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I'm looking at smaller bikes for commuting. There probably won't be much highway riding, and I want something cheap and cheap to insure. I'm looking at the obvious Ninja 250s, and most of them are going for around $2000-2400 around home (Milwaukee). Alternatively, I'm looking at 1970s Hondas, as my dad has a pretty good background in them in the case of repairs. Plus, I absolutely love the style. Might not be the best decision ever. Also, one of his friends works at a dealership and would definitely cut us a deal on something a little different. We looked at everything out there from Nighthawk 750s on down to Rebel 250s. Honestly, the Rebel is small, but I don't know if I need a lot more than that at this point. Any thoughts on which way I should be leaning? It would be nice to pay under $1000 for a bike like a Honda and have that much available for repairs just in case instead of spending it all on a bike like a Ninja, but who knows if I'm right in that way of thinking.
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Apr 6, 2010 04:26
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salt the fries! posted:I'm looking at smaller bikes for commuting. There probably won't be much highway riding, and I want something cheap and cheap to insure. I'm in Chicago, and my girlfriend is in Milwaukee, and there seem to regularly enough be Ninja 250s on CL in the $1800 range. Or you can be like my girlfriend, and have one shipped out from California. Regarding the Rebel, go sit on one, you might be surprised at just how small they really are. My knees hit the handlebars on them, and I'm only 6'.
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Apr 6, 2010 05:36
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The Wonder Weapon posted:Thank you for all the advice regarding the titles. It has been quite informative, and I will keep it in mind for future purchases. There's something  funny about that ad that I can't put my finger on.First, I really hate it when people list all the prices of things they invested in the bike. It rubs me the wrong way, but it's just personal.What bothers me more is the fact that the rear tire was replaced last fall but already has dry rot? What? How the gently caress does that happen?Anyway, yeah, mixing tires is (as far as I know) fine on a bike. You wouldn't want to do it on a car, but on a bike I can't see what it would hurt. edit:
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Apr 6, 2010 15:29
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I can't believe someone paid $700 for that paint job.
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Apr 6, 2010 16:24
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The Wonder Weapon posted:Thank you for all the advice regarding the titles. It has been quite informative, and I will keep it in mind for future purchases. Pass. It's (relatively) high mileage, expensive, has been down. I also don't like the fact that the front fender was left green, it's a three part fender so it comes apart really easy and would be easy to paint. Why was the job halfassed? This bike sets off a lot of red flags. Finally, he doesn't even know the displacement of his own bike...the 636 started in 2003. He's got a pretty ad but he doesn't know poo poo about his bike. There's no way a bike would dry rot the rear tire in a season. I'm calling this one as a dumbass seller who doesn't know poo poo about bikes or anything else, is your typical squid, and is trying to dump the bike before it explodes on him.
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Apr 6, 2010 16:36
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Doctor Zero posted:There's something quote:...so it's quit a bit faster than the majority of my friends 600's.
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Apr 6, 2010 16:38
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Got a bit of a conundrum, my gf recently told me that she'd like to come along for my trip south down to Argentina. I was orginally plannong on taking a small light bike like an XT225/KL250 or a DRZ but now with her coming along I've got to get something that can comfortably handle the two of us and still get to a few out of the way places. I've currently got an F650GS Dakar with heaps of TT parts all over it that I've successfully put about 35K on and dumped it plenty. I've hauled it over nasty mountain passes in CO but there's not too much sand down here to practice on here, (every time I'm at Powell and in northern baja I've spent plenty of time horizontally). I like the dakar since it'll do 90 without complaint, and the big front wheel still goes over rocks pretty easily. It is heavy though (with extra side tanks, luggage, etc) and for a solo trip I wanted a bike that would be light which was why I was planning on selling it and going for the small and light XT/KL. Now with the plan being 2up I'm looking at heavy bikes again because at least I'll have an extra set of hands around to watch me pick up the bike.  