Super Scooter Piper Moto. And then to combine the intrinsic qualities of a commuter in quele a bike it is not so new. J SERIES - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION. Cafe racer blog cafe racer boots cafe racer bmw k100 cafe racer bicycle cafe racer bobber cafe racer battery cafe racer bmw k75 cafe racer conversion kit cafe racer custom cafe racer.
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- looking at getting back into bikes, just need something for the winter commute,. enduro (transalp, xt etc style) min 250 max 600cc. Can anyone recommend a good (cheap) reliable bike that would see me through the winter?Posted 7 years agoI would not use an enduro style bike. a road bike will be better and depending on the commute a scooter may be better still.CB500 is the usual answerPosted 7 years agoany right bike at the right pricefairing/handguards suggestedKawasaki 500ish twins used to be cheap, esp trailiesPosted 7 years agoBest time to buy a cheap winter trail bike? Not at the end of summer!Posted 7 years ago
Cheap trail bikes are normally a nightmare as they tend to be abused by spooty yoofs in fields. I would look for a twin cylinder road bike like a GS500, CB500 or eR5 as used by your local training school. An ex school bike will be well looked after but cosmetically tatty. Ideal for winter riding.If its into a city centre like London then a DRZ400SM will see you right.Or just see what the couriers are using CB500 etcPosted 7 years agoI’d go with a 600 – the Kawa ER6N or F would be a good starting point, I’ve got a Yamaha FZ6 which is ideal…Either that or a scooter, probably better as a commuter bike TBH.Posted 7 years agoWhere is your commute? I used my Tenere through the last few winters with knobblies on and it was just the job when all the other cars were stuck in the snow.If you’ve not got too far to go on A-roads/ M-ways I would suggest something that is easy to pick up if you drop it, that you can fit handguards/muffs on, and that can do at least 65mph.Posted 7 years ago
Honda Bros/NTV
Yamaha XJ600
Suzuki GS500
Honda NC21
Also, how tall are you?Can’t beat one of these:Uber reliable, any weather bike, not the thieves obvious choice and cheap to run. They’re more fun than most people realisePosted 7 years agoShedbrewed – Do you commute all year round? I do about an hour in the car starting off in the surrey hills, up A3 and into Chiswick. Tempted to get a motorbike again but concerned what it will be like in deep winter when the country roads start getting icy. Leave the house around half six so relatively early. Last time i had bikes it was a motard as i lived in london.Posted 7 years agojust need something for the winter commute,. enduro (transalp, xt etc style) min 250 max 600cc. Can anyone recommend a good (cheap) reliable bike that would see meWinter. Unless it’s a short commute, you don’t want a trail bike, you want a fairing!Personally, I’d go for a scooter. I’ve had several and for commuting they blow motorbikes away. They’re warmer, more practical, cheaper to run and a MASSIVE amount faster in traffic.We’ve got a Vespa GT200. It does a TRUE 72mpg, a pair of tyres is under £90, it’s comfy, quiet, well made, pokey off the lights and does 80mph. It’s even good 2-up!
I service it myself with basic tools. We paid £900 for it 1.5 years ago and I’d get at least that selling it on now.I’d be quite happy doing a 60-70 mile round trip on it every day, maybe more. If there was more motorway I’d be looking for a 250 or 300, or maybe a bigger scoot like a Piaggio X9 or Gilera NexxusBut the main thing is that you don’t need to get dressed up to ride it. Normal clothes, lacket and lid on the top and go. Unless it’s raining hard you don’t even need waterproofs.I guess the blinkered ‘bikers’ will poo-poo this idea, but it’s the most sensible by farOh, and ‘all weather’ ?? 🙂Posted 7 years ago
Snowy Vespa by PeterPoddy, on Flickr500 twins would be a good choice but for that reason they’re pretty poor value for money and in my experience mostly well used when they do come up for sale. You’d get a much better 600 Fazer/Bandit/ZZR for your money. Grey import 400s can be cheap now but mostly 15 to 20 years old. The under 600cc-over 125 market has been largely ignored by the manufacturers for an awfully long time now so there just aren’t that many bikes up for sale in that band.Posted 7 years agoDad had one, cam’s were loose in the head and it still did several tours of scotland! And it annoys people on shiny bikes as everyone crowds round it to wonder wtf is it! And unlike other ‘touring’ bikes it could turn arround on a single track road.Posted 7 years agoMy father is on his second Suzuki V Strom.
