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Gremlin posted:So I've been out of the game for several years and I'm thinking about buying another bike. My first bike was an 2004 SV650 and it was pretty much the perfect machine for me but now I'm looking for something a little different. $5,000 is the absolute max I could spend. $2,000-4,000 would be a lot more realistic. I like something solid, comfortable, and reliable. Speed/power isn't really a concern, as long as it's comfortable on the freeway and has enough torque for a quick thrill. I've looked at some UJM models and I also really like the old Cafe Racer style. I saw some pictures of the upcoming Honda VTR250 model and it looks like almost exactly what I'm looking for. Kawasaki W650? Got the old school styling with a modern engine, can be found in roughly that price range. Kinda uncommon though.
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Apr 10, 2009 15:49
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rope kid posted:I'm assuming you live in the U.S. Yes, I'm in California. Wow that GB 500 Clubman really is a gorgeous bike! I'll keep my eyes peeled. I guess what I'm looking for is the vintage retro styling of a cafe racer coupled with the solid reliability of modern bikes. I'm still considering another SV650 but I think I'll do some considerable shopping/research first. Z3n posted:Kawasaki W650? Got the old school styling with a modern engine, can be found in roughly that price range. Kinda uncommon though. Looks good, thanks for the recommendation! I'll keep my eyes peeled for something like this in the classifieds.
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Apr 10, 2009 20:02
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At the risk of sounding too fanboyish, there's also the Triumph Thruxton, but I think even the oldest (Hinckley) examples are out of your price range.
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Apr 10, 2009 20:29
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rope kid posted:At the risk of sounding too fanboyish, there's also the Triumph Thruxton, but I think even the oldest (Hinckley) examples are out of your price range. Not by too much, at least in my area: http://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/1112328611.html $4900 for a 2004 with 6K miles. I'll admit I'm almost tempted myself, except that I'm not accustomed to that crouching position. I was going to say that it's probably way to powerful for me too, but turns out those 900ccs are only doing 70hp, same as the Bonneville I'm considering.
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Apr 10, 2009 20:37
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rope kid posted:At the risk of sounding too fanboyish, there's also the Triumph Thruxton, but I think even the oldest (Hinckley) examples are out of your price range. The Thruxton is pretty much exactly what I want but like you said it's kind of out of my price range. I got a job out in the country which is what got me thinking about buying a bike to improve the commute. Right now I'm just looking for a pretty looking, reliable workhorse bike that will get me to work and back. I've definitely got my eyes on the Thruxton once I can save up a bit more money.
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Apr 10, 2009 20:43
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Not by too much, at least in my area: (The Bonneville and Thruxton have the same engine, barring a year when the Thruxton got the slightly bigger engine and the Bonnie didn't. They're the same bike, but the Thruxton says gently caress-all to comfort for the sake of being sporty).
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Apr 10, 2009 21:57
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Simkin posted:Why hello there, sailor. More pics please! and forgive me for the interrogation but you did said feel free. As I've never owned anything air cooled, how easily will it overheat considering it is an aircooled engine? What is it like for touring, seating position/seat/comfort at speed? Ever ridden two up on it, if so how did that work out? It looks like it'd be a bit better at touring/two up riding then an SV650, and looks (oh boy) alot cooler then one too. What is the service schedule like? It seems like I'm adjusting the valves on the ninja 250 every other month, and I'd imagine it's simpler to work on/maintain being aircooled and all.  Tell me its good for touring, has a fairly upright seating position, and that I'm not going to be doing the valves every third weekend, and I think I'd buy one that looks just like this.
