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Ninja 500 is a very acceptable first bike. It's slightly less forgiving of ham-handed throttle inputs then the 250 is, but will be more pleasant for longer distance riding and will have more passing power on the freeways. I started on a bike that was similar in power to the Ninja 500 and about 100lbs heavier, and I did okay (wonton stupidity aside) As usual, take the MSF, get good gear. Get a lot of miles under your belt on a Ninja 500, do some track days, and in a couple of years, you might have a CBR600RR/R6/GSX-R/generic 600cc supersport.
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Apr 27, 2010 13:52
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Tsaven Nava posted:then the 250 is, but will be more pleasant for longer distance riding  250's are plenty comfortable long distances.
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Apr 27, 2010 14:08
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As much fun as the SR250 has been... Oh god... Sooo... Tempting... http://denver.craigslist.org/mcy/1694507954.html quote:This is a Blue 1989 Honda NX250 that is in excellent running condition. It is fully street legal, licensed, and titled. These are the rare, ahead of their time motorcycles that are highly sought after. Liquid cooled 4 valve DOHC electric start engine. This bike has an extra rear wheel that is the upgrade wheel with larger brake and rim size. One wheel has dual sport tire and the other rear wheel is a knobby. The plastics have small cracking in some of them but it is not overt unless you look very closely. I have a friend that has one of these with over 28,000 miles and all he has done to it is a valve adjustment @20K and oil changes and it runs perfect. This one has 14K on it. 80-90 MPG with the dual sport rear tire on it. If you have questions please ask something specific and not "do you still have it". I will remove this when it is sold. Have a great day! The "upgrade wheel" is swapping the 16" out for a 17". Surely, finding a matching 17" wheel for the front (*ahem* SM-conversion) couldn't be TOO hard? Asking $1200.
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Apr 27, 2010 16:12
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Jabs posted:As much fun as the SR250 has been... There has been a NX125 on craigslist locally that I am really tempted to go buy. Sure it would be gutless and pretty pointless but I want it.
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Apr 27, 2010 16:20
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Jabs posted:As much fun as the SR250 has been... A rear 17 inch dirt rim will be too narrow, you'd have to get the rims relaced to proper 17s, if they even fit in the swingarm. I wouldn't buy it unless you have some place to play offroad with it. It's also only 30 pounds lighter than a DRZ wet, so I'd pass.
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Apr 27, 2010 16:25
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Thanks for the prompt and pleasant responses.  Will look into them more. Just doing research at the moment.
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Apr 27, 2010 16:38
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Z3n posted:A rear 17 inch dirt rim will be too narrow, you'd have to get the rims relaced to proper 17s, if they even fit in the swingarm. I wouldn't buy it unless you have some place to play offroad with it. For street tires, I think I'd be looking at the Kenda 657 Sport Challengers I just got for the SR250, or perhaps something like Pirelli Scorpion Trails (90%/10% S/D mix). 100/90-19 Front 130/90-17 Rear (Rim off 120/90-16 Rear (Stock) Helloooooo! Caw-Low-Raw-DOH! "Do you have someplace to play offroad with it" indeed. =) Not *quite* as close as your playground, but this road is about 45 miles from home, and is ~60 miles long, and has another 100 miles of Motorcycle/ATV trails accessible from it, and probably an equal amount of 4x4-accessible trails...and that's just one location local to me. =)
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Apr 27, 2010 18:32
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Jabs posted:It's ~1/3 of the price of local DRZ-400SMs, and you've met me. I need to lose more than 30 pounds off of ME, so the weight of the bike is sort of the least of my concerns. (Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the bike to bike comparison is still valid...I doubt I would actually notice the difference that much this season.) I wouldn't want to ride a 250 single 45 miles to get to some offroad riding.  But yeah, they're cool little bikes. I don't know what parts availability would be like, and if it were closer to 800$ I'd be more inclined to say that you should go for it, but it seems like a decent chunk of cash for an older, small displacement bike with fairly limited useability. And you don't really need 17s for a sumo conversion...just run street tires on it, the sportsman guys go plenty quick. Also, my DRZ is a bit of a beast offroad, I can handle it ok but I'm definitely suffering...as a more novice rider, I'd highly recommend a smaller displacement bike that also weighs significantly less.
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Apr 27, 2010 19:03
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Z3n posted:I wouldn't want to ride a 250 single 45 miles to get to some offroad riding. There are 3 on CL now. 2x 250s ($1200 and $2000) and a 125 ($1800) DRZs start at $1900 (for a stock Yellow one with no lights), and progress immediately up to $2500-3000 for 400E's with lights and plates. DRZ400SMs are $4000+. If it's still available on Friday, I may show up with $1000 cash, and offer $900.
