|
I've been out looking for a first bike recently, I looked at an '07 GS500 on Saturday that had only about 5000 kilometres on it and seemed to be in perfect condition. The owner was messaging me yesterday about if I'm interested though it's probably a bit more than I want to spend (only 500 bucks or so though). I've got to work out (in the next day or so) if I think it would be a good idea to spend a bit more than I'm expecting to get a really good one or wait a while and see what pops up in the next couple of weeks.
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2009 23:35
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 05:13 |
|
|
Thanks again (to everyone) for all the advice. I'm getting my permit tomorrow, so we'll see how this goes. Provided I don't run myself into a building during my parking-lot practice, I'll post what I eventually buy. I've got a friend who is going to show me the ropes since the next county MSF-type course isn't until April. He's thinking of upgrading his little commuter bike to a CB400, and may sell me his Hyosung GT250 for $1100. Good idea? Bad idea?
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2009 01:13
|
|
|
Sonic Dude posted:Thanks again (to everyone) for all the advice. I'm getting my permit tomorrow, so we'll see how this goes. Provided I don't run myself into a building during my parking-lot practice, I'll post what I eventually buy. The general consesus seems to be that Hyosungs are kinda crap. For $1100 you should be able to find an old UJM that will last longer and have less issues then a new Hyosung. You may also want to check your local bone yard, as around here $1100 will get you a Ninja 500 with most of it's fairings/handbars/brakes/etc.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2009 02:59
|
|
|
Sonic Dude posted:Thanks again (to everyone) for all the advice. I'm getting my permit tomorrow, so we'll see how this goes. Provided I don't run myself into a building during my parking-lot practice, I'll post what I eventually buy. Bad idea, the build quality on those is atrocious and the parts availability is poo poo. Plus they're low power 250s with a lot of weight because they completely missed the point of a 250, which is a small, light bike, and sleeved down their 650 to make a 250.  A 250 should not be 400+ pounds.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2009 17:37
|
|
|
Last I checked the hyosung 250's are like 380lbs but yeah, they are pretty crap. The main reason I'm avoiding them is their resale value being very low. At the MSF they had a couple and they were pretty terrible looking bikes, just not a good design in general.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2009 17:41
|
|
|
The person selling the Hyosung 250 agreed that the build quality is pretty poor. He's replaced/worked on pretty much everything but the exhaust that's shown signs of early wear, so I'm a little more confident since I know that the only owner knows how to take care of it. I found a 2003 Ninja 250 on Craigslist for $1500. I've heard the engines on those are loud as hell; one person joked that the operator's manual advised snorting a line of coke before attempting to operate the throttle. Would I outgrow one or the other earlier?
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2009 15:39
|
|
|
Sonic Dude posted:The person selling the Hyosung 250 agreed that the build quality is pretty poor. He's replaced/worked on pretty much everything but the exhaust that's shown signs of early wear, so I'm a little more confident since I know that the only owner knows how to take care of it. You don't "outgrow" bikes, so get that out of your head right now. You may eventually want a bike that does something your current bike can't or doesn't do well, however. In that case, the Ninja will be a lot easier to sell than the Hyosung.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2009 16:37
|
|
|
Sonic Dude posted:The person selling the Hyosung 250 agreed that the build quality is pretty poor. He's replaced/worked on pretty much everything but the exhaust that's shown signs of early wear, so I'm a little more confident since I know that the only owner knows how to take care of it. Loud as hell how? If they're stock, they're not loud, just kinda vibey.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2009 18:03
|
|
|
Doctor Zero posted:You don't "outgrow" bikes, so get that out of your head right now. Z3n posted:Loud as hell how? If they're stock, they're not loud, just kinda vibey. quote:Up came the rpm's and along with it the little yellow sportbike indeed accelerated, settling in about 9000 rpm which is twice that of its counterparts. With the stock exhausts the bike now hummed along perfectly content- all the while I wondered if the motor was going to explode at any moment.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2009 19:08
