Second bike musings

[Tricky]

I'm with Potter & Skub on this one- if it's just to have something to use over the winter months that you don't care about getting covered in shite and salt etc, just find something cheap and local that takes your fancy.

But if something road-legal for track days is also a significant part of it, you could have something like my ZX6 for about a third of your budget- she's an oldie (2003) and got a few miles up, but still dead fit and presentable.
Also has some nice quality add-ons (Ohlins shock, Akra full system, Power Commander , crash protection etc), and now sporting the road plastics and lights etc so fully road legal again, or at least it will be after I run it down for an MOT

[mboy]

I went down the auld shitter route when i needed a second bike for the instructor gig. At the time it was a 20 year old, no current MOT 24000 mile FZ600 Fazer for £800.

Turned out to be a bargain i have kept for the past 3 years, ridden all year round teaching and commuting and now on 47000 miles. It will be used again this winter as a hack

I always liked the look of those Fazer's,it's a pity they don't do a modern version.

But they do...

It's called the Tracer...

[Bustaspoke]

Maybe if you want a 700 twin or 900 triple,not ideal if you want a middleweight IL4

[mboy]

From plenty of experience, I can't stress how much nicer an "Adventure" (crap marketing term I know) type of bike is to ride through winter than a traditional 17" wheeled sports/sports touring/naked bike is... It's not just the extra wind protection (many sports tourers actually have more than your typical GS/V-Strom/Multistrada etc.), it's more about the slightly softer/longer travel suspension giving a bit more feel and forgiveness on the roads combined with narrower and more suitable tyres cutting through the gravel/water/shit on the road to find traction that bit easier... Also the engines are almost always tuned for more low down and midrange grunt at the expense of some top end performance, which makes them more friendly for winter use.

Was out on my 1290 Super Adventure again this last weekend, got nicer in the afternoon but in the morning conditions were wet, greasy and the roads covered in grit and grime... I was in heaven! Having lost a bit of love for the bike over the summer, realising though it is highly competent that you can't really push it as hard as you can a sports bike when conditions are good, getting back out on it in the poor conditions was a revelation. I had all of the grip from my 90/10 type Metzeler Tourance Next 2's that people on sports or sports touring rubber weren't getting on the shitty back roads, I could use the lazy torque of the engine to make good progress, I could rely more on engine braking as I wasn't coming into corners at the same speed I would in the summer... What a great ride!



I'm certainly not saying you need a 1290SA by the way... I love mine, but it's a whole lot of bike and a substantial investment too... The same is true for pretty much any "Adventure" type bike come the shittier weather... A V-Strom or an old GS or even something like a 990/1090 KTM Adventure would be fantastic... V-Stroms probably give you the best bang for the buck though and have no real pretence of off road capability which it sounds like you don't want/need anyway.

Combine with heated grips, hand guards, heated vest and a heated seat for the ultimate winter riding experience.

[mboy]

Maybe if you want a 700 twin or 900 triple,not ideal if you want a middleweight IL4

Middleweight IL4's went out of fashion a long time ago though... Only really seems to be Honda that have persisted at all, and how much longer for...? Like it or not, twins in particular suit the kind of road riding that most people do on smaller capacity bikes these days. Triples are a good compromise too. IL4's at 600cc capacity or thereabouts was always just a convenience/hangup from the 600cc supersport class' importance for selling bikes. Make a race rep 600cc, and use a detuned version of that motor (or the motor out of the bike it has just superseded) in a road biased middleweight...

As soon as the 600cc supersport class basically lost all relevance on the track, so to it lost it on the road as the manufacturers were freed from traditional design constraints, and hence we now see a lot more twins (especially parallel twins with 270deg cranks) and triples on the road these days.

[Bustaspoke]

Maybe if you want a 700 twin or 900 triple,not ideal if you want a middleweight IL4

Middleweight IL4's went out of fashion a long time ago though... Only really seems to be Honda that have persisted at all, and how much longer for...?

I know but I fancy running one again, I've no interest in a middleweight PT & I've got a 675 middleweight triple so I'll end up getting either a IL4 650 Honda or a FZ 8 Fazer 800 Yamaha.

