Need help choosing my first bike

[Dot_Comm]

Hi all,

I'm new here and this is my first post. I passed my 125 test about 2 months ago now but I've not yet got a proper bike! I currenly ride a 100cc Speedfight 2, and I have done for the past couple of years. It's a brilliant scooter but now I've had a taste of a gearbox I want more!

I don't want a 125 cos it's not gonna be much more powerful than my scooter. And I can't really afford the insurance on a 500-600cc bike. Any suggestions as to what my first bike should be?

I'm not gonna mention what I've been looking at yet, I'm gonna see if your answers agree with what I've been looking at.

Cheers for your help in advance, keep it shiny side up,

Rach

[askew]

There's an endless list of options you could go for. What's your top priority?

Type of bike?
Looks?
Performance?
Cost?
Insurance?

Try and be a little more specific, and you'll probably get more specific and helpful answers.
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What's ya name? What av' ya taken? Chase the lasers, safe as f*ck!

[Dot_Comm]

[Kirmit]

Hi Dot_Comm, wellcome to the forum.

How about a Honda CBF250. 20BHP, top speed 80ish. £3999 New.
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When riding fast, think fast. When riding slow.. speed up.
Grey Honda Cityfly 125 || Red Suzuki Bandit 600 & Blue Suzuki SV650SK5|| Red Honda VTR 1000-F2

[askew]

Hows about a Honda CB-1 400. They're dead cheap second hand (a grand or there abouts), easy to come by and built like brick crap houses. I hear that insurance on them is quite good. A mate of mine with 1 year NCB who's 18 is only paying 350 quid for it!. Here's a picture of one:

https://www.westcoast-salvage.com/Used_Parts/Post_85/Post_85_Parts_Honda/NV400_BROS.jpg

Hope this helps mate.
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What's ya name? What av' ya taken? Chase the lasers, safe as f*ck!

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

That's a picture of a NTV 400 (Bros). NOT a CB-1.

A picture of a CB-1 https://www.bikepics.com/pictures/040368/

Or look at CB 400 (Superfours). Similar to the CB-1 but look alot better IMO.

£500 seems reasonable for the insurance, assuming your young and have 1 yr's NCB. I reckon you could get it down though due to being a lady. Phone around. And it seems like Bandit/Hornet etc seems like an ideal bike.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[askew]

[Full Bananas]

£500 seems a bit steep for a GS500. Is this fully comp? And how many quotes have you had? I insured my GPZ500S TPFT for about £300 last year, and I'd had my full license less than a year and only one year NCB, although maybe you live in a higher crime area.

For the price range you mention, I reckon any of the 500s would suit you well if you can just get the insurance down to acceptable levels.
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"Work is the curse of the drinking class."

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

THE CB-1 has an in-line 4 engine taken from/similar too the Honda CBR400 Aero (maybe the NC-23, not sure). THe Honda Bros uses a 400cc V-twin (I think a sleeved down version of the 600/650version).
There are other differences such as the Bros has a beam frame and single sided swing-arm, the CB-1 uses a steel tube frame (is it cradle style? not sure. by that I mean up and over the bike, as opposed to around the sides).

Also the Bros makes no more than 33bhp, it just cant. That is it's power output (unless you tune it). Whereas I think the CB-1 probably makes 50 bhp in full power state.

Both as quick as each other, Bros probably better for stop/start work, and sounds better if like me you like V-twins

Both are courierd alot.

Some of that may well be wrong. But I think most is about right
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Dot_Comm]

Cheers for all your suggestions guys, makes some very interesting reading as that's exactly what I was looking at

I was considering the CBF250, but I'm afraid I'll get bored of it before my 2 years are up, and that's a lot of money to spend for a bike I won't keep that long. I think the price is £3399 though?

Then I was looking at the 400s cos there's one at the bottom of my road, a Bandit 400. I don't really like the looks of the Bros, the CB 400 is much nicer to look at IMO. An insurance quote for this is £400 or thereabouts, works out at just over £30 a month. I've been looking at this one, £2000, looks very clean. And they'll restrict it free for me if I want it. Nearly 14,000 miles though and it's 10 years old, is that really old for this sort of bike? Although it is a Honda, so I doubt anyone will be able to kill it tbh.

I'm getting all my quotes from https://www.bennetts.co.uk, if I buy the bike I'll shop around for a quote but this gives me an idea of what I'm looking at. And I have 2 years NCB from my scooter. Oh, and I'm 20 so insurance companies don't like me much anyway. From Bennetts I get a quote of £529.11 for a GS500, TPFT. Too much tbh, can't afford that, I'm a poor student . Bananas, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? That could be why your insurance is cheaper than mine.

I would love a brand new CB400 but I have no idea if I can get one. I'm kinda surprised there's no market for them over here really, I expect a lot of women would be at home on a 400. Any idea if I can get a brand new import bike?

Cheers for helping me,

Rach

[Dot_Comm]

Think I've just found my dream bike.....

