Motorbikes

[Tandum]

My son has done his 12months on a 500 suzuki and wants a real bike. He's 22 and already has a football injury to the knee which is limiting his choices due to riding positions. We went looking late last week and the new 2013 kwaka Z800 seems to have a riding position that suits.

He's buggered off to Thailand with his mates for a couple of weeks since then but I've now found that the 2013 Z1000 is lighter and physically smaller for only about $2000 more. The Z800 is 85Kwankles the Z1000 is 110 plus it's about 30Kgs lighter, but ride position is basically the same. This is supposed to be a commuter.

I'm not sure if I should tell him or not, I'd like to outlive him.

[tlgerdes]

Let him make his own mistakes. If you contribute to his mistakes you will never hear the end of it. :lol:

[Nikolas]

z1000 is too much bike for a novice

[Tandum]

Good idea, I'll just keep my trap shut.

[Ric]

I'd suggest getting a mid range BMW.

The powerband is a lot more relaxed and they are way more reliable.

I guarantee you won't be up for a engine rebuild at 100,000 kilometres.

[Tandum]

If your talking about a flat twin Ric, the cheapest is double the z800 price.

[Ric]

Hi Robin

The RRP for the Z800 is around $13,000 plus rego & CTP

For that price you can get a 2nd hand BMW in the 800cc to 1200cc range, registered and with less than 20,000 km on the clock.

Cheers

[Tandum]

I've lined one up for $12,099 drive away. The bike must be under 18months old for finance.

Besides, he told me a bmw is an old persons bike :)

[Ric]

Old persons bike indeed! :rofl:

I've been riding Beemers since I was 17 :thumbsup:

Check this model out, my brother in law rides one and he has a permanent grin from ear to ear. :D

http://www.bmw-motorrad.com/com/en/index.html?content=http://www.bmw-motorrad.com/com/en/_error/index.html&notrack=1

Cheers :D

[GrahamL]

:lol::rofl:

[taminga16]

I have a BMW R1150R that makes a kick in the arse under 100HP at the rear wheel, pulls 0-100 klms in about 3 seconds, will leave black lines on the road and is still comfortable enough to ride all day. It is an old man's bike and even has a clock in the cockpit.
Greg.
The only mods are breathing in and out and a mild flash of the ECU to make things happen at touring speeds and bring it all into the 3000 RPM range BTW it does paw the air from 1st to 5th but rear tyres are just too expensive:).

[Tandum]

This link doesn't work for me Ric.
And you got me looking you ratbag, I'm off to test ride an old K100RS tomorrow :rolleyes:

[sheeny]

Welcome (back?) to the club, Robin!:thumbsup:

Al.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Sure is good advice , I have a Kawasaki z750R and its 116hp and its a monster when she comes on song , still scares me and I have been riding for 30 odd years ..
Its more the other traffic on the road you have to be aware of and I think a young 22 year old just starting out the z1000 is way to much bike .
Brian.

[Tandum]

Yes back, but it's been a while.
I rode it already and bought it, couldn't resist :D

[FlashDrive]

I like this thread .... now your talking ;) Motorbikes.
If I may ....BMW ... an old man's bike :D ...OK... then I must be considered old :lol: .... smooth as they are...shaft drive ( what more could you want )...a set of panniers on the back ....a great tourer.
I'd have blokes coming in buying ' O Ring ' chains all the time...........give me shaft drive any day.

I have a favourite ...the MotoGuzzi 500 Monza ..90' degree Twin Cylinder...shaft driven .....haven't seen 1 of these in a long time.

At one time decades ago ...( for 2 years ) ...I was Spare Parts Manager for a Kawasaki Motorcycle Dealership ...BMW/Harley Davidson Dealership was across the road.
We both did quite well selling our brand .

We were selling the GPZ900R's...GPZ1000's ....GPZ750R Turbos and the pocket rocket known as the KR250.... also road/trail bikes.
Kawasaki was known as the ' Green Machine ' at Bathurst.

But of all the bikes we sold in those days....where are they now....BUT....look around and you can see some day's ... an early BMW still going on the road .


Flash....the old man :lol:

[Nikolas]

I have a bmw r1100s that just clocked over 100,000kms, only old man thing on it is heated grips, the Staintunes on it sound horrrnnnn

[Ric]

Nice looking unit Robin, you'll have a lot of fun with that.

