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“I don’t like the look of adventure bikes”……..”Here’s an adventure bike”. 😃 I think that they missed a trick with the budget for a second bike that he wouldn’t be too bothered about and should have suggested the £2800 Honda.
Be surprised if he still owners that bike after 6 weeks. Doesn’t like triples doesn’t like the throttle doesn’t like the buffeting. 600cc scooter would have been perfect I reckon.
Having owned a Honda CBF 1000 for 12 years, and put 80k miles on it, I can confirm that would have been the perfect bike for him. My commute was similar being 25 miles motorway, and then 15 into central London. I also toured Europe regularly and did a 4k mile trip to the Arctic Circle when it already had 70k miles on it! What a bike! Age now means I get uncomfortable after about an hour on it, but it still brings a smile to my face.
He says he doesn't like triples and doesn't like adventure bike style so you get him a triple and an adventure bike and then they're over budget. 🤣🤣 Don't let the details get in the way of a bike show. And the sales expert says it's good for green laning. Spoken like a sales man that's never been green Laning 🤣🤣
Ben hasn't learnt not to let a salesperson make decisions for him. First we will go over budget, hopefully on something you will trade in every few months to keep you in the loop.
May I make a suggestion? Add a fourth bike. Let it be a "Left field" / "Out of the ordinary" option (which Simon and Michael jointly conjure up) to offer counterpoint perspective to the BikeSocial member you've selected for the episode.There are 'alt' bike options that "fit the criteria" that are bound to spice up the video and generate interesting discussion.
@@ElkTheHammer I had a ride on the Tiger Sport 1050 the other day, that was nicer than the new Tracer GT (it's so subjective or course, and it depends what you value I suspect). I prefer the 1050 engine to the CP3.
Love the series but first time i had to turn it off before the end. My gripes 1. You should have the collegue who chooses the mystery bike in shot to present. 2. Whos is choosing who comes on these shows? 8 episodes and not one looks like they actually want a bike literally just a day out riding bikes and getting on screen. 3. This guy in this episode 🙈 like honestly 10 bikes in 4 years and 2 of them were lockdown. Wants a new bike after only having a gsx for 6 weeks but wont part that in for a bigger budget. I knew straight away you could of put a brand new multistrada in front of him for 5k and he wouldnt of taken it. Waste of your time and you guys were amazing handling him. Kudos to you guys
No surprise this guy has owned a lot of bikes over the years. The 'impossible-to-please' customer that would probably be better off re-evaluating whether commuting 4 hours a day on a bike is the best form of transport. Well done guys for persevering with the most 'Accountant' accountant ever.
Well lets see - he said he didn't like triples, wants something different from his sports bike, and isn't a fan of ADVs - they picked a sportbike, and ADV, and a triple. Nice job....
Personally I think Simon was on the right mark when he looked at the CBF1000 it has the wind protection it has the Honda reliability and it can do the motorway and the filtering easily. Being an accountant I think he'd have appreciated being under budget and even if that particular example wasn't for him I reckon it would have fitted his brief the best.
I wouldn’t ride any of those bikes into London. Well, not for any more than a few days as it will be nicked! I do think he needs to ride a lot more bikes as he is coming from a sports bike, which you can commute on but they’re not very practical (same level as car mirrors) and not great for visibility in traffic (to see or be seen). Honestly he’s probably be better off with an NC750, dull or not, it would do the job much better and they’re so ubiquitous due to couriers in London it won’t stand out as much.
VFR 1200 DCT, shaft drive, great weather protection, slim, smooth delivery of the power, the only down side is it’s a little top heavy. But he’s big enough for it.
Now that was a really tough call and Simon was ready to call it a day as I was!! But, the professional way You Guys go about these productions is mighty, and you finished up winners all-round!! Thanks for yet another entertaining show!
How can anyone hate triples? After 30+ bikes my conclusion is the speed triple 1050 is the greatest bike I’ve ever had, largely because of the engine…torque like a twin, legs like a 4, smooth as hell, fuelling like butter, positive gearbox, sounds absolutely incredible, perfect amount of tractable power on the road, looks breathtaking and it’s comfortable! God I love my triple 😊
@@blindmaninchainsthey’re the perfect balance of the two, sure they’re not as intense either low or high but they perfectly balance the two engine characteristics. The torque is plenty close enough and is more accessible due to the less snatchy nature of the engine, the high pull has plenty breath, it’s smooth and delivers a rush like a 4, personally I think big 4s are just Willy wavers as they’re just way too much for the road, again the triple has accessible power everywhere and it’s just a perfect road engine, what it comprises is minor and unnoticeable when riding a surge of midrange triple growl. Come on man they’re just awesome.
@@gingerelvis yes, but they'll still lose money on the sheer amount of salesmans time he wastes. As said by someone else, he didn't know what he wanted, other than to be on TH-cam
@@icklepob88he said he doesn't like triples, didn't want an adv and wanted something different to his sport bike. so they chose a triple, an adv and a sport bike.
