Alternatives

If the CB or CBR don’t do it for you, here are three alternatives…

Kawasaki ER-6N 2006-current £2000–£5000 • 649cc parallel twin• 71bhp • 130mph • 50+mpg • 174Kg

Strange looks but you can’t argue with the performance. The ER-6 is the mainstay of twins racing as it’s so reliable and offers such great balance from the steel-tube chassis. Like the MT, it’s built down to a price so the finish isn’t great, and early bikes are now suffering from worn-out wiring looms and failing ignition and charging systems. A neglected one is likely to be a can of worms but find a nice clean one and it’ll do you proud. Early versions vibrate quite a lot — post-2009 are better.

Suzuki GSX650F 2008-2016 £2200–£4995 • 656cc inline four • 86bhp • 135mph • 50+mpg • 216kg

Basically a Bandit 650 with added fairing, the GSX-F also gets a better rear shock, a sportier riding position, a slightly more free-revving engine, and a new one-piece seat. So it feels surprisingly different to a Bandit on the road and it’s a good alternative to the CBR650F, though compared with the Honda, the Suzuki feels more ponderous and a bit dated. On the plus side it has a big-bike feel that’s well suited to longer trips, whether heavily loaded with luggage, or two-up. And that fairing is pretty protective too.

Yamaha MT-07 2014-current £3500–£5500 • 698cc parallel twin• 74bhp • 135mph • 50+mpg • 179kg

Launched at the same time as the CBR and CB, and notionally aimed at the same market, but the MT is a very different kettle of halibut. Light, flickable, and with an engine that loves to rev — and loves to wheelie — it’s much more the hooligan’s choice than the more sensible-shoes Hondas. Considerably cheaper when new, but used values are pretty similar. Suspension is the real weak point, but that’s easily fixed without spending too much.