Best commuting bike

**HornetBoy** · 19th February 2008, 08:28

Originally Posted by RearWheel

Get the cb900 carve up the traffic like no gs500 could ever do and you have a sweet as weekend blaster as well + its reliable as hell and pulls like a school boy from 3k on, the price is right even new and if you put 15/45 cogs on you have a true hooligan grin machine that will leave most everything standing at the lights with stupid looks on there faces....... c;mon get ghey...you know you want to

AMEN TO THAT!!

**Badjelly** · 19th February 2008, 08:28

Originally Posted by R6_kid

ScorpioZ 225. It does wheelies. You'll just have to take '225' the sticker off the side.

Or add a '1'.

**FROSTY:Me** · 19th February 2008, 08:32

By commmuting I guess you mean riding the great auckland carpark (motorway) daily?
Last few years Ive ridden a shit load of different bikes 30 km each way and by a country mile the best 3 were
1)honda revere 600 (v twin shaft drive)
2)suzuki GS500 -twin
3) kawasaki gpz500/er5

They all get to --"you will be walking home" speeds, they all handle ok
They are all light and easy to toss around without getting blown off the road by a tiny gust of wind. the riding position is neatral for all of them

I'd possibly toss in the mix a carbed SV650 naked -bit more power and better handling

**Matt** · 19th February 2008, 08:35

I commute on my Gixxer, bit harder work than my old ER6n but I love it

Sensible choice would be an SV or VStrom 1000?

Matt

**Blue Velvet** · 19th February 2008, 08:49

Originally Posted by jrandom

which means that it's no fun riding the fucking things

My heart bleeds for you. Honest. I feel your pain

Originally Posted by Ocean1

I reckon the motard suggestions are onto it

P.S. I'm with Ocean1, get a tard, attack every corner sideways and stunt through the peak hour traffic.

**jrandom** · 19th February 2008, 08:53

Originally Posted by Blue Velvet

My heart bleeds for you. Honest. I feel your pain...

You, missy, shall now receive THREE LEARNS.

**Fatjim** · 19th February 2008, 09:07

How many k's will you do on it in a year. I'm not familiar with distance your covering.

To me, the ideal dedicated commuter bike has the following

Big lazy power. easy to ride
narrow. for lane splitting
manouverable. don't want to put much effort into it.
stops well. doh!
makes some noise. it IS a safety issue
reliable. Cause your doing the k's
cheap to buy. cause its just to get you to work.

The firestorm fits all these except the brakes. I've done 70,000k on mine, I've had to replace the headlight bulb.

In your case your not worried about a dual purpose (weekend use as well) otherwise I'd talk the hornet 900. Lacks the low end grunt, but is much more fun in the twisties. A good compromise.

**90s** · 19th February 2008, 10:06

Originally Posted by rainman

And there I was thinking we'd given up making recommendations based on the original requirements... He also said no Hondas, and nothing less than 750cc.

"Sometime you don't get what you want, if you ask sometimes, you get what you need - oh yeah"

And what he needs is this:

Keep the Gixxer for fun. Get a proper commuter for around $2 1/2K, such as a late '80s CBR-F or GSX-F.
Why?
Cheap to buy, already scuffed, large tanks for commuting (20l) & good economy, fast but much more relaxed and torquey than a modern sport bike, nimble enough but robust and stable. You can leave it parked and not worry about it getting scratched or stolen. Arouses little envy from parking Nazis. Smaller bikes are good for commuting too, but ...

My final offer - get a GSX750F - that meets your 750 criteria although 600 is the perfect commuter compromise.

**madbikeboy** · 19th February 2008, 12:59

Superduke.

I've got a gixer 1000, and I'm foaming at the mouth at a Superduke for commuting...

**Ewan Oozarmy** · 19th February 2008, 13:22

Originally Posted by madbikeboy

Superduke.

I've got a gixer 1000, and I'm foaming at the mouth at a Superduke for commuting...

Do it. Or even a motard. I changed from litre sports to motards a good few years ago, mainly due to the state of the roads in London, and have never looked back. Heaps of fun and far more forgiving on crappy roads/surfaces.

And with today's hyper-motards you get the best of both worlds.

**BarBender** · 19th February 2008, 13:30

Originally Posted by Ewan Oozarmy

Do it. Or even a motard. I changed from litre sports to motards a good few years ago, mainly due to the state of the roads in London, and have never looked back. Heaps of fun and far more forgiving on crappy roads/surfaces.

And with today's hyper-motards you get the best of both worlds.

Yep - that makes sense to me.
Would love to have a motard as my everyday bike.

**Devil** · 19th February 2008, 13:39

Originally Posted by BarBender

Yep - that makes sense to me.
Would love to have a motard as my everyday bike.

If you do get one... can you post a pic. Methinks you'd make it look like a bicycle

**BarBender** · 19th February 2008, 15:23

Originally Posted by Devil

If you do get one... can you post a pic. Methinks you'd make it look like a bicycle

LOL
A moving popsicle I was once referred to whilst on a CBR250RR many moons ago...

**titirangi** · 19th February 2008, 20:41

10km pa

Quite surprised at how many folk are recommending the honda(s).

Originally Posted by Fatjim

How many k's will you do on it in a year. I'm not familiar with distance your covering.

To me, the ideal dedicated commuter bike has the following

Big lazy power. easy to ride
narrow. for lane splitting
manouverable. don't want to put much effort into it.
stops well. doh!
makes some noise. it IS a safety issue
reliable. Cause your doing the k's
cheap to buy. cause its just to get you to work.

The firestorm fits all these except the brakes. I've done 70,000k on mine, I've had to replace the headlight bulb.

In your case your not worried about a dual purpose (weekend use as well) otherwise I'd talk the hornet 900. Lacks the low end grunt, but is much more fun in the twisties. A good compromise.

**titirangi** · 19th February 2008, 20:43

yeah me too. Ive seen a few dudes zipping around city with those mean looking airoh helmets on their SD's. They look mean and you just know they're having more fun than me on the gixxer.

Originally Posted by madbikeboy

Superduke.

I've got a gixer 1000, and I'm foaming at the mouth at a Superduke for commuting...