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What would you do..?

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bacon
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PostPosted: 19:58 - 08 Oct 2017    Post subject: What would you do..? Reply with quote

Right here goes, I seem to chop and change bikes fairly often. I have recently started a new permanent job in Bristol, where I am finding traffic on the way home to be a total nightmare at times. So I have started using my bikes as often as I can be arsed to.

The commute consists of 20ish miles of motorway and a few miles of the Bristol ring road.

I currently have a 2000 ZX7R which I love, it isn't going anywhere. I also have a 2004 SV1000S which I picked up from a mate earlier in the year, it subsequently got written off (Cat D) just 2 weeks into ownership.

I repaired it (it was only cosmetic damage) with a new indicator and replacement fairing mount. The bike landed in wet grass so the damage is fairly minor, so scratches aside it is still a fairly tidy and up together 13k mile sv1000s. It currently owes me, after buying it back from the insurer and repairing the necessary indicator and fairing bracket, just £400. My opinion of the bike for the commute so far are that it's not the most comfy bike, clip ons etc, but it has plenty of power and torque, good enough brakes, ok handling.

What concerns me is that it will be a corroded and ruined heap within no time. Despite being a cat D, it's too nice to ruin as a daily commuter over winter. So I've been tempted with the prospect of selling it so someone else can enjoy it and buying something winter friendly and comfy, namely a xj900 divvy, vfr750 or even the Honda Dullville.

What I was thinking is to get something hardy and reliable to use over winter to commute up and down the motorway on as often as I can be bothered. Something I can also leave it outside under a cover instead of locking it up every night in the shed, which takes time etc, plus my shed will be more usable on a day to day basis compared to being full as it is currently with 2 bikes inside and my work bench, tools etc.

What would you do?


TL:DR Commute on a written off Sv1000S that owes me little, or sell it and buy a proper commuter bike.
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sickpup
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PostPosted: 21:07 - 08 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Usual answer, Deauville.
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Nobby the Bastard
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PostPosted: 21:08 - 08 Oct 2017    Post subject: Re: What would you do..? Reply with quote

bacon wrote:
Right here goes,


UWE or the place with the big moat?
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Fisty
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PostPosted: 21:13 - 08 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's a suzuki v- twin. It's thirsty.

I comuted from lydney to Bristol on my TL1000R for 2 years and spent more on fuel, tyres, chains and sprockets than I saved in Bridge tolls not using the car.

But.

It saved me up to 2 hours each way every day in travelling, time to me is far more important than anything. It meant I could get home, walk the dogs, and cook dinner then relax rather than rushing everything.

I love my TL and wouldnt have done it on anything else as it allowed me to have heaps of fun at the weekend.

Also You need to come for a ride with Fret and I.
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bacon
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PostPosted: 21:56 - 08 Oct 2017    Post subject: Re: What would you do..? Reply with quote

Nobby the Bastard wrote:
bacon wrote:
Right here goes,


UWE or the place with the big moat?


Neither, but good guesses! I'm commuting to Emersons Green from Clevedon, getting in is fine, I leave early enough, its just home time, I work flexi time so I usually go around half 3, but all it takes is someone to wrap their car up on the m5, or more recently get shot (what is the world coming too).... for it to take me 3 hours to get home (should be half hour)... Of course if I have to stay on then 4 or 5pm are just awful times to leave.

I may go look at this local Deauville and see if it ticks my boxes.

Hey Fisty, I'll keep that in mind, I did wonder how quickly the SV will chew through tyres, chains etc, I haven't had it long or done many miles on it to know these things yet, I assumed it would be fairly rapid though compared to an inline 4 which is what I'm used to.

I saw Fret the other day when visiting my brother. If you guys go out anytime let me know, I'll come along on the 7r for a spin Smile
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mentalboy
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PostPosted: 22:13 - 08 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Me? I'd buy a pressure washer and a place with a garage...
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Nobby the Bastard
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PostPosted: 22:18 - 08 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've got a green triumph that you may have seen heading in the opposite direction on the ring road...
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drzsta
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PostPosted: 08:18 - 09 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been riding daily from Caerwent to Bristol port for the last 2 years M4/M49/M5. My F800 has paid for itself through Bridge tolls alone Very Happy
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bacon
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PostPosted: 10:17 - 09 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

drzsta wrote:
I've been riding daily from Caerwent to Bristol port for the last 2 years M4/M49/M5. My F800 has paid for itself through Bridge tolls alone Very Happy


I can imagine! No tolls for me, just that lovely motorway the "M5"...

