Recommendations for my next bike

[Tigadee]

My pick from that lot for Tigadee would have to be the Kawasaki GPZ500 (the 600 is cooler) great commuter, reliable and excellent value, scoot along okay too

Good spoting mate, yeah I liked that one too!, bloody great bikes those, really good "allrounders" and everything else you said

I will definitely consider these...

I'm trying to get my head around the ergonomics of these GPZs. How similar are they? 400, 500, 600 and the 900?

[Maha]

Getting close to getting my Full, and I'm getting tired of the 250 cruiser.

Your opening few words say alot...let me explain.
You will soon get tied of anything older/less the a 600...
While it seems to be the natural progression/order of things, it does not always apply. I went from a GN250 to a YZF600...and soon wanted bigger, like inside 8 months or so.

If you can afford to but what you really want...advice is to do so.
That XJ600? cunt of a bike.
What is your approx $$$ limit?

[nzspokes]

Get the 600 Bandit.

[Maha]

Get the 600 Bandit.

...or a 650...I tend to agree..great bikes that you can ride all day and mountains of fun.

[Tigadee]

If you can afford to but what you really want...advice is to do so.
What is your approx $$$ limit?

What do I really want? Really really want? A 1200 Bandit... A CB1300... XJR1200... VF700 Super Magna...

Question for me though is: Will I really make use of all those horses? Commuting? A weekend blat once in a while? I figure a 400-600cc would be sufficient for commuting and the ocassional hooning for years. Later on I could always add a larger bike for two-up touring like those I just listed...

Approx budget's about $5k. I know for that I could already get a Bandit 1200, there are a few for $4k!

For the commuting I'd even be happy enough with a 250 exept most of them are too small for me and they are way ridiculously priced right now...

[willytheekid]

I will definitely consider these...

I'm trying to get my head around the ergonomics of these GPZs. How similar are they? 400, 500, 600 and the 900?

GPZ400 - inline4 (screamer) bit under powered tho, have to rev the nuts off them to get them to move fast, not the best loaded up or two up
GPZ500- parallel twin (thumper) GREAT engines!, sound good and a nice power spread, very nice bikes that will do most things asked of them
GPZ600 - inline4 (another screamer lol) better than the 400, good strong engines with a great howl to them, really good all-rounder (and great looking)

Oh...and the GPZ900! (which I actually owned, a2 model...heavily modified, to the point it was mental!)...complete ANIMAL in its day (one of the fastest produced)

-really great bikes the lot of them , very easy to work on and really well made.

[Tigadee]

I think that GPZ500 will remain on my list. The 400 and 600 are not my cup of tea...

[Maha]

What do I really want? Really really want? A 1200 Bandit... A CB1300... XJR1200... VF700 Super Magna...

Question for me though is: Will I really make use of all those horses? Commuting? A weekend blat once in a while? I figure a 400-600cc would be sufficient for commuting and the ocassional hooning for years. Later on I could always add a larger bike for two-up touring like those I just listed...

Approx budget's about $5k. I know for that I could already get a Bandit 1200, there are a few for $4k!

For the commuting I'd even be happy enough with a 250 exept most of them are too small for me and they are way ridiculously priced right now...

Those bigger bikes?...they will do anything you ask of them...I owned a CB1300 and would have one again.
All I will say is that, if your budget will stretch to what you really want? go for, you wont regret that decision, and thats from personal experience.

[Tigadee]

All I will say is that, if your budget will stretch to what you really want? go for, you wont regret that decision, and thats from personal experience.

I know what you mean...

In my hey day, I could have settled for any ol' gal but I stretched and got my wife instead! (Hope she sees this so I can bonus points and get a for the new bike... )

Seriously though, you would have me get a CB1300 or Bandit 1200 and make it do so mundane and tedious a task as shifting my butt from A to B everyday and only once in a while tearing it up on the open roads? Won't it be like buying a V8 just to drive to the office everyday?

[Phantom Limb]

I know what you mean...

In my hey day, I could have settled for any ol' gal but I stretched and got my wife instead! (Hope she sees this so I can bonus points and get a for the new bike... )

Seriously though, you would have me get a CB1300 or Bandit 1200 and make it do so mundane and tedious a task as shifting my butt from A to B everyday and only once in a while tearing it up on the open roads? Won't it be like buying a V8 just to drive to the office everyday?

I bought an XJR1300 and I use it to commute to work every single day.
Best decision I've made regarding choice of steed. Okay my commute is a lengthy one (100Km / day) and involves quite a few nice twisty back roads, but even if I did live in the city, I'd still have the 1300.

Yes it is just like having a muscle car to drive to the office every day, but so what! Don't think that a big motor = unwieldy, the XJR for example lane splits happily and can boot in and out of gaps as efortlessly as the 250's I've piloted. In first 2nd and 3rd gear it will trundle along with the throttle closed at idle, something my 250 could never do!

Go for the big block! There is everything to gain and no real down side. Fuel wise I use about $18 per week more than a 250 (around a 35% increase), that to me is nothing to cry about and the advantages out weigh the cost.

[Maha]

I bought an XJR1300 and I use it to commute to work every single day.
Best decision I've made regarding choice of steed. Okay my commute is a lengthy one (100Km / day) and involves quite a few nice twisty back roads, but even if I did live in the city, I'd still have the 1300.

Yes it is just like having a muscle car to drive to the office every day, but so what! Don't think that a big motor = unwieldy, the XJR for example lane splits happily and can boot in and out of gaps as efortlessly as the 250's I've piloted. In first 2nd and 3rd gear it will trundle along with the throttle closed at idle, something my 250 could never do!

Go for the big block! There is everything to gain and no real down side. Fuel wise I use about $18 per week more than a 250 (around a 35% increase), that to me is nothing to cry about and the advantages out weigh the cost.

There is your answer Tigadee....^

''Not after something super-fast, as long as it can more than easily overtake and handle motorway speeds up to 130kph. Commuting and joy rides, not track days, that's me''...

....and Your criteria fits.

[Tigadee]

In many threads I've seen, lots of the experienced guys have told those graduating to a Full license to refrain from jumping onto a near-litre, litre or larger bike. Here I have most of them telling me to head straight for the big 'uns! Your crystal balls telling you something I don't know? (Mine stopped working after the numbing experience on the current bike's seat...)

Now if someone else also said that I should do that because with LAMS, those bike I'm looking at are going up in price, then that will certainly weight the argument towards the big bikes...

[Phantom Limb]

I think that once you get your full and have done sufficient saddle time through your Learners and Restricted, the choice of what bike to get should be determined by your maturity.
If you are a teenager who's just got your full and don't know how to ride without grabbing throttle every time you see another bike (re: another challenger) then I'd say stick to a 400 /650 until you grow up.
However if you're mature enough to shake your head and tsk when a squid comes flying by at 2 x the speed limit, then I say why not get something with a big pair of balls?
Anything with a nice upright 'standard' seating position and enough torque to allow you to short shift and ride in a relaxed manner when required will be just fine for commuting.
Having enough power in reserve to slow doen the earth's rotation for a moment can only be a bonus as long as you're grown up enough to keep your throttle hand in check.

The same logic does not apply if you go and by a race rep 1000cc rocket though. The murderous power delivery, crouched position and tiny wee bars on which you can get next to no leverage is not going to help you ease into the world of bigger capacity bikes!

[mossy1200]

In many threads I've seen, lots of the experienced guys have told those graduating to a Full license to refrain from jumping onto a near-litre, litre or larger bike. Here I have most of them telling me to head straight for the big 'uns! Your crystal balls telling you something I don't know? (Mine stopped working after the numbing experience on the current bike's seat...)

Now if someone else also said that I should do that because with LAMS, those bike I'm looking at are going up in price, then that will certainly weight the argument towards the big bikes...

If your shortish and want a lower seat height then gs1200ss are good. they have a bandit motor with lower tune good even predictable power and a understressed engine.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/moto...-498617664.htm

theres one almost at reserve but maybe search for a lower km one at 30-35tho

[bogan]

Question for me though is: Will I really make use of all those horses? Commuting? A weekend blat once in a while? I figure a 400-600cc would be sufficient for commuting and the ocassional hooning for years.

Its not about the horses (well, on public roads it shouldn't be anyway), but about the overall quality, comfort, handling etc. Manufacturers generally put more effort into the bigger bikes. There are damn good bikes out there for 5k, if you want something long term, get one for around 3-4k, and spend the rest on getting it to tick your boxes.

600 il4 has plenty of power, and is lightweight, they just lack class imo. Now a 647 vtwin on the other hand, has enough power, and plenty of class

I've kind of just been glancing through the thread, have you listed what you like in a bike? (riding style, fairings, engine type etc), as well as what you want it to do?