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Shlomo Palestein posted:You probably mean moped, in which case, depending on the horsepower rating (and in some states, lack of pedals), means it still needs to be registered as a motorcycle technically. As far as I know, states don't make distinctions for "scooters". Of course, some states basically stop at the 50cc restriction, but most I'm familiar with have other items that would rule that bike out (though in practice (anecdotally), the police tend to just sort of guess at what's legal and what's not situationally with regard to odd things like mopeds; if you're polite and obeying the law, you'd be fine. If you're skidding around and trying to overtake at speeds on the right hand side, you may not be so lucky). In Alaska, for sure, the RS50 would be classed as a scooter, which means that a 14 YO could legally ride said bike after passing the written drivers test and MC test-no road test or MOST. I started my riding career on a Trail 90 which technically exceeded the CC limit but the cops I talked with universally told me I was OK on the bike, a Trail 90 is a very inoffensive bike.
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Jul 21, 2009 03:19
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Every time I've talked myself out of wanting the MV, something like this pops up. http://tinyurl.com/nbe2cr I was almost fully talking myself out of it and into a triumph 675, for insurance purposes. But of course, a MV with under 2k miles, still under warrenty, within 2 hours from where I live pops up. Please talk me out of this CA.
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Jul 22, 2009 18:40
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God drat, for all I rip on MV for not changing their superbike for ages, that really is a fantastic looking motorcycle. You should probably buy it. 
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Jul 22, 2009 18:59
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I'm seconding z3n. That's a really good deal.
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Jul 22, 2009 19:51
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Reserve still isn't met and there are 5 days left on the auction. I think he wants like 13k or something along those lines (its posted on an MV forum as well). I think my plan is to hold off, hope reserve never gets met, then lowball him via the forums.
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Jul 22, 2009 22:03
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Yuns has had an MV for quite a while and I think he's had pretty good luck with it reliability wise. I would wager that bike is a lot more uncomfortable than even a 675, I guess that'd be my only warning.
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Jul 23, 2009 01:05
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It's the same tired old story. I bought my first bike this spring and I'm already lusting after my second. Backstory: I took my (Ontario equivalent of the) MSF May 1st weekend and picked up my Suzuki Boulevard M50 on May 8th. So far this season I've done 8300km and I'll probably do another 4000km before putting it away. This is where my problem comes in. I live in Northern Ontario and I'm running out of roads. I have to go for longer and longer rides if I want to try out new routes. However, being where I am, there are countless ATV, snowmobile, and dirt biking trails and millions of acres of crown land. A dirt bike would be a great thing to have around here, but often the trails are miles down paved road. I don't have a truck or trailer to bring a dirt bike to these trails. Also, I like traveling by motorcycle (I went to Newfoundland this summer), and a dirt bike just doesn't work for that. Proposed bike: So with those details, I've been thinking about a BMW F800GS. I'm in love with that bike. The R1200GS is more suited to long distance traveling, but it's simply out of my price range. I'm just starting my career as a college professor this fall, so I have to watch my finances for a while. On the plus side, next summer I will have loads of time off to go riding. I've looked at the KTMs and V-Stroms, but I can't get my mind off that F800GS. Unfortunately, living where I am, there are no local dealers where I can go test drive these bikes. Does it sound like I'm looking at the right type of bike? Is there anything I should know about the F800GS specifically? If I took a trip to Toronto, would I be able to arrange test rides on some bikes? I'm really not familiar with this process as I bought my first bike brand new over the phone sight unseen from a dealer. Any insight would be much appreciated! EDIT: In case it's relevant, I'm planning on buying over the winter. I'm just doing my research now. Mr. DNA fucked around with this message at 15:54 on Jul 23, 2009 |
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Jul 23, 2009 15:41
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Mr. DNA posted:It's the same tired old story. I bought my first bike this spring and I'm already lusting after my second. A R1200 is not really suited for what you have in mind, it is just too drat heavy and you can't easily change gearing for slow going. That boxer engine doesn't really much care for slow riding either. I have an R1150GS and while it's great for dirt roads, trails show its weakness and the R12 is going to be about the same. The F800 is a good concept but it seems shockingly heavy for what it is. Lighter than the R12 but not by as much as I was hoping. I'm starting to come back around to the idea of the KTM 950/990 Adventure. It's probably the best blend of highway and off road capability I've seen. I've ridden one on the highway and seen them on the trail and am impressed, it's not a MX bike but is capable of plonking along a rough trail quite nicely. The KTM is not without issues but IMHO remains the best in that category.
