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discostu posted:What's a fair price for a 2008 sv650 in good condition? It's about 4k in miles. If I average out the kbb trade-in and retail price, it's about 3800. There's a guy on craigslist that keeps on listing the same sv650 for the last 2 months. He's finally slowly coming down on the price(5100 from 5300) which I think is still ridiculously high. EDIT: Is it possible to get a bike more 80s than one called a "Fazer?" Endless Mike fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Jun 18, 2009 |
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Jun 18, 2009 03:12
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n8r posted:You're mostly suggesting some rather big bikes and some bikes that tend to be fairly expensive. Well, he did say he was looking at larger-displacement thumpers. Not that any of them threaten the CA hp limit; you did mean big as in tall, and difficult to flatfoot for shorter-legged riders, right? The BMW and the KTM I threw in as kind of an "oh hey these exist", not as a recommendation for someone looking for a used bike.
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Jun 18, 2009 03:45
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The Honda Goldwing is the prototypical touring bike, and everything you ever could ever want to know about them can be found on the internet. This is not a Goldwing:  Click here for the full 1024x636 image. What's the story? Competent tourer (for its day), or big, heavy standard with hastily-slapped-on touring gear?
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Jun 18, 2009 05:38
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Bucephalus posted:What's the story? Competent tourer (for its day), or big, heavy standard with hastily-slapped-on touring gear? Well the story is that even the Goldwing of that era was a big heavy standard with touring gear slapped on. They pretty much all were.
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Jun 18, 2009 06:14
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Except the Goldwing had a flat-4 and a relocated fuel tank to lower the CG. The Zuk has neither. Does that kill it, or did Suzuki do some other suspension voodoo?
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Jun 18, 2009 11:09
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Bucephalus posted:Except the Goldwing had a flat-4 and a relocated fuel tank to lower the CG. The Zuk has neither. Does that kill it, or did Suzuki do some other suspension voodoo? I couldn't say as I only have experience with the Goldwing. Even with the flat-4 the Goldwing of that era feels really heavy. However I've also tried out an XS1100 of nearly the same year and it felt really balanced despite being nearly the same weight.
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Jun 18, 2009 12:09
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n8r posted:Pretty spendy, but very clean bikes. You do realize that rebuilding forks isn't much beyond new fork seals and new oil right? [...] Where do you live and what is your budget? It looks like you're looking for a smaller cruiser style bike that has a 4 cyl motor? No I've never personally rebuilt forks, but I added the detail because it's something that doesn't need to be worried about immediately. I live in central Illinois within reach of Chicago or Peoria. I set my budget at <$2500. I posted this before, but I never settled on anything since it's hard to check out bikes during the week and my weekends have been pretty busy lately. I haven't been too focused on much else but cruiser. I could do a sport bike easily if it wasn't for my girlfriend wanting to go riding in the country. We did it last year on my EX500 and it had me nervous as hell (also due to her being shift happy on the 4in back seat). I'd like something with a back rest or sissy bar.
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Jun 18, 2009 13:23
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I was going down the path to getting a pristine 2001 Shadow Custom, but the opportunity to purchase a 1982 GS550L has fallen in my lap. My boss hasn't ridden it in a year (possibly 2?) and upon hearing I was soon to buy a bike, he is wondering if I want to take it off his hands for a decent price. (KBB retail $1k, trade in $600) The good: One owner. Only 7,000 miles on a 27 year old bike. Never dropped. Always garaged. The bad: sitting for almost two years (old fuel and dead battery) front tire original, rear tire replaced once it's...well, older than me It had fuel stabilizer added before it was covered in the back of his garage, but it's sat so long I'm sure that's barely relevant, and even though he owns a trickle charger, I'm sure the battery has long lost it's charge. This will be my first bike, first experience with carbs, but i'm no stranger to a torque wrench and getting dirty, and I certainly will not be relying on it for transportation. I do have a pickup to take it home in if I see enough promise but can't ride it home. What do you reckon it would take to at least getting it running enough to test the transmission, brakes, etc to know how deep a hole I'd be getting myself into? Would $500 be fair if it starts but doesn't run well enough to drive it home? $600 if I can drive it, $400 if it seems okay but won't start? e:I assume a fresh battery and a carb cleaning procedure like this is the worst case : http://cycles.evanfell.com/2008/09/how-to-clean-a-motorcycle-carburetor-the-right-way/ and was hoping that short of dissasembly, a bit of fiddling and a jump might get it going enough to give me hope. UserNotFound fucked around with this message at 17:17 on Jun 18, 2009 |
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Jun 18, 2009 17:00
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UserNotFound posted:front tire original No way this is true. Also, non-running bikes don't make the greatest first bikes.
