Tests Passed What Should I Buy

[Prawny]

Morning all,

After a 17 year discussion I’ve finally managed to talk Mrs Prawny around and got my A licence and she’s on board finally with me getting rid of the scooter and getting a bike.

My examiner is buying the Vity off me so I’ve got about £500 cash to play with, will need to top up with some kind of never-never.

Do I get something cheap and old from a dealer?
Newer but second hand from a dealer?
Spunk a load on a PCP deal for a new bike
Try and find something on eBay for £500 (unlikely to find anything this time of year)

Then what do I get?
It’ll be a commuter 99% of the time but would like the option to ride longer trips if work or life called for it.
Im not a speed demon, I’m nearly 40 and not interested in sports bikes or Harleys.
Im 5’11, 13 stone and physically fit and reasonably strong so I’m not desperate for something lightweight.

How do you go about test riding stuff? Do you have to book? Or just rock up with your gear in the car on the off chance?

I quite like the look and idea of an NC750X but I’ve seen a couple of CBF1000s locally that also look pretty swish.

Another consideration is that I don’t currently have a garage so bike will live on the drive. So I’ll need something that isn’t going to rust like a 90s Ford or catch the eye of local scrotes- it will be parked under the cctv though so hopefully would put some off, along with locks and covers etc.

Sorry for the long post, excited to
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Yamaha Vity 125 (gone) Kawasaki ER6N(dead) 2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (nicked) 2003 DL1000 V Strom

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

Don't think you'll get anything but a nail for £500 on ebay mate.

PCP deposit it is then

What's your monthly budget?
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PRESENT: 2018 BMW S1000XR SE Sport.
PAST: 2009 Kawasaki ER-6F. 2021 Zontes ZT-125U.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

mt07 maybe
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Prawny]

Will need to be a low monthly, less than £100 I reckon. I think the MT might be a bit too spendy.

I quite like VStroms but they’re far too much money new.
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Yamaha Vity 125 (gone) Kawasaki ER6N(dead) 2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (nicked) 2003 DL1000 V Strom

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

it never occurred to me to buy new
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Prawny]

[Keithy]

Have you got a bike supermarket nearby?

Best bet is go have a look there, give ‘em your budget and see what they suggest.

Personally I reckon you will get fed up with a 310 quite quickly. What is your commute like? 30 miles of A and B roads or 10 minutes through heavy traffic?

Coming up to 12 months with a full licence and a 650 is enough for me at the moment, not extracting it’s full potential by quite a way yet.

[Prawny]

Half way between both, 10 miles mostly NSL country roads into town.

Also potential to go the other way into the city which is a mix of all rods and maybe motorway if I feel like going that way no that I can.
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Yamaha Vity 125 (gone) Kawasaki ER6N(dead) 2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (nicked) 2003 DL1000 V Strom

[wr6133]

If you are doing the PCP thing I think a new Enfield Interceptor is about £80 a month.

[Prawny]

I love interceptors, I wouldn’t want to ruin one with luggage though, they’re too good looking. I suppose some soft panniers might look ok for odds and sods. Worth thinking about, there’s a dealer by my office too.
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Yamaha Vity 125 (gone) Kawasaki ER6N(dead) 2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (nicked) 2003 DL1000 V Strom

[struan80]

£4800. Needs a new chain or a good chain clean would do it. I'm too lazy. 3000 miles. 2019 model on 20 plate.Panniers not included. Great value first bike,

Sorry for this post guys. Don't mark me down too much. Have got a change of bike fetish.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/yy224/struan80/117180417_277471136882022_6874850278032097590_n.jpg.0cd8516c18c60682c053c8fd779d11e1(1).jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

EDIT, you're too big for the Ninja. Get a CB650R or CBR650R, would be my choice.

[Prawny]

Budget has been trimmed by life

Working with £3k ish tops preferably from somewhere that will take a credit card. CFO would be happier if I could spend less than £2k but after riding the Vity for 2 years I’d like something I could be proud of riding.

There’s not a fat lot out there at the moment that isn’t super old, covered in fairings or been to the moon and back. Also id like something without a super loud pipe which seems difficult on a budget.

Is there anywhere else I should look at, I’ve worn out eBay and autotrader.