Sorry about the link, I was talking about BMW's S 1000 RR. (see picture)

My toys are a 1985 K75c with 475,000 km on the clock and still as reliable as the day I bought it and a 1998 R1200c with 104,000 km on the clock.

Enjoy your new ride. :thumbsup:

[Ric]

Hi Nik

You can't be the sound of Staintunes eh. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: I have them on both my bikes.

Nothing wrong with heated grips, I ride 80km to work and back every day and in Winter it can be down to -7ºc in the mornings.

I love my heated grips. :love:

[taminga16]

I love my heated grips.
Greg.

[CJ]

Way too fast.

[Tandum]

Yeah thanks a lot mate. I now own it for better or for worse, I pick it up on Saturday. I got a full set of fluids, filters and crush washers for it today ready to go in.

It's really in very good nick for an almost 30 year old bike, he even had it repainted at some stage. The owner stopped riding it a couple of years ago as it was hurting his shoulder so garaged it to stop the pain. That shoulder pain developed into cancer for him and now he's selling off all his toys. Bit of a message there for everyone.

I'll pop a pic of it when I can. I can see a telescope sell off coming on :)

[blink138]

well i have had a few bikes in my time from my first "L" class cycle a yam 250 special........ well it wasnt!, spark plugs, points and a 7am start as an optical mechanic at OPSM 65km away with no freeways!
it took me a half hour to get the ******* started in the morn!
progressed to yam xv 750 customised..... highway pegs great aftermarket pipes effortless against a headwind but handled like a coles shopping trolley!
come a guzza on that and had six weeks "forced holiday"
enter a 1982 suzi katana 1100 and then the new kwaka gpz 900...... unfortunately written off after 4 days with me almost written off too, on a mad ride from northcliffe to windy harbour...... royal flying doctor service ...the works!
anyhow after a broken ankle, broken knee, wrist, ruptured kidney and my second replacement hip...... well..... i love bikes!!!
astronomy SEEMS a lot safer
pat

[blink138]

the most beautiful motorcycle i have ever seen
brough superior 1931
so beautiful i named one of my optical frames after her
pat

[Tandum]

Lawrence of Arabia died on one of those.

This one in fact.

[blink138]

hmmm... i thought he was a royal enfield man.
pat

[Ric]

Here's one I lust after.:love:

The 1975 BMW R90S, often regarded as the first true sports bike. (insert drool smilie here)

A mate of mine has one and often enjoys rubbing my nose in it. :lol:

I'm always on the lookout for a decent one but it may cause divorce proceedings. :D

[Nikolas]

138477

This is how I transported my refractor from work to home when I first got it delivered ;)


btw how do you get the attachments to appear like I've seen on many posts? they appear on another page with the sidebar?

[Nico13]

Ah motor bikes, just love em.
This was my toy up til a few years back when the good old, Old being the proverbial word, arthritis stopped me from riding it too far. That's how I got back into astronomy as the bike was sitting in the shed so it went and not long after the telescopes started to turn up.
That was after the radio control helicopters of course.:rofl:
Had a couple Bandit 1200's before this one the SV1000s
Spent five years hooning this up and down the Great Ocean Road:eyepop:

[Nico13]

And I had heated grips :rofl:
Was voted the best sounding bike down the front straight at Phillip Island on a track day my wife shouted me for my 50th but that was 9 and a 1/2 years back.
I count in half years these days :P

[rowena]

Motorbikes... The reason why i rarely Post up here now-a-days!!! :eyepop:

I started off riding the suzuki GS500F... Then after 9 months, (this was a few years ago where i went straight from L's to a Open motorbike licence.. thanks QLD)... I went to a 2008 GSXR 750!

The gixxer 750 was a awesome little bike... bit more power then a 600 to get me out of trouble, but not as much torque or power as the 1000!.

I am now currently riding a 2009 suzuki GSXR 1000 and a 2006 Honda CBR 1000rr. I love both the torque and power of the 1000's but it is something you need to learn to appreciate over time.

I dont think a 22 yo will apreciate a z1000 power... My suggestion is a Z750, a naked triump or the naked suzuki gsx 750.

You also have older sports tourers like the zzr600. Remembering again he is only 22, Insurance is going to be THROUGH THE ROOF! So i would honestly start off on a cheaper and older 600/750 til he gets above 25 yo.

