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Cell phone and credit card for a tow. Valves, plugs, hoses.
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Jan 16, 2011 10:07
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Are we talking about a really old bike or something because that kind of mileage is a normal weekend ride for me. 
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Jan 16, 2011 10:37
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Yeah the numbers are kinda low, but I'd be interested in hearing yalls regular procedures before longer rides, say multiply the other posters mileages by ten.
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Jan 16, 2011 10:42
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What is that old Honda 4 that has the pipes all angling off to one side right from the ports? I've been seeing one around my area lately and it is drat tidy. Is it the 550?
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Jan 16, 2011 11:00
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BlackMK4 posted:Are we talking about a really old bike or something because that kind of mileage is a normal weekend ride for me. It's a 1980 Honda CB750F so it's going on 30 years now, and I've only been riding since about april '10. I should've been smart and put this in my original question.
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Jan 16, 2011 13:27
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Kommando posted:is changing a sprocket and chain a visual wear guage or can you generally put a time on it like oil? People already answered your tire question pretty well but here's the deal on chains. Checking sprockets is pretty much entirely visual - if the teeth look hooked, or really thinned out from their original size, or god forbid, have missing teeth, it's time for them to go. Checking a chain is more a feel thing. Assuming you adjust your chain regularly, it's usually indicative of needing a change when it keeps stretching out every day or so or different parts of it have severely different tensions and it's easy to pull the chain off the rear sprocket teeth. A chain should go at least 1,000 miles before needing to be adjusted if it was set properly. I don't think you have to change your chain based purely on mileage, like you would for oil, as you said. Some last 10,000 miles, some last 35,000 miles, and it is affected by how you ride and how powerful or not powerful your bike is, and even how many cylinders it has. For example, my single cylinder supermoto would use a chian up quicker than a smoother inline 4 sportbike if they're ridden the same because my bike puts the power to the chain with more distinct shocks. There's also debate on how effective lubing is for keeping an o-ring/x-ring/z-ring chain alive. Also, if either your chain or sprockets wear out, it's a good idea to change out the whole set at once. A worn down sprocket will wear down a new chain faster than a new sprocket would.
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Jan 16, 2011 16:10
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Saga posted:$120? Those are some fancy pads y'got there sonny. There is a wear bar on the rear, which it is almost worn down to. They might be the original pads even so they should get replaced. The fronts are the EBCs and don't have any wear bar. The $120 came from EBC HH pads front and rear from Kneedraggers. They seemed highly recommended and other brands like gaffer are the same price. Even stock is $60 a caliper. I dunno, maybe it's the bike...ninjas have a total of 8 pads on the front. I really wouldn't mind stepping down to stockish pads that are quieter if they are going to cost less and I'll check out the ebay pads too.
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Jan 16, 2011 19:34
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2ndclasscitizen posted:What is that old Honda 4 that has the pipes all angling off to one side right from the ports? I've been seeing one around my area lately and it is drat tidy. Is it the 550? Yep, runs a 4-into-1 down the right side.
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Jan 16, 2011 20:12
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Cb400f has those pipes. Fun little bikes, 11k redline out of a 4 cylinder in the 70s.
