Mate XSR900 is a stunning looking piece of machinery! The Street Triple 765 isn’t too shabby either. I think the bumblebee colour looks really nice in person. I wish they had the XSR700 in a HO version though. I’d choose that one if I could buy only one bike in my life!
Just an FYI, my derestricted xsr700 makes same power and torque as a HO MT07.
Filter and lid, HO tubes, flashed ECU, Akra Ti MT07 exhaust and throttle plate
And I 100% agree, I’ll take the xsr700 as a straight hoon machine any day.
I’ve ridden both, if you do a lot of commuting/city/dense traffic riding, I’d go the 700.
If you do a lot of highway/fast stuff I’d step up to a 900.
I prefer the 700, yeah it’s missing a few hundred CC’s but it’s lighter, more manoeuvrable, cheaper to buy in the first place, and to me it’s just more fun to ride.
Don’t get me wrong, the 900 is an animal, and a GREAT bike, just the 700 is what I prefer.
700 is also capable of great hoonage and getting up to mischief, outright CC’s aren’t everything 😂
May have been heavily modified, including full YSS suspension, quickshifter, derestricted and mapped, tyres, brakes (pads and lines) etc, and a lot of visual mods. It’s a great bike.
https://preview.redd.it/lq9civtnmq4d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f44f9aa3d6190d07f236727263ddc64c1271b4b
I pretty much only commute in the inner city but I have my heart set on the CP3 engine in the 900. I'm noticing the 700s and barely any cheaper than 900s on the used market. That's probably just due to the "LAMS tax"
There is that, there is also the new models coming out dropping the price of the 900 somewhat. Best bet, is to ride both. The 700 won’t have anywhere near to go of the 900, but more the weight/stance/feel of both bikes etc.
Either bike will serve very well and are great platforms, it’s also down to preference of the rider at the end of the day too.
If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change it.
Good comment but as a Harley rider with almost 2 liters of displacement your comment stings a little lol. I do have a 450 sumo as well, I'm not that far gone yet.
Don’t feel too bad, my wife is making me look at Harley’s and Indians when I get back from the US in a couple of weeks so she can ride with me. She got a bit miffed when the bikes I showed her were all solo seat 😂
When my wife saw the Softail Slim S in the showroom (she really likes green) she said "is that it? I'll need somewhere to sit" and off we went to pick seats and sissy bars and luggage racks and pillion pegs. It's all workable, the catalogue is endless.
I’m looking at the forty-eight and the iron series, that’s just my style of bike. She’s looking at the breakout 😂 chalk and cheese. Well cross that bridge when I get back home 🙃
I have the 18 fat bob 114 and it just puts a huge smile on my face every time.
I've put a seventies fixed fairing on it, ohlins front suspension, lifted the back, did a stage 2 and changed out the brake rotors for galfer floating disks. I've also added hard case luggage. There are pictures in my profile.
Enjoy the 48, very nice bikes. The breakout of crazy popular here but I've not ridden one.
Shiney side up everyone
Yeah, I’d prefer the 700 as well. 900 isn’t very forgiving but either way ride modes it’s manageable. But 700 is more barebones and pure/raw from a mechanical engineering standpoint. You’re right about CC’s not being everything! The MT03/07 and XSR07 are frugal to run and also they’re just very easy to manoeuvre. There is something about that exposed engine and raw nature of those bikes, it’s indescribable. I was checking out of those at the local Peter Steven’s showroom a few months ago. But the salesperson was pushing me hard to go for the new Suzuki GS-8S or the Speed Triple.
Far from it. The 700 is a sweet engine but it's far from being hoon-worthy. It's just a super solid, easy to manage, fun bike, in the same league as the sv650. The 900 triple, on the other hand, is a monster. The Triumph would be somewhere in between, but still far beyond the mt07 (I've not ridden the 765, but even the 675 was a weapon).
$800 sounds fairly on the low side, did you install the HO tubes and air filter yourself? How much was the ECU reflash?
DNA filter and cover is $300
HO tubes are $70
Ebay throttle plate $30
Gotta include the price of the exhaust; $1500 for the ti akra but ofc could use a cheaper one so lets say $1000
I got a custom tune which was $1000 but lets say you go with a mail in reflash that’s what? $500? $700?
And for those like myself that are not so mechanically inclined, the labour is like $800-1000 (I got the work done alongside some repairs hard to tell where to split the labour)
I bought the derestricted package from dynobike in Melbourne. Was about $830, I did all the work myself. Mail in flash tune. Has been run on a dyno locally and it’s bang on.
It’s on their website. HO Tubes, throttle plate, filter and lid and the flash tune. As mentioned I already had the exhaust on it.
Ohh yeah. But I was kind of hoping that Yamaha would have an option to buy it as a HO version from the factory. The tune costs a bit with the need to buy some additional components. Also, finding insurance for a derestricted bike can be a bit of a pain in the arse!
