Hi Kiwibikers.. I thought I'd introduce myself and ask for some advice at the same time..
Am I a newbie?? Well it feels like it sometimes.. especially as I don't have a bike at present.. I had given up bikes in my early 20's after bending various parts too many times.. the bikes and mine.. but a couple of years ago during a holiday in Thailand a friend convinced me to hire a couple of 'big' bikes and go for ride.. after an uneventful afternoon in glorious sunshine, I decided it would be a great way to explore the country and after a rental shop in Chiang Mai declined my offer of a one way hire.. to leave it in BK. I ended up buying a 250 Honda Phantom cruiser style off a fellow Kiwi for the equivalent of 3 months rental. I planned to ride around for a month or so and offload it again.. But !!! Well a year and a half and 20,000ks later!!!
Anyway.. it was a wild 18 month ride.. Dropped it a couple of times.. but only in a foot of mud in a mountain road in the north east of Cambodia.. only damage was to my ego and left hand indicator.. Along the way, I negotiated it thorough some pretty crazy situations.. and on one eventful day in the wet season had to load it 3 different times onto a "barge" comprised of 2 canoes strapped together with a couple of tree branches... by riding it over a 200mm very slippery plank.. also encountered a couple of swing bridges, and a VERY large python in the middle of a back county road..
Anyway. more on the adventure later.. for now, I am looking for a bike. I am interested now in more of a touring bike.. as I think for NZ i would prefer the weather protection offered by fairings and low screens.. but I am also wanting a bike with a low seat, and upright riding position, but not too heavy a bike (60yr old knees) say around 250kgs.. I also want a low seat position say 700- 750mm I want something between 500cc up to about 1200 maybe.. So what can people suggest.. oh and I only wanna spend about $4,000..
I like the distinctive style of the Honda PC800.. and seen a few advertised, but all out of town at the moment.. so if anyone has one in Auckland that I could try out for size that would be most appreciated.. I also like the BMW K100 types but am concerned about the maintenance costs.. Mostly I want a bike that is light enough to throw around the city, with enough ummpphh to sit comfortably on 100ks all day, but not so grunty that I have to worry about keeping the front wheel on the road if I do decide to open her up.. BTW I am 5' 9" and a 100ks. So any suggestions would be most appreciated..
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Originally Posted by Katman
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