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Apr 27, 2010 19:44
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blugu64 posted:
Eh . . . Modify_Evolution's is a lot of fun around town, but I don't think I'd want to spend extended amounts of time at highway speeds with it. Oil consumption for one, and the general lack of power.
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Apr 27, 2010 20:46
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Tsaven Nava posted:Eh . . . Modify_Evolution's is a lot of fun around town, but I don't think I'd want to spend extended amounts of time at highway speeds with it. Oil consumption for one, and the general lack of power. The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum: General lack of power >
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Apr 27, 2010 22:22
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Comradephate posted:Is a Ninja 500 too much bike for a complete newbie? It fits the horsepower specs, but I figured I'd ask. You need training(!), but as a first bike once you can actually ride, they're excellent machines. Cheap to run, decent handling, fast enough to keep up with traffic. You can find them on e-bay all day long pre-crashed by some other newbie (I mean scuffed fairings, not blood stains). Ideally, you'd start with something less powerful, but in the real world most people (adults anyway) don't want to spend a year riding a dog-slow 125 with car drivers trying to run them over. IMO, you have to strike a balance between likely to kill yourself and so boring (or slow) it never gets ridden, and an EX500 is a pretty good balance between the two.
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Apr 28, 2010 09:49
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Tsaven Nava posted:Eh . . . Modify_Evolution's is a lot of fun around town, but I don't think I'd want to spend extended amounts of time at highway speeds with it. Oil consumption for one, and the general lack of power. Keep up on the oil and it's got more then enough power for touring.  edit: I was plenty comfortable on it :doublecolbert: blugu64 fucked around with this message at 20:17 on Apr 28, 2010 |
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Apr 28, 2010 11:37
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Well you CAN tour on anything, look at the people that go cross-country on 80cc scooters. Doesn't mean that it's a very pleasant affair.
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Apr 28, 2010 13:29
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Tsaven Nava posted:Well you CAN tour on anything, look at the people that go cross-country on 80cc scooters. Doesn't mean that it's a very pleasant affair. If you wanted pleasant you should have bought a Camry. Now get on that torture rack and ride, jerk!
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Apr 28, 2010 16:43
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Would this be a good starter bike? Can't really beat it for $1000 and from what I hear these things can take a beating and keep going forever.
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Apr 28, 2010 21:29
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Probably not exactly highway material, but good to start on for sure edit: poo poo, it does 130 km/h, that's not even bad for the highway then.
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Apr 28, 2010 21:34
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Probably wouldn't get much highway use. I'd mainly use it for commuting to and from work which is a whopping 2.5 miles. Also all black enduros are 
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Apr 28, 2010 21:42
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niethan posted:Probably not exactly highway material, but good to start on for sure I'm guessing that speed would be maxed-out full throttle
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Apr 28, 2010 22:04
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Looking at a 2002 BMW R1150GS. I've ridden a 1983 Honda Shadow for almost four years and am thinking it's about time to upgrade. I've always wanted a BMW, but spent most of my time looking at the R11xxR's. I'm not sure I'd get a ton of use out of the GS abilities, if I did it would probably be forest roads that my old Shadow had no problem handling. My dad has a 1996 BMW R1100R that I've ridden on several occasions and other than the "chunky" gearbox (which doesn't really bother me) I love the bike. I'm thinking about taking a look at one tomorrow that is local to me, from what it sounds here, other than the standard questions, what should I be looking for? Is this a reasonable price? and am I getting myself into a maintenance disaster with that number of miles? Also, anybody with experience with the R1150GS/R1150R's I'd love input. The specs: $7,100 asking 2002 BMW R1150GS Mileage: 32,551 (today) Color: Graphite Grey Heated grips; ABS; BMW system cases Extras: PIAA 510 Lights; AutoSwitch turn signal cancel switch; ZanZbar light Bar; Fastway F3 pegs; TT adjustable shift lever; Headlight guard; Garmin 2720; Battery Tender Jr.; Valve adjustment feeler gauges; Metal Fuel connectors Spare Extra stock front seat with crack in vinyl that I was going to have rebuilt higher.Spare Front shock with low miles I picked up "Just in case" edit: the guy kept a blog about what he did to/with the bike, https://www.bmwr1150gs.com
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Apr 29, 2010 01:21
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The BMW GS, despite the off road pretensions, has dick for off road abilities. Find my thread where I go dual sporting my FZ1 and see which bike ended up on the ground. They handle gravel roads very well and they are a brilliant road bike but never believe that they are a trail bike. Very brilliant riders can take them to stupid places but those riders could ride anything anywhere and if they had something better than a GS handy they'd do even better. The miles are nothing. The engine will do 200K. The weak spot on these bikes is the final drive. I wouldn't buy one without seeing the oil and the drainplug. If you and the buyer are serious, ask him what he puts in the final, bring some with you and draine the oil, looking for a metallic sheen and metal on the drain plug magnet.
