Bike recommendations needed. Specs: 2000s, Japanese, FI, shaft drive, not a cruiser | GTAMotorcycle.com

Bike recommendations needed. Specs: 2000s, Japanese, FI, shaft drive, not a cruiser

A

Admiral Beez

New member
Forum Sponsor
Hi all, I'd like to buy a second hand Japanese bike from year 2000 or newer with fuel injection and shaft drive that is not a cruiser, nor as big as a Gold Wing or ST1300. It needs to be available in USA or Canada. I've spent 11 years fiddling with carbs and chains and want to try something less fiddly. I don't want a Moto Guzzi or BMW due to cost of acquisition, parks and with the former, sporadic dealer availability. Ideally I'd like a standard or sport tourer in the 750-1000 range. Here in Canada we never get the widest variety of bikes.

The only one I can find is the Honda NT700V (comes up for sale in Canada once in a while) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Deauville
 
Your spec requirement is very very limiting. The Honda 700V is a small minimally faired bike that is ill suited to touring or long distance riding. What are you intending to do with your bike, aside from not fiddling with carbs or chains and wanting a good dealer network?
 
agreed that it will difficult to find a bike that displacement with shaft drive that is not a cruiser
 
The only bikes that come close are an ST1100 or Concours 1000 but neither came with FI. I'm with you on the shaft drive etc, I love shaft drive, but we don't get bikes like that here in Canada sadly. The NT700V is the only bike that ticks all of your boxes but it was never sold here so the only ones are imports from the US and they were only available in the US for 3 years if I remember correctly. Parts could be an issue.
 
The thing which the original poster is specifying does not exist. Therefore the specification needs to be changed. Select which requirement can be backed off.

We also don't know what "type" of bike the original poster wants.

If the intent is "I don't want to fiddle with a chain drive" and the exclusion of BMW can be removed ... I had a BMW F800ST as a rental in europe a few years ago. That one uses a belt final drive. I thought it was a pretty good bike. Some of the BMW F-series bikes use chain drive (the GS does for sure) and others use a belt - the ST might not be the only one with a belt.

If you are looking for something for which parts and service are widely available, a slow-selling model from elsewhere in the world isn't a good choice, even if it has a Honda badge on it.
 
This comes to mind, but it hasn't been made in a while.

maxresdefault.jpg
 
There are tonnes of sport touring in the 1000 cc range that is FI.


The only issue would be chain drive. And honestly, other than lube and then occasional replacement of sprockets and chain, it's relatively inexpensive and can be done at home.

Belt has it draw backs when replacement is needed and shaft drive requires some maintenance and can leave you stranded if there is a failure.

Maybe it the years of running dirt bikes that chain drive doesn't bother me?

Drop that requirement and your options open up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Sounds like OP wants as close to zero maintenance bike as possible, but not very big. But the connection he's making between low maintenance and shaft drive might not be as solid as he thinks. Others might want to confirm or refute that link. If shaft drive really is a genuine maintenance advantage then OP will have to find another requirement to compromise on, or just get that one Honda model that everyone keeps mentioning.
 
CBF1000 fits your description except for shaft drive.
Really chain maintenance is not a big deal.

The NT700v really is not very sporty....I've had one...luggage is marginal..the CBF1000 far superior.
 
Small motor (relatively) and shaft drive is a conflicting set of specs. A shaft is big and heavy (relative to a belt or chain)and normally only used on the biggest, heaviest bikes.

Don't some HD's have final belt drive? I don't have a problem with a chain, but if OP really wants to avoid one, a belt requires less maintenance and makes less mess than a chain.
 
moto guzzi V7 fits the bill, probably more Japanese parts than Italian in there.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom