Cheap & reliable biking?

[Shifty]

Hey guys

In true internet forum style I'm asking about something that is many months away and may never happen. Looking for a cheap 'do it all' bike for $3k.

Needs to have reasonable go (no 250's).
Needs to be economical
Needs to be reliable

Hoping for some suggestions so I can keep an eye out on ebay, just bikes, trading post, etc over the coming months and get a feel for what's out there. Also so I can do some research on what has reliability problems and what doesn't.

Don't mind buying a $1k fixer-upper and spending $2k if it leaves me with a very tidy & reliable older bike with heaps of new stuff (chain, sprockets etc) on it... in fact I almost prefer that. I know you can buy into a semi modern bike for $4k-$5k but they are getting to the stage where they need money spent so I'm thinking that buying an older cheaper bike and accepting it needs money spent is better than blowing the budget (and more) on a bike that will inevitably need something (eg clutch, discs) before long anyway and all of a sudden make it a $6k bike which is way outside what I want to spend just at the moment.

I'm thinking old GPZs (I've heard of big end problems though? stuffed if I want to do an engine rebuild after a few months!)
Old suzuki (air cooled? simple design, must be reliable yes?)

Any thoughts/suggestions welcomed as really I'm just shooting the shit at the moment.

[ttc]

Sounds like you need a pushie

[Shifty]

Now now, constructive posts please

Just had a look in the trading post, old Z750 looks very cool at $2500 although the guy has done something awful with red hilights here and there! Rebuild motor, new clutch, etc so it's had a bit spent on it.

[mike-s]

rendrag had a xj600 for sale in melb, not sure if its still up for grabs

[Shifty]

rendrag had a xj600 for sale in melb, not sure if its still up for grabs

Not just yet, looking to take my time over the next few months and wait for something local that's a good buy.

really after suggestions... so what the hell is an XJ600?

[bonester]

GT550 or GT750 Kwakas. Fuggin brill bikes that cost nothing to run. I have three GT550s and they cost me around $1250 to buy all three! All came from Ebay. $500, $390 and $365 from memory. The $500 one I have done nearly 50000km on, including 4000km in one week, towing a fully loaded trailer. (Toowoomba to Melbourne return the long way.) Gets 20km/L and has 21.5L tank. Best tank was 450km. Comfy (two up best in one hit was 370km- only stop for fuel) and shaft drive is low maintenance. Plugs, valve clearances, carb tune, usual oil changes and airfilter and that about does it for servicing. Dingo ugly so no- one would steal it. I own much better bikes, but as a cheap all rounder it has the best mix. A mate rode mine for the first time a couple of weeks ago- within a week he bought a GT750- he just emailed me tonight to tell me he prefers the GT to his '01 GSX750F!
GT750 rides pretty much the same as the 550, but has better brakes (rear disc) and 20Hp more as well as a bigger tank- 24L.
I'd be surprised if anyone paid any more than $1500 to $2000 for a pearler. Things to look for are disc wear, rusty fuel tanks, buggered carb diaphragms, cracked frames (particularly 750 but I know someone who cracked a 550. Mine should crack- I use it to tow a GN250 behind it!) and oil leaks from the engines...
Tyres cost me $180 for a pair of Shinkos from Mad Mick. 14000km from the rear, 28000km from the front.

[Shifty]

Now that's what I'm talking about

Any other great suggestions?

[Phil]

along the same lines as the GT's i can also highly recommend the zr or zephyr 550, i had one, did 30K on it, wasnt used regularly but when it did it was a great little bike. a few members here either rode it or saw it ridden will vouch for the fact it was a little pearler.

same engine as the GT550 but without the shaft and look heap's better

mine was mint and i sold it for $3250 with heaps of extras

[Felix]

In some ways I think dungers have quite a lot to offer in terms of no frills, no worries biking. XJ900 was a great bike, and I probably should have just spent some dosh on it, in retrospect. I think your idea to buy something cheap and spend money on it has some merit. The ER5 is a great example, I paid around $4k for that nearly 4 years ago. Spent $1k upgrading the suspension (was worth it I reckon) and with a $40 Haynes manual, I can do pretty much everything that needs doing on it.

XJ I could have done, but at the time my circumstances were different and spending my weekends fixing a bike was pretty low on the list...couldn't work on it during the week as I relied on it to get me to work. Now, though...all it would have needed was a new shift lever and overhaul the carbs and the exhaust welded up.

Actually, a GSXR1100 in Ippy went for around $4k last week...man was I tempted! Unfortunately, bought a new ute, so no spare coin at the moment (good thing or I'd probably have that nice, blue 9 )

[bonester]

http://www.kawasakigtclub.com/Out/GT550.html" target="_blank

[ZXR750]

along the same lines as the GT's i can also highly recommend the zr or zephyr 550, i had one, did 30K on it, wasnt used regularly but when it did it was a great little bike. a few members here either rode it or saw it ridden will vouch for the fact it was a little pearler.

same engine as the GT550 but without the shaft and look heap's better

mine was mint and i sold it for $3250 with heaps of extras

I agree with Phil The Zepher 550 is a great little bike so too is the Zepher 750. The 750 also looks far better. Both should be under $3K but trying to find a 750 will be hard.

[bonester]

The 750 also looks far better.

Yup- particularly the Jaffa coloured one with the spoked wheels. If you squint it could pass for a pretty good Z9 replica.

[z900/zx9]

Yep a zephyr is a much better look than a gt see green zephyr and u never know it may become a classic one day and u can sit it in the shed for sunny days like my z900 unlike my zx9 which just gets ridden and ridden

[bonester]

I guess that is why GTs are cheap- they aren't the prettiest. I guess it is similar to girls- some of the plainer ones have hidden virtues that make up for any cosmetic inadequacies.

[z900/zx9]

I guess that is why GTs are cheap- they aren't the prettiest. I guess it is similar to girls- some of the plainer ones have hidden virtues that make up for any cosmetic inadequacies.

Yeah point taken but who wants to ride an ugly girl around