We've toured together for 4-5K miles on an R1150R, and while I love that bike I'm not too interested in taking it's boxer siblings along, weight is one issue, and while I like the shaft drive on the pavement I don't like it on the dirt. I'm also worried about putting too much weight on it and having trouble with the bearings. Right now I'm looking at the DL650 Wee-Strom but I haven't spent any time on one. On paper it seems just about right, 60hp, comfortable seat and space to keep both occupants happy, etc. One thing I'm not sure about is how the bike stacks up to the F650 in terms of dirt riding capability. I'm sure it'll be just fine for a graded road, pot holes, gravel etc, seems like it wouldn't be the bike to haul up to Mike's Sky Ranch two up though, it's heavy, has alloy wheels, needs the oil cooler relocated, and needs the most farkle to suit our needs (luggage, seat, pegs, bars, skid plate, heated grips, 12v socket, crash bars, and geared down.) I could purchase a 89 transalp, in very good condition for the trip. I love the ergonomics of that bike, but it's older, and I'd expect parts to be more of a hassle than the Suzuki. Additional downsides are the fact that it's carb'd vs fuel injected which just seems like a hassle when traveling in the andes, and that it's beautiful, so my heart would break every time I damaged it, where I find the Vstrom kinda ugly, so marring up the paint on it would only make it more charming to me. I've got the F650 which is a big plus for it and it's got all the fancy touring bits as well, TT bags, ohlins shock, extra fuel tanks, nice seat etc. My concerns with it is that it's really cramped two up. On the 1150 she could move around a bit where on the F650 she's nearly on top of me and we're both thin people (170/110). There's also the issue of parts, I've had trouble before getting sprockets in the right size outside of a dealer or the internet, and the bike already has 53K on the frame and 15K on the current motor. I'm also a bit tired of paying the roundel tax every time it needs something. By selling the F650, I'd have enough budget to purchase a DL650 or the transalp and put an extra grand or two into getting it setup for us. OR I could put a grand into the F650 (upgrade the wheels, lower the suspension for additional traction against tip overs when two up, and purchase some spares). I asked this over at ADVrider, but I figured I'd bounce it off this forum as well. EDIT: Oh right what kind of riding do we plan to do? I like to camp on the beach, Ruta 40 is very appealing to me and so are most of the tracks in Bolivia, I'd like to spend a week camping in the Atacama, visiting places like the Salar de Uyuni, Largo Verde, calle del muerte, etc. I'm less interested in tropical jungle and wrestling the bike through mud/clay seems like a bad time on just about anything less than a dirt bike. I plan to cover most of the distance between points A and B on pavement but I also plan to take many side trips on dirt roads and use dirt roads to reach more out of the way towns. The judgement I've used in the past is that if it's the main road that the locals use I'll go for it. Anything rougher/steeper than the road to Batopilas I don't think we'd be too interested in.
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Apr 6, 2010 16:53
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Why not get her her own bike to ride? I can't imagine serious offroading 2 up, but I'm a total feeb offroad.
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Apr 6, 2010 16:59
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Z3n posted:Pass. It's (relatively) high mileage, expensive, has been down. I also don't like the fact that the front fender was left green, it's a three part fender so it comes apart really easy and would be easy to paint. Why was the job halfassed? This bike sets off a lot of red flags. Finally, he doesn't even know the displacement of his own bike...the 636 started in 2003. He's got a pretty ad but he doesn't know poo poo about his bike. There's no way a bike would dry rot the rear tire in a season. I'm calling this one as a dumbass seller who doesn't know poo poo about bikes or anything else, is your typical squid, and is trying to dump the bike before it explodes on him. alllllllllllright. I'll keep looking. It's good you guys keep me grounded, but it's certainly not very fun!
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Apr 6, 2010 17:00
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Z3n posted:Why not get her her own bike to ride? I can't imagine serious offroading 2 up, but I'm a total feeb offroad. Yeah, I was going to say this. Dirt riding with a pillion sucks, speaking from someone who's both been a driver and a passenger.
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Apr 6, 2010 17:02
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The Wonder Weapon posted:alllllllllllright. I'll keep looking. Trust me, it's a lot more fun when you're out riding rather than being stuck in the garage, swearing at the PO. Ask AncientTV about that one. 
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Apr 6, 2010 17:12
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Probably the best mixture of dirt bike, street bike and touring bike I can think of would be a KTM 950 or 990 Adventure. A buddy had one and he'd take his nearly adult daughter with them and flat out rail that bike on pavement and the Taylor Highway and Klondike Loop. They are also capable off road. A lot of folks I know ride Wee-Stroms and they are not brilliant off the pavement. They do seem to be easy to pick up, which is good, as that happens a fair amount.