Ps if you wanted to know any ride groups in brissy to ride with, let me know.. i know a fair few of the different ride forums/groups :)

Rowena..

[FlashDrive]

These are 2 bikes that I have owned in the Past.

I bought the Yamaha XS750 Special ( 3 cylinder ) Shaft Drive.....Brand New in 1980 for $3,000.00 ON ROAD.

I bought the SR500 Single S/H for $750.00.

Flash.....

[acropolite]

Robin, I don't believe size will make that much difference, lethal speeds are a fact of life on almost any capacity bike, the larger ones just get you there sooner. Insurance is another matter...

@ Col, the 750 Yammie triple brings back memories, I had one for a couple of years at about the same time. I sold it after a few near misses with cars, none of which were my fault. Over the years I've had a Kawasaki F11 trail bike, Kawasaki 250 trials bike, Montesa Capra 250 VR Mx bike, Kawasaki 500 MX bike, Bulaco 350 MX bike, BSA 250 C11 (1935 vintage) and a Bridgestone 350 GTR two stroke.
These days I enjoy riding a mountain bike (Giant Anthem X29), heaps of fun relatively safe and much more healthy, but I still get restless every time I'm near a bike shop.

[Stardrifter_WA]

My last bike was a Yamaha FJ1200.............but I broke it! Well, actually, I didn't, but the car that pulled out in front of me did. It took me 14 years to recover, with my very last op in February of this year.

Will I ever go back riding, sadly no.....but only because I had to make a promise to my daughter that I wouldn't. When I make a promise, I keep it. Damn promise! :sadeyes:

Having owned around a dozen bikes over the years, the FJ1200 was, by a wide margin, the best bike I ever owned. And I have owned some good bikes. Worse bike I ever owned.....not hard to guess......a Harley, before the days of electric start. Its only redeeming feature, I couldn't kick it over when I was pissed. :lol:

Did you know, that 94% of all Harleys built are still on the road........................the other 6% made it home. :rofl:

[CJ]

:lol:

Harleys are everywhere up here on the Sushine Coast. Not my cup of tea. More of a Ducati fan. I had an SV650 a few years back. A bright yellow one. Loved it. Now I look back on my biking days as though I dodged a bullet!

[omegacrux]

Hi Robin
I think the 800 is a good option
The Z1000 be nice but the 800 would be a good bike , they get good a write-up
And now the smaller bikes go hard , run circles around the bored out Z1R
I used to ride
I think the frame was made out of rubber !

Ps , went to the local bike show here
and there was a Brough Superior I was drooling !
There also was a Z1R-tc bike porn for a bloke what grew up in the 70s

David

[Stardrifter_WA]

I rode a Ducati in the early 80's, just couldn't get use to the gears being on the wrong side. It was weird. But, I do love the sound of a Ducati. And yes, I know they changed that later.

[CJ]

I've never ridden a Ducati. Nearly bought a used 748 instead of the SV but got put off by the serviciing costs. That and the reliability! Oh, and the cost!
Had a blast on a mates Yamaha R1. I think it had warp drive!

[marki]

The old bevels were fairly unique in design (read hard core no compromise hand grenades) but boy could they fly through a sweeper, and that sweet sweet sound of thunder :). For me you cannot beat a big V twin especially when they are water cooled 8 valve fuel injected torque monsters like my 851 superbike. All the grunt of a big twin down low and eye watering acceleration above 6000 RPM. I bought this one new in 1989 and intend to have it as long as I can ride it, still gives me a buzz and puts a big grin on my face even after 23 years, now that's love I tell ya and that's what a Ducati does for the soul. I have ridden some of the later models (916, 998 etc ) but they didn't have enough character to get me interested, they had lost the rawness and were brutally refined. Robin I have not ridden one of the K model Barvarian Money Wasters for years but I am sure you will love it, especially on a sunny Sunday afternoon :)

Mark

[rowena]

True you can get into trouble on any size motorbike....
However a novice rider can get into a lot more trouble going from a small CC to a large CC.

A 250cc you can snap on the accelerator and it is much more forgiving then a 1000cc. I have seen a 250cc rider go straight to a 1000cc, a R1, take his new pride and joy down the drag strip only to bin it immediately because he thought he could twist the throttle the same as his old 250. Bike took off and started doing a wheelie, rider freaked out, off the power slammed the front down and he came off... mean while the bike is now doing 10km a hour down the drag strip til it looses all power and falls over.

