The biggest problem with the secondhand market is down to half a decade of ever declining sales of new motorcycles. Even during this period, the used market was much more alive as the attractions of buying secondhand grew with each rise in prices of the new stuff and the predominance of the race replicas.
Finally, belatedly, in 1993 new prices of useful machinery such as the NTV650, XJ600S and GPZ500S seemed to stabilize just as intolerable traffic jams drove the punters back to two wheels. Sales of new machinery began to gain momentum again but no sooner did this happen than a round of price increases and/or a refusal to give the normal discounts sent new sales back into the dumps. Ever increasing numbers of people are chasing a fast decreasing number of good, used machinery.
It’s not all bad. Technological advances mean that there are few recent machines that are real mechanical turkeys, that most bikes with less than 25000 miles on the clock can be bought privately without becoming too paranoid about their longevity or robustness. The Japanese continue to show their brilliance at making tough engines.
At least as far as the four strokes go, the larger strokers, even with their watercooling and hi-tech induction and exhaust valves, continue in the dubious tradition that climaxed in the Kawasaki triples of the mid seventies. There are many satisfied owners of fast and furious strokers but there have been so many tales of piston demise from these highly tuned motors that other than in the smaller capacities they will merit no mention in the following guide other than when they are much rebuilt relics from the seventies.
As exceptional as the Japanese are in producing tough engines, their interpretation of the design is often miles away from what the market really needs. Tyres that last less than 5000 miles, chains that barely see out the guarantee, brake pads and calipers that need attention in less than 7500 miles, fuel consumption that is utterly appalling and carbs that need balancing every 1000 miles (when they only really need to fit a single carb). Usually, when a bike is deemed fit for commuting use it is so utterly boring in looks and performance that there is no way it can be tolerated.
The virtues of old British twins, which can be summed up in being great fun to ride and very cheap to run are entirely missing in the current crop of motorcycles. Even in the latest Triumphs, but they are very new and at least emphasize the wonders of torque rather than mindless power even if they are just as expensive to run, but we'll get to them in more detail later.
Anyone who has read the UMG for a while will know that the criteria on which the following machines are judged will be somewhat different to the absurdities by which the glossies measure motorcycles. Feel free to disagree with them, though, in the end choice of machinery is far too personal for anyone, even the editor of this august rag, to dictate.
Commuters & Learners
Due to the 12hp limit on 125s, commuters and learners amount to the same thing. There are two distinct categories, the quickly self-destruct race replicas, which cost an arm and a leg both to buy and to run, and the more mundane singles which just seem to gasp out the required 12hp. Of the race replicas, the TZR125 in naked form is the only one worth taking seriously, but is usually so thrashed that it doesn't quite make the grade, these days. In the secondhand market, the great virtue of the strokers, that they can easily be derestricted to give twice their power, need not concern us, as 125s are easily bought and sold, usually with little loss and sometimes a marginal profit.
Yamaha's RD125 merits more than a passing glance, though, as it's just as strong as the four strokes in 12hp form and remains tough when power output is doubled. For under £500 one with a good motor but tacky chassis (they do rust) gives plenty of room for manoeuvre. Most are derestricted now but engine rattles and gearbox demise are fairly obvious in these watercooled singles. They go and handle well enough to make all but most wild and finicky Wop 125 reptile look plain silly.
Yamaha's RXS100 is much more commuter orientated and tuned engines stress both the chassis and motor. As a 12hp hack, though, it's as fine and tough as most 125s on the market, with both simplicity and frugality in its favour. Ideal if you've never ridden a motorcycle before. Many examples are tuned and modded into 80mph bolides when edginess rather than niceness rules. £300 to £400 is all it takes to pick up a reasonable example on the private market.
Kawasaki's KH125 is similar to the RXS but has slightly better build quality and engine longevity. Relatively small dimensions won't suit some but many have had a mild life in commuting hands and it's quite easy to find one with 20,000 miles worth of life left for less than £400.
Honda's CG125 is, as ever, the embodiment of the commuter, its OHV engine in a class of its own. Massive abuse has been heaped on these bikes, even those models built in Brazil resisting self-destruct urges. Brilliant in town, the open road use is limited by mediocre acceleration above 60mph and sometimes dizzy levels of vibration. A really nice one can be had for 500 notes, but runners (in the vaguest sense of the word) can be picked up for fifty quid and renovated cheaply.