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Apr 6, 2010 17:23
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PlasticSun posted:two-up dirt I'm with Z3n, get her a KLR650, or even a DRZ400, or something like that (I can't remember how tall/short she is?). I can't imagine that 2-up on anything other then pavement would be very much fun at all.
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Apr 6, 2010 17:47
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How stupid is it to entertain buying this?quote:I've got here a 1985 Honda Spree, red. I've essentially had it in storage since I bought it last August, so I did not register it since I only rode it like four times. It runs well for the most part; the only problems I have had with it are when it is cold, and the engine will not start in such temperature. I've also got two attached mirrors to make it legal to drive in Washington, and I've also got a spare battery for it too. You can even have the helmet I have; it's a motorcycle helmet, so you won't get pulled over for having a helmet that's not good enough for the bike. It maxes out at around 35 miles per hour, and holds half a gallon of gas at a time. I replaced one of the tires, but the other one was fine when I got it. Both brakes work fine, though the right brake could perhaps be tightened a bit if your tastes dictate so. If the seller can't show it running, but has a title, would $100 be an acceptable offer?
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Apr 6, 2010 17:55
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What would you use it for? 100$ is a lot to spend on a potential paperweight, but then again, it could be a quick tune away from running. For me, it'd depend on condition...
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Apr 6, 2010 18:26
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Z3n posted:What would you use it for? 100$ is a lot to spend on a potential paperweight, but then again, it could be a quick tune away from running. For me, it'd depend on condition... My wife is very short and doesn't like shifting. 
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Apr 6, 2010 18:33
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$100 seems like a good price to gamble on. I've spent $100 on a lot stupider projects.
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Apr 6, 2010 18:40
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And any idea of what I should offer the guy for this? http://anchorage.craigslist.org/mcy/1672733566.html  Click here for the full 1663x633 image. late 80's TT600, supposed to be all there except for gaskets and skid plate. In a basket of course. Gnomad fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Apr 6, 2010 |
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Apr 6, 2010 18:45
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Skier posted:My wife is very short and doesn't like shifting. Oh then yeah, go for it. Gnomad posted:And any idea of what I should offer the guy for this? I like the way he specifically says you shouldn't offer 100$ for it. I don't know what your market is like up there, but it's usually pretty safe to assume that everything that was taken apart was hosed and all the little pieces were lost so with the budget for a new engine, and considering that you can find runners for 500-1000$, depending on title and licensing situation, I'd say 100$. "needs a few gaskets"...right.
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Apr 6, 2010 19:11
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PlasticSun posted:Got a bit of a conundrum, my gf recently told me that she'd like to come along for my trip south down to Argentina. I was orginally plannong on taking a small light bike like an XT225/KL250 or a DRZ but now with her coming along I've got to get something that can comfortably handle the two of us and still get to a few out of the way places.  I'm definitely on the "two bikes" train, and even moreso if those two bikes are KTM Adventure 990's. I read the entirety of Viola-tor's epic PEAK PERFORMANCE thread over on ADV, and that just seems like the perfect bike for what you're planning on doing. He's had that thing seemingly *everywhere*.
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Apr 6, 2010 19:32
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http://buffalo.craigslist.org/mcy/1679175045.html If it runs smoothly, what do you think, $1500? 17?
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Apr 6, 2010 20:19
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The Wonder Weapon posted:http://buffalo.craigslist.org/mcy/1679175045.html I bought a 1994 CBR600 for $1500 with 10k miles, but with a couple issues, back in February. I think $1500 would be a reasonable price for that bike, definitely not over $2000. Sweet purple seat.
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Apr 6, 2010 20:44
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The Wonder Weapon posted:http://buffalo.craigslist.org/mcy/1679175045.html 15-1700 seems reasonable. I wouldn't pay more than that.