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Apr 29, 2010 02:51
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I'm FINALLY taking the MSF this weekend! And as such, I'm starting to look more seriously at bikes since I might be able to find one for sale now that would be available early next week. The naked SV650s (and GS500's) have unexpectedly caught my eye, and now I can't look back. How do they make for starter bikes? How do both of these listings look, in particular: Black SV650 and Yellow SV650? I like the black, but the price is right on the yellow.
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Apr 29, 2010 03:04
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SV's are great starter bikes if you respect the power they have. At 60hp, they're at the upper end of what a new rider should have, but if you're responsible with it you'll be okay. I wouldn't spend more than $3000 or so on a first bike because you will drop it and you will feel terrible. Get whatever's cheaper and remember that on Craigslist, it's almost expected that you barter down. Not sure what the bike market is like in your area but I'm confident that I could barter down either of those bikes to around 2700 at least.
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Apr 29, 2010 03:24
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Agrias120 posted:I'm FINALLY taking the MSF this weekend! And as such, I'm starting to look more seriously at bikes since I might be able to find one for sale now that would be available early next week. The naked SV650s (and GS500's) have unexpectedly caught my eye, and now I can't look back. How do they make for starter bikes? How do both of these listings look, in particular: Black SV650 and Yellow SV650? I like the black, but the price is right on the yellow. I'd go for the second one, and barter him down to at least 2500$...2800$ isn't a horrible deal, but it's not a great one either. I'd go for lower if the tires/chain/sprocket need to be done, check the date codes on the tires, check the oil (gotta check it on level ground and with the bike cold), and just generally give it a good look over. Also, make sure the valves were done, I believe the intervals are 12k, so it should have been done by now. If not, it's probably fine, they'll just need to be done immediately, but I'd bargain him down accordingly.
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Apr 29, 2010 04:05
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Gnomad posted:The BMW GS, despite the off road pretensions, has dick for off road abilities. Find my thread where I go dual sporting my FZ1 and see which bike ended up on the ground. They handle gravel roads very well and they are a brilliant road bike but never believe that they are a trail bike. Very brilliant riders can take them to stupid places but those riders could ride anything anywhere and if they had something better than a GS handy they'd do even better. Thanks for the heads up. You've had some experience on the bike then I imagine. How do you feel about it as a touring sort of bike. Some of the reasons I like the BMW are the hard luggage, (more) comfortable riding position, amenities such as ABS and heated grips and the looks (I dig the naked). Are there other things I should be looking at? I dig dipping in the corners but I don't by any means consider myself a speed rider. Also, does the price seem about right? The R1150R's seem to go for quite a bit less on average this doesn't seem terrible though he originally listed it as 7,400 and has dropped to 7,100.
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Apr 29, 2010 05:03
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The GS is a great touring bike. You can ride that bike all day long, my longest day was 700 miles. The ABS brakes let you grab a fistfull of brake without much thought if you need them and the stopping power is astounding. The heated grips are nice to have, I put some on my replacement bike as I liked them so much, even in warm weather. And set up properly, they handle quite well. On the other hand....they are really heavy and large, which makes them quite chore to turn around in the parking lot. Basic maintenece is easy but if the ABS or fuel injection systems go bad, you may end up taking it to the dealer and that will leave a mark. And IIRC, the 2002 will have the servo brakes, if they fail, you have_no_brakes. I don't know about your local market but BMW's are expensive.
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Apr 29, 2010 05:25
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niethan posted:Probably not exactly highway material, but good to start on for sure 27hp, poo poo you could ride anywhere with that kinda power.