|
|
|
Sonic Dude posted:I know physically I won't. I'm wondering if one or the other has better longevity for a beginner. I'm likely going to buy one or the other in the next week or two, and I may not have the disposable income for another bike for 2-3 years since my wife wants one of her own. (Though, maybe I can upgrade sooner and give her the 250 without making her mad.) It does spin high, but you soon learn to not give a poo poo and rev the balls off it and love every second of it. Just let it warm up first.  And the Ninja 250 will absolutely have better longevity, parts availability, etc, than the hyosung.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2009 19:21
|
|
|
Sonic Dude posted:I know physically I won't. I'm wondering if one or the other has better longevity for a beginner. I'm likely going to buy one or the other in the next week or two, and I may not have the disposable income for another bike for 2-3 years since my wife wants one of her own. (Though, maybe I can upgrade sooner and give her the 250 without making her mad.) No, what I'm saying is you don't "outgrow" bikes period. Please don't get that idea in your head. You can have fun on a 250 forever if it suits your preferred riding style. Riding isn't an RPG where you hit a magic skill level and then suddenly you have to upgrade your bike. Now, having said that, yes, you may find yourself wanting a bike that can do the highway better, or go off-road, or just that you want another bike. This is normal. Just don't be that guy who says "I've been riding for 2 years, now I have to buy a superport." No, you don't. Unless you just want to.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2009 20:42
|
|
|
Sonic Dude posted:I know physically I won't. I'm wondering if one or the other has better longevity for a beginner. Doctor Zero is right. I ride a GSXR 1k and my 250 was still fun as *poo poo* to buzz around on.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 04:43
|
|
|
While cruising craigslist for old Hondas for a first bike I stumbled across this: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/1452072174.html I want to shoot him an email to give him an offer, but there's no recommended sales price. Anyone have a good idea of what would be a good offer? The way it's described makes it seem impractical as a first bike, but it looks so cool 
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 17:08
|
|
|
Doctor Zero posted:No, what I'm saying is you don't "outgrow" bikes period. Please don't get that idea in your head. You can have fun on a 250 forever if it suits your preferred riding style. Riding isn't an RPG where you hit a magic skill level and then suddenly you have to upgrade your bike. I keep seeing people with ex250's for sale on craigslist with like 2k miles on them and they say they're "movin' up to a 1000cc" or some stupid poo poo. It's like they imagine graduating from squid elementary school
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 17:22
|
|
|
Doctor Zero posted:Riding isn't an RPG where you hit a magic skill level and then suddenly you have to upgrade your bike. Actual Content: In a Will Rogers sense, I've always been one who reads, then pees on the electric fence, just to be sure. I read a lot, and I saw lots of posts here and there by people who got a (goon-recommended) Ninja 250 as a first bike, put 2-500 miles on it, then put it up for sale, feeling they'd outgrown it. I didn't want to do that. So I found an R1100RS that was fairly (really) inexpensive because the front end plastics were all busted up by the PO. Dorky me - 300 miles later, I wouldn't mind something smaller (nimbler) than what I've got, but larger than Jendywo's XS400. Kenny Rogers fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Nov 5, 2009 |
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 17:27
|
|
|
I've been lurking here now and then for the past few months, and now that my sister has gotten her first bike (Virago 250), I've gotten a little green with jealousy. That said, I was thinking of getting into riding myself next season (we're almost done here in  ) and I've been considering a few bikes on which I could learn after taking our MoT motorcycle course.The problem is that I'm generally not the cruiser-type in that I feel I look goofy on them, and was thus leaning to a sportbike like the Ninja 250 or Suzuki GS500e. After reading the forums though it appears that, apart from the dedicated Ninja 250 thread, there isn't much regard for sportbikes. I understand a lot of guys ride like idiots on GSXr's and R1's and other sports. My sister tells me people do the "bike wave" to her on her Virago, and I like that idea of cameraderie. If I'm on a Ninja or GS, am I automatically lumped into the 2Fast2Stunta crowd regardless and looked upon as a scourge on the motorcycling community? I've also read on this forum people talking about squids in the same paragraph as sport-bikes, so what's a squid? Anyways, at 5'9" and about 160, a Ninja 250 is a nice weight for me, but the idea of running up to 8000 rpm to get any amount of power down seems kinda excessive to me. Does the GS get into power lower than that so I don't have to run at 9k all day? I guess I should add that my Jeep screams at like 2000rpm, so the idea of running around 10k on a bike engine frankly scares me, plus it can't be good for the engine, right? Sorry for the wall of text, I just had a lot of questions rattling around upstairs.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 18:08
