Looking for ideas on bikes

[georgem123]

I'm 19 at the moment and I'm hoping to do my A2 license this summer, so I'm looking for bikes.

Because I'm a boring bastard (or because I might have to do a 40 mile round trip every day) I'm looking at commuters, more specifically a GPZ 500 or an ER-5.
However my mam is worried that I'll splat myself moving from a 125 to a 500, especially because I took a years break from biking due to uni.
As she's financing the bike (due to me being a povvy student), I told her I'd look for smaller commuter bikes.

So are there any bikes smaller than a 500, that have a reasonable chance at doing 70 on a motorway and that wont rot my arse after a decent sized ride every day?
Or alternatively any better ways of convincing a concerned loved one that an R1 is a wise choice for a 19 year old

[bikertomm]

Fireblade.
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[georgem123]

[DMCpro]

CBR 400?
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Honda CB-1, TS125X
VW Golf Estate

[krarkol]

Bike wise, all the 500 parallel twins are pretty much the same.

Depending on budget though I'd get the cb500 as it's the best quality out of them all. Bit pricier to buy though.

Regarding engine size and convincing your mother, you'll never truly convince her. I'd go for the white lie approach and tell her they are all as fast as each other, but the bigger engine gets there a tad quicker and is more economical

Also, tell her it will be safer. A bigger bike will get more respect compared to a 125 with bicycle wheels.

So glad my parents let me do my own thing! I told my dad the next bike is definitely going to be an R1 or a ZX10R and he just raises his eyebrow, gives me a concerned look, tells me to "just get a car" then carries on with whatever he was doing.
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Bandit 600 - deaded

[ToGGoT]

To be honest, i'd go for an ER-5, or similar 500. Just don't be a twat with it, and you'll be fine.

Pointless buying a 400 which is +/- 5bhp different, there are fewer around, so parts are more difficult, and you'll sell after a year because you're fed up with it...

T
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2005 BMW R1150R

[Az]

Honda CB400 Super Four.

It's less than 500cc (but just as powerful as the 500cc twins… but your mum doesn't need to know that), will happily sit at 70mph on the motorway and it's reliable.

You could pick one up for around £1k and insure it for well under your remaining £1k, so it's within your £2k budget to.

[Rogerborg]

You're going to do a training course on a GS500 at a minimum, so why take a step down afterwards?

I wouldn't want less than a 500 for motorway use, and I'd want half faired or at least a big screen.

A restrictor kit effectively limits the amount of throttle that you can apply, so think of it as like having your mum constantly nagging at you to roll off.

Conceivably, you could even look for an older 25kW/33bhp kit rather than the new A2 35kW/47hp washers, if you don't trust yourself.
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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

[georgem123]

I think my mum is coming round to the idea that a 500 is probably best. I'm partly asking so I can say that I've looked and found nothing smaller

I did look around for CB400's earlier and couldn't particularly find any decent specimens nearby.

I'm also looking for something I can maintain myself but all I know about bike maintenance is what they tell you on the CBT.
So what 500 parallel twin would be easiest for a novice to learn to maintain?

[georgem123]

[RhynoCZ]

[fatjames]

When the women in my family wee worried, I told them the bigger bikes had much better brakes. They bought this....still only got a 650 twin though!
Get her to up your budget, 'newer bikes are safer and slower'

[Carvel]

[Az]

[georgem123]

[georgem123]

[Az]

Georgem123, you're not the sharpest tool in the shed are you mate...


1) My suggestion of a Ronax 500 was a joke. It's a 160bhp, based on a MotoGP bike, a road legal track bike pretty much and has a £100,000 price tag.

Limiting yourself to a specific CC means nothing. You get 600cc bikes faster than 1800cc bikes, just like you can get 400cc bikes faster than 1200cc bikes and so on.
Your mum restricting you to a certain CC is stupid tbh and if she's that worried, she should be more bothered about you putting restrictors in rather than what CC bike you're going for, since she's worried about the power jump from a 125 to a bigger bike. Explain this to her.

2) Even if you could afford a Fireblade, you couldn't ride it on an A2 license legally. You can only ride bikes on an A2 license if they produce 70kw or less as standard and then you're meant to restrict them to 35kw. Also, considering a 1000cc super sport as your first big bike is stupid for a number of reasons.

[georgem123]

[Az]

[georgem123]

[krarkol]

Is it just specifically for commuting? Or will you be going for the odd fun blast?

If I was after a commuter, I'd probably go for a cb400 like others have suggested.

The 500 parallel twins sound like tractors to me and I'd enjoy the scream of the 400's inline 4. Power is pretty much the same on both.

cb400 probably handles better aswell and would be more fun when going for a blast on the twisties
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Bandit 600 - deaded

[MCW]

Big respect to your mum for financing this and not making a fuss about you being on a bike. This doesn't mean she won't be worried sick every time you leave the house. It goes with the territory of being a mum, but give her credit for it. And a hug.

[georgem123]

[DrSnoosnoo]

I'm over in Leeds, if you want another eager eye to look over a bike with ya, gimme a shout.
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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

[georgem123]