500 vs 600

[mirax]

im looking at getting a cheap comuter bike soon the 1s im looking at are the bandit 600, hornet 600, er 500 and cb500. is there much difference really in a 600 or 500 consedering ill be useing it for mainly town riding and a roads (not motorways),back roads also ill be using it for pillion as well which 1 would be mostly suited for this

[mr.z]

yes there is, but a cb500 and er5, both twins, not inline fours, i'd imagine a 500 twin and 600twin wouldn't have a huge ammout of difference.. as it is a bandit will have allot more poke than a cb500.

Put it this way, my mates 400 inline four pisses allover my 500cc twin.. (but then mines very cheap and easy to service and less inclined to explode)

Engine layout makes a very big difference, and state of tune.

Dont feel like you should have to go for a commuter as a firs bike, you'll get used to whatever you get first fairly quickly and as long as your not a tit they are as safe as anyother..
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[mirax]

at the moment ive got a vfr400 nc30 but it likes to drink fuel costs loads to service and maintain, its crap for pillion and i wanna now use it as a summer bike before i kill it using it a comuter bike all the time. so im looking at a second bike

[mr.z]

I'd have the bandit out of them, there should be loads of cheapuns out there..

Otherwise a thundercat, zzr600 maybe, cbr600 even..

Theres some very nice comfy reliable older bikes, but there not exacly very sexy (cx500, old beemer e.t.c.) if you can get past that and have another "fun" bike its a great way of goign about it (would like to be able to afford a spare bike myself)
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[Rookie]

Those 500s will bore you if you're used to an NC30.

I'd say something like an SV could be good; Hornets are certainly nice and powerful, and a decent commuter, but I don't know how they are for pillions. Same goes for Bandits.

[mirax]

it either keep the nc30 as a summer bike and have something like a er 500 or sell the nc30 and get a larger cc bike but i dont wanna get another faired bike tbh as they cost more to service (cost of taking fairings off to get to engine) and if you spill it looks like crap cause fairing prices take the piss also fairing ups the insurance premiums

[extreme3d]

I used to have a GPZ500s. They are about as sporty as a 500 can get. It will match a good 400 in acceleration/top end, but comes no where near for suspension/handling. It will however do everything you ask of it including pillion work, and as it has a fairing it will be more comfy than a cb500 or er5.

[Keen]

[ISLAND GIRL]

I personally dont like riding on the back of my hornet, I guess it could be just down to that I am normally the rider and not the pillion and when I do ride pillion its on another bigger bike that is designed better for pillions.
But on the whole I would say the hornet bandit are very similar.
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Live on the Isle of Wight and ride a CBR600F

[Gazdaman]

The commuter 500s I've ridden seem alot slower both in acceleration and top speed than even a commuter 600.

I've got a bandit and have ridden several ER-5s, Didn't like the sound, or power delivery from the ER-5.

I hear a GPZ is a fair bit quicker though.

500 would be sensible, 600 could well be more fun. My Bandit was only £800 and £350 to insure at 19 with 1 NCB.

Gaz