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Apr 6, 2010 21:06
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Yeah, I was going to say this. Dirt riding with a pillion sucks, speaking from someone who's both been a driver and a passenger. Well she can't ride, never ridden before (although an excellent cyclist), and she has a very short inseam (27") making most bikes other than cruisers out of the question. PlasticSun fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Apr 7, 2010 |
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Apr 7, 2010 00:27
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Gnomad posted:Probably the best mixture of dirt bike, street bike and touring bike I can think of would be a KTM 950 or 990 Adventure. A buddy had one and he'd take his nearly adult daughter with them and flat out rail that bike on pavement and the Taylor Highway and Klondike Loop. They are also capable off road. I do think a 950/990 would be a great bike, they do tend to cost double what the other options are, and they're also a bit taller with about the same ground clearance. Although if money were no factor at all that's likely what I'd get.
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Apr 7, 2010 00:29
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Tsaven Nava posted:I'm with Z3n, get her a KLR650, or even a DRZ400, or something like that (I can't remember how tall/short she is?). I can't imagine that 2-up on anything other then pavement would be very much fun at all. We've done 2 up on the R1150R with street tires on dirt mountain passes, and the main problem we've had is ground clearance, I'm sure it'll be quite a bit worse in deep sand or deeply rutted terrain but forest roads and washboarded dirt hasn't been any trouble.
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Apr 7, 2010 00:34
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Are you planning on riding anything more hardcore than that? I'm not familiar with the areas you're talking about
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Apr 7, 2010 00:39
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PlasticSun posted:Well she can't ride, never ridden before (although an excellent cyclist), and she has a very short inseam (27") making most bikes other than cruisers out of the question. *ahem* Are you implying that cruisers are somehow limited in where they can go?
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Apr 7, 2010 01:10
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Tsaven Nava posted:*ahem* Are you implying that cruisers are somehow limited in where they can go? I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of your crankcase cover breaking.
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Apr 7, 2010 01:12
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Z3n posted:Are you planning on riding anything more hardcore than that? I'm not familiar with the areas you're talking about The road to Batopilas is a rough dirt road with loose baby head sized rocks, it's also steep and has switchbacks. It's a long stretch from truly difficult, since it's not too rutted or soft/lose aside from the rocks. You can pretty easily just put it in first and roll down dabbing the brakes here or there. Hurricane Pass in Colorado is pretty similar but much shorter. I did part of this on my Mexico trip until I got hit by a truck and broke my rear brake linkage then turned around. The road wasn't bad solo at all, but 2up would have been dicey as it's a shelf road about 1.2 trucks wide. If you're reading a 4wd handbook anything moderate to moderate-difficult would be where I would draw the line, or if you saw the Top Gear Bolivia special I don't think I'd want to do anything harder than what they went through after leaving the jungle. It's hard to get a good reading on what the roads are like further south. People tend to pepper their trip reports with dramatic descriptions on how rough or hard some of the roads are. I don't think we're planning on going anywhere where someone hasn't already ridden two up, but that does mean crossing a the worlds largest salt flat, which becomes the world's largest mirror when it rains, roadless portions of the Atacama desert (imagine the surface of mars and it's pretty close, flat, little bit rocky, sandy and red). Bolivia I think will have the most varied and worst road conditions and if it does become too much for us we can bail out and go to Chile or Argentina where they have pavement. Bolivia has amazing scenery and some really amazing photography opportunities so I'd like to be able to get there and not be impeded by the bike. I know people have made it two up on R1100GS, and I can think of 1 V-Strom trip report that got back up there a bit as well. I'm leaning toward my F650 GS. I put the two of us on it last night and it wasn't quite as cramped as I remembered it, plus it's already setup so it's the cheapest option. With the Ohlins shock I can pull that and send it to them to have it resprung for our combined weight plus luggage, and have a lowing link tossed on so that I can get both feet down flat. The 500 mile fuel range means we can definitely get to any place we need to and the bike has taken more than it's share of licks without stranding me anywhere. The things I'm worried about with it are the fact that out of all of the F650 trip reports I've read only 2 (out of 8 or so) had 0 mechanical failures. Most of the bikes end up stripped to the frame while they deal with ruined shocks, cracked sub frames, or in the back of a pick up truck from a bad water or fuel pump or a flatlined battery. While my bike has been reliable so far I have done all the factory recommended services, and had a chance to catch a few problems before they got too bad. It's also heavy, disturbingly so and I've torn muscles in my back picking it up in a river. None of the bikes seem like a perfect choice, (aside from the 950/990 which are expensive, have their own set of problem parts and are hard to get parts for).
