Bike On A Budget

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Joined
May 27, 2013
Messages
3,793
Reaction score
932
Location
Gauteng
Bike
Suzuki DR650
I started working in January, and I realised that my 20km (yup, that's all!) commute every day is starting to cost a fortune in the car (an old Golf). So with the high petrol prices, and my high fuel consumption (driving like a granny and driving at full taps doesn't make a difference), I thought that maybe it's time to invest in a bike to commute with.

I own a TZR125 which I'm trying to sell so that I can put the money towards an upgrade, and make some space in the garage.
But the question is, what to upgrade to?

My limiting factor is money (isn't it always?) My budget is a mere R30 000 (provided the bike comes with what I need. If I need to buy extras, the budget for the bike alone will decrease significantly). I'm only looking at buying in about 3 months time, so this is purely research at the moment.

At first I thought of a road bike. Honda CBR600f3/4 perhaps. Dream bike would be a Suzuki SV650. But then I thought, how much will tyres cost? How long will tyres last? How much will it cost to replace a mirror? How much is a service, and can I do it myself?

So then I looked at what I'm after: A simple bike. No heated grips or fancy gizmo's. A bike I can work on myself should something go wrong. A bike I can put a top box on. A bike that will get me from A to B without me having to spend a fortune on petrol and/or oil. Something that is reliable, and should it break, have parts readily available. Something with seals and tyres that won't cost a fortune.
And the other big thing... I must be able to fit a windscreen to it. I don't like the naked bike thing; it's uncomfortable.
It will be used for riding on tar. If I do take it off the black stuff, then it will only be on to a dirt road in decent condition.

So with that in mind, I started hunting. First Gumtree to get an idea of prices, then to Google to see what the bike reviews were.
Now I'm thinking a DS is the way to go.

- Suzuki DR650. Rode one. Enjoyed myself! Seat height is good, and I know I can pick it up by myself.
- Yamaha XT660e. Only read reviews. I like the look of it.
- Kawasaki KLR650. Doohickey's and oil consumption?
- Kawasaki KLE500
- Honda XR650 (suggested by a friend. Seems they don't come cheap second hand. And I see they're being discontinued)

I've sat on a KLR650 and could reach the ground with my toes, so there shouldn't be a height issue.

My concerns:
A lot of bike shops don't want to see a bike older than 10 years, because when they repair something, they find that the cause of the problem is more complicated than it originally seemed, so repairs take longer and the costs mount. But older bikes tend to be more bullet-proof; less plastic rubbish. So, do I go for a bike newer than 2003, or is a '98 model still ok?

Running costs. Oil burn (I have a two-stroke, and that uses a lot of oil. I don't want to have to top a KLR or something every other day). Seals, springs, chains. Tyres- how long do they generally last, and how much do they cost to replace? Idieally, I'd like to buy something that already has road tyres fitted, or comes with road tyres.

Servicing costs. Change the oil and sparkplugs? I can do that.

How high, is too high, in terms of mileage? Is 40 000km for a DR a lot?

I would like to be able to go a breakfast run every now and then, and be able to maintain 120km/h fairly comfortably.

But the main thing is, saving on fuel. And having fun during the ride to work.

My biking experience comprises of: TS50, Yamaha TZR125. BMW R60/5. Suzuki DR650. BMW F800. BMW 1200GS. Then I borrowed a friends TT-R 230 and splashed through some puddles.

Is it possible to get a bike that will last another few thousand KM, relatively hassle-free, for R25-30k?

All advice and suggestions are welcomed! I'm here to learn!
 
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