What bike is best...

[fabreze]

I would be interested to know what bike you guys reckon would be best for me...I'm a six foot, 14 stone geezer who hasn't ridden for a couple of years and wants to get back into biking.

I've got about £3k to spend on a bike and recently hired a SV650S for the weekend which was a good fun bike to get back on. Now my problem is this....I like to go fairly long distance and suffer from bad lower back problems after riding....therefore who can suggest a decent bike for around that sort of money which wont give my back grief after a weekend away ????

I really like the R6 but reckon that might be one of the lease user friendly bikes out there.....any suggestions ???
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Fabreze....the scent of a man

[89CBRChris]

if you want a sports 600 and you want comfort I'd go for a CBR600f, I have been told the ZX6's can be reasonably comfortable too.

I believe the R6 and GSXR's to be the least comfortable.

[G]

Some are ok with the r6, I'm not. I do have one, but for track use only, where it 'works' for me; going distance on one doesn't.
Do you want a razor sharp sports bike? Or a more relaxed bike for long distance?


It's going to be a case of getting out there and getting some test rides.
A ZZR600 might be a good start. You can get some for way under your budged, so you could reasonably get one, ride it for a bit then see how you feel and not lose too much money, then look at getting a bike more suited to what you want.
Ie get a sportier bike if you decide you want shaper handling, or go for a more relaxed bike if you decide you would prefer to go that way.

[Ste]

What will you be using the bike for? A weekend away could mean lots of things, you could spend that weekend at a trackday or you could spend it touring around the country or lots of other things, so knowing what you need to bike to be able to do will help. Not just what will you do with at weekends, will it be used in the week at all and if so what for?

What bike experience do you have and how long ago?

Is the £3k to spend including everything? As you'll need to buy insurance, do you still have all your bike kit and it still fits well, as otherwise you'll need to get new kit.

[fabreze]

Thanks Chris and G for your comments.

I'm the classic 33 yr old vain bloke...I want a smart looking bike, one where I dont look too big on, something with a bit of grunt but also a bike where when I get off I dont walk around like an OAP with piles !!!!

With regards to test rides what is the easiest way to go about getting them...I dont want to lead some dealer on pretending I'm gonna by his CBR or ZZR if I dont really like them once ridden....???

I look forward to more responses soon.....
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Fabreze....the scent of a man

[fabreze]

Thanks Ste....

The bike would be for summer use only, weekends away with a couple of mates ( we done 500 miles when I hired the SV) as well as riding to work ( 90 mile round trip) once or twice a week.

Got all the gear, although I was a little thinner 3 years ago, but it still fits !!!! £3k will be for pure bike buying. Have read a few mags but I still cant decide what will fit the bill....
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Fabreze....the scent of a man

[iCraig]

[Ste]

[Bendy]

CBR600F is a really good choice, as it's a bit more comfy than the R6 (which puts too much weight on the wrists for my liking) and it will turn it's hand to anything you throw at it, from commuting to scratching to trackdaying. That was the whole design philosophy behind the bike and it does it very well.

£3k will buy you a nice 99/00 model if you look around a bit. ZX6 is the Kawasaki equivalent, can usually be got a bit cheaper cos the CBRs seem to hold their value better.

(Yes, I may be biased towards CBRs cos I own one, but to me it's the perfect bike for all-round fun).

[Ste]

[fabreze]

Cheers Bendy, Ste and Craig...

Looks like I wil be touring some local dealers this weekend trying to sniff out the CBR's and ZZR's.

Are there any things I should look out for on these bikes... ie are they prone to rust or show signs of wear or tear in any particular place...remember I'm a novice here and dont want to feel as though I've be stitched up !!!!

Cheers again guys
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Fabreze....the scent of a man

[map]

For what it's worth if you want an all round bike a friend of swears by his Fazer. Secondhand I think 2000ish models are about £3k.

HTH
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[Claud 14.7 to 1]

Cbr600f like Bendys. Havent ever heard a bad word about them. Meant to be good for everything. 100bhp should be enough . Handles well goes distance. Reliable. Looks real smart, as long as you get a 99+ one as they look nicer and are quite a bit lighter than pre 99 models.

Try one 99+.

Other sport600s may be slightly more focused, but they come with drawbacks. The cbr6 is a sports bike, but with a slight less edge, which makes it better for eveyday use. Handling and power is very good, and beyond most of us to fully utilise, anyway.

Could try the others as well, just to get the whole/bigger picture.

[Ste]

No specific points to check for on the different bikes, just have a good check through this stuff.

[G]

If you're looking at the CBR, I'd also look at the ZX6 G/J/A models (that's 98-2003 or summin). They tend to be a bit cheaper than the CBR and for me were more comfortable and sporty than the CBR.
Not quite that last % up there with the r6 for sportyness, but can keep up no problems.

[Kenvis Repesco]

What you want is a ZX9R, fast, very comfortable, torquey and for 3k you will get yourself a low mileage minter...the noise from the ram air at 7k is such a wonderful thing!
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