First big bike

bainbridge

bainbridge

bainbridge

Soldato
Joined
9 Dec 2009
Posts
5,535
Location
Bristol
Hey all

Mod 2 now passed. I have a 1975 Honda CB200 which I'm restoring but it'll probably be good 2-3 months before it's roadworthy.

So I'm looking at getting something newer to put my training into practice.

www.autotrader.co.uk

2023 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 for sale for £4,495 in ST. HELENS, MERSEYSIDE

2023 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 for sale in ST. HELENS, MERSEYSIDE from Millennium Motorcycles - Find your perfect bike today with Autotrader
www.autotrader.co.uk www.autotrader.co.uk

What about this?
 
Have a look at the Kawasaki W800 as well. Only a touch heavier but reportedly feels lighter, somehow the same power and single-digits-more torque from an extra 150cc. Build quality is supposedly a lot better though; less plastic, more metal. There are a few on Autotrader with les than 5000mi on the clock for the same money as the Interceptor.

My advice is always to go and ride these bikes to see how they feel. There'll always be one that just feels more right than the others. Get that one.

P.S. I wish Honda would hurry up with their CB750 K3 - I want to know what it's actually going to look like.
 
iamgigglz said:
Have a look at the Kawasaki W800 as well. Only a touch heavier but reportedly feels lighter, somehow the same power and single-digits-more torque from an extra 150cc. Build quality is supposedly a lot better though; less plastic, more metal. There are a few on Autotrader with les than 5000mi on the clock for the same money as the Interceptor.

My advice is always to go and ride these bikes to see how they feel. There'll always be one that just feels more right than the others. Get that one.

P.S. I wish Honda would hurry up with their CB750 K3 - I want to know what it's actually going to look like.
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They've unveiled the 500 haven't they?
 
Cheers folks. Looks like a new 750 interceptor is due out soon so if I were buying new I'd wait.

Looking at something like a 23/24 which has been fully serviced with low mileage, I'll do the servicing moving forward.

I like the look of the W800 but can't find any newer than 2021.

I sat on a Kawi Z650 RS and they're appealing, but I really dislike the way that the horizontal radiator pokes out the sides and the funny rear mudguard assembly that so many modern bikes have.

Honda CB650R is too hi tech for me.

I just want something with modern reliability and classic looks that I can ride around on without too much drama.
 
McGray said:
They've unveiled the 500 haven't they?
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Ah yeah the Super Four. It's a little drab - I'm hoping the 750 is a little more retro bling.

bainbridge said:
I like the look of the W800 but can't find any newer than 2021.
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Fair enough
bainbridge said:
I sat on a Kawi Z650 RS and they're appealing, but I really dislike the way that the horizontal radiator pokes out the sides
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Yeah that seems odd and super vulnerable if the bike falls over.

bainbridge said:
and the funny rear mudguard assembly that so many modern bikes have.
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Easily sorted with a tail-tidy.

bainbridge said:
Honda CB650R is too hi tech for me.
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Different beast - bit of a hooligan machine.

bainbridge said:
I just want something with modern reliability and classic looks that I can ride around on without too much drama.
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I wish there were more of these around.
There's the Yamaha XSR700 - great motor, but a bit more expensive and the dash will probably put you off.
Have a walk around a Triumph dealership - I'm pretty sure they have 47 different models based on their lazy 900cc Bonneville twin
Moto Guzzi V7 could be fun. No idea what they're like.

Too much money but I can personally vouch for a BMW R NineT. I have the original 2014 model. They gave it a big tech upgrade in 2024 so you'd probably want a 2023.
The motor is all torque, will go forever and is dead easy to work on, plus no chain to worry about.
 
iamgigglz said:
Ah yeah the Super Four. It's a little drab - I'm hoping the 750 is a little more retro bling.


Fair enough

Yeah that seems odd and super vulnerable if the bike falls over.


Easily sorted with a tail-tidy.