Honda's CB125RS is a much more sporting single than the CG, relatively rare but worth chasing for its strong chassis and reasonable looks. The rareness of used spares means it makes more sense to buy a really good one for £600 to £700 than going the hack route.
Suzuki's GS125 has an even tougher four stroke motor than Honda's commuting singles, low running costs and a nice chassis. A few minor exhaust and carb mods can liberate enough extra power to push the bike past 75mph. The electric start version, with its uprated electrics, is the better bet, expect to pay around £600 for a really good one.
In the 125 market it's best to buy from a commuter rather than a learner, the latter tending to thrash and neglect. Almost every 125cc bike on the market with less than 15000 miles on the lock will have some useful life left. For serious motorcycles locked into the category by insurance the RD125LC stands out as the exceptional machine with a naked TZR125 as second choice.
Minor Hacks & Serious Commuters
There is, within the 125 and 500cc band, a whole sub category of motorcycles that manage to mix cheapness, practicality and, yes, fun. This is where serious motorcycle begins with bikes able to keep up with the (slow lane) motorway traffic yet still retain many of the virtues of the 125cc commuter. This is a mixed bag of machines that has its roots in the once massively popular 250cc category (before learners were restricted); when 350s and 400s were but bored versions of the 250 model. There are plenty of bikes that stand out from the crowd over the years, would if they were produced new today still be impressive, but alas are now sidelined by age and rarity of spares.
Honda's CB500 four is the most elderly of this bunch, preferred over the more expensive CB400F which is too bland in stock state and too unreliable when tuned. The CB500's lack of immediate torque or power makes it a bike that takes a bit of time to appreciate but unlike the classic CB750K0 its weight is reasonable and its complexity moderate. Most will have dumped the mediocre suspension, which along with chassis bearing upgrades produces a neat enough handler, at least in the context of a 50hp machine that tops out at 110mph. Obscure ignition faults from duff coils may well present an opportunity of picking up a bargain, as it's one of those transient faults that do a disappearing act when a mechanic approaches. Other maladies, both mechanical and chassis, are the usual age related hassles rather than any inherent weakness in the machine. One of the great unsung heroes of the seventies they can still be picked up in running order for around 500 notes on a good day, although a really nice one will fetch twice that. They may make classic status one day.
Honda's XBR500 was a rather different attempt at producing the universal motorcycle. More than anything else it proved that the exigencies of producing a smooth 500cc single, with its obligatory balance shaft, left little by the way of exciting speed or even low end torque. The XBR even vibrates to an extent, although it is the kind of buzz that fades into the background with extended use and doesn't really limit 80 to 90mph motorway cruising. The XBR's appearance is its main attraction, though it does weave a useful blend of practicality and speed into the experience with a high degree of mechanical integrity for the first 40,000 miles. The front disc is the most dubious element in the machine and the willingness to cut out at junctions the most annoying. Enough were sold to keep the adulation of the classic mob at bay, between £500 and £1000 sufficient to buy a bolide with loads of useful life left.
Yamaha's XT350 is a rather more sensible implementation of the big thumper philosophy, it being long recognised (at least by the Editor and Ducati thumper fanatics) that after 350cc there is so much energy lost in absorbing the vibes that any extra power or torque theoretically possible rarely makes it to the tarmac. The XT350's major limitations are a result of its trail bike layout, which whilst fine in town (where long travel suspension is almost a necessity, these days) precludes comfortable 70mph cruising. Such, though, is the relative simplicity of the Yam that it's quite easy to convert to road spec. Economy can be quite reasonable at 70mpg, whilst its mere 270lbs means minimal consumable demise and quite reasonable urge up to 80mph. As a London hustler, for instance, the XT is cheap and immense fun. And for well under a grand a jolly nice one can be picked up (but check that its the 30hp version, though only a minor mod is needed to upgrade the 17hp model).