I think he would be fine if he had a higher budget. I have the same requirements as he had and the ninja 1000sx suited me perfectly. Above that he could probably go for a BMW r1250rs/rt/x
They all laughed at the Deauville but it's actually a GREAT bike for what it were designed to do. I owned the 650 version for 13 years, loved the shaft drive, panniers, comfort. OK, it's not sports bike fast but it's more than adequate.
when it came to the third choice i was thinking ‘ I think the only way a sale is gonna happen in this episode is if the cover comes off the machine and its a Fiat 500
I just recently came across this series and watched the whole lot back to back as and when I got the time. This by far I think was one of the toughest customers you have dealt with 😆 but you guys handled it well and I hope you all continue this series. Great insights on bikes. Cheers!
Love these videos when one comes up nothing’s going to stop we watching, gees this guy was a challenge but super bike factory manager nailed it. Good effect boys great presentation.
Agree with this it seems to happen every episode. It's like why bother ask the budget. They're literally doing the opposite. When people give you a budget then tend to prefer you to find the item for less not more. Not to mention why did you go with the the higher budget he basically said between 3k-5k could've found something closer to 3 rather than 5. Every bike chosen was 1 closer to the high side of the budget and 2 was over budget.
Thanks for getting in touch, and you raise a fair point. I guess we’re naturally drawn to finding the best value for money at the the end of the budget… especially when you consider the room for negotiation.
I don't think the deauville is such a bad idea at all... Bit less big than his fjr... Fine on motorway and in town. Low maintenance... Great for commuting. And... No one will look at you twice. Who needs attention when riding to work.
When you guys say there’s room for negotiations what do you mean because Iv had a few friends buy bikes from super bike factory and there’s no movement in price at all
I know he preferred Japanese but the obvious choices would have been bmw’s RT1200 or RS1200 both which could have been in budget for a 2016 bike. Both have good weather protection but the RS is more sporty and has that slightly forward position. He really doesn’t seem to know what he wants! The Deauville was a great shout and would have ticked all the boxes but overlooked for more fashionable rides. Another great shout might have been the Aprilia Campanord?
When there's a throttle response objection, the answer is a simple dyno session and remap. Get a better exhaust have the fueling adjusted to fix the snatchy power delivery
Excellent presentation once again lads 😎 Tough picking bikes with people’s unrealistic budgets. A bike can be almost perfect but for me but after 30 goes at it I know one bike can’t satisfy every occasion. Minimum 2 bikes needed in my garage and each one must ‘speak’ to me at some level 🍻
So, after hearing his wants/needs my first thought is a Honda ST1100. Maybe a Versys 1000 though he did say he likes fairings. I am thinking sport tourer over sport bike. So, a KTM 1050 ADV when he just said he doesn't like ADV's? Wait, he put the VFR on his list and then is wishy washy about it, he really is indecisive. I can see him going with the tracer and its similar to the Versys that was my first thought, but admittedly better.
Need to try a 700 Deauville - go on for ever and perfect commuter motorway winter bike . Excellent wind protection, shaft drive ride one before saying they are boring
Brilliant bike choice . Triples are my favourite engine the best of both worlds .I took a tracer 9 for a test ride few years back the only thing I really didn’t like was the worse than useless wind screen .
I can confirm that the Ktm 1050 adventure is a very easy bike to filter on, except when you forget you have the massive panniers on on the M62. I other news, the reliability front, mine is a 66 plate with less than 15,000 miles on the clock and my ABS pump is now faulty. £2000 to fix.
Good choices, but I would have recommended a BMW R1250 R (with a screen). Obviously might be difficult finding one within budget, but if he wanted something to match his requirements, then this is a good option.
Zero fit base layers are amazing btw! Great episode as usual guys, I love guessing what will be chosen. Love my Tracer 900gt so Ben made a great choice imo. Screen change makes it pretty close to perfect.
I love my too. I got my 2019 3.5 months ago. I’ve owned 2015 and 2017 FJ09 (43000km in one year on this one btw. which is still my personal record ) and 2019 Tracer 900. My 2019 GT came with Yamaha touring windscreen. After adding adjustable wind deflector it works for me pretty well. After 11000 km so far I’m really happy with it and cruise control is a blast.
I like the show you have going on. It provides great insight to the pro’s and cons of what each of you put into the choice. We are spoiled with the variety of choices. This episode you may have done better with knowledge of why he moved past previous bikes. Winter protection perhaps would have lead to a full faring with heated grips with a smaller foot print than a FJ1100 (does that exist?)
Simon has taste...he chose my bike! what a thing...I enjoy every minute with it, to commute, for fun, to look at it...(the 2014 model with polished frame and black forks looks even better btw)
I guessed a VFR800, Ninja 1000SX and Tracer 700, not too far off out of 3! But seems like he would have a very hard time finding his ideal bike (if it exists). Best of luck to Ben!
A Ninja 1000 SX or a Versys 1000 would be a great choice.
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Or a late model Honda Varadero. I believe the Tracer 7 would have fit him well, but is it powerful enough with ~75hp? For me The tracer 9 is a bit of a dream bike. It's a perfect fit for me at 6'8". T9 is both Tourer as well as very sporty and fun in the twisties.
Gsx1250f , good value for money, engine is made from diamonds , comfortable. Perhaps a little heavy for city filtering. Of course being London you need to consider will it get nicked, and this bike will not attract much attention.
