New bike required for a commute

[NorthNorthWest]

Hi there.

Moving from 5 miles away from work to 35 so in fair weather I intend to buy a motorbike again for commuting.
I started on a GSX-R 600, then on to a 750, 636 ninja, 929 'Blade then a 2018 'blade.
The last few years the super bike was given me numb hands after no time at all so I'm looking for something more upright.
Always liked the Super Blackbird.
And the Hayabusa; any good/comfortable as a commuter?
Budget of a few grand. Should also add I'm only 5 foot 6.
Any and all recommendations gratefully received.

TIA, NNW.

Edited by NorthNorthWest on Saturday 5th March 20:08

[Tribal Chestnut]

Little one is 5’7” and fitted on my FZ1S fine.

That was a super commuting bike IMO.

Edit: I currently commute on an MT10. She fits that too.

Edited by Tribal Chestnut on Sunday 6th March 12:46

[NorthNorthWest]

Thank you.
I've had a 3TJ FZR 400 but never owned a 'big' Yamaha.
I will take a look at these today, thanks.
I'm only ever a fair-weather biker these days so I won't need anything that'll go all year round.

[V1nce Fox]

I use an older vfr(750) for commuting and can’t fault it.

You could go newer for a few grand but theyre great bikes.

[stupidbutkeen]

I have a low miler(21k) fzs1000 for sale at the min if thats the sort of thing your looking.
Has Ohlins rear shock and a host of other nice bits on it, with new tyres and a recent service by yamaha including the fork seals and rear caliper rebuild

Would be well within your budget Even has mot

[NorthNorthWest]

stupidbutkeen said:

I have a low miler(21k) fzs1000 for sale at the min if thats the sort of thing your looking.

Would be well within your budget. Even has mot

Thanks. Please post more details and location.
Is it carb? Would the none Fazer be fully naked?
I'm North West, obviously.

[stupidbutkeen]

NorthNorthWest said:

stupidbutkeen said:

I have a low miler(21k) fzs1000 for sale at the min if thats the sort of thing your looking.

Would be well within your budget. Even has mot

Thanks. Please post more details and location.
Is it carb? Would the none Fazer be fully naked?
I'm North West, obviously.

Im in Belfast ( excuse for a roadtrip)
Bike is a black 2002 with 21362 miles
has done aprox 800 miles from last mot ( I bought a gsx s1000)
it is a fazer 1000 so half fairing which works well
Bike has aftermarket handlebars,shorty levers,rear sets, braided lines Ohlins rear shock rear givi rack with monokey 47liter box carbon can company rear slip on ( standard will come with bike also as well as a bellypan but needs front fixings) new tyres put on last year for mot (roadtec 01)
All fairing is unmarked and in great condition
exup valve works as it should as does everything on the bike tbh
Bike mot until may but bike is sitting well and would be happy to put a fresh mot on it

[NorthNorthWest]

N.I. maybe a bit much with a young family keeping me busy.
Are they requiring a Covid jab for entry?
What's the asking price? Ta.

[Tribal Chestnut]

Don’t forget potential ULEZ nonsense if buying an older bike.

[NorthNorthWest]

Tribal Chestnut said:

Don’t forget potential ULEZ nonsense if buying an older bike.

Thanks.
Hoping to avoid all that for a few years yet but knowing the clowns who rule is it may arrive sooner than anticipated.

[stupidbutkeen]

NorthNorthWest said:

N.I. maybe a bit much with a young family keeping me busy.
Are they requiring a Covid jab for entry?
What's the asking price? Ta.

No to covid jab for entry
will take £2250 from a pher tbh ( advertised at 2.6k)

[NorthNorthWest]

stupidbutkeen said:

No to covid jab for entry
will take £2250 from a pher tbh ( advertised at 2.6k)

Thanks. Let me PM you later this evening.

Ta.

[stupidbutkeen]

NorthNorthWest said:

stupidbutkeen said:

No to covid jab for entry
will take £2250 from a pher tbh ( advertised at 2.6k)

Thanks. Let me PM you later this evening.

Ta.

oh my email address i used to reg on ph is redundant if you set your settings to allow emails i will pm you my number.
Or if your on facebook look up my name( in my profile) and message me profile pic is me pointing to some water basicly

Edited by stupidbutkeen on Monday 7th March 19:17

Edited by stupidbutkeen on Monday 7th March 19:21

[the cueball]

a Fazer is always my standard answer for a commute bike, although I prefer the 600 over the 1000..

