What bike do I want?

New job comes with a bit more money. Sounds like I need a new bike (not necessarily "NEW", but I want something I could daily ride, so it has to be reliable).

in order of importance...

1. Reliable
2. Beautiful
3. LIGHT and "chuckable"
4. I don't really like fairings. I like to be able to see my front wheel and exactly where it is placed.
5. comfortable. The commute will only be about 20 minutes, and none of them on the highway, so thats why it's #5

I think I want a Ducati, but I'm not sure I want that much power just yet, and I'm not sure how light they are.

Maybe I should just get a restored vintage bike...

Teach me what I want and why.

GB500.

If you can find one for sale...

I'm thinking SV650...

A Ducati monster doesn't have that much more power than the SV650. I haven't ridden one but my SV was very manageable and fun.

Maybe I should re-title this thread "Teach me why I don't want a Hypermotard 796".

Any reason? Looks like a ton of fun.

I don't know what your experience is, but this is a good place to start. Drop dead reliable, easy to ride in traffic,does the twisties well, run it for two years and sell it for what you paid for it.

What have you ridden ?

Mostly dirtbikes, but I have been riding scooters and small bore street bikes for about 5 years.

914Driver wrote: I don't know what your experience is, but this is a good place to start. Drop dead reliable, easy to ride in traffic,does the twisties well, run it for two years and sell it for what you paid for it. What have you ridden ?

That era of GS550's have some problems with carburetion; could make for an interesting megasquirt project, though. Everything else has "good" stamped all over it.

If you're looking at something new/newer, look for a Hyosung GT250. Yeah, it's Korean, but it also has a v-twin built under license from Suzuki.

Husky supermoto?

Ever ridden a CB 1?

I have, and 16000 RPM feels great.

Zomby woof wrote: Husky supermoto? Ever ridden a CB 1? I have, and 16000 RPM feels great.

Tell me more. I like high revs!

SV650 is probably a good, sensible suggestion.

I like the ZRX1200 I just bought, works fine on my slow 25-mile commute and can hustle for longer distances. It probably doesn't fulfill #3, though.

I have a major weakness when it comes to Italian bikes, but every Italian bike lover I've known has a couple of them to improve the chances that he's got at least one bike that doesn't need parts that are on backorder from Italy or is otherwise unwell.

Why are you looking at your front wheel?

Grtechguy wrote: Why are you looking at your front wheel?

+1

Grtechguy wrote: Why are you looking at your front wheel?

That isn't to say that I often stare at the front wheel, but I do like to have that piece of mind. I have ridden bikes with fairings, and I just don't feel very comfortable on them.

I bought a Hawk GT NT650 recently. A lot like an SV650, but slightly weirder. I love it to death. Light, incredible handling, torquey, and the single sided swingarm is just plain cheesecake. I paid $1400 for mine, needed a new front tire and looked like crap, but $500 later that's done and I have a V&H slip-on, a Monster fairing, braided brake lines, and other goodies on the way...

A Suzuki Bandit 400 may also be a good bike for you. Suzuki's answer to the CB-1. Both are somewhat rare in the US, kind of like a modern CB400F, America doesn't like small-bore stratospheric revvers. They are out there though, 2 on my local CL currently.

BoxheadTim wrote: I have a major weakness when it comes to Italian bikes, but every Italian bike lover I've known has a couple of them to improve the chances that he's got at least one bike that doesn't need parts that are on backorder from Italy or is otherwise unwell.

The Husky's are quite reliable. Their 2 stroke race bikes are probably more reliable than the Japanese bikes.

Some that sound like pretty good bets besides the aforementioned SV650 would include:

• Ducati Monster
• Buell Lightning (ok, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...)
• Honda 599 (basically a naked CBR600F3)

I think I am settled on the Monster 696...but I could be persuaded otherwise. I have always wanted a Ducati, and now is the perfect opportunity to get one (I have health insurance now!)

Good news is the 696 doesn't have gobs of power, as you worried about. It's less powerful and I think a little heavier than the SV650, widely regarded as a tame bike. Do it.

I love the Monster. It feels a little smaller than the SV650, and it looks much better. Whenever I sit on one, it is a perfect fit.

I also like the Triumph Street Triple, which I think is the Daytona 675's engine in a naked form. The Speed Triple is about 1000 cc and a bit more of a beast.

Are modern Ducatis really much better re: reliability? I know the Monster is a non-Desmodromic bike so not quite the same maintenance nightmare as, say, a 900SS, but the old adage of being worked on more than ridden really seems to follow the Ducati brand around. They also have belt-driven cams, which is pretty odd for a motorcycle.

I've always wanted a Ducati but have been scared away by maintenance....

SlickDizzy wrote: Are modern Ducatis really much better re: reliability? I know the Monster is a non-Desmodromic bike so not quite the same maintenance nightmare as, say, a 900SS, but the old adage of being worked on more than ridden really seems to follow the Ducati brand around. They also have belt-driven cams, which is pretty odd for a motorcycle. I've always wanted a Ducati but have been scared away by maintenance....

I am pretty sure that all monsters have Desmodromic valves. The three that I have owned all had them.

Desmodromic valves, is this a bad thing?

Monsters are desmos, but are air-cooled and only have 2-valve heads. The 900ss shared a motor with a Monster variant. Air-cooled 2-valves are allegedly easier to do valve adjustments on than the water-cooled 4-valve motors.