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Jan 16, 2011 20:28
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Well I tackled the non running GS500 today, I think somehow I fixed it :3 at least i'd like to think I did. Basically somehow my bike got "hydrolocked" with Gasoline, as in the whole cylinder head and CRANKCASE was full of gasoline, along with my oil sump diluted with gasoline. Bike obviously couldn't turn over because it was full of gasoline and it was also dripping out of the airbox drain hose. So somehow with my bike on or off, the engine was just being flooded with gasoline. Right side spark plug hole was full of Gas, like FULL.  Ok some of that is water but a huge spurt of gasoline came out when I turned the engine over by turning the back wheel.  I wanted to check the vacuum petcock, it all seemed pretty intact, no holes or tears in any of the gaskets or anything.    I pulled the carbs tonight (first time ever doing it on any bike) It was kind of easy, remembering where all the hoses and stuff goes is the trickiest bit. I drained both carbs and then I opened up the left side carb bowl upside down, I found it pretty much spotless, keep in mind I ride this bike pretty much every week rain or shine. I tried opening the right side up but I couldn't get the screws off and i'm afraid I stripped a few of them, so I gave up.    Well I put everything back together, I left the air filter out of the airbox because I noticed my filter was wet and stank of gasoline, probably need to replace it. Well I left the remote petcock on reserve because the tank was very empty and turned on the remote fuel tap, I turned the key and put on a little choke and BAM it started up again. I have still have a weird feeling that the remote petcock may actually be the culprit, because the morning I left for work I noticed that I left the petcock on reserve after filling up, so I turned it back onto the "on" position before I left, by the time I got to work the bike was acting all wonky and was idling at about 800rpm when it normally idled at 1200 rpm or so. When I came back to the bike it wouldn't even turn over, and I noticed a small puddle of gasoline coming out of the airbox drain hose. I've currently left the petcock on reserve and it seems ok, no leaks and the airbox is still dry and the engine started up again a few hours after with no gas leaking. Could also be the floats somehow got stuck open? Maybe draining the carbs helped them get unstuck or something. I think i'm going to double check all the connections tommorow and give it a little shake down run, hopefully all goes smoothly enough. infraboy fucked around with this message at 08:52 on Jan 17, 2011 |
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Jan 17, 2011 08:40
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Gnaghi posted:There is a wear bar on the rear, which it is almost worn down to. They might be the original pads even so they should get replaced. The fronts are the EBCs and don't have any wear bar. Ah right, fancy brakes! HH are fine, but really better if you do a lot of track days. Stock pads will typically offer better grip from cold for (e.g.) emergency stops on the street. HH will offer more powerful, more linear braking after a couple of warm-up laps around your local track. While they will work on the street just fine, the level of braking effort to get heat into HH pads and the discs and bring them up to optimal working temps is tough to reach on the street, even riding pretty hard on warm, dry tarmac. For my money, especially with the brick-wall nature of modern brakes, I would stick with the OEM compound unless this is a track bike. Back in the day when we needed 4 fingers and a prayer to stop, HH pads and braided lines were very useful. Not so much now. My most powerful track bike to date was my 02 CBR954. I didn't touch the braking system, as I had enough power to lift the back at any speed with two fingers, and they didn't fade. I'm pretty sure anything you have on a modern supersport/superbike Ninja is going to be at least as good. I wouldn't bother putting HH pads on the back at all. In any serious braking, more braking power at the back will be completely redundant.
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Jan 17, 2011 12:32
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infraboy posted:Well I tackled the non running GS500 today, I think somehow I fixed it :3 at least i'd like to think I did. Basically somehow my bike got "hydrolocked" with Gasoline, as in the whole cylinder head and CRANKCASE was full of gasoline, along with my oil sump diluted with gasoline. Bike obviously couldn't turn over because it was full of gasoline and it was also dripping out of the airbox drain hose. So somehow with my bike on or off, the engine was just being flooded with gasoline. Sounds like a sticky float to me. When you pulled the carbs off, you probably jostled it around enough to unstick it. Sometimes if you whack it with a screwdriver handle or something while it's still on the bike, it'll unstick as well. You're probably going to have to end up getting into that carb with the stripped screws. Am I right in assuming it's the one that feeds the flooding cylinder? The float valve is sticking open, which allows a continuous flow of gas through the carb into the cyclinder. This eventually seeps past the cylinder rings and into the crankcase. In the mean time, keep the petcock on OFF when you're not riding, and change your oil. It's full of gas. That's bad news.
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Jan 17, 2011 14:17
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Also, get an impact driver, infraboy. They cost like $10 and are a godsend for stuck screws. Simply whack with hammer and screw comes loose.
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Jan 17, 2011 14:39
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At the very least get a JIS screwdriver.
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Jan 17, 2011 17:54
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Ordered impact screwdriver, and what are JIS screwdrivers? http://www.rjrcooltools.com/jis.cfm These? What should I do if the screws are already fairly stripped 
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Jan 17, 2011 18:22
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infraboy posted:Ordered impact screwdriver, and what are JIS screwdrivers? Those, yah. Worst case, you cut a slot into them with a dremel or use the impact hammer to break them loose. Oftentimes what you can't get out with a hand screwdriver comes right out with an impact.