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Jul 23, 2009 15:56
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Gnomad posted:The F800 is a good concept but it seems shockingly heavy for what it is. Lighter than the R12 but not by as much as I was hoping. The problem with the KTM 990 (not sure about the 950) is that it's a lot more expensive than the F800GS. So far my plan is to buy a 1 year old used bike (or anything in the 10,000km range). I'm not sure exactly how it will work out on the used market, but the 990 retails for something like $4500 more than the F800GS. The type of off road riding I had in mind was nothing too extreme. Gravel roads, sandy trails with the occasional root here and there, sometimes rocky trails. Looking at videos of the F800GS on YouTube, it definitely seems capable for the trails I've seen around here. I basically want to take trips where I find a cool trail system, go exploring for 100km or so, spend the night in a tent in the middle of nowhere, and the next morning ride another 100km and go home. I also want to be able to do big road trips with the occasional off-road detour. Why are you shocked at the weight of the F800GS? A quick Google search for the dry weights shows it's 15kg lighter than the 990 Adventure. I know there's a 200cc difference between the bikes. Is that enough to expect the F800GS to be lighter by a bigger margin? Thanks for your insight. I'm obviously very new to all this, so it's good to get other peoples' ideas.
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Jul 23, 2009 16:24
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Mr. DNA posted:It's the same tired old story. I bought my first bike this spring and I'm already lusting after my second. I would be hesitant to buy a BMW if you don't have a dealer nearby. The boxer engines are fairly easy to work on yourself to a limited extent but the F650 single and the F800 twin engines are more complicated and require special tools to do things as simple as valve jobs. The valve maintenance interval for both bike is 6K I believe. I've got an F650 GS Dakar that I've used for a bunch of adventure riding including high clearance 4x4 passes and road, sandy stuff, long stretches of gravel roads etc. What I find is that the bike is very good if you need a bike that can go 80-90 mph all day and be "capable" in the dirt. The bike is certainly up to snuff in the dirt but most riders will not have the requisite dirt experience and skill to use the bike well there. It's a very top heavy machine, that's tall and expensive to repair. The 990/950 is the same way (although the 950/990 comes with a fantastic suspension which helps with the learning curve a bit). If you don't need to be on highways for long stretches of time you should look at smaller stuff, you can do more and they more fun to ride. Being on an XT225 on a gnarly bit of shelf road is loads more fun than creeping along on a heavy loaded adv bike doing your best not to drop the thing. If you don't need to be at freeway speed to get to the roads you want to ride go smaller, I'd suggest a DRZ400, XT225, DR650, or XR650L. If you do need to be a freeway speed and are looking for a used bike I'll likely be selling my F650 GS Dakar TT39 (for a DRZ400 for a South America trip) around the same time you're looking to buy. Colorado's close to Ontario right? 
