Second Summer - used test

Right now is the time for enjoying the sun on two wheels. Whether it’s maximum speed or maximum cool you’re after, we rounded up the four best second-hand bikes we could find for £4,000 that provide the biggest bang for your summer buck...

Posted: 7 September 2009
by Jon Urry

Summer and bikes is when it all makes sense. It’s what motorcycles were invented for. The nights are long, anything above 15 degrees is considered acceptable and suddenly you can’t wait to get out there. You’ve waited six long, dark months for this and now it’s time for your two-wheeled payback. The ride to work is something to be enjoyed, the tyres are warm, the roads grippy. Ride to the pub in jeans and a jacket and love every minute of it.

If you’re looking for a decently-priced bike to ride this summer, we’ve picked four of the best. The second-hand market is a glut of top quality, just-used bikes at the moment perfect for riding hard after a tough day in the office or cruising round to see your mates for a barbeque on a weekend. For the sportsbike nut, we’ve picked the original GSX-R1000. Light, basic and thrilling to ride, this 180mph lunatic was the King of Wheelies when it was released in 2000 and instantly disposed of the Yamaha R1. In the same vein is KTM’s 690SM, only a year old and perhaps the ultimate city and backroad blaster. And for those who prefer their summer’s riding without having to look behind them all the time for pursuing police officers, Yamaha’s timeless XJR1300 and Triumph’s brilliant Thruxton offer warm-weather thrills of a totally different nature.

Either way, kick back and enjoy the ride and continue for the Yamaha XJR1300

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Discuss this story

Andrew Smith 2

This test is the biggest load of bollocks i ever read.

To say the GSXR 1000 is just too dated,too rampant and too poorly built is crap and totally defeats the object of this test as in my opinion you can not buy more fun for in my case £3000 for a mint less than 10.000 miles example.

I get tired of reading some of the rubbish these "so called" journalists put on paper,these people are not in the real world as they mostly ride brand new bikes and probbably not quite as fast as they would like you to believe,Nial Mackenzie/James whitham Excluded.

The mileage of the Suzuki GSXR tested is not even mentioned as it could have done 20000 miles and been neglected.

I own a GSXR 1000 K2 and i have also owned the latest crop of 1000's and the difference is minimal in all area's,in fact i reckon if a real and fair test was conducted between the "too old" and the latest k9 the original GSXR1000 would still be right up it there.

Posted: 16/09/2009 at 08:55

Dan Iel

Without doubt, one of the worst, ill-informed pice of writing I have ever seen.

Some time I would be happy to introduce you to the real world....

Posted: 16/09/2009 at 15:29

gordon webb

X GAY R THE BEST ????? GRRRRRRRRRRRR OBVIOUSLY YOU DIDNT RIDE SUZUKIS SUPERIOUR GSX 1400 OUTCLASSES IT IN EVERY DEPARTMENT.

Posted: 16/09/2009 at 22:05

chris rogan

Amusing..........did you merely cut & paste from a marketing brochure or did you just 'make up stuff' to provide a 'filler' article to take up space...??

I agree the XJR is a nice enough bike but to compare it so favourably to either the Kawa or the GSX1400 suggests you have been on the 'turps'....considering that the 14' has a larger motor, more grunt, more torque, 6 speed box and reasonable suspension componentry that is fully adjustable at both ends to dial out those undulating death wobbles you seem to like in the Yammie...........

Suggest you try one, you may be surprised.....and revisit this article with the 'red pen'

Posted: 17/09/2009 at 05:56

decco

What a pile of old horse shit, You cant compare those four bikes against each other and expect to come to a sensible conclusion.

Proper example of the shite they fill magazines with these days, I hardly bother anymore, these so called reviewers are most certainly not experts, the guys that reviewed these bikes sound like some old tarts.

I dont own any of those bikes as they are all shite in one way or another!

I own other bikes which are shitter in others!

God bless shit journo's

Posted: 12/11/2009 at 21:29

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