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Jun 18, 2009 18:04
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MrKatharsis posted:No way this is true. Also, non-running bikes don't make the greatest first bikes. I'd believe it. I've seen some crazy poo poo on bikes that are found in garages. KBB is for a good, working condition bike. I'd offer 400$, considering that you're going to be putting in at least 250$ + tire fees in tire (rear is probably more than 5 years old as well), chain, carb kits/replacement carbs, blah blah blah... Basically, don't buy it unless you want something to work on. If you do decide to buy it, find another set of good, working GS500 carbs rather than rebuilding yours, as I promise they are gunked to hell. Check for rust in the tank, too. You should probably redo all of the bearings as well.
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Jun 18, 2009 18:14
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MrKatharsis posted:No way this is true. I don't think he'd even THOUGHT about the bike until this AM, and he thought it was an a suzuki 'sl 550' until I started suggesting ACTUAL models, and he remembered it was a GS500L...so there's a very good chance he's forgetting about replacing the tires. He's owned it the last 6000 outta 7000 miles on it. Anyways, i'm gonna take some fresh gas and some seafoam over tomorrow and see if we can't at least get it started. I really don't mind the work as long as parts are available, in fact completely tearing apart and cleaning the carbs would be a fun initiation.
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Jun 18, 2009 21:51
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UserNotFound posted:I don't think he'd even THOUGHT about the bike until this AM, and he thought it was an a suzuki 'sl 550' until I started suggesting ACTUAL models, and he remembered it was a GS500L...so there's a very good chance he's forgetting about replacing the tires. He's owned it the last 6000 outta 7000 miles on it. Spark plugs would help too. And a slave tank. And starter fluid. And check that it still has oil in it.
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Jun 18, 2009 22:18
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So a few months back I started pestering you guys on what kind of bike to look for and got some great advice that really stuck with me. And now, after passing the MSF, a few months practicing on my friends bikes and lots of agonized searching, I'd like to brag about my first motorcycle: BAM! (shamelessly stolen from bikepicz because I don't have any of my own yet. Same color, same condition) Here's MINE, hiding bashfully at the dealership:  Can't really see it because it's a little dark, but mine has the little wind deflector off (which is fine because I like that look better) and mine has a little nicer of a seat on it. In any case, it's a 1990 Kawasaki Zephyr 750, stored in-doors with only 8800 miles on it. As much as I wanted to brag, I just wanted to say thanks again for helping to keep my head clear and giving me good advice a while back. Now that I'm going actually be able to ride, maybe I'll come around a little more rather than just lurking intently. edited for clarity. DiscoKid fucked around with this message at 01:28 on Jun 19, 2009 |
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Jun 18, 2009 23:30
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Jayjo posted:(also due to her being shift happy on the 4in back seat). I'd like something with a back rest or sissy bar. Pillions aren't known to be comfy, especially on sport bikes & cruisers. An after market seat might cure a large part of her squirminess.
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Jun 18, 2009 23:31
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DiscoKid posted:drat, nice Zephyr. Another one joins the undying Kawi I4 army  Just remember to have a few beers (okay, a lot) on hand the first time you try adjusting valves on the motor. 
