Hi all,
ists been a while sonce i last posted as i am bikeless…and therefore dont feel i can contribute.
I am however looking to buy a new bike - The dilemma is …
I am moving house to the south coast near to Hove and intend to commute in on a bike as i hate the thought of spending £5k per annum on trains and havingnothing to show for it.
My question (s) are Does anyone else do a circa 120 mile rounbd trip daily. If so is it doable? I have done long rides sporradicly i.e. 2 days at a time but not on a regular basis. I had a K1200R BMW which wasnt ideal for M roads - I was looking at a Honda VFR 800 ABS - Whats the view on this? I didnt want to go for a big engine like the 1200 as i fear fuel economy may not make the sums add up. Id really appreaciate suggestions on bikes and wether im bonkers consdering it and should just sit on a train like the rest of them .
Thanks in advandce
VFR800 ABS is a great bike. Looks nice, and very comfy. The only annoying thing is a vtec system. You must get used to it that at 6800rpm there will be a power kick. Otherwise it’s a great bike. It’s very narrow so filtering is not a problem and has plenty of torque, thanks to v4 engine. Servicing is expensive (because it’s a Honda and has that vtec system making valves setting a bit complicated and time consuming).
my daily journey from Basingstoke to the docklands is 120 miles. I do it on a yamaha xt660z tenere primarily because it does 250 miles to a tank and is only £5k new with the all important warranty. I’ve considered replacing it with a 1200 GSA or RT but I don’t think the trade off of motorway comfort v light weight/narrow through traffic is worth the extra outlay.
Thats useful to know - tank range is quite mportant. I used to get 45-55 MPG on the motorway with the BMW…anyone with a VFR get somethign similar? I assume the trick is to keep it below the point where vtec kicks in?
The VFR is pretty thirsty - i had one as a hire bike when my blade was stolen. The blade was better on fuel economy!
Good bike though, but as said above its pretty gutless below 6.5k - but rather tasty above it - its a dramatic turn of power.
Personally, Id go for a beemer 1200 k (or new 1300k). The faired version, think your old bike was a naked?
Good luck dude.
I agree a K1200S would be a great choice ( budget wont allow the £12k spend though.
Thanks for the tip on the VFR, i may try to convince dobles to lend me one for a day to try it out.
don’t forget you’ll have to factor in a lot of running costs. A new rear tyre every 3 months, a service every 4 months, plus you’ll need top range gear because that sort of mileage will highlight any weaknesses (waterproof/sweaty/cold etc) in your clothing. Plus you’ll be out of contact for about 3hrs of the day.
As much as I’m trying to play devils advocate, I got back on the bike for the first time this morning after a week of having to get the train…and I loved it.
Check out service intervals/requirements too. Admittedly I am only on a 250 scooter myself, but doing 55miles a day means it needs attention every 3 months. Every other one is just an oil and filter job, but you’ll also need to factor in tyres, brakes and all the usual consumables.
Simon, thanks for that - I have thankfully kept all the decent gear i had from last year, Id probably installa helmet comms set as i bought the lid with that in mind before i was forced to sell the BM. The service/runnign costs are somethign i need to look at - i was hoping id get through 2 x tyres per year…no doubt i will have to see how the wear goes when/if i go ahead.
I just cant see me doing a 1-2 hour train ride every day in the knowlege that on a bike its 1.5 hours and there wont be any delays because the driver is on strike!
after you add the time it takes to put all your gear on (c.15mins in winter if you wear layers like me) it pretty much takes the same amount of time as it would do on the train. Also, do you have facilities to get changed and showered? How about secure parking?
Again, I’m only pointing out the negative points. I’ve had a couple of bitch journeys (student demonstrations etc) but I’d much rather face tough traffic than train delays.
A 400cc scooter would be worth considering for this. Modern Piaggios have 6000 mile service intervals and 70-80mpg, servicing and tyres would probably average out at about £150 a month if dealer serviced and the belt was replaced every service. Engine is reasonably punchy up to 80mph and maxes out about 100mph. weather protection, compfort and under seat storage are all there as these are designed as commuting machines.
Personally I think they are as ugly as sin BTW …
Don’t get the train… every time its late or canceled, you’ll be kicking yourself you didnt ride and the costs of fuel will be a distant and insignificant memory.
It happens EVERY time i think, oh, ill get the train - as soon as im at the station, i regret it.
As mentioned - your service intervals and consumables will start concertinaing -so it would help if you do your own basic servicing like oil changes, brake pads, etc as you will be doing these pretty regularly and it will be cheaper than going to a shop if you are sticking to your service schedules.Yeah - and you’ll be wanting sports touring type tyres for higher mileage and you’ll be getting through a few of them every year.Personally I would go for a shafty in these circumstances - as you will be having to lube the chain every three days (if you lube it every 300 miles like I do) - which can be a bit tedious after a while.Perfect bike for the job in terms of practicality is a Honda Deauville (stop sniggering at the back!) I rode one a few times as a courtesy bike a few years back.Up sides: Ultra reliable, relatively simple so less to go wrong, handy built in panniers, shaft drive, not a thief magnet, such a boring bike that it rides itself (good when you are knackered at the end of the day and don’t want to think too hard about riding the bike).Down sides: such a boring bike that it rides itself - a serious cure for insomnia. Has zero charisma or street credibility (sorry to any owners reading this 
)If you get an older decent cheap one you can use the left over pennies to get something lairy and interesting to ride at weekends.
ANything you’d like to know about the Viffer ask or read here… http://www.bikersoracle.com/vfr/forum/ although we’re a bit bias, sorry can’t offer any advice on the Vtec other than to say that the service cost aren’t as bad as many make out (or so I understand from the Vtec owners)
Ian
rather than go shaft drive…which limits your options…you could fit an adventure spec scottoiler that only needs refilling every 5-6 thousand miles.
and it just so happens I have a “High Capacity Resevoir” for sale 
i used to do around 500miles a week and in the winter the bike takes a lot of wear due to salt on the roads ,days when it never stops raining ( your boots are always damp ) brakes and tyres are always getting replaced , i had a xt225 very underpower for fast roads but cheap to run and good in the ice and snow, as you will drop it !!!.so trial bikes save you money on broken panels etc.
