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BradleyJamers posted:I see the Japanese makers are putting out some big rebates for leftover models. Suzuki is giving $1000 off lots of their bikes and scooters. That includes the GS500F, so that brings it down from $4400 to $3400 MSRP. Seen a dealer offering ones for $3k+fees and it's awfully tempting to me. Wanting to change from my GZ250 to a sport bike instead of a cruiser. Don't know if I should though. I've only had my GZ for 4 months excluding the winter months, but I would like something that can handle freeway speeds and possibly do some touring on later down the road. I just picked up a new 2009 GS500F for 3800 out the door for my first bike. Including registration, tax, and all. I was looking for a used bike, but everything around me was maybe a few hundred cheaper, and I would have to register it anyway (~400 bucks). So it made sense for me to get a new one given the price.
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Mar 6, 2011 17:11
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n8r posted:$3500 is way too much money to spend on a first bike that is 30+ years old. It may be worth that much I don't know but you'll probably dump it at least once and take off half the value. That was sort of my thought. I looked at it today, and while it is in GREAT shape and all original, it is almost too drat nice to ride, because like you said I do "plan" on probably loving up the first bike I own. It is a gorgeous bike though.
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Mar 7, 2011 01:52
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Hey guys, I know very little about bikes and am interested in buying one. My budget is about $800.00 and I live in Cincinnati, OH. I have been trolling craigslist and found a couple that I am interested in. If you guys could tell me if they are good prices or if I would kill myself that would be great. 1982 Yamaha maxim - http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/mcy/2240349119.html 1986 honda shadow 500 - http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/mcy/2243363292.html 1981 Suzuki GS450 - http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/mcy/2251646975.html
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Mar 8, 2011 05:42
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For my money, go with the Suzuki. Your bikes will have enough problems that you'll have plenty of time to learn how to wrench after you've had a little fun riding. Getting a project for your first bike will make you hate motorcycles. The Shadow would probably be fine with a new battery which is easy, but the Suzuki is much prettier and ostensibly already runs. Don't know what you're into though. Also for the Maxim I'm tempted to roll out the old adage, "if it's so cheap and easy why doesn't he fix it before selling it?" But I've done that before because I'm lazy so I can't judge  Seriously though avoid the hell out of that bike.
Synonamess Botch fucked around with this message at 05:53 on Mar 8, 2011 |
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Mar 8, 2011 05:50
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Heya, I'm a new rider in the UK, looking for a 125cc max (illegal for anything higher) first bike. I spoke to a few people who told me to get a yamaha YBR125 or a honda CBR, but after searching the web I can't find one for anything less than £1000, without insurance etc. I was looking for one for maybe 1200 with insurance. I don't know if this is feasable though. I don't know anyway to find cheap bikes near to me either, only craigslist ad is £4500. SO is their anything available for that price (that's any good) and if so how do I find it?
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Mar 8, 2011 19:02
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Check ebay and Autotrader. Also check your local paper. I got my 3 year old YBR for £1275 not including insurance. But then I am not expecting it to lose too much value, 125's seem to be holding value really well just now. The whole using no petrol at all ever seems to be helping that.
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Mar 8, 2011 20:08
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Open Layer posted:Check ebay and Autotrader. Also check your local paper. I got my 3 year old YBR for £1275 not including insurance. But then I am not expecting it to lose too much value, 125's seem to be holding value really well just now. The whole using no petrol at all ever seems to be helping that. Thanks a lot for that, I'll pick up an autotrader tomorrow morning  I'm fine with going overbudget as long as there isn't too much depreciation and from what you said there isn't. Roughly how much did your insurance cost?
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Mar 8, 2011 20:15
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Autotrader actually has a quite good website so you can start hunting......NOW!! I am a bad example to use for insurance as I live in the middle of nowhere and I am over the mythical 25 years old so insurance companies love to charge me not a lot. I pay £16 a month and thats fully comp with a £450 excess.
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Mar 8, 2011 20:21
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Open Layer posted:Autotrader actually has a quite good website so you can start hunting......NOW!! Thank you yet again, very helpful and much appreciated. I don't live in a city but I am under 25, I'm sure insurance won't be too bad. The cheapest one, which also looks like the closest doesn't actually seem too bad: Honda XLR125, and from a google it seems like it has a very reliable engine, but quite limited top speed (reports from 60-70) which I'm not too fussed about, first bike and all. This is the cheapest YBR125, at the full 40 miles away, and £1800. The distance seems pretty unreliable though, it should be closer to 15 miles than the 24 on the website (for the Honda), but I don't really want to be driving too much to pick it up. I honestly don't know much at all about bikes so I might be missing some gem of a deal from the list but at the moment I'm leaning towards the XLR  .