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Jun 18, 2009 23:56
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The bike bug is starting to nibble around the edges of my brain. My sweetie has an '83 Yamaha Maxim 400, and we're starting to toy with the idea of having two bikes - so I thought I'd ask some questions of the smartest, most passionate group of people I happen to know on the internet for their thoughts on the matter. "Just get a Ninja 250 and call it a day" - Well, I'm 41, and wouldn't look any better on a Ninja 250 than Jeremy Clarkson would. Next? Sigtrap's current bike looks like sex on wheels to me. I've got almost no (3-5 lifetime hours) experience on bikes at all, she's got about a year + MSC. I'd be interested in summer (and possibly light winter) commuting (19mi each way), weekend daytrips, and being able to go motorcycle camping and "jeepless jeeping" in Colorado's ample National Forests. Here's the kicker. We both are short legged - 29 and 30" inseams respectively, so low-stepover height is a big deal to us. The Maxim 400 is about 1-2" too tall for us both as it is. Dunno - does that rule out "offroad tourer" from the get-go? Budget is flexible, though we're not in a position to drop $20 grand on two brand new bikes. Less expensive is always better, as we're trying to live in a "debt is bad" frame of reference. Questions? Suggestions?
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Jun 19, 2009 00:49
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Jabs posted:..low-stepover height is a big deal to us. The Maxim 400 is about 1-2" too tall for us both as it is. Dunno - does that rule out "offroad tourer" from the get-go? Almost any cruiser should meet the low step-over requirement, Viragos being about the shortest bikes I've sat on but I have a 29" inseam and I'm surprised you're having trouble with a 400 Maxim. The only street bikes that give me any trouble are the dual sports.
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Jun 19, 2009 02:58
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Looking at: http://carbondale.craigslist.org/mcy/1228500704.html Is it worth a two hour drive to check out?
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Jun 19, 2009 08:00
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Jabs posted:The bike bug is starting to nibble around the edges of my brain. My sweetie has an '83 Yamaha Maxim 400, and we're starting to toy with the idea of having two bikes - so I thought I'd ask some questions of the smartest, most passionate group of people I happen to know on the internet for their thoughts on the matter. Who cares how you look on your first bike? Buy something cheap, already dropped, go drop it some more, and then once you've got some experience on a motorcycle, sell it for what you paid for it to some other newb to drop. Besides that, any 80s cruiser that's comfortable for you would be fine. Ninja 250, GS500, etc. Basically, find something cheap in your area. Don't be concerned about looks, be concerned about mechanical condition. Offroad tourers are, as a general rule, tall bikes. That's not the end of the world, but I woudnt' recommend getting on one for a first bike simply because the height will put you at a double disadvantage as a new rider. You could also find a dualsport, which wouldn't be as comfortable for distance but wouldn't care much if you dropped it and would get you used to managing a tall seat height.
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Jun 19, 2009 08:26
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UserNotFound posted:I was going down the path to getting a pristine 2001 Shadow Custom, but the opportunity to purchase a 1982 GS550L has fallen in my lap. *snip* Z3n posted:KBB is for a good, working condition bike. I'd offer 400$, considering that you're going to be putting in at least 250$ + tire fees in tire (rear is probably more than 5 years old as well), chain, carb kits/replacement carbs, blah blah blah... ... $400 is fair... If it's never been dropped, and it's really as cherry as it's made out to be, $600 or even 800 is fair. It's a GS550, NOT a 500. They are NOT the same. Two years, with fuel stabilizer.. .I'd be suprised if it didn't start with a shot of starter fluid. Cleaning the carbs on that bike is easy... once you can get them past the airbox. In fact, in the carb cleaning thread, the carbs off a GS550 are what I used as an example. They're BS32SS's. Given their position in the frame, it's even possible to clean the pilot screws without removing the carbs from the bike... If the bike rolls fine, the bearings aren't worth redoing. ... I Have 60,000 mile old bearings on my 550. (yes, you read that right, sixty thousand..) and I have a spare set sitting in my spares box. I haven't needed them yet. Now, you will be out $2-300 for tires. And, I'm going to bet that's the original chain on there, so that's another $150. In the end, even a $400 bike ends up being almost a grand once you get all the paperwork done. Even free bikes cost $6-800 ;-) You will not regret buying a 2 valve air cooled bike. Very, very little sounds better.
