The Bikeshite Thread

[Eddie Honda]

Any thoughts?

Aye. VFR750. God's motorcycle.

[Fabergé Greggs]

I was pretty happy with my 125 licence for about a week, but recently I've been hankering after something really fast.

 

All those delicious cheap 90's rockets aren't helping one bit.

 

Doh.

[Dave_Q]

Don't​ get me wrong, I'm really enjoying blezzing round town on the Vespa, but it doesn't quite tick the "neck snapping acceleration" box like a big boy bike.

 

It seems mad to me that these things are so cheap, a similar age naked seems to be worth more? I guess maybe sports bike riders tend to be a bit more fickle in wanting the latest thing, where as a M reg GS500 or summat looks much the same as the modern equivalent.

[conkerman]

How about a TRX 850? Cracking bikes.

 

For an oldie like that I'd probably go CBR every time. Thousands of club racers couldn't have been wrong

 

Sent from my Vodafone Smart ultra 6 using Tapatalk

[hairnet]

My mum has one of them, she's about 70.

The old man was gonna buy one of those when he retired

 

Must ask him if he found a good one yet ( he doesn't live in this country )

[hairnet]

Vfr800

 

Most boring bike ive ever ridden

[conkerman]

I agree. Whole heartedly.

 

Sent from my Vodafone Smart ultra 6 using Tapatalk

[hairnet]

And ive had pan euro

 

[Guest Hooli]

Passed its MOT today and the first time I have been out on it this year. Only done 550 miles in the last year ashamed to say.

 

2017-05-26 14.15.34.jpg

 

I wish mine was that tidy!

 

I really will get it rebuilt one day..

 

[Guest Hooli]

And ive had pan euro

 

 

I put 20k on a ST1100 in a couple of years, while just using it as a wet weather bike. They are a lot more fun than they should be.

[Cavcraft]

That battery was a brand new £50 AGM jobbie, it's the right one for the bike but it looks tiny to me and the alarm flattens it after 2-3 days.

 

I never had a problem bumping it as I live up a hill, you're probably best to disconnect it, or get the alarm removed.

 

 

 

The latest episode of my never ending compulsion to buy more shite: more 90s sportsbikes. 

Obviously I've still got that bandit at the back of the garage but I'm thinking once it's shifted I will get another sportsbike, maybe a 600 as the 'blade was just a tad scary at times for a big wuss like me.

 

I'm looking for something in full SPEARS OR REEPERES condition and will spend a good while cleaning and painting and whatnot, maybe getting it on the road in a year or 2.

 

 

 

 

It's fine mate, entirely my own fault for never riding the thing and it certainly wasn't a complaint!

 

Meanwhile, talking of smaller bikes I've been offered what looks like a really tidy ZX6R (1999) as a swap for it. Worth it do you think, given I'm after something a bit smaller?

[Cavcraft]

Hairnet, year 2000

 

[Dave_Q]

It's fine mate, entirely my own fault for never riding the thing and it certainly wasn't a complaint!

 

Meanwhile, talking of smaller bikes I've been offered what looks like a really tidy ZX6R (1999) as a swap for it. Worth it do you think, given I'm after something a bit smaller?

 

Yeah I didn't think you were complaining mate, just saying I had the same problem.

 

If it's really clean it's probably worth it, the blade is £1500 tops really without spending on fixing up the scrapes or finding some panels in the right colour.

 

ebay sold prices for ZX6Rs seem about that for nice ones so seems a fair enough swap.

[Jazoli]

I bought this today

Shame a 350 mile round trip took 9 hours, that's what happens on a Friday before half term, I could have collected it tomorrow but I'm impatient and get twitchy without a bike in the garage

 

[Guest Hooli]

How many days will you keep this one?

[hairnet]

That's not me in that pic

 

I look the same as I did then only I've list 4 Stone and a bit greyer

[hairnet]

M.Roberts us far less ugly than me

 

Keep the blade - price won't go down zx6 just another Japanese four

 

Blade isnt

[Cavcraft]

It's ace, but it's too big for me. I've had a few swaps offers for it, including a Triumph Speed 4 which I want to like, but the design and the exhaust are messing with my head. 

[Cavcraft]

Passed its MOT today and the first time I have been out on it this year. Only done 550 miles in the last year ashamed to say.

 

2017-05-26 14.15.34.jpg

 

I think you've won this thread forever.

[Jazoli]

How many days will you keep this one?

At least a week or two

 

After years of litre sports bikes and riding like a fucking idiot pulling insane speeds on every outing and it all getting a bit serious I'm feeling a bit jaded by it all and not really having fun anymore, I'm hoping a light nimble sporty naked will bring back the fun element and lose the license and liberty threatening part of it that litre bikes bring to the party.

 

According to the reviews the Street Triple is the best bike ever, will find out as soon as it gets light

[warren t claim]

Not been out on the Fireblade in a bit, so got it out the garage today. here's how it went:

 

Battery flat, no problem, I'll bump start it: FAIL.

 

Got booster pack, took seat off, it ran.

 

Put seat back on, it stalled.

 

Took seat off, jumped it, let it run for a while, went for a ride.

 

Got about 30 yards, stalled it. Wouldn't bump start, pushed it back.

 

Jumped it, ran it for ages, went for a ride.

 

Ran out of fuel/didn't switch to reserve. Battery flat, pushed it home about 3/4 mile.

 

Put fuel in it, jumped it, ran for ages, went for two or three mile ride. Saw mate, shouted hello, nearly fell off.

 

It's back in the garage now.

Why does that remind me of another large capacity Honda I know?