A bit smaller and a bit lighter/easier to nip in and out of tight gaps... perfect for the job.

[thatdude]

I own an FZ1 Fazer (2008 model, fuel injected). It's a great bike in most respects. I use it for commuting (mostly motorway / A roads, but thre is a fair bit of traffic at certain points).

Bike doesnt feel that big or heavy really, easy to manoeuvre at low speeds. Nice riding position, upright enough but not like an adventure bike.

Things to note of them: the forks are a wee bit crap, and the OEM rear shock is a bit crap too. Fine for general commuting but upgrades / replacements make for a comfier ride. Brakes are really quite good. Fuel injection is a tad snatchy, but this is a general yamaha trait. I'm ok with how it rides, but this can be tuned out with a power commander or ECU reflash. It really isnt so bad though, and through the model years Yamaha did optimise the fuelling and iron it out as much as they could whilst still keeping in mind emissions. Get as late a bike as you can. Build quality is very good, I do most of the servicing etc on mine and I've yet to find something I think is rough, untidy or general poor quality. There is a genuine workshop manual available online. Fuel economy is not great - I get around 45 mpg on a steady long motorway run, 42-43 on my usual commute but town riding it plummets into the 30's. For my gneral commute though I can happily do 140 miles between fill-ups with a couple of litres remaining in the tank. Lights are good, mirrors are...well, motorbike mirrors so not that great but they work well enough. It's a good bike, robust and reliable and for normal road riding. Read around and you might find stories of the generator throwing magnets. There is an upgraded part but in reality these fail on bikes that are used really, really hard. The gearing on the FZ1 will see you pulling under 5000 rpm in top at 70 mph. 90 mph is 6000 rpm in top. The redline is at 12,000 rpm. First gear is a bit loooooong but the engine is strong and you can hapily cruise along at 50 mph in top gear saving fuel. It does get nice and hot if you're in traffic, dont be suprised to see the fan kicking on but the temp still rising a bit if you're sat idle in traffic on a very hot day. Move off and it'll come back down again.

[NorthNorthWest]

Thanks for the replies, and taking the time to go in to detail.
Would a Fazer be quite an upright riding position?
I think my days of leaning towards handlebars are over unfortunately.

Had a terrible few days with a D and V illness (TMI!) so I still need to get back to the poster who is selling his.

[Trevor555]

I know I'll be shot down, and told it's not a proper bike, but I go everywhere on this.



Honda ADV 350 scooter

Lovely upright riding position, comfortable, loads of storage under the seat, decent weather protection, decent headlights, full length front forks (unusual for a scooter)

Five and a half grand brand new with 2 year warranty

Twist and go, no gears, no chain.

330cc, 80mpg, 90mph, nippy enough to keep up with the flow of traffic, very comfortable on long runs.

Just get a tinted visor so proper bikers dont recognise you.

Edited by Trevor555 on Wednesday 9th March 12:24

[carinaman]

NorthNorthWest said:

Thanks for the replies, and taking the time to go in to detail.
Would a Fazer be quite an upright riding position?
I think my days of leaning towards handlebars are over unfortunately.

Had a terrible few days with a D and V illness (TMI!) so I still need to get back to the poster who is selling his.

thatdude said:

I own an FZ1 Fazer (2008 model, fuel injected). It's a great bike in most respects. I use it for commuting (mostly motorway / A roads, but thre is a fair bit of traffic at certain points).

Bike doesnt feel that big or heavy really, easy to manoeuvre at low speeds. Nice riding position, upright enough but not like an adventure bike.

Trevor555 said:

I know I'll be shot down, and told it's not a proper bike, but I go everywhere on this.



Honda ADV 350 scooter.

Interesting stuff. I don't commute but the performance, MPG and ease of use has some appeal. I am past caring what others think and my most used lid has a flip down internal sun visor so no tinted visor for me.

Edited by carinaman on Wednesday 9th March 12:46

[fred bloggs]

stupidbutkeen said:

NorthNorthWest said:

N.I. maybe a bit much with a young family keeping me busy.
Are they requiring a Covid jab for entry?
What's the asking price? Ta.

No to covid jab for entry
will take £2250 from a pher tbh ( advertised at 2.6k)

Thats £2250 and a dose of covid, yea ?

[Stuart Fordyce]

Given you want something to commute on that's reliable, shouldn't you aim for something reasonably new? Blackbird has a lot of years behind them now and things to wear out.