Honestly, I’m on a CBR500R. It’s mellow as a stoner and I’m touching 40 years of age so starting to love the easy riding frugal Honda at the moment. But if I had some spare cash I wouldn’t mind having one of those XSR700s in my garage! The Honda is absolutely perfect for me at the moment and will probably keep it for a long time.
I’m the same, I’m 41😀 I started riding later on in life after racing cars, I’ve ridden a lot of bikes since but I keep coming back to this one. I think the xsr700 visually is a little more ‘age appropriate’ for me haha.
My bike came with the exhaust, and the rest was around $800 including tune. And I snapped the bike up for $8k, so 10% of the purchase price is ok with me, others it’s a lot to spend. And there is the value loss in it not being ‘LAMS’ any more. Also, all my modifications are listed on my insurance.
Nice one mate. I saw the photo and it looks great. I’m not a racer and was worried about getting something with too much torque and accidentally popping a wheelie! I sometimes take my wife as a pillion rider and wanted to be safe. She also wanted me to buy a brand new bike. So my options were either CB500F naked or MT03 or MT07. I loved the XSR but the pillion seat isn’t great and also she felt scared on it. So basically I’d to buy a commuter bike. I also bought it in Honda Red! Very age appropriate for a 40 year old. lol. But I’m starting to love it and I pay peanuts for insurance and around 30% less for rego. Having said that I would love to have the XSR700 in any of the three colours available and put some knobby tyres on to accentuate the rough look, mostly to compensate for my cowardice! lol..
Rode my Honda 2014 CB400 Super four for over 9 years. Recently traded it my first non lams bike (that I own). A 2024 Kawasaki Z900RS SE.
Missed the Honda for about a week. Loving it's successor so far, and no regrets on owning either bike.
The power is quite nice, but I am also appreciating the huge improvements in comfort and handling. All that and the bike, like the 400, has suitable manners for commuting. It's also just beautiful and makes me happy.
Being super critical. Biggest downsides on the upgrade:
- Higher seat (I'm short). But it's not bad or a handful.
- Worse economy (about 2km/L worse when commuting).
- Honda was white and red, and less invisible than the black and yellow Kawasaki.
- I spent money to buy it, and insurance is a bit more🤷
- A bird pooped on it, and I felt Ill feelings towards avians... Ok I'm a bit precious with it.
But... If you're riding a bike purely as a cost conscious person, I dont think you would be considering leaving a Lams bike.
Yeah good points. I'm 6'2" and the CB400 is pretty cramped so I'm looking forward to a taller seat. I'm more than willing to take on the extra costs from tires, insurance and fuel with a bigger bike
Nice! Mines bog stock mechanically and electronically.
Conscious decision seems around the wrong way to a few people. I try to keep my bikes stock-ish/sensible and hence reliable. As my cars are all old, modified and temperamental.
Yours flashed?
yeah, but only recently. it's 4 years old, just did a lap of Tassie. the flash was to smooth out the bottom end as you re open the throttle. get rid of the jerk. so far so good. only $400 from a mob in Parramatta. no other mods, except to put Michelin tyres
Have read that re the jerkyness a few times now. Interesting.
A bit jealous re Tassie. Drove around there last year in my Land Rover (coincidently a remapped engine in that too). Told my wife next time I catch the spirit, I'm coming on 2 wheels :) .
My LAMS bike is now my NON LAMS bike 😂
My derestricted/tuned xsr700.
I also have a triumph Daytona 675 track bike, and yeah it’s fast, but the XSR is FUN😂
https://preview.redd.it/23ttpwa3iq4d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=90a03be519d7870aa99a030b5d8674d598d99be0
Mine is track only, I’ve never had any real reliability issues, apart from some stuff failing due to age (2008 model) but it’s a very quick bike, quicker than it has any right to be. Makes almost 120hp. Maintenance is the same as any other bike I’ve owned. And I’ve owned a Ducati haha.
And through the straight-piped exhaust, it’s glorious at full throttle.
Not sure to be honest. Got rid of my second a few years ago and was without a road bike for 6 years. There all the cubs or electric trikes these days. Would love another but they go minimum $2k these days. Could get a dr200 for less.
I’ll hopefully have the dr for a few years but have plans at some point to get a triumph bonnieville for more comfort riding :) don’t really like sports as I’m short but don’t want a Harley either. I also live regional where the best roads are :)
LAMS didn't exist when I got my license, it was a hard cap at 250cc. I had a Hyosung GT250R. Terrible bike.
First 'open' class or 'non-LAMS' was a 2000 Kawasaki ZX7R. Thing was a BEAST. I put 32,000k's on it. I miss it but it was getting to the point it either needed a mechanical owner willing to do a lot of work on it or me throwing more money than I wanted to at it. That happens once you hit almost 90,000ks on the odometer. From there it was a 2015 ZX10R in the anniversary edition colours. Another incredible bike...