I’m considering taking a trip up to superbike factory, but I’ve heard mixed reviews and don’t want to go all the way up there for nothing or get landed with an absolute shagger.
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Yamaha Vity 125 (gone) Kawasaki ER6N(dead) 2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (nicked) 2003 DL1000 V Strom

[A100man]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[A100man]

[Prawny]

I spotted an F800ST on eBay locally at lunch, in the right price range. Anything I should look out for? YouTube and online reviews seem ok, at least for the money.
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Yamaha Vity 125 (gone) Kawasaki ER6N(dead) 2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (nicked) 2003 DL1000 V Strom

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

bloody horrible bike, when I test rode one for half an hour on a bmw demo day out of squires

its sensible ergos suggested comfort, its motor promised a decent, torquey bit of power, and the badge said quality all round

but in fact, it was buzzy, annoying and deeply uncomfortable after barely 15 minutes - i was very glad to get off it, my arse was knackering and it was like the subframe had sharpened rails

i've not ridden many bikes that outright p1ssed me off but that was definitely one of them - it had absolutely nothing to recommend it and i'd rather have been in a car

but these things are so ridiculously subjective as to render my opinion valid more or less only to myself - it might feel like a magic carpet ride on a thing of beauty to someone (anyone?) else

the bike i queued up for after that was an r1200rt, which was lovely - a bit of a handful when the going got technical but yes, an excellent thing it was - maybe not the best first big bike, however - more likely the last one
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Prawny]

Cool, was having second thoughts anyway so I’ll leave that one.

No major rush to buy anything at the moment anyway, so I won’t let excitement get the better of me.

Might hang on until late August/September and pick up something when the prices have calmed down a bit. Seems a bit nuts to me at the moment.
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Yamaha Vity 125 (gone) Kawasaki ER6N(dead) 2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (nicked) 2003 DL1000 V Strom

[Barnoe]

We get a lot of posts asking "Which Bike".

Its impossible to pick a bike for a complete stranger.

There are so many good bikes to choose from it all depends what style you like.

Sports bikes, Naked streetfighter, adventure, Cruiser.
Small engine, Big engines
basic and all mechanical or Full of gadgets and electrics
Easy to maintain and clean or looks good but a complete bastard to clean

The best bikes are the big well established manufacturers Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, BMW, Ducati, Triumph, KTM etc etc. (in no particular order btw)

Those bikes hold there price, which means its a pain when your the buyer, but great when your selling later.

Some on here will likely suggest a Chinese option because your budget is more in line with them, but since your keeping it outside i would avoid them, your bike will age rapidly even if covered.

As hard as it is, i would stick with the scooter and keep saving, until you can buy a decent bike on finance.
During this time, test ride a few different bikes.
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You know you are old when you're told to slow down by your doctor and not the police.

[TaffyTDM]

[Prawny]

I went to have a look at a local small dealer this afternoon. They had a 2005 V strom 650 that would do the job, high milk but in budget. But, they wanted a £100 non refundable deposit for a test ride. Having only ridden the er6 I want to try a few different bikes but is this a standard practice? Im not going to shell out 5% of a bike purchase price just to whip round the block on it.

The bigger dealer round the corner had a couple of demo bikes but being current models there’s not much point having a go on them either.

Doing my head in a bit, I’m half tempted to buy any old bike with 12 months mot and roll around for a few months.

Scooter is gone now, got £50 more than I paid for it in the end. Happy days.
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Yamaha Vity 125 (gone) Kawasaki ER6N(dead) 2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (nicked) 2003 DL1000 V Strom

[Kentol750]

So, £100 for a test ride? Tell them to fuck off.
The racket of making new riders pay to find a bike they like will stop if everyone just accommodates them and accepts they may need an accompanied ride.
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Some bikes.

[Keithy]

Bike place I went to was £25 for a test ride, so for what they want to rush you I could have tried 4 bikes. As for non-refundable the £25 (or multiples there of) come off the price if you buy summat.

The RE meteor is just out and I was going to suggest that but doesn’t look like they do a finance option. An interceptor is £800 down and £81 a month with £2k to find at the end.

Just did a quick search on super bike factory and £2-3k gets a v-strom (2007, 13k), nc700, transalp, even a flipping caponord.

[TaffyTDM]