I bought an 05 r6 in 09 with 500 miles on her. I’ve done 22000 miles on her commuting to the wharf (and a few on track) and she’s never ever skipped a beat. Only thing that’s needed “repairing” is replaced the battery. I’ve had her serviced at my dealer every 6000 miles. And still going strong!
I’m not really qualified to comment on this, but I have a mate who’s got an early 00s 600f and it’s not quite as reliable as a Honda is supposedly reported to be… Blown downpipes, unreliable HISS system, thermostat problem and a failed master cylinder…
I have heard loads of good things about the Honda but as stated above they are not without their problems…
Aren’t those SRAD gixxers supposed to be pretty good? Have you thought about a VFR perhaps?
i’m biased so would say honda hands down…and you could’nt really go wrong with a looked after vfr be it 750/ 800 they’ll munch miles and give good mpg and a vfr is as sporty as a cbr or early gsxr any day.
early srad’s are pretty comfy looking but still a dedicated riding position for commuting in my eyes
Yes - An early R6 is definitely a possibility - after owning a Thunderace I’m really impressed with Yamaha build quality and finish - the Ace has proven to be a tough old bike so far and if the R6 is built to the same standards then I would say it’s as good as a Honda in terms of build quality/reliability - looks a bit cramped though?
VFR:
Yep - I totally understand the legend that is the VFR - it’s a bit uninspiring to look at but that’s irrelevant really when your after a decent workhorse.
I’ve owned a couple of Suzukis before and the finish isn’t great - they soon deteriorate if used in all weathers and I don’t have the time to wash down and clean a bike when I’m getting in late at night and only have time to clean my teeth and hit the sack.
I’m 5’8 and its a bit big for me. Im on my toes. I find it very comfy for a sports bike. Its the last year before the current shape came out. I think the build standard is fantastic. I barely wash it; like literally; lucky if she gets a wash once a year. When I do wash her she gleams like new. I do have a high standard thanks to this bike
+1 on 05 generation R6. Last version with road riders in mind.
Yamaha had already improved their build quality to rival if not overtake Honda. The build quality is much much better than the Thundercat / Thunderace and even the original R6 generation bikes.
Consequently, they probably hold their prices better than Suzukis and Kawasakis which aren’t bad, but even today Suzuki are probably the worst of the bunch (IMO since 09 Kawasaki have overtaken Suzuki in build quality).
It’s unlikely anything will go seriously wrong with the Japanese bikes so I would be more concerned about looks / price. Performance is broadly similar (though the 03 ZX6R was a step above anything else that year in terms of performance…not comfort though).
If it was my money, I’d look at a K4 GSXR 600 or an 04 R6. The CBR 600 RRs are great but less comfy…likewise the ZX6Rs.
^^Yeah I was doing 100 miles a day in the Volvo and that added up to 25,000 in one year. Plus about 10K on the bike doing rideouts. That could easily add up over a few years if it was all on the bike.
