Recommend me a bike.

[ogri48]

SV is definitely not a contender for the Fazer 600.

In your position Noggy, I think I'd wind up with as late a model Tuono as I could afford - serious hooning fun! (Lots of people go for black, but I like the prettier ones; bright oranges and white with lots of gold bits).

But I'm not you, and you must look for what does it for you.

CB1000R - if this was on my list, I think I'd also consider the later Blades; probably better bikes, full-on sports but not the most extreme of the bunch.

Remember that you can do distance on any bike, it's not just riding position that affects this, as I'm finding out. This new lid of mine has made everything so much easier/more pleasant, just by reducing the amount of buffeting I'm now getting, so seriously less fatigue. On the down side, it means the throttle tends to get more abuse! 

the lids a very good point. back in '91 i bought a three year old zx10, and got some new gear all on the old never never. treated myself to my first ever decent lid, an eddie lawson rep shoei full face. the bike blew me away after my old air cooled fours, but the lid even more so. it made a huge difference to every journey, short or long. nowadays i dont tear about so much, so just wear my old dads piss pot when im bimbling about, but for teararsing around or touring i got a quality, well fitting lid. it does make a massive difference.
back on the bikes for nog..i remember my first go on an mt-01. a group test for "bike" up into yorkshire. i loved it..engine lazily banging along at 90 mph with big old rev counter on the tank sitting at 12 oclock, the firing cycle of the bike sounding like a lancaster bomber as it reverbrated off the stone walls either side...in fact we all loved it(just as the same group all loved the ten year old  gen one fazer in the group test against the new multi strada). its a big fellers bike too. and you get some lovely ones come up on e bay with the full akras etc...

[Yamazer-92]

SV a "gutless pile of shite"?..... Nah.


In this instance however, probably not what noggy is after as it is a bit of a sidestep rather than an upgrade. In my REALLY honest opinion, I would even go as far to say the Z800 is only just about an upgrade for the fazer. That extra weight would bother me, I guess the engine is probably alright though but a lot of money for what it is. If it were me, it would be an absolute balls to the wind completely different beast of a bike or just upgrade my Fazer suspension to make it as bawse as possible. Your Noggy fighter looks cool in my opinion, but then again I want a supermoto so what do I know.

[noggythenog]

Thanks chaps


Your advice has been great...ok so i go round in circles but closer to the time i can through it all again to re confirm certain points.


I've kinda started looking at thous & have now slowly settled on the middleweight 750, 800 to 900 bikes.


I've also started at second hand & now swayed towards new or very nearly new bikes.


MT01 still the oddball choice if i happened to see the right one i may be tempted...same with the tuono as i really like its overall appeal as a complete package & it is very desireable.


But i know i'll prob end up settling for a jap bike...the quality & after service is more of a guarantee.


I just wish they'd hurry up and clear up some of the niggles on the MT...i get the feeling a year 2 down the line id be looking at a shock upgrade based on the "rear shock soon runs out of ideas when pushed hard" type comments in the reviews, especially since my weight already gives a shock a challenge & i'd rather buy something straight off that is sorted with good handling & maybe a tidy Akra can thrown into the deal....i've no doubt that the triple yamaha engine is a peach...but i dunno..the whole package..not so sure...cant deny the fantastic value.


Reading the Z800 reviews its weight is rarely mentioned....everyone says it handles very well & is super smooth...it sounds like some of that weight has come from quality & i expect it provides an element of stability to a certain degree.....physical weight isnt an issue for me so long as it doesn't drastically affect handling....i dont really go for kwaks but i think they've got the looks spot on with this bike....& engine wise it doesnt have snatchyness & isn't top end speed heavy.


Im glad i've started looking so early...so much to choose from...such nice machines...we really are spoiled & i want a bike that doesnt make me regret selling the fazer...fireblades, firestorms, supermotos....very nice...but i think they'd make me regret it.....but modern day versions of the fazer....hope not.

[slimwilly]

you can get a one year old FZ1s for good money,,,makes sense really,,tuneable and so full on go= fun as i found out last night...go 1000cc manup will you,,,,a nearly new is also a way of saving.

[noggythenog]

you can get a one year old FZ1s for good money,,,makes sense really,,tuneable and so full on go= fun as i found out last night...go 1000cc manup will you,,,,a nearly new is also a way of saving.

Sorry slim, the fz1 just didn't feel all that natural for me...& I'm scared i'll need to spend another 2k on power mods......out of interest what's the jack up options???.....if a jack up & rear sets was a cheap enough mod then i'd consider it but that's hard to find when test riding at dealers.....i'd love to stay in the fold but jus trying not to let that cloud my purchase...gotta say that exup valves & "needed" electronic mods have kinda put me off it all.


But who knows..plenty time to make a final decision yet.

[slimwilly]

Its just that it is modern and gives wind,weather protection and loads of oomff,,,oh and yo do not need to mod them,,thats a personal thing.

[noggythenog]

Just reading mcn shootout including the MT07.....while it is a tiny bike & a bit budget basics i like this stat:-


ROLL ON 30-80MPH in 3rd gear.............4.85 seconds.


