Alternatives to the fzs1000?

[bludclot]

If the original poster is considering a gen 1 thou then it seems a bit pointless talking about £6-12 bikes - no gen 1 is worth that right now. Also the luggage issue was brought up so  to my mind there's some obvious alternatives that haven't been mentioned:


Bandit 1200 / 1250: cheap,  large engined half faired bike that can be found with rack / top box / panniers already fitted at previous owners expense if patient or lucky.


CB1300 SA: half faired again, top box is easy, I don't recall seeing panniers on one but it will obviously take soft luggage and will probably outlast the human race and still start on the button and purr nicely.


ZRX1100 / 1200 - quite cool, very meaty but (dare I say it?) even less build quality than the Suzuki. I've ridden and worked on one that's toured and, well, it needs a good deal of maintenance to keep it tip top.


R1150R - a more left field choice but big, torquey, comfortable and will most likely come with luggage fitted, just add a screen. I've owned one and it's surprisingly good - but not as reliable as the roundel would suggest.


All viable alternatives and available for around £3k.