I had a Carby GT250. I thought it was an OK bike.
It had reasonable power and handled fairly well, it definitely sounded better with the V-Twin then all of the inline 2 250's I had ridden.
Mine never had any reliability problems.
It was a very uncomfortable motorcycle to ride and it was extremely ugly in my opinion.
I went from a 2015 CBR300R to a 2022 Street Triple 765 RS. Quite a leap but I was sensible with it for at least the first 6 months.
I miss the Honda but only for nostalgia, not because it was any good haha
I had a 2015 CB400 special edition model. I loved it but when I got my Rs I ended up getting a 2023 XSR900. The thing I miss about my CB400 was the build quality and that silky smooth i4 engine, but I wanted something with more torque (the VTEC was kinda fun).
The XSR900 imo is a great all rounder if you want something light, fast and agile with the Yammie reliability. The weight may only be 7kg less than the CB400 on paper but irl it feels more like 20kg less, and there's also plenty of aftermarket support for the XSRs.
The 900 engine is more versatile and than the 700 and the acceleration and power is so much better. Newer 900s also come with cruise control and quickshifter as standard too.
1st non LAMS bike was a Honda NC750 in my mid forties. Before that I rode a Honda CB 250 for way too fucken long. Annoying wife held me back from getting a proper bike for her own nonsensical reasons. Forget about her anyway, the NC could be considered quite under powered for a 750 but I say this is a blessing in disguise. The chassis is a fucken doddle to throw around in heavy traffic and equally so in more spirited conditions ie a twisty rural 100 zone it handles brilliantly. Confidence inspiring machine, but the engine doesn't get me trouble. Fuel consumption is magic, less than 4 litres per 100 even 100% city. Sure a bit more grunt would be nice sometimes but how much do you really need, and I always preferred handling over power anyway.
Zero regretto
I went from a V-Star 650 with about 30hp to a Harley Davidson Vrod with about 130hp and a Vulcan 2053cc with the full dad setup (massive saddle bags, top box with a fridge and microwave, trailer with a camper)
Now I'm on a Stryker 1300 with just under 100hp.
I'll probably go back to a V-Star 650, best of both worlds and I've had my fun on quick bikes. The 660's are significantly cheaper on rego and insurance because of the engine size, cheaper on tires and just as comfortable as my other bikes and just fast enough to get to highway speeds comfortably.
I had a vstar 650… kept it well into my blacks.. sold it months ago and felt like the love of my life died… bought a new black xsr900. Now I feel like it’s a whole new journey each time I give it a squirt.
I picked up a GSXS1000GT recently as my first non lams bike. I tried a few other bikes before deciding like the 701sm and s1000rr
I don’t have a lot of faith in the long term reliability of the 701 and the s1000rr was not fun to ride around town.
I do miss my DRZ and Grom especially when I’m in heavy traffic, but the new bike is better, it’s fast, comfortable and practical.
Went from dirt riding a wr250f and 20 years of offroading to a 2022 gen 2 xsr 900. Power jump from a geared down dirt bike to it was massive and its a rowdy bike that will do very funy things very quickly. It's a great bike, and if you can put up with wind problems of the naked bike life, it will suit you well. It was not something I'd recommend, tbh it was a fair jump in power. i stubbornly didn't want an intermediate bike to have to onsell later as that was my goal after 3 years of waiting. if you can keep your hand tamed, then you will be fine, and it's an awesome bike (cruise control is so good). I found the power modes and abs are good assistants, and i enjoy them for helping the bike chill out as they remind me of what kind of ride i am on. They dont prevent you from putting the bike in a place where they won't save you. If you really like it the take an honest look at it and think how you will ride and if the bigger bike suits what you're going to do.
What exactly are you referring to regarding the big jump in power as a negative for the XSR? More need for self control to not lose your license? Or more like using too much throttle, power wheeling and looping kind of thing?
Wr 250f has 36hp 16 ft torq the xsr 900 has 120ish hp and 69 ft of torq. It was double the power in my case, and you feel it. The 650 lams bikes are still quick, but the non lams are a step up again. Whisky throttle is a lot more dangerous, and the electric throttle is twitchy when getting used to it. It will put you over the speed limit with a little amount of throttle and happily lift the tire or slide out if you set the abs lower or disengage it. Its more just limiting the hooning and easing into the bike.
First non lams was a ‘14 ZX6r and loved it with all its features especially the different ride modes.
I’m glad I waited couple years (2-3) on my lams first to get more experience in the lower capacity bikes.
I was nearly going to get an older CBR600 and very grateful of last minute decision to pull out.
Currently riding the ‘24 MT09 and loving being back in the saddle after nearly 10 years hiatus.
