Wot am best motorbike (for my specific requirements)

[amateurstuntman]

I'm moving house.

 

I currently walk into work as it's only 5.5 miles but the house I have put a bid in for is over 10 miles and while I could walk it, it would take a couple of hours and I've got better things to do.

 

If we get this one there will be a sniff over three grand left after the exchange.

 

I was thinking about doing a course and getting a bike license and a bike.

 

I have ridden bikes before but only on a Cook islands license and never my own bike.

 

 

1.) I would like people's thoughts on the direct access test.

 

2.) What are the tax and insurance going to be like for a 32 year old novice?

 

3.) Clothing/equipment. Is second hand OK?, is there a power ranger suit I can wear over clothes that'll stop my bones from being powdered and keep me relatively clean and dry?

 

4.) What bikes should I have a look at that meet the following requirements:

 

No computers (or minimum computers).

Parts readily available.

User serviceable

Inexpensive (no more than £1200).

Must be able to go over a curb or through a pot hole without bending.

Must be able to commute all year without oxidising.

Comfy for a 6'2" fat bloke who is used to mountain bikes.

Reasonable poke (fat bloke weighs 18st and remembers a hire scooter once being unable to get him up an incline).

Light enough for me to bench press off myself when I crash (father-in-law's Goldwing is no good for this).

No 2-stroke please.

 

I would also put "must sound good and be fun to ride" but as I believe that is the reason that motorbikes exist I hope no one would be able to think of one that isn't...

 

 

So, pictures, links to reviews, the benefit of your experience.

I'd love all of these.

 

Cheers.

 

*edit* put a capital letter on Goldwing

[shmook]

3.) Clothing/equipment. Is second hand OK?, is there a power ranger suit I can wear over clothes that'll stop my bones from being powdered and keep me relatively clean and dry?

 

 

my only input here is never buy a second-hand helmet. you never know how its been treated

 

thats all i can offer though, as i was a trials rider, never had road bikes (apart from an MT5 when i was 16 )

[amateurstuntman]

Yeah.

 

No second hand helmets, it might have been dropped and (worse) it might have some dude's bogeys on the inside...

 

 

Odd, I am the kind of guy everyone expects to have a bike and a lot of my friends have bikes but I never did.

I suppose I knew when I was younger that me, with youthful testosterone, riding a bike would end up with some guy getting my corneas.

[ED-SKaR]

Whell then, this is interesting. Just as i am getting my provie licence so i can learn to ride a motorbike, two or three threds pop up on the subject of the two wheeled transport. Muchly interesting.

 

[shmook]

yep, thats why i never had a road bike too.

 

'organ donor machines'...

 

although, now im a bit older, it may be an option, as i have a short commute to work too.

 

i shall watch this thread with interest!

 

 

mmm, other peoples' bogeys...

[ListerOfSmeg]

Personally I'd recommend either a Yamaha (was my personal choice) or a Honda for sheer reliability. Other than that, I'd have to say get down to a dealer and have a look at what kind of bike suits/interests you, such as a sports bike such as a Haybusa or Blackbird, a cruiser like the Dragstar, a twist & go, "street fighter" such as the Bandit, lists go on. Like I say best thing to do is go have a look

 

On the subject of tax, my Yam' Dragstar 125 was only £15 p/year and got 70ish to the gallon (wish the ****** car got that much )

 

Edit: As others have said, never, EVER buy a second hand helmet unless you're giving a lift to someone you don't like

[ListerOfSmeg]

Edit: Double post, sorry

[Stealthbomber]

1.) I would like people's thoughts on the direct access test.

DA is great as long as you remember the throttle works both ways.

DA is designed to get you through the test. It does NOT teach you how to ride.

 

Don't bother reading stuff or watching videos or anything else. It'll only confuse you. Sign up for the DA course and then, once you've got your test (and ONLY after you've got your test) try and remember that you're still green as a sprout and you need to take it easy.

If you've been driving cars for 20 years you can't expect to gain the same level of skill on a bike in six months.