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Jan 17, 2011 18:55
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infraboy posted:
I had a terrible screw once...now, now, calm down there at the back. It was in the sync port on the intake manifold, soft metal stripped almost bare and stuck hard. I couldn't get a good angle on the impact driver, but the bits that came with the driver are really high quality, sharp edges, great tolerances, big and durable. I hammered the bit into the screw, then used a T-handle from a bit set. Once the bit gets proper grip you can get loads of torque on it without it slipping.
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Jan 17, 2011 18:57
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Saga posted:Ah right, fancy brakes! Awesome, so something like this would be good? Or am I heading into chinese sweatshop pads at this point? The fronts might not need replacing for a bit, but if I can throw fresh ones on there for $50 and get rid of the squealing at the same time it's a pretty good deal to me. In other news, I opened the dash to fix radar detector LEDs installed by the previous owner and broke the RPM and MPH displays in the process. I don't suppose something like this can be fixed can it?  
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Jan 17, 2011 19:38
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Gnaghi posted:Awesome, so something like this would be good? Or am I heading into chinese sweatshop pads at this point? Wow, you do have expensive brakes. Commiserations. Those pads are HH as well, though the price is nice. It does look like your choice is no-name brand or $120.  For the reasons previously suggested, I'd still avoid HH or similar compounds if you're basically riding it on the street. You'll just lose some "cold" braking performance (which you might need on the street) and gain some "hot" braking performance (that you usually won't be able to use on the street). Ola posted:I had a terrible screw once...stripped almost bare and stuck hard. I couldn't get a good angle ... great ... big and durable. I hammered ... a bit... you can get loads of torque on it without it slipping. You modern day Henry Miller you. Saga fucked around with this message at 00:00 on Jan 18, 2011 |
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Jan 17, 2011 23:57
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Gnaghi posted:Awesome, so something like this would be good? Or am I heading into chinese sweatshop pads at this point? Try contacting schad@speedaddictcycles.com and see if he can hook you up with a better price on EBC brakes. They're not listed on his site but he does sell them. Tell him Conan pointed you in his direction.  I've run HHes on the street before and they're fine for warm weather but they suck if you ride in the rain.
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Jan 18, 2011 00:49
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I'm seriously considering buying a new motorcycle soon, which will be my first new vehicle purchase ever. I'm not sure if this is the best thread for my questions; they're all motorcycle-related and I'm pretty much set on what I want to buy so I figure the bike recommendation thread is less appropriate. I'm going to check out a 2009 Yamaha FZ6. I've done a ton of research so far and am pretty sure that this is the bike I want to get, pending an in-person inspection. I'm looking for a step up from a 250cc cruiser, almost anything fuel-injected. I partially narrowed by selection based on insurance premiums: I checked out insurance on 600cc bikes and the FZ6's premium is acceptable to me. A close runner-up was the Suzuki Gladius, but I think I like the Yamaha better and I'm quite sure I can get a good deal on a new old-stock 2009. My first question is, does anyone have any strong negative opinions about the FZ6? I know its strengths and weaknesses and am curious if anybody would tell me absolutely not to buy it. Second, would you recommend an extended warranty on this bike in particular? My inclination is always to avoid extended warranties; I very rarely have to use a product's initial warranty, but this would be a brand-new bike and is unfamiliar territory to me. It's still the middle of Winter, and I won't be riding any time soon; if I bought a new bike from a dealer some time in the next few weeks, would I have to take delivery of it immediately? Again, this is my first new vehicle purchase and I really don't know how it goes. I know the dealer is obviously going to want to clear the bike from his floor once he makes the sale, especially since it's been sitting around for up to 2 years, but I'm wondering how much time I have to make arrangements. I wouldn't be riding the bike until Winter is over, and would realistically be storing the bike somewhere so I'd have to get it delivered. If I did buy a new-but-2-year-old bike that's been sitting around all that time, how much should I be concerned about its condition? I'm specifically thinking about things like the tires, and how they will rot over time (although the bike is obviously indoors, away from UV light and wide climate changes) and also if flat spots have developed. What about the battery? Even if they leave them disconnected while the bikes are in the showroom, I'd expect a 2-year-old battery that hasn't been kept charged to be in poor condition. Also, do they keep the showroom bikes' gas tanks empty, or do they leave some gas in them with a fuel stabilizer? Finally, does anyone have general tips on the new-vehicle-buying experience? Things like what to do, what not to do, what to expect from the whole process, etc. I already know what bike I want and am not worried about the negotiation part, just the other things. I've read up on new-car-buying tips but they generally don't go into the detail I'm seeking.