[hairnet]

Have you still got that 3 wheel thing

[Jerzy Woking]

 

 

With regard to the very sexy looking racy 125's esp the Italian offerings - they are fantastic things, in unrestricted form they punch out 30bhp or more with the chassis to handle it. The main issue is that they are designed for skinny teens, under 5-9 and ten stone, not really for middle aged gents tbh! Rode an unresticted Cagiva Mito many years ago - christ it was fun but at over six foot tall, not ideal. 

 

 

 

 

I have a somewhat "lumpy" physique and am far from a teen, but I am under 5'9" and fit on my Mito ok - they are quite big, in that it is a stretch to the handlebars. Mine is 30bhp,  easily attained with a very simple air box mod and a reject.  Good enough to haul me up to 100mph anyway.

 

No two stroke will be cheap for much longer, as ft hey are in great demand seeing as they will soon be a thing of the past due to emissions. 80's Jap stuff is stupidly priced, but Italian 125's have got to as low a price as they will ever get. And not unreliable - mine has done 25,000 miles in the hands of 12 previous owners, and parts for a total rebuild were around £250

[Dave_Q]

Forgot to post this, spotted at work this week - Z750 turbo. Bonus man points for what I think is a drag racing number on the tank.

[Psycho Charlie Knobcheese]

 

 

This has been parked up in my Mothers garage for the last 15 years. Starter clutch gone and was burning 1l of oil every 200 miles. Been thinking about chucking a ZR-7 engine in it.

 

But look at it!

[Aston Martin]

Fuck me, the MSX got updated a few months ago and it now has ABS etc and a massive price increase. Anyway, there was one parked outside Halfords and it's soo fucking cool.

 

(Still saving for a house deposit, even though my soon to be housemate said "lets go halfsies on one" )

 

I am impulsive so it's hard for me to not order one on a whim.

 

 

...

 

 

Because this is bikeshite, this looks cool.

 

 

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201705225712761?cc-to=125&sort=price-asc&advertising-location=at_bikes&radius=1500&postcode=tn401dp&cc-from=125&make=HONDA&page=1

[DodgeRover]

Almost bikeshite, - quadshite - I have been offered a couple of Apache quads for the kids, it looks like there is spares backup from the importer apache leisure. Anybody got an experience with them?

[PiperCub]

photo 1.JPGphoto 2.JPG

 

 

This has been parked up in my Mothers garage for the last 15 years. Starter clutch gone and was burning 1l of oil every 200 miles. Been thinking about chucking a ZR-7 engine in it.

 

But look at it!

 

I like! Very 90's - tiny indicators, no rear guard and small 'Cop-magnet' number plate. 

[PiperCub]

That battery was a brand new £50 AGM jobbie, it's the right one for the bike but it looks tiny to me and the alarm flattens it after 2-3 days.

 

I never had a problem bumping it as I live up a hill, you're probably best to disconnect it, or get the alarm removed.

 

 

 

The latest episode of my never ending compulsion to buy more shite: more 90s sportsbikes. 

Obviously I've still got that bandit at the back of the garage but I'm thinking once it's shifted I will get another sportsbike, maybe a 600 as the 'blade was just a tad scary at times for a big wuss like me.

 

I'm looking for something in full SPEARS OR REEPERES condition and will spend a good while cleaning and painting and whatnot, maybe getting it on the road in a year or 2.

 

 

 

Candidates:

 

CBR600 - preferably an F2 for radial tyres, slightly more power and better looks, but this jellymould is winking at me something chronic, has already been through once at £200 and not sold.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172687736421?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

ZZR600 - these see to be very cheap / underrated, although I find myself more drawn to Hondas for reasons I can't explain.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kawasaki-Zzr600-/122502628999?hash=item1c85b9c687%3Ag%3AXJ0AAOSwPh5ZHYbw&nma=true&si=5e0EBW8eXlLOCwK4z4e6OTnMTVw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

VFR750 - had an early one before, sold it for MOAR SPEEDS with the Fireblade, but actually fancy another, with a single sided swingarm. More broken than this one, obvs.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-VFR-750-/112416753856?hash=item1a2c8f88c0:g:pvsAAOSwblZZJDN-

 

CBR1000 - Probably a bit big and wallowy but can't argue with the VAL-U.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-CBR1000FJ-1989-/232347999992?hash=item3619051ef8:g:hc4AAOSwB-1Y68Pa

 

 

Any thoughts? It's likely to be a straight choice between the CBR and ZZR to be honest. The vibe I'm going for is 600 sports weapon circa 1994, although I am 6 foot 2 and huskily built and found the blade a bit uncomfortable for stints of over an hour.

 

Either the CBR or the ZZR 600's- they are both really good bikes. The ZZR as you say, is very, very under-rated and I've known people swear blind they are better than the CBR but this may be at least partially due to some folk having a bit of Honda-hate going on. Have owned neither but ridden various examples of both from immaculate to dog-shit (CBR only in this state) and both are very good machines even when a bit rough.

I'd imagine the original jelly-mould type are in the OMGClassicBike category by now too. 

 

Only had one brief go on a CBR1000 so can't comment as I can't recall much about it!

 

The VFR is a lovely thing but there are a couple of downsides, one is the price, the earlier ones (ie: the nice looking ones) in anything over passable state command a fair bit of money nowadays. The second is they are, V4-motors esp. not nice to work on - yes they are wonderful pieces of engineering but can be a pain to spanner (lack of access, all packed in etc.) but these ought not to put you off what is otherwise a great all-round bike.

[CreepingJesus]

How are NS125Rs pricewise? A few mates had them at the time, but I could see me with one nowadays. Thankfully I'm still fairly 'compact' if not as light as I was at seventeen...!