I am in the same situation, riding 3 hours a day from home to my working area, which is Brussels -Antwerp. I ride year round all weather, because I gain between 1 and 2.5 hours a day lane filtering. I do this on my S1000XR. I just got a second bike, for winter and bad weather use, a 2009 K1300GT, with only 23000 kms on the clock. With the added protection, shaft drive and heated seats, i think it will complement the XR perfectly. PAyed 9000 euros including 2 years dealer warranty. I'm 57 years old, 1m90 and 120 kgs, so I need a big bike. Being inline 4's, both bikes are narrow enough when i leave the side panniers at home and only use the big topbox.
These are a great series of videos, glad at the end Ben got a bike,, I've had to commute recently,, used my SV 1000 ,,my K6GSXR,in the garage,,, keeps the brain working and blood flowing,,, 🙂☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ from northern Ireland
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I absolutely love the Tracer 9. And I'm 6'8". It's slightly out of my financial reach right now, (I have 5 bikes atm.) The Tourer of Choice right now is my Honda Varadero XL1000VA from 2007. Excellent for commuting. Fun on the back roads as well as having the fairing that covers you quite a lot from rain and debris.
Great episode guys, got to admire bens love of all bikes. Hopefully he put a bigger screen on the yammy and it will make a difference for him. I think a BMW R1200 rt could be a good choice for him you can pick up a good 05/06 up for £5 ish .
Really enjoying this series. Great job lads. I would have guessed a Versys 1000 would tick all the boxes but he said he'd had a Vstrom 1000 so maybe not.
Love this Show! Really pick my brain... what should i choose! (Some type of GS!!!) But the problem is that i find my self looking at the classified a bit too much!
The tracer can be easily sorted for snatchy throttle,it can be ecu reflashed and an MRA touring screen helps but if you are 6ft plus you will still get buffeting.
This has been on my mind. My next bike, hum. Noobie here, 6 months in and just over 7,000 miles already, on my first bike. It's a 05 suzuki Boulevard M50, and I love this bike. Handles the twisties well, with a very comfortable feel. Though I do love this bike, I'm already thinking about my next one. Kinda thinking about another Boulevard or an Adventure bike or maybe a Spots Bike (kinda feeling the need for speed). Not the crotch rocket type. Oh, I did just put on a new Perellie Night Dragon on the front.
Can't believe the condition of the KTM! It's typical of SBF. Their preparation is crap. Rusty foot rests and engine bolts, filthy engine, disgrace. Ready the reviews and then ask why Bennetts associate with this company.
Got a 9 year old Hayabusa from them. It was low miles (1340) and high price. £8900. Shortly after I took delivery of the bike I found out It came with the original 9yr old tyres, 9yr old coolant, 9yr old oil, 9yr old clutch and brake fluids. I asked them what they had done to the bike before I got it and they said the techs. did not find any issues. They offered to fit new tyres if I paid for a set. How kind of them. Looking back I should have asked about how they prepped bikes before sale. Not brilliant customer support. I did end up with an 'as new' bike after I got it up to working order myself. What would a non handy person do in this situation? Take it to a workshop for the work to be done or send it back? It was a lot of extra money on top of the purchase price of the bike and I bet they made a killing on it buying it for way less than I paid for it.
SBF always have the auction bikes for sale but on their defense, KTM bolts and footpegs rust badly and quickly. EXCF350 every bolt rusted and looked rubbish and the 690 Enduro half the bolts look like crap. Half the bolts on my Africa twin rusted too though.
Wow appreciate the insight I'll look out for it. I nearly bought a bike from SF but ended up going private. Also thier deliver fee is quite high at £250
Great show guys, I feel for you Ben we all need to own 6 bikes so we can cover all our options. I personally own a Yamaha FJR, I've found that for me it covers most of what I want. Like you Ben although I get Adventure style bikes and understand how great they are they just don't spin my wheels from a looks point of view. My FJR has great weather protection, lots of power and looks great, shaft drive so no chain maintenance however they are a heavy bike. Like you Ben I found it difficult to find a bike that ticked all the boxes so I went with the bike that ticked the most boxes..... love my FJR it just makes me grin.
Seems like odd requirements and choices to me. If you want a pure commuter bike, you want a bike that is a) comfortable, b) economical and c) easy to ride. So do you need 100+HP? No, not really. Does it need to be sporty? No. etc etc. So for pure commuting, something like the Honda NC750 is ideal. Borning, but 80+ MPG, long wheel base and easy to ride, comfortable as well and good on the motorway and city filtering. And you get the 'frunk' for either your helmet or sandwiches etc.
I really enjoyed this episode, Ben was fantastic as a candidate. I'm in the similar situation to him, as well as being a similar size...and I came from a VFR800F (after an CRF1000L DCT...after a CB500X). And of all the things you talked about...it's made me thinking about the VFR1200F. I think I need to give one of them a go, because the prices on them is incredible value. It has made me think that I should give the Tiger 660 a go as well, which I know is at the other end of the spectrum again. SO....much like me, I think Ben needs the VFR800X
Simon was so, so close to opting for a VFR1200, but opted for the 800 at the last minute! There's a lot of great suggestions in the comments section but did you watch to the end to find out what he ended up buying? Cheers, Michael
@@bennettsbikesocial I did indeed, I was surprised by the choice in the end, I think Ben might love up to his expectations and chop it in after 6 months. I absolutely relate to his struggle. I've got to say that the bike that's baffled me the most by the fact that I like it....was the NC750X DCT. It ticks none of the boxes in isolation but some how it collectively ticks them all. I have a sneaky suspicion that I rode Mossy's long term press bike as it had an upgraded rear shock, which I saw him mentioning in a video he did with Knox... uncanny. I also thought the VFR800F in this video was my old one, the reg was really similar, but not quite the same.
