike for less than a grand? PM me.
Banger rallies are ace

[janner_10]

I would have a close look at a Fazer too, them and the hornet are probably top 2 for first big bikes, do most things very well.
____________________
Yamaha FZS600 (Now gone to heaven) > CBR600F4i (SOLD) > '99 YZF-R1

[Derivative]

If you are considering the ER5, have a look at the CB500.
Similar bike, usually slightly more expensive though.

That said, I wanted a GPZ when on my bike search.

Once I got the CB, I fell in love anyway.
I would be surprised if there is genuinely any noticeable difference between the GS, ER, CB and GPZ other than build quality, at least for a newbie.
It's not comparable to the bikes you do DAS on because it hasn't been through 40k miles of being repeatedly thrown down the road.

I don't find 500's boring. The CB handles similarly to how Roger describes the GPZ. 'Fun Mode' at 6-7k rpm. Below that, it is still bloody fast.
Whacking it to 10000rpm in first gear makes me feel like I'm unable to breathe, for example.
I think I would genuinely have a brown pant moment if I did the same on a 120hp bike.
0-40mph in two or three seconds is a ridiculous acceleration to get used to on your first proper bike.

On the pillion point - CB is fine 2-up for me and my female friend at ~130kg combined. I suspect that loaded up with luggage, a new rear shock may be in order. Wemoto lists Hagon shocks at about £130, I may look into this.

[Gavster88]

Nice to see someone else is interested in the same kind of bikes im looking at!

How much you looking to spend?

[GTR1400]

Thanks for all the info guys , nice to know what other people's experiences of first "big" bikes are .

Shall definitely be having a closer look at Fazer's and the CB500. The reason I'm not considering an er6n is because they're slightly out of my price range.

[Gavster88]

I'm goin to be heading towards a CB600, Fazer or Xj600 if funds allow. Il have around £1500 to spend for a first big bike

Happy Hunting! Seen a few fazers going on eBay for between £1k-£1.5k, 53reg low miles so should be able To get a decent one for your money!

[GTR1400]

[Gavster88]

Haha don't worry I won't be seriously looking until next year, the bloody car for the missus is on its last legs so having to upgrade that first

I'm from Chester

[GTR1400]