 

2.) What are the tax and insurance going to be like for a 32 year old novice?

Tax is, IIRC, about £60 a year and insurance for a sporty commuter bike can probably be had for a couple of hundred quid a year.

 

3.) Clothing/equipment. Is second hand OK?, is there a power ranger suit I can wear over clothes that'll stop my bones from being powdered and keep me relatively clean and dry?

Personally, I wouldn't go with used stuff.

I just don't like the idea of wearing summat that another person has sweated into.

 

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, mind you. I just flogged Shriven an unused 2nd-hand lid for less than half it's value.

Genuine bargains can be had but you need to trust the seller.

 

Forget 90% of the stuff you will see on ebay. It's rubbish.

Get yourself to a dealer and try on a variety of kit then go home and order what you want off the internet for half the price.

Do not buy ANYTHING that you haven't tried on in a showroom.

Don't buy anything with a brand name you haven't heard of first. WebBikeWorld is a pretty good site for reviews of kit and lids.

Buy kit a size bigger than what fits you if you want to wear street clothes under it.

 

Personally, I'd suggest you ditch the idea and get yourself a rucksack and bung your work clothes in that rather than wearing them.

You WILL get wet in the rain and it's nice to have dry clothes to change into rather than just putting up with being wet.

 

My most recent purchase was a set of Akito textile pants and jacket (off eBay) for about £60 each and they're decent enough.

Jacket and pants are armoured. Pants zip to jacket and include thermal liners.

 

There is a reason why expensive helmets are expensive.

The reasons are not always apparent but they DO exist.

You can buy a lid for £70 that will protect your head well enough but if you decide to spend double that (or more) you WILL benefit from it.

Course, OTOH, there are some companies who sell overpriced rubbish.

Manufacturers such as Nitro and HJC produce decent cheapish lids but you should aspire to buying an Shoei, AGV or Arai lid.

 

4.) What bikes should I have a look at that meet the following requirements:

 

No computers (or minimum computers).

Parts readily available.

User serviceable

Inexpensive (no more than £1200).

Must be able to go over a curb or through a pot hole without bending.

Must be able to commute all year without oxidising.

Comfy for a 6'2" fat bloke who is used to mountain bikes.

Reasonable poke (fat bloke weighs 18st and remembers a hire scooter once being unable to get him up an incline).

Light enough for me to bench press off myself when I crash (father-in-law's Goldwing is no good for this).

No 2-stroke please.

 

The first bike that leaps to mind is the Suzuki GSF 600 "bandit".

It's the classic fun-commuter bike.

600cc should give you about 85bhp which is plenty to propel 18st down the road.

Only thing is, the 600 bandit might be a bit small for you. There's a 1200 bandit as well but it's a bit of a monster.

 

Yamaha make an XJ 600 Diversion which is a classic newb's bike.

 

Honda do a CB600 Hornet. Same sort of thing.

 

I'd like to recommend a Ducati 600 Monster but, erm, it's italian and has italian electrics.

 

As a rule 600cc commuter bikes are bigger than sportsbikes so they might be big enough for you.

 

Forget any ideas about buying a 1980's or 1990s bike cos it'll be "simpler".

Buy the most modern bike you can afford.

ALL commuter/naked bikes are idiot proof to work on and modern ones are reliable as an anvil.

 

Feel free to mock anybody who suggests you buy something "interesting" such as a Harley or Guzzi or Dnepr or, erm, Ducati.

If you want reliable and trouble-free you won't get it with anything "interesting".

 

Used bikes are dirt cheap these days. Might actually be worth buying one ASAP if you're determined to get one because prices always frop by about £500 in winter.

Soon as it gets sunny again prices will go up.

 

Avoid anything by Kawasaki. They're about the worst of the "big 4".

 

Browse the autotrader website.

 

*EDIT*

Here's a gratuitous picture of exactly the sort of bike you don't want:-

[snowman]

One thing to be aware of is that, a year or two ago, much was made of the 'born again' biker's fatality rate.

