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Time for a motorbike list

New addition. It has the GPZ500 motor with gentler cams.

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It's getting a proper workout this year, though. I bought it for 500 quid and it is going to carve out a 1,000 mile 5-day big trail bike off-road tour I intend to sell to UK bikers next year. The Calais to Calais Rally, or something like that. So as soon as the knobblies are on, work begins.

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Looks like a good workhorse that. I bought a Suzuki GS500 as ride to work hack but it was crap. Avoid! Really cheaply made and slow.
 
Arkless Electronics said:
Looks like a good workhorse that. I bought a Suzuki GS500 as ride to work hack but it was crap. Avoid! Really cheaply made and slow.
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I remember when they came out. I was selling bikes for a suzuki dealer. They looked kind of cool, though?

The GPZ is defo a couple of grades above it. I still quite like the GPZ. I'm sure it would still be a fun road bike with touring potential
 
I guess they looked ok but things like suspension and brakes were the cheapest and nastiest I've ever seen on a Jap bike. It would only do about 98 so it had two throttle settings, off and full. The rear monoshock failed and a cheap replacement snapped... yes snapped, after about two weeks, the fork oil seals kept going, it had an intermittent electrical fault which was the last owners fault but took a couple of years to trace (it blew the main fuse in the middle of the Tyne Tunnel.... no sparks, dead engine.. that was fun.. not and did the same on the Isle of Skye just as it was getting dark). I eventually sold it to a mate stupidly cheap as by then it had lost most of its compression due to dodgy exhaust valves and was down to 50mph top speed.... he told me months later that after cleaning the dirt off the engine he found a hair-line crack in the crank case where a lug attached to the frame... not Suzuki's finest hour! I suppose to be fair I did about 20,000 miles on it in about 3 years and it was thrashed everywhere it went but then again other Jap bikes have had similar treatment without complaining.
 
I did my direct access training and test on a Honda CB500 and those were pretty decent little bikes. I've not had a Suzuki GS500 but did have a Bandit 600 which I really disliked - it was inferior in pretty much every possible way to the Honda Deauville I had at the same time (the Bandit was a bit quicker in a straight line but the suspension, handling and brakes weren't great so the Deauville was usually quicker point to point as well as being massively more comfortable). I have had a couple of Bandit 400's though and actually quite liked those, although I'm not really sure why I liked the 400's and not the 600's.

To be honest I've not really been that impressed with most of the the non-Honda's I've owned.
 
I always fancied a Suzuki Cobra 500 two stroke twin. They looked very solid and were apparently reliable. Oh and a Suzuki GT 750 triple, in racing style, I saw one in Edinburgh a couple of years ago parked and immaculate.
 
SteveG said:
I did my direct access training and test on a Honda CB500 and those were pretty decent little bikes. I've not had a Suzuki GS500 but did have a Bandit 600 which I really disliked - it was inferior in pretty much every possible way to the Honda Deauville I had at the same time (the Bandit was a bit quicker in a straight line but the suspension, handling and brakes weren't great so the Deauville was usually quicker point to point as well as being massively more comfortable). I have had a couple of Bandit 400's though and actually quite liked those, although I'm not really sure why I liked the 400's and not the 600's.

To be honest I've not really been that impressed with most of the the non-Honda's I've owned.
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My last few bikes have been Honda's as they do seem a bit better made than the other big 3 Japanese makers.
 
Without doubt...one thing about Suzuki though. They always had the nicest gearboxes, smooth shifts, no false neutrals etc.. In the 90s at least. 2018 and Ducati still has gearboxes that feel like they were designed in the 1950s
 
richgilb said:
Without doubt...one thing about Suzuki though. They always had the nicest gearboxes, smooth shifts, no false neutrals etc.. In the 90s at least. 2018 and Ducati still has gearboxes that feel like they were designed in the 1950s
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Yep I'll agree with that. Back in the late '70's and early 80's the 4 pot GS range were a byword for reliability and solidity so they seemed to go down hill on that front. On The Big H the VFR750 I had was certainly even better made than my Blackbird though.
 
Try a Guzzi, then! My SV650S has a lovely gearbox, using the clutch on upshifts makes for a worse change than not using it. Handy on track days. But the Guzzi, oh dear. Advance planning required, and the heel and toe shift is hard to remember. I tend to go up when I want to go down.
 
Suzuki could combine cheap and good: the RF 900. Just had to keep your eyes closed until you were sitting on it.
 
Never spotted this thread. My list (in order):

2005 Honda XR125L
1991 Moto Guzzi California III LAPD
1992 Honda VFR750F
2005 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm
1998 Honda CBR900RRW Fireblade
2000 Honda VTR1000 SP-1
2001 Aprilia SL1000 Falco
1992 Suzuki GSX-R750 WN
2004 Husqvarna SM610S
2010 Aprilia Tuono 1000 R
2007 Honda VTR1000 SP-2 S-6
1998 Honda CBR900 RRW Fireblade
2002 Honda VTR1000 SP-1
2002 Suzuki GSX-R750Y
1998 Honda VFR800Fi
1998 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm
2011 Ducati Streetfighter 1100
2015 Yamaha YZF-R1
2007 Aprilia RSV1000R
2008 Suzuki DR-Z400SM
2014 Ducati Hyperstrada 821
2004 Honda VTR1000 SP-2
2015 MV Agusta Brutale 990R
2011 Duacti Streetfighter 1100
2016 Yamaha YZF-R1 60th Anniversary
2015 Honda CBR1000RR SP ABS
2016 Yamaha XSR700
2016 Ducati Monster 1200R
2016 Ducati 1299 (Current)
2010 Triumph Street Triple R
2009 Ducati Streetfighter 1100 S (Current)

Some repeats because I decided to buy the same model again! My favourites have been the Honda SP-1/2 and the Ducati Streetfighter.