[tricol]

Well I keep musing over this, more so in recent weeks. I've started looking at the Tiger Sport 660. You could pick a decent one up for £7k. I know the base bike well having owned the Trident. I sat on one last week and like the taller seat and all the extra protection. Might take one for a test ride even though I know it will feel similar to the Trident. I do like Triumphs I must admit and I keep finding myself looking at them.

I've kinda scrapped the trackbike idea, I'm nowhere near good enough to get the most out of one.

[Supermofo]

the manufacturers were freed from traditional design constraints, and hence we now see a lot more twins (especially parallel twins with 270deg cranks) and triples on the road these days.

I've heard it mentioned that it's conveniently a lot cheaper to make a PT too. I'd say that has as much to do with it as well.

[mboy]

the manufacturers were freed from traditional design constraints, and hence we now see a lot more twins (especially parallel twins with 270deg cranks) and triples on the road these days.

I've heard it mentioned that it's conveniently a lot cheaper to make a PT too. I'd say that has as much to do with it as well.

When compared with a V-Twin, absolutely...

Only marginally cheaper than a 3 or 4 cyl inline though... It's the number of cylinder heads and cams that adds the complication and cost, more so than the number of cylinders when it comes to engine manufacture.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Manufacturers bloody love a special blingy edition. Always have. They're a good way to sell a few units at high margins and get a quick cash injection.

The kind of people who buy a 36k bike don't really care that 36k is alot for a bike, IYSWIM.

[A_morti]

£7k on a winter bike?

Get a used cbf500 for a couple grand, and spend the rest on coke and hookers.

[KungFooBob]

I keep looking at GPZ500's on FB Marketplace. They're cheap as chips. I don't have room for one and I'd never ride it, but I kind of like them.

[tricol]

£7k on a winter bike?

Get a used cbf500 for a couple grand, and spend the rest on coke and hookers.

No, not a winter bike. Something to ride when the weather isn't perfect and for doing some different riding.

[Dickyboy]

I've been eyeing up F900XR or F800GT for the fairing & heated grips - the Morini is great for blatting about, but didn't get far on Sunday before the fingers got frozen, once you've had such creature comforts it's hard to live without them.

[weeksy]

Immaculate zx6?

[Supermofo]

I keep looking at GPZ500's on FB Marketplace. They're cheap as chips. I don't have room for one and I'd never ride it, but I kind of like them.

I keep looking at cheap SV's but most aren't ULEZ so no good if I want to use it for work

[Bustaspoke]

I keep looking at GPZ500's on FB Marketplace. They're cheap as chips. I don't have room for one and I'd never ride it, but I kind of like them.

I keep looking at cheap SV's but most aren't ULEZ so no good if I want to use it for work

Being nowhere near London I'm not sure what qualifies as ULEZ friendly but out of curiosity I've just entered the details of my 2008 Gen 2 SV650 into a ULEZ checking site & it's compliant.

[Supermofo]

I keep looking at GPZ500's on FB Marketplace. They're cheap as chips. I don't have room for one and I'd never ride it, but I kind of like them.

I keep looking at cheap SV's but most aren't ULEZ so no good if I want to use it for work

Being nowhere near London I'm not sure what qualifies as ULEZ friendly but out of curiosity I've just entered the details of my 2008 Gen 2 SV650 into a ULEZ checking site & it's compliant.

That's interesting, I'm not 100% sure on criteria either. Some list dates, others are ULEZ despite being older, some can be tested, some you can get conformity certificates. I've not looked properly but maybe I should.

[Bigjawa]

Combine with heated grips, hand guards, heated vest and a heated seat for the ultimate winter riding experience.

I’ve never understood all that, when it’s that bad I just use a car.

Pug 106, buttons to run, nobody wants to nick them and the heater would give Satan heatstroke.

Fuck that winter riding shit, been there, done that.

[Bustaspoke]

That's interesting, I'm not 100% sure on criteria either. Some list dates, others are ULEZ despite being older, some can be tested, some you can get conformity certificates. I've not looked properly but maybe I should.

If I was looking for a ULEZ compliant bike I'd be having a look on line at similar age versions & putting the registration into a ULEZ checking site to see if it passes.Luckily it's not a issue around here but the border with Greater Manchester is about 10 miles away & they were planning on doing something similar