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Jan 18, 2011 05:04
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Hot Buttered posted:Sounds like a sticky float to me. When you pulled the carbs off, you probably jostled it around enough to unstick it. Sometimes if you whack it with a screwdriver handle or something while it's still on the bike, it'll unstick as well. You're probably going to have to end up getting into that carb with the stripped screws. Am I right in assuming it's the one that feeds the flooding cylinder? The float valve is sticking open, which allows a continuous flow of gas through the carb into the cyclinder. This eventually seeps past the cylinder rings and into the crankcase. In the mean time, keep the petcock on OFF when you're not riding, and change your oil. It's full of gas. That's bad news. Yeah, I obviously drained the old crap from the sump really good and put in new oil in before starting it again, I hooked up the tank again and started it again with the petcock set to reserve, it fired up and didn't seem to have any flood issues since then. http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/model_years/4436-suzuki-2004-GS500F/assemblies/124927 What parts am I supposed to get? #24 or #25? Or both? aaah
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Jan 18, 2011 06:34
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Nothing wrong with an FZ, although it's not everyone's first choice in that segment. Stuff like, are the tyres two years old, has it had a bit of fuel in the tank, is the battery a bit questionable you pretty much need to price in. If they insist the battery's fine, just have them swap it for one in a 2011 FZ6 before you seal the deal. I wouldn't get an extended warranty. Anything seriously wrong should be evident pretty quickly. Anything that isn't is probably excluded. Atomizer posted:I'm seriously considering buying a new motorcycle soon, which will be my first new vehicle purchase ever. I'm not sure if this is the best thread for my questions; they're all motorcycle-related and I'm pretty much set on what I want to buy so I figure the bike recommendation thread is less appropriate.
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Jan 18, 2011 14:14
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infraboy posted:Yeah, I obviously drained the old crap from the sump really good and put in new oil in before starting it again, I hooked up the tank again and started it again with the petcock set to reserve, it fired up and didn't seem to have any flood issues since then. In my experience, if anything needs to be replaced it's gonna be #21. But usually, all you really need to do is clean the crud out of the carb. To do that you have to get the float bowl off. If it was me, that's where I would start. Doesn't cost you anything except a can of carb cleaner and some time. Keep the cleaner off the rubber parts (sorry if you already know that). I like to replace my float bowl screws with stainless allen head bolts, so I never have to worry about stripping them again. This is something of a long shot since I can't see the bike, but the poor running you experienced is probably because the one cylinder isn't getting the proper amount of gas. The fact that you took your air filter off probably isn't helping things either. I don't know your particular bike, but some are very sensitive to the amount of air they take in. Hopefully, someone else will chime in here and either back me up or give you other suggestions. This is what I would try first, but I'm not a mechanic.
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Jan 18, 2011 14:43
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Z3n posted:Try contacting schad@speedaddictcycles.com and see if he can hook you up with a better price on EBC brakes. They're not listed on his site but he does sell them. Tell him Conan pointed you in his direction. Awesome, thanks for the hook up Z3n! After pulling the airbox I found some evidence of another previous owner. Thankfully he didn't perform any hackjob rewiring. 
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Jan 18, 2011 18:37
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Atomizer posted:A close runner-up was the Suzuki Gladius, but I think I like the Yamaha better and I'm quite sure I can get a good deal on a new old-stock 2009. http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/2162160679.html quote:It's still the middle of Winter, and I won't be riding any time soon; if I bought a new bike from a dealer some time in the next few weeks, would I have to take delivery of it immediately? quote:What about the battery? quote:Finally, does anyone have general tips on the new-vehicle-buying experience?