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Apr 12, 2009 22:55
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I'll post a bunch of photos later on today, showing the riding position, and layout of controls. It's been pretty easy in terms of maintenance. I did the valves once at 30,000km (bought it with 20k on the clock), and since it was my first time ever doing it, it took a good few hours. It uses a shim under bucket design, which necessitates removing the cam to get access to the shims. That part wasn't actually too hard, it's just that I had absolutely no idea what the heck I was doing. Next time should take me an hour at the most. quote:As I've never owned anything air cooled, how easily will it overheat considering it is an aircooled engine? It has an oil cooler (and although some may correct me on this), so even idling in summer traffic, I've never had problems with it overheating. It might prompt you to switch to unlined riding pants a bit earlier in the season than on water cooled bikes, but then again, it has an easily accesible engine to warm your hands on. quote:What is it like for touring, seating position/seat/comfort at speed? I've found it really, really comfortable over long distances, and despite the fact that it's only got five speeds, it seems well geared for highway cruising. At 100km/h, in fifth, the engine's turning over at ~4100rpm. The seating position is really nice and relaxed - not quite as bolt-upright as on a V-Strom - and the pegs are just about in the perfect spot. I'm having trouble sourcing the Kawasaki hard luggage that was originally offered (at ~$600, I don't imagine it sold too well), so I may just end up with some third part soft bags. The mounting points under the pillion seat that are meant for luggage work quite nicely as tie-down points, or for using bungee cords without messing the paint up. quote:Ever ridden two up on it, if so how did that work out? It looks like it'd be a bit better at touring/two up riding then an SV650, and looks (oh boy) a lot cooler then one too. I've done tons of two-up riding on it, with passengers up to 80kg. I'm not exactly light (a bit over 100kg with gear), but the bike has no problem at all. It's got plenty of grunt, and both the brakes and suspension are up to the task as well. I find the tank has just the right shape to prevent me from crushing my nuts when stopping with a pillion on board. My only complaint is that the passenger pegs seem a bit close to the primary ones, so if both you and your passenger have big feet, you'll be playing footsie when you go to shift gears. quote:What is the service schedule like? It seems like I'm adjusting the valves on the ninja 250 every other month, and I'd imagine it's simpler to work on/maintain being aircooled and all. The manual quotes valve adjustments at every 10,000km - every two oil changes or thereabouts, so I'm not sure if that's much different from the 250. I haven't had anything fall apart, fail, or burst into flames, and I can't say I've been religiously sticking to the service intervals. Everything on the bikes is really easy to get at, especially if you got the naked version. I did have to replace the front rotors, as the previous owner had somehow managed to warp them, causing a wierd front end vibration under braking ($50 on ebay). I probably have about $4500 into the bike, including the cost of a new set of Metzler Z6 tyres (that have lasted 16,000km so far). Aftermarket goodies are a bit hard to come by, so thus far I've only added: *a Leo Vince exhaust (haven't rejetted for it, and it hasn't had any issues) it sounds great, and isn't embarassingly loud *Galfer stainless brake lines - order from someone else, their fasteners started to rust within two months, and the kit uses two individual lines, rather than one line to the proportioning valve, and thus is kind of a messy install *Wilbers progressive fork springs - a worthwhile upgrade, as the stock springs don't have an ideal amount of workable travel *oxford heated grips - the install was pretty simple, and they were helpful through the winter Basically, it's a newer, slightly restyled UJM. It's comfortable, simple, has enough power, brakes, suspension, and handling to really enjoy riding out on the road, while still being able to take it on the odd backroad jaunt. I've seen clips of people racing them, but that's not really what this bike was designed for. The engine design has been around since at least the early 80s, so there's tonnes of spares to be found, and all of the bugs have been worked out, long, long ago. I'm never selling mine, though, so you'll have to find your own.  ninja edit: Jesus christ, I've become Z3n. 
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Apr 13, 2009 00:03
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I just sent this guy an email asking if he would consider my buell plus cash. Probably isn't but boy would it be awesome. http://cnj.craigslist.org/mcy/1108625456.html
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Apr 13, 2009 01:39
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drat, that looks like it would be a stupid amount of fun. Are you planning to compete in anything if you pick it up, or just terrorize everything within 100km? Also, the description is a bit ...  quote:Very rare..straight from Italy. Husqvarna sounds pretty Italian, right?  For you, blugu:  Click here for the full 800x534 image.   Click here for the full 800x534 image.  Click here for the full 800x534 image.     Yes, it's very dirty. It's a good bike to ride all winter, and grey doesn't show dirt that much, so  If you want some more info, http://www.zr-7.com/ has some useful stuff, but I don't think that place has been updated in ... forever ... so some of the products linked to may be NLA. 
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Apr 13, 2009 05:42
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Simkin posted:drat, that looks like it would be a stupid amount of fun. Are you planning to compete in anything if you pick it up, or just terrorize everything within 100km? If I end up with this I'm gonna do everything I possibly can on it. There may end up being more than a few old people shaking fists at me and there are some supermoto events at a motorsports park in NJ too, iirc. It seems like he is at least partially interested in my bike so I'll see how this goes.