Suzuki's SP400 is another much underrated trailster (along with the related SP370 and DR400). True, they didn't have the toughest top ends in the world but they are easy to work on. The SP's major attribute, together with its gutsy engine, is economy, which with a minor bit of exhaust and airfilter dismembering, can reach as much as 80mpg. The same limitations as the XT exist on the open road but it's even easier to convert to road spec. Vibes are milder than on an XBR despite the lack of a balance shaft. The newer DR350 is also the business but lacks the frugality of the older bikes. Anyone with 300 notes to spare won't go far wrong by spending it on an SP.
Kawasaki's Z200 is yet another thumper, albeit a tiny one. There's just enough life-force to make it into this category, though some thoroughly worn out example will find itself sidelined to the hard shoulder on the motorway. The plain and simple engineering harks back to sixties' Hondas which means reliability, frugality and simplicity. The Z250Ltd single is more (or less) of the same if you can take the mild custom stance. Like most singles they are not the most sophisticated devices in the world but to many tastes a bit of basic brutality is all to the good. The Z200's much better than the CG125 yet almost as cheap to run. Figure to pay around £250 for a nice 'un.
Honda's CD250U continues in the tradition of both the Z200 and a long line of single carb Honda twins that stretch back to the sixties. Anyone of which could've been chosen but the CD250 actually embodies the best on the road experience of the whole bunch (with the possible exception of the first CD175 which will be too worn out by now). Just as the 200 Benly was better than the 185, the 250 marks another minor bit of evolution. Its only serious flaw, a very high new price, soon mitigated by depreciation. With hordes of old Superdreams on the road, used CD's have no hope of fetching a high price in the private market. The best thing that could be said about the CD250U on the road is that there are no nasty surprises and few newish machines can match its 80mph/70mpg, not so much a commendation of the Honda's design but a condemnation of the way modern motorcycles have evolved. You might just pick up a rough one for £500 but £750 to £1000 is more likely to buy some serious motorcycling.
Honda's VT250 represents their most interesting 250 since the '68 CB250K1, a machine, incidentally, capable of cracking the ton on a good day. The VT, with its watercooled vee-twin mill, manages to rev high and knock out some useful low end torque. Of course, it does so via an extremely complex motor that's a dead loss to try to rebuild but is quite reliable even when heavily thrashed - the problems are obvious enough to avoid. Lots of kicks for less than 500 notes.
Suzuki's GS450E, like many of these bikes, has evolved over the years, in this case from the spectacularly bland GS400 DOHC vertical twin. Evolution basically means, as is too often the case, that the motor's become more reliable, produces similar power but is less frugal. A damning case could be made against this bike on the grounds of lost opportunity but that doesn't stop it being a best buy on grounds of cheapness, reliability and a sane turn of speed. For sensible motorcycling you hardly need any more and need pay no more than a grand for a nice 'un.
Honda's CBX250RS was another, for Honda, fairly unique machine based on the extremely popular but mechanically short-lived RS250. The DOHC thumper was both more powerful and longer lasting than the RS, in many ways the ultimate development of the single cylinder idiom. Relative rarity has not yet contributed to extravagant prices.
Old Strokers
Old strokers like these never really die. At least parts of them don't. Either of these bikes, or their rarer forerunners, will by now be full of parts from several broken machines, as well as having fast wearing components rebuilt or upgraded. Modern metallurgy and knowledge should help their longevity or at least help counteract the influence of half-hearted mechanics and home rebuilds. Although the engines are basically simple they are not without their whims. In the late sixties and early seventies strokers were ever popular despite, perhaps because, of the layer of smoke they laid down. Most wore as fast as they went through consumables, the most notable being the H1 500 triple Kawasaki. A fearsome beast that combined explosive power of a Jumbo jet with the quirky handling of an NSU Quickly. They are too overpriced to be considered here but their are two definitive survivors from that heady era.
Suzuki's GT500 was one of those bikes that was as tough as it was bland. Jumping from a Bonnie to a GT, as one was wont to do in the early seventies, caught perfectly the shifting sands of motorcycle culture. The British twin was alive and rorty but unlikely to complete a 100 miles intact whilst the Japanese twin was smooth, civilised, reliable but completely remote from the essentials of motorcycling. That was then, these days both the effect of age and the relative sophistication of nineties' motorcycles means that they are full of rough edges. Stock engines are preferred over any tuning attempts as they invariably result in a loss in longevity, which for the GT, and to a slightly lesser extent the sixties T500, is the main reason for taking a look at these ancient strokers. That and the fact that they have a reasonable combination of performance, economy and handling. The GT500 version is nowhere near chasing classic status, unlike the better looking and faster T500, as little as 200 notes buying something useable, although £500's a better bet if you want to really revel in the toughness of the motor.
