Anyone gone from nice bike to cheap bike?

[LowTread]

My bikes have been getting progressively more expensive over the years.

Early days a £2k-£4k FZS600/SV650, then moving onto things like Bandit 1250/K1300S (£5k-£6k).

In the middle i dabbled with a collection of older bikes, at one point having about 10, but all cheaper stuff like TT600, 929 blade, ZZR1200.

I got fed up with that as they all needed something doing, and keeping track of MOTs was a pain.

So i sold that lot and bought a new Blade in 2014. Didn't gel with it an ended up with a VFR800, and then another Blackbird to run alongside, which i liked so much more that i sold the Blade.

Then went for a new Africa Twin 1100 during covid, with grand plans of epic tours (never happened).

Currently i'm on a 68 plate S1000R, which i've added some touring-style mods to, such as tank bag, hand guards, screen, etc. It's great.

But i'll be honest, i've only riden it a handful of times this year. Partly due to a house renovation, partly though childcare constraints, partly through losing interest. I used to commute by bike, but i've switched to driving in and cycling the last 15 miles.

So. I'm mulling over going back to a cheap bike like i had in the early days. Something i can use and not worry about if i don't clean it straight away. Something i can use regardless of the weather (within reason). Something i can service myself like i used to. And also something with enough power without going crazy.

For example, a Thundercat, CBR600 F4i, Varadero 1000, etc, all around the £2k mark.

Anyone done similar?

Edited by LowTread on Monday 7th November 10:59

[the cueball]

I have 7 bikes.

Everything from a H2 SX down to a 30 year old Pan European and a old Fazer.

I use and abuse the Pan/Fazer combo - both kept outside and the daily commute is done with no drama or worry.

I only clean them twice a year (except for 'safety cleans' in winter of the lights/brakes)

I do most of the work on my bikes myself.. it's a hobby not a chore for me.

I tend to do everything in batches... so if I need to change the oil in one bike, they all get done.

Works better for me when I get to things like changing fork oil... I have the tools out, so may as well do them all.

[Biker9090]

I've got a mint VFR1200F with heavily modified suspension. A CBF500 ABS with heavily modified suspension (all over the place cosmetically with 72k miles on it) and a soon to be on the road 1989 CZ125. The VFR is hardly new but it is definitely a nice bike - excellent build quality, top of the line for it's day, absolutely spotless etc. I love all three of them for entirely different reasons.

I wouldn't have a huge problem going to only the CBF - it's probably way more practical for what I need anyway tbh and it would probably make more sense financially. Although I do a lot of miles I don't want to get into a Finance agreement and considering I ride all year round I simply don't trust more modern bikes ability to shrug off corrosion to the level of the VFR/CBF. Albeit, if I was commuting again (wfh permanently atm) then I may push for a newer bike (Fireblade).....

I'm REASONABLY proficient mechanically speaking and as long as you have a code reader and the relevant APP then working on new bikes really isn't all that difficult - in some ways it's easier as the sensors/error codes help you out!

[Jazoli]

LowTread said:

Anyone done similar?

Yes, I've had new bikes for the last 10 years or so but got fed up of paying for them over winter and only averaging about 3k a year, I worked out my MT09 had cost me £2 per mile.

Sold my year old Z900 this summer and bought an old BMW for 1500 quid, it was refreshing as I had no money tied up in it and no payments to make, I have since sold it but I'll be going back to sub £2.5k bikes for the rest of my biking time I'd say.

[andrebar]

LowTread said:

Anyone done similar?

A nearly new CBR was the most expensive bike I’ve owned. It got nicked within months despite being fairly paranoid about where I left it & how it was secured. Soon realised I was getting more enjoyment out of older scruffier bikes because I just got on with riding when I wanted to rather than worrying about keeping (or cleaning) them.

A Thundercat would be also be high on my list of what to spend up to 2k on btw

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I really want a sub 2k bike but everyone one that I've seen has some serious issues.

[Nath911t]

I went from an MT10 to an 04 Fazer 1k. Nice enough bike but my turnaround for bikes and cars is quite a lot. Longest I've owned the same bike for is just over a year while the shortest was under a week.

Currently debating to pull the trigger on an 05 1200RT for a tad over £2k or a Gen2 GTR1400 for £3.5k.

There certainly is a lot of overpriced rubbish out there at the moment under the description of "mint" or "perfect bike ..... apart from a low speed spill".

[andyhawes]

I went from newer bokes years ago, newest was a 6-month old Bandit 600 which I rode for years and never let me down, to getting a battered old Ducati 600ss that hadn't been started for 21 years which I had to strip to pieces and re-build, de-rusting everything along the way to get it to MOT standard, which I then rode, and loved for just over a year, and it was relatively cheap (cost me £1400 to buy and about the same again to fix it up), but it was a pain to start, and the electrics were always a bit dodgy, so I now have a, still relatively cheap CBR500R, which I got for £3500, and it starts every time, rides like a dream and hasn't missed a beat.
All of these had their merits to be fair, and I do love some of the bigger more expensive and newer bikes, but I just can't justify the cost for myself as I'm a pretty tame dry-weather rider, and the 500R does everything I need, without (hopefully) being too nickable.

[Biker9090]

Nath911t said:

I went from an MT10 to an 04 Fazer 1k. Nice enough bike but my turnaround for bikes and cars is quite a lot. Longest I've owned the same bike for is just over a year while the shortest was under a week.

