Latest motorcycle reviews submitted by Ride Trader users
Magazine and press reviews are all well and good but nothing beats a review
penned by REAL owners. Thinking of buying a new bike? See what riders who have
owned and used the same model think of it.
Want to write your own review of a
bike? - Click here.
|
|
Bike: KAWASAKI GPZ 250 | Year: 1987 |
Review By: Gwyn Jones |
very reliable ,fast but you do have to rag it in all the gears. entertaining . easy comfortable riding position, unlike some sports bikes .will keep up with the big boys ,not to bad on petrol when you are out for a cruise around .plenty of parts around as 305,zzr and gpx parts fit. joy to ride very forgiving |
panels like the bike are extremely rare and exhausts can be expensive so look after your headers. bit of a pain changing spark plug |
|
|
Bike: YAMAHA XJ 900 | Year: 1990 |
Review By: Mike Rochester |
A slim machine best suited to tall riders with longer legs since the pegs are set low enough not to scrunch your leathers behind the knee. Mechanically very simple and robust so beloved by those who need a reliable ride rather than a pin-sharp handling rocket-ship. Power is perfectly adequate for a tourer 2 up with luggage, handles OK but not if 'pushed'. Speed-sensitive self-cancelling indicators are brilliant. 55mpg typical. The 900F will deliver swift progress if you demand it ... I've done Edinburgh and back 550 miles in a day, but a sport bike it ain't! To get the best from this machine you need to ride within its capacity, choose speed, gear and line carefully and avoid sudden changes of plan. |
Being so tall it feels a bit top-heavy, the tyres are slim so spending extra on grippy rubber is essential. As the revs rise so do the vibes through the bars. The 18" front wheel makes for rather ponderous steering, having owned FJ1200's with 16" and 17" fronts I scared myself a few times when chucking it into hairpins and when needing to change line mid-bend ... when it steadfastly refused to do so! Torsional stiffness of the frame is not great nor is the protection afforded by the fairing. Brakes are adequate if well maintained and with top quality pads fitted but you'll never do 'stoppies' with this machine. Ride like an old feller ... swift enough to satisfy but steady with lots of forethought. |
|
|
|
Bike: HONDA CBR 1000 | Year: 2009 |
Review By: steve-o |
Bought my new 09 Fireblade in HRC colours a few months back as an upgrade to my 2004 'blade.
The new bike is absolutely mint and much better than the older bike (which was good too, loved my old blade). Not managed to get the bike on track this year unfortunately to see what it can really do but on the road it handles like a dream.
Just like my old Blade its well put together with quality parts throughout, not had any problems with it yet and realistically i dont expect to either if its anything like the old one.
As you'd imagine its VERY fast and very stable was a bit worried about the new ABS but works really well and the braking is superb. |
Cant really see any bad points, some people moan about the looks of the newer Blade but i personally really like it and after seeing it in HRC colours i just had to have one! |
|
|
|
Bike: HONDA XL VARADERO 125 | Year: 2004 |
Review By: Durbs |
This was my first bike after CBT as i needed something to ride around on to get some miles in before taking Direct Access.
Fancied the Varadero because of its size - its a physically big bike, not a little 125 like the CBR etc. Also looks the part if you're into trailie style bikes.
Good bits are its very comfy, very solid and stable and has decent Honda build quality. You're sat high up so get a good road view. Would make a good comfortable commuter if it had a wee bit more power. |
Its a pretty big bike for a 125 so can sometime struggle on uphill overtakes and isn't the fastest 125 around by a long shot. Saying that though, when you buy a 125, its generally to learn on or get you from A to B.
Its pretty expensive too compared to other 125's but the build quality reflects this. Had an issue where it would intermittently refuse to idle properly. |
|
|
|
Bike: SUZUKI SV 650 | Year: 2003 |
Review By: Durbs |
Cracking engine, looks good, very light and nimble, easy to ride and fast enough that you don't get bored with it after a while. Being a v-twin means you don't need to get the thing screaming to feel any power like a sports 600, its got a nice thwack even at low revs.
Mine has been totally reliable, nothing gone wrong bar the battery dying but this was the original 2003 OEM battery so fair enough.
Its a cliche about the SV but it IS a good bike for both newbies and experienced riders alike. |
Build quality - bolts and fastenings are obviously built to a budget and are basically shit. Even being careful and washing the bike after every trip, a winters worth of riding saw lots of the bolts on the bike become furry and rusted.
A Good polish and application of FS365 after every wash made it less of an issue but its still hard to keep the bike looking good with such ropey quality fastenings.
Asides from that, not really any bad points, another 20BHP wouldn't go amiss once you get used to the bike i suppose but in all i'd highly recommend it. |
|
|
|
Click here to post your own motorcycle review.