That's pretty impressive


So 10mph for every 1 second in 3rd gear all the way to 80mph


So i usually back down to about 80'ish to save the licence anyway.




It will still do over a tonne if it needs to


So that sort of power but with a better handling bike & bigger proportions is ideal.......which could be the MT09 but there are still some doubts about its handling as standard.

[noggythenog]

My old man has been on the case scouting out the Z800, his kwak dealer only 20 minutes away as opposed to mine which is over 2 hours away..what a nice looking bike, especially in this burnt orange type colour.


Seems like a proper bike, looks well built & the styling is real sweet.


Dealer welcomes me to have a test ride in June when when i go up on the fazer.


His mate is sat on the bike, similar build to me & a bit taller & i reckon the bike looks proportional, in the words of Mickvp, i wouldn't look like a Mutant ....although i look like a mutant normally anyway .


It just looks like more bike than the MT.

[mickvp]

at least your mate got to sit on a bike. I went to a dealer the other day and they told me they dont like people sitting on them, how the feck are you ever supposed to know if it fits you or not then  .

Looks a pretty good fit though, nice bike. Sort of like the new(ish) CB1000R as well.

[noggythenog]

at least your mate got to sit on a bike. I went to a dealer the other day and they told me they dont like people sitting on them, how the feck are you ever supposed to know if it fits you or not then  .

Looks a pretty good fit though, nice bike. Sort of like the new(ish) CB1000R as well.

Ye i dunno how shops like that get any business.....bike dealers seem to be slightly better than car dealers regards the bullshit that flows out their mouths but generally they're still full of it.....i've already decided to not buy from 1 dealer because their attitude to you might not get a test ride if aren't looking to buy til next season.....hang on mate...if you still plan on working here next season then that shouldn't make any difference .....if he was a fisherman would he dredge the seabed dry to have 1 good year & then suffer the rest of his career every year after...actually he probably would.




Happened to me when i was 21 & got my Honda civic....i went to my local peugeot dealer to test drive the 206 180....they basically treated me like a dreamer & said i couldn't have a test drive but i could sit in the passenger seat while a salesman drove me around...told them to foc right off......drove 50 miles to the Honda dealer who just threw me the keys to a type r & said fill my boots....i didn't buy that car either but i did go back to them for servicing later...& i stayed Honda...complete loyalty...i happened to be up in Scotland & another Honda dealer in Edinburgh had a good'n.......again excellent customer service......so regardless of how good a product is if you employ arseholes it still wont sell...i'll never even consider a peugeot....ever....that's a lifetime of lost sales.




& i hope that dealer who doesn't let folk sit on them also goes tits up......you must look a bit dodgy like me Mick ....never judge a book by its cover though eh.


I agree it has the beefy look of the CB....little bit of copying has gone on me thinks...& i like the CB looks....hope it has the substance to match.

[Lez72]

GSR 750 ?

Retuned 2005 GSXR750 lump in a Streetfighter package. Not totally unlike the Z800 ???

Good 'nearly new' bargains to be had too.

[Frosties]

Ok, my 2p is the MV Agusta Brutale 800
 
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn/bikereviews/searchresults/bike-reviews/mv2/mv-agusta-brutale-800-2013-current/
 
 

[noggythenog]

GSR 750 ?

Retuned 2005 GSXR750 lump in a Streetfighter package. Not totally unlike the Z800 ???

Good 'nearly new' bargains to be had too.

Cheers Lez


I sat on one in swansea...the owner thought id love it...it was comfy...maybe a smidge small if being picky......but the quality didnt shine through...still a capable bike from what i hear though.

[noggythenog]

Ok, my 2p is the MV Agusta Brutale 800
 
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn/bikereviews/searchresults/bike-reviews/mv2/mv-agusta-brutale-800-2013-current/

Yum yum


That looks sweet doesnt it

[Lez72]

GSR 750 ?

Retuned 2005 GSXR750 lump in a Streetfighter package. Not totally unlike the Z800 ???

Good 'nearly new' bargains to be had too.

Cheers Lez


I sat on one in swansea...the owner thought id love it...it was comfy...maybe a smidge small if being picky......but the quality didnt shine through...still a capable bike from what i hear though.

I hear what your saying. It seems the weedy looking swingarm seems to get a bit of stick but this is based on looks and not performance as I'm sure its up to the job. However, the prices seem reflective of the overall package. Besides, the quality doesn't really shine through on the FZS600 but we still love em.

That Brutale 800 does look sweet though 

[noggythenog]

I think ive got Z tunnel vision right now...i love its looks, the reviews, its size, jap reliability, cheap finance options.


Look forward to trying it out.


Yamaha have shot themselves in the foot for the likes of me anyway...aspiring new bike owners on a budget.....the finance generation.....the must have nows & foc pensions .......8% apr on a MT is bad.....& its not for credit crunch reasons...they are clearly selling them to the folk with the readies already......they offer 0% on the fazers to try sell them but they reveal that 0% is possible...which kinda focs me off......but beggars cant be choosers & im a beggar .


