GPZ UK vs import

Passed DAS so thinking about GPZ500s for first year or so, (before 600
sports?)
(No NCB accrued as yet, so expensive insurance & want to get the miles/hours
in first).
Been offered X & '52 regs', both for £2500.
'52 is import & Km clock, but is a nicer bike.
Will I be able to sell on OK, or are imports difficult to move?
I know all the arguments against parallel twins, but it'll do me for a bit.

Niv.

 

Niv wrote

No you don't.

 

OK, OK, some of them, then. But a lot of people seem to like them.

 

Niv wrote

I know bugger all about the Gpz500 as I have only ever owned and
operated the 305 and 550 but if I were in your position I would consider
the following:

a) When worrying about UK or import and you know bugger all about the
bike, UK is bound to be the safest all round bet.

b) there is a lot more bikes around to suit your needs than the Gpz,
keep looking.

c) the mere fact that you are concerned about the issues of resale might
suggest to you that others are also, regardless of whether there are any
real issues involved.

 

a) When worrying about UK or import and you know bugger all about the

Well, I wanted a bike with a (small) fairing, not many CB500 or ER5 seem to
come with one, if any.
Suzuki GS500S is quite low on power (40ish PS). GPZ500 looks good (OK I'm
vain!) and is about
60 PS. However, I intend to ride before cash is handed over.
The plan is to move up to something like Fazer 600 next summer or early '05,
once the miles/hours are in & I've accrued some much needed experience.

 

steve auvache wibbled like a little girl....

My parallel import 1996 model GPZ500S D1 is Italian spec. It came as
standard with the twin front discs that the UK bike has only just got
this year. That's one argument *for* a parallel imo. Some of them are
better specced than UK bikes.

The carb heaters were fitted by the importing dealer, but it still had
kmh clocks, now changed for mph ones.

--
Lozzo
ZZR1100D, GPZ500S, CB250RS x3.
BOTAFOT#57/70a, BOTAFOF#57, two#49, MIB#22, TCP#7, BONY#9,
ANORAK#9, DIAABTCOD#14, UKRMT5BB, IBW#013, MIRTTH#15a/16,
BotToS#8, GP#2, SBS#10, SH#3, DFV#14, KoBV#3.
Url for ukrm newbies : http://www.ukrm.net/faq/ukrmscbt.html
www.mjkleathers.com

 

experience.

Why wait? The Fazer600 is very easy to ride. Although it is rated at
95bhp it comes in gently so trickling around town is easy too.

If you're just wanting a run-around for practicing before getting
something nice and expensive then get something shit and cheap which has
lost all the value it'll ever lose.

 

Carb heaters?
Tell me more please.

 

FWIW, I have a GPZ500. I've always wanted one as far back as I can
remember. However, I've had it just over a year and I'd change it for
something bigger if I could afford to.

It's a lovely bike to ride, very smooth, comfortable over distance and
handles beautifully. BUT, if I knew what I now now, I'd have probably
held out for a CBR600 or something similar.

HTH

 

There is a problem you can get on bikes called carb icing. It happens
in cold weather, aided by the windchill of a bike in motion (I believe
planes can suffer it too [1])

Basically, the fuel passing through the carb crystalises, causing the
obvious problems with it's flow which in turn doesn't let the engine run
too well. You get missing cylinders or a completely dying engine. This
isn't good.

Carb heaters warm the carbs and stop this happening.

[1] as I was reassuringly told at roughly 5,000 feet recently.
--
John

SV650
Black it is
and naked

 

"Charders" <> schreef in bericht

Too late now love, the bike is tainted ;-)

 

[carb icing]

*snort*

How fucking cold does it have to be for petrol to freeze, fer ****'s
sake?

It's all right Niv - just mix anti-freeze 50/50 with your petrol and
you'll be fine down to -35, just like it says on the tin.

Make sure you get the proper aircooled antifreeze, though. It comes
in containers with the VW badge.

 

Carb heaters warm the carbs and stop this happening.

Sorry, I should have been clearer in my question;
I know about carb icing; had it happen on my Mk 1 Cortina when I was a
student (I can dimly remember!).
I wanted to know about the carb heaters themselves:
are they electric?
where do they fit (& don't say on the carbs!)?
cost thereof?
that sort of thing

TIA, Niv.

 

I've been offered a 95 model with about 5k on the clock. The guy was asking
1500 ukp in the summer, he's hinting he'll accept a grand now. He's moving
up to a 650 or 600. I was wondering if there was something about the GPZ500
that makes them fine as a first bike but not to keep. I haven't had a bike
for a long time and this seem to be suitable to get started. Is the GPZ to
be avoided?

 

only if you're a male heterosexual.

 

It's how I'd always understood it.

<slap>

--
John

SV650
Black it is
and naked

 

I only want a bike to ride! Better rephrase that. I want a cheap bike to
ride. But what colour?

 

I always thought they just re-directed some warm air
from somewhere else...

but I could be wrong. Don't have carbs, see?

 

You didn't answer my question.

I'll give you a hint - somewhere around minus 60 degrees Celsius. If
you're riding your bike in that sort of temperature, you: a) have my
utmost respect; b) are a nutter of the worst kind.

Water, OTOH, freezes at zero degrees Celsius.

Carb icing occurs in conditions of relatively high humidity, when
there is a lot of water vapour in the air. There's shitloads of
sciencebabble akin to a hair conditioner advert about this, but what
it comes down to is that as the petrol is atomised it loses heat,
chilling the already cold and moist air coming into the carb.
Add the venturi effect and ice forms - from the water droplets in
the mixture, OK?

The ice constricts the throat of the carb and/or the emulsion tubes -
in severe cases the whole carb and inlet manifold may become sheathed
in ice, but it is most likely that your bike will have stopped running
long before that point. If you stop and wait, the heat from the
engine will thaw the ice and you can continue on your way.

For Niv - carb heaters (for bikes) are electrically powered little
heater jobbies that are fitted to the carburettors which may alleviate
the symptoms of carb icing. If they are fitted you can generally see
the electrical connectors at the base of the carbs, and if there is a
wire attached to each one then they're connected and operational.
Probably.

 

Well, you underston wrong.

What happens is that as the petrol evaporates, it drops the
temperature locally in the carb. This can cause moisture in the air
to crystalize out and block the jets.

Which is why it's not just cold weather that does this, but cool damp
weather. It's actually less common as the temp drops to zero - around
5 deg is optimum. Which, again, is why Britain is one of the places
where bikes suffer most.