Yamaha's RD400 represents the culmination of that company's aircooled stroker efforts, an altogether sportier device than the worthy GT500. The best way of checking its engine is to see if it'd still wheelie in the first three gears. The electronic ignition versions are supposed to be the best models; an accolade that doesn't apply when the black boxes go up in smoke. The RD combines elements of the GT's robustness with the H1's madness in a package, were it not for its ultimate self-destruct nature, that ensures a riotous party. Such was the frenzy and ease of tuning that very few are left in standard condition. Some go for silly money but it's still possible to buy a reasonable one for around £500.
UJM's
Since the late sixties the Japanese have defined the big motorcycle as the across the frame four. Although there was, and still is, a lot wrong with the use of such an engine in a motorcycle (weight, width, complexity, etc) the advantages of power, smoothness and reliability have swept most other alternatives aside. Love 'em or hate them they will probably be around in another 25 years time.
Suzuki's GS550M Katana had stunning looks, a remarkably tough engine and safe if slow handling, which in the secondhand market means a lot more than its stately acceleration, which it shares with the worthy if plain looking GS550. Both models defined the self-igniting electrics for which the GS and GSX series became so infamous. Most bikes will have minor mods to the suspension, different electrics and a 4-1 exhaust by now. Avoid big bore kits, open carbs and anything with more than 75000 miles on the clock (they are tough but not that tough). The GS550 is perhaps the definitive Japanese four and certainly worth buying if you can find a nice one for under a grand, although the high running costs should be borne in mind.
Suzuki's GSX550 never made the same visual impression as the Katana but was in reality more fun on the road. Four valves per cylinder and a much higher state of tune meant that it was never a boring bike to ride. The conservative geometry and excessive mass of the Kat had also been dumped, whilst fine on newish bikes could turn from mildly twitchy to wildly wobbly when the suspension or the linkages wore. The electrics were only slightly better than the GS, the finish poor and cylinder head rather less than robust once past 50,000 miles or when run on ill-matched induction and exhaust systems. Thus, there are any number of well worn rats that can be cheaply renovated; a good one might cost a grand but a few hundred quid will acquire a worn but repairable example. One of the great unsung heroes.
Kawasaki's GPz550 deservedly had the reputation as the performance 550. It was also, camchains and ignition units aside, tough, reasonably frugal and flash enough in looks to keep the insecure happy. Almost every owner thrashed the balls off the engine which makes it the most dubious buy secondhand amongst the 550s. although as it was the longest lived there are more low mileage examples around. Its combination of attributes, the sheer on the road fun, overcomes the reality of relatively high prices; it's unlikely that any machine under a grand will have very much life left. On the other hand there are still some good motors in breakers for those who buy a rat and are not afraid of a bit of hard work. If you only intend to own one machine this is the kind of bike to go for.
Kawasaki's GT550 uses a similar if detuned and less efficient engine to the GPz, coupled with a shaft drive, restrained styling and even gaitered forks and shocks. As hundreds of despatch riders have found out this is an eminently practical machines that can go around the clock more than once with only a few engine, electrical and chassis horrors en route. Such wanton abuse does mean that even one year old machines have to be viewed with suspicion because they might be high mileage despatch bikes - worn, faded tank and panel paint the most obvious sign of such abuse. There is nothing exceptional about the GT other than its practical virtues and the fact that very nice ones are available for under a grand - although with the hordes of DR's desperate for good wheels you have to be fast on your feet to obtain the bargains.
Kawasaki's Z650 has both classic pretensions and the ability to run around the clock, although by the time 100,000 miles is up the whole machine's in a pretty desperate condition and close to dying a death. Compared to the GPz550 it’s heavy, slow and ponderous but for sane riding it has a relatively relaxed feel reminiscent of sixties British bikes, who surely inspired the shape of its petrol tank. It's the kind of motorcycle that inspires loyalty in its owner but getting a bit long in the tooth, these days. It's just possible to buy a usable one for five hundred notes.
