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Bikers!?

D3TTOL said:
Soooo screw you guys.
Tomorrow I'm going to look at a Panigale....
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When you find one you like, do it. The good ones come and go really quick. (This apparently apply to woman as well.)

I had to wait quite a bit to find a 1299 I was happy with. Got mine for an absolute steal so the patience paid off.
 
Sub-lime said:
Awesome. Tell us more?
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My grandfather and his two brothers were all bikers, each had a different manufacturer they preferred. His was Yamaha. The bike went into a Honda family and at the time I had an old CX500 that was in need of a loving new home.

The timing was great because I hadn't expected the XS 1.1 to be up for sale. What is great is that it went to a brother who restores bikes so was well looked after. It slept in a garage and the cars stayed outside. At the time the bike had just gotten too heavy for him and his interests had moved to classic BMWs and a WWII era Harley with sidecar. :)

The bike is typical of that era. Yamaha over engineered the engine and threw a few pipes around it and called it a frame. It actually turned out to be what I didn't know I wanted, had looked for something fast but this is just a great old beast.

It'll be in need of some additional restoration though, the exhaust is shot after an impressive 40 year stint but the hope is it'll pick my kid up from school one of these days soon.

There aren't too many corners between home and school fortunately because it likes going straight. 😂
 
TheJudge said:
My grandfather and his two brothers were all bikers, each had a different manufacturer they preferred. His was Yamaha. The bike went into a Honda family and at the time I had an old CX500 that was in need of a loving new home.

The timing was great because I hadn't expected the XS 1.1 to be up for sale. What is great is that it went to a brother who restores bikes so was well looked after. It slept in a garage and the cars stayed outside. At the time the bike had just gotten too heavy for him and his interests had moved to classic BMWs and a WWII era Harley with sidecar. :)

The bike is typical of that era. Yamaha over engineered the engine and threw a few pipes around it and called it a frame. It actually turned out to be what I didn't know I wanted, had looked for something fast but this is just a great old beast.

It'll be in need of some additional restoration though, the exhaust is shot after an impressive 40 year stint but the hope is it'll pick my kid up from school one of these days soon.

There aren't too many corners between home and school fortunately because it likes going straight. 😂
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Great background and very cool bike. I like to see some of the older bikes restored without converting it to a cafe racer, tracker or bobber.

This is a pretty rad conversion, it would be sacrilege to do this to a clean XS though.
www.returnofthecaferacers.com

Eleven - Seoz Bike Yamaha XS1100 - Return of the Cafe Racers

This cafe racer is a Yamaha XS1100 1979 better known as “eleven”. To be honest I’m not really a fan of these big Japanese 4-cylinder engines. So I decided this would be a build that was more about achieving a new look for this vanilla looking bike.
www.returnofthecaferacers.com www.returnofthecaferacers.com
 
Sub-lime said:
Great background and very cool bike. I like to see some of the older bikes restored without converting it to a cafe racer, tracker or bobber.

This is a pretty rad conversion, it would be sacrilege to do this to a clean XS though.
www.returnofthecaferacers.com

Eleven - Seoz Bike Yamaha XS1100 - Return of the Cafe Racers

This cafe racer is a Yamaha XS1100 1979 better known as “eleven”. To be honest I’m not really a fan of these big Japanese 4-cylinder engines. So I decided this would be a build that was more about achieving a new look for this vanilla looking bike.
www.returnofthecaferacers.com www.returnofthecaferacers.com
Click to expand...

Funny you say that, the CX I had needed a new front fairing which I couldn't find and had considered 'tinkering' with the look. Guess I was ahead of my time because I see they've become massively popular for cafe racer conversions now. Mine however is now in original condition. The Japanese Moto Guzzi. 😂
 
Does anybody know if the 2021 Honda Cbr250rr is getting released here? New to bikes and trying to get started.
 
ghostR said:
Does anybody know if the 2021 Honda Cbr250rr is getting released here? New to bikes and trying to get started.
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Hey bud. Unlikely. The south african market is seeing a shift to the 300/350/400 class a beginners bikes. Welcome to the hobby!
If i can give you some unsolicited advice.
Start with a cheap second hand bike. You get get loads of yamaha r3’s bmw 310’s etc for around the 40k mark.
Spend money on quality gear. All the gear. Decent helmet jacket, gloves and riding shoes. Also kevlar lined jeans.
If you can afford it, go get some proper training. Citytrax based at zwartkops have an amazing beginner’s course!


