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Been trolling for a while and collecting info for my first bike purchase and have been pretty set on a KLR 250. I've yet to find any in my area for a reasonable price, however yesterday someone posted one of these on CL in good shape for $850 w/ 13k miles. http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/honda_nx_250_1988.php  Just curious if anyone has any experience with these? Haven't found much info on it other than the Wikipedia article. No mech probs, all it needs are new tires. Do you think it would be a bad idea to pick it up in my truck if it seems to run ok before my mechanic friend gets back in town next week to look at it? I'd hate to wait till Monday and someone else snatch it up. Seems to be a pretty good deal. reir fucked around with this message at 00:52 on May 28, 2009 |
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May 28, 2009 00:47
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Bucephalus posted:Repairing them yourself (given your limited experience) could prove difficult, and labor costs for someone else to fix it could easily exceed the value of the bike. I'm going to back off on what I said above about learning to wrench on old bikes; it really only applies to air-cooled chain-drives. The CX/GL 500/650 are a special case. The SV650 is exactly what I want, but is at the limits of my budget. The CX500 seemed like a cheap way to get on the road now (if it runs). I'm going to check it out tomorrow with swanage (and hopefully the SV650 on Saturday if it fails to meet expectations).
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May 28, 2009 01:24
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If you've got the funds to swing the SV, and it's exactly what you want, that's probably the way to go. Once you pass the MSF and get your license, you'll be rarin' to ride, but it's unlikely that the CX will be a hop-on-and-go proposition. If you really want to learn to wrench, you don't see any big problems, and you can snag it for >$250, I would...because hey, cheap bike! 
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May 28, 2009 02:17
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I'm looking to get a new bike to daily drive. I've put 20k miles down in about three years, so I'm not worried about experience or engine size or anything like that. My budget is around $3500. I've been looking at a kawasaki councours, a yamaha fj1100, a honda vfr, or a bmw k100. These are all the sport tourers i can think of offhand that would fit my price range. I've even considered a goldwing, but they're just so goddamn huge. Do any of these bikes really stick out to you guys as being a particularly good or bad idea from a mechanical standpoint? Ease of maintenance and reliability is a big priority, as the last bike I owned would usually run for 2 weeks after I fixed it and then something else (usually electrical) would go. Comedy option: http://santafe.craigslist.org/mcy/1163111723.html
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May 28, 2009 19:52
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Leroy Diplowski posted:I'm looking to get a new bike to daily drive. I've put 20k miles down in about three years, so I'm not worried about experience or engine size or anything like that. My budget is around $3500. I've been looking at a kawasaki councours, a yamaha fj1100, a honda vfr, or a bmw k100. These are all the sport tourers i can think of offhand that would fit my price range. I've even considered a goldwing, but they're just so goddamn huge. The older Connies are bulletproof and cheap with luggage from the factory, although ugly as sin. The VFR is very nice, will also go forever, but the V4 can be a bit more of a pain to work on. Especially true of the Vtec models, which I would avoid due to the irritation of the Vtec in every aspect. No comment on the other 2, no experience with them.
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May 28, 2009 20:06
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Z3n posted:The older Connies are bulletproof and cheap with luggage from the factory, although ugly as sin. I like the look of the old councours, and the factory luggage is a big plus. Good to hear they're bulletproof.
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May 28, 2009 20:16
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Leroy Diplowski posted:I'm looking to get a new bike to daily drive. I've put 20k miles down in about three years, so I'm not worried about experience or engine size or anything like that. My budget is around $3500. I've been looking at a kawasaki councours, a yamaha fj1100, a honda vfr, or a bmw k100. These are all the sport tourers i can think of offhand that would fit my price range. I've even considered a goldwing, but they're just so goddamn huge. An early 00s or older Katana would fit your range and sport tourer criteria also, and isn't too hard to work on.
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May 28, 2009 21:02
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Leroy Diplowski posted:I like the look of the old councours, and the factory luggage is a big plus. Good to hear they're bulletproof. If you like the councours, which despite being what I really want I'll admit is ugly, you might also like the Honda Pacific Coast. Even uglier, but tons of storage space.
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May 28, 2009 21:08
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There's gotta be a catch: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/mcy/1193831927.html If I had the cash today I would be all over either of these bikes.