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Jul 23, 2009 17:55
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PlasticSun posted:What I find is that the bike is very good if you need a bike that can go 80-90 mph all day and be "capable" in the dirt. This is exactly what I'm looking for. I realise that my earlier posts made it sound like I'm looking for a dirt bike, but I really just want something I can use to take advantage of the trails near my home while still being used primarily on the street. Like I said, I took a trip to Newfoundland on my cruiser this summer. Next summer I want to do something similar but take some gravel roads and trails here and there. So far the plan is to ride along the Appalachians. What this is all leading up to is a South American adventure ride with one of my friends that came to Newfoundland. We've started very basic planning (I'm taking a Spanish course this fall) and I want to spend the next few years getting some good riding experience on varied terrain. I have access to dirt bikes at my uncle's cottage, so I have a way to get good dirt experience, which you say is required to use the GS competently off-road. The lack of a local dealer worries me. It's the same with KTM, but not quite as far away. There are two or three other GS riders where I live. I'm hoping to run into one and ask them what they are doing for servicing. EDIT: PlasticSun posted:... (for a DRZ400 for a South America trip) ... I somehow missed this. Maybe I'll look into this bike. You've already chosen it for the same purpose I eventually want to use my new bike. Mr. DNA fucked around with this message at 18:36 on Jul 23, 2009 |
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Jul 23, 2009 18:27
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Mr. DNA posted:This is exactly what I'm looking for. I realise that my earlier posts made it sound like I'm looking for a dirt bike, but I really just want something I can use to take advantage of the trails near my home while still being used primarily on the street. After talking with a bunch of people who have done the ride the consensus I've come to is that if you want to stick more or less to the Pan-American Highway and are willing to budget a bit more for parts/repairs the BMW F650 is the way to go. The bike is very reliable, easy to ride, comfortable, and there's good dealer support throughout most of the route. Parts will be very expensive and tire choices can be more limited. Most of the tour operators I've spoken to all say to go with the DR650 or the DRZ because they're rather reliable and everyone and their cousin knows how to fix one and where to get parts cheap should something fail. Almost everyone I talked to had something fail on the trip regardless of the bike. I've been planning to climb a few peaks while I'm down there and I really wanted to take my time in Bolivia which is almost exclusively unpaved so I'm pretty sure I'm going to go for something lighter. My F650 fully loaded and gassed weighs more than 560 lbs. Taking something that heavy on even an easy road that's steep is rather daunting. The main thing you give up with the DR, DRZ, XT, XR etc is that they're all carbureted meaning you'll need to bring spare jets and rejet the carb somewhat frequently if you want to have descent power going over the 5000 meter mountain passes that are along the route. Do you have a departure date planned? I'm planning on heading south in late August of '10. Edit: What helped me narrow down on the DRZ was the fact that you can slap a 29L tank on it and get about 300 mile range out of that while in the dirt if properly jetted and running the stock exhaust. A good aftermarket seat and a set of hard luggage and you're set. The suspension isn't the greatest but compared to other stock Dual Sport suspension it's above average. Only on certain stretches of highway that cross desert do you really need speeds greater than 65 on the trip. The DRZ also helps you blend in more and is less of a target for opportunistic thieves. That said riding a DRZ on freeways across America would not be a grand time I plan to stick to the back roads for most of my trip. PlasticSun fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Jul 23, 2009 |
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Jul 23, 2009 18:54
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PlasticSun posted:Do you have a departure date planned? I'm planning on heading south in late August of '10. Yeah, my departure date is "when I feel ready". Like I said, I'm a first year rider this season. I would like to think summer 2011, but who knows. I do know that I have to go June/July/early August because of my teaching schedule. PlasticSun posted:That said riding a DRZ on freeways across America would not be a grand time I plan to stick to the back roads for most of my trip. That's my only concern about the smaller bikes. I would really like something I can ride 8 hours on the highway. I'm still half convinced the F800GS is the bike for me, but I'll have to think about it a lot more. Thanks again for your ideas... I have a lot of thinking to do.
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Jul 23, 2009 20:00
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PlasticSun posted:The main thing you give up with the DR, DRZ, XT, XR etc is that they're all carbureted meaning you'll need to bring spare jets and rejet the carb somewhat frequently if you want to have descent power going over the 5000 meter mountain passes that are along the route. Maybe not!
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Jul 23, 2009 21:25
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Skier posted:Maybe not! That's pretty awesome, never heard of that before. Thanks! quote:Yeah, my departure date is "when I feel ready". Like I said, I'm a first year rider this season. I would like to think summer 2011, but who knows. I do know that I have to go June/July/early August because of my teaching schedule. Well if you're going to be down there in winter you might want a bigger bike. It's hard for many of the roads to be plowed continuously in the winter, the high elevation dirt roads are often snow/ice roads that time of year. If you'll be sticking near the coast on the Pan American highway you might want the extra power.
