Tigs Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 What was the first bike you got after passing MOD 2? What bike would you recommend - pictures welcome 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonio Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 (edited) CB500S It was a great bike, reliable, fun, easy to ride, and I was sorry to see it go. But overtakes took a lot of preparation (looking back, I can see now that I needed an even lower gear and a lot more revs). But they would have been less of a performance with a bit more power. Edited December 2, 2022 by bonio 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiddlesticks Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 (edited) XJR1300 because I couldn't help myself. Followed by a Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 because it works well as a 2 up tourer and year round motorway commuter. Lots of variables.. What will you be using the bike for? What's the budget? What style of bike do you want? How much do you want to pay for insurance? How confident a rider are you? Do you like spending hours polishing chrome? Will you be carrying a pillion passenger? Do you need luggage? Do you need a screen? What other features would be useful? (Hand guards, heated grips, shaft drive etc.) What sort of performance are you looking for? Inside leg measurement? Edited December 2, 2022 by Fiddlesticks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHorton Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Aprilia 125 in 1995 it was like shit off a shovel great fun when I was young super fast, would I recommend it now no it was too highly strung and needed a lot of care 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Suzuki bandit 600. Was OK. Cheap enough to buy, easy enough to sell on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackholesun Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Yamaha fazer 600….failing twice totally emptied my bank account ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifthwheel Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Yamaha Fazer 600 2003. Bombproof, fast, great performance (still got it) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifthwheel Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 9 minutes ago, Blackholesun said: Yamaha fazer 600….failing twice totally emptied my bank account ! Just noticed your reply, what went wrong with the bike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinlim Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Cbr600f - love it 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigs Posted December 2, 2022 Author Share Posted December 2, 2022 Oh .. please recommend me some! What will you be using the bike for? mostly commuting to work - South London What's the budget? I'm thinking about 2-3K What style of bike do you want? I like naked bikes How much do you want to pay for insurance? As little as possible!! How confident a rider are you? Pretty confident - am finding my CBR 125 a touch slow - feel ready for something a bit bigger but not mad! Do you like spending hours polishing chrome? no Will you be carrying a pillion passenger? probably not - Do you need luggage? a little - sad to say I will probably need a topbox! Do you need a screen? I think i'd like one What other features would be useful? Having been out today I think heated grips is a yes - hand guards and bars look like a good plan What sort of performance are you looking for? More 'pull away' than my 125 - but keep in mind most of my routes are 20-30 mph - so not too mad anyway! Inside leg measurement? 31" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Tracer 700, nice torquey engine, plenty enough grunt to get along a motorway, but my main reason for picking the tracer was for commuting. It gives me the ability to see over cars, nice upright riding position. Yes there are some issues, but that's mostly down to the bike being built to a budget. Things I'd improve would be the suspension as they use the weakest fork oil outside of water (5W), which for anyone over 10st isn't heavy enough. The front brakes provide enough stopping power, even when enjoying those country lanes. I'm still to service the front forks. It's not long ago completed a tour of Spain, riding through France to get there. Some of the roads around the Picos really suited the bike Do I love it... It's ok for a first bike. More than enough power for the various roads you'll go on, but if I were to be completing regular long tours, I'd want something with cruise for certain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiddlesticks Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Tigs said: Oh .. please recommend me some! What will you be using the bike for? mostly commuting to work - South London What's the budget? I'm thinking about 2-3K What style of bike do you want? I like naked bikes How much do you want to pay for insurance? As little as possible!! How confident a rider are you? Pretty confident - am finding my CBR 125 a touch slow - feel ready for something a bit bigger but not mad! Do you like spending hours polishing chrome? no Will you be carrying a pillion passenger? probably not - Do you need luggage? a little - sad to say I will probably need a topbox! Do you need a screen? I think i'd like one What other features would be useful? Having been out today I think heated grips is a yes - hand guards and bars look like a good plan What sort of performance are you looking for? More 'pull away' than my 125 - but keep in mind most of my routes are 20-30 mph - so not too mad anyway! Inside leg measurement? 31" Maybe a Yamaha FZ6 Fazer or Honda CBF600? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe85 Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 (edited) Monster 821. Loved it. A lovely steppingstone to a supernaked. The Italians may have their flaws, but they don't half know how to make a good looking bike. Edited December 2, 2022 by Joe85 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onesea Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Fazer FZ6. Cracking bike, quick, agile, light forgiving... Down side naked and bloody cold in any weather. Recommendation. TDM900 not quite as quick but the fairing makes massive difference. Oh and good on fuel. He says about to sell his TDM as I don't need 3 bikes and that one is most redundant... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackholesun Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 On 02/12/2022 at 10:53, fifthwheel said: Just noticed your reply, what went wrong with the bike? Nothing wrong with the bike but I had no money left which is why I ended up with a 20 year old bike but tbh for me it's blinding! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 CB500 which was a good bike. So much so that many years later when I needed a cheap and reliable workhorse I bought a CBF500. Not as much grunt as my 1200 Bobber but in traffic it's very capable and easy to ride. On a recent trip with six other bikes from Chester down to Hereford it was the smallest engine but much of the time I was needing to slow down to keep the group together. You can ride it relaxed with the low end pull of a twin. If you want to get a move on the engine has enough usable power if you let it rev higher. They used to race the CB500 and if you keep the needle near the red line they are reasonably entertaining but still bulletproof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonio Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 4 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said: if you keep the needle near the red line they are reasonably entertaining but still bulletproof. Spot on. A good laugh over 7k, and under 4k - polite as ninepence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy sugger Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 Not quite my first bike, but +1 for the cb500. The best £300 I ever spent. (I've spent more on it now the con rod broke, but I ain't getting rid of it any time soon). Its probably the longest I've ever kept on to a bike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 1 hour ago, billy sugger said: Not quite my first bike, but +1 for the cb500. The best £300 I ever spent. (I've spent more on it now the con rod broke, but I ain't getting rid of it any time soon). Its probably the longest I've ever kept on to a bike I think you probably deserve some kind of award for having actually broken one. That is a very rare achievement. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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