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Apr 13, 2009 06:16
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blugu64 posted:It looks like it'd be a bit better at touring/two up riding then an SV650, and looks (oh boy) alot cooler then one too. :| oh boy indeed. I will have to say that the sv is really awesome in the two up department.** **author does ride 2 up with some GIRLS but hasn't ridden two up on anything buy my own sv take with grain of salt*** ***sv army
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Apr 13, 2009 10:53
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Simkin posted:drat, that looks like it would be a stupid amount of fun. Are you planning to compete in anything if you pick it up, or just terrorize everything within 100km? I think the guy is right, until 2007 they were owned by MV Agusta and were essentially Cagivas.
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Apr 13, 2009 21:36
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If i'm really lucky... I'm trading this:  A 1986 GS550ES, with title. Not currently running. For this:  A 1973 Yamaha AT3, 125cc. Running, with title.
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Apr 13, 2009 22:11
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n8r posted:I think the guy is right, until 2007 they were owned by MV Agusta and were essentially Cagivas. Huh. Wasn't aware of that :themoreyouknow:
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Apr 14, 2009 00:22
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Just wanted to thank you guys for the advice a couple weeks back about that 79 GS1000 being too much of a bike for a first time owner. Just had my first night of MSF training tonight and I'm still on the look out for something a little more my speed, but I check this thread regularly and wanted to let you all know that I appreciated the advice and all. Even after a few years around this place, it's nice to see Goons are still nice people.
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Apr 14, 2009 04:02
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We just like having new riders stick around for longer than a month.  Keep posting bikes that interest you, and we'll keep helping you sort the sane from the not (and the lemons, those too). This might be of interest to you - a Suzuki GN400, running, and in decent looking shape, for less than a grand. http://greenbay.craigslist.org/mcy/1106302623.html Simkin fucked around with this message at 05:14 on Apr 14, 2009 |
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Apr 14, 2009 05:07
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Simkin posted:We just like having new riders stick around for longer than the ride home, if they are lucky. Ficksified. No thanks needed.
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Apr 14, 2009 05:09
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A guy has a ZRX1100 on cl for $2650. It says: For sale a 1999 zrx 1100, runs well, always serviced, roughly 20000 miles, cheapest liter bike your going to find. shown is the few scratches from skidding across the lawn... god bless friends they scratch your stuff.... Is it worth checking out? He seems to be open to the idea of trading for my 81 yamaha xs650 and some cash. What should I offer?
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Apr 15, 2009 00:51
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Simkin posted:We just like having new riders stick around for longer than a month. Thanks! I took a look at what you posted, what do you guys think of this one, instead? http://greenbay.craigslist.org/mcy/1122548875.html Between the two of them?
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Apr 15, 2009 02:46
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hoho`win posted:A guy has a ZRX1100 on cl for $2650. It says: If it's pretty clean, that's a good deal for a Zed Rex. Seems the 1100s go for $2500-4000 depending on niceness while the 1200s go for about $500-1000 more. They are excellent bikes.
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Apr 15, 2009 02:56
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Bugdrvr posted:If it's pretty clean, that's a good deal for a Zed Rex. Seems the 1100s go for $2500-4000 depending on niceness while the 1200s go for about $500-1000 more. They are excellent bikes. Thanks!
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Apr 15, 2009 03:51
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Longer report in the Bonneville thread, but since folks in this thread have been so helpful, here's what I got off of eBay: 2001 Bonneville, 10K miles, optional center-stand, tachy, off-road pipes. $4250. The seller is holding it for me until I move to DC next month, so I'll be making an 80mi road-trip to go pick it up in a few weeks. Really pretty stoked, and appreciate all the advice folks have given here, even though it took me a little while to figure out that a Bonneville was just small enough to not be too big for 5'6" me.
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Apr 15, 2009 04:24
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DiscoKid posted:Between the two of them? There's not too much between them, really. The cheaper one has a few more miles, and isn't quite as shiny, but they both run, have low miles, and will be about as reliable as you could hope for. That tinted windscreen isn't to my taste, but my taste isn't deciding the purchase. Go ride them both, and judge for yourself - with so little betwen them, that's pretty much the only way.