I can wash the bike, that's not an issue, I just can't be arsed to have to do it every day. So if a bike can last untill the weekend for a rinse down all the better. So laziness is a factor here!

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a green triumph then, I usually get to the ring road just before 7. So you never know! It will be a red SV for now, unless I do what I'm considering in this thread.

Smile
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FretGrinder
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PostPosted: 18:32 - 09 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

bacon wrote:
drzsta wrote:
I've been riding daily from Caerwent to Bristol port for the last 2 years M4/M49/M5. My F800 has paid for itself through Bridge tolls alone Very Happy


I can imagine! No tolls for me, just that lovely motorway the "M5"...

I can wash the bike, that's not an issue, I just can't be arsed to have to do it every day. So if a bike can last untill the weekend for a rinse down all the better. So laziness is a factor here!

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a green triumph then, I usually get to the ring road just before 7. So you never know! It will be a red SV for now, unless I do what I'm considering in this thread.

Smile


I used to ride to Chippenham every day on my CBF1000, a 70 mile round trip, used to fill the tank other day, did this for 2 and a half years, clocking up a total of 43k miles.

I got into the habit of giving the bike a quick rinse at least twice a week, moreso in the winter, mainly to keep the salt off. I also used to give it the ACF50 treatment around November time .

If I was to the do this again however, I would most probably go for something like a Deauville.

They get a bad rep for being a boring bike, but then a little fiesta or astra is boring too, different vehicles are built for different purposes, thus leaving my Fazer for the fun times.
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drzsta
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PostPosted: 09:19 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I never washed the bike after a ride home - this is the result Crying or Very sad

https://sxyn3a.by3301.livefilestore.com/y4m3lmCgk95UWHXvDLF74zMp6E5zdYIL9sNIQS62nxugrueyD--_xLhlAfgB5SeHVxQGmwjBIelAKutzNYYFi0MOGG--puE9YPNq_WLi7ceYeFD7pK7xXzu1nGaIz_8OgsOHFARogcp0kP7QfsuvwOdAanajRVdylyoC4sf9xOULnpC9aGaSJc2doLT5zBgnu5WuQKcqGFI2w4b8-aL5DPuaw/DSC_1085%202.JPG?psid=1
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 10:20 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Deauville. Good fairing, built in luggage, shaft drive, pretty frugal engine.

What's not to like Thumbs Up
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Tracer1234
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PostPosted: 11:42 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

drzsta wrote:


What did you do, ride through acid?
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 12:39 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tracer1234 wrote:


All rain is acidic, just varying degrees,
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DrSnoosnoo
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PostPosted: 12:59 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Polarbear wrote:
All rain is acidic, just varying degrees,


Lewis or Brønsted-Lowry? Laughing
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 13:09 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pah, intellectual semantics.

I'm talking about tree destroying, Victory engine case ruining good old below pH7 acid. Cool


I had to look up that Lewis or Brønsted-Lowry thing, I was expecting matchstalk men and mathstalk cats and dogs Laughing Wink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnRX6_Txpaw
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Last edited by Polarbear on 13:11 - 10 Oct 2017; edited 1 time in total
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fatjames
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PostPosted: 13:10 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

New wing mirror vs washing twice a week.. I'm always going to chose the lazy option. But I suppose if the wing mirror is that bad, the underneath will be worse!
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pudder
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PostPosted: 13:23 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Re: What would you do..? Reply with quote

bacon wrote:
I'm commuting to Emersons Green from Clevedon, getting in is fine, I leave early enough, its just home time, I work flexi time so I usually go around half 3, but all it takes is someone to wrap their car up on the m5, or more recently get shot (what is the world coming too).... for it to take me 3 hours to get home (should be half hour)... Of course if I have to stay on then 4 or 5pm are just awful times to leave.


To be fair the M5 seems to have suddenly decided it wants to win the award for most major incidents.
What are we at??.. 4 multi-hour closures in as many weeks?

Before I had a bike I used to commute Weston-s-mare up to J14, and other than Friday afternoon of a bank holiday weekend, it seemed rare to have major incidents.

