first post in ages

swanny · Spanner Monkey Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Karma :

Hello,

need to sound off some bike minded people.

I'm getting a bike for commuting having not ridden one for about 5 years.. I have a 60 mile round trip, mix of motorway and back roads.

1500 budget, issue is i'm six three and 19 stone.. so an er5 won't do..

Some i've seen

2004 bandit 1200 20k miles £1500 (naked) (£180 a year insurance)
2004 CB1300 71k miles £1500 (Screen) (£250 a year insurance) has back box
1994 FZR1000 50k miles £1295 (£400 a year ins)
1996 ZZR1100 50k Miles £1500 (400 a year ins)
1998 Bandit 600 40k miles £1295 (Faired) (120 a year ins) has back box
2001 Er5 5k miles £1295

Pan European 1995 80k miles £1500 as an outsider...

TIA heads spinning with this all
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Confusion · Scooby Slapper Joined: 02 May 2013 Karma :

swanny · Spanner Monkey Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Karma :

Like that site,

can tell that the fzr looks cramped, not reliving my youth haha

So it's a tossup between the zzr1100, bandit 1200 and cb1300,

Bandit has least miles, know who owned the cb1300 and despite high miles it's been well looked after..

Insurance is just daft around here...
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M SWANNY.. see a sig !

Kentol750 · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 May 2016 Karma :

The bandit or cb would be my pick. I'm 6' and have a couple more pies in me than you. For the 70 saving on insurance on the bandit, you could buy a fly screen and top box. Mileage difference would send me to bandit also. Plus when I looked at getting one of these bikes a few years ago, the bandit always won in the running costs too. I ended up with a hornet 900.
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Some bikes.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Are you going into London? If so the ULEZ is a consideration And you’ll need a bike newer than 2007.

I have a VFR800Fi from 2000 for commuting and it’s excsllent. Cost £1600 too.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

doggone · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 May 2004 Karma :

For commuting all those bigger bikes will struggle to get near 50mpg if it bothers you.

weasley · World Chat Champion Joined: 16 Oct 2010 Karma :

Thundercat. Plenty about in all sorts of miles, conditions and prices. Loved mine, very good for covering distances without hosing fuel and still being able to raise a smile. Big fairing means good protection and a decent (for a 600) mid-range torque should haul you about ok.
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~~Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT~~ | BMW F900XR TE

Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

I agree with the 'condition is everything' rather than going for a specific make.

However on your list my preference would be a Bandit 12. Very under rated bikes. Also there is a big difference between 20k and 70k miles however well something has been looked after.
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pepperami · Super Spammer Joined: 17 Jan 2010 Karma :

One of the lads around here I speak to once in a while has a 1200 bandit.
He loves it and never seems to have any issues with it.
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

talkToTheHat · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Feb 2012 Karma :

Bandit is a roomy bike. My 600 is capable enough with 100kg of me on it and will happily go 2-up with 3 givi boxes. Very surefooted and stable feeling bike. 2nd gen fairing is very good and has really good projetor headlights but that's not on your shortlist.

From that list I'd take the 2004 Bandit 1200 and consider a bolt on screen unless there was a major red flag. It'll get turned round fast if it needs service/repairs as they're pretty common and most garages will have bandit consumables in because they see plenty of them.
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Bandit. does. everything.

swanny · Spanner Monkey Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Karma :

So, i took advice from the above,

went to look at the bandit and liked it, came away with a smile on my face with the intention of ringing back to get it (i'll never part with money there and then)..

Bought some second hand leathers off facebook, RST full set, 40 quid absolute bargain btw.. and mentioned to the guy i was buying it from.. "Oh is that ******* selling it, I had one from there, ended up 2k down as they aren't tested by the shop and sold as trade deals". Low and behold, that's a pretty fecking big red light..

I've sat on a cbr600, lovely bike but the insurance is expensive, the CBR600, ZZr1100 and FZR1000 are all looking expensive to insure, with really really high excesses ( I hadnt realised).

In taking Ste's advice (I haven't been on here for pure time and am shocked that he still has the same avatar haha), and doggone, I'm thinking about repairs and know that there isn't anything i can fix on the ER5. It will get to 70/80 return about 60mpg and cheap and cheerful to service, It's a bit on the small side but it's dort cheap to insure..

I have a choice of 3 from the dealer I went to the other day, he's decent..

51 plater (30k)with remus full system
51 plater (25k) with standard can but all been powdercoated black
X reg (5 k miles) withstandard can.

ohh decisions, someone tell me i'm making a mistake and need to go full power on a license loser haha
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M SWANNY.. see a sig !

DrSnoosnoo · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Mar 2012 Karma :

I do a 50 someting round trip on my 97 ZZR1100. MPG in the range of 45 - 49 which means 210 miles on the trip, into the reserve, is time to fill up around 21 litres, so there's still more in there.

I'm 6'2" but skinny so it easily launches me around the countryside.

I like ZZRs for a silly reason, I too was looking at ER5 etc but saw a 1100 at a price I liked (fkn cheap) so went for the fast one.
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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

Polarbear · Super Spammer Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :

Any bike bought in that price range from a dealer is going the be cleaned and that's it. Maybe a dodgy new MOT if you are lucky.
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talkToTheHat · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Feb 2012 Karma :

Report any dealer that tries to force trade sale on a consumer to trading standards. Then letter before action. Then action.

That said, trade sale, sold as seen and no refunds on a sale from trader to consumer should be a red flag. Policy does not outweigh the law.

However unless you are prepared to show teeth, don't expect to get your own way. Trading standards won't intervene on individual cases.

FYI J&S pull no refunds on defective gear on the grounds that "distrubutor says not covered inder warranty".
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Bandit. does. everything.