Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Skub »

A decent little bike for a lazy,cheap-ish restoration. A 500 quid head start too.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-AS3-1 ... SwDCpesGXH
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by moth »

Skub wrote: Wed May 06, 2020 3:25 pm A decent little bike for a lazy,cheap-ish restoration. A 500 quid head start too.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-AS3-1 ... SwDCpesGXH
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Skub »

moth wrote: Wed May 06, 2020 7:12 pm
Skub wrote: Wed May 06, 2020 3:25 pm A decent little bike for a lazy,cheap-ish restoration. A 500 quid head start too.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-AS3-1 ... SwDCpesGXH
Early 70s Yams had paint jobs that were really wacky. Remember the pink 200s? :)
I thought it was just my 'rose tints'. :lol:
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by hilldweller »

Tomcat wrote: Fri May 01, 2020 5:21 pm Plenty of Groms around for that sort of money,
Loads of go-faster bits around too ;)
Funny you should say that. I called in to Oulton right before the lock down, bike track day and loads of serious race bike being tested. No-one bothering about distancing. It looked just normal.

But in amongst all the big bikes was a Grom, with a couple of the racers, they had the biggest grins in the paddock, as did I, that is The Grom Effect.

Two days later all MSV track closed.

But Oulton is showing a track day next Tue. 19th. Weather is look good too.
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by KungFooBob »

Honda Firestorms are dirt cheap.

semi-sporty, nice user friendly 100bhp v-twin, Honda build quality.

There's a few listed on t'bay at the moment under £1500, however if you look at the sold/completed listings the private ones often go for well under a grand.
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by weeksy »

KungFooBob wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 1:18 pm Honda Firestorms are dirt cheap.

semi-sporty, nice user friendly 100bhp v-twin, Honda build quality.

There's a few listed on t'bay at the moment under £1500, however if you look at the sold/completed listings the private ones often go for well under a grand.
Unless I've got very very rose tinted glasses, then these have to be the best value used bike surely? Big meaty stomping twin, grunty power and honda build quality. Awesome
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by KungFooBob »

weeksy wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 1:29 pm
Unless I've got very very rose tinted glasses, then these have to be the best value used bike surely? Big meaty stomping twin, grunty power and honda build quality. Awesome
They're not without faults, water pump seals can weep and the tinternet is full of people worrying about camchains.

One of the big criticisms when they were new was that they didn't handle as well as a fireblade, but as a big lazy 'semi' sporting bike I doubt you could get much better.
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Skub »

KungFooBob wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 1:33 pm
weeksy wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 1:29 pm
Unless I've got very very rose tinted glasses, then these have to be the best value used bike surely? Big meaty stomping twin, grunty power and honda build quality. Awesome
They're not without faults, water pump seals can weep and the tinternet is full of people worrying about camchains.

One of the big criticisms when they were new was that they didn't handle as well as a fireblade, but as a big lazy 'semi' sporting bike I doubt you could get much better.
A small tank and a taste for fuel consumption gives them a poor range too.

A mate of mine bought one a couple of years ago,in great order and low miles for 600 quid. Bargain all day long.
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by KungFooBob »

The post 2002 ones got bigger tanks, HISS and slightly improved mpg, but they're nowhere near as cheap as the 98/99's.
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Nidge »

I(f you promise not to tell anyone, I've always had a bit of a hankering for a CBX..... the 750.....
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Skub »

Nidge wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 5:15 pm I(f you promise not to tell anyone, I've always had a bit of a hankering for a CBX..... the 750.....
Plonk. :x
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Supermofo »

Never really gelled with my Firestorm despite it being the longest I've ever owned a bike. Good bike it just didn't do it for me. It was comfy enough and quick enough, long and slowish steering, not great brakes. Mine was a 53 reg so bigger tank and range was ok about 120 miles normally, sometimes 135-140 in pottle mode. I worried about the cam chains but in the 6 years I owned it the only issue I had was a split fuel tap diaphragm. I found it a pig in slow moving traffic, below 40mph it weren't happy at all.
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Druid »

Supermofo wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 7:02 pm Never really gelled with my Firestorm despite it being the longest I've ever owned a bike. Good bike it just didn't do it for me. It was comfy enough and quick enough, long and slowish steering, not great brakes. Mine was a 53 reg so bigger tank and range was ok about 120 miles normally, sometimes 135-140 in pottle mode. I worried about the cam chains but in the 6 years I owned it the only issue I had was a split fuel tap diaphragm. I found it a pig in slow moving traffic, below 40mph it weren't happy at all.
I didn't get on with mine either. I thought the seat was too hard, so I fitted a Corbin seat which improved things. Suspension was budget, so I fitted a WP rear shock and new front springs. Mine was an 2002 model, registered in 04 so I had the bigger tank but still struggled to get 120 miles to a tank. It's the only new bike I've ever bought, I kept it 18 months, did 10500 miles on it and lost £2500 when I traded it in against a 955i Speed Triple, which is what I should have bought in the first place
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Druid »