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Apr 29, 2010 06:31
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JJamesB posted:Thanks for the heads up. You've had some experience on the bike then I imagine. How do you feel about it as a touring sort of bike. Some of the reasons I like the BMW are the hard luggage, (more) comfortable riding position, amenities such as ABS and heated grips and the looks (I dig the naked). Are there other things I should be looking at? I dig dipping in the corners but I don't by any means consider myself a speed rider. +1 on touring usage. I had one (1150) for a week and it's great above 30mph, and will corner just fine at speed (compared to e.g. a Tiger of similar vintage). I wouldn't have one myself because the low speed manners were piss-poor. I'm not short or scared of tall bikes, but town riding with it, for me, was like wrestling the proverbial elephant. It's a heavy, tall bike, and the front end doesn't give any feedback until you get up to speed. Once there, it's confidence inspiring. If I was buying an R-bike myself, I'd either get the plain vanilla R with panniers, save a shitload of money and spend some of it on a flyscreen (based on my highly scientific testing of a few R-bikes at Loudon years ago, the R is the best of them anyway ), or buy an RT and get the better weather protection and storage.
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Apr 29, 2010 10:52
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Tsaven Nava posted:I'm guessing that speed would be maxed-out full throttle My KLR does 140 at maxed out full throttle and I've never had any trouble on the Autobahn, so ...
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Apr 29, 2010 12:03
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I'm looking to buy my first bike. Saw this ad for a GS500 on CL: http://asheville.craigslist.org/mcy/1713069665.html Contacted the guy, and it has 34000 miles on it. Too much I assume 
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Apr 29, 2010 17:16
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Guru Ant posted:I'm looking to buy my first bike. Saw this ad for a GS500 on CL: http://asheville.craigslist.org/mcy/1713069665.html As long as the valves have been checked, those engines go forever. Ask him for the history on it, try and talk him down to 800$-1000$. It's actually about a perfect starter bike, even if you bought it, rode it for 10k and it fragged itself, you could probably still get 500$ out of it.
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Apr 29, 2010 17:22
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JJamesB posted:Thanks for the heads up. You've had some experience on the bike then I imagine. How do you feel about it as a touring sort of bike. Some of the reasons I like the BMW are the hard luggage, (more) comfortable riding position, amenities such as ABS and heated grips and the looks (I dig the naked). Are there other things I should be looking at? I dig dipping in the corners but I don't by any means consider myself a speed rider. R1150Rs will be cheaper than the GS, they also have a bit better of a track record with their final drives as R owners seem less likely to pack a crap load of stuff onto the back. Clutch Splines can be a problem on the 1100 and 1150 motors, when test driving it if it has trouble getting into first or second (requiring more force than usual) that bike may develop a clutch spline problem. Many of them happen between 12-20K miles. The repair is rather expensive if the clutch splines let go. If you don't need the spoked wheels, taller ride height and stand up ergonomics, the R is an excellent bike that you can get for a few thousand less. Having ridden both bikes I think that the GS is a slightly better tourer due to it's better stock seat, the R's wheels size make it a bit more fun to ride twisty roads. The RT is a better tourer than the GS I think, but the GS does hold up very well in a tip over where the RT has a bunch of pretty plastic to scratch up.
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Apr 29, 2010 18:02
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Just as an alternate to the SV650, how would a CB500 be? There has been one that has been popping up on Ebay for the last week or so, listed here that I am in love with. I originally dismissed it because I thought it would be sold by the time I was ready to buy, but it doesn't look like that is the case anymore. Would this bike be ok for a first time rider? It looks like there are a few problems with the bike, but the owner seems to be honest in describing them. What would a decent price for the bike be? Is $2,500 too much?
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Apr 30, 2010 20:15
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2500$ is way too much. I'd say around 1000-1500$ is the most I'd pay for that bike (as a starter bike, as a vintage toy it might be worth more). It's a decent enough starter bike, they are nice bikes but I believe they had some issues with CCTs (like most hondas). Either way, it's probably going to get bid up to more than it's worth, and I'd be a little hesitant to shell out a bunch of cash to get a nice vintage bike as a first bike, as they can require a little more fiddling and be harder to source parts for. I'd look for something newer, maybe a bit more cosmetically beat up, and in the 800-1800$ price range. Z3n fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Apr 30, 2010 |
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Apr 30, 2010 22:12
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http://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/1721093510.htmlquote:2001 Suzuki SV650S - $2300 Look to be in good shape, but I have no idea how to adjust the value for the 34k miles it has. This would be a starter bike, and I have no idea how long bike engines last or what high mileage is.