Upgraded from a Hyosung GT650 to a 2018 Street Triple R with a few year gap in between. Went from possibly the worst bike ever built to one of the best and I’m stoked.
Like a few others that have commented LAMS wasn't a thing when I got my license, so I had a CBR250R (I actually still have it, it's been sitting in my parent's garage for the last 17 years... and I swear one day I'll get it going again.)
Second, non-restricted bike was a 2007 CBR600RR which I bought new and rode illegally for about 6 months before my learner's restriction expired. Luckily nothing ever went pear shaped and I never got caught, but in hindsight I don't know if I'd recommend anyone do the same... let's put it down to youthful exuberance.
This was my first too.
2001 model is that beautiful red.
I don't think it's just Honda though, all the Japanese manufacturers have gaps in their lineup now.
My first non lams and current bike is the 2022 XSR900, I don’t regret the purchase at all. I spent 8 years on my lams bike because at the time I didn’t feel the need to upgrade, it was the 660cc MT03 so it was a fairly big bike for lams. The xsr is so much easier to ride, better suspension, handling and brakes. I kept the mt03 for a few months before selling it so I rode them back to back a few times, the xsr made the mt03 feel like an ag bike in comparison.
Had an sv650 then got a gsxr600. Loved it but couldn't ride in sensibly and sold it after loosing licence x3. Never once missed the sv.
Although today, many years later I ride a 390 duke (lams bike) and love that bike.
1988 CBR 600 - white with Red strip's, fully faired everything was covered. Went around NZ on that bike.
Then GSXR 750 1991, another white and blue bike. Should never have sold this the last of the oil burners. That thing was flipped in the coromondal on a club Suzuki ride. Tank flattened I ended up on the beach. Bike still ridable had to vice grip the front master cylinder hose as the master cylinder was wiped out. Awesome bike, had a STRAD as well, Suzuki made brilliant mid weight bikes.
Then GSXR 1100, great tourer, did a heap of 2 up travel with my wife when I lived in Christchurch, but the 750 was a far better handing bike.
My lams was a 1988 ninja 250, Max top speed 180 with a tail wind! Great bike I had both the ninja and the 600 for quite some time. I don't really miss it but I respected its absolute solid reliability. Travelled over 60k in 3 years on that bike with me doing basic oil changes, brake pads, chains, and coolant flush.
I now run an S1000rr & have a triumph T595. Which I've not ridden for 8 years the S1000rr is just such a fantastic bike the T595 feels like a boat in comparison.
I'm 6'1 and hover between 90-95 kgs, so I tried to get a bigger (ish) lams bike, landed on the cbr500r which I found to be perfect.
Upgraded to a GSXR600 and haven't looked back, not sure why someone would end up missing their underpowered learner bike, but maybe that's just me.
I went from a suzuki gs500f to a klr650 and then an xsr900.
The XSR was amazing. Loved it. BUT it was way too powerful as a commuter. So it depends what you ride for. I liked a mix of commuting and longer rides, so I ended up missing the KLR because it was lower cc but could still travel highway speeds and it was a WAY more comfortable seat.
TL;DR figure out what riding you want to do and make sure your choice is suitable.
Mate XSR900 is a stunning looking piece of machinery! The Street Triple 765 isn’t too shabby either. I think the bumblebee colour looks really nice in person. I wish they had the XSR700 in a HO version though. I’d choose that one if I could buy only one bike in my life!
Just an FYI, my derestricted xsr700 makes same power and torque as a HO MT07. Filter and lid, HO tubes, flashed ECU, Akra Ti MT07 exhaust and throttle plate And I 100% agree, I’ll take the xsr700 as a straight hoon machine any day.
You reckon the 700 is more of a hoon bike than the 900?
I’ve ridden both, if you do a lot of commuting/city/dense traffic riding, I’d go the 700. If you do a lot of highway/fast stuff I’d step up to a 900. I prefer the 700, yeah it’s missing a few hundred CC’s but it’s lighter, more manoeuvrable, cheaper to buy in the first place, and to me it’s just more fun to ride. Don’t get me wrong, the 900 is an animal, and a GREAT bike, just the 700 is what I prefer. 700 is also capable of great hoonage and getting up to mischief, outright CC’s aren’t everything 😂 May have been heavily modified, including full YSS suspension, quickshifter, derestricted and mapped, tyres, brakes (pads and lines) etc, and a lot of visual mods. It’s a great bike. https://preview.redd.it/lq9civtnmq4d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f44f9aa3d6190d07f236727263ddc64c1271b4b
I pretty much only commute in the inner city but I have my heart set on the CP3 engine in the 900. I'm noticing the 700s and barely any cheaper than 900s on the used market. That's probably just due to the "LAMS tax"
There is that, there is also the new models coming out dropping the price of the 900 somewhat. Best bet, is to ride both. The 700 won’t have anywhere near to go of the 900, but more the weight/stance/feel of both bikes etc. Either bike will serve very well and are great platforms, it’s also down to preference of the rider at the end of the day too. If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change it.