Crack fucked around with this message at 19:06 on Mar 10, 2011 |
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Mar 8, 2011 20:59
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You're not going to get much more speed out of a 125 than that I reckon. That XLR looks good though and under a grand too which helps your budget. Try getting a quote for it and see what like insurance is. The internet is your friend in this glorious journey towards 2 wheel  In other news my theory test is booked for the 23rd of next month 
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Mar 8, 2011 21:27
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Open Layer posted:You're not going to get much more speed out of a 125 than that I reckon. That XLR looks good though and under a grand too which helps your budget. Try getting a quote for it and see what like insurance is. The internet is your friend in this glorious journey towards 2 wheel Wow thanks a lot. I put in my details on Bennetts motor insurance and I got only £357 third party only (£1275 fire and theft, 1609 comp), 10% further discount if I get a security device , and I was getting a few grand for car insurance. ~£1400plus armour / helmet is much better than I was expecting .Good luck with the theory, I'm sure you'll do great .
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Mar 8, 2011 22:00
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Abderian posted:Wow thanks a lot. I put in my details on Bennetts motor insurance and I got only £357 third party only (£1275 fire and theft, 1609 comp), 10% further discount if I get a security device Good luck and godspeed Open Layer! Abderian, 125s from recognised manufacturers (not Chinese no-name stuff) in good nick go for a premium because, as you've probably guessed, people want them for commuting or hacking about on before they do their test. For that reason, you're pretty much always looking at between 750-1250 for "something that runs", up to squillions for YZF-R-125s and new Cagiva Mitos. That XLR's pretty representative. IMO, a little trail bike's a great first choice for you. Living in the Welsh marches, you should have some brilliant off road riding available. As and when you move up to something faster, it'll be worth keeping for weekend green laning and general messing about on.
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Mar 8, 2011 23:58
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Is a dealer asking $500 for freight & setup and another $150 for doc fees on a $4k bike reasonable or really loving ridiculous?
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Mar 9, 2011 04:56
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Don't take my word as 100% truth, but the cost of those items is going to be about the same no matter the bike. The 250s weigh a little less but it's still not cheap to ship an entire motorcycle. I would say they're a little high compared to what I'm used to seeing, but it probably varies geographically. My advice is to haggle with them until they refuse, walk away and sit for a couple days, and then come back and offer the price they agreed to before you pushed too far.
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Mar 9, 2011 05:48
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Bukanza posted:Is a dealer asking $500 for freight & setup and another $150 for doc fees on a $4k bike reasonable or really loving ridiculous? The only thing I don't really mind paying from the dealer is the sales tax, since they're basically doing that DMV part for you, then again a private seller can just lie about the selling price on the title, the dealer probably has leeway there. Freight charges are basically bullshit on a used bike at a dealer though. The one dealer I bought from explained the DMV fee, the dealer themselves have to actually pay ~50$ per vehicle they sell and they usually pass on that cost to the buyer.
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Mar 10, 2011 11:04
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Bukanza posted:Is a dealer asking $500 for freight & setup and another $150 for doc fees on a $4k bike reasonable or really loving ridiculous? It's just silly, though hardly uncommon. It's just a numbers game they play to screw more money out of you. I take it this is a new $4k bike? When this has come up before, I think the consensus answer is that you deal only on out-the-door prices.
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Mar 10, 2011 13:07
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 2000 SV650N. Has:
* .90 Sonic springs up front * new sprockets (14/47) and a new chain (525) for quicker acceleration * Two new Avon tires * R6 throttle tube * Motosliders, front and back * gel seats * De-baffled stock muffler with some scratches on it from PO, body is otherwise good. * New (desnorkeled) air filter, spark plugs, main jets, fluids. * Brake pads new, brake fluids recently replaced * New cooling system hoses, thermostat, and radiator cap * Seller also had removed the carbs, cleaned them, installed new main (150 and 152) and pilot jets and then synched carbs. * New wheel bearings and seals on both wheels and replaced the rear sprocket rubber dampers * New handlebars and grips. The handlebars have lead shot in them to reduce vibrations * R/R measured; within specs * Seller bought the bike with its original engine having a noisy top-end, and replaced it with another used engine, cleaned it up, installed new head gaskets, adjusted its valves, and put 1,000 miles on it since. 33k on the bike, less than 30k on the engine. * Never been stunted as well I rode it, and it's very nice. Shifts and runs excellently. Doesn't bounce like my K3 SV650 upon bumps. Seller is moving to New Mexico and taking only his DRZ650 with him, wants to have one less bike to bring with him. $2000. Good deal? Should I go for lower? the walkin dude fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Mar 10, 2011 |
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Mar 10, 2011 20:16
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2k seems fair. You could shoot for lower but 2k is fair.