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May 28, 2009 23:08
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Leroy Diplowski posted:I'm looking to get a new bike to daily drive. I've put 20k miles down in about three years, so I'm not worried about experience or engine size or anything like that. My budget is around $3500. I've been looking at a kawasaki councours, a yamaha fj1100, a honda vfr, or a bmw k100. These are all the sport tourers i can think of offhand that would fit my price range. ST1100 KZ1000 Oakey posted:An early 00s or older Katana would fit your range and sport tourer criteria also, and isn't too hard to work on. My Katana was very reliable and comfortable for a couple of hours per day but multi-day rides were excruciating. They weren't really sport tourers. The 600s lack torque for experienced riders. Mine was a 90's model. I wouldn't pick a Katana over the the other choices given. Katana's are excellent beginner sport bikes or daily drivers around town while still being able to make fun in the twisties but they will get smoked by anything more serious.
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May 29, 2009 00:06
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wormil posted:My Katana was very reliable and comfortable for a couple of hours per day but multi-day rides were excruciating. They weren't really sport tourers. The 600s lack torque for experienced riders. Mine was a 90's model. I wouldn't pick a Katana over the the other choices given. Katana's are excellent beginner sport bikes or daily drivers around town while still being able to make fun in the twisties but they will get smoked by anything more serious. I've ridden both a VFR a fair bit and my '03 750 and I have to say they were pretty close. I've also done several 6-7 hour days on it and didn't have any pain or problems the next day. Obviously they'll get smoked by anything serious, he asked for a sport tourer  . Anyways, that was just my experience. YMMV of course.
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May 29, 2009 00:46
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Leroy Diplowski posted:I like the look of the old councours, and the factory luggage is a big plus. Good to hear they're bulletproof. Oh...Bandit 1200?
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May 29, 2009 00:53
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8ender posted:I think you might find an old bike to be ideal to learn on because they aren't as sophisticated as a modern bike. That said the lack of sophistication sometimes means doing things like points I think the CXs had CDI. So that's one less thing to worry about.
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May 29, 2009 19:06
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100 Years in Iraq posted:I think the CXs had CDI. So that's one less thing to worry about. My GL500 did have a CDI, and I believe they share most parts with the CXes.
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May 29, 2009 19:59
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100 Years in Iraq posted:I think the CXs had CDI. So that's one less thing to worry about. Not necessarily. The early CDI systems can be flaky, more so now that they're getting old. However its not hard to drop in a nice replacement Dyna ignition. I've considered it for my own bike but I actually like points. I know its crazy, but I find them fun to gently caress around with.
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May 29, 2009 20:10
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Oakey posted:I've ridden both a VFR a fair bit and my '03 750 and I have to say they were pretty close. I've also done several 6-7 hour days on it and didn't have any pain or problems the next day. Obviously they'll get smoked by anything serious, he asked for a sport tourer The newer generation Katanas are probably a lot more comfortable considering the old design was used for about a decade.
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May 29, 2009 20:50
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Katanas were great bikes, despite being burdened with hideous and often girly looking graphics, and sometimes terrible paint schemes. Mine was a gorgeous Ducati red with the ugliest pink vinyl graphics you've ever seen. Day one we took a heat gun and stripped the vinyl and the looks improved 1000%. People would walk across a parking lot to see what kind of bike it was, often being surprised it was a Suzuki. Both my roommates (at the time) bought Katanas, one black & purple, one purple & red (really Suzuki?) after me and also removed the graphics. I don't regret owning mine but I wouldn't buy another one.
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May 29, 2009 21:11
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Yeah I sat on a new GSX650F and I don't like it at all. I don't think I'd buy another one either, but it's been a good starter for me and I'm going to keep it for long rides. I saw some really awful paint jobs when I was looking at bikes on CL, yikes. What is up with the black & purple? Fortunately mine is a nice silver with only the Katana decal.
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May 29, 2009 21:40
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Anyone own a Sprint ST? I saw one out and around today and it sounded and looked amazing. I noticed that it has an 'eccentric chain adjuster' What does this even mean?
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May 30, 2009 00:04
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blugu64 posted:Anyone own a Sprint ST? I saw one out and around today and it sounded and looked amazing. I noticed that it has an 'eccentric chain adjuster' What does this even mean? I don't own one but I have ridden pillion on one, and enjoyed every butt-numbing second . Actually it wasn't that bad, it was like a 3hr trip with NO STOPS though, so really it was quite comfortable.
