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a used sv650 or er6n imo

don't worry about age or mileage aslong as its in decent condition and it sounds ok,no rattles ect,full or partial service history is a bonus aswell as sub 20k miles but again depends on price ect

ohh and ill throw in the trusty zx6r,purely cos I love em and I know they last for ages,look at the g1 g2 models they can be had for £1500,and look at later models also bh and ch
 
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mileage is ok,upto you

looked at the er6n?

EDIT: youd need to hear it running/look it over
 
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I've sat on an SV650S and an ER6N and they both seemed nice to me.

I would certainly be happy with either.
 
Ideally, you want an older bike that has a good rep and can be had for cheap (to buy and insure).
That way, you get some decent use out of it and it will hold it's (meagre) value.
Plus, if you accidentally drop it (as many, but not all, new riders tend to at some point), it will be cheap to fix. If something worse happens, you won't lose too much on it either.

I'd suggest something like a Yamaha Diversion - 600 (chain) or 900 (shaft). Pretty solid, ticks all the boxes above, easy to ride, mileage is not a concern and while they can easily be found for under a grand, they sell for the same as well (or more, if you tart them up a bit)!
 
Congrats! I will be in a similar position (hopefully...) by the end of next week, assuming I pass my DAS, so will be watching this thread with interest.

Any tips for the DAS? I start with my CBT tomorrow :D
 
I saw a very nice Yamaha FZ6 today at a garage.

58 plate, Standard FZ6, 17K miles for £3K.

It was in excellent condition and felt great to sit on. Any thoughts as a first bike and the price for the age/mileage/condition?
 
Tbh ide get some thing older & cheaper, after all your only going to have it for potentialy 6 months, & you'll be selling up in winter so ide try & minimise your losses as much as possible i mean a quick scan of autotrader brings up lower mileage bikes that are older & cheaper, so thats where ide be looking if i was in your situation.

You did give yourself a £2500 budget after all, don't lose sight of when you'll be selling up. ;)
 
True!

There was a 1998 FZ6 at another garage for £1995 with 8.5K miles on it that is quite tempting. It sounded amazing when they started it up.

This also looks interesting within my budget:
2002 FZ6 with 26K miles.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201405094068153/

Any thoughts on age vs mileage at this price range? I have seen the first one with someone who knew about bikes and it was in excellent condition.
 
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go private youll save £500/£600

2k for a 98 bike is too much imo,fazer is a decent bike also

age/mileage wouldn't concern me,condition and how it sounded and any service history would be more important
 
The problem with private is there is no buyer protection like there is with a garage if I end up with a lemon.
 
There is a lot less to be checked on a bike so buying 2nd hand is quite easy, My bikes a 97 done 61500 Klms about 37k miles I s'pose, Passed it's test after me having it 11 months with No advisorys, MOT bloke said the bike is Perfect. I've done maybe 1500 Kms in the last few weeks, In the 14 months or so I've had it all I've had to do was Oil & Filter change.
Bike still shows 154 (maybe 145 for real ???) & handles & brakes as it should, Being a Sports Tourer it's also well suited for anything, Was voted best all rounder 10 years in a row.
You buy the right bike & it'll be the same for you.

Having said that with your admitted ignorance to mechanicals & spannering & if you have 3k you can put in a bike for 6 months then why not Buy from a shop & get a right low mileage pearler.
I would still go with a Sports Tourer though or Maybe summit like a BMW GS or a VErsys maybe ?
 
I was in the same position last year and I ended up getting a 2000 Yamaha Fazer (fzs600). I learnt on an er6n but I can honestly say the fazer far more fun. You can get decent examples for not much over £1k with tax and mot and the fairing will make it more bearable on the longer journeys. I'm not too far from Birmingham myself (lichfield) I'd be more than happy to give you a hand finding one/letting you know what to look for; as with anything there are always issues.

Let me know through email in trust
 
The fz6's are a nice bike, but for my first one I wanted something I could have a tinker with too. The FZS600 is carb'd and the FZ6 is injected.
 
I bought a 2008 Versys 650.
Awesome bike for little money with low miles.
It's fast enough to get you into trouble if you want it to and loves the twisties.
It's a great all-rounder and comfortable to ride.
I can plod around on this all day and then wind it up for some fun on the bends and it handles it all with ease.
Basically the bike is a lot more capable than I am.
 
You're not very specific there :p

It would be useful to know some finer details if you don't mind sharing as I had originally considered an adventure style bike.

e.g Cost, miles and dealer/private?
 
One thing to point out is that you're buying at the worst possible time of year - when the sun is out. If you do indeed intend to move to Switzerland at the start of the new year you will 'take a hit' as you'd be selling out of bike season. That said don't let it deter you, vehicles are never an investment. When you find the right bike you will know it when you see it, sounds cheesy but it has always been that way for me ;)
 
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