One of the best bikes in this category is the Kawasaki SX 1000 I have one it’s a brilliant machine but he would need to go for a 2015 I would of thought with £ 5000 budget then the mileage would possibly be higher,
Funny how many people discount a Deauville without ever trying or owning one. I’ve had more than 30 bikes,been riding for 38 years, own a 2022 MT-09SP, and bought a Deauville NT700V couple of months ago. Bloody brilliant bike. I use it for a 45 minute each way commute, instructing advanced riding on Bikesafe/FireBike and for a private company, and for general fun riding. Out performs my expectations massively and still returns 65mpg 👍🏼
A 900GT with a touring screen and extender is perfect. Faster than most things and all cars, 0 wind and the GT fixes the throttle. A £150 fix. Get the akra exhaust and people will stop and stare. Kids ask for revs almost daily.
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“I don’t like the look of adventure bikes”……..”Here’s an adventure bike”. 😃 I think that they missed a trick with the budget for a second bike that he wouldn’t be too bothered about and should have suggested the £2800 Honda.
Be surprised if he still owners that bike after 6 weeks. Doesn’t like triples doesn’t like the throttle doesn’t like the buffeting. 600cc scooter would have been perfect I reckon.
Yup, my Honda NC700D Integra would have delighted him, and then some!
That guys never gonna be seen on a scooter lol
@@tomcooney183 man showed up in crocs, the scooter of shoes!
@@ferdzz8141😂😂😂
@@ferdzz8141😂😂😂😂😂
Having owned a Honda CBF 1000 for 12 years, and put 80k miles on it, I can confirm that would have been the perfect bike for him. My commute was similar being 25 miles motorway, and then 15 into central London. I also toured Europe regularly and did a 4k mile trip to the Arctic Circle when it already had 70k miles on it! What a bike! Age now means I get uncomfortable after about an hour on it, but it still brings a smile to my face.
My wife owned a CBF1000 and it was awesome, BUT it would eat stators every 40000km...
@@brucerossonthetube yes I am on the 4th stator!
Would have been an excellent choice.
Same here. Had a CBF 1000 since 2009. Other bikes came and went. The CBF is going to stay.
He says he doesn't like triples and doesn't like adventure bike style so you get him a triple and an adventure bike and then they're over budget. 🤣🤣 Don't let the details get in the way of a bike show. And the sales expert says it's good for green laning. Spoken like a sales man that's never been green Laning 🤣🤣
Ben's a salesman's dream customer.
Ben hasn't learnt not to let a salesperson make decisions for him.
First we will go over budget, hopefully on something you will trade in every few months to keep you in the loop.
Look at the weird angle his feet are at when he's sat down talking about the bikes near the end!😅
I thought it was a dummy leg for a gag.
I can't stop looking LMAO. Sounds like this guy wants a car more than a bike from everything he says about wind protection
Wtf, I can tell he's light on his feet already, but that's mental
When I saw the feet, I knew immediately he has an issue with choice! Figure that one out!
May I make a suggestion? Add a fourth bike. Let it be a "Left field" / "Out of the ordinary" option (which Simon and Michael jointly conjure up) to offer counterpoint perspective to the BikeSocial member you've selected for the episode.There are 'alt' bike options that "fit the criteria" that are bound to spice up the video and generate interesting discussion.
The answer might be the NC750X every time though 🤣
He needs to sell that tracer and his GSXR and get a 2023 Tracer 9GT much better bike and super fun
@@ElkTheHammer I had a ride on the Tiger Sport 1050 the other day, that was nicer than the new Tracer GT (it's so subjective or course, and it depends what you value I suspect). I prefer the 1050 engine to the CP3.
@@ElkTheHammerSuzuki GSXS 1000 GT is the correct answer
Love the series but first time i had to turn it off before the end.
My gripes
1. You should have the collegue who chooses the mystery bike in shot to present.
2. Whos is choosing who comes on these shows? 8 episodes and not one looks like they actually want a bike literally just a day out riding bikes and getting on screen.
3. This guy in this episode 🙈 like honestly 10 bikes in 4 years and 2 of them were lockdown. Wants a new bike after only having a gsx for 6 weeks but wont part that in for a bigger budget. I knew straight away you could of put a brand new multistrada in front of him for 5k and he wouldnt of taken it. Waste of your time and you guys were amazing handling him. Kudos to you guys
No surprise this guy has owned a lot of bikes over the years. The 'impossible-to-please' customer that would probably be better off re-evaluating whether commuting 4 hours a day on a bike is the best form of transport. Well done guys for persevering with the most 'Accountant' accountant ever.
Well lets see - he said he didn't like triples, wants something different from his sports bike, and isn't a fan of ADVs - they picked a sportbike, and ADV, and a triple. Nice job....
@flippy5118 And then he buys the triple that he explicitly said he didn't want....
