Recommend me a bike.

[noggythenog]

Well to compliment my other post on the 600 section.....I'm after something different..can i kindly have some recommendations to help me narrow down which bikes i want to test ride.


Ok so my requirements are "ideal world" dreams & i realise there will always be a compromise.




Ok...me...31 year old...6 foot tall & heavy at circa 15 & a half stone before clothing.....long legged.




What riding do i do.....fun & hooning with a little bit of scenery loving...fair weather....usually 200 to 300 miles per ride.....i try to keep speeds down to circa 80mph & keep fun for the corners.....rarely go over the tonne....usually by mistake or briefly to get passed stuff or because my bike is coming on song.....wanna keep my licence.




Type of roads.....Mainly well surfaced fast twisty A roads with consecutive quick left/rights......plus some medium speed imperfect B roads with varying surfaces...the odd dual carriageway just to get to the above roads.




What power delivery do i want....grunt up to 100mph...after that I'm not bothered.....hence i've decided that a large capacity inline 4 isnt for me.....prob a twin...maybe a triple...i want overtaking ability so from 50/60mph to 90mph.....I'm guessing this is in the mid range bracket......I'm not a wheely monster or show off at the traffic lights so i don't even fully need the low down or the top end......just the mid range once im up & moving.....idon't  want snatchyness or surging whilst in mid corner so a smooth throttle or delivery for powering round would be nice.




What quality am i looking at...ok top quality...trick parts....performance stuff....I've done budget..now i want something quality straight outta the box without needing upgrades.


Reliability & maintaing costs.... ok so who doesn't want good reliability..goes without saying really but i don't want something prone to dodgy electrics or the kind of issues that even mechanics struggle to figure out.....i'll be looking more towards dealer servicing apart from the very basic stuff like oil changes & lubing.




Ergonomics.....a big bike....weight isn't too important so long as it doesn't detract from handling.I'm big enough to man handle at slow speed ...but i want the bike looking proportionate to my size....not like an adult sitting on a kids plastic red tractor......i want more leg room so a high seat is fine & i also like to be high up to see over traffic for overtakes & generally give a greater field of vision for obstacles & killer objects (cars at junctions etc).....a pillion seat is good but i don't really care how comfy a pillion is.....wide bars like my renthal 758's are a requirement.....no superbike stance......a fairing isnt important as i do fine on my fighter with no wind protection & if i drop it i want to minimise cosmetic damage to plastics.






Bikes i've narrowed down to so far are as follows:-




Fazer8.....ok I'm trying to give fazers a chance here...mid range probably quite good .....but still revs high & is pricey & is a bit small, lower than my old 600 & prob a bit cramped.....defo the underdog which is appealing.


Fz1 gen 2....excellent handling & performance, but dont look any bigger than the fazer8.....& with all that top end i fear my licence wouldn't last very long.




BMW F800S........seem like nice bikes...grunty....not that big though....not sure about belt drive either.


BMW F800R.......so chain drive...no adjustable front suspension though & looks too tiny.


Yamaha TRX850....nice sensible road power delivery...but sporty riding position..old as the hills...drink oil...& not many around.....probably too costly & full of problems....no thanks...poor trx...do have a soft spot.


Triumph street triple r- oo la la.....what a machine...trick stuff, good power delivery, awesome induction noise, excellent handling....but not a tall bike....& not overly big either but still being european maybe slightly more proportional than a jap bike....one of the main contenders at the moment.


KTM 990 SM.....fits the bill really....big engine but more for the grunt than the top end...i really like these....im just not sure about KTM in general...apparently reliability is now good but it does worry me a little bit.




Aprillia Tuono V4......such lovely machines....someone on here is selling one...fits the bill....again slightly worried about reliability & who is best for dealer access & reliability KTM or Aprillia????


Aprillia Dorsoduro....again as above...supposed to be a more road biased version of the KTM 990.








Any more suggestions or comments most appreciated, have i missed out a whole genre or engine type maybe?

[ogri48]

I got this one on flea bay as I've hadta get a new van  :'( Solid bike and then some, always draws a crowd, proper one off.
Probably the best looking all rounder I've ever owned but unfortunately it can't carry a pallet of bricks and a tonne of sand. Foccers get a good discount and a carbon can chucked in... :lol

[slimwilly]

Mr Nogster ,,this is MADE for you !!!!!


[smg id=1798 type=full align=center caption="trike"]


Supposedly amazing on Welsh roads at your speeds :lol

[mickvp]

honda VTR1000? or the VFR1200?

[noggythenog]

I got this one on flea bay as I've hadta get a new van  :'( Solid bike and then some, always draws a crowd, proper one off.
Probably the best looking all rounder I've ever owned but unfortunately it can't carry a pallet of bricks and a tonne of sand. Foccers get a good discount and a carbon can chucked in... :lol

Nice bike Ogri....went to a yam dealer last week & ended up getting attracted to one of these that they had...well proportioned & comfy......but much more than i need...& maybe not as shifty around the b roads as some others...they look the business & quality will be top notch.


Maybe you could buy Christos trailer for those bricks. [size=78%] [/size]

[noggythenog]

Mr Nogster ,,this is MADE for you !!!!!


[smg id=1798 type=full align=center caption="trike"]


Supposedly amazing on Welsh roads at your speeds :lol

Nice & high up riding position too...nice find...does it come with a basket for my doggy bag?...i like to keep well stocked up on pastry snacks....you never know when you could become stranded without food for up 2 hours :eek

[noggythenog]

honda VTR1000? or the VFR1200?

Nice suggestions Mick....always liked those SP1 & SP2's but they a little small...perhaps a VFR 750 would be nice but maybe not radical enough of a change.....a very nice vfr got flogged on here last year or the year before...i was salivating......but o wouldnt want the vtec version....i liked my vtec car...but too much top end for my requirements.

[bigbluebear]

Go for Gen1...get it invanised and take it down a tooth on the front and up three on the back.....takes some off the top end and will accelerate faster than most modern sports bikes.

[mickvp]

[quote author=mickvp link=topic=12260.msg136248#msg136248 date=1395496934]
honda VTR1000? or the VFR1200?

Nice suggestions Mick....always liked those SP1 & SP2's but they a little small...perhaps a VFR 750 would be nice but maybe not radical enough of a change.....a very nice vfr got flogged on here last year or the year before...i was salivating......but o wouldnt want the vtec version....i liked my vtec car...but too much top end for my requirements.
[/quote]

The VTR1000 and SP1 are very different beasts. The SP1's are much racier, with better suspension, bug are also rarer and more expensive.

[adeejaysdelight]

I will be selling a lovely YZF Thunderace in the best red and white colours in a couple of days. I did loads of work to it over the winter and it was away for its MoT this morning. Just need and indicator bulb, which blew on the way to the garage  :rolleyes . As soon as she passes, she is up for sale.

[lew600fazer]

Some good deals to be had on the Kawasaki z1000sx now the new 14 model out. I had the 2011 z1000sx had it for 2&1/2 years, teriffic bike, big mistake selling it. Good all rounder and bags of go.

[Frosties]

I got this one on flea bay as I've hadta get a new van  :'( Solid bike and then some, always draws a crowd, proper one off.
Probably the best looking all rounder I've ever owned but unfortunately it can't carry a pallet of bricks and a tonne of sand. Foccers get a good discount and a carbon can chucked in... :lol

Love these Paul........actually watching yours - its the fairing and HID i like  :lol :lol




How about a Kawa Z1000 2003-06 like this Noggy


https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=kawasa...6&tbm=isch

[esetest]

As your a big bloke you might be better off with 1000 , you will appreciate the extra power , try a demo on Speed triple as well as a Street triple , the sprint might suit you as well , i'm a short arse and found the sprint a bit of stretch but it might suit you , plenty of torque and great handling

[noggythenog]

Keep the ideas flowing chaps....




Im not looking for a traditional sportsbike so thunderace is off the radar, although i appreciate that compared to modern stuff they are more sports tourer...i like em...but they aint fitting with my needs......the big capacity nakeds are tempting though...but outta them id probably go for the CB1000r because although not as powerful as its competition like the Z1000 it apparently handles much better & that's what i'm looking for.......ok so im not at the stage of test rides quite yet...i've done allot of you tube riding though :rolleyes .....as nice as a bike like the CB1000r would be it looks like it is almost too perfected....too smoothe & linear.....performs mightily but perhaps lacks the character.


Side note-i was reading last weeks MCN & apparently yamaha are starting to do away with downpipe link pipes because bikes have almost become too perfect but lack character & so they are reintroducing imperfections...perhaps in future it will be back to powerbands....just for the crack like...something i've never experienced.....ok car talk..excuse me...i had a type-r civic vtec car for 4 years..fitted a k&N typhoon air intake......man that thing sounded awesome....it was addictive......performance or not that engine was worth it just for that induction noise reverberating inside the stainless intake.....totally musical 8) ..all part of the experience.




That brings me back to the Tuono & the Street triple...(speed triple out of budget )......they sound amazing, look good, perform well & are just look like allot of fun...i know someone on here sold their thou & got a triple, had a video up of it on arrow exhausts & i think Rayburn is selling or has sold a Tuono so would be interesting to hear the experiences.......i was yapping to my old man on the phone about Tuonos...he says to me "oh yeah bob has one o them but he can't go slow on it, makes him a hooligan"........firstly i thought.....well that sounds pretty foccin sweet then.....& secondly i thought.....hang on there dad...you act like a bloody hooligan on your FZ6 & you're 61.....& you acted like a hooligan on your FZS600 before that & your Vmax......& no doubt all your previous bikes......so you'd act like a holligan if you were on YB125 but what's the difference......well you'll get splatted.....why not have a machine to match your needs....which by the way his FZ6 as crap as they are touted to be-is......but i think he's still missing out a little bit.

[mickvp]

agree with your assessment of the CTR noggy, I had one of those with a proper induction kit and exhaust, and remap and it was magical.

