First bike shortlist update

How about a 535cc Virago? They look alright and are a *bit* more
interesting than an ER-5 or CB500. I know they're not all that fast,
but surely that's an excellent safety feature? Another reason I'm
thinking of these, is that I'm seeing several reasonable early
nineties examples around for well under a grand.

Opinions on these things?

Also, bike theory test passed today.

 

Mate, buy my Divvy 600. Cheap as a cheap thing, still shiney and should
go on forever.

 

Kev Olley may disagree with you, on that one.

 

I beg to differ.

And again.

There could be a reason for this.

Excellent if you are short or skint or fancy a custom without the downside
of buying a Harley or want cheap insurance and probably a load more reasons,
too. But I'd rather have a CB500 any day.

Congratulations.

Dave

 

I'm only surprised you didn't try and flog the OP your XJ600....

Seems to be an ideal bike for him ;-)

 

Heh... good point.

However... he seems to know what he wants... and something Hugh Scully if he
were still with us, God (1) rest his soul, would be interested in, isn't
apparently on that list.

(1) I blame Cane for any such references

 

Sean Hamerton wrote

Looks aside, not a half bad bike. They have had a long and successful
production run, without any major nasties.

Depends how you define 'interesting'.

Fast enough that you can persuade one to get you an automatic jail
sentence.

Under a grand is very very cheap for a cruiser. Because, in general
they are bought by sados with more credit than sense and add to it that
that prospective buyers value the machine by the simple yardstick of the
cleanliness of the chrome they hold their price until they start falling
to bits badly and then they ain't worth **** all.

The virago has too much chrome.

Well done, you have proven you can use a computer.

 

<boggle>

There's always a can of matt black barbeque paint, innit.

Problem is, as I understand it - the Virago doesn't. Go, that is.
Worse, neither does it stop - braking distances are in the supertanker
league, and as for compliant suspension - forget it. Oh, and you have
to buy a jacket with tassels - but if that's your thang ...

I'd get a conventioanl - as in CB5 or ER5 - learner bike and get on
with it.

 

Pip wrote

They ain't that bad, for a cooking 500.

Nah mate, you have got it all wrong, think limp right wrist and you will
get the measure of it. They are fine when ridden by heterosexuals.

Cruiser innit, kin ride like a rocking horse.

Chaps, please. Tasselled jackets are *so* late 1980's

Indeed, although anything but a GS500, utter fucking crap they are and
overvalued worse than cruisers.

 

A curse on your house.

 

I thought of a matt black finish instead of chrome - it'd would look
*meatier*.

I have a strong right wrist. I don't dig tassles.

I am torn between them. I do like the V-twin th'a'ng though.

Can young people ride cruisers? Seriously? (Mate of mine, also 21 has
had a 125 Dragstar since he was 17, though.)

 

Though about a Suzuki SV650?

Four years on a fucking 125? For ****'s fucking sake.

 

Ahem, you got the extra £1000 I can have, mate? And the extra on the
insurance?

And he's done plenty of fully-loaded trips from Brighton to
Middlesborough and back on it...

 

Or an SOB, as one could also think of it as. Since I *am* going to
drop it, and it's a first bike, is it such a poor choice?

 

Get an SV650 or the faired S model and have done. They're lots of fun
and very easy to ride - a fact which will make it safer than "it's
slow".

If you're thinking about safety I'll warn you that motorbikes may not
be for you. Motorcycling is generally not cheap either, especially on
insurance. It will cost if you're a) young and b) want to insure
anything other than a CG125.

 

TOO NEW - I don't have £2k (absolute minimum sale price and insurance)

I'm only thinking in terms of being less likely to tear-arse round
like my legs are on fire. I've had some quite reasonable insurance
quotes of various things. Also, do you suggest I go and sit in a box
until I'm 50 so I can then be accused of having a midlife crisis?

 

I'm grazing eBay and come up with some interesting old bikes, such as
a 1982 Yamaha XJ550 Maxim. Currently sitting at £40.99.
(http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1982-YAMAHA-X...4581623002QQcategoryZ9809QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Or perhaps a Kawasaki Z550 LTD.
(http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1980-KAWASAKI-BLACK_W0QQitemZ4580466184QQcategoryZ9807QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

A bit unusual compared with generic sports bike #3445.

Or do I sound gay?

 

Listen to Mr. Pip, he's making sense.

 

<nods>

 

More interesting in what way? IMHO the other two can do a
lot of things much better. And you'll develop better as a
rider on something where you can use your body actively
rather than travel as luggage.

Congratulations.