Nidge wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 5:15 pm I(f you promise not to tell anyone, I've always had a bit of a hankering for a CBX..... the 750.....
Take no notice of skub, the CBX750 is much under rated. Didn't help that it had to compete with Honda's own VFR, but it was quick, handled well and was reliable - no valve train issues with this 80's Honda
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by cheb »

It appears mine was a 2005 XL125R for £1,200. It's paid for, I just need to work out how to collect it. I need a good cover story for breaking lockdown and heading up to the next island.
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Skub »

cheb wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 8:08 pm It appears mine was a 2005 XL125R for £1,200. It's paid for, I just need to work out how to collect it. I need a good cover story for breaking lockdown and heading up to the next island.
Ha! Actions speak louder than words! Enjoy the new bike.

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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Supermofo »

Ok it's not £1500 quid, but I really want this for nostalgia reasons. Same colour I had. If I knew the Mrs had a job after Oct I might well have bought it already. Only 1 other in this colour I can see for sale at the min and that's up for £5800 :hmmm:

https://www.khmotorcycles.co.uk/used-bi ... /56326.htm

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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Druid wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 8:01 pm
Nidge wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 5:15 pm I(f you promise not to tell anyone, I've always had a bit of a hankering for a CBX..... the 750.....
Take no notice of skub, the CBX750 is much under rated. Didn't help that it had to compete with Honda's own VFR, but it was quick, handled well and was reliable - no valve train issues with this 80's Honda
There a nice bike, bit bland compared with the GPZ and GSX of the same age, the engine goes on forever so long as you don't mind the alternator drive chain rattling - it rattles but never breaks. Probably the best bike Honda made before 1986.
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Bigjawa »

Rockburner wrote: Wed May 06, 2020 10:25 am
crust wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 9:56 pm
Harry wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 6:32 am
Do you reckon they're any good to ride though?
That one and the Goldwing custom above look nice and would probably look great in a bikers cafe on display, but I always look at them and wonder if they're any good to ride - they don't look like they are.
One of the guys at a courier company I worked for had one as a spare bike, I borrowed it a few times, they're a big, slow handling thing that's one of those bikes that's really satisfying to hustle because you've got to be smooth but firm with it. Can go surprisingly quick whilst sat upright with the radio on, a lot quicker than you'd think possible.

A certain Italian bloke with a penchant for yellow 46 stickers had one when he lived in Mayfair, surprised more than a few hardened couriers with his ability to hustle it through traffic.

The Pan is supposed to be a good handling bike - obviously it's not a sports bike designed for the track, but a road bike designed for doing huge mileages in comfort, but that doesn't mean it has to be wallowy and ponderous. You don't get to do high mileages travelling slowly. It just won't be razor sharp and setup for smooth surfaces. It'll be set up for pliant suspension and low-end torque to pull you through corners and waft you gently (if rapidly) down straights.

I'd imagine that without all the bodywork the performance would only improve!
The Pan is a great handling bike once you get above about 4mph, it never fails to amaze me how Honda got a 700lb bike to steer so easily. There's a bend on the M2 on the way out of Belfast that leads into a steep climb, it's not smooth and can tie a bike in knots. My Pan will go round it at 90 like it's on rails. You can't help but love the engine too, it's just so creamy.

Back to the original topic, for £1500, it'll be a Firestorm all day long, getting rare but not making silly money like the TL is and a very very good road bike.
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Re: Your inappropriate £1500 secret crush.. what is it ?

Post by Yorick »

Julian_Boolean wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 1:25 pm
Druid wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 8:01 pm
Nidge wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 5:15 pm I(f you promise not to tell anyone, I've always had a bit of a hankering for a CBX..... the 750.....
Take no notice of skub, the CBX750 is much under rated. Didn't help that it had to compete with Honda's own VFR, but it was quick, handled well and was reliable - no valve train issues with this 80's Honda
There a nice bike, bit bland compared with the GPZ and GSX of the same age, the engine goes on forever so long as you don't mind the alternator drive chain rattling - it rattles but never breaks. Probably the best bike Honda made before 1986.
Honda made some fine bikes before this...

CD175.
CJ250T




Sorry, my brain exploded ;).