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Apr 15, 2009 06:19
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I'm going to look at a 2006 Aprilia RSVR in a week or two. Are there any maintenance issues I should look out for that the dealership wont be keen to tell me. Does it drink oil for example?
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Apr 15, 2009 09:07
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Not rrrrrreally for the Aprilia. Check out the FAQ and faq subforum on https://www.apriliaforum.com , everything you want to know about RSVs.
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Apr 15, 2009 16:31
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I've a friend who's learning to ride and is looking at getting a bike whenever he passes the DAS. I've sold him on buying something like a GS500, but he then fell in love with a KLE500 when we saw it in a showroom. Then I showed him the Aprilia Pegaso on ebay, and he fell in love . . . again. Anyway, 1995 Aprilia Pegaso going on ebay for cheap. I know it's not on the road, but we've both had experience fixing cars, and now bikes, so I was wondering how much work there is involved in fixing the problems he mentions. I know sprocket and chain can be replaced easier, and the light sounds like an electrical fault, which are time-consuming to track down, but not normally that difficult. More curious as to the head-bearing and the suspension bush. And the radiator of course. It's not a "ooooh, must buy if I can", more a "that'd be a good deal if nothing's too shot". To me, the head-bearing throws up alarm signals, but I may be over-reacting. Plus the km on the clock makes me think it's an import.
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Apr 15, 2009 17:08
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Orange Someone posted:I've a friend who's learning to ride and is looking at getting a bike whenever he passes the DAS. I've sold him on buying something like a GS500, but he then fell in love with a KLE500 when we saw it in a showroom. Then I showed him the Aprilia Pegaso on ebay, and he fell in love . . . again. Head bearings aren't a big deal, pop the top triple off and remove old bearings, and replace with new ones. They may even just need to be tightened. If you have to do both, then you just have to pull the front end, which is easily done by someone who's got a little bit of mechanical experience. The suspension bushing is just replacing some bearings. Not huge issues. If the bike starts and runs well, then it seems like a reasonable enough deal. Maybe offer 400 and go up from there?
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Apr 15, 2009 19:11
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I might be picking up this Husqvarna sm450r this weekend, is there anything I should look out for? My understanding is they are roughly halfway between street SMs like the DRZ and more "race replica" SMs like the KTMs. There are two dealers in my area, so I won't be up the creek when it comes to service. Edit: Apparently the guy has been running aviation fuel in this bike, could this cause any trouble down the road? Says he uses it in all of his dual sports/dirtbikes. Gnaghi fucked around with this message at 04:03 on Apr 16, 2009 |
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Apr 15, 2009 20:32
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Aprilia Pegaso head bearings, at least the factory set, are a consumable. Maybe not intended to be but yeah, they are. The oil tank is built into the frame fight near the head and the heat from the oil cooks the grease out. That and the fact that Pegasos like to wheelie a bit, combine to take a toll on the bearings. It's a easy fix, a fair amount of busywork, and grease the new ones once a year to keep them happy.
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Apr 16, 2009 03:01
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I'm looking at a f650gs for a first bike and as other posters said, hopefully won't kill me. Height-wise I'm about 5'9 and average build. Leg measures about 31.5". I see on the bmw site that the seat height is 32.3". How adjustable are the seat heights?
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Apr 16, 2009 07:49
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discostu posted:I'm looking at a f650gs for a first bike and as other posters said, hopefully won't kill me. Height-wise I'm about 5'9 and average build. Leg measures about 31.5". I see on the bmw site that the seat height is 32.3". How adjustable are the seat heights? The R1200GS has adjustable seat height, some lever flips around under the seat giving you two positions about 2" or so apart. Dunno if the 650 has one, probably not. If you count your soles and the compression of the seat and suspension, you should be pretty close to flat footing. Only answer = go sit on one.
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Apr 16, 2009 16:49
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Gnaghi posted:I might be picking up this Husqvarna sm450r this weekend, is there anything I should look out for? My understanding is they are roughly halfway between street SMs like the DRZ and more "race replica" SMs like the KTMs. There are two dealers in my area, so I won't be up the creek when it comes to service. Well the guy is a moron and likes wasting money. Unless he's had the compression increased it shouldn't need av gas. I guess you could have some carbon buildup from not totally burning the fuel but I doubt it's an issue. With regard to it's "race replica" nature I'm pretty sure it falls much closer to a KTM race bike than a DRZ. If you plan on putting a decent amount of miles on this bike you'll be looking at doing a fair amount of maintenance.