As for bikes, I've ridden my 650 Bandit 50 miles a day through all weathers for 3 years, and its still doing alright. It gets washed approximately twice a year, corrosion is pretty mild (thanks to some ACF50), and mechanically its doesn't ask for much.
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DrSnoosnoo
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PostPosted: 13:25 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Polarbear wrote:
Pah, intellectual semantics.

I'm talking about tree destroying, Victory engine case ruining good old below pH7 acid. Cool


I had to look up that Lewis or Brønsted-Lowry thing, I was expecting matchstalk men and mathstalk cats and dogs Laughing Wink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnRX6_Txpaw


My mate bloody loves them Lowry drawings!
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AdamEf
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PostPosted: 20:01 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

The M5 has had a lot of problems recently. It's not normally closed 4 days out of 5 a week as it was a couple of weeks back.

Coming from Clevedon and Portishead side of town and commuting in is a bit of a pain. That's the side that most of the ring road that doesn't actually exist is on unfortunately. South Bristol is non-existent and the area around Southmead and Filton is just a regular narrow road.

Definitely don't buy a Striple or any of the bikes that the local instagram famous bike gangs seem to like knicking and burning. I think Emersons Green is less of a likely target than their usual Cribbs carpark etc.

There seem to be quite a few Bandit commuters around. Something like that and plenty of ACF50.
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bacon
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PostPosted: 20:47 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

AdamEf wrote:
The M5 has had a lot of problems recently. It's not normally closed 4 days out of 5 a week as it was a couple of weeks back.

Coming from Clevedon and Portishead side of town and commuting in is a bit of a pain. That's the side that most of the ring road that doesn't actually exist is on unfortunately. South Bristol is non-existent and the area around Southmead and Filton is just a regular narrow road.

Definitely don't buy a Striple or any of the bikes that the local instagram famous bike gangs seem to like knicking and burning. I think Emersons Green is less of a likely target than their usual Cribbs carpark etc.

There seem to be quite a few Bandit commuters around. Something like that and plenty of ACF50.


Yeah, I sold a Street Triple last year, very very good bike, but I'm thinking cheap for this commuter bike.

I looked at the local Deauville this evening;

Upsides:

*Very very comfy to sit on (I didn't test ride it)
*It already had heated grips fitted so that's one thing I wouldn't have to do
*Panniers and cubby holes all look very useful, top box especially.
*42k miles on the clock, it appears in the 3 years he has owned it, he has only done around 7k on it.
*Pretty new tyres
*Recent new battery
*Lots of history etc


Downsides:

*Centre stand foot lever snapped off due to rust, needs repairing or replacing. He said a local welder quoted £20 to sleeve it before welding it up, it did look quite badly corroded
*Front pads advisory on last mot
*Few cosmetic issues, but for a 42k commuter bike I don't think it's unusual.


We briefly talked money, I said I was thinking £900, he's thinking £1000 (advertised at £1100).

I said I would think it over and let him know tomorrow.

Completed listings on ebay suggest the money is reasonable and about right.

Must admit, I am tempted Thinking
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tadge
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PostPosted: 20:58 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: What would you do Reply with quote

I would get a Suzuki burgman 400 purely for better weather protection economy and fares well being kept outside and less likely to get nicked !
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Tdibs
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PostPosted: 21:14 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

If the stand is collapsing from rust, I would get under the bike with a torch and feel/look for any bad corrosion in the sing-arm before parting with money. Thumbs Up
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bacon
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PostPosted: 21:49 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tdibs wrote:
If the stand is collapsing from rust, I would get under the bike with a torch and feel/look for any bad corrosion in the sing-arm before parting with money. Thumbs Up


Yeh good point, is there anything else under there made from steel to be aware of? It was unfortunately dark when I went to see it, I know, school boy error, so I couldn't see the underside very easily.

Engine finish was corroded etc as well, but looking on sell sites, this seems fairly normal for this sort of bike that get exposed to the shittest of uk weather...
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 22:30 - 10 Oct 2017    Post subject: Re: What would you do Reply with quote

tadge wrote:
I would get a Suzuki burgman 400 purely for better weather protection economy and fares well being kept outside and less likely to get nicked !


Much more likely to be nicked than a Deauville I would say.
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