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Advice Request First Bike

My vote also SV650... nice lazy v twin with good torque on tap for punching out of turns and a nice top end that would surprise a lot of cars.

With a race can on they sound a lot bigger than they really are..

If your after smoothness of a jap inline 4 then I guess Fazer ok, but not that confidence inspiring.. maybe a 5yr old CBR600, but you'll have to be careful to begin with.

I'd forget a 'tourer', they maybe a little more comfy but don't play on the corners and won't leave you with a big grin after a ride.
 
The SV650s (the fully faired version) does play a lot more comfortably on the motorway. However the brakes aren't that brilliant and that would be the first upgrade I'd do. However at 70 or so bhp and with the torquey v twin (which sounds great with an aftermarket can) it's easy to use a commuter, easy to use as a chuckable country blaster, and relatively comfortable on long journeys. Though there are more comfortable bikes out there for longer distances.

It might be beyond your budget by maybe a VFR? CBR600F which is a bit softer and more comfortable? GSXF? Though the Fazer's a good all rounder too IMO.
 
The Hornet you listed is bargaintastic .. Go buy it now !!

Sv650 ...Nice bike ..lovely handling ..but it is slow ...and the finish is poor unless its been pampered .

Fz600 ..old one is as ugly as sin and new one uses the R6 engine so is really revy and not a lot of fun to ride unless yer wringing its neck .

Er6 .. looks funky but built down to a budget and the suspension is quite poor .

Buell ... No no no no ... and no ugly horrid thing with rubbish engine . Only good thing is they handle really well but avoid .

Bmw f800 lovely build quality and intersting choice ...bit slow but really individual ...pricey servicing and can you afford a second hand one ??

ZZr 600 old as the hills ...large heavy and not that fast anymore .

The hornet suits shortys . my wife is 5.4 and my mate is 5.5 and can both ride the hornet with no issue (unlike my k6 gsxr or tuono )
Good choice and active owners club . lots of custom parts . Naked with decent fly screen is fine on the motorway up to 80 .. Hard work after that .

Go have a look at whats available and sit and poke and test what you fancy and good luck with what ever you chose (did i say HORNET 600? )

Snaggle :p
 
Freefaller said:
The SV650s (the fully faired version) does play a lot more comfortably on the motorway. However the brakes aren't that brilliant and that would be the first upgrade I'd do. However at 70 or so bhp and with the torquey v twin (which sounds great with an aftermarket can) it's easy to use a commuter, easy to use as a chuckable country blaster, and relatively comfortable on long journeys. Though there are more comfortable bikes out there for longer distances.

It might be beyond your budget by maybe a VFR? CBR600F which is a bit softer and more comfortable? GSXF? Though the Fazer's a good all rounder too IMO.
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Agree with the lot of that. The brakes are terrible , this will be the first mod i will do. Put some brakes from a GSXR on mine :D
 
Wow thanks everyone for the good advice! I've got more than ever to think about hehe. Though I think it's going to be between the SV650 (partly because there's a beaut' of a yellow one on the PH) and the Hornet, though i've yet to see a Hornet with any fairing (though I have just got in and haven't actually looked, which may have something to do with it). I see the Hornet is 100bhp and the SV650 is but 72 accoring to zisordown. I was going to type "is it noticable?" but then I noticed a huge difference when I had a temporary remap of my octy from 180 to 205 ish, so I suppose it would be after a while! But then everything is slow after a while, hohum. I do like brakes though!

Ok i need to eat, and think some more.

Thanks again guys and possibly gals pretending to be guys, all much appreciated, and with any luck you'll be 'rewarded' with pictures of some lovely motorcycle in the not too distant future.
 
cb600fs.jpg


Thats what the faired one looks like .

Yes the extra 30hp does make a world of diference but at the end of the day buy what YOU like not what we tell you . At the end of the day you have to ride it .

Persil
 
Griffo said:
Wow thanks everyone for the good advice! I've got more than ever to think about hehe. Though I think it's going to be between the SV650 (partly because there's a beaut' of a yellow one on the PH) and the Hornet, though i've yet to see a Hornet with any fairing (though I have just got in and haven't actually looked, which may have something to do with it). I see the Hornet is 100bhp and the SV650 is but 72 accoring to zisordown. I was going to type "is it noticable?" but then I noticed a huge difference when I had a temporary remap of my octy from 180 to 205 ish, so I suppose it would be after a while! But then everything is slow after a while, hohum. I do like brakes though!