Different beast - bit of a hooligan machine.


I wish there were more of these around.
There's the Yamaha XSR700 - great motor, but a bit more expensive and the dash will probably put you off.
Have a walk around a Triumph dealership - I'm pretty sure they have 47 different models based on their lazy 900cc Bonneville twin
Moto Guzzi V7 could be fun. No idea what they're like.

Too much money but I can personally vouch for a BMW R NineT. I have the original 2014 model. They gave it a big tech upgrade in 2024 so you'd probably want a 2023.
The motor is all torque, will go forever and is dead easy to work on, plus no chain to worry about.
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I still have a soft spot for the NineT. Hopefully that new model has pushed prices down a bit. And it's the one iteration of the boxer where I've actually seen and heard one - modded obviously - that sounded great.

It'd stand a chance of being bike 3... Need to get bike 2 first though!

A friend in NZ has the Guzzi. But I think he's left it outside a bit and it's one with chrome on so doesn't look too good at the moment.
 
Guzzis aren't first bike material, no matter what anyone tells you. They're shaft driven and the engines are mounted the wrong way around so you have absolutely zero gyroscopic assistance. At low speeds and crawls it's your legs doing all the work, not the spinny bits in the bike, and it gets tiresome very quickly.

As much as I love mine, the dealer support is also non-existent and parts availability is so bad that it's spawned its own cottage industry.
 
A few more thoughts from me, you're gonna want something that makes you smile every time you open the garage. Those times you pop in to the garage to find that bloody 10mm socket need to make you want to hop on and go for a spin.

It needs to be light and easy to manoeuvre. A heavy bike will be cumbersome and tiresome and will cost you that "I wanna go for a spin" moments.

Go for something light & nimble, something you can wring the neck off and enjoy without it getting lairy or trying to kill you.

@Worthy couldn't have done it better imo, that little KTM of his is an absolute blast to ride, he can ride the wheels off it and enjoy it to its fullest without it getting scary or illegal. It'll pop on and off its stand with the flick of a wrist, can be moved around with almost no effort whatsoever and probably costs £lol on insurance and fuel.

Ultimately bikes are very personal things, so go find a few dealers and have a play and a sit and see what you think.
 
Rilot said:
What about a Triumph Bonneville?

www.autotrader.co.uk

2023 Triumph Bonneville T100 for sale for £7,490 in BORDON, HAMPSHIRE

2023 Triumph Bonneville T100 for sale in BORDON, HAMPSHIRE from Haslemere Motorcycles - Find your perfect bike today with Autotrader
www.autotrader.co.uk www.autotrader.co.uk
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Have you ridden one?

I have, personally not so much of a fan.

Don't get me wrong, it looks cool, sounds cool, comfy to ride, proper cruiser.

But that bike is not for any type of spirited riding. All the weight is over the back wheel, so it feels really squirmy under any proper braking, if you want to ride around like a grandad, it's fine.

Also the one my brother has he's had quite a few problems with it, but..... Admittedly I'd say most of those are caused by him not using it much.
 
Diddums said:
@Worthy couldn't have done it better imo, that little KTM of his is an absolute blast to ride, he can ride the wheels off it and enjoy it to its fullest without it getting scary or illegal. It'll pop on and off its stand with the flick of a wrist, can be moved around with almost no effort whatsoever and probably costs £lol on insurance and fuel.
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Absolutely love it - out pretty much every day. Only thing is because you can’t see the dash without looking down at it it takes a bit to realise how fast you’re going. Had to grab the brake a few times :cry:

Insurance was a bit spicy at £700 but the petrol costs are basically nothing. 250 miles done just randomly riding around and going “I think I’ll turn left here and see where I end up”.

Planning to go for my first Sunday morning ride tomorrow which will be a beast. I do want the extra padded seat still.
 
BUDFORCE said:
Have you ridden one?

I have, personally not so much of a fan.

Don't get me wrong, it looks cool, sounds cool, comfy to ride, proper cruiser.

