True every day bike?

[Hairsy]

I'm thinking I'd like to get a bike for true every day use. One that I wouldn't think twice about riding in the wet.

 

It would be mostly for shortish local journeys - ideally a naked.

 

I'd like something physically small as local riding is gong to involve filtering. I'm thinking at least 250cc but probably not bigger than 600cc

 

The most important thing is that its a bike that isn't going to corrode away at the first sign of rain.

And just to make it a more challenging question - how about a budget of £2,000 max. Ideally lower.

 

I'm not worried about age but, based on experience, I'd quite like a <30,000 miles.

 

It could possibly be my next project if that was the only way for it to fit into budget. But I quite like the idea of buying a bike that actually works. Haven't done that for a while.

 

What would you suggest?

[Simon Davey]

Honda Forza 300cc

Ok, it's not a naked, but any naked is exposed and will corrode. 

Edited March 10 by Simon Davey

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I was in the same position several years ago. I went looking for an old Honda CB500 and found a CBF500. The build quality of the older bikes is very good, mine is a 2006 bike. 

 

It's been totally reliable. I've had to do some maintenance of course. It's done 40k so this year it's had new wheel bearings, head bearings, and a radiator. Parts are cheap.  It's easy to work on. 

 

I ride it all year and around the local farms so it gets filthy. But starts on the button every day and is easy to ride. 

[RideWithStyles]

Any of the small capacity jap bikes, aslong as it isn’t flash or shouty your fine -bog standard currier type, basically not the ones you’d head straight to in the shop.

so just to other suggestions er6- f/n, Yama have one, Suzuki sv/gsf, Loads about and cheap for parts.

If you a risk taker, you could go used Chinese bike? That will be cheap but id view that as a throw away bike in a few years…

[Old-codger]

Kawasaki ER5 

[Throttled]

Slightly over the cc, the Kawasaki Versys 650. The whole point of the Versys range was its suitability for all sorts of uses. It has proven to work, as they have hardly changed since they first appeared in 2007.

[RAYK47]

Street Triple R

[Capt Sisko]

On 10/03/2025 at 06:24, Simon Davey said:

Honda Forza 300cc

Ok, it's not a naked, but any naked is exposed and will corrode. 

Couldn’t agree more. Bikes are full of nooks & crannies that hold muc and if you're riding in all weathers will corrode. If you're going to use it every day you want something that takes the minimal amount of cleaning & maintenance and that has a reputation for reliability. The Forza gives you all that along with a bit of oomph for the traffic light Grand Prix.

 

£2.5k buys an good one from a dealer so there will be similar but cheaper privately.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/honda-motorbikes/2016-honda-nss300-forza-300-19897-miles/1487082999

Edited March 12 by Capt Sisko

[Mawsley]

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

On 12/03/2025 at 19:37, Mawsley said:

That CD250 ad is a clear demonstration of beauty being in the eye of the beholder. 

[_amw_]

I can put in another vote for the '90s Honda CB500 - I rode one to work for years.  I only don't ride it to work regularly now because I work a lot closer and use a bicycle instead - it would be quite up for it.

 

I fear the prices for 'nice' looking ones will have gone up (less of them left now) - personally I wouldn't worry about getting a 'nice' one for every day/commuting use.  My one had been given a horrible paint job by the previous owner that I've been meaning to get rid of for more than a decade, but somehow I have never been bothered enough to fix it.

[Tinkicker]

Another vote for CB500, pre ABS model.  Very simple to maintain, great handling and very reliable.  I had some on fleet with over 80,000 miles on the clock and apart from routine consumables and service items, brakehoses and clutches, nothing seemed to go wrong with them.  Very drop friendly too, an important issue for a riding school.

 

Here is the five door hatchback edition..

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/306172658143?_skw=cb500&itmmeta=01JPCRXZKTRDQVN4E65H06TXMJ&hash=item47495001df:g:5EkAAOSwYg9nzVFe&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA4FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1d6DaLDeMXC%2BB41vmZ6XRsso8FzUSs00PQicFKfdaXtz%2BaoYGRXKeYNCHn3BGecK63KXzr9tqh5K9A%2BFZAzFKByQeilynNi2dTtWOmyuWD4JWTvXDhzb1N3BJ%2BIB1H%2FxNHSPH6oIq40EiZluyooFaR%2FZncBUggAs6Af%2BDhmnMqschSstY7Ip68MIgoI7SKRAArc0TM9Ea91NCJosOtOzsP3zUZgwhL0rND1Yde0oQtmKXO8mVh0393lQp17m5s%2B9ZzB2RTbuKyRx6rOOtxHmj9r|tkp%3ABk9SR_z595izZQ

Edited March 15 by Tinkicker

[Mawsley]

4 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

That CD250 ad is a clear demonstration of beauty being in the eye of the beholder. 