He had a 1000 first, and he’s now got the vastly improved 650 which is a more flexible engine and gives better fuel economy.The older models in the vstrom range make decent second hand buy according to the old man.Posted 7 years ago1200GS here 🙂
I like trailies for commuting; good visibility, turning circle and easy to ride in traffic.
Hard to find a good, cheap one though.A topbox is useful for carting locks and stuff about, plus storage of kit if nothing else available.Posted 7 years agoIf you want to use it through winter and snow, then something light with nobbly’s. A 250-400 trailie. I have a KLR250 which I bought to replace a sports bike for commuting about 3 years ago. Cost me £900, is very cheap to run, reliable (although I did screw the valves+cams when using it for greenlaning), gets me through snow to a certain degree, and is great fun to ride. You wouldnt want to sit on the motorway for too long though. My commute is only 7miles each way and only a short stint on m/w.Posted 7 years ago
I would love a 400 xr or drz, but havent got the cash.
But as already said, very hard to get hold of atm.How often do you get snow? A road bike on road tyres will have more grip on a wet road and will be more comfortable and easy to rideI found the 1200 GS very uncomfortable as well – too upright and too wide barsPosted 7 years ago1200 multistrada: 25mile commute each way on A roads. Big grin factor and capable.But its staying at home in the snow!Posted 7 years agoPersonally, I’d try to find something like a used Kawasaki Versys – reliable parallel twin 650 engine (same as the ER6), good comfortable riding position, quite tall so excellent visibility and road presence.A lot of the other suggestions are for bikes that are pretty old designs and haven’t been in production for a few years so examples on the market are likely to be high mileage and tired (and likely to have been despatch bikes).Posted 7 years agoI’m selling my 600 fazer, heated grips, new ss exhaust and loads of other stuff. full service history and below average miles.Posted 7 years ago+1 Road bike.Done over 12k so far this year, and every one on my commute from deepest Buckinghamshire into Brentford.And if there is ice on the pavement outside my house, I take the car – only 10 times in Jan/Feb/Mar.You need a fairing, strong lights, heated grips and good gear.Posted 7 years agoYou need a fairing, strong lights, heated grips and good gear.Now, I’ve had heated grips on 2 bikes. I’m not convinced by them.If you’re going a long way, you get hot palms and cold fingers. If you’re not, well, they don’t get hot in time. If it’s cold you need handguards of some sort (My scoot has them built into that screen you can see in the pic) or handlebar muffs.Posted 7 years ago1200 multistrada: 25mile commute each way on A roads. Big grin factor and capable.Not a practical commute bike though, is it? What’s that going to cost to run for 12,000+ miles a year and how much will it be worth with 40,000 miles on the clock in a few short years, when it’s cosmetically buggered???I’ve got a Ducati ST3s, and a commuter it is NOT! 🙂Posted 7 years agoit’s ok actually. service is 7.5k, but its a B service next (in about 5k) and that’s LOTS 😯There’s one chap going from Southampton to London on one every day.Mine’s done 9.5k at the moment, and is looking mint. ACF50 drowning session as soon as the frosts start 😀Posted 7 years agoGood for you! I like to see ’em being used! 🙂Posted 7 years agoShedbrewed – Do you commute all year round?Yes, the Tenere gets covered in waxoyl/acf50 around November. Prior to me having that I used a DR600/CBR1000F/GPZ500.Good warm gear, handguards/muffs and a bike you feel confident on are my method. I did a 650 mile trip a couple of winters ago on the Tenere from South Wales up to the Lakes and then across to Durham and back to see family. It was in the week between Christmas and New Year and I can tell you this; when you are riding along the M6, there are warnings of ice and it’s -6’C before you factor in the windchill from traveling at 80mph you are really glad of good clothing.Posted 7 years agoThe only success I have had with keeping my hands warm is with heated gloves. Tried expensive goretex gloves, and they failed, heated grips failed as outside of the hand still gets cold, and tried silk inners. Heated gloves are delightful, although I’m not sure about