But that bike is not for any type of spirited riding. All the weight is over the back wheel, so it feels really squirmy under any proper braking, if you want to ride around like a grandad, it's fine.

Also the one my brother has he's had quite a few problems with it, but..... Admittedly I'd say most of those are caused by him not using it much.
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Yeah, I have and I agree that they are very rear biased. I figured that if he's looking at an Enfield then spirited riding isn't high on the agenda.
 
Hi all

Thanks for your responses. I rode a couple of bikes and have put a deposit on a 23 plate Interceptor 650.

When test riding I did a mixture of dual carriageway NSL, single NSL and a couple villages, so a good variety. I also spent some time in an empty business park doing manouvres.

I rode a Kawi Z650, Royal Enfield Bear 650 and and Interceptor 650. Not a huge range but a sportyish bike, an off-road style bike and a classic style bike.

Z650:

LED dash which was very simple and easy to read.

Best performance, it was the fastest across the rev range.

Most sporty riding position, as in most uncomfortable for me.

It looked too modern for me with too much plastic.

Bear:

Single LED dial with chrome surround. It was a joy to use and still looked good, as in there was not an iPad stuck to the bars.

Upright off-road style riding position which I found very comfortable. The standard seat fitted was too thin and became uncomfortable quite quickly.

Seat height was about an inch and a half too high for me. I'm 5 foot 10 with a 30 inch inside leg and at lights and junctions with one foot down I was on the ball of my foot when upright and to go flat on one foot would lean the bike a bit. It was manageable, but it was a bit big for me. Plus, the upgraded touring seat is an inch higher so seating height would be even higher.

Performance was perkier than expected, but obviously won't be breaking the TT record.

Not too much plastic but the crankcases and other parts were black aluminum so a but dull.

Interceptor 650

Very comfortable. This one has the upgraded touring seat and was lovely. Seat height was perfect.

Performance was the least sporty. You can't demand too much of it in the way of handling and acceleration, but the main thing for me is it keeps up with traffic no problem.

Manoeuvering was surprisingly easy. The double skinned twin exhausts must add a bit of weight and the big crankcase is a bit of a lump, but the centre of mavity feels low and it's very stable at slow speed.

I love the look of the bike. Not everyone's cup of tea, but the crankcases are polished aluminum and there is hardly any plastic. It's a cheap marque but the finish looks great with some nice touches.

The dials are the traditional with two circular clocks, speedo and and rev counter. With my ageing eyes the speedo numerals aren't obvious to me, but I got used to them when muscle memory knew exactly where to look.

So anyway the 23 plate I'm getting has a chrome tank and panniers and it's 5k. I can't find a single scratch or mark on it. It's done 1260 miles and the first 1k run in service has been done. They agreed to do a service (they are Enfield servicing dealers) and put it's first MOT on which is due in August as part of the deal.

The three year manufacturer warranty will expire in a couple of weeks, but I'm going to service it myself moving forward and apparently these engines are tough anyway.

Insurance is £230 and breakdown recovery is £50.

I've found a Polish firm that does bigger digit dial faces lol.

Anyway thanks for your input folks, I don't want anyone to think that I asked for suggestions with no intention of changing my choice because I did look at nearly all the bikes suggested, though admittedly did not test them all out.

Cheers
 
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Nice work! You'll definitely enjoy it. You say it's a "cheap marque" - I don't think it is. Instead of foregoing quality to keep the price down, they keep it simple. I don't think the quality is bad at all, and honestly, sometimes you just can't beat a proper old school mechanical machine without all the nannies and tech.

Congrats, post up some pics when you get it :)
 
Congrats!
Great that you got a chance to ride a variety before buying but yeah, I think it's the same with bikes as it is with computers: "Which xxx should I get? I've been eyeing this one." totally means "I'm about to buy this one, try to convince me otherwise".
Also, pics or it didn't happen :)
 
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