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May 30, 2009 00:29
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blugu64 posted:Anyone own a Sprint ST? I saw one out and around today and it sounded and looked amazing. I noticed that it has an 'eccentric chain adjuster' What does this even mean? http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-maintenance/chain-adjustment/ Article talks about exactly this. Basically the axle is housed off-center in a larger adjusting "drum" of sorts, you rotate the drum a little forward or backward to loosen or tighten the chain.
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May 30, 2009 01:05
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Leroy Diplowski posted:I'm looking to get a new bike to daily drive. I've put 20k miles down in about three years, so I'm not worried about experience or engine size or anything like that. My budget is around $3500. I've been looking at a kawasaki councours, a yamaha fj1100, a honda vfr, or a bmw k100. These are all the sport tourers i can think of offhand that would fit my price range. I've even considered a goldwing, but they're just so goddamn huge. 8ender posted:The CX500 was a cool bike because it was like a Guzzi without the wallet crushing unreliability. Other than that I'm not sure of the reliability or ease of repairs on older Hondas. Personally, I've always wanted to find a wrecked CX500T/CX650T and transplant it into a silverwing.
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May 30, 2009 16:41
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blugu64 posted:Anyone own a Sprint ST? I saw one out and around today and it sounded and looked amazing. I noticed that it has an 'eccentric chain adjuster' What does this even mean? I owned a first generation Sprint and it was an awesome bike. The Triumph triple sounds like a banshee ripping in half at redline and the motor is smooth and torquey. I sold it because of the poor fuel economy, I'm not sure if the problem was a jet kit installed by previous owners, native to the engine, or the fact that I spent a lot of time near redline listening to the music-but 30 mpg was poor mileage in my opinion.
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May 30, 2009 17:38
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Leroy Diplowski posted:I'm looking to get a new bike to daily drive. I've put 20k miles down in about three years, so I'm not worried about experience or engine size or anything like that. My budget is around $3500. I've been looking at a kawasaki councours, a yamaha fj1100, a honda vfr, or a bmw k100. These are all the sport tourers i can think of offhand that would fit my price range. I've even considered a goldwing, but they're just so goddamn huge. Any VFR will do commuting and weekend warrior duties nicely, they are on the sporty side of sport touring but people ride long distance on them all the time. I owned a first generation VF that was a great fishing bike, able to pass long lines of motorhomes on the Seward Highway on my way to the Russian River while remaing perfectly confortable. Someone had added ST1100 to your list, if you could find one for that price range it would be a good choice. I've test ridden the Concours and the ST and the ST wins. Comfort, engine, ergos, very nice machine. The Concours was a competent bike but never really excited me the way the ST did. K bike wise, a lot of riders actually prefer the K75 to the K100. Adding the 4th cylinder meant giving up the balance shaft, the 3 cylinder fallover engine is turbine smooth. My problem with the K bikes is that while they look like a big bike, they really are not-they seem to be made for a person of european build with a height of 5'8" or so, at 5'11" I was stretching the bike a bit.
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May 30, 2009 17:50
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Thanks for the advice. I picked up an '05 SV650 with 129 miles on it! More details in the SV650 thread. 
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May 30, 2009 20:49
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Leroy Diplowski posted:I'm looking to get a new bike to daily drive. I've put 20k miles down in about three years, so I'm not worried about experience or engine size or anything like that. My budget is around $3500. I've been looking at a kawasaki councours, a yamaha fj1100, a honda vfr, or a bmw k100. These are all the sport tourers i can think of offhand that would fit my price range. I've even considered a goldwing, but they're just so goddamn huge. Oh, hey...I'm in the same boat, roughly, looking for a big tourer, although I found mine: 2003 Kawasaki ZZR1200. Worth a look, very underrated bikes, 160hp, 520 pounds dry, big fuckoff touring rig but sporty enough to hustle down a tight road. I'll be picking mine up in a week or 2.
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May 30, 2009 22:05
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Z3n posted:2003 Kawasaki ZZR1200. Worth a look, very underrated bikes, 160hp, 520 pounds dry, big fuckoff touring rig but sporty enough to hustle down a tight road. You don't see those too often. The new Concours replaced those, right? What's the riding position like?
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May 30, 2009 22:28
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Picker her up this morning and I just love her   Also HID lighting is magical  
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May 30, 2009 23:02
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dietcokefiend posted:Also projector lighting is magical You can get fantastic cutoff out of a halogen projector just fine too.
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May 30, 2009 23:18
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dietcokefiend posted:That looks awesome...what is it? (I'm not familiar with anything built since the Reagan administration. Honda CBRs are Hurricanes to me.)
