recommendations on a bike please

adbp1

adbp1

adbp1

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hi all,
looking to go for my test soon and going to buy a bike, been told i should go for bandit600 as great first bike, but after looking around ive seen a couple of bikes i.e bandit 600/ fazer 600/ hornet 600.
will have about £1200 to spend on bike and leathers/helmet £1500 at stretch!!

any recommendations other than the bikes ive mentioned and on which leathers etc to get.
 
No other suggestions spring into mind mate. But I can vouch for bandit 600's being mint bikes! Leathers and gear wise. Buy a Helmet that fits, just cos one may cost £200 doesn't mean it's any good cos if it doesn't fit right it's pointless! For all leathers and boots n gloves etc just ebay it, theres always bargains to have from people that have changed sizes etc, just chuck it in the washing machine before wearing it!
 
Another vote for a bandit, even though I'm on the 650 one, they're still great bikes. Very good first bike for your budget. Is that money going to include insurance as well though?
 
nope insurance set aside, done qoute yesterday fully comp with bennetts came to £245.
although i really like the look of the bandit ive been told that it wheelies really easy and being first bike i dont wanna be on my back laughing thinking DOH which makes me swing towards the hornet.
is the wheelie sindrome something i should be worrying about !!
 
I've never pulled a wheelie on my 400 Bandit which has almost as much power and a lot less weight than the 600.
 
Ignore the bandit ...get the hornet ... better finish...faster ...better looking .. loads of exras available ... decent owners club ..

Persil
 
hmm ok sounds like then it must be a select few of wrist happy riders with hellium in the front tyre!!!
i do like the bandit and it fits into my budget too.
 
I prefer the look of the bandit WAY more than the hornet. But it is a Marmite relationship lol, Love it or Hate it.
The CAN wheelie easily, but I've never pulled one lol. It's my first bike, had it for around 6 months now. My confidence is slowly getting up to actually want to learn to wheelie.
 
adbp1 said:
although i really like the look of the bandit ive been told that it wheelies really easy and being first bike i dont wanna be on my back laughing thinking DOH which makes me swing towards the hornet.
is the wheelie sindrome something i should be worrying about !!
Click to expand...
There will be no problems whats so ever with wheelies if you take it easy with the thottle & clutch.....
 
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Suzuki sv650/s, you cant not like the sound of giving twins some :eek::D possibly out of your budget though.

depends on whether you prefer the upright riding style or "butt in the air" as i call it of a race styled bike ie r6 (not a good 1st choice-just in case!) the sv comes in both styles as it happens.

as others have said the bandit can be a wheelie monster but with good clutch/throttle control it'll be no worse than any other, make sure you check the head bearings on any 2nd hand one just incase the previous owner liked having the front in the air!
 
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Dont know where everyone is getting this wheelie monster from in the bandit . Never had any issues when i tried one...it wont wheely off the throttle and has to be clutched up . The 1200 is another matter but the 600 is no wheely monster .
SV is a good bike ...sounds great with a decent can and handles ok ...but its to slow .. Compared to the hornet and bandit it would never keep up and at least 20hp down .
The other problem with both the bandit and SV is there budget bikes and dont wear well...they look very tatty very easily if not cared for or ridden all year round .
If you like the looks the Hornet is the obvious choice but test ride them all before picking one... I would also suggest the Z750 but dont think you will get one in budget .

Good luck with whatever you buy

Persil
 
I've been looking at a fazer 600 for after my test (purely asthetic choice).

out of those in the op which would be best for commuting?
 
I just upgraded the suspension on my SV for the grand total of £130. Now got a fully adjustable rear shock and progressive front fork springs with a bit thicker oil :) . So it's not that hard to make one better. Unfortunately it does suffer from the same problem all Suzuki's do in the thinness of the paint :( . Got a scratch on my tank right through to the primer and it wasn't anything sharp or a big fall. It's just really rubbish paint. A bandit would suffer from the same.
 
bandit= cavalier
sv650= beetle
fazer= focus
hornet= mini cooper s


gooooo HORNET.

Best ride, best build quality, best engine, best bike. Especially for £1200
 
A £1200 bandit will be pretty good qual and not too old. A £1200 hornet will be shagged out or tatty.
Also they have pretty much the same sorta performance so dunno where your'e getting the idea about it being faster from :s
 
As much as i enjoyed the fazer and rode it through all weathers the finish was pants, you'd expect a new bike to last more than 18 months! still not a bad choice if it's in resonable condition, would probably still have another though if it had to be an il4.

As much as i dislike Honda the Hornet is a good bike, but i'm still biased towards a twin :) Sv650!

Like Persil said, the best answer is to try all you can and see which you prefer the feel of as much as the look, they will all feel different so you need to see what suits you best, it matters little wether we think it's a skoda or a ferrari if it aint comfy for you then it's no good, the happier you are with the feel then the easier your confidence will grow.

As mentioned but as a reminder dont forget the riding gear - t-shirts & jog bottoms are NOT COOL!
 
Alex*TLR said:
Also they have pretty much the same sorta performance so dunno where your'e getting the idea about it being faster from :s
Click to expand...


I disagree ..

SV650

Engine and transmission
Displacement: 654.00 ccm (39.91 cubic inches)
Engine type: V2
Stroke: 4
Power: 70.00 HP (51.1 kW)) @ 9000 RPM
Torque: 62.00 Nm (6.3 kgf-m or 45.7 ft.lbs) @ 7500 RPM
Starter: Electric
Cooling system: Liquid
Gearbox: 6-speed

Physical measures
Dry weight: 169.0 kg (372.6 pounds)



Bandit 600

Engine and transmission
Displacement: 599.00 ccm (36.55 cubic inches)
Engine type: In-line six
Stroke: 4
Power: 77.50 HP (56.6 kW)) @ 10500 RPM
Torque: 54.10 Nm (5.5 kgf-m or 39.9 ft.lbs) @ 9500 RPM
Compression: 11.3:1
Bore x stroke: 62.6 x 48.7 mm (2.5 x 1.9 inches)
Fuel system: Carburettor
Valves per cylinder: 4
Fuel control: DOHC
Cooling system: Air
Gearbox: 6-speed
Transmission type
final drive: Chain

Physical measures
Dry weight: 208.0 kg (458.6 pounds)

Hornet 600

Engine and transmission
Displacement: 599.00 ccm (36.55 cubic inches)
Engine type: In-line four
Stroke: 4
Power: 98.00 HP (71.5 kW)) @ 12000 RPM
Torque: 67.00 Nm (6.8 kgf-m or 49.4 ft.lbs) @ 10000 RPM
Bore x stroke: 65.0 x 45.2 mm (2.6 x 1.8 inches)
Fuel system: Carburettor
Valves per cylinder: 4
Starter: Electric
Cooling system: Liquid
Gearbox: 6-speed
Transmission type
final drive: Chain
More details Consult a Honda repair manual.

Physical measures
Dry weight: 176.0 kg (388.0 pounds)


So looking at cold hard facts even on paper the sv650 is quicker due to lower weight .. Im not slagging the bandit but its lardy and slow compared to the Hornet and as far as quality and finish there is no comparison .

Ride them all and see is the only way ... The all have there own good and bad points but if it was my money i know where it would go

Persil
 
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