Honda's CBX750 makes the original CB750 seem like an overweight slug. No comparison, really. Well, okay, the original bike might just keep going for a few miles more if the handling doesn't tip you off or the performance doesn't send you to sleep. The CBX's major advantage over older fours is that they are much better value, lots more go for your bucks. At least up to 50,000 miles when the engine becomes a little dodgy with valves and camchains the most likely to make a large dent in the wallet. Still, they are hard charging, whether on the motorway or back lanes without any of the excesses of the plastic fantastic replicas. Running costs are no more excessive than a hot 550 and with good bikes available for around the grand mark there are few cheaper ways of getting past 130mph!
Honda's CB750 has more in common with the CBX than the earlier CB750, using a detuned version of the former's engine in a Nighthawk style chassis. In the overall scheme of things this is not a good motorcycle, not compensating for its lacks of power by being light in mass or frugal in nature. Its a typical bit of retro style without the slightest hint of clever engineering, just another in a long line of Japanese fours that seem churned out by engineers with no experience of real life. Why bother with such a device? It's reasonably paced for UK roads, looks quite fine, has rock solid reliability and, above all else, a one year machine can be had for as little as two grand. The CB750 defines the difference between the best motorcycle and the best buy!
Kawasaki's Z900 can't be ignored. Unfortunately. Like the earlier Z1 (too extortionately priced to be of interest here), the handling, braking and riding position do make for some vile antics if the ample power is employed in anger. Fortunately, by the process of natural selection, those bikes not much modified by now will have been written off. There's a long list of necessary chassis upgrades deemed obligatory but even then, the notoriously weak frame will cause some wild and wacky wobbles when least expected. This is an expensive, albeit legal, way to play Russian Roulette but the sheer toughness and power of the engine makes the exercise in self destruction or highways kicks quite compelling. It's still possible to buy a nice ‘un for less than 1500 sovs that can be run for a year with only (high) consumable expenses and then flogged off at great profit. That's as long as you don't fall off or become totally enamoured of its butch looks.
Yamaha's XJ900 couldn't be more different in character to the Z900, although its superior chassis allows it to be ridden faster than the Kawasaki even if it feels a little boring by comparison. Neither is the engine likely to make it around the clock with the same ease as the Z. But up to 50,000 miles the engine's rock solid and the chassis nicely sorted in later models (the earlier ones were nearly as bad as a Z1). Their mundane looks and lack of street credibility means even recent ones are dirt cheap; lots of kicks for as little as a thousand notes can't be bad.
Kawasaki's Z1000 shares the virtues of the 900's tough motor with improved frame and steering geometry. Along with much modded suspension, the various guises under which the 1000 appeared still make it as a useful high speed missile, even if a hard ridden 600 plastic reptile will burn it off in no uncertain terms. The odd rat still turns up for as little as five hundred notes but the good ones go for two to four times that. Not the greatest bargain in the world, then, but that tough old motor can take so much abuse that Z1000's can't easily be dismissed.
Yamaha's FJ1200 is the ultimate muscle bike in this category with sure-footed, safe handling and an excess of both power and torque. It tears through consumables, though, and looks rather too similar to the plastic fantastic crowd to quite make it with the retro crowd, although it's undoubtedly much more useful at speed than any of the retro's. Two grand for this kind of muscle and competence has to be a bargain.
Watercooled Fours
High technology shouldn't be bad news when it's properly designed. Usually, though, the Japanese insist on wrapping it up in either race replica nonsense or some grotesquely overweight interpretation of a retro or tourer. The market rules, though, and quite a few replicas have been stripped of their plastic (maybe after a crash) and fitted with proper handlebars. All of these replicas are expensive to run with echoes of seventies superbikes in their handling when run on cheap or worn tyres. You have been warned.
Honda's CBR600 is the market leader and the most radical of these bikes with its integrated styling. Honda invented the across the frame four in the late sixties and redefined it with the CBR600. The newer the model the faster and more robust the bike, though all have plenty of life left up to 50,000 miles. It is a revvy engine that needs a lot of work on the far from perfect gearbox, so ultimately may not be to some tastes. Prices go down to £1500 but around £2500's needed to ensure that it's a nice 'un that hasn't been thrashed around the race track.