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Jul 23, 2009 21:33
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PlasticSun posted:The main thing you give up with the DR, DRZ, XT, XR etc is that they're all carbureted meaning you'll need to bring spare jets and rejet the carb somewhat frequently if you want to have descent power going over the 5000 meter mountain passes that are along the route. On a 5000 meter Andean mountain, descent power is the last thing he'll want!
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Jul 23, 2009 22:27
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Mr. DNA posted:A dirt bike would be a great thing to have around here, but often the trails are miles down paved road. Don't see why nobody has mentioned the KLR650 yet. It seems like it would be a good fit for you.
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Jul 23, 2009 22:40
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The bike wiki is down, could somebody give me a list of maybe 5 decent first bikes that would be good for a new rider. When I was a teenager I rode my grandfather's incredibly old honda around the small town of 200 people where his cabin was, but driving in a city like San Diego is going to be quite a bit different, so I imagine I'm starting off from scratch as far as experience goes. I would essentially be using this bike as daily transport to work (10-20 miles) in La Jolla. What kinds of safety courses should I take?
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Jul 23, 2009 23:09
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Deadpan Science posted:The bike wiki is down, could somebody give me a list of maybe 5 decent first bikes that would be good for a new rider. Ninja250, MSF. That's all you need.
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Jul 23, 2009 23:12
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Deadpan Science posted:The bike wiki is down, could somebody give me a list of maybe 5 decent first bikes that would be good for a new rider. What sort of bike do you want? DRZ is on that list too, if you won't be doing much freeway. GS500, Ninja 500 are good starters too. I really like the GS 500, myself.
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Jul 23, 2009 23:38
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I was looking for something that I according this is called a cruiser. I'll check into all of those that you guys mentioned so far.
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Jul 24, 2009 00:56
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Deadpan Science posted:I was looking for something that I according this is called a cruiser. I'll check into all of those that you guys mentioned so far. Harley Sportster 883, or any of the many and varied cruisers available from the japanese market. Look for HP listings, not ccs, as cruisers make much, much less power per CC than your typical sportbike. 1000cc sportbike is gonna be absurd for a new rider, some 1000cc cruisers would probably be alright.
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Jul 24, 2009 01:07
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Deadpan Science posted:I was looking for something that I according this is called a cruiser. I'll check into all of those that you guys mentioned so far. With cruisers you'll find two basic types, the dressers which will have fat front tires and gigantic fenders, windscreens, passenger pillions and probably saddlebags; then there are the chopper inspired bikes which will have a skinnier front tire and smaller fenders, sometimes lacking a passenger pillion and generally have a little more HP which combined with the lighter weight gives better performance. http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4268696.html
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Jul 24, 2009 05:15
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Mr. DNA posted:
My thought when the F800Gs was first announces was that it was going to be considerably lighter than the R12-and my initial research led me to believe that was the case. Sadly, BMW seems to have porked the bike up beyond what I had hoped. It's still a capable machine and I've seen some in action, but I was expecting a F650 with an extra cylinder. My view may have been affected by a former bike. Aprilia Pegaso, cousin to the F650, same 650 Rotax single, but the Pegaso came in a fair bit lighter than the F650 and offered better suspension in the bargain, and was cheaper. It was a decent highway bike, but I wanted a bit more power and room on the road...off road, it would go almost anywhere I wanted. I took it to some unlikely spots.
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Jul 24, 2009 07:03
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Would this: be a good first bike assuming I'm not a fatty? How much would this thing be worth? KBB is telling me that it's worth like $1800, but on cycle trader, these things seem to be going for more like $2400, although I guess that's dealer retail? Should I hold out for something cheaper and shittier? It's one of the few 250cc bikes in the area right now.
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Jul 24, 2009 16:15
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Un-l337-Pork posted:Would this: I always wanted a Rebel. I think brand new ones go for something low like 3k, but I've never seen one below $1k in my area for some reason, even older 80s models.
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Jul 24, 2009 16:26
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What is a good price on used Ninja 250s? There's a 2007 about a half mile from my apartment for $2500, but I can probably get it closer to $2200 as it's been up for sale for a couple months and he's already dropped the price from $2800. Unsure on the number of miles, and he claims it is bone stock and in good working order. No evidence of being dropped/laid down. KBB says 2575, but it appears to be the only used 250 around here.