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May 3, 2010 03:42
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The SV650 engine is bulletproof and will last until 200k miles or more. Mileage is a factor for bikes, but not really in the same way that it is for cars. All things considered, that's a good price. I'd show up with $2000 in cash and see what happens, but if he's a stickler, $2300 isn't bad at all. Make sure you inspect the front fairing well, especially the mounts and things, the bike has obviously taken a nap and some point. But as long as everything else checks out, I'd say it's a good deal. (For reference, I paid $3400 for an '04 DL650, the SV650's dual-sport cousin, with 50,000 miles on it, with hard luggage) Also, an SV650 is very borderline for a starter bike. It's on the powerful side (70hp), and the S variant has a pretty aggressive riding position. If you're experienced in driving manual transmission vehicles and trust yourself to not be an idiot with the VROOM VROOM handgrip, you should be okay though. Also, Raven457 is in Austin. Shoot him a PM, he'd probably be happy to help you check out the bike.
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May 3, 2010 03:51
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Tsaven Nava posted:Also, an SV650 is very borderline for a starter bike. It's on the powerful side (70hp), and the S variant has a pretty aggressive riding position. If you're experienced in driving manual transmission vehicles and trust yourself to not be an idiot with the VROOM VROOM handgrip, you should be okay though. Thank you so much. I REALLY would prefer a Ninja 250 or 500, but they seem overpriced, don't last at all on Craigslist, and the market seems flooded with 08+ ones when I want an earlier generation. I haven't sat on on SV650S, is the riding position that different than the normal SV650? I'll be able to tell with a test ride whether the ergos will work for me, and I'll be careful with the loud handgrip. I already have head to toe gear, all of it leather except for some mesh overpants. They do have knee armor though. I figured that if the play budget runs out, it would be better to have less of a bike and more gear. Alternatively, is it worth looking at other cities just to find a Ninja 250? I expected them to be common, but all of the ones in Austin are either completely thrashed with no turn signals and fairings, astoundingly overpriced (asking $4000 for an '07) or sell in 2 hours before I can get there. Edit: Ads around here are depressing as hell. This guy has some sort of Kawasaki, he bought it thinking it was a 600 but it only has 5 gears and he thinks its a Ninja 250... what the gently caress. http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/mcy/1713206166.html quote:This is a nice clean bike, I think it's a 500 or maybe even a 250, the guy I bought it from said it was a 600 but it's 1 down and 4 up... Twerk from Home fucked around with this message at 04:01 on May 3, 2010 |
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May 3, 2010 03:59
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Weinertron posted:Thank you so much. I REALLY would prefer a Ninja 250 or 500, but they seem overpriced, don't last at all on Craigslist, and the market seems flooded with 08+ ones when I want an earlier generation. I haven't sat on on SV650S, is the riding position that different than the normal SV650? Well you're taking or have already taken the MSF, and you don't sound too cocky, as long as you have good judgement I think an SV650 is a fine starter bike. I've found that riding a more powerful bike, you'll just need to learn how to use the friction zone in the clutch pretty well and don't goose the throttle. And also the SV650 has plenty of grunt all over the rev range so you never have to rev the nuts off it to move. the SV650s has lower clipon handlebars and maybe higher pegs afaik, I think you'd be fine on it, and I think it looks better anyways :P
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May 3, 2010 04:39
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infraboy posted:the SV650s has lower clipon handlebars and maybe higher pegs afaik, I think you'd be fine on it, and I think it looks better anyways :P It could matter. My right ankle is all sorts of hosed up, I've learned that on something with an all-out aggressive riding position I can't operate the rear brake at all. This is obviously a huge safety concern, so I can only really ride standards and cruisers. This is part of why I'm looking for an older-gen Ninja 250. It has a comfy standard riding position. My right ankle can't flex upward past 90 degrees. I can extend it fully, though. If I could rig up some sort of rear brake control on the handlebars that would be ideal. This whole thing makes me really sad that used standards don't seem to be common in America. Craigslist is just swimming in sportbikes and cruisers. Edit: Well, I contacted the guy and I'm going to show up cash in hand ready to buy it, but if the ergos aren't right or the power feels too... tempting I will definitely let this one pass. I also want a Ninja 250 for the dirt cheap maintenance and crazy good mileage, it looks like an SV650 would have more expensive tires and burn way more fuel. Twerk from Home fucked around with this message at 05:12 on May 3, 2010 |
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May 3, 2010 05:03
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My g/f would reguarly get 50mpg out of her SV650...with me on it it'd get around 45. My 250 only got about 55 because I was constantly reving the poo poo out of it. Tires aren't any more or less expensive for an SV and it's got valve adjustment intervals that are way longer. Only downside to it is the power for a new rider, and for the S model, the more aggressive seating position.
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May 3, 2010 05:27
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