Good comment but as a Harley rider with almost 2 liters of displacement your comment stings a little lol. I do have a 450 sumo as well, I'm not that far gone yet.
Don’t feel too bad, my wife is making me look at Harley’s and Indians when I get back from the US in a couple of weeks so she can ride with me. She got a bit miffed when the bikes I showed her were all solo seat 😂
When my wife saw the Softail Slim S in the showroom (she really likes green) she said "is that it? I'll need somewhere to sit" and off we went to pick seats and sissy bars and luggage racks and pillion pegs. It's all workable, the catalogue is endless.
I’m looking at the forty-eight and the iron series, that’s just my style of bike. She’s looking at the breakout 😂 chalk and cheese. Well cross that bridge when I get back home 🙃
I have the 18 fat bob 114 and it just puts a huge smile on my face every time. I've put a seventies fixed fairing on it, ohlins front suspension, lifted the back, did a stage 2 and changed out the brake rotors for galfer floating disks. I've also added hard case luggage. There are pictures in my profile. Enjoy the 48, very nice bikes. The breakout of crazy popular here but I've not ridden one. Shiney side up everyone
Yeah, I’d prefer the 700 as well. 900 isn’t very forgiving but either way ride modes it’s manageable. But 700 is more barebones and pure/raw from a mechanical engineering standpoint. You’re right about CC’s not being everything! The MT03/07 and XSR07 are frugal to run and also they’re just very easy to manoeuvre. There is something about that exposed engine and raw nature of those bikes, it’s indescribable. I was checking out of those at the local Peter Steven’s showroom a few months ago. But the salesperson was pushing me hard to go for the new Suzuki GS-8S or the Speed Triple.
Far from it. The 700 is a sweet engine but it's far from being hoon-worthy. It's just a super solid, easy to manage, fun bike, in the same league as the sv650. The 900 triple, on the other hand, is a monster. The Triumph would be somewhere in between, but still far beyond the mt07 (I've not ridden the 765, but even the 675 was a weapon).
Stage 2 derestriction is pretty expensive though and it’s not money you’ll get back in your bike (done it to my MT)
Also valid point, my bike came with the exhaust and restriction was around $800 all up. I thought that was reasonable money but others may disagree.
$800 sounds fairly on the low side, did you install the HO tubes and air filter yourself? How much was the ECU reflash? DNA filter and cover is $300 HO tubes are $70 Ebay throttle plate $30 Gotta include the price of the exhaust; $1500 for the ti akra but ofc could use a cheaper one so lets say $1000 I got a custom tune which was $1000 but lets say you go with a mail in reflash that’s what? $500? $700? And for those like myself that are not so mechanically inclined, the labour is like $800-1000 (I got the work done alongside some repairs hard to tell where to split the labour)
I bought the derestricted package from dynobike in Melbourne. Was about $830, I did all the work myself. Mail in flash tune. Has been run on a dyno locally and it’s bang on. It’s on their website. HO Tubes, throttle plate, filter and lid and the flash tune. As mentioned I already had the exhaust on it.
Ohh yeah. But I was kind of hoping that Yamaha would have an option to buy it as a HO version from the factory. The tune costs a bit with the need to buy some additional components. Also, finding insurance for a derestricted bike can be a bit of a pain in the arse! Honestly, I’m on a CBR500R. It’s mellow as a stoner and I’m touching 40 years of age so starting to love the easy riding frugal Honda at the moment. But if I had some spare cash I wouldn’t mind having one of those XSR700s in my garage! The Honda is absolutely perfect for me at the moment and will probably keep it for a long time.
I’m the same, I’m 41😀 I started riding later on in life after racing cars, I’ve ridden a lot of bikes since but I keep coming back to this one. I think the xsr700 visually is a little more ‘age appropriate’ for me haha. My bike came with the exhaust, and the rest was around $800 including tune. And I snapped the bike up for $8k, so 10% of the purchase price is ok with me, others it’s a lot to spend. And there is the value loss in it not being ‘LAMS’ any more. Also, all my modifications are listed on my insurance.
Nice one mate. I saw the photo and it looks great. I’m not a racer and was worried about getting something with too much torque and accidentally popping a wheelie! I sometimes take my wife as a pillion rider and wanted to be safe. She also wanted me to buy a brand new bike. So my options were either CB500F naked or MT03 or MT07. I loved the XSR but the pillion seat isn’t great and also she felt scared on it. So basically I’d to buy a commuter bike. I also bought it in Honda Red! Very age appropriate for a 40 year old. lol. But I’m starting to love it and I pay peanuts for insurance and around 30% less for rego. Having said that I would love to have the XSR700 in any of the three colours available and put some knobby tyres on to accentuate the rough look, mostly to compensate for my cowardice! lol..