 

Lots of older 'new bikers' (or returning bikers) buy fairly powerful machines and the death rate was alarming, mostly because they have the inevitable accidents that youngsters do, but not on 50 or 125CC bikes, but on 600s and more which are capable of high speeds that the little bikes aren't (you might also argue youngsters are more impetuous, but they have faster reflexes so maybe catch the accident that the faster, older biker doesn't...).

 

There's no reason to buy a second hand helmet, approved ones are dirt cheap (I bought one for £30 - although it was a deal when my daughter bought a moped - you can get them cheap on eBay, but I might be cautious about that - labels can faked...).

 

I don't ride a motorbike, either - Lots of people have told me I should and now and then I think about it, but frankly I don't like being cold and wet and I don't fancy being a learner again or paying loads for insurance, so I can't see it happening.

 

A couple of mates had Ducatis a few years back and loved them, but they did seem to spend more time in the dealer being fixed than ridden...

 

Cheers.

[Stealthbomber]

One thing to be aware of is that, a year or two ago, much was made of the 'born again' biker's fatality rate.

 

Lots of older 'new bikers' (or returning bikers) buy fairly powerful machines and the death rate was alarming, mostly because they have the inevitable accidents that youngsters do, but not on 50 or 125CC bikes, but on 600s and more which are capable of high speeds that the little bikes aren't (you might also argue youngsters are more impetuous, but they have faster reflexes so maybe catch the accident that the faster, older biker doesn't...).

To be fair, there's an element of "swings and roundabouts" with born-again bikers.

 

Most of em last rode a Triumph Bonneville (or whatever) and when they climb onto a modern Honda they'll be equally amazed by how fast it is AND how well it handles and stops.

 

Unfortunately, a lot of people fail to grasp that modern bikes are operating at a much higher level than the ones they used to ride.

it's kinda like driving a Ford Cortina and then, after 20 years away, driving around in a Bugatti Veyron.

 

Fortunately, that'll actually be easier for a new biker to get to grips with because they won't have all the old prejudices.

 

A couple of mates had Ducatis a few years back and loved them, but they did seem to spend more time in the dealer being fixed than ridden...

 

Heh,

 

There are a lot of stereotypes about Ducati's and, in my experience, they're almost all completely true.

Thing is, there are usually good reasons for them and, once you figure it all out, most of the unpleasantness can be avoided.

 

To put it in terms of airsoft, it's like how the G&G L85 has a bad reputation.

It DOES deserve that reputation but, once you understand why it's unreliable, you can take steps to remedy the faults.

Once you've sorted it all out, it isn't really a bad gun.

 

Ducati's are a bit like that.

The faults they have are real enough but, genuinely, every common fault with my bike has a well-known cause and a bit of consideration and TLC will make it as reliable as any jap' bike.

 

That's probably not the sort of thing that Stunt' is looking for, mind you.

 

It is a lovely colour though.

[demoncase]

My suggestion, for pure commuting would be something like a CG125* or CB250.

Both will amply carry an 18st body to a pleasant 60mph.

 

*If you do direct access then this bike will become very familar!

 

Both are very cheap to run, cheap to service and cheap to buy (less than grand for a cracker, less than £200 for a 'fixerupper)....They are also both light enough to pick up off your ribcage

 

Compared to the rather nice but pricey for year-round use four cylinder/liquid cooled machines previously suggested they aren't as 'sporty' but they will get you to work and back reliably....Plus only having to buy 1/2 sparkplugs and adjust 2/4 valves is better for the home mekanik than fannying about with 16 valves and four plugs.

 

While the Bandit 600 is a great bike (and it is!), it suffers from having the same expensive running gear (brakes/pads/chain/tyres) as many 1990s superbikes- while that's great for the rider on the road, it's not so good for the rider staring aghast at a repair bill that would bankrupt a small African nation- been there/done that/got the t-shirt/it's now a duster.