Kwak are ticking all the right boxes.


Nearly new is a good point...i can get a nearly new still on 0% but a grand cheaper...some of them only have 100 miles on the clock.

[Lez72]

I think ive got Z tunnel vision right now...i love its looks, the reviews, its size, jap reliability, cheap finance options.


Look forward to trying it out.


Yamaha have shot themselves in the foot for the likes of me anyway...aspiring new bike owners on a budget.....the finance generation.....the must have nows & foc pensions .......8% apr on a MT is bad.....& its not for credit crunch reasons...they are clearly selling them to the folk with the readies already......they offer 0% on the fazers to try sell them but they reveal that 0% is possible...which kinda focs me off......but beggars cant be choosers & im a beggar .


Kwak are ticking all the right boxes.


Nearly new is a good point...i can get a nearly new still on 0% but a grand cheaper...some of them only have 100 miles on the clock.

DO it Do it Do it. Live the dream that us poor foccers can only think about 

[mr self destruct]

I think ive got Z tunnel vision right now...i love its looks, the reviews, its size, jap reliability, cheap finance options.


Look forward to trying it out.


Yamaha have shot themselves in the foot for the likes of me anyway...aspiring new bike owners on a budget.....the finance generation.....the must have nows & foc pensions .......8% apr on a MT is bad.....& its not for credit crunch reasons...they are clearly selling them to the folk with the readies already......they offer 0% on the fazers to try sell them but they reveal that 0% is possible...which kinda focs me off......but beggars cant be choosers & im a beggar .


Kwak are ticking all the right boxes.


Nearly new is a good point...i can get a nearly new still on 0% but a grand cheaper...some of them only have 100 miles on the clock.

For me it's between the MT and the Z now, and like you the Z is winning. Biggest question now is..... Orange or green? 

[ChristoT]

Foc me, at this rate, I'll be the last Foccer on a Fazer, let alone a 600! :O

[Hedgetrimmer]

Christo, you're one of the limited few here NOT on a Fazer! 
 
Noggy, I'd say subject to a test ride, if the Z is firing the imagination, go for it. Bikes are decisions of the heart, you have the car for transport. I've bought all my bikes (except for my first Fazer, funnily enough, and my RG500) without test rides, and the 400 Wetdream was the only one I seriously regretted. Maybe I got lucky, but you can always trade again later if it really doesn't tick your boxes after a while.

[noggythenog]

Poor Christo.......one day Christo eh you'll show us.......you just need to prove to the paarents that a car is a bad idea...coz with a car you bring back bikes in the boot....but you cant on a bike...so less bike bits.




Old man has just been on the phone, he has the new ride magazine....& he's going on about the MT07....very capable bla bla, fast enough bla bla.....can pass your test or have fun on it bla......& yes i agree...just like the FZS600 really....maybe a bit more torque.......but the whole point is that i wanted an upgrade from the fazer....something trick......ok so id enjoy being underdog on an MT07.....& if the seat is the same height as the MT09 then that's good.......but i want sweet suspension....not just good enough suspension.




But regardless......a brand new MT07....retro fitted with a top of the range Nitron shock would still only be circa £5500........that is cheap!!!! ......still not as cool as the z though.

[Frosties]

....something trick......ok .....but i want sweet suspension....not just good enough suspension.
......still not as cool as the MV Agusta Brutale 800 though.

Fixed that for you Noggy     

[ChristoT]

Poor Christo......

So true on so many levels! 

[Lez72]

FWIW a chap at work recently test rode an MT07 and said he had only done about 10 miles when he decided to turn around and take it back. He said the engine was weedy and gutless and it was obviously a cheap bike for a reason, feeling very cheap to ride.

Despite them being released around the same time and having similar styling I get the feeling the MT07 and the MT09 are very different animals.

[JoeRock]

Poor Christo.......one day Christo eh you'll show us.......you just need to prove to the paarents that a car is a bad idea...coz with a car you bring back bikes in the boot....but you cant on a bike...so less bike bits.




Old man has just been on the phone, he has the new ride magazine....& he's going on about the MT07....very capable bla bla, fast enough bla bla.....can pass your test or have fun on it bla......& yes i agree...just like the FZS600 really....maybe a bit more torque.......but the whole point is that i wanted an upgrade from the fazer....something trick......ok so id enjoy being underdog on an MT07.....& if the seat is the same height as the MT09 then that's good.......but i want sweet suspension....not just good enough suspension.




But regardless......a brand new MT07....retro fitted with a top of the range Nitron shock would still only be circa £5500........that is cheap!!!! ......still not as cool as the z though.

Then you'd have a budget commuter with a better shock - the forks, engine and chassis still won't be that amaing, and its only got about 70hp? Hardly an upgrade IMO! Although in fairness I'd probably not personally be looking at things like the Z800 either (personal preference is for more power than that, and you can get much better bikes second hand, with better suspension, brakes and engines!)