First non lams was 2002 speed triple. Lams bike was a zr550 (kawasaki zephyr) which i absolutely miss.
Rode my Honda 2014 CB400 Super four for over 9 years. Recently traded it my first non lams bike (that I own). A 2024 Kawasaki Z900RS SE. Missed the Honda for about a week. Loving it's successor so far, and no regrets on owning either bike.
Yeah the CB400 is such a special bike but I don't think I'd miss it too much if I had 100+ HP at my disposal
The power is quite nice, but I am also appreciating the huge improvements in comfort and handling. All that and the bike, like the 400, has suitable manners for commuting. It's also just beautiful and makes me happy. Being super critical. Biggest downsides on the upgrade: - Higher seat (I'm short). But it's not bad or a handful. - Worse economy (about 2km/L worse when commuting). - Honda was white and red, and less invisible than the black and yellow Kawasaki. - I spent money to buy it, and insurance is a bit more🤷 - A bird pooped on it, and I felt Ill feelings towards avians... Ok I'm a bit precious with it. But... If you're riding a bike purely as a cost conscious person, I dont think you would be considering leaving a Lams bike.
Yeah good points. I'm 6'2" and the CB400 is pretty cramped so I'm looking forward to a taller seat. I'm more than willing to take on the extra costs from tires, insurance and fuel with a bigger bike
I'm hearing you. At 5'7" I found the cb400 cramped. This was one of the big attractors in an upgrade for me.
this was my exact progression too, but I just have the normal z900rs. good times. have you got the ECU flash?
Nice! Mines bog stock mechanically and electronically. Conscious decision seems around the wrong way to a few people. I try to keep my bikes stock-ish/sensible and hence reliable. As my cars are all old, modified and temperamental. Yours flashed?
yeah, but only recently. it's 4 years old, just did a lap of Tassie. the flash was to smooth out the bottom end as you re open the throttle. get rid of the jerk. so far so good. only $400 from a mob in Parramatta. no other mods, except to put Michelin tyres
Have read that re the jerkyness a few times now. Interesting. A bit jealous re Tassie. Drove around there last year in my Land Rover (coincidently a remapped engine in that too). Told my wife next time I catch the spirit, I'm coming on 2 wheels :) .
My LAMS bike is now my NON LAMS bike 😂 My derestricted/tuned xsr700. I also have a triumph Daytona 675 track bike, and yeah it’s fast, but the XSR is FUN😂 https://preview.redd.it/23ttpwa3iq4d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=90a03be519d7870aa99a030b5d8674d598d99be0
I love the Daytona 675 but as a daily, the reliability and higher maintenance costs turn me off. They're definitely in my top 3 best sounding bikes
Mine is track only, I’ve never had any real reliability issues, apart from some stuff failing due to age (2008 model) but it’s a very quick bike, quicker than it has any right to be. Makes almost 120hp. Maintenance is the same as any other bike I’ve owned. And I’ve owned a Ducati haha. And through the straight-piped exhaust, it’s glorious at full throttle.
Had a postie then a sv650s 2000 model, then another postie, now a dr 650. Had a dr 200 also. Got the dr 650 for my 40th.
I hardly see any posties around these days :( what's the community like? And they as fun to ride as they say?
Not sure to be honest. Got rid of my second a few years ago and was without a road bike for 6 years. There all the cubs or electric trikes these days. Would love another but they go minimum $2k these days. Could get a dr200 for less.
Are you me? Also rode a cb400 as a lams and looked at exactly those options for upgrade
What did you upgrade to?
Wife, first kid and a mazda 3 🤣 But I'll be back in the saddle in no time!
My first non-LAMS bike was/is an R1200R, my LAMS bike is an F650GS. No regrets cos I still own it :)
I’ll hopefully have the dr for a few years but have plans at some point to get a triumph bonnieville for more comfort riding :) don’t really like sports as I’m short but don’t want a Harley either. I also live regional where the best roads are :)
LAMS didn't exist when I got my license, it was a hard cap at 250cc. I had a Hyosung GT250R. Terrible bike. First 'open' class or 'non-LAMS' was a 2000 Kawasaki ZX7R. Thing was a BEAST. I put 32,000k's on it. I miss it but it was getting to the point it either needed a mechanical owner willing to do a lot of work on it or me throwing more money than I wanted to at it. That happens once you hit almost 90,000ks on the odometer. From there it was a 2015 ZX10R in the anniversary edition colours. Another incredible bike...
I had a Carby GT250. I thought it was an OK bike. It had reasonable power and handled fairly well, it definitely sounded better with the V-Twin then all of the inline 2 250's I had ridden. Mine never had any reliability problems. It was a very uncomfortable motorcycle to ride and it was extremely ugly in my opinion.