The VFR would have been my selection all day
Personally I think Simon was on the right mark when he looked at the CBF1000 it has the wind protection it has the Honda reliability and it can do the motorway and the filtering easily. Being an accountant I think he'd have appreciated being under budget and even if that particular example wasn't for him I reckon it would have fitted his brief the best.
I wouldn’t ride any of those bikes into London. Well, not for any more than a few days as it will be nicked! I do think he needs to ride a lot more bikes as he is coming from a sports bike, which you can commute on but they’re not very practical (same level as car mirrors) and not great for visibility in traffic (to see or be seen). Honestly he’s probably be better off with an NC750, dull or not, it would do the job much better and they’re so ubiquitous due to couriers in London it won’t stand out as much.
Living in London I almost forget about how bad motorcycle theft is here in compassion to other places
Yep! Or a burgman 650!
Some company's have secure garage parking in London.
VFR 1200 DCT, shaft drive, great weather protection, slim, smooth delivery of the power, the only down side is it’s a little top heavy. But he’s big enough for it.
Simon was oh so close to offering the 12 instead of the 8, but the smaller one was in such good condition he changed his mind pretty late!
@@bennettsbikesocialno VFR800Xs in stock?
@@jimporterYes but too far overbudget - £6.6.k I think
jut forget the logic - it's never going to apply to Ben
Commute on a reliable nail, sensibly - the winter will trash any bike. Keep your passion bike warm indoors.
What's your budget? Ben: 3-5k. Crew: proceeds to show Ben 3 bikes over budget. Typical!
Now that was a really tough call and Simon was ready to call it a day as I was!! But, the professional way You Guys go about these productions is mighty, and you finished up winners all-round!! Thanks for yet another entertaining show!
Really appreciate the comments, thank you. I hope we get to keep making more episodes for you guys.
Cheers, Michael
How can anyone hate triples? After 30+ bikes my conclusion is the speed triple 1050 is the greatest bike I’ve ever had, largely because of the engine…torque like a twin, legs like a 4, smooth as hell, fuelling like butter, positive gearbox, sounds absolutely incredible, perfect amount of tractable power on the road, looks breathtaking and it’s comfortable! God I love my triple 😊
Completely agree I currently own a 1050 love the Triple
Agreed, triples are the best of both worlds.
To play Devil’s advocate, they don’t have the bottom end of a V-twin or the top end of an inline 4.
@@blindmaninchainsthey’re the perfect balance of the two, sure they’re not as intense either low or high but they perfectly balance the two engine characteristics. The torque is plenty close enough and is more accessible due to the less snatchy nature of the engine, the high pull has plenty breath, it’s smooth and delivers a rush like a 4, personally I think big 4s are just Willy wavers as they’re just way too much for the road, again the triple has accessible power everywhere and it’s just a perfect road engine, what it comprises is minor and unnoticeable when riding a surge of midrange triple growl.
Come on man they’re just awesome.
@@AdamBrowne-eg1ebI love my Willy Waver 😊
Salesmans worst nightmare customer, but going to be getting repeat custom every 6-8 weeks.
Give him good service and keep him coming back and they'll rob him blind on the repeat PX's 😂
@@gingerelvis yes, but they'll still lose money on the sheer amount of salesmans time he wastes.
As said by someone else, he didn't know what he wanted, other than to be on TH-cam
@@icklepob88he said he doesn't like triples, didn't want an adv and wanted something different to his sport bike. so they chose a triple, an adv and a sport bike.
@@friendlysnoworb6091 and all over his budget too.
@@icklepob88 typical salesmen, thinking about their commission over what the customer actually wants
I'd have recommended the Viffer too, my 99' VFR has done me well for the past 8 years ... The thing is bomb proof! Nice job lads
21:37 can we talk about this chap's WILD foot position while on the couch? does the man have anything left on his toe sliders?
4hr commute is each day a hell of a lot on a bike ?? Personally I don't think this guy really knows what he wants apart from being on TV 😂😂
with a 4hr commute my job had better pay me enough to double his budget...
I think he would be fine if he had a higher budget. I have the same requirements as he had and the ninja 1000sx suited me perfectly. Above that he could probably go for a BMW r1250rs/rt/x
4hr commute is hell on any form of transport , i would only stand it in a train taking a nap.
Honda vfr1200f or x ? Dct 32:12
He should get his Fjr back !
I know they are down on hp but as a comuter I think a nc750x would be great for ben
The DCT version is a brilliant bike for in towns and filtering, plus 80mpg would be ideal for commuting
They all laughed at the Deauville but it's actually a GREAT bike for what it were designed to do. I owned the 650 version for 13 years, loved the shaft drive, panniers, comfort. OK, it's not sports bike fast but it's more than adequate.
I'm really enjoying this series! Great work guys! Keep them coming!
You missed a trick with the CBF1000. That is the perfect bike for what he needs.
Yes! Great call. My Dad had one for about 8 years, loved it.
Cheers, Michael
Put some of Honda's bar risers on the VFR to improve comfort. Great bike but I'd go for the V Tec for less money.
when it came to the third choice i was thinking ‘ I think the only way a sale is gonna happen in this episode is if the cover comes off the machine and its a Fiat 500
I just recently came across this series and watched the whole lot back to back as and when I got the time. This by far I think was one of the toughest customers you have dealt with 😆 but you guys handled it well and I hope you all continue this series. Great insights on bikes. Cheers!