Currently debating to pull the trigger on an 05 1200RT for a tad over £2k or a Gen2 GTR1400 for £3.5k.

There certainly is a lot of overpriced rubbish out there at the moment under the description of "mint" or "perfect bike ..... apart from a low speed spill".

I'd avoid that BMW like the plague. Notorious and potentially deadly ABS failure on that year model.

[nordboy]

Yep, I was buying brand new bikes, but then sold them, bought a £1000 02 reg Fazer thousand. Ran that for a few years, I still have it, but it needs some work done on it, which, is the intention over the next 12 months.

[airsafari87]

I went from a 2019 S1000R to a 2009 Gladius (SV650) and I couldn’t wait to get rid of it.

Even though I was going to keep the Suzuki for at least a couple of years I got shot of it aftet 6 months and got a new V4 Tuono.

I do ride regularly though, so maybe if I was in a similar occasional use situation to what you are I may have been less inclined to pay for a new bike that is going to sit there unused for most of the year.

[KTMsm]

I disagree with the title - there are plenty of cheap bikes that are nice

You'll have to search to find them under £2k but £2k - £5k there are plenty of really nice bikes IMO

For the last 20 years the advances in bikes (and cars) are relatively small as they were already too powerful to fully exploit on the road and reliable etc

Obviously some want the latest thing or need the finance but there's little / no hardship in running an older bike IMO particularly as so many cover minimal mileage

I recently took a 13k ZX6R in PX I'm hoping to get a smidge over £2K - that seems like great VFM to me

[roca1976]

yup started my biking journey on a £250 TZR 250 and wheeler-dealered my way up to a variety of Superbikes, RC45, 999R, SP1/2, ZX7RR, etc finally settled on a 1yr old Tuono V4r which did me well for a few years until I realised I only used it a few times.

I sold it and bought a late 955i Daytona - removed the fairings and bought Speed Triple lights, etc. Owed me well under £2k and was awesome fun. Only sold it to buy an air-cooled Porsche 911 (that's now gone) and still find myself looking at a cheapish 690 Duke or similar to mess around on.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

airsafari87 said:

I went from a 2019 S1000R to a 2009 Gladius (SV650) and I couldn’t wait to get rid of it.

Even though I was going to keep the Suzuki for at least a couple of years I got shot of it aftet 6 months and got a new V4 Tuono.

I do ride regularly though, so maybe if I was in a similar occasional use situation to what you are I may have been less inclined to pay for a new bike that is going to sit there unused for most of the year.

I rode two Gladius and hated them. Hateful things.

[Patrick Star]

Yes,me.

All my bikes started off nice(expensive) when I bought them,but ended up cheap when I sold them!!!

[Cakey_]

I'm contemplating the same thing at the moment. Looking at changing jobs with a reduction in wages.
Currently ride a '18 cb1000r neo, it's paid for but the insurance is over 700 a year comp. Thinking about chopping it in for an older blade so same grunt if not abit more and something I'm not so precious about having insured fully comp. Will hopefully free up a couple of grand to pay a small chunk of a loan too

[Rick448]

Without sounding like a broken record, I have a 2016 ZZR1400, and bought a 1996 CBR600F3 in April as an alternative for a blast around the twisties. I love both of them equally but for different things. I’d certainly not feel hugely dissatisfied if I only had the 600 to play on.

[rat840771]

Yes. I purchased a new Sd1290 R in 2019 and sold it this year as it is just a toy. I opted for a mint GSXR1000 K5. It should not loose much money at all and is still the rush I need for the odd blast on these stty UK roads

[LowTread]

KTMsm said:

I disagree with the title - there are plenty of cheap bikes that are nice

I get your point about the title. Apols.

Some of the bikes i think most fondly of cost me less than £2k. I considered them "nice".

NTV650 (the naked one) was hilarious fun and 70mpg.

My VFR800F was £1800, i ran it for 2 yrs and 20k miles and sold it for £1800.

Likewise my 2nd blackbird that i sold for £2k just before covid (huge error).

But i never really gelled with the new blade. The Africa Twin lasted about 2 months.

I don't know whether it's the newness and lack of history that means that i don't gel with a newer bike, or whether it bothers me that i've got money tied up, or fear of theft, or the hassle/expense of dealer servicing that's required on newer stuff.

andyhawes said:

...so I now have a, still relatively cheap CBR500R, which I got for £3500, and it starts every time, rides like a dream and hasn't missed a beat.
All of these had their merits to be fair, and I do love some of the bigger more expensive and newer bikes, but I just can't justify the cost for myself as I'm a pretty tame dry-weather rider, and the 500R does everything I need, without (hopefully) being too nickable.

Oddly enough, there are times when i've looked at what you can get for <£4k and thought "do i really need more than that?". I had a CB500X as a loan bike a few years ago and had an absolute blast on it.

Maybe the lesson for me is: if buying new, have a clear plan to use it to get some memories attached to it. That's what i failed to do with the new bikes that i had.

Whereas my older/cheaper bikes got used more, and in all weathers, which i think helped build a sense of attachment.

[V1nce Fox]

I bought an old 1990 vfr750 about ten years ago for this exact reason.

I commute on it every day and can ride all year round because of it. I can also go to places without worrying if it’ll be ok. It’s been invaluable.

I think every bike collection should have a cheap smoker.