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Wacko_ZA said:
Hey bud. Unlikely. The south african market is seeing a shift to the 300/350/400 class a beginners bikes. Welcome to the hobby!
If i can give you some unsolicited advice.
Start with a cheap second hand bike. You get get loads of yamaha r3’s bmw 310’s etc for around the 40k mark.
Spend money on quality gear. All the gear. Decent helmet jacket, gloves and riding shoes. Also kevlar lined jeans.
If you can afford it, go get some proper training. Citytrax based at zwartkops have an amazing beginner’s course!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Thanks for the comment, damn it, saw how perfect it would be to start with all the features and such, especially the quickshift and ride modes. Really love the look of the R3 and saw a few good second hand deals. Trying to find one with a more modern feature set.

Tried everywhere so guess we won't be getting it. Saw a few good deals on the Ninja 400SE too.
 
ghostR said:
Thanks for the comment, damn it, saw how perfect it would be to start with all the features and such, especially the quickshift and ride modes. Really love the look of the R3 and saw a few good second hand deals. Trying to find one with a more modern feature set.

Tried everywhere so guess we won't be getting it. Saw a few good deals on the Ninja 400SE too.
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No stress bud. We all started somewhere. The only feature that should matter for a first bike is ABS. You are not gona be riding that for more than 6 months before you want something with a bit more zest. Depending on your temperament and finances, you could easily start off on something like a 650. The triumph 675’s kawa ninja 650 and z650 etc are all extremely docile and fun bikes, that you could learn on and last you a little longer.


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Now with that said, i mean a twin cylinder or 3 cylinder bike. NOT a 4 cylinder cbr or r6[emoji1787] those are different animals!


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Wacko_ZA said:
Now with that said, i mean a twin cylinder or 3 cylinder bike. NOT a 4 cylinder cbr or r6[emoji1787] those are different animals!


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Yeah, my girlfriend is experienced so she is looking at the CBR600 or R6, even the GSXR 600 which are different animals. I know what you mean, this little pleb is not going to hop on a GSXR600 and fly away.

I am a skinny 70kg person so that is mostly why I am looking at starting on a 250 because firstly I am a noob, secondly, I am light and don't see myself bolting down the roads too much. Just a pity we don't get a lot of nice new bikes. Finances aren't the problem really, it's more along what I can get that will suit me the best to start and just enjoy.
 
ghostR said:
Yeah, my girlfriend is experienced so she is looking at the CBR600 or R6, even the GSXR 600 which are different animals. I know what you mean, this little pleb is not going to hop on a GSXR600 and fly away.

I am a skinny 70kg person so that is mostly why I am looking at starting on a 250 because firstly I am a noob, secondly, I am light and don't see myself bolting down the roads too much. Just a pity we don't get a lot of nice new bikes. Finances aren't the problem really, it's more along what I can get that will suit me the best to start and just enjoy.
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Shop around bud. 70kg isnt too bad. I have a friend that races a RSV4RR 1100 aprillia at 60kg[emoji2960]
If finances are no issues start with a 300/400 and trade up once you can make a uturn in a single parking spot[emoji23]
But dont discard the 650 class. My mrs rides a Z650 kawa, and its a GREAT bike. Yami mt-07 is also not bad.


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Something like the Husqvarna Wipilen 401 or Swartpilen 401 maybe? Enough power to have fun and stay safe, ABS, Traction Control etc and they look great.
 
Ninja 400 is a great starter bike. Plenty power and looks good.

Good deal - 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 400 ABS | Hermanus | Gumtree Classifieds South Africa | 924368012

Also agree that a 650 isn't a bad starter bike either. They are not fast but normally have a good amount of torque and if you're not confident with the throttle and clutch then start smaller.

Do you have a specific budget in mind? Can pm me it you're comfortable sharing that with me and not publically.
 
UrBaN said:
Something like the Husqvarna Wipilen 401 or Swartpilen 401 maybe? Enough power to have fun and stay safe, ABS, Traction Control etc and they look great.
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Agree the Vitpilen 401 is an amazing small bike. 92K out the box.
 
My vote also goes to the new Husqvarnas, but the svartpilen 401 specifically.
Good looking bike, apparently the 2020 model has a real smooth power delivery, so it's easy to learn on. It has ABS and also a quickshifter out of the box AND you can take it for a bit of offroading (like gravel, not singletrack enduro style)

I initially started with a 610 waaay back and I realize now (doing actual classes) that it's a smarter move to learn on a smaller bike at very low speeds. There's a shitload of skills that you struggle with if you go too big and heavy too fast.

I'm going to start looking at doing the actual purchase in the next couple of months and so far this bike seems to tick all the boxes for a suitable, easy to learn on bike that doesn't make you look like a pizza delivery guy.

