What late Classic bike to use for long distances?

[Rannsachair]

Well despite 3.5 years of happy ownership, sale just agreed on my 2013 BMW R1200R, will head for Surrey next week!

I only covered 2,800 miles on it in 3.5 years and much as it was a great bike, it is a lump to push about and the increas ein road tax, seperate insurance policy to my classics and cost of maintenance parts made me think I could get something that better suited my needs!

Ideally what I want is a bike in the classic bracket over 40 years old that is suitable for trips of a few hundred miles, decent brakes, not too heavy and something I like. Budget around £5k max

My first thought was a Guzzi 850 T3

Or a Laverda 750 SF

The sensible option would be a BMW r90/6 or R100/7, though having an R75/5 I fancy something different.

I try to keep away from motorways, so most of the time on quiet A and B roads, perhaps something smaller like a Honda 400/4? Though a year with a CB550 f2 and a few brake downs did put me off.

Suggestions appreciated ....Thanks

 

[addjunkie]

Z650, GS750, Honda CBX…and many other hondas

 

[chunkolini]

How about this?

Long stroke Parallel twin?
Sounds great, feels good to ride. Feels fast. And damned handsome
Gets waves from old biddies. And has a kick-start and a great reputation for reliability
I never fancied a classic and love it.
More 'genuine' than all the other retro things out there.

 

[RichardM]

Gt550, z750,

 

[Nomad]

For a "do everything" bike I rate the VFR750.
I had one for many many years, lovely low down torque from the V4 motor, mine was used mainly for commuting and trips away.
The only downside I found was it was a wider than my other bikes (naked twins*) so filtering through traffic was difficult.
Weight was never a problem but the smaller VFR400s I had were deceptively heavy to lift up if you had laid them on their side for maintenance.

*Naked twins in this context is a type of motorbike - best not Google on a works computer !


I love the torque from V motors, I had an older VT500 that was nice and light with low centre of gravity.
It was great fun for shorter trips but the oddball inboard front disk caused some headaches when it needed parts.

 

[Robotstar5]

Suzuki GS850, Honda CX500, Yamaha XS850 or XJ900, all comfortable long distance shaft drive bikes.

 

[ajlelectronics]

R100RT.

 

[oldbikedavey]

Well despite 3.5 years of happy ownership, sale just agreed on my 2013 BMW R1200R, will head for Surrey next week!

I only covered 2,800 miles on it in 3.5 years and much as it was a great bike, it is a lump to push about and the increas ein road tax, seperate insurance policy to my classics and cost of maintenance parts made me think I could get something that better suited my needs!

View attachment 537951

Ideally what I want is a bike in the classic bracket over 40 years old that is suitable for trips of a few hundred miles, decent brakes, not too heavy and something I like. Budget around £5k max

My first thought was a Guzzi 850 T3
View attachment 537952

Or a Laverda 750 SF
View attachment 537953
The sensible option would be a BMW r90/6 or R100/7, though having an R75/5 I fancy something different.

I try to keep away from motorways, so most of the time on quiet A and B roads, perhaps something smaller like a Honda 400/4? Though a year with a CB550 f2 and a few brake downs did put me off.

Suggestions appreciated ....Thanks

The Guzzi would be the way to go, I'd reckon.

 

[daleyd]

For a "do everything" bike I rate the VFR750.
I had one for many many years, lovey low down torque from the V4 motor, mine was used mainly for commuting and trips away.
The only downside I found was it was a wider than my other bikes (naked twins*) so filtering through traffic was difficult.
Weight was never a problem but the smaller VFR400s I had were deceptively heavy to lift up if you had laid them on their side for maintenance.

*Naked twins in this context is a type of motorbike - best not Google on a works computer !


I love the torque from V motors, I had an older VT500 that was nice and light with low centre of gravity.
It was great fun for shorter trips but the oddball inboard front disk caused some headaches when it needed parts.

Early vfr would just squeak into the 40 year bracket

 

[roofman]

Honda CB900
GS 1000
XS 1100
CX 500 or 650 all mile munchers and fall within the 40 year criteria.