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Mar 10, 2011 20:41
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Came across a BMW F650CS near me listed for just under $4k. Average retail for the ABS model is around $3k, so I'd obviously haggle. There are a couple on CL for more, but I haven't heard much about this model. Was thinking of riding out there and trying it. Anyone have experience with these bikes? The 3.3G capacity is the only offputting thing I see from the specs, but, from what I've read, it gets good range (up to almost 200mi). There are two local dealers that I'm going to today, and I'll try to test a large range to see what's a best fit for me. I was able to get my car refinanced, so I might not have to put off buying a bike. I plan on trading in my SV650 and private-partying my V Star 250.
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Mar 10, 2011 20:58
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There's a 1986 Ninja ZX-6 available in my city for 1500. I haven't ridden since I took my CMSP (did they change the name?) about 2 years ago, and that was my only time. I don't feel comfortable just going over and test riding with such little experience. The price seems fair, tell me if this is stupid: What if I offer to pay him his asking price if he can run it by me down his street a couple times and if it's all good he drives it to my house? Here's his add: quote:Hello I am selling my 1986 kawi Ninja because I just recently upgraded to a bigger bike. The bike is mechanically perfect, the only issues that anyone may have with the bike would be the cosmetics. The fairings are all intact but the paint does have its flaws due to the fact that it is the original paint job from 1986. Has 33,9XX miles which is great considering the year once again. Carb is rebuilt recently, just had the valve covers tightened due to oil leak. Tires are pirelli speed demons. in great condition. Yoshi pipe and full DDM HID kit which is immaculate, Oil was just changed with literally less than 30 miles on it. I have a custom solo seat cowl that you can have to go with it as well. The bike is ready to be taken on the street, I was personally using it as my daily commute so the bike is 100% reliable and is mechanically sound, you can easily ride this bike without the worry of malfunction. I'm asking 1500 because I've put over 1000 into the bike within the past 4 months but I am looking to get it off of my hands so I am reasonable. great first bike for anyone new to the sport. Has a clean title, registration and tags are all up to date, in fact tags are march of 2012. Really a great bike all around. EDIT: He sold it already 
Nitramster fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Mar 12, 2011 |
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Mar 12, 2011 09:23
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Asking the owner to ride it while you follow in a car isn't uncommon when they refuse to allow any test ride, so I imagine he'd be fine with that. I wouldn't say that's a great starter bike, but it shouldn't be terribly bad either. My suggestion is to find a friend or ask a stranger on the internet to help you out and test ride it for you and pay them back in beer or something.
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Mar 12, 2011 14:49
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If I had a nickel for every time a Craigslist user was "upgrading to a bigger bike"...
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Mar 12, 2011 15:37
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RGV250/XR600R hybrid supermono on eBay. Not over here in the west, of course, or I'd already be on my way to the bank. Apparently all the cool bikes have to live in Queensland or Victoria.
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Mar 13, 2011 02:07
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I'm just beginning to look for a new(er) bike and I was wondering what things are generally good too look out for when buying used? I mean simple stuff and telltale signs of wear/abuse/bad maintenance. From buying a 26 year old bike as a first I have accumulated at least a few things that I will check for more closely next time around. Any suggestions for amendments to the list? -Battery/charging issues. A multimeter to the battery would have detected the non-functioning charging system. -Stripped/rounded screws and bolts. Poor toolmanship overall, not very well maintained. -Oil level and color. Too little or old black oil points to bad maintenance and could cause engine damage. -Temporary fixes. Like duct tape and zipties where there should have been fiberglass and bolts. General stuff, not from my experience: -Repainted fairings and/or tank. Possibly been crashed. -Dirt and grime. If the guy doesn't even bother to clean it properly, what else have been neglected? I'm currently looking for a 2005-2006 Honda Hornet/599. Other than general tips I'm very interested in any specific things to check for on that particular model.
