First bike - any recommendations?

I'm looking for a 2nd hand bike to jump on to as soon as I complete my
Direct Access. I'm looking for something that is economical to run
(e.g. 50 MPG or more), can keep up on the dual cabbageway, and will
endure winter use.

The bike is primarily for commuting, not impressing. Of course a bit of
the latter wouldn't be at all unwelcome, although with a budget of 1500
and a ready supply of TLC I'm not expecting much.

 

Kawasaki ER-5
Honda CB500

 

Fuel economy is going to be the least of your worries. Anything of a
half decent size isn't going to be cheap to run - even large cars are
cheap to run compared with a mid sized bike.

I'll second the CB500 - once again we hired one in Portugal last week.
Struggled a bit 2-up going uphill on an A-road, topping out at about
130km/h, but other than that it was excellent.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, Aniseed amazed us all with this pearl of wisdom:

CB500

 

Pikey Joe says...

I'd very pissed off if I couldn't drag 50mpg out of an ER-5. I used to
regularly get 45mpg out of all three of my old ZZR1100s and I didn't
exactly hold back on the throttle with any of them.


--
Lozzo
Track pixie
GSX-R1000 K1
I haven't lost my mind, it's
backed up to a floppy disc
that's around here somewhere.

 

I generally get 120 miles to a tank (I always fill up around 120) and
I got 160 miles out of a tank in summer before it ran out and I *had*
to put it on reserve.

Kwak website says the ER-5 has a 17 litre tank. It's too late for me
to work out mpg on 160 miles vs 17 litre tank.

 

BGN emerged from their own little world to say

If there was 1 litre of fuel left when you hit reserve then that would be
45.4mpg (10 miles per litre x 4.54 to get miles per gallon)

However, I'd expect there to be more than a litre left in reserve so your
mpg would be closer to 50.

 

CB500, definitely. Fits all of your criteria quite nicely.

 

Aniseed scribbled on the back of a napkin:

GPz 550.

Does all of the above, but about 60mpg (if you're me) or 125mph (if
you're TOG).

 

Now the engine breathing is back to the way it was designed to be it's
running more efficiently and you're getting more power per bang, and
using less throttle to do it.

If restrictors were properly designed and not just washers in the intake
or exhaust, a 33bhp engine should be capable of easily topping 60mpg if
its not thrashed everywhere. As it is, restriction washers are a crude
and nasty way to limit power and play merry hell with gasflow.

--

Dave

GS850 x2 XS650SE / SE 6a

I demand nothing of you except that you amuse me.

 

If there was 1 litre of fuel left when you hit reserve then that would be

Hang on, 4.54 litres to the gallon? Isn't it more like 3.75?

 

Aniseed says...

4.54 litres to a gallon.

--
Lozzo
Track pixie
GSX-R1000 K1
I haven't lost my mind, it's
backed up to a floppy disc
that's around here somewhere.

 

No.
--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SE-V/CBR1100XX-X/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..78895.../...19992.../..31257.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 PM#5 WG*
'^' RBR 2005: Abandoned - Bronze Award.

 

Aniseed () gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying :

Which side of the atlantic are you on?

 

Which side of the atlantic are you on?

The good side.

 

Aniseed () gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
saying :

<thinks>
Must be this side.

A more typical answer from the other side would be "There's two sides?"

In that case, no, 4.5 litres.

 

In that case, no, 4.5 litres.

Sorry Adrian, you're right. I didn't realise there was MGP (Imp) and
MGP (US).

I meant a bike that did around 50 MPG (Imp).

And yes, i'm on this side. Nice reasoning.

 

So it looks like the CB500, ER-5 or GPZ550.

There's an auction ending soon (not on eBay) for a 1995 Triumph Sprint
900. I know, its a totally different category bike. But the seller
lives in the same town as me. I went over for a looky, just to inspect
my first bike as a prospective buyer, get the hang of asking questions,
etc.

But going for a look was a bad idea. Now I can't get the bike out of my
head! Its in great shape, has lots of extras and is well cared for,
there are no bids, and its just within my 1500 budget.

Trouble is, it consumes around 35 MPG(Imp), so not a good commuter in
my opinion. Why am I so tempted to get it?

Talk me out of it!

 

Check the insurance cost.

See how much it'll cost to fix if you drop it.

I was quoted over £1000 to 'fix' my disastered ER-5, dread to think
what the Sprint 900 would cost.

 

Make sure that an insurance company is prepared to insure you.

Group 14(ish)? First bike? Dunno, but it could be a problem. Check
it out before you part with your money.