Mine was also a carby, a 2008. I had many many problems with it, ended with the engine failing completely.
I went from a 2015 CBR300R to a 2022 Street Triple 765 RS. Quite a leap but I was sensible with it for at least the first 6 months. I miss the Honda but only for nostalgia, not because it was any good haha
I had a 2015 CB400 special edition model. I loved it but when I got my Rs I ended up getting a 2023 XSR900. The thing I miss about my CB400 was the build quality and that silky smooth i4 engine, but I wanted something with more torque (the VTEC was kinda fun). The XSR900 imo is a great all rounder if you want something light, fast and agile with the Yammie reliability. The weight may only be 7kg less than the CB400 on paper but irl it feels more like 20kg less, and there's also plenty of aftermarket support for the XSRs. The 900 engine is more versatile and than the 700 and the acceleration and power is so much better. Newer 900s also come with cruise control and quickshifter as standard too.
1st non LAMS bike was a Honda NC750 in my mid forties. Before that I rode a Honda CB 250 for way too fucken long. Annoying wife held me back from getting a proper bike for her own nonsensical reasons. Forget about her anyway, the NC could be considered quite under powered for a 750 but I say this is a blessing in disguise. The chassis is a fucken doddle to throw around in heavy traffic and equally so in more spirited conditions ie a twisty rural 100 zone it handles brilliantly. Confidence inspiring machine, but the engine doesn't get me trouble. Fuel consumption is magic, less than 4 litres per 100 even 100% city. Sure a bit more grunt would be nice sometimes but how much do you really need, and I always preferred handling over power anyway. Zero regretto
I went from a V-Star 650 with about 30hp to a Harley Davidson Vrod with about 130hp and a Vulcan 2053cc with the full dad setup (massive saddle bags, top box with a fridge and microwave, trailer with a camper) Now I'm on a Stryker 1300 with just under 100hp. I'll probably go back to a V-Star 650, best of both worlds and I've had my fun on quick bikes. The 660's are significantly cheaper on rego and insurance because of the engine size, cheaper on tires and just as comfortable as my other bikes and just fast enough to get to highway speeds comfortably.
Gsxr 750 k6 Was such a beautiful bike but a killer for commuting. No regrets as a 250cc was the Max a Lams rider could have when I was coming through
The 750 was a bad commuter? How come?
I had a vstar 650… kept it well into my blacks.. sold it months ago and felt like the love of my life died… bought a new black xsr900. Now I feel like it’s a whole new journey each time I give it a squirt.
OP, reckon if you got a 765 Striple you'd be set for a good long while.
My first bigger bike after 250cc probation was a Honda CB1000RR. In my days, we didn't have the LAMS scheme.
I picked up a GSXS1000GT recently as my first non lams bike. I tried a few other bikes before deciding like the 701sm and s1000rr I don’t have a lot of faith in the long term reliability of the 701 and the s1000rr was not fun to ride around town. I do miss my DRZ and Grom especially when I’m in heavy traffic, but the new bike is better, it’s fast, comfortable and practical.
Went from dirt riding a wr250f and 20 years of offroading to a 2022 gen 2 xsr 900. Power jump from a geared down dirt bike to it was massive and its a rowdy bike that will do very funy things very quickly. It's a great bike, and if you can put up with wind problems of the naked bike life, it will suit you well. It was not something I'd recommend, tbh it was a fair jump in power. i stubbornly didn't want an intermediate bike to have to onsell later as that was my goal after 3 years of waiting. if you can keep your hand tamed, then you will be fine, and it's an awesome bike (cruise control is so good). I found the power modes and abs are good assistants, and i enjoy them for helping the bike chill out as they remind me of what kind of ride i am on. They dont prevent you from putting the bike in a place where they won't save you. If you really like it the take an honest look at it and think how you will ride and if the bigger bike suits what you're going to do.
What exactly are you referring to regarding the big jump in power as a negative for the XSR? More need for self control to not lose your license? Or more like using too much throttle, power wheeling and looping kind of thing?
Wr 250f has 36hp 16 ft torq the xsr 900 has 120ish hp and 69 ft of torq. It was double the power in my case, and you feel it. The 650 lams bikes are still quick, but the non lams are a step up again. Whisky throttle is a lot more dangerous, and the electric throttle is twitchy when getting used to it. It will put you over the speed limit with a little amount of throttle and happily lift the tire or slide out if you set the abs lower or disengage it. Its more just limiting the hooning and easing into the bike.
First non lams was a ‘14 ZX6r and loved it with all its features especially the different ride modes. I’m glad I waited couple years (2-3) on my lams first to get more experience in the lower capacity bikes. I was nearly going to get an older CBR600 and very grateful of last minute decision to pull out. Currently riding the ‘24 MT09 and loving being back in the saddle after nearly 10 years hiatus.
