OK it’s not quite Animal Farm, but you get the general idea! Whilst it might only be a few weeks ago that I had the accident which sent my FZ6s to scrapyard hell, and I am still dealing with injuries, I have not been without a bike for the past six years. Some level of anxiety may occur but I see no reason why the recent flying lesson without a parachute should completely put me off riding once I am fit enough to get back out there.
Buz (my FZ6s) was probably the most meaningful relationship I’ve ever had lol! But I think it is highly unlikely that I will have the same affection and depth of feeling for the new bike. Surely that should make things far easier since I’m not looking for a soul mate here!
So in the interests of finding the right bike for me with a view to eventually getting back out there, I am now in the process of looking at my options…and finding they are limited (Bet E-harmony never have this kind of trouble!) 😉
Essentials:
- Must be at least 800, could manage a 1000 but willing to go up to 1200 cc
- Must have an upright seating but not chopper-style position
- Must be capable of sports/touring
- Must not be trailie or off-road looking (so thanks but no thanks to BMW or KTM!)
- Must have a minimum of bikini fairing – no going naked for this girlie!
- Must be capable of being lowered at least enough for me to get 3/4 of each foot down!
- And………must be no more than £3,500
Right you lot can stop laughing 🙂 It’s my list and whilst I didn’t think it was much to ask for, having written it out I can see it’s quite a tall order! But since I have been a very good girl this year I reckon Santa Claus owes me one……
The biggest drawback that cuts off a large selection of bikes is the bikini fairing. Otherwise there seems a veritable plethora of nakeds out there – Hornets, Speed Triples, Diversion (is that over 600?) etc etc etc.
From what I can see, that leaves me with Fazer thou (dependent on the year cos some of the clocks are minging!) Bandit 1200/1250, Honda CBF1000, Kawasaki’s Zr7s or Z750.
The bike will be my primary form of transport for most of the year. It needs to be good for long days out and handle well in rain as well as sunshine. Since I do between 10-12,000 miles a year it must not need much work to it but if so then be economical in the repair bracket.
I know absolutely nothing about two or four stroke or torque, revs or power. For me if I get on it, twist the throttle and it moves into motion at a rapid pace then it’s doing well. Just as importantly if I change gear and accelerate it needs to realise that I’ve done that without waiting a month of sundays to respond. Ultimately I need it to want to turn swiftly when countersteering rather than have barge-like capabilities and of course it needs to stop on a dime – brakes that work well, INCLUDING a responsive back brake please.
I’d prefer not to have a red bike or even a blue one (cos my last two bikes were) but if push comes to shove I can probably live with it. Strangely I’ve been told that green bikes are a complete no no! Can a colour actually be unlucky??? Fortunately for me I am not in the least bit superstitious nor colour faddy (unless it’s pink or purple which would just be rank!). So if a bike turns up in green I don’t think I’d give it the thumbs down. By the same token I may even consider a black bike – let’s face it, if I still kissed tarmac when I was wearing all the right light colours with headlights on, then it’s not really going to make a ha’porth worth of difference is it 🙂 I think Henry Ford might have got it right when he said “You can have it in any colour … as long as it’s black!”
So what do you think? I’d be interested to know if anyone thinks one of these bikes might be ideal for me, or even if you have other suggestions. Why not take part in the poll and help me in my search for the new wheels? Any and all ideas welcome and I’ll add them to my research 🙂
Ride Safe
Lil Miss Bump
A bird's eye view to biking! 
Paul Mason – 39 minutes ago
It all depends what you want out of your bike, you list some good ones.
It sounds like you might want a sports tourer (http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-top-10s/top-10-sports-tourers/11412.html).
The 1200 Bandit is a brilliant bike by all accounts, just a bit old fashioned and old tech for some, but people like Marc Cash (friend and colleague of our Marky) have had a whole bunch of them one after the other as when they come to upgrade they can’t find anything else that does so much for the relatively low price compared to others. Ask Marky to put you in touch with him if you want to get any more info, he’s a very nice man.
The Honda CBF1000 is another excellent bike and the one I voted for as being good for you even though I know you’re not a huge Honda fan (don’t understand why not, but…) . I’d actually considered getting one myself but it’s a bit too low! Don’t be fooled by the “detuned fireblade engine” it’s not a wild and crazy sportsbike, but it IS very very good, and a brilliant tourer. The seat is height adjustable, and will go pretty low, I don’t expect you’d need it on the lowest setting. There’s good mounting points for bags etc, and a reasonable underseat storage bin that can be accessed without having to lift off the whole seat.
Fazer thou- underrated big bike, but again, like the bandit, bit long in the tooth now, but very quick and capable, easily happy on track days or going to the south of France, plus it’s a Yamaha which you do like.
Here’s a controversial idea – given determination (and you’ve got loads) l think you might enjoy a Triumph STREET Triple. These other bikes are fine, but at the price, you’re going to be getting one that’s a quite a few years old. The street triple has a terrific engine, great handling, and even though Flitwick don’t sell Triumph any more I’m sure they could advise you whether it’s a good bike or not, and I’m sure they would be able to service it too 🙂
Whatever you choose, hope you love it
ride safe
pez
Ta ta for the comments. Will check out the link. Not convinced about the speed triple but never say never lol!