Yamaha's FZR600 has a spottier edge than the CBR and an even tougher engine, though high mileage or abuse ruins the gearbox and clutch. It's relatively easy to dump the absurd plastic, losing even more mass from the already light chassis. Comfort, with the stock riding position and seat, limits its touring ability, as do high levels of secondary vibes on some examples. One point to be wary of is that the engine will run well right up to the point of failure; it's relatively easy to pay loads of dosh for a bike with a motor that's about to blow up. £1500 up can buy something usable.
Yamaha's FZ750 has mostly been overshadowed by the FZR600 and 1000. In many ways it combines the best elements of the two, comes close to being one of the most versatile bikes on the market. Quite a few have gone around the clock. An 150mph bike for as little as £1250 can't be a bad crack!
Kawasaki's GPZ900 was quite radical in its day, elements of its design turning up in the new Triumphs. On any sane account it's still one hell of a motorcycle but, these days, that's not enough to make the grade. Throw in an engine that could either make it around the clock without any trouble or give manifold engine problems before 25000 miles were done, to make this the kind of buy that needs an experienced eye. With good bikes available for as little as two grand, though, it's worth the effort!
Yamaha's FZR1000 defines the big bike replica market, its only rival the even more horny GSXR1100. Comfort is the only area likely to be found wanting, but that's even more true of the GSXR. Ruinous consumable expense, horrendous insurance costs and spine wrecking lack of comfort have to put against mind warping performance and competent handling (it's a bit too heavy to gander better praise than that, though hundreds of comic hacks will write it's a brilliant handling bike for its mass - but so what?). The EXUP model's quantitatively better than early versions, which means the latter are available at reasonable prices; £2000 to £2500 will pick up something that's still running.
Kawasaki's ZX-10, were it not for devices like FZR's and GSXR's, would be regarded as a fine motorcycle instead of already being considered out of the game. For UK roads it's easily fast enough, though wet weather work needs the same kind of care as walking through a pit of vipers. Consequently, there are good engines available in breakers and care in checking over the chassis should be taken. As little as £1500 will secure a reasonable one.
Suzuki's GSXR1100 has wild acceleration and rather odd handling, though the latest model with upside-down forks and revised geometry's just about safe. Quite a few crashed bikes turn up without the plastic and look all the better for it. Lack of comfort, vibration and Z1 type speed wobbles on worn tyres all add up to lots of hassle but the pain is limited by the fact that most owners lose their licence after a mere six months of indecent speeding! You'll have to pay three grand to buy a good one, although quite a few high mileage rats are on offer around the £2000 mark.
European Heroes
Italian, German, British and even Iron Curtain bikes all have their (usually fervent) advocates. Too many bikes need too much effort, even full rebuilds, before they become usable. Old British twins have become far too expensive, as well as worn out, to be of any interest here. Most Iron Curtain hacks are too diabolical to contemplate even if they are free! Almost any BMW can be used hard even after high mileages but only a couple stand out from the crowd. Most of these bikes, in their various ways, are an acquired taste.
MZ's 250, in its various models and guises, has always stood out as the exceptional Iron Curtain hack, although now that East Germany is no more it'll end up losing its cheap price. Handling and performance are more than adequate in this category but the two stroke motor is something of an acquired taste. For a couple of hundred quid there are few better bargains. Buy a couple of old ones for spares.
Jawa's 500, using the 350 twin's chassis to house a Rotax engine, looks so horrible that it's easy to dismiss. But the frame and suspension are adequate, the engine tough and the performance just acceptable; there's a good bike hidden in there somewhere. At under 500 notes for a good example it’s worth taking the trouble to sort out the cycle parts.
Laverda's 750SF is one of the few senventies Wops that is truly tough, capable of going around the clock with little more than regular maintenance. For a big vertical twin lacking balancers they are quite smooth, having an excessive amount of mass to soak up the vibes. They are rare in the UK and often priced very high, but the odd one turns up for around £1500 and are cheaper still on the Continent.
Ducati's 750SS shows the progress that modern Italian bikes have made, with a lovely vee-twin motor and excellent handling from the lightweight chassis. Clutch apart, most of the dubious Italian engineering has been designed out. The 900 version is even better but the smaller bike is available for as little as 3000 notes. A lot of joy for your money.