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Apr 7, 2010 02:53
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Scrapez posted:I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of your crankcase cover breaking. This. She also hates the look of cruisers and is not interested in riding one. I have hopes that I can one day talk her into a lowered Bonnievile or a Monster 620, but I wouldn't want a new rider to go through Latin America without 15-20K miles worth of experience. Instincts for when to brake, swerve, accelerate, etc during various panic situations accrue over time in the saddle, and there's not much time left before we leave.
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Apr 7, 2010 02:57
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PlasticSun posted:
Having owned a Pegaso, which is largely the same bike but lighter and with better suspension, I wouldn't go on a long trip 2 up. 2 people plus gear is going to put a real strain on the bike and 2 up on a bike that small will put a strain on your relationship. And in the corners of your mind, you kind of know it too. Otherwise you'd be packing up the bike and hitting the road! I'm not saying it can't be done, but the trip won't be as enjoyable as it could be. This trip is going to cost you a fair amount anyway, you and yours should enjoy more and compromise less.
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Apr 7, 2010 03:36
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Sidecar Rig! Sidecar Rig! Sidecar Rig! 
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Apr 7, 2010 04:14
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Armacham posted:Sidecar Rig! Would be awesome except I'm really bad at playing the "What Would Ivan Do?" guessing game/repair strategy for most Urals. They're also expensive, I've never ridden one either. I'd love to learn though.
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Apr 7, 2010 04:33
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Gnomad posted:Having owned a Pegaso, which is largely the same bike but lighter and with better suspension, I wouldn't go on a long trip 2 up. 2 people plus gear is going to put a real strain on the bike and 2 up on a bike that small will put a strain on your relationship. You know I put her back on the bike last night and it wasn't too bad, not as nice as the 1150 or I expect the Vstrom would be but just as nice as the transalp. I'm thiking it really boils down to the F650 or the Strom. You're right that the trip's expensive, and that being uncomfortable could introduce additional strain. Here's how I'm thinking about it right now: I could sell the F650 for ~5500 with some fresh paint on the side tanks, newer tires mounted, and a spit and polish job. Figure after doing that stuff I net 5300. I'd then buy a Strom which I could likely find one with 10-12K in good shape with a bash plate and crash bars (most common mods I've seen) for $4250. After that I'd need to spend: Seat: 350 Luggage: 1100 (caribou cases and a top case) Pegs: 80 Bars and Guards: 150 Heated Grips: 80 Chain and Sprockets: 250 Gel Battery: 100 Accessory Socket: 40 Rear Shock Upgrade: 550 Chain Guide and Guard: 250 Optional but useful: Progressive Fork Springs: 250 Spoked Wheels: 600 So a final bike price of 1820 to 2670 after selling the dakar. If I kept the dakar I'd get: better wheels for 300 replacement passenger pegs 80 new bash plate: 150 Chain Guide: 130 For a total bike price of: 660, and it's setup just how I'd want. That remaining 1200-2000 bucks could buy us another 3-6 weeks on the road or cover the cost of a ride on a RORO transport ship from Buenos Aires to Barcelona, Rome or elsewhere in Europe. So the question for me is what's worth it more? 12 square inches of additional seat space and 15 more bhp or 3-6 more weeks on the road? To be honest I can't really decide and she's not sure either. A couple of repairs on the BMW could reverse all the savings that it offers though... PlasticSun fucked around with this message at 05:17 on Apr 7, 2010 |
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Apr 7, 2010 05:11
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I am a beginner and looking to get my first bike. I have my MI license and I've taken the MSF course. I will not get anything other than a kawi ninja 250. So I've looked at CL and found an '06 250 going for under $1500. The problems the guy listed are: - Scratched up tailpipe - Cracked wind visor with missing bolt - The fairing covers that are usually covering the engine are gone. How bad is this? He mentions that it doesn't matter. It seems like maybe one side was messed up pretty bad so someone ripped it off + the other side for symmetrical reasons. I've seen close up pictures of the damages and I can live with them. I think I can also just replace the fairing cover??? I'm just not sure what internal problems there could be with the bike seeing as I'm a total newbie. I will try to take a look at it in person this weekend. Is there anything I should ask before then? He says it's a clean title and registered. Help? Updated with pics: https://wi.somethingawful.com/ab/abdae138a68d5cae72b05b4b781901f6bbd2d6ee.jpg https://wi.somethingawful.com/02/0217521615c96034cd704e37f5a1dc75e270dfda.jpg https://wi.somethingawful.com/23/23e3c2167f58797cea73de3df59aba7a40d0852f.jpg https://wi.somethingawful.com/c2/c225dbc1beed003ba95689efcbe2268d43566958.jpg I couldn't get any other pics of the bike in its entirety because I think the CL posting was flagged. prof.vanhellsing fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Apr 7, 2010 |
