Going to two wheels...

Aquila · Post by **Aquila** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:41 am

My poor old Tomcat doesn't get the blasts it deserves and has permanently sooty plugs and a black exhaust. I am having to shell out about Â£20 a week in fuel to do 8 miles per day to and from work. The Tomcat also could do with some restoration, so I have decided to buy a bike for work and keep the Tomcat for weekends and track days.
I haven't ridden for 20 years (I did my 'part 1' and then had two bikes nicked within six months. I decided to give it up as a bad job).
A mate of mine is selling his Yamaha Dragstar 125 that I am going to buy to pass my test on - any suggestions as to a bigger bike after I have done so?

I like 'custom' (or, as we used to call them, 'LTD') bikes for the riding position and top speed is not an issue - I want reliable, unburstable, (reasonably) economical, but capable of the odd 'long run' when necessary...

Your thoughts please, ladies and gentlemen...

Bikernut · Post by **Bikernut** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:45 am

Good decision,but.....wrong time of year.!
Cant help much on cruiser recomendations,but i know you cant go far wrong with the yamaha Virago range.

Closest i came to owning a cruiser was a test ride on that hybrid Yamaha MT-01.
1700cc v twin cruiser engine in a road chassis.Now that was fun,but the power pulses at tick over made my eyes blur !!

Jim

shen · Post by **shen** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:46 pm

My suggestion would be don't.....I know it sounds soft but in this country bikes are just too dangerous..get a cheap run around car and restore the coupe to give a blast at weekends.

One good prang on a bike and you'll be spoon fed in a wheelchair....if you're lucky.

Ona nother note...you'll simply be warmer, more dry and comfortable as you go to and from the stress that is work.

paul888 · Post by **paul888** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:21 pm

Kawasaki VN 900 . I havent ridden one but looks good.

I got back into riding a while back, it is dangerous but somehow everytime i go out it seems worth the risk . But then im nuts anyway

Good luck

E_T_V · Post by **E_T_V** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:58 pm

Take it easy is my advice. This time of year isn't a great time to learn/relearn how to ride. Do you have to do your CBT? If so then that will be useful for familiarising yourself with the bike.

Also remember to get some good synthetic armoured jacket and trousers. Leather ones just aren't any good for everyday use.

Also bike theft is just as bad as ever (if not worse), so you'll have to spend 10-20% of the value of your bike on security typically.

victor3 · Post by **victor3** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:35 pm

Be a real man - get one of these!!

Post by **Punx0r** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:59 pm

That's PINK!

Cooeee!

victor3 · Post by **victor3** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:28 pm

Yeah, but me lycra tights are black, innay?

John W · Post by **John W** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:14 am

victor3 wrote:Be a real man - get one of these!!

Don't forget the accessory kit...

On a serious note, what about a Ducati Monster 600? Something makes the right noises but easy to ride?

Hyper · Post by **Hyper** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:51 pm

Yamaha Fazer might be worth looking at ?

Drew · Post by **Drew** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 6:05 pm

im a fan of yamaha's and ive always liked the moreclassic style of the xjr1300. do still want one or something like it, when i have the spare cash.

http://www.motorbikestoday.com/reviews/ ... jr1300.htm

Drew

Aquila · Post by **Aquila** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 11:10 pm

victor3 wrote:Be a real man - get one of these!!

I would if I was still fourteen, into pornographic Lycra and wearing sperm-shaped hats. Petrol is not involved and there appears to be no internal combustion engine...

Aquila · Post by **Aquila** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 11:20 pm

Aaah! that's more like it! Just bought one of these this morning...

Bikernut · Post by **Bikernut** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:29 am

Nice...but please tell me your not gonna let all that lovely chrome and alloy meet the shite British winter roads !

Dave_ZS · Post by **Dave_ZS** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 3:07 am

yamaha ty250

old skool trial bike, got a ty125(i think lol) at me mums house, great fun

bigboykarl · Post by **bigboykarl** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:27 pm

what about a v rod
http://www.diseno-art.com/images/V-Rod.jpg

Aquila · Post by **Aquila** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:07 am

Bikernut wrote:Nice...but please tell me your not gonna let all that lovely chrome and alloy meet the shite British winter roads !

Young's '303' oil diluted in absolute ethanol, a pump spray and a pressure washer - not a perfect solution (no pun intended), but very effective (plus a lot of elbow-grease in April!)

Aquila · Post by **Aquila** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:32 am

Dave_214_SEi wrote:yamaha ty250 old skool trial bike, got a ty125(i think lol) at me mums house, great fun

Yep, bin the trail-bike route - Kwacker KS125, KS175, KH250, Yamaha XS175 and XT250; big fun on a ploughed field but utter poo on tarmac.
Also gone the racer route - 1962 Royal Enfield 250 Continental in half-race trim with Gus Kuhn half-fairing, Marzocchi forks and Campagnolo clip-ons/rear-sets. Any ride more than thirty miles (at the age of 19) and you needed a broom handle shoved up your 'arris to make you stand upright.
At a half-century old, the semi-recumbant riding position of the XVS is just perfect and the heat from the vee-twin wafts up nicely to keep your nadgers pleasantly warm...

Aquila · Post by **Aquila** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:22 am

Got my baby last Friday and did CBT the day before - an absolute must for any returning biker. She's called 'Lil' after Lily Savage (another drag star!) and, as per my avatar, she is crimson and cream, but she has panniers, fork toolkit roll and queen-seat backrest. Her road-presence commands some respect and estimates of her engine-size range from 500 to 1200cc! She has low-pressure silencers that give that proper 'potato-potato' idle note, but she will rev to about 7000rpm, giving a top speed of around 75mph (something I have not yet tested!)
Suffice to say that I am enjoying returning to two wheels, especially at around 90mpg and parking wherever the Hell I like!

paul888 · Post by **paul888** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 2:00 pm

NIce one ! ride safe .

rover220 · Post by **rover220** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 2:20 pm

2 wheels win

Aquila · Post by **Aquila** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:29 am

paul888 wrote:NIce one ! ride safe .

That is my whole intention, mate! I'm loving every minute!

Peaceful New Year to you all and Shalom!

Kelvyn · Post by **Kelvyn** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 5:43 pm

nICE,
reminds me of the suzuki marauder etc, which also came in 125s

Aquila · Post by **Aquila** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:05 am

Kelvyn wrote:nICE,
reminds me of the suzuki marauder etc, which also came in 125s

Marauders are all single-cylinder whereas my DragStar is a proper 45-degree SOHC vee-twin like a Buell. The Chinese have copied Suzuki mercilessly, but have come nowhere near Yamaha, as in the Sinnis Vista... a two-wheeled ride-on lawnmower!