Suggestions for lightweight runabout?

I have a CG125 (MTSOTHP) as my spare bike which is fine for buzzing about
locally but if I need to go any major roads its just a bit too slow. I am
looking for something a little bit quicker but I want it to be cheap to buy
secondhand, lightweight, and easy to manoeuvre as I often need to negotiate
two cars parked close together on my fairly narrow driveway (which also
slopes significantly upwards towards the road.) Essentially something which
is fairly easy to physically drag sideways if necessary. I have in mind
something like a 250 single but I am open to any suggestions. Any
recommendations?

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, TMack belched forth and ejected the following:

How about a nice GS450 that's in my sig?

It'll need fork seals and a new rear tyre for the MOT next month but
it's as reliable as you like. It'll do 85-90 pretty much flat-out and
does about 55mpg give or take.

Nowhere near immaculate but it does clean up nicely.

 

Lozzo's GPz500? Much cheapness. Very well looked after too I'll wager

JB.

 

TMack scribbled on the back of a napkin:

CB250RS?

 

TMack emerged from their own little world to say

KMX200[1], DR350[1], F650 [2]

[1] if you can find decent ones: they are also very likely to be targetted
by thieving scrotes

[2] probably my choice for a bike to use around town

 

TMack wrote

A 500 twin? My GS ain't hard to work and it does everything it needs to
do, barring three figure speeds in the blink of an eye, around and about
all the roads I might find in Sunny Essex.

 

ER5. Mine has done 12600 miles, 1999, good tyres and is probably only worth
£1200. If you have a look on Bike Trader you can get a tatty one with the
odd ding in it for a lot less. I like it a lot and am only looking to sell
it so I can buy something with a bit more room for a pillion.

John

 

JB said...

Thanks. It's not up to my usual standards of niceness, as my for sale
post said, but the work that has been done is to a decent standard.
It's still for sale, and very cheap for what it is. I just need to make
room in the garage.

 

I know that feeling all too well.
If I had room in my garage/drive/garden amongst the other members of my
'fleet', I'd have it myself. (I've still to break it to the SO that there
will be another Guzzi 'materialising' soon too!)
Cheers,
JB

 

I've just acquired two CD250s.

Nice little bikes. Benly on steroids, and with rubber mountings for bars
and footpegs. Top whack over 80: cruising speed 65, and really rather
fun in a workaday fashion.

 

I've got a 500 twin thanks (CX500 - I know, I know) and it is a right
bastard trying to pull it backwards (not enough room to turn it around)
uphill through a narrow gap between two cars. I don't mind the effort if
I'm going for a decent run but for just nipping down to the shops it isn't
quite the ticket. Also - with something lightweight I can just drag it
sideways without much effort to line it up with the gap beween cars rather
than doing a 15 point back and forward routine. I know I could always move
one of the cars but I can't park on the road outside the house so it makes
it all too much hassle.

 

TMack said...

The original CX was a dinosaur when it was new in 1977. More modern 500s
weigh about a third of what a CX does. They also go better, stop better
and handle much better. You can't compare a CX to any modern bike at
all, except maybe a Guzzi.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Lozzo

^^^^^

Eh?

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - To stay young requires unceasing cultivation of
the ability to unlearn old falsehoods.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

Wicked Uncle Nigel said...

They don't make CXs any more, but there are modern versions of Guzzi
Californias etc.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Lozzo

Oh, all right then.

Spoilsport.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - To stay young requires unceasing cultivation of
the ability to unlearn old falsehoods.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

A CG125 weighs about 200lbs which makes it easy to drag around. A GPZ500
weighs about 375lbs which, whilst not massive, doesn't quite fit my concept
of "lightweight" - but thanks for the suggestion.

 

Your just rubbing it in aren't you? I was sooo tempted by that one on ebay
that you ended up buying. Mind ewe they weigh about 350lbs and I really
want a lighweight so it might not have been such a good idea. I probably
need something like a GN250 (circa 266 lbs) or an SR250 (circa 295lbs).

 

I know that the cx500 is a heavyweight dinosaur. However, even modern 500
twins come in at nearly double the weight of a CG125 (circa 200lbs).
Basically something under 300lbs that does over 70mph and isn't total shite
would probably do.

 

I KNOW the reputation of the CX500 but I rather like the durability,
eccentricity and the multitude of very cheap spares. I also know that a
modern 500 would weigh much less - but still enough to make it less easy to
drag around than I would ideally like.

 

TMack emerged from their own little world to say

as I said up there: Suzuki DR350 (286lb dry weight)