Why the swartpilen instead of the vitpilen? My feeling is that the upright seating position is easier to learn those slow balancing skills on. Also I'm not a fan of the aggressive seating position in general. Long explorer rides FTW... and also gravel-ability.
 
I would still recommend a Z650, SV650 or MT-07. Something along those lines.
Nothing that will instantly take you to 200kph in a matter of single digit seconds but it will comfortably do 120kph on a highway quite easily.

I would avoid Husqvarna to be honest, I only know of one dealer in my area and their parts seem to be quite pricey.
I went to the place to get pads for my BMW S1000R. I think it came to about R1400+- for a front set, The dude next to me was in shock as his brake pads cost R900 for a single disc on his 401. I don't know much more about the running costs for a 401 but maybe @Wacko_ZA could give an idea on what the running costs on a Z650 are?
 
D3TTOL said:
I would still recommend a Z650, SV650 or MT-07. Something along those lines.
Nothing that will instantly take you to 200kph in a matter of single digit seconds but it will comfortably do 120kph on a highway quite easily.

I would avoid Husqvarna to be honest, I only know of one dealer in my area and their parts seem to be quite pricey.
I went to the place to get pads for my BMW S1000R. I think it came to about R1400+- for a front set, The dude next to me was in shock as his brake pads cost R900 for a single disc on his 401. I don't know much more about the running costs for a 401 but maybe @Wacko_ZA could give an idea on what the running costs on a Z650 are?
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Dirt cheap[emoji1787] but yea the huskies are nice bikes but damn expensive to maintain. Jap bikes are and have always been the cheapest to maintain.


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I wish my hobbies were cheaper, computers, keyboards, virtual reality and now bikes... oh dear.

That being said, thanks to everybody for the recommendations, Im not the biggest fan on nakeds. The 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 400 ABS deal seems pretty amazing but I am still a little scared to start on anything more than a 250/300 as I am really new.

Been looking at the Gixxer SF 250, as that's around R49k brand new, has ABS and the dealers here in Durban have decent deals on them, but I see you can get a great second hand for that price with more uhh... bang for the buck. I fell in-love with the typical Kawasaki Ninja 250R, which is bloody crazy to buy new. Same as the Husqvarnas, while its brilliant value, I'm just not a fan of their look and what I have seen for parts and aftermarket stuff. But looking at the features, it might just be worth it to get.

Decisions are hard, but I don't mind getting a good starter and upgrading to more power later on. ALSO! sorry for interrupting this thread, just couldn't find any other active bike thread on here.
 
ghostR said:
I wish my hobbies were cheaper, computers, keyboards, virtual reality and now bikes... oh dear.

That being said, thanks to everybody for the recommendations, Im not the biggest fan on nakeds. The 2020 Kawasaki Ninja 400 ABS deal seems pretty amazing but I am still a little scared to start on anything more than a 250/300 as I am really new.

Been looking at the Gixxer SF 250, as that's around R49k brand new, has ABS and the dealers here in Durban have decent deals on them, but I see you can get a great second hand for that price with more uhh... bang for the buck. I fell in-love with the typical Kawasaki Ninja 250R, which is bloody crazy to buy new. Same as the Husqvarnas, while its brilliant value, I'm just not a fan of their look and what I have seen for parts and aftermarket stuff. But looking at the features, it might just be worth it to get.

Decisions are hard, but I don't mind getting a good starter and upgrading to more power later on. ALSO! sorry for interrupting this thread, just couldn't find any other active bike thread on here.
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Not an interruption at all man, you're welcome here.

If I were you, I would consider a 400 over a smaller engine. The bike is only as fast as you make it, but the additional power can be a lifesaver and also will mean you keep the bike for longer and save some cash. Also, literally any bike is fast enough to kill yourself on. The smaller ones can be slow enough that they're a danger on a highway or roads where people go fast.

Definitely do what suits your budget and skill level though. And remember, budget always includes ALL of the kit (helmet, gloves, jacket, boots, riding pants) and maybe some lessons.

Statistically, your legs and head / neck are your biggest risk in an accident, so cover those. Gloves are a no-brainer.
 
Damn man the Honda CBR250RR has so many amazing features, quickshift up and down, new dash, abs, great takeoff speed, different modes. Welp out the window, just spoke to Honda and we aren't getting any new imports on the lower range bikes. Can't find the Ninja 250 anymore.

Busy trying to decide between a 390RC, Nina 400SE and R3.

