Recommendations for a commuter

[Twizted]

I have a  Suzuki GS500 as a buddy for my Monster to zip about town on. Enough power to keep you happy on the highway and uses 340kms before it hits reserve on the tank. They are cheap 2nd hand and near bullet proof. 

[suzyj]

How do you find the GS500 in heavy traffic?  The reason that I ask is that my Monster (air cooled) starts overheating and carrying on like a snotty toddler if it even smells a traffic jam.  Kristyn's Spada (water cooled) just doesn't care.

Indeed if I mandate water cooling to deal with filthy inner-west rush hour traffic, the list of applicable cheap bikes gets small real quick.

[Twizted]

My air cooled Monster doesn't like to sit in traffic either but it does not effect the GS(air cooled also) at all. IMO they are a real underrated bike and make a perfect commuter.  

[Speeddog]

Is this representative of the GS500 in Oz?



Very few of those here in the States, and no Spadas at all....

[suzyj]

Is this representative of the GS500 in Oz?

Yup.  They're reasonably common here.

On a slightly less serious note, it appears the madass is a bit of a cult item, with lots of people replacing the crappy Chinese 125cc motor with bigger crappy Chinese motors...

Madass 185cc & Two Bros Exhaust

Fully sick.

[bigiain]

Brand new Honda 125 commuterbike for $2k?

Even if you don't wanna buy one, you'd _have_ to use it as a negotiating tool for inexpensive 2nd hand commuter bikes...

$2k for a '91 Spada? _Seriously?_ You know you can buy a brand new 2012 Honda for $1995, right? How 'bout 12 hundred, cash, right now?

http://www.mcnews.com.au/NewsArchives/2011/December/CB125.htm

big

[Rowdy]

"brand new 2012 Honda for $1995"



Whoa.

That's frekin cheap as!!!

[brad black]

can you imagine how craptacular that'd be.

[monstermick58]

You watch, someone will do the cafe-racer build to it. 











                                                     Mmick

[Twizted]

Is this representative of the GS500 in Oz?



Very few of those here in the States, and no Spadas at all....

There are more than you think. There is a forum dedicated to them with the majority of owners being from the States.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php

What you will find is that they only sold the fared versions in the USA from 2004 on IRC. The naked versions were being sold since 1989. The GS you have pictured is my exact bike.

[Betty]

can you imagine how craptacular that'd be.

Do you think? In what regard? Reliability, longevity or performance?

Honda make millions of cheap bikes every year yet they have a reputation for reliability, minimal maintenance and apparently go forever. From a performance point of view these low powered, low-spec bikes are probably the match of most numpties out on the road ... including me

[DucatiKabul]

A Kawasaki Ninja 250 would be perfect for what you want, very reliable, almost no maintenance, cheap to insure, goes fast enough, and very easy to handle in the traffic.  Honda CBR 250 is another option to this, but Ninja looks better.

[suzyj]

Do you think? In what regard? Reliability, longevity or performance?

Honda make millions of cheap bikes every year yet they have a reputation for reliability, minimal maintenance and apparently go forever. From a performance point of view these low powered, low-spec bikes are probably the match of most numpties out on the road ... including me

Well said Mark.

Number one son can't wait for those to come out.  He's decided his first motorbike is going to be a new one, and that's within his budget.  Given that he's not a biker, and the only use it will get is ferrying him to uni, it's a perfectly good bike for him.

[suzyj]

A Kawasaki Ninja 250 would be perfect for what you want, very reliable, almost no maintenance, cheap to insure, goes fast enough, and very easy to handle in the traffic.  Honda CBR 250 is another option to this, but Ninja looks better.

It might just be the specific examples that I've ridden, but every time I've tried a small kwaka out I've been really horrified at the awful gearbox.

As for a CBR, naah - I don't need to be a try-hard boy racer.  I've got my monster for that

[J5]

How cheap is "dirt cheap"? (And if it's cheap enough, can I have dibbs if Suzy doesn't want it?)

big

I dont know if you know peka ? in qld , he had 1 to get rid of for $500

housemate was going to take it and ride it back from qld , but when he went to pick it up
it wouldnt start for some reason so no sale

this was a few months back , but knowing peka he prob still has it in his garage