WOOOOW, I feel sorry for you guys on this one! Cannot wait for the next episode.
£5k; Tell your boss to shove his job, buy 2nd hand 350 Royal Enfield, strap a tent on the back & 8 weeks camping in Europe !!
no space for his Mum.....
Possibly tried him with the 1200 vfr the shaft drive is a plus on a commuter
Love these videos when one comes up nothing’s going to stop we watching, gees this guy was a challenge but super bike factory manager nailed it. Good effect boys great presentation.
Nice program and I Like the Series .."But why keep Picking Over Budget Bikes?", One Choice just Over and Others Under please 😃
Agree with this it seems to happen every episode. It's like why bother ask the budget. They're literally doing the opposite. When people give you a budget then tend to prefer you to find the item for less not more. Not to mention why did you go with the the higher budget he basically said between 3k-5k could've found something closer to 3 rather than 5.
Every bike chosen was
1 closer to the high side of the budget and 2 was over budget.
Thanks for getting in touch, and you raise a fair point. I guess we’re naturally drawn to finding the best value for money at the the end of the budget… especially when you consider the room for negotiation.
@@bennettsbikesocial well fair enough
I don't think the deauville is such a bad idea at all... Bit less big than his fjr... Fine on motorway and in town. Low maintenance... Great for commuting. And... No one will look at you twice. Who needs attention when riding to work.
Also seen people suggest them as a good way to avoid bike theft in London, who wants to nick a deauville?
When you guys say there’s room for negotiations what do you mean because Iv had a few friends buy bikes from super bike factory and there’s no movement in price at all
I was goding to say Tracer to start with but really, it’s a hard thing to chose for the man who wants everything. Versys 1000?
IMO, the F800gt is the answer to a question no-one ever asked. gads
Cbf1000 would have been the best choice ... Doesn't need to be the most exciting. Needs to be bulletproof, comfortable and cheap.
I know he preferred Japanese but the obvious choices would have been bmw’s RT1200 or RS1200 both which could have been in budget for a 2016 bike. Both have good weather protection but the RS is more sporty and has that slightly forward position. He really doesn’t seem to know what he wants! The Deauville was a great shout and would have ticked all the boxes but overlooked for more fashionable rides. Another great shout might have been the Aprilia Campanord?
Yep agree RT 1200 is the one.
When there's a throttle response objection, the answer is a simple dyno session and remap. Get a better exhaust have the fueling adjusted to fix the snatchy power delivery
Excellent presentation once again lads 😎
Tough picking bikes with people’s unrealistic budgets. A bike can be almost perfect but for me but after 30 goes at it I know one bike can’t satisfy every occasion. Minimum 2 bikes needed in my garage and each one must ‘speak’ to me at some level 🍻
A Honda Pan, or a Bmw 1200 LT would be my choice for a 2 hour commute every day rain sleet or snow,
So, after hearing his wants/needs my first thought is a Honda ST1100. Maybe a Versys 1000 though he did say he likes fairings. I am thinking sport tourer over sport bike. So, a KTM 1050 ADV when he just said he doesn't like ADV's? Wait, he put the VFR on his list and then is wishy washy about it, he really is indecisive. I can see him going with the tracer and its similar to the Versys that was my first thought, but admittedly better.
The 2014-21 VFR800F is also Vtec....albeit better transition in/out of most responsive rpm range
.
VFR 800 Crossrunner might have ticked all the boxes.
Need to try a 700 Deauville - go on for ever and perfect commuter motorway winter bike . Excellent wind protection, shaft drive ride one before saying they are boring
Love this series!!!!
Brilliant bike choice . Triples are my favourite engine the best of both worlds .I took a tracer 9 for a test ride few years back the only thing I really didn’t like was the worse than useless wind screen .
Thank goodness it’s fixable!
Best show ever.. would love to see a sports bike rider on the next episode
Your wish might come true... stay tuned
I can confirm that the Ktm 1050 adventure is a very easy bike to filter on, except when you forget you have the massive panniers on on the M62.
I other news, the reliability front, mine is a 66 plate with less than 15,000 miles on the clock and my ABS pump is now faulty. £2000 to fix.
Well done Michael and Simon. This was a tough ask (Goldilocks bike)😂 and your choices were good.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. “Goldilocks bike” 😆
love the show, please don't stop it!!
so interensting to see all kind of fellow riders.
VFR obvious choice !!
I absolutely love these videos!!! I'd like to know why he sold the FJR?
Good choices, but I would have recommended a BMW R1250 R (with a screen). Obviously might be difficult finding one within budget, but if he wanted something to match his requirements, then this is a good option.
Jesus, get the train!
Zero fit base layers are amazing btw! Great episode as usual guys, I love guessing what will be chosen. Love my Tracer 900gt so Ben made a great choice imo. Screen change makes it pretty close to perfect.
I love my too. I got my 2019 3.5 months ago. I’ve owned 2015 and 2017 FJ09 (43000km in one year on this one btw. which is still my personal record ) and 2019 Tracer 900. My 2019 GT came with Yamaha touring windscreen. After adding adjustable wind deflector it works for me pretty well. After 11000 km so far I’m really happy with it and cruise control is a blast.