It also depends on the maturity level of the novice rider. The novice maybe a older person who doesn't need to put the throttle on... it maybe a woman who is scared of the new found power and therefore wont hit the throttle hard. There are some mature 22yos around... but some do think they know better.

The other thing for a novice to learn is throttle acceleration. Learning to be able to apply the power on smoothly is a skill learnt over time. Powering on into (most ppl dont do this) and out of a corner can be very effective way of cornering. But if a novice hits the power too hard coming out of a corner on their new 1000cc bike this can lead into all sorts of danger, along with a shake up for the rider aswell.

[blink138]

my brother had one of these........ mike hailwood replica mille (1000cc)
i was lucky enough to get my leg over this baby a number of times and winding the throttle back was truly exhilarating!
pat

[LUCFR]

Well, I sold my 2002 VFR800 last year with 120,000klms on it and was just looking at getting the valves done!! Turned around and bought an 08 zx14SE and absolutely love it. More power than I will ever need, but a whole lot of fun. :eyepop:

[Tandum]

Mine is here now. Time to replace all the fluids :D

[Jezza94]

here is my love child, 2012 883 iron. Harley of course.

[Stardrifter_WA]

And do you say your prayers every morning Jeremy:

Our Harley, which art a chopper, hallowed be thy twin Vee,
Thy engine hums, thy tyres run, on dirt as it does on asphalt,
Give us this day, our daily run, and forgive us for our straight pipes,
as we forgive those that ride fully dressed amongst us.
Lead us not to Suzuki, and deliver us from the fuzz,
for ever and ever. Amen

I saw this poem in the very first issue of Easyrider Magazine, oh so very long ago. And, if you are riding a Harley, then you do need to pray that it makes it home again. :rofl: Mind you, they have been building them for nearly a hundred years, so it is about time they got them right! :lol:

Cheers Peter

[blink138]

the "other" poem of course peter, a mate of mine had on his t-shirt in the 80's was:
"on the sixth day god created harley davidson, and on the seventh day he was still trying to start the effing thing!"
and of course for the trumpy bonnevilles dropped so much oil that they used to get "two petrol stations to the mile" ha ha what a ripper!
pat

[simmo]

Hello Tandum,

I take it your son has been riding a gs500 and was it restricted? Either way it should have had enough power to have learnt the basics.

I would vouch for upgrading. I feel a lot safer on my 1200 than I ever did on the 4 stroke 250 that I had. Nobody can keep up with you on the roads. Don't have to play bumper cars with the mental chip on their shoulder person at the end of the day who plays traffic boss. You just leave them all behind.

The only thing I would say is go for the lightest bike as it will be easier to manouvre with. Probably the only setback with my 1200 is it is a little too heavy.

And buy him a day at the racetrack so he can learn to leave his ego there. On the road ride to live to ride another day is a motto I like.

Cheerz
Simmo ;)

[Tandum]

Cheers simmo,
He's back from Thailand and we've had another shop around. He's put a deposit down on an ex demo 2013 BMW F800R with 1500K on the clock and finance is underway. It's an upright inline water cooled twin and the fuel tank is under the seat to keep the weight low, so it should be fine in traffic. He said it outclassed all of the jap bikes he has test ridden. $12,490 + about $400 for stamp duty and to transfer the rego.

Now we can start our own little BMW cub :lol:

[omegacrux]

Nice choice
Christian Phiffer not sure of the spelling
Rides one of those and he's a world champ on it !
Google him worth a look

David

[Tandum]

It's got the same power and torque figures as the K100RS but will be way lighter. I'm sure a few of those horse have escape from the old K100 over the last 27 years too :)

I see Christian Phiffer as a stunt rider. That won't be a normal old F800 :)

[Ric]

Nice choice.

The F800 is a very tidy and capable bike and very happy on the highway as it is in the city.

[Tandum]

Cheers Ric, I'm happy too. I think he'll be a lot safer on that than some street racer.
I'm surprised at the performance figures, 65Kw and 86Nm which are the same as my 86 K100rs.
The K800 was 83Kw and 83Nm but torque always wins :)
It has a whopping 12.5:1 compression which means premium fuel.
This one has pannier racks and the yet to be bought panniers expand from 17L to 25L somehow. They are almost a grand.
It's 2 months old so has 2months less than 2 years warranty and that includes roadside assist.
He'll have it paid off in 3 years. Perfect.