Pvt. Public fucked around with this message at 16:56 on Jul 24, 2009 |
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Jul 24, 2009 16:54
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Pvt. Public posted:What is a good price on used Ninja 250s? There's a 2007 about a half mile from my apartment for $2500, but I can probably get it closer to $2200 as it's been up for sale for a couple months and he's already dropped the price from $2800. Unsure on the number of miles, and he claims it is bone stock and in good working order. No evidence of being dropped/laid down. KBB says 2575, but it appears to be the only used 250 around here. 2200$ would be a pretty good deal. 2500$ is a little overpriced, if it's all in good working stock condition without any drops.
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Jul 24, 2009 17:41
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How old is too old for these bikes. I can find a lot of 2001-2003s for around 5-700. Are they really this cheap or would these all be projects that would require constant garage work?
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Jul 24, 2009 17:54
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Deadpan Science posted:How old is too old for these bikes. I can find a lot of 2001-2003s for around 5-700. Are they really this cheap or would these all be projects that would require constant garage work? Which bikes?
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Jul 24, 2009 17:56
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Z3n posted:Which bikes? Sorry, I meant the starter bikes mentioned earlier: Ninja 250 Ninja 500 GS500 Sportster 883 Suzuki M50 The last two may be more what I'm looking for, but they seem to be more expensive. I'm not sure if it's worth the extra for a learners bike.
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Jul 24, 2009 18:39
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Well, I don't know about the others specifically, but the GS500 didn't change terribly much during its production run starting in
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Jul 24, 2009 19:14
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Deadpan Science posted:Sorry, I meant the starter bikes mentioned earlier: Condition is far more important than age.
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Jul 24, 2009 19:36
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Myrddin Emrys posted:I always wanted a Rebel. I think brand new ones go for something low like 3k, but I've never seen one below $1k in my area for some reason, even older 80s models. Ok, been talking to this person and they claim to have laid it down once (stuck throttle which was then replaced by a Honda dealer). The owner included two shots of the carnage:   Anyone see any problem with this as a first bike?
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Jul 24, 2009 20:11
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Un-l337-Pork posted:Ok, been talking to this person and they claim to have laid it down once (stuck throttle which was then replaced by a Honda dealer). The owner included two shots of the carnage: That makes it better because then you're not going to be afraid to drop it and ruin the pristine shininess. Absolutely haggle though.
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Jul 24, 2009 20:12
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Myrddin Emrys posted:That makes it better because then you're not going to be afraid to drop it and ruin the pristine shininess. Absolutely haggle though. Yea, I haggled down to ~$1900, which I don't know that I can do better after looking for the same sort of bike on Cycletrader.
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Jul 24, 2009 20:25
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Deadpan Science posted:Sorry, I meant the starter bikes mentioned earlier: I had an M50 for my first bike and it was awesome. I rented a Sportster 1200 about 9 months after I bought the M50, and while it was faster, it horrendously uncomfortable.
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Jul 24, 2009 21:29
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Just took delivery on my "new" 2005 Rebel CMX 250. I pushed it into the driveway and sat on it  . Tomorrow, I will try to secure some gear (at least a helmet and a jacket and hopefully boots) and maybe ride the bike around the cul-de-sac. Not even going to attempt to ride it more than ~500ft at a time or so until my MSF course, which regretfully isn't until the end of August.
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Jul 25, 2009 01:18
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Un-l337-Pork posted:Just took delivery on my "new" 2005 Rebel CMX 250. I pushed it into the driveway and sat on it PM me and I have a Clymer's for it you can have. (or give me a way to contact you)
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Jul 25, 2009 01:38
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Deadpan Science posted:How old is too old for these bikes. I can find a lot of 2001-2003s for around 5-700. Are they really this cheap or would these all be projects that would require constant garage work? If you're finding post-2000my Ninja 250s or 500s for well under $1000, they're probably either in rough shape, or the seller is pretty clueless. One of these can work in your favor, the other... not so much. Where are you located, out of curiosity?
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Jul 25, 2009 01:39
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