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“Bought this bike as a comfy all rounder after my...”

written by on 04/02/2010

Bought this bike as a comfy all rounder after my wrists began to give in from too many clip-on handlebars.

It is a 2001 650, which has proved extremely reliable to commute on, and even raised a few smiles on the odd Sunday ride - provided you are happy wallowing around corners and lacking the power to overtake fast family saloons... It is no sportsbike, but then it doesn't pertain to be. Instead I can (and have) done long trips fully loaded, with a gargantuan top box and expanded tankbag to add to the capacity, and a huge roll bag bungeed on the pillion seat.
The comfort level is excellent, although vibey at higher speeds (80mph+), although in fairness I tend to cruise at 70mph or so. If I wanted a fast Honda I'd buy a Blackbird.

There are a couple of negatives, these being a rather poor finish on the engine casing, which is down to the bare metal (it's not going to rust, but looks a bit rubbish). The rest of the bike is sturdy and well made, just the crankcase paint - I have been told this is common on Spanish made bikes, as opposed to the Japanese made ones.

The second niggle is the way the bike cuts out when the main supply is switched to reserve. The bike has to stand for a few minutes on reserve before she starts - again this is apparently a well documented issue with the fuel pump. When I get the time I will fit a new one, but until then, fill up every 150 miles to avoid this!

I have done all the work on this bike myself, including full servicing, stripping the brakes and suspension etc. The Deauville is tremendously easy to work on, and mechanically simple. A grubby Haynes manual and a half decent tool kit is all you need to keep this bike at it's best.

Overall one one of the best bikes I have owned. It's not fast or blessed with razor sharp handling, but it does exactly what it says on the tin. A reliable, comfy workhorse which is cheap to run and insure.