The current two:

BCF.jpg


SFS_Profile.jpg
 
Furyous said:
Never spotted this thread. My list (in order):

2005 Honda XR125L
1991 Moto Guzzi California III LAPD
1992 Honda VFR750F
2005 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm
1998 Honda CBR900RRW Fireblade
2000 Honda VTR1000 SP-1
2001 Aprilia SL1000 Falco
1992 Suzuki GSX-R750 WN
2004 Husqvarna SM610S
2010 Aprilia Tuono 1000 R
2007 Honda VTR1000 SP-2 S-6
1998 Honda CBR900 RRW Fireblade
2002 Honda VTR1000 SP-1
2002 Suzuki GSX-R750Y
1998 Honda VFR800Fi
1998 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm
2011 Ducati Streetfighter 1100
2015 Yamaha YZF-R1
2007 Aprilia RSV1000R
2008 Suzuki DR-Z400SM
2014 Ducati Hyperstrada 821
2004 Honda VTR1000 SP-2
2015 MV Agusta Brutale 990R
2011 Duacti Streetfighter 1100
2016 Yamaha YZF-R1 60th Anniversary
2015 Honda CBR1000RR SP ABS
2016 Yamaha XSR700
2016 Ducati Monster 1200R
2016 Ducati 1299 (Current)
2010 Triumph Street Triple R
2009 Ducati Streetfighter 1100 S (Current)

Some repeats because I decided to buy the same model again! My favourites have been the Honda SP-1/2 and the Ducati Streetfighter.

The current two:

BCF.jpg


SFS_Profile.jpg
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Are the belt covers and front mudguard plastic or carbon?
 
The double sided designs (999, 899) look good. Not sure it would work well on the Streetfighter. The single sided swingarm is very convenient for quick rear wheel removal / tyre change.

richgilb said:
Are the belt covers and front mudguard plastic or carbon?
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Carbon. Standard on the Streetfighter S model from the factory. The only non-standard component is the exhaust system, which was a Ducati option.

richgilb said:
I cant believe you prefer the streetfighter over the 1299
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Better suspension / wheels / brakes (no ABS). I prefer the more composed/predictable behaviour of the trellis chassis, compared with the more lively Panigale chassis. Perfect amount of power (IMO) for the road. Slightly more low end grunt. Less conspicuous.

That being said, the 1299 is brilliant, significantly more bonkers, and feels more dependable.
 
Furyous said:
The double sided designs (999, 899) look good. Not sure it would work well on the Streetfighter. The single sided swingarm is very convenient for quick rear wheel removal / tyre change.



Carbon. Standard on the Streetfighter S model from the factory. The only non-standard component is the exhaust system, which was a Ducati option.



Better suspension / wheels / brakes (no ABS). I prefer the more composed/consistent feel of the trellis chassis, compared with the more lively Panigale chassis. Perfect amount of power (IMO) for the road. Slightly more low end grunt. Less conspicuous too.

That being said, the 1299 is brilliant, significantly more bonkers, and feels more dependable.
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Its the agricultural shudder and transmission slap at low revs on all Ducatis except the Panigale that makes me see the Panigale in a much more positive light. Been on an 1199 and to be honest it did not feel like a Ducati at all. It felt modern!
 
I'd agree with that to some degree. The Panigale represents a clear break from the past from an engineering perspective, and that shows in the subjective character of the engine. It also shows in the less regular and more affordable maintenance schedule. It's generally a whole lot less fussy/temperamental/quirky as an ownership prospect.

But I do like the 1098/1198 engine in the Streetfighter, and the trellis frame. It's a ruthlessly precise road bike, much more so than the current Monster 1200R. Just keep the RPM above 3-4k :)
 
Furyous said:
Never spotted this thread. My list (in order):

2005 Honda XR125L
1991 Moto Guzzi California III LAPD
1992 Honda VFR750F
2005 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm
1998 Honda CBR900RRW Fireblade
2000 Honda VTR1000 SP-1
2001 Aprilia SL1000 Falco
1992 Suzuki GSX-R750 WN
2004 Husqvarna SM610S
2010 Aprilia Tuono 1000 R
2007 Honda VTR1000 SP-2 S-6
1998 Honda CBR900 RRW Fireblade
2002 Honda VTR1000 SP-1
2002 Suzuki GSX-R750Y
1998 Honda VFR800Fi
1998 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm
2011 Ducati Streetfighter 1100
2015 Yamaha YZF-R1
2007 Aprilia RSV1000R
2008 Suzuki DR-Z400SM
2014 Ducati Hyperstrada 821
2004 Honda VTR1000 SP-2
2015 MV Agusta Brutale 990R
2011 Duacti Streetfighter 1100
2016 Yamaha YZF-R1 60th Anniversary
2015 Honda CBR1000RR SP ABS
2016 Yamaha XSR700
2016 Ducati Monster 1200R
2016 Ducati 1299 (Current)
2010 Triumph Street Triple R
2009 Ducati Streetfighter 1100 S (Current)
Click to expand...

I think you've just won the thread Furyous. Great too see it back in play though :)

Mate of mine bought this thing just before Xmas..

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I am not envious in the least. Not even the least little bit. Honestly.
 
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