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Mar 13, 2011 22:13
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makka-setan posted:General stuff, not from my experience: I'm with you on the washing thing, mostly. There are of course exceptions, I for one change oil and perform other basic maintenance far more often than required, but I don't think I've ever washed a bike in my life... Re the crashed thing, I'd do it the other way around. Find a bike that's been lowsided reasonably gently and not repainted. As long as everything else checks out when you test ride it, a scratched bike will have a lower starting price, and will possibly be easier to haggle on. makka-setan posted:I'm currently looking for a 2005-2006 Honda Hornet/599. Other than general tips I'm very interested in any specific things to check for on that particular model. It's a Honda. As much as I like Suzuki, there's no getting around that Honda is number one when it comes to reliability. A guy at work has one (a 2004), and my impressions can be summed up with “fun, easy to ride, but the engine really needs revs to wake up”. Also, the front forks felt a little soft to me, but YMMV. AFAIK, he has had no problems with the bike whatsoever, but he tells me it's thirsty as gently caress when doing “spirited riding”, as in more than 1 liter/milen. With just 15 (or 16?) litre in the tank, you have to start looking for petrol after just 10 mil. If we follow my earlier train of thought, here's a slightly scratched one I found while typing this, for a nice price seeing as how you get the new generation & abs. The ad's going on a month old as well. But then again I don't know what price you have in mind, maybe you like the old looks better or whatever, and Fagersta might be too far, depending on where you live.
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Mar 13, 2011 23:31
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What's a good first bike to get? I've heard good things about the Kawasaki KLR 650 and it seems like something I'd like. I'm drawn to the off-roading abilities since I'll soon be living in a city surrounded by beautiful terrain. It seems like an inexpensive and versatile vehicle.
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Mar 14, 2011 00:44
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Nidhg00670000 posted:. AFAIK, he has had no problems with the bike whatsoever, but he tells me it's thirsty as gently caress when doing “spirited riding”, as in more than 1 liter/milen. With just 15 (or 16?) litre in the tank, you have to start looking for petrol after just 10 mil. How is this even possible? My mileage goes to poo poo when riding my SV hard but its nowhere near that bad. Thats monster truck territory ...
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Mar 14, 2011 00:49
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Binary posted:What's a good first bike to get? I've heard good things about the Kawasaki KLR 650 and it seems like something I'd like. I'm drawn to the off-roading abilities since I'll soon be living in a city surrounded by beautiful terrain. It seems like an inexpensive and versatile vehicle. The KLR crew is going to kill me but I think it's really big and heavy for a first bike, and for the same reason isn't particularly good off-road. I've never owned one but whenever I've ridden one I've been less than impressed.
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Mar 14, 2011 00:57
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Nidhg00670000 posted:AFAIK, he has had no problems with the bike whatsoever, but he tells me it's thirsty as gently caress when doing “spirited riding”, as in more than 1 liter/milen. With just 15 (or 16?) litre in the tank, you have to start looking for petrol after just 10 mil. There's no way that this doesn't indicate that it's running like poo poo. What is that, 3.5mpg?
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Mar 14, 2011 01:09
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Binary posted:What's a good first bike to get? I've heard good things about the Kawasaki KLR 650 and it seems like something I'd like. I'm drawn to the off-roading abilities since I'll soon be living in a city surrounded by beautiful terrain. It seems like an inexpensive and versatile vehicle. I just sold my KLR after having it for only one season. With a full tank of gas its really loving heavy. And all that weight is up high so it makes it even worse. It's not amazing off road, its not amazing on road. Jack of all trades, master of none. All that is p much why I sold it after owning it for one summer. More than anything though, I can see the weight sucking quite a bit of the fun out of learning to ride.
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Mar 14, 2011 01:14
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Clank posted:I just sold my KLR after having it for only one season. With a full tank of gas its really loving heavy. And all that weight is up high so it makes it even worse. It's not amazing off road, its not amazing on road. Jack of all trades, master of none. All that is p much why I sold it after owning it for one summer. Anyone know of a better alternative then? I'm starting to sell myself on getting a bike and I want something practical. Off-roading ability would be a plus. I don't think I'd be interested in a sport bike, but you never know. Awesome avatar by the way.
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Mar 14, 2011 01:18
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AncientTV posted:There's no way that this doesn't indicate that it's running like poo poo. What is that, 3.5mpg? Sorry, I was going swenglish on you there. One swedish mil (not mile) is 10 km. That's one litre per 10 kilometres, or about 24 US MPG.