Great series... tough one to call this time . Be interesting to hear what Ben chooses .. Burgman scooter maybe 😁
Pillion accommodation, it was a seat the last time I looked.
Do we have to take you guys with us to get a test ride at SBF?
I like the show you have going on. It provides great insight to the pro’s and cons of what each of you put into the choice. We are spoiled with the variety of choices. This episode you may have done better with knowledge of why he moved past previous bikes. Winter protection perhaps would have lead to a full faring with heated grips with a smaller foot print than a FJ1100 (does that exist?)
Yay. Really enjoying this series. Please keep doing it. 👍
Didn't see that result coming... Still, glad SBF finally got a sale! Keep up the good work, cheers 👍
Cheers Steve, hope you're good.
MM
I like this series. This one was tricky with that budget, push it to £6500 and it gets really interesting...
Great video again lads.i had a 900 tracer and never had a problem with the throttle but ive heard of people remapping them to cure it
Simon has taste...he chose my bike! what a thing...I enjoy every minute with it, to commute, for fun, to look at it...(the 2014 model with polished frame and black forks looks even better btw)
I guessed a VFR800, Ninja 1000SX and Tracer 700, not too far off out of 3! But seems like he would have a very hard time finding his ideal bike (if it exists). Best of luck to Ben!
Good effort - there are so many he could have ridden, and would have probably enjoyed every one of them too!
A Ninja 1000 SX or a Versys 1000 would be a great choice.
Or a late model Honda Varadero. I believe the Tracer 7 would have fit him well, but is it powerful enough with ~75hp?
For me The tracer 9 is a bit of a dream bike. It's a perfect fit for me at 6'8". T9 is both Tourer as well as very sporty and fun in the twisties.
Gsx1250f , good value for money, engine is made from diamonds , comfortable. Perhaps a little heavy for city filtering. Of course being London you need to consider will it get nicked, and this bike will not attract much attention.
I am in the same situation, riding 3 hours a day from home to my working area, which is Brussels -Antwerp. I ride year round all weather, because I gain between 1 and 2.5 hours a day lane filtering.
I do this on my S1000XR. I just got a second bike, for winter and bad weather use, a 2009 K1300GT, with only 23000 kms on the clock. With the added protection, shaft drive and heated seats, i think it will complement the XR perfectly. PAyed 9000 euros including 2 years dealer warranty. I'm 57 years old, 1m90 and 120 kgs, so I need a big bike. Being inline 4's, both bikes are narrow enough when i leave the side panniers at home and only use the big topbox.
These are a great series of videos, glad at the end Ben got a bike,, I've had to commute recently,, used my SV 1000 ,,my K6GSXR,in the garage,,, keeps the brain working and blood flowing,,, 🙂☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ from northern Ireland
I absolutely love the Tracer 9. And I'm 6'8".
It's slightly out of my financial reach right now, (I have 5 bikes atm.) The Tourer of Choice right now is my Honda Varadero XL1000VA from 2007. Excellent for commuting. Fun on the back roads as well as having the fairing that covers you quite a lot from rain and debris.
5 bikes! Good on you. Did you see the last episode with Tom?
Great episode guys, got to admire bens love of all bikes. Hopefully he put a bigger screen on the yammy and it will make a difference for him.
I think a BMW R1200 rt could be a good choice for him you can pick up a good 05/06 up for £5 ish .
RT1200 is a good call
Really enjoying this series. Great job lads. I would have guessed a Versys 1000 would tick all the boxes but he said he'd had a Vstrom 1000 so maybe not.
Glad you enjoyed it
Versys 1000 would be a great choice-closer to the ergonomics and handling of the Tracer, but with a torquey inline-4.
Love this wee series👍
CrossRunner from Honda?
Before even getting past the beginning i say an older NINJA 1000SX or older suzuki gsx-s would fit this man perfectly
Love this Show! Really pick my brain... what should i choose! (Some type of GS!!!) But the problem is that i find my self looking at the classified a bit too much!
That series is great, waiting for someone who wants a carburetted classic. That would be epic episode.
Feel free to apply!
How the heck does he sit comfortably with his feet going opposite directions like that 😂
Love these
Stand by for season 2 which is coming very soon! The plan is to have a new episode every week for six weeks.
‘Tripped up, or third time lucky!’ The literary wit is noted… and appreciated. 😂
I’m most worried about this chap’s knees (look at the direction of his feet when he’s sitting in the sofa) 25:18
Good episode - just the dilemma lots of us have. A commuter that does motorways and filtering...... but is also not embarrassing....
The tracer can be easily sorted for snatchy throttle,it can be ecu reflashed and an MRA touring screen helps but if you are 6ft plus you will still get buffeting.
puig and a chinese extender.
This has been on my mind. My next bike, hum. Noobie here, 6 months in and just over 7,000 miles already, on my first bike. It's a 05 suzuki Boulevard M50, and I love this bike. Handles the twisties well, with a very comfortable feel. Though I do love this bike, I'm already thinking about my next one. Kinda thinking about another Boulevard or an Adventure bike or maybe a Spots Bike (kinda feeling the need for speed). Not the crotch rocket type. Oh, I did just put on a new Perellie Night Dragon on the front.