 

[rtcosic]

Head says Honda CX500.
Heart says Moto Guzzi 850 T3 or Laverda 750 SF, preferably both!

 

[roofman]

@Rannsachair has made his decision, he is just looking for "yes" men to make it easier. Italia

 

[bourbon]

A car?

 

[mr haynes]

Goldwing

 

[RichardM]

I'd look at spares availability too.

 

[Bullet2012]

Raleigh Chopper - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Agroshield]

I think the FZ750 Yamaha was in that age group. Not sure if it meets the specs. though.

I think the VFR750 was 1986 or '87 so might be borderline.

Every CX500 I ever saw was used by a courier.

 

[Gareth J]

A friend just sold his vfr750, I'd echo the above. A little too good all-round to be that interesting but that's a clutching at straws to find a criticism. His wasn't old enough to be tax exempt though.

I've a K100 that will turn 40 next year. I've not ridden it for a few years but have in mind a reawakening to mark it's exemption, if that's still a thing then. It'd do all you ask in your original post. Except the weight. It's a lump, but once you get a handle on how to keep it upright when stationary, it's not a difficult bike to manoeuvre and with so much weight low down, rides much more nimbly than you'd imagine. A k75 would be a bit lighter and smoother to ride. Easy bikes to ratchet big miles on. I once rode from San Sebastian to roscoff in an afternoon/evening, avoiding toll motorways. It was a challenge but not the worst.

 

[dobbslc]

The Guzzi would be the way to go, I'd reckon.

I was thinking the Guzzi is the one as well.
A handsome bike.

 

[jmp49]

I personally dont think you can go wrong with a decent gs or gsx anything, but my firm favourite was the original GS750. It was the model that really launched suzuki in the wider world and they took a lot of time to get it right so it deserves that reputation for being bulletproof having owned one for a decade that stood up to whatever I threw at it. The only weak point apart from owner inflicted abuse really is the stator suffers embrittled insulation from years of being bathed in hot oil on the sidestand, but replacement stator and a generic honda superdream style regulator that most of them have now and its sorted. They dont feel nimble if your used to more modern handling and take a decent bit of input into the footrests to change line mid corner but the handling is genuinely great for the period and its a genuinely good all rounder. Same goes for the gs1000 though that feels a bit heavier to ride to me.
They were all designed as UJM sports tourers from the get go and they're still reasonable at it now for a classic.

CBX1000's are lovely but they always seem impossibly fragile like some delicate butterfly and expensive with higher mileages and I dont know anyone who takes long trips on one now, but have one in a martin frame washed and brought to my tent if I become royalty and I'll change that. For the less glamourous CB900F, theyre not bad, if you are good at unsticking that top camchain tensioner that always seizes in place. I used to know someone who drilled and tapped a bolt into the casing positioned to nudge it ready for when it inevitably happened on every one that he worked on. Funny the mention of a VT500, I used to know a guy with the vt500 who rode it through winter. We all used to hide because him appearing at the shop on foot meant that internal front brake disk had seized on yet again. Lets make a floating disc brake aka yamaha exup, or a brembo floater, good plan. But lets put it INSIDE the wheel hub where it cant be serviced, it doesnt get proper airflow yet still manages to get corroded by every passing water molecule, and if it seizes its hours of frustrating work to get the thing apart to free off, clean and grease the slideways where the disk is supposed to float inside on its mounts. Honda, what were they thinking... A lot of hondas make me think that though. Apart from Cubs, they were the most epic motorcycle ever made.
I owned a 400/4 at one point because I found a super cheap one and they have a following, and it was horrible. To me it felt like the model you bought if you wanted a bike that looked big, but was timid and gutless. I tarted it up and sold it on after riding it. I did that with a lot of cheap big japanese bikes of that era...

But at the end of the day we all have our own tastes to satisfy. Just borrow or buy one of everything that you fancy and try it, and if you dont get on, sell it and move on to the next.