advice please

gazbut · Post by **gazbut** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 7:35 am

hi all
could do with a bit of advice.
after selling my 1st bike (600 bandit) after 3 years i'm looking to step up in size and class.
2 bike appeal to me a vfr and r1100s i've got £3500 to play with.
so can anyone tell me the virtues of the r1100s and what can i get for my cash?
just 1 note the bike needs to live outside although i'm really a fairweather rider, is this a bike that needs to be kept on trickle charge?
what are running costs like servicing etc?
any help would be greatly appreciated
cheers
gazbut

Ade B · Post by **Ade B** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:55 pm

regarding virtues, you should ride them both and make up your mind.. they are two very different bikes.

BMW hard luggage is excellent.

check out the site for what you can get for your money, it varies enormously..

my bike has lived outside for the last 4.5 years. Fasteners, fork legs and bridge are corroded. Silver paint has held up well on the plastics but the switch gear and black plastics are a bit faded, seat is split - nothing that bothers me anymore.. I stopped using a cover when it became more hassle and caused more damage to the bike than not using one. Its now losing engine paint at an alarming rate but then I've used it every winter and not been religious with my cleaning regime...

servicing costs are horrendous if you use BMW, reasonable if not and the bike is easy to diy service/fix if you are so inclined.

I think the S makes a great cheap buy, but would personally avoid high price bikes as they will lose loads once they are not immaculate..

HTH

Ade

winger · Post by **winger** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:22 pm

I've always said ,If a 100 people rode both,95 of e'm would buy the VFR the question you have to answer,are you one of those 5 !!!!!

Desmo904 · Post by **Desmo904** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:49 am

I had a VFR800 for 3 months, until it bored the *rse off me.
I found it boring because it was actually too good at everything.
Perverse maybe, but that's why I enjoyed my R1100S ownership (2 years), and why I've got a Duke now.

Phil

BockingBandit · Post by **BockingBandit** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:30 pm

Gazbut, i had to make the same decision, VFR or 1100S. The bikes are as 'different' as the could be, and somewhere in the middle sits Triumphs 955iST. I went for the 1100S. I loved the VFR750, one of the greatest bikes ever built, the 800 is a shadow of its older brother. The main thing that put me off the VFR800 was totally weird power delivery (when the VTEC kicks in) and the cost of the major service,. which is essentially an engine-out job.
But,.. a bikes a bike. (As my name suggests,.. I've done a few miles on 600 Bandits), .. but buy a VFR or 1100S and you'll enjoy the extra power, build quality (in parts:-) and handling.
Good Luck and Happy Shopping,.. Geoff

winger · Post by **winger** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:21 pm

There's about as much chance of me ever buying a VFR as there is me winning the lottery,but if there was a prize for the person who's done the most number of miles riding with a mate on a VFR,then i'd win it,he's on his fourth,this Vtech he has now has nearly 30,000 on it,over 4 bikes he's had a speedo and a rectifier in 90,000 thous miles.

It's the old,Ya pays ya money and takes yer choice,routine!!!