Maturecheese

Ridewithstyles I used to have an XSR700 before my CB1100 and that was a lot of fun on the a and b roads although liable to have a negative effect on my license. The faults with it were it was too light for high speed so felt a bit sketchy over say 80 mph and at a ton it was pretty hair raising. It was also a bugger to work on, just getting to the spark plugs was a major operation. You also needed a rear end of concrete to travel more than 1 1/2 hours on it. If they had stuck that engine or a slightly bigger one in a more retro classic design it would have been great. The XSR 900 could have been a great bike but again they didn't go retro enough. My big inline 4 doesn't need 'winding up' as it redlines at 8500. There is a good amount of torque low down and it starts to take off at around 5000. Apart from the weight ,252 KG, it's the £750 service involving valve clearances that gets my goat, and that's just to check them. The attraction of the Speedtwin is, similar power, lots of torque, lighter (but not too light), a narrower motorcycle, good on fuel economy and importantly, easier to work on. I assume it should be as much fun as the XSR 700 was but with a more stable platform at higher speeds. Comfort is a bit of a worry with the thin seat it has but nearer the decision time I will have to try to get a test ride on one. Downside is the price Also I'm not sure if it will be as reliable as a jap, especially a Honda.

Actually Fiddlesticks, that was the bike I wanted before I bought the CB1100RS The fuel economy put me off. S Westerly True

Actually Fiddlesticks, that was the bike I wanted before I bought the CB1100RS The fuel economy put me off. Also weight. The CB1100RS costs an arm and a leg to have the valve clearances checked never mind replaced. S Westerly True

I am looking for a bike that isn't too heavy (my CB1100RS is a bit cumbersome), is fairly easy to do maintenance on (valve clearences for instance), has the same or perferably more power than my CB1100, is farly comfortable, is retro classic style, and is reliable, has a motor that is likely to do high mileages and isn't very expensive So far all that seems to meet that criteria is a 1200 Speedtwin..( Doesn't really meet the not expensive bit) Any ideas

I have just joined as I hope this will be a place for news and information re motorcycling. I have a CB1100Rs which I use most of the summer and normally get around 2000 miles in. I am what is regarded as a mature motorcyclist (aged 59) but had quite a few bikes when i was in my teens and twenties even had one in my forties, briefly. I have been back in the saddle now for 3 years first on a Yam XSR 700 and now my Honda. I don't ride in the winter due to the salt on the roads and the cost of bikes these days. Unfortunately I cannot afford a second bike for the winter so it is what it is. The downside of course is you have to get used to riding again every spring.