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However that said a complete beginner might be better off with the vstar then? I've really only ridden in my MSF so I dont want something overly powerful in anyway.
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Jun 24, 2010 20:37
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ChiTownEddie posted:However that said a complete beginner might be better off with the vstar then? I've really only ridden in my MSF so I dont want something overly powerful in anyway. Either would be fine for a beginner.
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Jun 24, 2010 21:00
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ChiTownEddie posted:However that said a complete beginner might be better off with the vstar then? I've really only ridden in my MSF so I dont want something overly powerful in anyway. If it's a runoff between the V-star 650 Custom/Classic and the Shadow Spirit/ACE 750, go with the latter. They're dimensionally interchangeable, but the Shadow's got a slightly more powerful motor hauling less bling down the road. Facts and opinions here: http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/honda_shadow_spirit_750/index.html http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/yamaha_v_star_650_classic/index.html I wouldn't be put off by the performance numbers. We're talking about smooth power delivery and not something that's going to buck you out of the seat. And if you're bitten hard by the bug and wind up clocking crazy miles, this may save you from having to prep and unload a bike in 1-2 years. If you're worried about dropping it, get one that's been pre-pranged. Sit on them and go with your instincts, because chances are you're going to live there for the foreseeable future.
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Jun 24, 2010 21:48
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Let me preface by saying I have ridden a few dirt bikes and motorcycles in the past, but not for any length of time. Mostly just around the block or messing around on someones property. What I am wanting to do is pick up a dual sport bike that I could get comfortable with and eventually take on an adventure through South America. I would be making the trip from Ohio and don't really have time limitations. I am of course wanted to do this on a budget. I am aware of the problems getting the bike from Central America to South America so I'd rather not make this post about that. Currently I am looking at Honda's CRF230L, XR650L and of course Kawasaki's KLR650. Can anybody offer me any input on these bikes, modifications that would be made to make it viable, alternative suggestions, etc..? I am aware of some of the obvious ones like wanting a larger fuel tank on the Honda's. What else would I be looking at. What should I expect to pay for a used bike in good condition? What years should I look at? Other considerations or experiences you guys have had? I'm 24 years old, 5'11 and 175lbs. If that helps at all. I am thinking the CRF230L isn't even an option. There's no way it'd be viable to highway riding. Moonbloodsflow fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Jun 25, 2010 |
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Jun 25, 2010 00:12
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Marv Hushman posted:Thanks alot for the advice man. I'm definitely going to give them both a try! 
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Jun 25, 2010 00:24
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Moonbloodsflow posted:Wants to get bike. You should be signing up for MSF yesterday to get your license and then worry about picking up a bike. With that said, even the KLR isn't great on the highway but I think it's the best option out of the ones you've listed because it's cheap, parts are cheap and plentiful, and it'll handle a variety of surfaces adequately.
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Jun 25, 2010 00:32
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Moonbloodsflow posted:adventure through South America. I am of course wanted to do this on a budget. Pre-08 KLR650. Get the big gas tank, doohicky, crash bars and the usual stuff. Should be able to get something pre-farkled for $2k or less.
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Jun 25, 2010 00:34
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ChiTownEddie posted:Thanks alot for the advice man. I'm definitely going to give them both a try! Keep in mind those stats are a decade old, so they've had that long to refine both bikes. The deltas should be roughly the same, but you can't go wrong with either. Assumed you were in the used market, but if you're going new and want something closer to a standard, take a gander at the Shadow RS too. Haven't ridden it, but it appears they took a Sportster and made it...enjoyable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfBxbLb62-Q
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Jun 25, 2010 01:34
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Tsaven Nava posted:Pre-08 KLR650. Get the big gas tank, doohicky, crash bars and the usual stuff. Should be able to get something pre-farkled for $2k or less. Is there a reason for sticking with the Pre-08's other than price?
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Jun 25, 2010 01:57
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Moonbloodsflow posted:Is there a reason for sticking with the Pre-08's other than price? They re-designed the whole bike in '08 and the new engines (at least for the '08 model year) have been suffering top-end oiling issues. They also added big giant ugly fairings that get broken the first time you ever drop the bike.
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Jun 25, 2010 03:03
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The new model have half decent front brakes, though.
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Jun 25, 2010 03:43
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sklnd posted:The new model have half decent front brakes, though.