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Mar 14, 2011 01:45
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Binary posted:Anyone know of a better alternative then? I'm starting to sell myself on getting a bike and I want something practical. Off-roading ability would be a plus. I don't think I'd be interested in a sport bike, but you never know. You might think about a DRZ400, I'm a bit biased because I just bought an SM. Don't know how the off-road variants are as I've only ever ridden SMs but as far as ease-of-riding and confident handling, it is pretty high up there.
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Mar 14, 2011 03:08
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Nidhg00670000 posted:Sorry, I was going swenglish on you there. One swedish mil (not mile) is 10 km. That's one litre per 10 kilometres, or about 24 US MPG. I was waiting for you to tell us that he somehow bolted a V10 into his bike 
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Mar 14, 2011 03:38
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Binary posted:Anyone know of a better alternative then? I'm starting to sell myself on getting a bike and I want something practical. Off-roading ability would be a plus. I don't think I'd be interested in a sport bike, but you never know.
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Mar 14, 2011 03:55
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Seriously thinking about buying this. Gonna put my race suit on and ride the Old Road on it.
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Mar 14, 2011 07:02
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Nidhg00670000 posted:If we follow my earlier train of thought, here's a slightly scratched one I found while typing this, for a nice price seeing as how you get the new generation & abs. The ad's going on a month old as well. But then again I don't know what price you have in mind, maybe you like the old looks better or whatever, and Fagersta might be too far, depending on where you live. ABS would be great and all, but I just really dislike the "new" hornets. The -11 model is a bit better but I like the slightly more classic look of the old ones. However, I prefer the USD forks that supposedly are better than the regular pre-05 ones.
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Mar 14, 2011 07:28
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Z3n posted:Gonna second the drz as well. 100 pounds lighter than the klr, modern suspension, etc. Cheap, available, bulletproof...can't really beat it. Calling the DRZ modern shows how antiquated a KLR must feel.
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Mar 14, 2011 10:50
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So I've been looking to upgrade from my SV650S to a more comfortable bike - ultimately I was looking for a Triumph Sprint ST. While stumbling around on Philadelphia CL I ran into a 2004 Aprilia RST 1000 Futura listed for sale with 5,600 miles and an asking price of $4k. Needless to say I was intrigued and saw the bike yesterday. It's beat up - bad. It's been dropped on both sides at very low speed. The fairings, hardbags and mirrors are rashed up pretty bad but no cracks in the plastic, the shifter has a crack in it but is functional. The bike has been sitting in the garage for the past few years with a full tank and a battery tender, still has the original tires. All the owner did was take it in for oil changes and the recall for the fuel valve. The electrical connectors are still OEM and one is starting to show signs of overheating. I said I'd not pay more than $3,500 for it, the owner plans to wait a week to see if any other offers come along, but will probably end up taking the 3.5k. The bike is very comfortable and appears to be mechanically sound - just beat up. Ultimately I am not too sure that I want a beat up semi exotic bike with parts that appear to be difficult to find. If I do buy it, I would want to fix it up to look perfect - I am uncertain that this is possible. Do you guys think that I am getting a good deal? How hard would it be to get a good set of silver fairings? Should I just forget this bike and hold out for a Sprint ST? I don't even know if I want to be talked into buying this bike or out of it.
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Mar 14, 2011 14:28
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A Futura should be a good bike assuming they don't have any model specific problems. The 990 is a reliable engine and the entire brand is known for some minor charging issues that if you have them you can fix pretty easily. Futuras are rare bikes, but not particularly valuable. I think $3500 for a bike that has sat and needs thousands of dollars in replacement fairings or quite a bit of paint work is flat out dumb. If you knew someone that repairs plastics and paints you could be getting an OK deal. The fact that the bike has been sitting full of fuel is probably even more of a concern as well unless you've run the bike and ridden it. Any bike that sits that long be it fuel injected or carb'd has a very good chance of developing problems. The prices on Futuras tends to be a bit all over the board - here is a bike relatively close to you that is a hell of a lot better deal: http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/mcy/2255588878.html I think in general a Futura in good shape is worth about $4500 +/- $500. Given the issues you've described with that bike I wouldn't want to spend more than about $2500 or less. With a beat up bike like that, you want to be able to fix it up and still be well ahead of simply buying a bike in good shape. You don't just deduct the cost of repairs from a bike in good shape unless you don't value your time or the fact you could run into hidden problems. Tl;DR don't do it.
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Mar 14, 2011 16:52
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