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Apr 7, 2010 08:38
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I'm also a beginner, and am taking the MSF in two weeks. Assuming I pass and love it, I'm planning on picking up a bike almost immediately. Aesthetically, cruisers appeal to me more than sport bikes, and I'd rather get a newer bike and not have to worry about maintenance while I am also trying to learn the ins and outs of the road. I've been looking a lot at the Honda Rebel, I've seen that they are good starter bikes, but will it be something that 6 months out I'll start bitching and moaning about not having enough power? If I take someone with me will it pretty much slow to a crawl? The local shop has a 2009 Honda Rebel for $2900, and I'm hoping I'd be able to talk them down a little lower since I am planning on paying upfront in cash. Is that a good price / a stupid idea? Are there any other bikes I should be looking at as a starter? I'm in love with the look of the Honda Shadow and the Suzuki Vulcan, but figured both of those bikes might be too much for a beginner.
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Apr 7, 2010 16:26
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prof.vanhellsing posted:I am a beginner and looking to get my first bike. I have my MI license and I've taken the MSF course. I will not get anything other than a kawi ninja 250. So I've looked at CL and found an '06 250 going for under $1500. The problems the guy listed are: Post the pictures, you can host them at waffleimages. Agrias120 posted:I'm also a beginner, and am taking the MSF in two weeks. Assuming I pass and love it, I'm planning on picking up a bike almost immediately. Aesthetically, cruisers appeal to me more than sport bikes, and I'd rather get a newer bike and not have to worry about maintenance while I am also trying to learn the ins and outs of the road. Once you figure out how comfortable you are at MSF, one of the smaller displacement shadows or vulcans would be fine. However, I'd buy used because people tend to go through motorcycles much quicker than cars, and I wouldn't recommend the rebel as a starter bike if you have freeways that carry an average speed of 70+mph. You have no experience on bikes, so you may think that you prefer cruisers but may find that the seating position just doesn't work for you or something. Or you may get a taste of the power of sportbikes and not be able to live with out it.
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Apr 7, 2010 16:38
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Agrias120 posted:I'm also a beginner, and am taking the MSF in two weeks. Assuming I pass and love it, I'm planning on picking up a bike almost immediately. Aesthetically, cruisers appeal to me more than sport bikes, and I'd rather get a newer bike and not have to worry about maintenance while I am also trying to learn the ins and outs of the road. Rebels are small. Really small. How tall are you? First, it's not a good idea to buy a new bike for a first bike. you're more likely to drop it, and would you rather drop a used bike, or a brand new one? Further, new bikes lose a lot of their value, whereas used bikes typically have a flat value curve. You can likely sell your used bike for what you paid for it when you want to get another bike. Remember, it's your first bike, not your last. Shadows and Vulcans are probably not too much for a beginner, but it depends. Something like a Shadow 600 has a pretty mild power curve for a newbie whereas a Rebel will be useless at any speeds over 50 mph. Remember, it's about power, not CCs. Also, what kind of riding do you expect to do? Commuting? Touring?
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Apr 7, 2010 17:25
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Doctor Zero posted:Rebels are small. Really small. How tall are you? I'm 5'11" and 150lbs. I agree that buying a used bike is probably better, buying a new one was just on my mind since I found the Rebel in my price range when I was at the shop buying some boots and gloves for the MSF. I'm expecting to do a good mix of riding. I live in Washington DC, so I'll naturally be doing a lot of commuting, but my family lives about 45 minutes south on the highway. There are also a lot of scenic routes to take that are an hour or two away via freeway, so I'd rather not have a bike that is going to imprison me to the right lane of the interstate. I'm not opposed to buying an old bike at all, I'm just trying to stay in the mid $2000 range, if possible.
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Apr 7, 2010 17:32
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