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Jan 18, 2011 18:52
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Hot Buttered posted:In my experience, if anything needs to be replaced it's gonna be #21. But usually, all you really need to do is clean the crud out of the carb. To do that you have to get the float bowl off. If it was me, that's where I would start. Doesn't cost you anything except a can of carb cleaner and some time. Keep the cleaner off the rubber parts (sorry if you already know that). I like to replace my float bowl screws with stainless allen head bolts, so I never have to worry about stripping them again. I only removed the filter temporarily because it was pretty wet with gasoline so I let it out to dry, going to install everything back today and take it for a test run.
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Jan 18, 2011 19:21
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chryst posted:If you're anywhere near the DC area, and not dead set on a new bike, I'm selling my 2009 Gladius. Goddamn that is a great deal. Gnaghi posted:Awesome, thanks for the hook up Z3n! No problem, I hope that he can hook you up For honesty's sake, he's one of my sponsors, so I try and direct business his way, but I haven't heard of anyone finding lower prices than his either.infraboy posted:Yeah, I obviously drained the old crap from the sump really good and put in new oil in before starting it again, I hooked up the tank again and started it again with the petcock set to reserve, it fired up and didn't seem to have any flood issues since then. Part # 21 is the float needle that's probably leaking.
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Jan 18, 2011 19:22
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Z3n posted:Goddamn that is a great deal. Had several email hits, no follow-up calls to actually see the bike. This economy sucks fo selling.
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Jan 18, 2011 20:49
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Thanks for the responses so far, guys.Saga posted:Nothing wrong with an FZ, although it's not everyone's first choice in that segment. Stuff like, are the tyres two years old, has it had a bit of fuel in the tank, is the battery a bit questionable you pretty much need to price in. If they insist the battery's fine, just have them swap it for one in a 2011 FZ6 before you seal the deal. I understand what you mean about the warranty. I'm mostly concerned about 2-year-old gas-turned-to-varnish in the tank; I was hoping somebody had some insight on how they stored bikes long-term at the dealer. A bad battery is something that would show up soon, and the tires can at least be inspected. chryst posted:If you're anywhere near the DC area, and not dead set on a new bike, I'm selling my 2009 Gladius. I'm in Chicago, not quite close enough to you. Plus, I need to finance, I can't pay cash upfront. I hadn't even thought that the dealer would simply let me pay him to store the bike; I was going to see if my bike mechanic of choice (who is a lot closer than the dealer with the bike I'm looking at) would let me pay to do this. I have no problem paying for a couple months of storage, but would prefer to have it closer to me. Keep in mind I've never purchased a new car either, so I don't have that frame of reference. What do you mean about more things to sign? I would be surprised if there was more paperwork for a new bike than a new car. This is actually along the lines of what I'm interested in: what paperwork is specifically involved? The only thing you lost me on is the whole financing part. I do intend to finance for 3 years, and in general bikes last a lot longer than cars, partly because of their simplicity and partly because they're used less; I'd be lucky to have 7 months of non-Winter weather here in Chicago, and the bike is realistically going to be in storage for about half of every year. I see the financing as less of a risk than a car; I will have insurance after all, with comprehensive and new vehicle replacement. Plus, from everything I've seen, the depreciation on cars is worse than with bikes; I'm looking at a couple of new bikes priced at or below invoice due to poor sales, and I found used bikes very very close in price. ----------------------- I have a few new questions to those of you who have stayed with me so far. During the negotiation process, what are the extra fees they'll try to tack on, and which are negotiable? I'm trying to make a list of all the things I'd be dealing with: base price, tax, title & registration, license, "setup," "paperwork," "delivery," "extended warranty," etc. I'm wondering what the "bike setup" even is, and if that and any paperwork fees are negotiable. How does the title & license process work? Does a new vehicle dealer have the authority to register the title in my name, which is otherwise about $100 in my state, and issue [temporary] plates (license plates being about $40)? I wouldn't be riding it right off the lot yet so I could do both of those things myself if it would be better and/or cheaper. When (and would it?) be appropriate to leave a deposit? Say I'm interested but not ready to commit (I'd first need to arrange storage for the rest of the Winter, for example), could I write a check as a deposit without it biting me in the rear end later? I'm thinking of them trying to keep the money and then negotiate a higher sale price since I haven't actually committed to the purchase at the previous terms. Finally, as I'd be financing, what could I expect the deposit amount to be? The sale price would be $5-6k and I'm assuming an appropriate deposit would be in the $500-1000 range.