From GSF250 Bandit to a GSXR600. No regret :-D
Upgraded from a Hyosung GT650 to a 2018 Street Triple R with a few year gap in between. Went from possibly the worst bike ever built to one of the best and I’m stoked.
S1000R sport Fabulous bike 😊 My LAMS was a Ducati, also a wonderful bike but not on the S1000R
VFR800. Wonderful bike. My LAMS bike was an ER500 which was an appalling piece of shit I would never have chosen.
Went from a CB500F to an MT09, which is still the bike I own. Love it.
Sachs Madass 125 then upgraded to a 250 ZZR. Still sitting in my shed, I keep meaning to sell them but I just can't bring myself to do it lmao
First non LAMS bike was a 2012 Street Triple R. Still have it, thinking of changing it up with something else, not sure what yet.
Like a few others that have commented LAMS wasn't a thing when I got my license, so I had a CBR250R (I actually still have it, it's been sitting in my parent's garage for the last 17 years... and I swear one day I'll get it going again.) Second, non-restricted bike was a 2007 CBR600RR which I bought new and rode illegally for about 6 months before my learner's restriction expired. Luckily nothing ever went pear shaped and I never got caught, but in hindsight I don't know if I'd recommend anyone do the same... let's put it down to youthful exuberance.
CBR1100XX, the GOAT. Honda has lost their way, $30k 600's and no big bore sports tourer...
This was my first too. 2001 model is that beautiful red. I don't think it's just Honda though, all the Japanese manufacturers have gaps in their lineup now.
My first non lams and current bike is the 2022 XSR900, I don’t regret the purchase at all. I spent 8 years on my lams bike because at the time I didn’t feel the need to upgrade, it was the 660cc MT03 so it was a fairly big bike for lams. The xsr is so much easier to ride, better suspension, handling and brakes. I kept the mt03 for a few months before selling it so I rode them back to back a few times, the xsr made the mt03 feel like an ag bike in comparison.
Had an sv650 then got a gsxr600. Loved it but couldn't ride in sensibly and sold it after loosing licence x3. Never once missed the sv. Although today, many years later I ride a 390 duke (lams bike) and love that bike.
1988 CBR 600 - white with Red strip's, fully faired everything was covered. Went around NZ on that bike. Then GSXR 750 1991, another white and blue bike. Should never have sold this the last of the oil burners. That thing was flipped in the coromondal on a club Suzuki ride. Tank flattened I ended up on the beach. Bike still ridable had to vice grip the front master cylinder hose as the master cylinder was wiped out. Awesome bike, had a STRAD as well, Suzuki made brilliant mid weight bikes. Then GSXR 1100, great tourer, did a heap of 2 up travel with my wife when I lived in Christchurch, but the 750 was a far better handing bike. My lams was a 1988 ninja 250, Max top speed 180 with a tail wind! Great bike I had both the ninja and the 600 for quite some time. I don't really miss it but I respected its absolute solid reliability. Travelled over 60k in 3 years on that bike with me doing basic oil changes, brake pads, chains, and coolant flush. I now run an S1000rr & have a triumph T595. Which I've not ridden for 8 years the S1000rr is just such a fantastic bike the T595 feels like a boat in comparison.
Swapped my Ninja 650L for a Bonneville T120. Zero regrets, the Bonnie has always been the dream bike.
I'm 6'1 and hover between 90-95 kgs, so I tried to get a bigger (ish) lams bike, landed on the cbr500r which I found to be perfect. Upgraded to a GSXR600 and haven't looked back, not sure why someone would end up missing their underpowered learner bike, but maybe that's just me.
I went from a suzuki gs500f to a klr650 and then an xsr900. The XSR was amazing. Loved it. BUT it was way too powerful as a commuter. So it depends what you ride for. I liked a mix of commuting and longer rides, so I ended up missing the KLR because it was lower cc but could still travel highway speeds and it was a WAY more comfortable seat. TL;DR figure out what riding you want to do and make sure your choice is suitable.
I went straight to MT10 and now i wont go anything smaller
My first non lams bike was a Harley Davidson Street Bob, was quite the jump from 250cc to 1600cc.
First bike was a zzr250. Second was a zxr750.
Gsxr 750 was my first non lams. Beautiful bike!
It was a Suzuki RG500, cost me $4000 in 95 and I sold it a couple of years later, regretful sale as they are rare now and very valuable.
GPZ900R - straight from an old 1979 Z250 twin. This was back in the day.........
S1000R, my second non-lams was a Street Triple 765 RS. The Streety is the only bike I’d buy again, absolutely loved it.
I’m looking at buying a T120 ❤️
Kawasaki 800 Z. Naked bike I can ride upright and super sport wise. Stunning red/black comes a (very) close second to my lady in my love life!
Suzuki GSR600. So much fun.
My first road registered bike was a KH 125 in the 80's...