I want one of these!

No idea where I can get one though, can anyone help me find one?

Rach

[Rodger Wabbit]

Hi, The SV is a good bike But if i was you i would get the 650s. They are good on insurance and have a fair bit of poke. My SV is currently puttin out about 78bhp. And they dont cost that much to buy either. For about £2500 i dont see why you couldnt buy a 2nd hand one and get insured.

p.s here is a couple of pic's of mine

My Bike 1
My Bike 2

[Full Bananas]

[Barker-CBR 600]

Depends where you are, i would really suggest buying it from a dealership unless you're really in the know about bikes or have access to someone who is. Theres plenty of honest people out there but could put both you and your bank balance right off bikes if you got a stinker first time. And if you got dealerships near you its always best to get it local cause you know where to go in future for reference to it.. and they are more likely to give a better deal chopping it in if they 'know the bike'.

And ringing around for insurance helps alot on first bikes, even when you think you got a pretty good benchmark figure. Probably dont need me tellin you that but as i found it makes a HUGE difference.

TPFT for my CBR 600 (i am 17 btw) EVERYONE was saying '£1800-£2300' until i struck it lucky on my 32nd call as i was about to give up and got it down to £1130. Theres always one more place to call (although different adverts refer you to th same call centre )

Something i considered was that it could be worth spending a tad more now and making sure its still going and you still find it enjoyable and challenging after a few years. Like you said about fairing, dont want it now but that gunna stick?

And for 3399... get a CBR 600! hehe

*EDIT*

Norwich Union was atrocious quoting me for insurance.

3496 or something stupid like that for TPFT! Just a tip.
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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[Dot_Comm]

[G]

Bennets are usually expensive, might be worth getting a few quotes before you rule these bikes out. I wouldn't go for TPFT on a bike under £1500-£2000 unless it's very cheap.

Most 400s will be a higher insurance group than the GS500. Infact, I think the GS is only slightly higher or the same group as an NSR125!
An SV400 may well be more expensive to insure than a SV650 because they are only available as an import.

It ends up that even if you claim, you still don't end up with any more in your back pockety often.

[Barker-CBR 600]

Ahh the joys of RAF Pilot scholarships and rich (enough) parents

*awaits the multitude of slaps*

Forget the car, think of the lowly car drivers in their stuffy cramped metal shells stuck in traffic while you're cruising along the midde of the road (Carefully ) with fresh air in your lungs and a smile on your face.


As for how it'll handle i'll refer to my mate the dealer (we had 4 off him so far in a year.. so he knows us well enough hehe) who says

'Anyone else gets on it after being on a non restricted 600 they'll hate it, feel like a leashed monster. But you'll have no basis of comparison so for you it'll be amazing'

ANd makes sense really, once you take it off you'll realise you had castrated a stallion... but until then since its the first big bike you've been on so i think you'll find it great whatever.
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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[G]

[Rodger Wabbit]

Hi,

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

I think a CB400 (not the CB-1) is a great retro styled bike, and theyre very low to the ground Here's a pic -->https://www.bikepics.com/pictures/092070/ Thats a very slightly modified one, but gives you an idea.

go check out https://www.400greybike.co.uk/ if your interested in the CB400. The people there will have all the information you need, including how to tune them and ive seen a mono-shock version with ZXR-400 USD forks on which looked great.
Bandit 400's are good, but depending on what model you get parts apparently can be tricky to get hold of (on the grey import VVT model especially).
Most 400's are groups 9 (for things like Bros) upto group 14(for the sports 400's). A 500 will cost pretty much the same to insure.

Just phone around and you will get a good deal. And if necessary go TPFT (assuming your not already).

Think ive provided more questions than answers for you, whatever you do go and sit on the bikes. Whichever you feel most comfortable on/with (not necessarily literally, though that helps) is probably the one for you
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Dot_Comm]

I got a quote for insurance from Bennetts for an SV650, and it was over £900! Will try a couple of other places, but I really can't afford that! There wasn't even an SV 400 on the list so I doubt I can even get hold of one in this country. Tis a shame as it looks fantastic Might try a local importer.

I've been to sit on the CB400 that I showed you in my previous post, there was a Bandit 400, a Yam FJ 400 and a Honda CB 400, the CB definitely felt the best.

Cheers for your advice, but I still have no idea what to buy!

Rach

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Go and run your details through this, taking the info from the bikes you saw loacally. https://www.choicequote.co.uk/motorcycle/motorcycle-insurance-uk.asp
Whatever comes up for this knock about 20% off that price and it will be what you can realistically expect to pay

The XJR 400 looks a great bike too.

Good luck!
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Davo]

I'd probably go for something like a GPZ, sporty(ish), handles great, very economical and cheap to insure (group 8). I'm 21 and it cost me £253 TPFT. I'm quite short as well (about 5'7/8). Wish I hadn't have sold mine now (would been nicer to ride than the busa in this weather).

[Gazdaman]

[mchaggis]