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Jun 19, 2009 09:41
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Nerobro posted:It's a suzuki, so it's almost imposable to kill. My 550 has seen the high side of 12,000 rpm several times, and is none the worse for wear. What is likely shot, are the forkseals. If they aren't now, they're going to leak soon. Age doesn't not treat forkseals well. Ahhh, some encouraging signs!! Yeah, I know the total cost will be higher, but it's still cheaper by far than starting out a with a newer, more expensive, and more expensive to insure bike. I have a lot of spare time (no wife/kids) so other than 8-5 on weekdays, I'm free to wrench and ride. Hopefully it's in good enough shape that I can have it running well enough in a week to get through the rest of the season. He did say he sent it to the dealer to get it all tuned at the beginning of the last season it was ridden, so maybe a lot of the 'oh no 27 year old bike' problems may have been addressed. Hopefully he has some paperwork I'm going to check it out in about 2 hours, I'll come back with pictures of anything that looks questionable to me. Can anyone tell me what to look for as far as the front forks?
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Jun 19, 2009 14:44
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Nerobro posted:It's a suzuki, so it's almost imposable to kill. My 550 has seen the high side of 12,000 rpm several times, and is none the worse for wear. What is likely shot, are the forkseals. If they aren't now, they're going to leak soon. Age doesn't not treat forkseals well.  Of course, there was no GS500 in 82, those started in 89. I only mentioned the wheel bearings because neglect can do a number of things like that. No idea when those 6k were ridden, how they were ridden, blah blah blah. And it sucks to suddenly lose a wheel 
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Jun 19, 2009 17:51
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I am now a proud motorcycle owner  I was giving it a look over, and asked him how much he wanted, and he came up with $400 without me ever mentioning anything about price, he pretty much knew what needed to be done. To do immediately: 0)Oil change/fuel drain. 1)Try to get it started without taking off the carbs. It was way too loving hot and humid (85*/75%) to spend any time doing anything but looking it over and loading it up. He charged the battery and it cranked fine and sputtered a tad on occasion from a hand bottle of fuel. Probably has a stuck float as it was dripping a bit of gas but should suffice for now. (he left the fuel on overnight and there was evidence of leaking, but nothing much on the ground) 2)Front suspension : 0 PSI in both (he didn't even know how to check it even though there was a gauge under the seat), as well as find out what else I should be paying attention to 2)Once running get new tires: the front has every indication it did all 8,100 miles and 27 years of this bike (worn and dry). Rear looks okay, but no reason not to play it safe. To check on soon: *chain was 'reconditioned' before it was stored(but is original) *Brakes: front disc was clean, seemed to have good preassure, and the rear linkage was in good order. Both slowed the bike smoothly from ~7mph coasting down the driveway...but it obviously might be another story after a bit of use... Good things: key/cylinder didn't seem worn at all starter sounded strong seat is supply and firm still it has both a side and center stand which was a nice surprise no damage, just wear i would expect on a 10yr old bike (but it's 27) I found out that the mechanic husband of a woman that I shoot weddings with has bee/is very interested in bikes including a few full tear downs and paint jobs, so he might be willing to help me if I hit a rough patch. I helped re-roof a house with him a few weeks ago, and I'm watching his dog over the holiday, so I should be able to gauge his interest in fielding some questions from me. Gah, now I'm going home for father's day this weekend, and will be away from my new project 
UserNotFound fucked around with this message at 18:20 on Jun 19, 2009 |
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Jun 19, 2009 18:17
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Congrats on your new bike! Amazing if the front tire is actually original, see if you can find some date codes on it. While you're at it, give the Smithsonian a call.
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Jun 19, 2009 18:26
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Congrats on the new project! Try and find a shop manual for it, send me a PM or e-mail via the site, I might be able to help you find one.