 

If you want something a bit 'naughtier' then I'd look at something like a DR650

[demoncase]

To be fair, there's an element of "swings and roundabouts" with born-again bikers.

 

Most of em last rode a Triumph Bonneville (or whatever) and when they climb onto a modern Honda they'll be equally amazed by how fast it is AND how well it handles and stops.

 

Unfortunately, a lot of people fail to grasp that modern bikes are operating at a much higher level than the ones they used to ride.

it's kinda like driving a Ford Cortina and then, after 20 years away, driving around in a Bugatti Veyron.

 

Fortunately, that'll actually be easier for a new biker to get to grips with because they won't have all the old prejudices.

 

 

 

Heh,

 

There are a lot of stereotypes about Ducati's and, in my experience, they're almost all completely true.

Thing is, there are usually good reasons for them and, once you figure it all out, most of the unpleasantness can be avoided.

 

To put it in terms of airsoft, it's like how the G&G L85 has a bad reputation.

It DOES deserve that reputation but, once you understand why it's unreliable, you can take steps to remedy the faults.

Once you've sorted it all out, it isn't really a bad gun.

 

Ducati's are a bit like that.

The faults they have are real enough but, genuinely, every common fault with my bike has a well-known cause and a bit of consideration and TLC will make it as reliable as any jap' bike.

 

That's probably not the sort of thing that Stunt' is looking for, mind you.

 

It is a lovely colour though.

 

Like the new Desmo drive belts every 5k miles?

[Stealthbomber]

Like the new Desmo drive belts every 5k miles?

No. That's just prudence.

 

The sort of stuff I'm talking about is like, for example, how they have a reputation for damaging rocker arms.

This is cos it takes about 60 seconds for the oil to pump through to the vertical head after you start it.

Problem is that Ducati also saw fit to build the bike with a side-stand cutout so the bike won't run with the stand down.

Cos of that people tend to ride off right after starting the bike.

Once you bypass the cut-out you can start the bike and let it idle while you put your lid and gloves on.

Result: No wear to rockers.

 

Equally, they're notorious for having dodgy electrics.

The real story is that they're not every-day bikes so they don't get used often.

The battery goes flat and then people jump-start them to get them running.

Trouble is that the generator is good enough to power the bike but it's NOT good enough to power the bike AND charge a flat battery.

If you jump start the bike you end up frying the generator wires or damaging the voltage regulator.

The solution is to hook the bike up to a battery conditioner or even to a spare car battery so the bike battery doesn't go flat.

 

FWIW, that's not a problem restricted to Ducati either.

The wiring on a Yamaha R1 generator is thin enough that you wouldn't want to have more than about 10 amps running through it.

 

 

*EDIT*

Just to add a bit of value for Stunt'...

 

Not sure I'd recommend a 125.

Given that summat like a CB600 is going to be just as reliable as a 125 (possibly even more-so) the only real difference is going to be in the complexity of a major service.

 

If you're the sort of person who drives around in a dodgem car in order to save yourself the extra cost of taxing a car with a bigger engine then, ultimately, you ARE going to want the most economical bike, regardless of all else.

Conversely, if you want a bit more enjoyment out of your motoring (on 4 wheels or 2) then the additional cost isn't that hard to swallow.

 

Most of the regular service work can be done just as easily on a 600 as on a 125.

That is, stuff like brake pads, chain adjustment, filters and fluids.

The only difference is that you might end up paying somebody £80 to adjust the valves and change the belts every year or two, if you don't want to do it for yourself.

 

If you're happy to trundle about on a 10hp 125cc bike in order to save yourself £100 a year then fair enough.

Otherwise, have 1 less pint on a Saturday night and enjoy riding a proper bike.

[GuzziHero]

My suggestion on a bike would be something like a Guzzi V35/50/65/75...ah, no it wouldnt. They are too maintenance-happy...all Guzzis take quite a bit of user input

 

TBH I would look at getting one of the Chinese bikes out now such as those from http://www.superbyke.co.uk/ or http://www.chinesemotorcycledealers.co.uk/ . Both of those stock the parts as well as the bikes, and bits are dirt cheap. You could spend £5-800 on an 80's or 90's Japanese bike to find its been rozzed and bits are falling off. The 125s do a comfy 60, and they do silly MPG. £15 a year tax, too.

