Advice on my first bike (Fazer, CBF or else ?)

Hi all,

I was hoping you could give me some advice on what can be a good first
bike.
I'm about 180cm tall, have a full motorcycle licence but no real
experience (only with scooters). I learnt on a Kawasaki er-5 but I
haven't really been riding a motorcycle in 5 years

I'd like a motorcycle that's quite comfortable, also for my passenger;
I'd use it in the busy traffic of London, and for weekends in
Cornwall, Scotland, and possibly holidays in France or the
Netherlands. Comfort and eae of use are more important than a cool
design or sheer power - I am absolutely inexperienced and don't want a
"beast" which I wouldn't be able to control

I was thinking of a Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2 or a Honda CBF 600S.
I also like the design of the Suzuki sv 650s, but it's too
uncomfortable for the passenger.

I also thought the Honda CBF500 Sport would make a good first bike for
an inexperienced rider, but it seems it's out of production now.

Cheers

 

It sounds like you plan to cover a lot of distance on this bike.

The CBF600 is a great first bike, and it's a dream for commuting in
London. My wife was also very comfortable on mine. The big hassle I
had with it is that it has virtually no wind protection. Even the
little OEM fly screen didn't help much.

I've not tried the Fazer, so I can't comment on wind protection of
that.

But in the finest tradition of ukrm, let me recommend what I currently
have I was looking for an impossible combination - comfortable
commuter, nice for longer rides, good wind protection, fun for the
track, comfortable for my pillion and currently in production. In the
end, I gave up on currently in production and bought a CBR600F with
10,000 miles on the clock.

My pillion loves it - she says it's about as good as the CBF600 was.
It's great fun on the track, although VERY expensive if you drop it,
it's a hoot for commuting (although it may yet land me in jail) and
it's awesomely comfortable for longer motorway trips.

 

Anything described as a "Sport" bike will usually have low handlebars
and the resulting laid forward riding position will become a pain in
the wrists at the speeds you can expect in London traffic.
If comfort is important rather go for a more upright riding position
as found on cruiser or commuter style bikes.

The next consideration is weight - the big cruisers are heavy and
clumsy in traffic so you need to be looking at lighter models and a low
centre of gravity.

I like my GS500 but others around here say they are crap, so wait for
more suggestions to come along and get a few test rides.

Do you really need to buy new - there are plenty of good used bikes
on the market at the moment due to hard times and someone else will
have taken the big early depreciation hit.


Ob.plug - I have a Jawa 350 for sale, cheap town wheels but zero
street cred points.

 

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I realize it might make
sense to buy a used, "slow" 500-something as my first bike (Honda
CBF500 Sport, Kawasaki er-5 with after-market windshield, etc) to
practice for about a year, and then move on to something like a Fazer.
I don't want to overestimate my riding skills

 

I love my GS500, too. Mine is exactly like this one:
http://www.gumtree.com/london/93/27818593.html
(I can't believe it's cheaper than a 2001 vespa moped, there must be something
wrong with this one).

wrt the OP: what about a 500 for commuting and the renting something for
holidays?

F

 

Don't look at the GSX650F, whatever you do. This is not the bike you
are looking for. You can go about your business. Move along.

 

wrote:

Hmm. Both my bikes have fairly ridiculous riding positions and I have
no trouble riding through town on them. The only time I have wrist ache
is after a long journey of several hours, which doesn't really tally
with riding around London unless you're doing it all day. Basically,
disregard the paragraph above.

A cruiser's going to be even less use for carving through London
traffic than a wrist-destroying sports bike. Disregard that one too.

If you want to do trips abroad, look for an older sports tourer, 600cc
or above, and make sure it has a fairing because you'll find long
distances an absolute nightmare without one. Don't buy new because it's
a waste of money and, if you're inexperienced, you'll probably drop it
anyway so you might as well buy one with a few scuffs^W^Wbit of
character.

Gixer thou?

 

Rule of thumb: if it starts with GSX, but doesn't have an R afterwards,
walk away.

Oh, and if it starts with Hond, and *does* have an A afterwards, do the
same.

 

Rule of thumb: make your own choices.

 

I was hoping you could give me some advice on what can be a good first

Suzuki GSF600 faired - otherwise known as a Bandit 600...

Brilliant, plain and simple.

 

typed:

I had one recently as a loaner, and I thought it was pretty good.
Reasonably quick, nice easy handling, cheap to run - I'd have one as a
winter bike tomorrow if there was a vacancy.

--
Rich B

1971 S2a
1995 XT600E
2006 GT1000
Oh, and a Ford

Take out the obvious to email me.

 

The handlebars on my '98 CBR600F were too high so I changed the clamp
position from above the top yoke to below it - they're still too high.

I've done a couple of 150 - 200 miles days on that bike hooning around
back roads, and have never felt the slightest twinge of pain. It's just
too comfy to be considered even remotely sporty, so I'm fitting a race
seat with a bit of thin foam to sit on just to make me suffer a bit.

 

You're right, the finish is absolutely shite on all Bandits[1], it
won't last one winter without showing signs of advanced corrosion.

[1] Don't kid yourself it's anything other than a Bandit in a gash
party frock.

 

<Throws down gauntlet>

You on your current GSXR, me on my ex-Blaney CBR. Venue: Silverstone GP
circuit.

Do you feel lucky, Punk...do ya?

 

I think of them as being the Vauxhall Cavalier of the bike world.
Loved by fleet managers as solid reliable inexpensive repmobiles.
Competant and user friendly, does everything it should do well but
unspectacular and regarded by enthusiasts as boring.

If you want good cheap reliable transport it ticks all the boxes.
Enthusiasts and willywavers need not apply.

 

This is how bills for crash damage start off..

 

Like I care about my CBR; it needs race bodywork anyway