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Jun 19, 2009 18:45
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I just bought this http://www.landairvt.com/pre_owned_detail.asp?sid=09773828X6K19K2009J5I30I40JPMQ1203R0&veh=1251157 $4200 tax title reg. I'm pretty happy I think. EDIT: What's the final word on running radial tires with tubes? shacked up with Brenda fucked around with this message at 23:44 on Jun 19, 2009 |
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Jun 19, 2009 23:41
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Z3n posted:Congrats on the new project! Try and find a shop manual for it, send me a PM or e-mail via the site, I might be able to help you find one. Here she is! PO wheeling it out:  And after it made it to it's new home: http://alexkubacki.com/Junk/AJK_9002.jpg http://alexkubacki.com/Junk/AJK_9004.jpg
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Jun 20, 2009 02:29
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UserNotFound posted:Here she is! drat, looks clean as hell. I unfortunantly don't have a manual for you, but good luck with your new bike! Start a thread when you have questions and stuff.
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Jun 20, 2009 03:00
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Holy poo poo that front tire does look original. And the bike looks clean as hell. NEROBRO STOP THAT poo poo use a towel or a piece of paper or somehting jeez,
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Jun 20, 2009 03:05
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Looks awesome dude, I love UJM maroon.
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Jun 20, 2009 04:44
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UserNotFound posted:Here she is! You got this for $400? Are you loving kidding me? I'm a nobody and even I'm jealous. You better fix that thing up nice. I'm guessing the seat, tank and other parts would pay for that bike a couple times over. $400 around me means "I'm glad you recognize it".
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Jun 20, 2009 05:53
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You came out way ahead on that deal. On UJMs, I would always pay more for cosmetics over mechanics, just because I figure I could fix about any problem on the bike for $200 or less, whereas the cosmetic parts would cost far more than that. Hell, a GS seat in nice condition is $150 or so. You got a steal and a half.
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Jun 20, 2009 06:42
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UserNotFound posted:Here she is! Very sexy.
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Jun 20, 2009 07:23
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Found this on craigslist. drat, Saving my pennies for a proper sport touring bike is hard sometimes guys http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/mcy/1228675871.html 
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Jun 20, 2009 07:28
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Here's my progress from 7:30 to 8:30 AM on day one: Drain fuel, charged battery, it starts, a bit:  Put the tank back on and give it enough half starts to blow all the crap out, jump it from a car once the battery dies, and I'm grinning like a fool:  It's running on about half choke now, it's only response to throttle is to die...but it sounds very good (video uploading to YouTube after the weekend) UPDATE: Ran 1/4 of a gallon of gas w/ seafoam through it, and then it would start off choke, and rev to at least 6k without any faltering, but stalls instead of idling...more work to come on Monday. This is better than the best hug ever! UserNotFound fucked around with this message at 15:23 on Jun 20, 2009 |
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Jun 20, 2009 13:30
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You need to clean the carbs and it'll be good to go.
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Jun 20, 2009 17:31
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VTNewb posted:I just bought this
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Jun 20, 2009 18:19
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UserNotFound posted:Here's my progress from 7:30 to 8:30 AM on day one: Awesome! You should also check that your air filter doesn't contain a fully furnished mouse dwelling, complete with walnut rocking chair and sardine can bed.
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Jun 20, 2009 18:48
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Ola posted:Awesome! Filter/intake was good. Newer screws than anything else on the bike. I do need a new chain, though, it's pretty slack and near the end of adjustment. I'm gonna ride it a bit once I get tires, and see if I want to change the rear sprocket, too, depending on what kinda highway gearin it has....but it looks pretty nice. Also gonna have to redo the fork seals, definately a leak in the right one, I compressed it with my full weight on the bars a few times, and there was some decent stuff coming out... It'll also give me a chance to get off the parking stickers without worrying about he solvent dripping down to the seals. What is not safe to use engine degreaser on? I got the foam stuff, and access to a power washer to see if I can't make her as clean as possible. Please....someone at Purdue buy this, I would love to see this around campus : http://tippecanoe.craigslist.org/mcy/1224131893.html Previously mentioned video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSLBf19e2gI it's a good thing I'm a photographer and always BEHIND the camera... UserNotFound fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Jun 20, 2009 |
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Jun 20, 2009 19:58
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jdonz posted:Any pics yet? It looks great in the pic in the link you posted and I'm curious to see some better ones. Havn't picked it up yet. I spend a lot of time on my dirtbikes on weekends so I just couldn't fit it in.
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Jun 21, 2009 00:12
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