 

1/ Direct Access: well, I went for it because I knew I would never be satisfied with 33hp and had in fact already bought my next bike, a Guzzi V50. Half a year later I had my first litrebike and wouldnt go back for anything.

 

However, if you arent a 'lifestyle' biker and dont facy doing 100+mile trips on a motorbike, the regular pass gives you enough scope for a decent little commuter machine.

 

2/ Tax for 125cc machines is only £15 a year. Up to I think 600 is £45, over that is £66. Bargain! Insurance...not sure. I insured my Haotian HT100 scooter with no NCD (in use for my Guzzis) and it cost £145. Not bad.

 

3/ 2nd clothing is OK. For commuting I dont even bother with leathers (I know, I know, Im a bad boy!) but you can get waterproof overtrousers and jackets with the armour in the right places. Theyre good for winter and summer riding.

 

4/ My suggestion on a bike would be something like a Guzzi V35/50/65/75...ah, no it wouldnt. They are too maintenance-happy...all Guzzis take quite a bit of user input

 

TBH I would look at getting one of the Chinese bikes out now such as those from http://www.superbyke.co.uk/ or http://www.chinesemotorcycledealers.co.uk/ . Both of those stock the parts as well as the bikes, and bits are dirt cheap. You could spend £5-800 on an 80's or 90's Japanese bike to find its been rozzed and bits are falling off. The 125s do a comfy 60, and they do silly MPG. £15 a year tax, too.

 

Very very few machines these days are 2-stroke. I love 2-stroke, you feel like youre doing 90 even if its a 50cc! And even my 4-stroke Haotian HT100 (Swift) will take my fat load up a 1:5 at 35. A proper 125 will make mincemeat of that.

 

 

---

Oh, and if the bug bites you, this is the kind of bike you want to graduate to:

 

None of this silly Ducati chain-drive, desmo valve nonsense Good old shaft and rockers thanks!

[amateurstuntman]

Thanks guys.

 

I want to go direct access because after I have been commuting for a while the father-in-law will let me take the (G)oldwing on a touring holiday with my mrs.

 

For commuting though I don't mind a 125 or a 250, I was taken for a drive in a 'busa powered mini and even surrounded with a roll cage and on a track I pooped my pants. Lots of power isn't necessary.

 

As for the 748, I have a friend who bought a yellow one and when I saw it I just had this urge to dry hump it. It is a beautiful thing. It's even gorgeous when it's in the back of his transit on the way to be repaired.

 

 

What about something like this:

 

http://www.superbyke.co.uk/product.php?product=RMR200

 

http://www.chinesemotorcycledealers.co.uk/XF125GY-2B.html

 

They look a bit like crossers but have road tyres.

 

Also I just saw this:

 

http://www.chinesemotorcycledealers.co.uk/ST125-8A.html

 

It looks hilarious.

[shmook]

Also I just saw this:

 

http://www.chinesemotorcycledealers.co.uk/ST125-8A.html

 

It looks hilarious.

 

a new monkeybike! win!

[GuzziHero]

If you like that, you'll love...

 

 

---

The Pulse range are pretty reliable. I see a lot of Superbykes about, and they sell their own parts on the website. Looks cool too!

[Stealthbomber]

What about something like this:

 

http://www.superbyke.co.uk/product.php?product=RMR200

 

http://www.chinesemotorcycledealers.co.uk/XF125GY-2B.html

 

They look a bit like crossers but have road tyres.

 

Also I just saw this:

 

http://www.chinesemotorcycledealers.co.uk/ST125-8A.html

 

It looks hilarious.

What do you think about chinese airsoft guns?

All the same stuff (good AND bad) applies to their bikes IMO.