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Apr 16, 2009 17:15
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Avgas contains lead and will foul plugs and valve seats in engines not designed for it. It will actually foul up engines designed for it as well. 
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Apr 16, 2009 17:48
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Yeah he said 100LL cause "it benefits from the higher compression ratio." I was looking it up on a dirtbike forum and general opinion was it was good for 2-strokes and pointless for 4-strokes (but not harmful). On Supermotojunkie there is a thread about race gas in a husky 610, but nothing on av gas from what I could see.dirtbike guy posted:Ok – lets let a pilot weigh in on this one. As for the maintenance, after looking it up it is definitely a lot and no DRZ, but also is fairly easy (husky guys say you can do oil and valves in 20 minutes once you get it down). Being lazy on maintenance also tends to kill the bike in less than 5000 miles, but guys who race and take care of their bikes have made it over 10k, even 15k. This guy's has a little over 1000 on it. Maybe I'll ask him to tell me how to change oil and check valves and if he can't answer...red flag. The main reason I'm interested in this bike over a DRZ is because the guy wants to trade for my buell and I'm broke.
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Apr 16, 2009 20:25
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Gnaghi posted:
Huskys are race bikes, they are marketed against Husabergs and KTMs, not DRZ400s. I've got a TE250, and the maintenance is a little crazy, there are 3 oil screens that need to be cleaned, and an oil filter that needs to be replaced. There's a great youtube video of how to do the valves though. I'd suggest using a torque wrench on absolutely everything on the bike. I've found that every bolt on my bike snaps and the hex fasteners round off if I even think about using a regular ratchet. I've never had this problem before I worked on my Husky, and it left me questioning my abilities as a home mechanic for a little while. The transition from Cagiva to BMW was poorly managed, and you couldn't get parts (or bikes!) in the US for a few months in the middle of summer last year. Hall's Husqvarna usually has stuff in stock, and they ship stuff very quickly.
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Apr 16, 2009 21:38
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wzm posted:Huskys are race bikes, they are marketed against Husabergs and KTMs, not DRZ400s. Ok, sounds good. If I end up with it I'll pick up a service manual from the dealer on the way back. I already picked up the torque wrench and hex sockets from changing tires on the buell, so I think I should be alright. Besides oil and valves, the other things to look out for are coolant leaks and bolts vibrating off, so it should be simple as long as I keep on top of it.
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Apr 17, 2009 01:34
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Gnaghi posted:Ok, sounds good. If I end up with it I'll pick up a service manual from the dealer on the way back. I already picked up the torque wrench and hex sockets from changing tires on the buell, so I think I should be alright. Besides oil and valves, the other things to look out for are coolant leaks and bolts vibrating off, so it should be simple as long as I keep on top of it. The shop manual is on CD, and costs something like $3 from Hall's. I think it was posted on ThumperTalk for a while, and you can probably find it online. Oh yeah, the bikes crash really well, and parts are cheap, but you should buy some radiator braces as soon as you get the bike. They are $80, and they save you from having to replace a $400 radiator the first time you drop the bike. That's probably less of an issue with a SMR then a trail bike, but it still sucks when it happens. If you want to put bark busters on the bike, you'll also need to drill out the handlebars, Husqvarna uses bars with a sidewall that is 3-4 times thicker then KTM or the Japanese bikes, so the ends need to be drilled before you can use standard bark buster mounting hardware. wzm fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Apr 17, 2009 |
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Apr 17, 2009 02:32
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wzm posted:The shop manual is on CD, and costs something like $3 from Hall's. I think it was posted on ThumperTalk for a while, and you can probably find it online. Awesome, thanks for the advice. I'll look into the manual and braces and maybe the bark busters too.
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Apr 17, 2009 04:40
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My brother doesn't ride (yet), but has been looking for a project. This popped up on craigslist and piqued our interest. Would this be a terrible idea or not? http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/mcy/1125896627.html
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Apr 17, 2009 17:32
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