|
|
|
Sharp_angus posted:I've been lurking here now and then for the past few months, and now that my sister has gotten her first bike (Virago 250), I've gotten a little green with jealousy. Good questions! As far as the Bike Wave goes, one hopes that all bikers wave at each other, no matter what they are riding. In reality, there are some people who get an elitist attitude and feel that anyone not riding bike of xxx type or brand isn't a "real" biker. It happens. The best way to combat it, is to not fall prey to it, and wave to everyone. If they don't wave at you, don't automatically assume fault. Sometimes you don't see the other guy in time, or can't take your hand off the clutch, or whatever reason. A head nod works too, although it's not as easy to see. To squid or not to squid, that is the question. My advice is to get the kind of bike you think you'll enjoy riding. You may buy a sport-style bike and find it hurts your back after 6 months and want to change. That's okay. Your first bike doesn't have to be your last (hopefully). Squidness is a state of mind, not bike. Squids are those guys you see zipping around on sportbikes with t-shirts, shorts, and flipflops, doing wheelies down the highway at 100mph. Just don't do that, and you won't be a squid.  To be fair, there are the squid equivalents on cruisers too - guys with skullcaps, wifebeaters, and jeans. I just don't know if they have a disparaging moniker. As to RPMs, every engine is different. It's not about absolute RPMs, it's about the bike's powerband. My Valkyrie likes to run at about 2.5 - 3k RPM. That's really low for a motorcyle, but that's just the way my engine is designed. There are some bikes that zip along happily at 10k. It's just the way they work. As long as you don't ride for very long periods of time past the bike's redline, you won't hurt it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 18:30
|
|
|
Sharp_angus posted:I've been lurking here now and then for the past few months, and now that my sister has gotten her first bike (Virago 250), I've gotten a little green with jealousy. I don't think there's a lack of regard for sportbikes here, a lot of people have them. There is, however, a lack of regard for race-spec sportbikes as being suitable for new or inexperienced riders. To be fair, you can ride like an idiot on anything, but the race-spec bikes mean that when you gently caress up and do something stupid, all the power they have is going to make a bad situation WAY worse. quote:My sister tells me people do the "bike wave" to her on her Virago, and I like that idea of cameraderie. If I'm on a Ninja or GS, am I automatically lumped into the 2Fast2Stunta crowd regardless and looked upon as a scourge on the motorcycling community? I've also read on this forum people talking about squids in the same paragraph as sport-bikes, so what's a squid? No, I don't think riding a sport-styled bike lumps you in with the Squids and Stuntaz. What does lump you in with them is if your first bike is a CBR 600RR, or similar, and you ride everywhere in shorts, flip-flops, and a tee-shirt. The term "Squid" is a sort of moving definition, but usually describes a new, or inexperienced rider who is riding a bike that is WAY too advanced and powerful for them. A lot of them know little to nothing about skilled motorcycling, and are more into it just for the speed thrills and looking cool. Here's a story that gets re-posted here a lot, but fits this situation: 4/20 NEVER FORGET posted:
A very common squid phrase is "Oh it's only a 600, that's small and good to learn on!" But there's a huge difference between the race-spec 600CC bikes like Honda's CBR 600RR, which makes like 130hp, and my 750cc Virago, which makes 55hp. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about displacement as much as power output. A usual rule of thumb is that 50-60hp is the limit for how powerful your first bike should be. That's plenty to make highway riding and distance cruising enjoyable and fun. Sharp_angus posted:Anyways, at 5'9" and about 160, a Ninja 250 is a nice weight for me, but the idea of running up to 8000 rpm to get any amount of power down seems kinda excessive to me. Does the GS get into power lower than that so I don't have to run at 9k all day? Car engines and motorcycle engines are COMPLETELY different beasts, you can't compare the two in any meaningful way. It's like comparing a semi-truck's engine to a radial airplane engine. Running at 10k rpm for extended periods of time (hours and hours and hours) isn't fantastic, but the engines are designed for it and as long as you're religious about oil changes and maintenance, you should be okay. You could change the sprockets to give taller gearing which would lower the RPMs some, but I wouldn't recommend that on a 250 as the gearing is short for a reason (lack of power) Another option would be to look at a pre-2008 Ninja 500R. It's still a parallel twin like the 250, so it's not really wide and bulky like the I-4 bikes are, and is still fairly lightweight. It makes around 59hp, so while it's on the border of what's acceptable for a new rider, it will do long-distance rides much easier and is geared a lot taller as a result of having sufficient power.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 18:35
|
|
|
Doctor Zero posted:To be fair, there are the squid equivalents on cruisers too - guys with skullcaps, wifebeaters, and jeans. I just don't know if they have a disparaging moniker. RUBs, usually. Or, going by last night's South Park episode, Fags 
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 18:38
|
|
|
Doctor Zero posted:
These are the guys you want to ride with, becauase you know if you crash, one of them is a doctor, one is a lawyer, and to help you after, the accountant.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 18:43
|
|
|
Awesome! Thanks for the tips guys 
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 18:46
|
|
|
Sharp_angus posted:...I'm generally not the cruiser-type in that I feel I look goofy on them Sharp_angus posted:I've also read on this forum people talking about squids in the same paragraph as sport-bikes, so what's a squid? Stupid Quick Underdressed/geared and Imminently Dead I rather like that acronym, since it's 'bike agnostic' (cruisers and sportbikes and dualsports, oh my!) and has some fairly narrow definitions for some broad categories of behavior that would qualify, and is an easy mnemonic for What Not To Do. Kenny Rogers fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Nov 5, 2009 |
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2009 20:53
|
|
|
I need to stop searching for Enfields on craigslist.... Hell, i need to stop looking at bikes period.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 03:27
|
|
|
Someone here described a squid rider as being like a real squid: has to nearly stop to turn and is soft and squishy because they dont wear gear.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 04:23
|
|
|
i like to think of them as the people who wear a full face helmet, but no other gear, so it's like the hard beak with a bunch of floppy tentacles
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 04:30
|
|
|
An irony is that real squid are among the most intelligent of sea creatures. There are mammals that are dumber than squid. Some of 'em buy sportbikes.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 04:50
|
|
|
8ender posted:Someone here described a squid rider as being like a real squid: has to nearly stop to turn and is soft and squishy because they dont wear gear. I've heard several explanations for the source of the term. How about, "The term squid comes from emergency responders who noticed that when a motorcycle rider without proper gear crashes at high speed, they tend to wear down and separate at the torso. The entrails snaking out from the upper body make the remains look like a squid."
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 06:11
|
|
|
I'm getting closer to my MSF (two weeks) and more and more stoked about buying a dual sport. I saw this on advrider quote:I am selling my Suzuki DRZ400S, It has only 1075 miles on it. I purchased the bike new in 03 and after having it for a few months i was diagnosed with Cancer so i never really got to enjoy this great machine. It's blue & white ,brush guards, suzuki luggage rack , suzuki low profile gel seat. I am selling it for $2,700 i am located in South eastern NC, on the coast. The bike is blue & white, please email me for pictures. What should I look at, ask about it, and offer? I assume it probably sat for a bit at some point with miles that low, what do I take into consideration due to this?
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 13:38
|
|
|
I'll let the experts chime in on bikes that have been sitting a while, but that could be quite the deal waiting for someone to snatch up.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 13:48
|
|
|
Tsaven Nava posted:RUBs, usually. Or, going by last night's South Park episode, Fags What's a RUB?
