A Grand Day Out

There’s more to life than money, but in terms of facilitating your biking dreams it does help if you have easy access to the green stuff. With most modern sportsbikes having five figure price tags dangling from their handlebars, new machinery is often out of our reach – even if modern PCP schemes offer an attractive alternative to financing our desires.

A dozen years ago we were, no doubt, having the same discussion. Superlatives were being daubed all over the superbikes of the era, and rightly so. These were good bikes – correction, great bikes – and the only thing that has changed is the context they now find themselves in (and the odd butcher of an owner). A well looked after bike from 2002 will perform in exactly them same way as it did back then – better if it has been treated to some modern rubber and a suspension set-up. We declared these machines great way back then, but is a 12 year old bike still relevant? And when it comes to these bikes, how low can you go?

We decided to go as low as we dare, and set about finding bikes creeping into the low four figure price bracket. Check on eBay or Gumtree and there are a stack of them about – whether they are fit for purpose is another matter. Possessing tax and an MOT, these bikes are legal, but can they offer the thrills we demand given how pampered we are with today’s bikes with their plush suspension, electronics and designer looks?

The answer? It’s a qualified yes. There are some great bikes out there for a bit over a grand, but you have to sort the wheat from the chaff. If you’re prepared to be patient, go on some wild goose chases and don’t mind haggling you can get not just a winter hack, but some summer fun for a grand that will refuse to depreciate.

It doesn’t matter what you ride in our mind, new or old, cheap or pricey. Just ride...