Ok i need to eat, and think some more.

Thanks again guys and possibly gals pretending to be guys, all much appreciated, and with any luck you'll be 'rewarded' with pictures of some lovely motorcycle in the not too distant future.

An SV650 is a more than capable first bike , it will do me until i build up the confidence and first years no claims to go for a GSXR 750

whats your budget? take into account a hornet will cost a fair few bob more than an SV650:D
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Understood. Do garages let you try bikes out after you've first passed and are wobbling around like a loon?

I just worked out the 'Firestorm' that sat alongside me on the M40 so I could examine his lovely machine is that VFR, nice! Except too expensive!

Amps: My budget is around 3k, the closer to that figure the better, or less obviously, though i'd like an 04 bike.

That hornet looks quite nice Persil, though i'll have to find some more images, front-end could ruin it all heheh

Anyway as I say, I need to try these machines I suppose, you know, after I get this DAS out of the way!

Do some bikes corrode more than others? I think I read the SV650 (possibly another, i've read lots lately) has soft steel or some such on the exhaust manifold/downpipe which can suffer if not looked after, and nuts and bolts and the like? Not that i'm averse to cleaning things with engines, but good to know which ones are worst.

On the DAS line, i've found a place near the parents, or rather 30 miles from parents, called "Bryans motorcycle school" or similar, that I have heard great things of, does anybody know any other gooduns? I'm in Ealing in London quite a bit too, so somewhere west is also good!

Sorry for so many questions, i'm googling like a mother but can't find many reviews of schools.
 
The Sv does have a bad rep for choclate fixings and fastenings . Mate has a 2000 which is used all year and it looks like it has 100k miles on it not 20k although on the same note there is lady with a 2004 and its looks factory mint but its only taken out on sunny days .

But as mentioned they Sv and IL4 bike have a completley different feel to the engine .

There s a detailed info page on Hornets below and also a owners club .http://www.hondahornet.co.uk/600spec.html

As for training schools the one i list below has a great rep and fantastic trainers ( i did my advanced lessons there and my son did his cbt ) but its not that close unless yer in north london

Absolute Rider Training Ltd
48a Kneesworth Street
Royston
Herts SG8 5AH
Tel: 01763 247363
Training at;
www.art-mc.co.uk
Bassingbourn Village College
South End
Bassingbourn
SG8 9DW


Persil
 
Ah yeah a little far I think, but thanks :)

I won't be using it for the commute, just summer dry weather (hopefully) riding :)
 
Do it now! I wish to see all these lovely machines and then as with cars, find out there are even better ones I can't afford!

Buh, I think getting a week off for the DAS might prove more tricky than i'd hoped :/ We'll see!

P.S From binterweb I prefer the look of the SV650S to the CB600S, also cheaper of course. Hm, i'll have to go to some shops.
 
My first 600 was a 2003 Fazer 600. It was a fantastic bike to ride, very comfortable, lots of low down power and a great all rounder bike. I have also owned the 2006 FZ6 and currently ride a CBR 600F5. The only bikes i can recommend is the 2003 Fazer or the CBR 600. I wouldn't recommend the FZ6, was too uncomfortable, the brakes were crap, and the engine was way to high revving and the power delivery was too severe.

After getting rid of the FZ6 if there was another 2003 Fazer there i would have picked that before the CBR!

It was a fantastic bike, i only wish i still had it.
 
Griffo said:
Do it now! I wish to see all these lovely machines and then as with cars, find out there are even better ones I can't afford!
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I thought that until I realised a brand new Hayabusa is £8k + £350 insurance. There is no better bike, regardless of price :D
 
Cyanide said:
I thought that until I realised a brand new Hayabusa is £8k + £350 insurance. There is no better bike, regardless of price :D
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...though even the new one is abit 'lardy' and has been beaten to death with ugly stick. Cracking motor though and no other bike commands the respect it forces you to use on the throttle. Love it :)
 
Flukester said:
...though even the new one is abit 'lardy' and has been beaten to death with ugly stick. Cracking motor though and no other bike commands the respect it forces you to use on the throttle. Love it :)
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It's not about it's beauty, though I do find it a damned sexual bike. Something that powerful is allowed to be ugly as sin :p
 
Im tempted by the B-King atm but just cant get over the ugly rear end . Maybe i should go test one see if that temps me ;)

Persil
 
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