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 15:00
|
|
|
Shlomo Palestein posted:What's a RUB? Rich Urban Biker Rich: I.E. Harleys cost more than many cars. Urban: Harley owners tend to be upper middle class that can afford these things. As a result the standard Harley rider is the exact opposite of what the advertising of H-D makes them out to be.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 15:05
|
|
|
Ribsauce posted:What should I look at, ask about it, and offer? I assume it probably sat for a bit at some point with miles that low, what do I take into consideration due to this? • You should probably budget for new tires, chances are the originals are still on there. At 6+ years old, they should probably be replaced. • If this guy stopped riding it altogether after his diagnosis, even if he prepped it to sit for 4-5 years, the fuel system would benefit from a cleaning. So budget for that unless you can do it yourself. Couple hundred at most at a shop to clean the carbs and check the tank. I really think a DRZ400SM is going to be my next bike. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 15:14
|
|
|
I sent him an email with basic questions he replied quote:The bike is basically new with only 1075 miles, only thin i have done was add a suzuki luggage rack, suzuki low gel seat and take off the spark arrester from the muffler. quote:Also, did the bike sit for any extended periods of time? I imagine so from the mileage. Also, what year was it again? quote:The bike has always been in a heated garage and started a few times a week driven lightly as there are only 1075 miles.2003 model I won't have passed the msf and/or have my license for a couple of weeks, but I could get it now since I know someone near there with a trailer and/or pickup truck so we could grab it if needed.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 22:13
|
|
|
Sharp_angus posted:Anyways, at 5'9" and about 160, a Ninja 250 is a nice weight for me, but the idea of running up to 8000 rpm to get any amount of power down seems kinda excessive to me. I'm only ever under 8k RPM on my '09 250R when I'm sitting at a light or when it is warming up. These engines were made to be run all day at the top of their power band. The Ninja 250R engine is a lot like a rotary in that respect, just minus all the apex seal and maintenance hassle. You get used to the buzzy nature of that RPM level after a couple days; I did anyway. I don't even notice the vibration any more. Besides, there's not much more fun to be had in the curves than bombing through them at 50mph while pulling 11k RPM in 4th gear. Everyone around you will think you're some MotoGP superstar because you sound like you're hauling rear end.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 22:33
|
|
|
I endorse the above statement. My commute is fun because the freeway entrance is a tight 90º right followed by a sweeping left and a 1/4 mile straightaway before the actual freeway.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 22:40
|
|
|
Beware I think 2003 is the last year the DRZ's had timing chain adjuster failures. You may double check. Either they fixed it in 03 or it was the last year it was a problem, but thumpertalk sells a manual adjuster. Anyway you cut it that DRZ is going to fire up pretty easy, if you have to clean the tank, carb, no biggie. That engine will outlive us all.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 22:44
|
|
|
Ribsauce posted:I'm getting closer to my MSF (two weeks) and more and more stoked about buying a dual sport. I would make sure it's not rusty from being on the coast. I took mine to OC Maryland bike week and in one week thw salt air did a number on it. It may asso have been ridden in the sand. Otherwise that is a smokin deal. Having a DRZ at bike week was weird. Out of the thousands of bikes there, I was the only put-put. I got some strange remarks. A local saw my PA plate and asked me if I rode that little dirtbike all the way from PA. Some kid working at Mcdonalds aske me if it was a 1600. The place was wall to wall HD's with a small number of sportbikes. I probably should have left it at home.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2009 23:24
|
|
|
Jabs posted:I've seen it Acronymified as My favorites are: Super Quick Until I Die SQUirrely KID
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2009 15:07
|
|
|
Im going to get my motorcycle license, and I was trying to research what a great first bike would be. Im looking to spend about $3000 or so. What would you guys suggest? My current list is a GSX 600 or a SV650. Both seem very easy to handle and after going up and down the block, they seem to be right in my range in terms of power. No experience, but I've ridden dirtbikes for a long time. Only rode a 125, though, albeit for years.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2009 01:36
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 05:13 |
|
|
Crazy685 posted:Im going to get my motorcycle license, and I was trying to research what a great first bike would be. Im looking to spend about $3000 or so. What would you guys suggest? Do you mean the GSX650, or the GSX-R 600? The SV 650 and GSX650 are both at the upper limit of what you'll see recommend here, power wise. If you rode the GSX-R 600 and thought it seemed to be about right ie didn't scare the poo poo out of yourself, you shifted about 8,000 rpm before you had to. With your dirt bike experience, and apparent love of Suzuki... Have you considered the DRZ400-SM? It is, in my opinion, much more fun than an SV.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2009 02:16
|
|