Royal Enfield Meteor 650 could have been a good consideration. It is a big-small bike. And brand new around 5-6K mark. What do you think?
Honda vfr 800 crossrunner would have been perfect
Can't believe the condition of the KTM! It's typical of SBF. Their preparation is crap. Rusty foot rests and engine bolts, filthy engine, disgrace.
Ready the reviews and then ask why Bennetts associate with this company.
I’ve seen some absolute shockers at SBF in Macc…some looked like they’d just come from copart
I noticed the KTM had been used as an anchor
Got a 9 year old Hayabusa from them. It was low miles (1340) and high price. £8900. Shortly after I took delivery of the bike I found out It came with the original 9yr old tyres, 9yr old coolant, 9yr old oil, 9yr old clutch and brake fluids. I asked them what they had done to the bike before I got it and they said the techs. did not find any issues. They offered to fit new tyres if I paid for a set. How kind of them. Looking back I should have asked about how they prepped bikes before sale. Not brilliant customer support. I did end up with an 'as new' bike after I got it up to working order myself. What would a non handy person do in this situation? Take it to a workshop for the work to be done or send it back? It was a lot of extra money on top of the purchase price of the bike and I bet they made a killing on it buying it for way less than I paid for it.
SBF always have the auction bikes for sale but on their defense, KTM bolts and footpegs rust badly and quickly. EXCF350 every bolt rusted and looked rubbish and the 690 Enduro half the bolts look like crap. Half the bolts on my Africa twin rusted too though.
Wow appreciate the insight I'll look out for it. I nearly bought a bike from SF but ended up going private. Also thier deliver fee is quite high at £250
I think Honda VFR800X will be perfect fit 👍🏼
Great great great I love this show. Hope you keep making them
Great show guys, I feel for you Ben we all need to own 6 bikes so we can cover all our options. I personally own a Yamaha FJR, I've found that for me it covers most of what I want. Like you Ben although I get Adventure style bikes and understand how great they are they just don't spin my wheels from a looks point of view. My FJR has great weather protection, lots of power and looks great, shaft drive so no chain maintenance however they are a heavy bike. Like you Ben I found it difficult to find a bike that ticked all the boxes so I went with the bike that ticked the most boxes..... love my FJR it just makes me grin.
Thanks for getting in touch and for the comments.
Great series - keep it up! Triumph tiger 1050 is a very good bike but wind protection seems to be unfixable without compromising the looks.
I fitted an MRA flip screen on my Tiger 1050 which made a significant improvement.
Seems like odd requirements and choices to me. If you want a pure commuter bike, you want a bike that is a) comfortable, b) economical and c) easy to ride. So do you need 100+HP? No, not really. Does it need to be sporty? No. etc etc. So for pure commuting, something like the Honda NC750 is ideal. Borning, but 80+ MPG, long wheel base and easy to ride, comfortable as well and good on the motorway and city filtering. And you get the 'frunk' for either your helmet or sandwiches etc.
I really enjoyed this episode, Ben was fantastic as a candidate. I'm in the similar situation to him, as well as being a similar size...and I came from a VFR800F (after an CRF1000L DCT...after a CB500X).
And of all the things you talked about...it's made me thinking about the VFR1200F. I think I need to give one of them a go, because the prices on them is incredible value. It has made me think that I should give the Tiger 660 a go as well, which I know is at the other end of the spectrum again.
SO....much like me, I think Ben needs the VFR800X
Simon was so, so close to opting for a VFR1200, but opted for the 800 at the last minute! There's a lot of great suggestions in the comments section but did you watch to the end to find out what he ended up buying?
Cheers, Michael
@@bennettsbikesocial I did indeed, I was surprised by the choice in the end, I think Ben might love up to his expectations and chop it in after 6 months.
I absolutely relate to his struggle. I've got to say that the bike that's baffled me the most by the fact that I like it....was the NC750X DCT. It ticks none of the boxes in isolation but some how it collectively ticks them all.
I have a sneaky suspicion that I rode Mossy's long term press bike as it had an upgraded rear shock, which I saw him mentioning in a video he did with Knox... uncanny. I also thought the VFR800F in this video was my old one, the reg was really similar, but not quite the same.
Ooooh tricky one….. I feel the Kawasaki Z1000SX would be a good shout 😊
One of the best bikes in this category is the Kawasaki SX 1000 I have one it’s a brilliant machine but he would need to go for a 2015 I would of thought with £ 5000 budget then the mileage would possibly be higher,
Funny how many people discount a Deauville without ever trying or owning one.
I’ve had more than 30 bikes,been riding for 38 years, own a 2022 MT-09SP, and bought a Deauville NT700V couple of months ago.
Bloody brilliant bike. I use it for a 45 minute each way commute, instructing advanced riding on Bikesafe/FireBike and for a private company, and for general fun riding. Out performs my expectations massively and still returns 65mpg 👍🏼
A 900GT with a touring screen and extender is perfect. Faster than most things and all cars, 0 wind and the GT fixes the throttle. A £150 fix. Get the akra exhaust and people will stop and stare. Kids ask for revs almost daily.
+1 for touring screen with wind deflector.
When an we expect to see episode 9? Love the series
I would have gone for the KTM, but they were all great bikes. Great job guys