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Jan 19, 2011 04:30
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Atomizer posted:Keep in mind I've never purchased a new car either, so I don't have that frame of reference. What do you mean about more things to sign? I would be surprised if there was more paperwork for a new bike than a new car. This is actually along the lines of what I'm interested in: what paperwork is specifically involved?
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Jan 19, 2011 04:54
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e: I'm a fool for not reading a few posts up before. I'm going to take the plunge and get a new bike in the next 6 months, finally trading up my starter bike of 2 years, a Honda Rebel 250 for a HD Iron 883 (flat denim black). I recently saw it at the International Motorcycle show, along with many others, and confirmed that the look, and posture are what I want in my next bike. It's MSRP is $7999 but I've got a few questions. 1) Can I haggle the price at the dealership like a car, or is the price pretty much fixed. 2) Does it make a difference if I buy now (winter) or wait till the riding season (summer), I live in the Mid-Atlantic if that matters. 3) Am I better off selling my bike myself or just trading it in. 4) Is there anything I should be aware of when buying a bike from a dealership? (I have only bought used non-dealership vehicles before) 5) Would I be a tool for still using my black Honda leather jacket on a HD? (no seriously) VVV I always wave to anyone on a bike
McLarenF1 fucked around with this message at 06:04 on Jan 19, 2011 |
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Jan 19, 2011 05:42
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McLarenF1 posted:5) Would I be a tool for still using my black Honda leather jacket on a HD? (no seriously)
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Jan 19, 2011 05:47
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Atomizer posted:Thanks for the responses so far, guys. Expect to pay whatever your current sales tax is in your area on top of the bike's price, along with maybe ~150$ for registration fees Basically at least here in California, just add 10% of the bike's price on top. edit: I still don't understand the whole "freight and prep" fees that dealers tack on, I mean, it's not like you buy a TV from Costco and pay some kind of delivery charge to the guys who delivered it to the store? You seem pretty drat certain of getting a new bike from a dealer, along with a 3 year financing plan. If you're dead set on getting a 2009 and keeping it and paying it off all those 3 years, go for it, but i'd expect about a year and a half from buying it you'll be owing more than it's worth. FZ6s are fairly common, you can find yourself a decent 2007 model (which still has the latest updates like the dash/blacked out engine) for about half the price of a new one. Well if you're determined to buy it new and keep it at least those 3 years and just ride the poo poo out of it, then I suppose it'd be worth it. I'm just giving this advice because I see a shitload of bikes on craigslist in which people financed and still owe more than the current market value on the bikes and can't even sell them for what is still owed to the bank. And ironically they insist on keeping their prices firm even as their bike depreciates further. infraboy fucked around with this message at 06:00 on Jan 19, 2011 |
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Jan 19, 2011 05:57
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Thanks again, guys! I think all of my questions have been answered, and chryst sent me a very thorough PM. I do realize that at this point I'm getting into "chatting" territory, so I'll post the following but will try to keep the discussion to PMs hereafter. I do have one more minor question since infraboy kind of led into it, regarding finding used bikes. infraboy posted:You seem pretty drat certain of getting a new bike from a dealer, along with a 3 year financing plan. If you're dead set on getting a 2009 and keeping it and paying it off all those 3 years, go for it, but i'd expect about a year and a half from buying it you'll be owing more than it's worth. FZ6s are fairly common, you can find yourself a decent 2007 model (which still has the latest updates like the dash/blacked out engine) for about half the price of a new one. I'm not against getting another used bike, the problem is that there aren't many nearby. I'd rather not buy a bike sight unseen and have it shipped here (or, weather permitting, ride it home) so I'd at least like to be able to check it out in-person. It's a lot easier to find used cars than used motorcycles; what resources are available to find used bikes? I checked Craigs, eBay, and local newspapers' online classified listings but found only one bike for sale, on a very sparse Craigs listing. A $2-3k FZ6 would be fine with me if I could find one. For what it's worth, I have never seen an FZ6 locally. There are plenty of Harleys, sportbikes, scooters, etc. but bikes like the FZ6 are probably more common where you are. Hell, we found the 250cc cruiser through word-of-mouth (although they're a bit easier to find.) I understand what you mean about owing more than it's worth midway through the loan, I just don't know what to do about it. A vehicle is going to depreciate the same amount regardless of how much I pay or when I pay for it. If it's worth less than what I owe on it in the middle of a loan, then so be