UrBaN said:
Definitely do what suits your budget and skill level though. And remember, budget always includes ALL of the kit (helmet, gloves, jacket, boots, riding pants) and maybe some lessons.
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Yup girlfriend is against me getting anything lower than 400 for this main reason. Also not to worried about the kit, will have that sorted out either way.
 
I would say look at a 600 at least, especially if you plan on going 2-up.

However definitely get some lessons if you are new to riding, some 600's especially like the ZX6R is stupid in terms of what it can do for it's relatively small size.

And even if you dont plan on going 2-up if you like speed you will get bored of the 400 relatively quickly.

I still miss my ZX6R and if it wasn't for the physically small size of the bike (long legs and what not) I would get myself one again, that was a fun little pocket rocket (did 250km/h+ easily with my 100kg ass on it, and 220 2-up with my now ex, mainly because I forgot she was on the back and decided to race my buds fiesta :p)
 
First bike I rode when starting in 2019 was a Honda CRF250L, different style of bike compared to what you want but hear me out.
3 weeks later I jumped on a Husky 701 Enduro. Power went from 23ish hp on the Honda to 50 on the Husky and torque 22nm to 70nm. That's a big af jump and I did it simply because after 1 week on the CRF I needed more just to feel safe on our roads.
I would genuinely only go for the Ninja 400 as the smallest to get. Unless you are the type of person to swap bikes 3 months in for a lekker loss, get the Kawa, it'll serve you well as a beginners bike but also give you some legs to grow into.

Many people can start on a 600cc bike as a beginner and do quite fine, it's you margin of error that generally get smaller as you go up in cc. If you are the type to go for training (Highly recommend) then you would do well on a bigger bike. Many, many people say they have to start on a baby bike coz "beginner", but then forget that even those 250's can break the law - the difference, most of the time, is discipline.

HP is for top speed, Torque is for fun. Torque also helps you get out of a sticky spot when in one, for me though, I'd hate to have a bike that couldn't get me out of a gap that a taxi and a truck put me in because I'm constantly at full throttle.
 
Also, to add, I really want the Ninja 400 myself. I think it runs a great line between breaking the law too easily vs still being small and putting a smile on one's face instead of fear.
 
Spectaitor said:
Also, to add, I really want the Ninja 400 myself. I think it runs a great line between breaking the law too easily vs still being small and putting a smile on one's face instead of fear.
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Almost any name brand bike will break the law quite easily. Even the 250's can easily do 100 in a 60 zone.
I say any bike can break the law with ease, some can just break it quicker.

As someone who went from 150cc > 750cc > 650cc > 1000cc & 800cc > 1000cc, I can tell you, you'll eventually stop being scared and want more.

I started riding the MT10 in rain mode when I got it, a month in I got bored and vowed to never go back.
Then I used it on normal till lock down happened.

Since I started going back to the office full time, I found myself bored on my MT-10 quite often.
The power is brutal, but you get used to it.
Luckily on the MT10 there are power modes, so I just switch to the top one every second week and get my fix again, but its wearing off to the point that I have considered just leaving it in the fastest mode.

Fuel economy sucks anyways, so it would just wear off quicker.

If the 1290SDR didn't have reliability issues, I would have upgraded already.

Bike CUD is just as bad as PC CUD once you have been doing it for a while.
 
Terribly ignorant to just assume that someone would get bored too quickly and always want more.
I ride with many people that have smaller CC bikes AND love it, even that little R3 gives a friend of mine plenty of smiles until he cracked his front wheel doing 180 into a pothole.

Not everyone just wants to go as fast and stupid as possible, I myself cannot fathom why anyone would want to on South African roads lol.
 
Spectaitor said:
Terribly ignorant to just assume that someone would get bored too quickly and always want more.
I ride with many people that have smaller CC bikes AND love it, even that little R3 gives a friend of mine plenty of smiles until he cracked his front wheel doing 180 into a pothole.

Not everyone just wants to go as fast and stupid as possible, I myself cannot fathom why anyone would want to on South African roads lol.
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I am by no means a speed junky.:ROFLMAO:
The people that have have been on rides with me knows that quite well.

You proved me right by quoting a guy going 180 on a 300cc though :p

Some might upgrade for better comfort, better features and some might want a different class of bike.

Its fair, some people wont get bored and won't mind staying on a 300cc.
The difference is using it as a hobby and using it for commuting only.

I use my car for getting from point A to B, and as such I don't mind that it has almost no power.
I use my bike because its a bobby, not only a method as transport.

People that start doing it as a hobby, would most likely get bored and want an upgrade eventually in some way/shape or form.
 
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