I think your honing in on the correct type of bikes, those Triumphs are certainly not lacking in character. Im sure someone will have a left hand suggestion that may be of interest to you as well  8)

What about a Superduke? think you suggested this in your OP, seem a nice bike.

[noggythenog]

Hey Mick that car was amazing....bought with 9k just stopping using oil, nicely run in.......sold to a young bloke that couldn't get insurance til his next birthday with 75k miles on it with the only issues being the bonded windscreen becoming unbonded through thrashing apparently although i doubt that theory...plus a stone split a caliper piston seal...that was it...totally faultless & a dream to drive & own......i even drove it to Inverness for him just to get one last drive.




I'll look into the VTR....perhaps there is a wide bar conversion & it could be a cheap compromise option with good quality....i dont like superbike bars...im scared of tank wobblers...i need more leverage...i liken it to those powerball strength training things...get the frequency wrong & your focced & no ammount of movement will get you out of it...i know it is chance speed, frequency, undulations related but na no thanks i at least want the thought that i have more chance of not having one.




Street triple r is the most obvious answer i think though....but i like being the outsider so maybe the obvious answer....i'd love to say i got a BMWf800 & took on the triumph.....but that is often my downfall....if it looks good, feels good, sounds good..then i should buy good, not almost good just to prove a point & i am learning that....fazer was also an obvious choice & i havent regretted that.






& those KTM things...well what can i say...they'll sure be performers...but there's something about them that says to me they could just snap in half at any moment...totally unfounded of course but i cant quite put my finger on it.




Still want loads of feedback on the Tuono too




Right im back off to youtube whilst my missus is having a powernap[size=0.7em].[/size]

[ogri48]

Can't recommend a sorted fz1 enough nogster. Been out on mine all afternoon, only went out to pick up some lacquer and wet and dry and ended up doing 130 miles, despite the cold. They don't fetch a lot second hand, and I guess there not particularly fashionable falling in a bit of a no mans land between all the latest super nakeds and the more sensible gen 1, but bugger it's a good bike. When one had to go to pay for me van, I just couldn't bear to lose the yam, hence the cb1300 is on e bay. So light and nimble, (and like you I'm heavy), and so much fun whatever your doing or wherever your going.

[noggythenog]

Can't recommend a sorted fz1 enough nogster. Been out on mine all afternoon, only went out to pick up some lacquer and wet and dry and ended up doing 130 miles, despite the cold. They don't fetch a lot second hand, and I guess there not particularly fashionable falling in a bit of a no mans land between all the latest super nakeds and the more sensible gen 1, but bugger it's a good bike. When one had to go to pay for me van, I just couldn't bear to lose the yam, hence the cb1300 is on e bay. So light and nimble, (and like you I'm heavy), and so much fun whatever your doing or wherever your going.

This is the input i need see...& it seems to fit most of my criteria apart from top end is too tempting but if i could gear one to give more mid then it could be an option...i gotta say if they were commanding top dollar then my answer would be no....but again you make a good point that perhaps if they just aint the most fashionable right now then i could get a bargain....dek had or has his bike up for sale for 4k...modded up to its arsehole with trick bits & performance enhancing...........stuff.....it looked sweet...it is sad that when i went to yamaha last week they had no gen 2 thou...only the 8....i'll know in about 15 seconds whether it is what im looking at ergonomically...& devilsyam now seems to have an upgrade to raise the seat height a smidge too.


One thing that is shining through................[size=78%]..thous are good for big fuckers[/size] :lol

[slimwilly]

[quote author=ogri48 link=topic=12260.msg136305#msg136305 date=1395510089]
Can't recommend a sorted fz1 enough nogster. Been out on mine all afternoon, only went out to pick up some lacquer and wet and dry and ended up doing 130 miles, despite the cold. They don't fetch a lot second hand, and I guess there not particularly fashionable falling in a bit of a no mans land between all the latest super nakeds and the more sensible gen 1, but bugger it's a good bike. When one had to go to pay for me van, I just couldn't bear to lose the yam, hence the cb1300 is on e bay. So light and nimble, (and like you I'm heavy), and so much fun whatever your doing or wherever your going.

This is the input i need see...& it seems to fit most of my criteria apart from top end is too tempting but if i could gear one to give more mid then it could be an option...i gotta say if they were commanding top dollar then my answer would be no....but again you make a good point that perhaps if they just aint the most fashionable right now then i could get a bargain....dek had or has his bike up for sale for 4k...modded up to its arsehole with trick bits & performance enhancing...........stuff.....it looked sweet...it is sad that when i went to yamaha last week they had no gen 2 thou...only the 8....i'll know in about 15 seconds whether it is what im looking at ergonomically...& devilsyam now seems to have an upgrade to raise the seat height a smidge too.


One thing that is shining through................[size=78%]..thous are good for big fuckers[/size] :lol



[/quote]


Noggy , you are welcome to come over or meet half way and you can try my FZ1s, its the only way to find out

[jeffco]

Got to say that the that cb1300 in that colour scheme looks the dogs