2006 SUZUKI GSX750F

748cc 211kg 93bhp 790mm seat height

Dealer price £1000-£3000 Private £750-£2500 This one £2199, dealer sale Here’s a really cheap and reliable option. Suzuki’s parts-bin philosophy produced this: an old oil-cooled GSX-R engine, retuned for more torque, shoved in a steel frame with swoopy bodywork and kitted out with cheap suspension and brakes. Amazingly, it worked. Deeply unfashionable, but very reliable and easily and cheaply improved, they can now be bought for the price of a used 125! Performance is very similar to a VFR750, but for a lot less money.

Buyer beware

The ‘Teapot’, as it’s known, is pretty heavy and the stock suspension is very basic, so you want to check it’s working properly before heading to the South of France two-up. The brake calipers can get a bit sticky and the overall build quality, including the finish, is pretty poor. But then, it’s dirt cheap.