Ride them all then decide. I personally like the street triple myself as a commuter bike. Good position, not too many faults and a great weekend runner too. Daytona would also be good once you've gotten used to the sports bike crouch.
Ride them all then decide. I personally like the street triple myself as a commuter bike. Good position, not too many faults and a great weekend runner too. Daytona would also be good once you've gotten used to the sports bike crouch.
Exert your talents, and distinguish yourself, and don't think of retiring from the world, until the world will be sorry that you retire. -Samuel Johnson
In a way thats true, when I had a GN, I wanted and bought a 600 Yamaha sports bike, and to be honest, although I loved the bike, it wasn't long before the 'want bigger' entered my head. So sold the Yamaha and bought Triumph Sprint.
But its still the best way to go...250-600. If I had it all over again, and the street triple was around, I would have one...no question.
Think about the difference in HP...GN = 22hp? Kawasaki Z1 = 130-140 hp?
I'm glad (and sad) that I came to bikes later in life. Being a father makes you consider your driving choices differently. I'm not a bullet-proof 20 yr old with something to prove. I want a bike I'll keep for a long time that will give me plenty of enjoyment.
Believe it or not, the sensation of speed is very present on a GN250. Just today I was wringing her out on the way to work. Head tucked behind the bars, knees tucked in tight to the tank. Near 100kph in a headwind! Feels like you're doing 200kph. Got a few bemused looks from cars as they passed me though!
Will a horse whip make my GN go faster?
I was thinking I wanted to jump up to a big bike from my 250 as soon as I had my full. I test rode a Bandit 1200 and realised that adrenalin was brown and runny. I thought that the more sensible approach would be to step up in increments and i decided to look at the 600 range and eventually settled on the Bandit 600 which I love to bits. Perhaps in a couple of years I might go up to the bigger bikes but for the moment I am more than happy.
BUT each to their own.
Stay off a litre bike for at least a few more years. Around a 600cc would be my recommendation.
BMW S1000RR - don't even start thinking that way until you have at least 3 VERY solid years of 600cc riding behind you. Expensive bike and it will happily throw you off if its not respected.
Triumph Street Triple gets my vote.
Go round the dealers and sit on them. When I got my full license the local Triumph dealer let me take a Street triple for a ride. Way to tall for my short legs, I could only touch the ground with my toes. Riding it was something else - would be very easy to lose my license.
In the end I chose a Suzuki Boulevard M50, 805 cc cruiser. Comfortable lower seat, so it was easy to stand flat footed at the lights, low centre of gravity made it easier to handle, more powerful than my learner 250 so I could finally pass cars on the open road. Large tank, 275 km range - more if the right hand was constrained.
But you'll have to choose the bike which suits you. Dealers shouldn't mind you going in and kicking tyres. If they get used to you they'll be more likely to offer you a test ride when you get your full license.
Though I'd still recommend a secondhand bike as your first bigger bike, same applies as for your learner bike, you might lay it down, forget the side stand, it'll be heavier and more liable to fall over at slow speed.
One of our female riders in IAM faced the same dilemma as she's 5ft tall. However, the dealer sourced an adjustable dogbone kit for her Triple which allows her to plant her feet firmly now it's lowered. They're available for quite a lot of bikes and at least it extends your range of options.
In theory a _good_ LAMS intermediate bike should hold it's price nicely as there will be many cannier (or better advised) new riders looking for something like that.
Of course you can always do what I did and get what sounds like a good intermediate bike that does not suit you physcially and still be 'stuck' on something till your full :P
Still, I do enjoy it, just whish it was a bit bigger (with the same engine). I hope I pick something better next time! I guess I should have just test rode everything I could so I could get a good feel of the 'range'. I just felt bad about testing something I was not that serious about.
There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those that do not.
Yes, I just can't make up my mind. Having worked in Sales myself I can't stand tyre kickers. I think 18 months is too long for older drivers. To be honest, I'm not really interested in any mid-range bikes under the LAMs category. I'll probably just slug it out on the GN.
"This is not a car."
Find an RVF400 that isn't stupidly priced. At some 63+ BHP It shouldn't be a LAMS bike, but it is. Got that sexy V4 engine, looks the business, and just about anyone who has one doesn't want to let em go
Course that's assuming you A) fit on the thing and B) can handle the riding position
Be a hoot and a half though! I'd fully own one if I could afford it
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