First big bike choices

[kris84]

Hey guys,

So just looking for some ideas for a good first big bike, I want to get decent mpg but also want to be able to enjoy it when not on the commute to work.

So far I've seen an ER6 which does 42mpg, sv650 which does something similar, but then... a 2008 Busa apparently will do 45mpg and gets to 186mph (not that I'd go straight from a 125cc to 1300cc)

Think my little cbf125 is spoiling me at 85+mpg
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CBT April 14, Theory passed May 15, MOD1 passed May 16, MOD2 passed June 16
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[flikers]

My brother has just got a 2014 Suzuki Gladius for his first bike and loves it. Says he gets about 45mpg.

[wr6133]

The busa will probably chew through chains, tyres and sprockets though!

[Rogerborg]

Get your license first, give the training bike a damn good thrashing on the victory ride, and decide what to get next depending on whether your underpants are full of erection or excretion.

That said, where are you getting those figures from?

If it's MCN, they represent whatever the test rider reckoned it was while riding it however they rode it on whatever route they were on in the weather at the time. This is a publication that sings the praises of the electric starter on kickstart only bikes though, so you might as well ask Teflon-Mike about the merits of modern supersports 600s.

Sperging of which, he does have a point that fuel = energy = power. Ride fast, you will use more fuel. Ride slowly, you'll use less.

So, what sort of riding do you expect that you'll enjoy?
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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

[conker]

https://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle Will give you a good idea of possible MPG values you might achieve.

[Pigeon]

My 14 year old SV does 55mpg, no reason to think the newer injected models shouldn't get that or better.

Also get around 54mpg out of Street Triple. But the model prior to 2013 had different throttle bodies and people seemed to get around 40-45mpg

I enjoy the SV, I love the ST.

You MUST budget for upgraded can though, assuming bike comes as stock. Standard can on the SV is an abomination, weighs a tonne and removes 90% of the character from the bike.
I just put the standard can back on and genuinely feel more exposed on the road, moreover it sounds like asthmatic tractor that's 2 miles away.

ER6 is quite popular, has the character of a v-twin, but the simpler layout of a parallel twin. They have pretty much sewn up the supertwin class at the Isle of Man TT.
I would have gone for an ER6 instead of the SV had one come up locally at a price I was willing to pay.

SV's new are £3,800. That has to have an impact on the 2nd hand prices at some point too.

EDIT: MT07 and MT09 are well reviewed too.

[robertw95]

Ive heard of k7 onwards twin spark svs getting 60+ mpg on a run out ive seen 170 miles from a tank before petrol light flashing (still 30 miles left i reckon)
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07 Dt125r, sv650s k8, zx6rr 04

[stevo as b4]

Does the BMW F800S supposedly have a very good mpg fig for an 85bhp bike because lean burn wizardry?

[barrkel]

If you think want a big bike and are balking at figures in the 40-50mpg range, you might not enjoy a big bike. If you're that pressed for cash, you won't be able to use it. Riding smoothly is the key to fuel economy, and on a commute that means planning ahead, no hard acceleration, no hard braking. If you're not using the performance, why do you need the bigger bike?

An ER6 doing 42mpg is being ridden hard, IMO. But 42mpg is only twice as expensive as your 125. Is paying twice as much at the pump as you are now really a big issue?

(Actually I suspect you're getting quite a bit more than 85mpg, nobody on fuelly is less than 100mpg. It's probably more like 3x.)

My SH300 does somewhere between 60 and 80mpg depending on whether I'm riding town or open road. And it costs me less than a tenner a week in fuel, for my commute and shopping. If it was twenty it would still be cheap.

Consider one of the NC700 series if fuel is a major metric.
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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

[stevo as b4]

Agreed! I shouldn't admit on here, but I could get 50-53mpg from my old ZX6R without really trying on average.

I'd expect 60mpg from an ER6F maybe a little less from an N- version?

[Dave_R]

I averaged 45mpg on my ER6n commuting in London, disappointing figures but that's to be expected from constantly stop-starting and being stationary 30% of the time. On the open roads I hover around 55mpg.

On my old CBF125 on the same commute, I averaged 100mpg caning the thing and over 110mpg if I've been riding gingerly.

The need to stop and fill up every week on the ER6 didn't bother me at all and at no point did I ever think I needed anything more powerful. I'm considering going back to a 125 for commuting and getting another bike for the weekend, though I'm very much content with the ER6n as my only bike.

[Rogerborg]

[Amber Phoenix]

My old carb'd Fazer 600 average about 50mpg around London. Not too shabby for a 12 years old bike you can pick up for £1200-1800.

Other wise, I was going to suggest the old BMW F650GS's. Pretty sure they about 70mpg. But they are more sedate compared to your other choices.
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Beginner Biker Adventures Blog
Yamaha FZ6 S2 2007

[bikertomm]

Hornet 600! Brilliant first big bike IMO!
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[Commuter_Tim]

I havent noticed a huge difference on the CB500 over the CG125 MPG wise.
Having said that I do ride like an old granny when I'm going to work. (Who the hell wants to get to work fast?)
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The above post is most likely nonsensical.

I ride a Bandit 600... badly.

[Nash GT]

I get 55-60 out of the FZ6 on commute mode
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Suzuki GSF600N

[sinedtomuch]

I did some boredom calculations at work.

I have a 60 mile commute and put £8 in my tank when the fuel light came on did 90 miles and the light came on again.

Works out at ~55 mpg in an R6. Its mainly motorway miles however

[SofaBear]

my er6f is my first big boy bike and averages 55-60mpg. 70mph+ motorway miles mostly. Stick below 6.3k and you'll get decent mileage.

In town, drops to 50's but that is to be expected. On a run, at 62mph all the way i can get 70-73mpg.

Since I've figured out i can drive a little faster and cull many kittens in the process, my average has been 55mpg ish.

I do aspire for more power though. and more 4cyl noise.
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Yamaha YBR125(gone) -> '12 Kawasaki ER6F in pearly white mmm

[Matt B]