Bike ideas

[Miztaziggy]

So after the agony that was a bad back on a GSXR for 150 miles on Sunday, I have decided to get a second bike for comfort / touring / Op Storm trips.

Criteria:

- Has to be relatively quick, at least enough to keep up with Alistair on the Storm runs (and that takes some doing on the GSXR1000 believe me).
- Would quite like a twin just for the comfort of the torque / lack of gear changing, but a triple or 4 cylinder would be OK with enough power.
- Has to be comfortable, maybe even upright if possible. Something like a BMW 1200 GS or Ady's 800, however it can't be a BMW, I don't want to join the Panzer brigade just yet
- Budget of £3000 would be OK, up to £5k at a push but would have to be pretty special.


Ideas so far:
- I have looked at a Yamaha FZ6 (the totally unfaired sort) and quite like the look. Not sure they're going to be powerful enough.
- ZX12R will be fast enough but not sure it'll be that much more comfortable than the GSXR
- VFR same as above on the comfort
- Firestorm with flat bars - ideal but there don't seem to be many about and I just can't be bothered to do the mod myself
- Honda CBF 1000 seems pretty good, not sure on the comfort

[Virt]

Aprilia Futura's are supposed to be pretty good??

[AMCQ46]

there should be a good list of options without having to do BMW or CBF

Z1000sx or whatever the one with the fairing is called
KTM 990SMT
Ape Tuno
Triumph tiger [the newer one with 1090 engine]
Ducati Multistrade [mk1 if you cant afford the mk2]
Suzuki Vstrom
varedero
Get MacV2 to put flat bars on one of his then sell it
Jamie, did you do the conversion then go back to clip-ons? sell Chris your bits including the cut faring.. job done

[grumpyfrog]

buy virts storm, fit flat bars and/or give to ady/lloyd/al to fettle with over the winter. sorted!

[Virt]

buy virts storm, fit flat bars and/or give to ady/lloyd/al to fettle with over the winter. sorted!

I think Lloyd has seen enough of my bike over the past 10 months

You'll have a decent amount of your budget left for the flat-bars though

[lloydie]

Yep buy virts and fit a top yoke kit simples an afternoon works and you'll have a good looked after bike

[Ckennedy]

Or a tuono, does everything you want it to, well I havnt tried keeping up with Al but I don't think I'll be doing that any time soon on any bike

[lloydie]

I keep up with al just fine on the storm (unless it's wet)

[agentpineapple]

i'd also go down the storm route, high bars, get a comfy seat and and some luggage for well under 3k, even better if you can wait another month or so, prices being seasonal.
late model storms go for between 1750 to 2500, play your cards right and you could be left with a grand to spend on making it a bit special....

[popkat]

Yamaha FZ1 fazer. £4000 should get you a nice one, there's plenty out there so don't go for a wintered bike, you don't need to. early ones from 06 had a bit of jerky fueling but this is easily fixed for a couple of hundred quid with an Ivans FCE, 08 on were sorted, 2010 on fuelled even better. they're really good bikes, 140bhp upright riding position, useful half fairing, you can ride them proper fast or cruise along, they do it all well, an end can works well with no other mods, power commander makes them even better. possibly the best road bike I've owned.


Or alternatively as said above a storm with the bar conversion already done, I'm sure I saw one on ebay like that last week ?.

[budd]

Tuono or a Super Duke would be my choice, I think I'll be changing the Storm for next year, I'd love a RC8 but probably can't afford one so it may have to be a RSV, I quite like this one I've found on flaebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aprilia-RSV-M ... 1e8fb3f1dd
, lots of carbon, Ohlins (forks, shock, S/damper etc) fancy mag wheels, chipped, TN can etc etc, it was even on Supercorsas price ?? offers around £2.350 a lot of bike for the money unfortunately the missus put the brakes on any potential purchase apparently I must sell the Storm first

[bigtwinthing]

Aprilia Futura's are supposed to be pretty good??

yep they are a but a bugger to get some bits!!!

[bigtwinthing]

Aprilia Futura's are supposed to be pretty good??

yep they are a but a bugger to get some bits!!!

06 Fz1,s are going for 3k get a power commander on it for the fuelling. They certainly shift, and are really comfy.

[dkt1376]

zx12r is a awsome sub 3k bike, had one got points and sold it
would have another one.

[StormingHonda]

Personally I would get your list sorted out, then try and sit on those bikes, the problem is a lot of these bikes now try to be naked sports bikes and the sitting position is sporty rather than upright, Hornets are pretty good for upright position, where as my X 11 handlebars are more sporty, same as the BMW R1100S I have its more forward than upright.

Personally thinking about it, for the money I would go for a 600 or 900 Hornet, Bandit 650 or 1250 or even a Z 1000, after years of bad experience with Yamaha's I wouldn't buy one, but that's me.