BMW's K75 is the best of the modern bricks. The tough, torque filled engine is much more impressive than the chassis that needs its suspension upgraded. The most useful version has the old boxer RS fairing fitted as an aftermarket accessory. Longevity's its major advantage, so it's still worth buying an early one for around £1750.
BMW's R80/7 shares the K75's longevity but doesn't have the vicious vibes or wild wobbles of the R100 series. It's just fast enough to cope with serious speeding, especially when fitted with the RS fairing. The build quality is almost up to the myths and prices have been stable, or rising slightly over the past few years. Of course, the gearbox and shaft drive reaction do act as an anti-theft device. Around a thousand notes will buy something good.
Triumph's 900 Trident has a better (brilliant, in fact) motor than chassis, being a little dated in design, although the elements all work well together in a manner reminiscent of BMW's better efforts. It's British without any of the normal self-destructive urges and that alone is reason enough to buy if you get caught up in a patriotic fervour. The 750's significantly cheaper but the 900's engine is so compulsive that it's worth paying the extra dosh - as little as £3500 will secure a jolly nice 'un.
Moto Guzzi's Mille sneaks in on cheapness and oddity value, the big vee twin motor sufficiently lowly tuned to go the distance. It's a friendly, laid back kind of trip that appeals to graduates of British twins and the like. Any of the big Guzzi's have an appeal but few others are as cheap as nearly new Mille's at £2500 to £3000.
Odd Trips
Some bike combine elements of design that make them fun to ride and cheap(ish) to run but don’t readily fit into any category.
Suzuki's GSF400 is a high revving watercooled four which looks as much fun as it is to ride, although after a while the constant gearbox hustling becomes very tiring. With a typically tough motor that can be thrashed without blowing up and a two grand price tag for something a year old with less than ten thousand miles on the clock it's worth a look but beware of examples that have been despatched.
Honda's VT500 is another bike popular with despatch riders, being tougher than most, combining minimal mass with acceptable performance. A large number have gone around the clock but there are still examples with less than 20,000 miles up, which at around £750 have to be worth a look.
Kawasaki's GPZ500S has long been the best selling vertical twin, with its heavy performance and light weight allowing it to burn off much bigger bikes when some curves are involved, though not on suspension that has done high mileages. Similarly, two up riding is rather less fun than it should but modifying the suspension is a relatively simple task. A dodgy sixteen inch front, especially when shod with OE tyres, leads to an excess of low mileage engines in breakers from written off examples whilst the finish goes off after three years. That means a tatty old example can be bought for around a grand, tidied up and ridden until the engine blows, then a newish motor fitted in. There is some room to make a profit out of the experience.
Honda's NTV600 shares much of the VT's engine but has a high tech chassis that is much superior to the GPZ, and a finish that belies the low cost of secondhand examples. Again, they are popular with despatchers so there are some real rats around. But a nice combination of quality and performance, for £1250 up.
Yamaha's XS650 is very rarely found in nice, stock condition, these days, but anyone interested in big twins should take a look. Suspension mods should be welcomed as standard handling, even new, could turn traumatic. The engine is a very tough unit that will go to 75000 miles without exploding. Some amusing chopped versions around if you really want to scare yourself silly. £750 up.
Suzuki's LS650 more radical chop form will put many a punter right off, but the thumper engine is so full of torque that it's worthy of note. At least the chassis means no-one's going to dare to thrash them. If you can take the style then its a grand well spent for an early model.
Suzuki's VX800 is an even stranger device than the LS but somewhere within its vee twin format there's a proper motorcycle trying to get out. They are so disliked in the UK that for around two grand a really excellent one can be picked up and abused to your heart's content.
End Notes
Some of the above choices will be controversial, and depending on the area where you live in the UK may not turn out to be much of a bargain. Regular readers of the UMG will also know that many a bike slagged off in the Used Guide is reported as giving excellent service by suitably outraged or merely confused contributors. Almost any bike can be turned into something useful given a bit of dosh and ingenuity; there are always exceptions that disprove anything I might venture to write. If there weren't it'd be a rather boring world.