 

Must admit, most of my experience with chinese vehicles is with quadbikes and I'm kinda in two minds about them.

They're basically okay but they (the quads) often arrive with bolts missing or loose and with non-standard parts.

For example, a mate broke a mirror off a quad and then found that the threads to attach the mirror weren't the standard ones on most bikes. A quick bit of googling revealed this is a common problem and you can buy thread adapters so you can fit standard mirrors.

Not a big PITA but the sort of fiddly hassle which canbe offputting.

Also, one guy found that his headlight was pointing in the wrong direction. Not at the wrong side of the road. It was pointing at the sky.

When he came to adjust it, it turned out that there was no beam adjuster and he had to take it all to bits and shim the headlamp mount to get it pointing at the road.

 

Again, a bit like chinese AEGs, the chinese tend to copy the way a thing looks without understanding WHY it looks that way.

As a result you might find (for example) that a chinese bike will have removeable body panels which're a fancy shape but still require you to strip a bunch of stuff off the bike to get to the oil filter whereas a jap bike will have body panels that're deliberately a fancy shape so you can get to the oil filter without removing a whole bunch of stuff.

 

I'd rather ride a 10 year old jap bike instead of a brand new chinese one.

That is a mixture of snobbish elitism and practical concerns about the quality of the chinese product.

 

The bikes you're looking at are actually known as "supermotards" rather than traillies.

It is, basically, a trail-bike with road wheels and funky styling.

 

FWIW, traillies (and the same applies to motards) are good because they have wide bars and good steering lock which makes them great for learning on because they're easy to control.

This means they're terrific at manoevring and would be great in traffic except that the wide bars mean you often can't filter through traffic because the bars are too wide.

 

On the plus side, those bikes will be big enough for you and easy to control.

On the minus side, chinese quality and the tiny engine means you might end up disappointed once the initial thrill of ownership wears off.

A bit like buying an old LPEG.

 

When you passed your test in a 1000cc Vauxhall Nova did you go out and buy a 1000cc vauxhall Nova as your first car or did you get yourself something better?

Would you be scared that you wouldn't be able to control a 1.8 Mondeo?

Same thing applies to bikes.

 

Bigger bikes are just as reliable as small ones and are far easier, and more relaxing, to ride.

You don't need to be going bonkers to appreciate a bigger bike.

Let's say there's a 60mph road and it's rush hour so all the traffic is trundling along at 35mph.

Your trip home on a 125 is either going to be a white-knuckle adrenalin ride full of gear-changes, desperate prayers for acceleration and dodging in and out of cars or it's going to be a nightmare of trundling along in the gutter, getting squeezed by passing lorries and vans and being tailgated by murderous car drivers desperate to get past you.

The same journey on a 600 is going to be a case of staying in 3rd gear and gently rolling on the throttle then watching any cars disappear in your mirrors.

 

Have you ridden a 125 on the road?

There's nothing worse than arriving behind a queue of cars doing 50mph and knowing it's barely within your capability to overtake them and the alternative is to stay behind them and hope none of them decide to do something stupid and cause you to be involved in an accident.

 

I don't mean to detract from the idea of a 125 as an alternative to a good pair of shoes.

If you're gonna be happy trundling along at 40mph and accept that overtaking or the ability to arrive earlier by going faster aren't on the menu then they're fine.

It'll get you into work every morning.

Again though, it's a little like buying a chinese LPEG. At first you tell yourself that it looks just like a Marui G36 and that it actually shoots pretty good but you know that it can't do the same job AS a Marui G36.

 

Don't just think of the sort of bike that you want now.

Think of the sort of bike you might want in 6 months, when your confidence has grown and you're more comfortable riding a bike.

[GuzziHero]

The difference between Chinese bikes and AEGs tho Stealthie, is that the Chinese have relied on motorcycles as one of their main means of transport for years. They do have them pretty much sorted.