 

And everyone loves a chain cover

[bonio]

On 15/03/2025 at 11:17, _amw_ said:

I can put in another vote for the '90s Honda CB500

You can. 

I had an '02 CB500. It was a cracking bike and far better to ride than it appeared to be on paper. I was mainly commuting, summer and winter. So it gets my vote too.

[bud]

2 hours ago, bonio said:

You can. 

I had an '02 CB500. It was a cracking bike and far better to ride than it appeared to be on paper. I was mainly commuting, summer and winter. So it gets my vote too.

Remember the CB500 cup? It really showed what those bikes could do on a track.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

6 hours ago, bud said:

Remember the CB500 cup? It really showed what those bikes could do on a track.

Same engine in the CBF500. For a bog standard commuter it's not a bad ride. 

 

I was talking with a guy over the weekend who said that those engines still fetch high prices. People selling old CB500s find they are sought after just for the engines. 

 

There's a chap locally who deals in vintage bikes, he has two warehouses full of them. Last time I was there he had added a CB500 to his list on the basis that whilst most vintage bike prices are going downwards CB prices are on the up. 

[skyrider]

7 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

Same engine in the CBF500. For a bog standard commuter it's not a bad ride. 

 

I was talking with a guy over the weekend who said that those engines still fetch high prices. People selling old CB500s find they are sought after just for the engines. 

 

There's a chap locally who deals in vintage bikes, he has two warehouses full of them. Last time I was there he had added a CB500 to his list on the basis that whilst most vintage bike prices are going downwards CB prices are on the up. 

yes i used to have a 1999 model 

[Mickly]

Get a beat up GSXR600 & streetfighter it, loads of fun both in the creation & riding like a hooligan.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/187041274793?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Mu5aTjyUQvS&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Gup1_ck1RCi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Edited March 18 by Mickly

[vstromming]

CBF500

 

I bought a 2006 one in 2019 for £500 to do up and sell but ended up keeping it. 

 

They very rarely go wrong, parts are cheap - many interchangable bits with the older CB. They're slightly heavier than the CB but come with thicker forks, monoshock suspension, ULEZ compatible, a muuuuuuccccchhhhhh wider variety of tyres and most have ABS - you'd be stupid not getting something with ABS for that type of work. 

[onesea]

What about one of the modern Enfield's? 2nd hand they can come in under 2k.

 

A screen and a small amount of fairing is good for comfort in rain.

 

Scan FB market and gumtree, don't get to set on one bike.  

Just a list of what wants and not wants. 

[Tinkicker]

One here.  31000 miles and looks to have been looked after. Does not appear to have been dropped... Bulletproof motor and no complex abs system and modulator to fail.  Also, brakes are a breeze to bleed when changing hoses / fluid.  Spanish built models come with Brembo brakes!

 

I bet he is becoming more receptive to offers.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256882266543?itmmeta=01JRJ78ER4R2F517XRSEKY0JW0&hash=item3bcf6051af:g:jCAAAeSwoZBn5vSB&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAAwFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1fc5UDCFVHmQ35o15Kx63wkwRcd7akres1pvIz0mI11nfocye4N4ltmNuqmN47aeeQybl9QfSxWoI%2BCj8TT2iYLo5Z%2BzXSae7vMV4zQbJEsPcDObqrp36419%2B4Y3RXlsYS05u3LXZEU%2BI%2BvUi5ENQ%2BVyTfHHf4FEJxZCmoBpuIVX9bvm9cevfFDuS2md2shr6HNvMgScMZ%2Bv%2BKrgE%2Fu%2B%2F1dB575wbWcTBzwWCAqOb2R2A%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR5zsocfEZQ

Edited Friday at 11:15 by Tinkicker

[Tinkicker]

Bidding ended.  Bike unsold with zero bids, reserve not reached with the initial price of £999. 

Knew he was being a little ambitious.  Bet he was ready to take the offer of £999 at the end.

 

An awful lot of reliable commuter bike for a grand....

[RideWithStyles]

only a few blemishes, fork lower casts and lower engine cases have staining, handle bar has some marks , looks like it could of had a little drop at one point but not terrible but looks like it may had a brace on aswell at one point, right side indicator is having a bit of droop. Seen a lot worse go for four times more.

Got to agree, made a good commuter for a K.
all seems very reasonable but I suspect its more like it’s been poorly sold, with lack of detail that sells itself for a buyer to bite.