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May 30, 2009 23:35
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Bucephalus posted:That looks awesome...what is it? 2007 Suzuki SV650, barely legal
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May 30, 2009 23:37
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SV650 Outlaw
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May 30, 2009 23:47
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I think I've fallen in love with the 990 Super Duke. I've been thinking about a new bike on and off lately and this one caught my eye and butt more than any other I've played with. I stopped by the KTM dealer about two blocks away from my house to pick up some fuel line for the GS and saw a few Dukes sitting there. I ended up talking to the owner of the shop for almost an hour while sitting on one and really like the bike. He has a few leftover '08 models that I can get for 11k out the door, which is really cheap compared to what an '09 costs. Or he has an '08 demo model with 2400 miles on it that's all carbon fibered up, has a full Leo Vince exhaust on it (with tune) and some suspension work for the same price. The only thing is it's a demo and has probably been beaten on. I know he's had it at Streets of Willow where he said it killed his lap time compared to his race Buell. He offered the demo bike to me for the day next weekend so I'm going back next Saturday to beat on it for a few hours. Anyone have any experience with these bikes?
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May 31, 2009 00:41
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slidebite posted:You don't see those too often. The new Concours replaced those, right? What's the riding position like? You know, it's been a long time since I've ridden this particular bike. I'm buying it from an old friend. He's got risers on his, so it's a little more upright than normal. It's coming with the Corbin Beatlebags too, which are pretty cool. The new connie did replace it. I'll post up pictures as soon as I get it. Bugdrvr posted:I think I've fallen in love with the 990 Super Duke. I'd take the demo bike, gently caress, especially if it'll still keep the remainder of it's warranty. That LC8 engine's been pretty bullet proof. Ride it, you'll love it. Then I'll have to come down, chloroform you, and steal it. Those are such awesome bikes.
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May 31, 2009 06:42
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Yeah, the demo bike does come with the remainder of the warranty. I am leaning toward that one too. It looks good with the carbon on it. He said he broke it in properly before he took it to the track, but I doubt it even matters all that much these days. I'll have to see how I feel about it after I take it out next weekend. I'll have a ride report ready to go. If you come down you are welcome to go for a spin on it.
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May 31, 2009 19:46
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Chris Knight posted:http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/mcy/1178449707.html I had one of these as my first bike and I loved it. The engine doesn't do ANYTHING below like 8 grand, but it's so much fun to wring the thing out and still be within reasonable street riding parameters. If I had any kind of discretionary income at all, I'd be looking for another one just to mess around on. That being said, it has four tiny carbs, and an overhaul for all of them will either be a pain in the rear end or a good chunk of money to a shop. Definitely doable, but a pain. I ended up messing with those carbs a lot. Being my first bike, I knew a lot less back then, but I swear those things ran at least partially off black magic. Parts were also difficult to find in Florida and there was absolutely no aftermarket for them except for the Yoshi pipe the PO had installed on mine. 400cc's of fury spinning at 14K through a blown out race pipe is a thing to behold though. Sounds like the demons are escaping. I loved that freaking bike when it was running right. Every time a question about them pops up on here, I extoll their virtues.
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May 31, 2009 20:24
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Bugdrvr posted:Yeah, the demo bike does come with the remainder of the warranty. I am leaning toward that one too. It looks good with the carbon on it. He said he broke it in properly before he took it to the track, but I doubt it even matters all that much these days.  I'm going to be doing a lot of trips once I get my new bike...I've missed street riding and long distance touring so much.
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Jun 1, 2009 05:13
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Z3n posted:My GL500 did have a CDI, and I believe they share most parts with the CXes. I very much doubt that. It has electronic ignition, not CDI. They're very different things.
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Jun 1, 2009 18:45
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Nerobro posted:I very much doubt that. It has electronic ignition, not CDI. They're very different things. Semantics.  No, actually that's a very good point. I don't care much about the reality of it, just little black boxes that make sparks as far as I'm concerned 
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Jun 1, 2009 19:43
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Bugdrvr posted:Yeah, the demo bike does come with the remainder of the warranty. I am leaning toward that one too. It looks good with the carbon on it. He said he broke it in properly before he took it to the track, but I doubt it even matters all that much these days. Don't be too afraid of a demo. Ask to take it for a test ride and see if they warm it up a bit before giving you the keys and sending you on your way.
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Jun 2, 2009 14:50
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