 

My Haotian that everyone has seen...in 2 years the total list of faults with that bike have been:

 

- a bulb popped

- the importers incorrectly connected the dash so it came unplugged

- the mainstand is a bit weak so I had to replace it... at £15

 

I've knocked bits off it, fallen off because I was scratching the pegs down on a roundabout. Thats it.

 

Im the opposite...as long as parts are available, I'd rather have a new Chinese than a 2nd hand Japanese. Ive done the other way before and always spend another couple of hundred at least fault-fixing. You have to remember, if you buy a 2nd hand bike and the tyres arent any good...thats nearly £100 at least your spending before its usable.

[Stealthbomber]

The difference between Chinese bikes and AEGs tho Stealthie, is that the Chinese have relied on motorcycles as one of their main means of transport for years. They do have them pretty much sorted.

Thing is, the sort of mopeds that you see in china are your basic no-frills scooters.

You won't see many people in China riding around on the sort of bikes companies like Superbyke sell over here.

 

an awful lot of the parts they bolt to those bikes are totally new, fabricated purely for the purpose of creating a new bike that appeals to westerners who assume they're a bargain.

 

Im the opposite...as long as parts are available, I'd rather have a new Chinese than a 2nd hand Japanese. Ive done the other way before and always spend another couple of hundred at least fault-fixing. You have to remember, if you buy a 2nd hand bike and the tyres arent any good...thats nearly £100 at least your spending before its usable.

Well, I can't pick fault with anything in particular cos I have no experience of the bikes in question but I do know (for example) that chinese "wavey" disks, as fitted to that RMR200, are notorious for warping after only a few days of use.

I'd also be very wary of the chines brake-pads and tyres.

 

Those bikes are built to a price. Stuff like tyres, disks, suspension parts, brake hoses, clutch plates, exhaust system and bodywork are all made of the cheapest possible materials they can get away with.

This causes another problem because the only replacement parts you'll be able to fit are OEM ones.

When you find that the brake disk is made of cheese and the exhaust is made of tinfoil the only replacement you'll be able to find is another one the same as the one you just tossed in the trash.

 

In a way, I suspect the chinese might be creating problems for themselves because of the way those bikes look.

When you buy a scooter you expect something that'll get you into work reliably and nothing more.

People expect more from a bike that looks like that RMR200.

[Danke]

If it was me I'd look for an older BMW, something like a R65. You can fix just about anything on it by the side of the road with the stock tool kit.

[GuzziHero]

The poopies nicked my pic!

 

 

That...is awesome.

 

TBH Stealth, Ive been on Chinese scooter and bike forums and there isnt a lot wrong with the ones sold over here. They must all meet EU homologation and standards.

[amateurstuntman]

That's a lot to think about. Thanks.

 

The way I see Chinese airsoft is this:

I will use their parts but only things like rails and such that are basically a lump of metal, they can still go wrong (dimensions and such) but don't as much.

I have bought a couple of Chinese guns, the Clone of the KSC HK33 was better than the original, the JG M4 was cool, the F200 was dog egg.

It's a mixed bag.

 

The difference is that I am totally confident with airsoft guns, I can strip one in minutes.

 

With motorbikes I am as much of a novice as I am with any mechanical device so I wouldn't be as confident.

 

 

 

Also.

 

 

Looooooook

It looks like the bike from Mad Max!

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/adv...200952349015742

 

Is 400 too much for a beginner? I'm in love, even if it's an old boot.

Might be too small for me though...

 

Also, can you make your own supermotard by getting a trailie and changing the tyres or is it more involved?

 

 

*edit* Spoolong

[Danke]

The typical Motard is made up of road tires on smaller wheels and a larger front brake rotor with a bracket to offset the caliper. So yes you can grab up a road legal enduro bike and without too much hassle get it more street ready.

 

You can also convert full on dirt bikes but that is more hassle than you want to get into.

 

Folks I know who've done this find it more affordable to take a dualie and motard it vs. taking a Motard and putting it exclusive to dirt.

[amateurstuntman]

Dualie?

 

Is that a crosser with a license plate?