Suzuki GSR 2007 or Kawasaki ER6F 2010 or neither?

[taybagger]

Hi guys,

Looking for some opinions/advice/pointers here. Got my full license last week and on the hunt for my first bike.

I don't want a brand new bike (yet), looking at stuff around the 2k-4k mark which I can put a decent size deposit down on and pay if off within the year.

Locally (Kirkcaldy), I've been into two different dealers and seen the following, just looking for some opinions and/or advice - I'm definitely a novice!

Insurance is important - both of these bikes will cost me just over £400 to insure.

Suzuki GSR 2007

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suzuki-GSR-/122146783068?hash=item1c7083ff5c:g:5ecAAOSwYIxX4708

20k miles on the clock, £2,595 - really like the look of this one. People say the throttle is quite on/off though.

Kawasaki ER6-F 2010

https://adml.co.uk/cgi-bin/details.pl?v_vin=AEX650CCDA50953JK

23k miles on the clock, guy said he could drop it to £2,900. I learned to ride on a ER6N and liked it - figured this should be similar?

Please go easy! I'm not sure if these are decent value for money or a total rip.

If you know of any bikes going in Scotland that might suit, please let me know here.

Got a deposit of UPTO £1,500 at a stretch, and like I said, would look to pay it off within a year.

Cheers!

[RhynoCZ]

Full license, upto £4k, why these two?
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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

[taybagger]

Need something which will be easy on first year insurance and preferably something local.

I'm a complete beginner in this universe so any advice/tips/recommendations would be appreciated!

[Rogerborg]

9 10 and 7 years old, sold without any express warranty at dealer prices and with MOTs that's probably aren't worth the paper that they're printed on.

Purely a personal opinion, but I'd either go newer/lower mileage, or older and cheaper. For a first bike, the latter.

Just for example, how about this 17,500 mile Hornet.

You could bag that outright in budget, and maybe with a bit to spare depending on its MOT status. I'm not saying "That one!" (the insurance may be higher, the tank range will be smaller), just noting that there are some great bikes out there that you can own outright, and which won't depreciate much afterwards.
____________________
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

[taybagger]

[grr666]

My first big bike was a 2013 ER6f, I gave exactly 4k for it, it was exactly 1 year old, had done 1500 miles,
had Kawasaki luggage fitted and was absolutely mint. Got 3250 as a PX against current bike 3years after I bought it
and another 250 for the luggage which I removed and sold via ebay during a £1 max fees promotion.
So I would say perhaps those two are a bit top heavy price wise. I never dropped it btw, it's not a certainty, just a likelihood.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[arry]

Any advert with the words 'that's right folks' and 'bang for buck' in it deserves to be totally ignored.

[Rogerborg]

[taybagger]

Ok, sounds like I should just continue to keep an eye out then.

Cheers guys!

[grr666]

I should add I manually sniped it in an auction for exactly the same price as the opening bid since 4k was
all I was willing to chuck at my first bike. I bid bottom money with 5 seconds to auction end, it was quite exciting
actually. There was some HP outstanding on it but the seller and I went through the motions of paying that off once
funds were transferred and while we were still in the bank. I was ready to drop it like a hot brick if I smelled
a rat. Guy was decent and honest, sold because he was off to work over in Saudi for a year or two, his car and
house were for sale as well. Had a nice long first ride on it from Stoke on Trent down to Bristol where I live.
____________________
Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[taybagger]

Haha, good effort grr666.

I just don't know enough about bikes to approach someone privately and know if it was good or not, I'd be a tyre kicker! Because of that, I felt more comfortable with the idea of getting a dealer bike where I'd at least get some warranty time.

The ER6F has FSH as well but has done quite alot of miles for it's age and does seem a bit pricey.

[Rogerborg]

[taybagger]

Maybe I'll just stick with the car

[Rogerborg]

I have become Tef, destroyer of happiness.
____________________
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

[taybagger]

[taybagger]

Found a Honda Hornet, 2005, 9k miles, £2,295

Again, it's a dealer, but half the mileage of the other 2 and cheaper than the other 2.

Looks promising!

https://www.xpbikes.co.uk/used/honda-hornet-600-2005

[Rogerborg]

Ooh, sort of want. The mileage matches the MOT history, it was a garage queen for a few years but looks to have had recent use, which is the way you'd want it. It's not recorded as written off, and that's barely even run in for that engine (they can go for hundreds of thousands of miles).

Depending on insurance and whether you want something revvier than an ER6, that might be worth a look.
____________________
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

[taybagger]

[grr666]

That's a really nice looking machine for its age.
Don't hang about, spring is coming.
____________________
Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Baffler186]

[taybagger]

There's also a Suzuki SV650 from the same dealer.

2007, 12k miles, FSH, Yoshi Can - £2,295

https://www.xpbikes.co.uk/used/suzuki-sv650-s-2007/

Would need to do a little bit of research on them both, but both look decent bikes.

[grr666]

I'd take a Hornet over SV all day long. Very different bikes.
____________________
Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Rogerborg]

The SV has a racebike position and a commuter engine.

The Hornet has a commuter position and a racebike engine.

Not exactly chalk and cheese, but Brie and Parmesan. Neither is obviously better than the other the Hornet is obviously better and they would make a great ride-by-ride comparison to feel the difference from each other and your training ER6.
____________________
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

[grr666]

[kgm]

That ER6 has quite a bit of rust about when you look at the pictures. Mine is the same age, a bit less miles on it but it's much cleaner. Bolts and stuff rust if not ACF'd.