their lifespan as the last few times I wore them they didnt work – could have been the connectionPosted 7 years agoI use mine year round, except when it snows – just too dangerous IMO.Winter riding is all about proper quality clothing, heated grips and when it gets really grim, muffs. The best bit is when spring comes and you can laugh at all the fair-weather bikers wobbling all over the place 🙂Posted 7 years agoive commuted year around on sports bikes (only just bought a car at the age of nearly 40). Dont miss it, you spend longer cleaning it than any benefit from using it, and even with glove liners and heated grips tingly fingers left me worrying about nerve damage.You want weather protection for you, and possibly for the bike if you want it to last. Something cheap and basic like a CB500 with a cheap full aftermarket fairing, or a bigger scooter (i think 125’s are a liability but PP’s 200 should keep up with traffic).I think maxi scooters are really practical (can usually stash lid under seat, comfortable and loads of protection, good performance/economy balance). But I wont be trading the R1 for one anytime soon.Posted 7 years agohow much are those old ex army bikes?Posted 7 years agoWhat’s that going to cost to run for 12,000+ miles a yearBased on my Triumph:6k service – 2 tyres and pads = £600
12k service – 2 tyres and pads = £900
So the 18k will probably be another £600 and then I’ll sell it on just below 20k.
And 53mpg.Best to buy well and swap yearly; for me depreciation equals the VAT reclaim and corp tax saving.Plus no parking charges and an extra hour of billable time per day 🙂Posted 7 years agoHandlebar muffs are awesome for keeping your hands warm. I was able to commute through the winter wearing just my summer gloves and some tocano urbano muffs.Posted 7 years ago+1 for handlebar muffs. Back in the eighties I spent three years commuting 25 miles each way on a Honda CB250RS and they made a huge difference in the winter.Ten years or so back I hd a VFR750 and the aerodynamics of the fairing pulled plenty of warm air from the engine past my hands at motorway speeds. It was round town that my hands got cold on that one.Posted 7 years agoI almost bought a Bandit for commuting, until I rode one – what a dull, lifeless thing that was.Posted 7 years agoIf you want to use it through winter and snow, then something light with nobbly’s. A 250-400 trailie. I have a KLR250 which I bought to replace a sports bike for commuting about 3 years ago. Cost me £900, is very cheap to run, reliable (although I did screw the valves+cams when using it for greenlaning), gets me through snow to a certain degree, and is great fun to ride. You wouldnt want to sit on the motorway for too long though. My commute is only 7miles each way and only a short stint on m/w.
I would love a 400 xr or drz, but havent got the cash.
But as already said, very hard to get hold of atm.Even more so then.Posted 7 years agoKawasaki KLE500, Honda Transalp, Honda Africa Twin, BMW GS series.All the above would do the job in ascending order of cost.Posted 7 years agoFaired CB500, cheap, reliable and efficient…Some of the above ideas are a little insane.Posted 7 years agoHonda 90 😮Those little buggers are bullet proof!Posted 7 years agoTransalp is a great bike for touring and light off road and the engine is solid enough to go round the clock. But its not the most fun you can have on two wheels! I used to have one of these which has the same engine in a road chassis but is shaft driven GB Bikes RevereThis looks good value as it has a fairing and panniers with BMW reliability and shaft drive cheapness GB Bikes K75Or an old Tiger GB Bikes TigerPosted 7 years ago
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Posted by94 R100gs4 years ago
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K75 vs R1100R- Reliability and stuff?
I'm looking for a light (sub 550 lb) touring/commuting/canyon bike. I seem to be finding R1100R's and K75's in my price range (~3k) pretty frequently. I'm basically fine with either in terms of performance. What tends to be the least problematic? It seems like K bikes are famously reliable, but the R1100's aren't bad either.
Other minor concern is suspension- I'd like to upgrade dampers and springs at some point, which will be less expensive? Any recommendations for either?
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