it; it wouldn't be worth any more if I paid cash. I get the part about trying to sell a bike mid-loan for more than it's worth, but that's highly unlike me. I can't buy a bike outright at this moment, and it's worth it to me to finance the bike and have it available at the beginning of the season rather than lose a few months of our riding time, which is very limited as it is (due to weather.) I can always pay more than the minimum. My car, for example, is worth very little, but I love it and know it will last if I continue to maintain it. The things I need to do to it (such as replace the convertible top) cost more than the car is worth, but I have no desire to sell it or drive anything else. I am more into motorcycles nowadays, but will be driving my Miata for as long as it lasts. I do plan to keep the FZ6 (if I do purchase it) indefinitely; it's more than fast enough, insurance is decent, and there's really nothing wrong with it to necessitate replacing it any time soon. Sure, it is a budget bike with a mediocre suspension but it's a reliable daily commuter with decent gas mileage for the weight & power. Better than my car, for sure. The plan is to ride the bike whenever possible, in place of my car (commuting, leisure, etc.) As long as it's not pouring or I need more than a little cargo room, I'll be on a bike from Spring 'til the beginning of Winter. I can't help it, I'm addicted to riding now. I just need a competent bike. I still have to check out the FZ6 in-person. Who knows, maybe I won't like it once I see it up close!
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Jan 19, 2011 06:56
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Yeah, nothing wrong with the Fz6, i've sat on one, it's very comfy. Sorry to hear you can't find any Fz6s around you, I guess they're more popular in California. Nothing wrong with buying new from a dealer either... since you plan on keeping the same bike for a long time it shouldn't be a problem, i've just noticed that a lot of people around here will finance bikes and try to sell them again for way too much and get butt hurt when they're called out on it, because they'll owe like 8000$ on a 7000$ bike or whatever. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/2162124546.html Consider the ninja 650r as well, similar riding ergos, theres less topend power but it makes up for it in the low-midrange power. SV650 is up there too. Also yeah I just realized, not a good idea to finance something you're only going to ride half the year anyways, figure out how much cash you got, and what the best bike you can buy with that cash in the area. infraboy fucked around with this message at 09:03 on Jan 19, 2011 |
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Jan 19, 2011 07:18
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Atomizer, you've done a grand job talking yourself into buying a new motorcycle. I don't really care but there are FZ6s used available near you. http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/mcy/2161137937.html http://southbend.craigslist.org/mcy/2162279089.html http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/mcy/2130430727.html My suggestion regarding buying a new bike is to always negotiate on an out the door price. That means you figure out how much you want to pay including tax and negotiate on that figure. Line up outside financing, and if they can beat your outside financing for the specified out the door price, then go for it. Don't let them use the payment game. Your justification regarding the depreciation is just not true, motorcycles depreciate fast as hell. They do tend to bottom out at the 2-3k range and stay there for a while but the fall is pretty rapid. You don't see many cars that lose half their value in 2-3 years but it's common with bikes. With regard to FZ6s they are just the modern interpretation of the UJM. They do nothing particularly well, but they're reliable and good performers for the money. I would say they are the less fun to ride version of an SV650. The SV motor is a bit more fun and the riding position is better along with lower weight. The FZ6 has a smaller aftermarket and used parts are probably more expensive. When I read them, the FZ6 lost out in comparos with the sv/599/etc bikes. They're pretty fast and the tune is definitely very street friendly. Overall, I'd say the FZ6 is just a bland bike. Financing toys like motorcycles in general is a bad idea. You pay for toys with cash you finance poo poo like houses, and well that's it, houses. Mclaren F1: See above - yes of course they're negotiable. Sell your bike yourself. I'd check harley forums to see what other people are paying for them. I would encourage you to test ride an 883 before purchasing. I rented one for a day in Maui and I can definitely say it was the worst motorcycle I've ever ridden. I actually enjoyed the motor, I love riding twins. The rest of the bike was miserable, it was poor handling and heavy as gently caress. YMMV
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Jan 19, 2011 08:37
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n8r posted:Mclaren F1: I wish I could stick with Honda and get a 599 (if they still made in in the US), or a CB600R (the 599 replacement they haven't decided to make yet, but I loved the new CB1000R, it's just too much power for me). Overall, I'm not a fan of sport's bikes, or the styling of most cruisers, so standards would be the way to go, but ever since the economy tanked, most manufacturers have simply cut them out of their line ups.