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Jun 25, 2010 16:54
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Marv Hushman posted:Assumed you were in the used market, but if you're going new and want something closer to a standard, take a gander at the Shadow RS too. Haven't ridden it, but it appears they took a Sportster and made it...enjoyable. You know, I really dig that style of bike for an everyday commuter and that Honda looks to be about perfect for what I am looking for in a commuter bike. Well, it did look perfect until I looked at the specs on it. Chain drive instead of belt? 2.8 gallon fuel tank? Drum rear brake? Single disk front brake with a 2 piston caliper on a 507lb bike? 5 speed transmission? Who is this bike made for and what type of riding are they supposed to do with it?
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Jun 25, 2010 17:57
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frozenphil posted:You know, I really dig that style of bike for an everyday commuter and that Honda looks to be about perfect for what I am looking for in a commuter bike. Well, it did look perfect until I looked at the specs on it. Look, they understand you're not going to ride for a long time, you want the ability to adjust your gearing for maximum sound off the line, you want the reliability of drum brakes, that modern braking systems are so good you don't need more than one rotor at the front, and that 6 speed transmissions reduce engine speed too much on the freeway so you'll never be able to use the vibrations to pre-warm your bar trash pillion. It's the perfect bike, really. Have you considered the 919? I had a chance to ride one recently and it's a pretty goddamn good bike. The one I rode was pretty much stock minus rearsets, a superbike bar, and some remus exhausts. Sounded great with the quiet cores in, not too loud. Very nice workhorse of a bike that'll go for ages.
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Jun 25, 2010 18:02
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Z3n posted:Have you considered the 919? I had a chance to ride one recently and it's a pretty goddamn good bike. The one I rode was pretty much stock minus rearsets, a superbike bar, and some remus exhausts. Sounded great with the quiet cores in, not too loud. Very nice workhorse of a bike that'll go for ages. The 599/919 is in my wheelhouse, they're just hard to find in my area and overpriced compared to the competition when you do find one. I'm also looking at the SV650, Ninja 650R, Yamaha FZ6, and Bandits of different sizes. So far the SV650 and Ninja 650R are appealing to me the most in the looks and function departments, with the SV650 leading the way. Realistically it will come down to what's available within a reasonable distance, in decent shape, with a decent price.
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Jun 25, 2010 18:18
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frozenphil posted:The 599/919 is in my wheelhouse, they're just hard to find in my area and overpriced compared to the competition when you do find one. I'm also looking at the SV650, Ninja 650R, Yamaha FZ6, and Bandits of different sizes. So far the SV650 and Ninja 650R are appealing to me the most in the looks and function departments, with the SV650 leading the way. Yeah I forget that not everyone has access to the awesome motorcycle markets of CA.
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Jun 25, 2010 18:30
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Z3n posted:Yeah I forget that not everyone has access to the awesome motorcycle markets of CA. It just depends on what type of bike you want. I have my choice of every make, model, and year of dirt bike, cruiser, or stretched and chromed liter bike/Busa here. Anything outside of that is pretty iffy.
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Jun 25, 2010 18:40
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frozenphil posted:You know, I really dig that style of bike for an everyday commuter and that Honda looks to be about perfect for what I am looking for in a commuter bike. Well, it did look perfect until I looked at the specs on it. I think there was some wire crossage--this was directed at ChiTown, who is looking at entry-level cruisers. He's buying this motor or one close to it; it's possible he'd rather have it sitting in this frame. Forward controls aren't for everybody. As for the specs, I'm not seeing a problem. It's an EFI Sporty 883 with liquid cooling, ground clearance, 80 fewer pounds, stock spokes that you can see, a seat that doesn't suck, and grips that aren't rejects from the Huffy factory. I'd ride it to hell and back, as long as there were gas stations every 100 miles  Odds are it will go away after 2 model years like the Kaw W650 if it isn't sued out of existence first. Naw sir, for you, I'd keep it retro, but I'd recommend nothing less than this: http://www.fasterandfaster.net/2009/09/honda-cb1100-to-be-unveiled-at-tokyo.html
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Jun 25, 2010 20:16
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Marv Hushman posted:I think there was some wire crossage--this was directed at ChiTown, who is looking at entry-level cruisers. He's buying this motor or one close to it; it's possible he'd rather have it sitting in this frame. Forward controls aren't for everybody. I know it was directed at someone else, I was just commenting on it because at first I was all like "woah, that would make a sweet commuter". Once I got to researching it and reading the specs I was less than enthused. Most of my objections about the bike really center on the brakes and the puny gas tank. My Ninja 250 can get away with a single disk, twin piston front brake because it weighs 350lbs. Even then, though, it's just barely adequate. The gas tank on the Shadow RS would mean I would be hitting the reserve every single day I commuted on it. I can deal with the chain drive and 5 speed transmission, it would just be nice to have a belt on a commuter as well as an additional gear in the transmission. I'd let that CB1100 poo poo on my chest, but sadly that will never be an option for me because I live in America and we don't get any cool standards here.