[edit]
I can't get that K1300R I saw down there out of my head. The front end is something out of a scifi flick yet hidden behind a fairing. $27,000 2nd hand.

[Ric]

Yep, the front end of the 1300R always reminds me of the Cylons in a strange way.

[alocky]

I've been riding my K12S for about 6 years now, and that Hossack front end does more than just look good. It is light years ahead of my previous bikes - and 170HP doesn't hurt either...
Go beemer!
cheers,
Andrew.

[taminga16]

Well done that boy, great choice. Re; panniers talk with these people, http://www.bmshop.com.au/
Greg.

[Tandum]

Greg, he got it from morgan and wackers the long term Harley/BM dealers here. I bought my BM's from them 30 odd years ago. They have put new panniers on the bike at a discount price, upped the price of the bike to suit and it's gone through finance just fine :) He's picking it up today.

I was at the bm shop Friday getting an air filter for mine. More oily industrial unit than shop :)

Try http://www.motobins.co.uk/ for bits if your not in a hurry.

[taminga16]

Agreed re; The BM shop, but if you need to know stuff :) and their parts were always well priced, we have BM Motorcycles in Ringwood similar but a lot more professional, BMW have been known to consult these blokes. I do like the look of your 'K' but lean to twins and I am on my third, and last.
Greg.
I hope that your son enjoys his bike, I rode one at a launch (Broardford R/Track) mighty and usable.
P.S. I have used Motobins in the past.

[Nikolas]

Ringwood BM are excellent, the boys know their bikes inside out.

[alan meehan]

Hi all i have a new addition to the family .she purs like a kitten needs a bit of work but a well looked after bike
AL

[Davros]

So boys should i mention that i have a BMW airhead (75/6) cafe racer sitting in my garage :D

[Tandum]

Cripes that was quick Al. It only just appeared on bikesales a few days ago. Have you checked the splines yet?

I finished this one, here's a pic. I ended up stripping it down and rebuilding it. Seals, clutch, bearing, shocks, forks ererything :)

and I bought another one. '94 R1100RS Boxer this time, picking it up tomorrow :D

[alan meehan]

Hi Robin yea we where quick there was eight other people chasing her,
have not done anything to it as yet although the spline housing at the gearbox end has fresh gasket goo on it. same owner for 14 years with full bmw dealer servicing. it was his daily commuter and he pretty much rode the wheels off it. it lived outside for most of the 14 years as well by the looks of it. Have started to strip and prep the front fairings for paint. Going for a simular red to yours, is that the original colour? Yours looks great by the way a lot of work I bet. don't forget to post an update of the new arrival when you get it.

Al

[Tandum]

The one you have was the same colour as mine once upon as time :)
I think it's called BMW cherry red, they all fade. Mine was resprayed not long ago.

I got the boxer for $2200. No rego and needs work but it's the right price :D
This pic hides the faults quite well :)

Oh, and if you need a manual you can download the BMW one here (http://www.pdfmotomanual.com/index.php?r=site/page&view=manuales&order=t&key=B&make=1181&lang=ENG) although a haynes would prolly be better.

[alan meehan]

yes, not much cherry left in the red. more like tye dye orange at the moment. Decided on a colour today, its called berosa red. Also got a workshop manual down off a german website in english today, thank you anyway.Nice new one ,a bit heavier and faster than 1000 all you need now is the uniform to go with it
AL

[Tandum]

The BMW manuals are a bit heavy Al. They assume you have been to BMW school. I really recomend a haynes manual if you want to DYI. The BM manual for this R1100 doesn't tell you how to empty the oil or change the oil/air filter for example.

I got the boxer back here last night in a huge cloud of oil smoke followed by a small explosion from the exhaust, but it's here. Pulled into the first servo from the PO's place and there was 10 PSI in the back tyre and 15 in the front. He told me he'd been riding it, he must have a death wish.

I've started the clean up already. This one also needs a repaint. I'm thinking all boxers should be black. Code 475 : BMW Black Sapphire Metallic. Super cheap say they can mix it and provide the blue primer it requires ;)

[Tandum]

Blue for this one Al. I priced the BMW black and they wanted $160/Ltr to mix it.
ERK, rattle cans it is then, put the spray gun back in the shed.
Thank god for spray putty. Without that the plethora of stone chips would be an issue,