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Jan 19, 2011 09:28
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Atomizer, The setup/PDI charge is definitely a bit of an artefact - the dealer is tied into the mfg's network, and as said above why would you pay for it when you wouldn't for other retail goods. Now, there is actual work involved for the dealer. The bike will arrive crated, and they will typically have to fill fluids and deal with a few other ancillaries (which varies by model bike and mfg.). Of course this is just a wheeze for passing on their overhead to you directly while trying to present it as a fixed cost of bike buying. I.e. bullshit. It isn't even always done right. A buddy bought an RC51 from whoever it would be in south Boston and got it home to find it had no oil in it. I guess he was on the accelerated break-in plan. So as N8R said, don't let them even go there, negotiate on an out-the-door price, with your own finance already authorised. And when you pick up the bike, give it a careful look over to make sure they haven't hosed up. Definitely let them offer to beat your APR, but make them tell you about origination and other fees up front. And obviously watch out for the old bait and switch on the APR when you come in to sign the paperwork. Also for the reasons N8R said, I would actually consider financing a used bike that's done its initial depreciating. You do have a reasonably wide selection of bikes in that general category, even if you happen to like the FZ6. There's the 599 (ahem), Gladius/SV, 696, new Z750, Dorsoduro, Duke III etc. If you're worried about stuff breaking, get one with a little bit of mfg. warranty left and the right service history. But the thing is, they just don't have as many moving parts as a car (even a Miata!) and in 16 years' riding, the only thing I've ever actually needed a warranty claim on was a pinhole leak in my  Honda's radiator from a manufacturing defect. e: a dealership will rape you on "storage" fees. Either try those local guys, or rent a small storage unit and keep the bike insured. McLarenF1, it is a pretty awful bike IMO, if you want your bike to do anything other than look like a Harley. As a machine for actual riding and an ownership proposition, the Gladius is streets ahead. And look, a goon is selling a very nice looking one! Why can't you just get a 599? Or something like a Monster 696 (they have a factory low-seat option IIRC, have absolutely tiny proportions, and you can swap bars to bring them in closer if needed). If you like a bit of bling, they have swappable tank covers and panels in as many flavours as Baskin-Robbins. The CB600R is already in production, just not in the US I gather. It's just the current CB600F Hornet with a fairing. Rather disappointing, as while I like my Hornet, the chassis is just not as sporting as the CBR600F which Honda's marketing BS claims the "R" is the spiritual successor to. It features a linkageless rear shock which no-making GBS threads actually is from the end of the 1980s, and while the forks are genuinely good, the chassis geometry is not sporting. The "R" basically just a 599 that will be more comfy on highways and a lot more expensive if you drop it in a carpark. Saga fucked around with this message at 12:34 on Jan 19, 2011 |
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Jan 19, 2011 12:32
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I moved from a city of about 1500ft to a city of about 7000ft. My bike runs like poo poo now, which I mean is to be expected because of the altitude here but is there anything I can do about it? I've got a 09 ZX6R and it feels like a 250, bogs from stops, won't idle correctly, etc.
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Jan 19, 2011 22:05
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