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Jun 25, 2010 21:01
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frozenphil posted:I know it was directed at someone else, I was just commenting on it because at first I was all like "woah, that would make a sweet commuter". Once I got to researching it and reading the specs I was less than enthused. All true, and the bottom line doesn't help either. Hasn't happened yet, but I'm told when a belt goes it politely exits to the rear without taking a chunk of motor with it. I have zero experience with SVs and Ninjas and such, so I don't really feel qualified to chime in. Mine have all been impulse buys that I shoehorned into the role of the week, so you're way ahead of me. Can't wait to see what you decide. I didn't realize they'd backed away from the 1100. I thought that was a go.
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Jun 25, 2010 22:36
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So after riding two up with me my girlfriend decided to do the MSF! So now she's looking at bikes. Price range is up to about 1000-1200.. , she prefers a cruiser or standard. Doesnt like sportbikes or SMs. She's also quite petit so size and weight needs to be taken into consideration. She can barely get the toes of both feet on the ground when sitting on my SV. Bike wise she's been looking at things like rebels, gz250, viragos and whatever random UJMs pop up in that price range. The rebels seem to go for a little more, but I assume we could get one in that range. I wanted to suggest to her a sachs madass but theyre $2700 new and noone is selling any second hand around here that I've seen. neat bikes though. Is there anything else you could recommend for her? Also, does this seem like a good price? I'd expect we could talk him down a bit. http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/1806439195.html
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Jun 26, 2010 04:08
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I will throw my voice out in support of the GZ250. I had one for 6 months and loved it so very much. Were I not 6'4" and pretty much the weight limit of the bike on my own, I'd have probably kept it. However, I like taking to the highways, and that bike was having none of it.
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Jun 26, 2010 04:23
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What about the GS500? That seems a bit high for that bike but if everything is in good working condition, you're far better off spending a bit more and buying a nice runner than trying to "save" on a bike that just needs a little work .
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Jun 26, 2010 05:35
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quote:* 2002 DUCATI MONSTER 750 $1000 TODAY* - $1000 I'm betting the five finger auction.
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Jun 26, 2010 10:04
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What are the major differences between a Honda Shadow ACE and a Spirit?
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Jun 28, 2010 04:31
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Unzip and Attack posted:What are the major differences between a Honda Shadow ACE and a Spirit? I believe just different styling cues, the aero has big swoopier fenders, while the ACE (American Classic Edition) had smaller fenders and an overall leaner look, even though dimensionally they were about the same. Only think about the spirits is that I think after they discontinued the ACE the spirit took over, looks pretty similiar to me.
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Jun 28, 2010 06:16
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The ACE was replaced by the Sabre; they share the classic Softail styling cues. The Spirit has a leaner Sportster/Dyna look, and the Aero, as mentioned, has long, low swooping lines, coffin taillight, etc. Mechanically, they're identical.
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Jun 28, 2010 10:53
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Unzip and Attack posted:What are the major differences between a Honda Shadow ACE and a Spirit? Same as ^ they said. The value proposition of the ACE, I believe, was to evoke the cruisers of the 40s and 50s with some gorgeous two-tone color combos and styling. Whitewalls look completely at home on them. The Spirits are aimed at the bare-bones crowd and come in only a handful of colors--this year I think there are only two. There may be an inch or two diff in any given direction. Oh, and with the ACE you can fling tha goofy pillion pad at will when you're running solo. Marv Hushman fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Jun 28, 2010 |
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Jun 28, 2010 14:58
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A coworker of mine is looking to get back in to riding after a couple years hiatus. He saw a Shadow on our company's for sale page and asked my opinion.quote:2002 Honda Shadow ACE Deluxe $3500 The pictures that were posted were nothing special, but no visible damage. He's asking too much, probably wanting to recoup some of the cost of the mods. I figure my coworker should start offering at 2700 and settle for no more than 3k. I have no idea what that "uses no oil" thing is about, though. Yea/nay?
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Jun 29, 2010 01:50
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I'd make sure he still has the stock pipes around, and if not, price accordingly. Unless you're a giant fag, a bike with loud pipes gets very annoying, very quickly.
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Jun 29, 2010 02:27
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Ghost of Razgriz posted:A coworker of mine is looking to get back in to riding after a couple years hiatus. He saw a Shadow on our company's for sale page and asked my opinion. Don't know where you're located, but the differences may be worth a road trip: http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/mcy/1815738800.html And you won't have to undo potentially half-arsed performance mods. And if you're not aware of them already, aggregators such as crazedlist can help immensely with your search. Happy hunting...
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Jun 29, 2010 04:05
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Ghost of Razgriz posted:A coworker of mine is looking to get back in to riding after a couple years hiatus. He saw a Shadow on our company's for sale page and asked my opinion. I'd say nay, price is pretty high considering the miles and it's a pre-2004 aero (in 2004 the aero's got shaft drives), i'd offer around 2800.
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Jun 29, 2010 06:29
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Tsaven Nava posted:I'd make sure he still has the stock pipes around, and if not, price accordingly. Unless you're a giant fag, a bike with loud pipes gets very annoying, very quickly.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJYPxWjyg5w
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Jun 29, 2010 07:28
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After flirting with getting into riding for about 5 years, I finally signed up for a MSF course in August. That said, I'm starting to shop around a bit for bikes. Right now I'm really digging the Triumph Bonneville. How would that work for something to learn on? V Star is also a possibility.
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Jun 29, 2010 15:15
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Triumph Bonnevilles are right at the upper limit for power for a noob (60ish horsepower) and are a tad heavy for one as well at 450lb. I would say it would make an okay beginner bike but there are cheaper, better options that you can learn on and then get the Bonneville once you get all your stupid rookie drops out of the way. We've endlessly discussed this topic on various threads so look around for what we recommend for new riders.
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Jun 29, 2010 16:06
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You are right. I'm looking more at 250cc bikes now. I'm not really a speed demon yet and riding something cheap and easy for a few years is probably not a bad idea. I'm seeing a lot of Honda Rebels from the last 5 years or so popping up for sale around my area. I'm assuming that wouldn't be a bad place to start? I'm not going to purchase the bike yet but I would like to get something very shortly after the MSF course. There's a whole lot of 250cc bikes in the $4,000 range new (TU250, GZ250, Rebel, V Star 250, etc etc) -- are there any huge differences or should I just pick one that I like and go with it? I see that the Ninja is the most recommended bike, but I'm not really into the sport styling.
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Jun 29, 2010 19:41
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"[panic posted:"] How tall are you? Rebels are really small. Also, remember it's not about the CC it's about the HP. Keep it < 50 and you'll be good.
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Jun 29, 2010 19:43
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Doctor Zero posted:How tall are you? Rebels are really small. Also, remember it's not about the CC it's about the HP. Keep it < 50 and you'll be good. 5'9" -- I read something about them being small and thought it would be a nice benefit.
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Jun 29, 2010 19:46
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"[panic posted:"] I would strongly advise sitting on a Rebel before deciding on it, they are REALLY small. I'm 6'0" and my knees hit the handlebars on them. I can't imagine that anyone much taller then 5'6" could ride them that comfortably. V-Star 650 or older Virago 535 wouldn't be terrible starter bikes either if you like the cruiser style. 40-50hp and pretty manageable, but they are a little heavy (450ish) Also, look at the Suzuki GS400/GS500, really excellent bikes and there's a poo poo-ton of them around. Great starter bikes, as long as you don't buy a $400 one from Nerobro with gummy carbs that you're still fighting with 
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Jun 29, 2010 20:18
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I found a dealership in Houston selling a '99 SV650n for $3000. It only has 7k miles, so I'm guessing they're gonna justify the price due to the low mileage. Does mileage really make that much of a difference in the value? I know this is highly circumstantial, but since KBB values the '99s at $1500 and NADA pegs it at $1700, is there any chance I could walk in there with, say, $1800-$2000 cash and get them to bite? 
harm0nic fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Jun 29, 2010 |
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Jun 29, 2010 21:11
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