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KozmoNaut posted:If the Bandit's anything, it's reliable as gently caress. There's basically nothing there to go wrong! Well that sounds right up my alley then. From the one picture I've seen of it it looked pretty much immaculate. Ironically I'm looking to replacing an older Bandit, albeit the short-lived 400cc version, which has a completely different engine. Too bad too, when it runs well its a helluvalot of fun.
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Apr 9, 2011 23:09
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EdsTeioh posted:That's about what I figured. The bike is really nice, though, and it's been hard separating the advice from my friends saying "Dude, get at least a 500" vs. the internet's "Your first bike must be a 250" The Internet would also have you look something like the equivalent of Bubble Boy every time you get on your bike. If you are getting a cruiser, 500 is a bare minimum.
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Apr 9, 2011 23:31
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EdsTeioh posted:That's about what I figured. The bike is really nice, though, and it's been hard separating the advice from my friends saying "Dude, get at least a 500" vs. the internet's "Your first bike must be a 250" It's not so much your bike should be a 250, it's that is should be more manageable since you're new to motorcycles. The ninja is a great starter for lots of reasons, but 500s are fine too. With your experience on two wheels, a 650 twin would be acceptable too. What they don't want is people getting 600 inline 4s that breath hellfire when you accidentally give it too much throttle. Cruisers are a bit different than sport bikes too, they have more flat power curves and don't make as much power. You don't want to start off with a 1300cc cruiser, but a 500/650/750 is fine to start with. I would also recommend not getting a 250 cruiser if you have any plans on hitting the highway. If you just want an in town bike and a backroad rider, it's fine, but they're not very comfortable on the highway.
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Apr 10, 2011 03:17
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I've been looking at craigslist for a week or so now in Seattle. I'm looking at the typical Honda CB, Kawasaki KZ, Suzuki GS, and Yamaha XS series bikes for a first. Probably something in the 400-650cc range. It feels like a lot of people tend to overprice their bikes just because they're old. Are KBB or NADA Guides good to base negotiating prices off for older bikes? Also, I know this has a lot to do with personal preference, but are there any bikes in list I mentioned earlier I should either lean away from or lean towards either due to ease of maintenance, availability of parts, or general reliability?
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Apr 10, 2011 16:24
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Lord Fizzlebottom posted:I've been looking at craigslist for a week or so now in Seattle. I'm looking at the typical Honda CB, Kawasaki KZ, Suzuki GS, and Yamaha XS series bikes for a first. Probably something in the 400-650cc range. It feels like a lot of people tend to overprice their bikes just because they're old. Are KBB or NADA Guides good to base negotiating prices off for older bikes? While some models are well supported by the aftermarket, as a general rule anything from the 70s or 80s is not going to have all parts easily available from a dealer, and some parts just won't be available at all. A Ninja 250 or an EX500 will be far easier to live with than something 20-40 years old.
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Apr 10, 2011 19:07
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Saga posted:While some models are well supported by the aftermarket, as a general rule anything from the 70s or 80s is not going to have all parts easily available from a dealer, and some parts just won't be available at all. A Ninja 250 or an EX500 will be far easier to live with than something 20-40 years old. I understand and definitely appreciate your point. The problem for me is that I'm really not a fan of the sport bike look. I can't see myself owning a Ninja, at least as a 1st bike. The look of the UJMs truly more appealing to me, and I'm very willing to put forth the effort it'll take to own one. I am mechanically capable and have the desire to learn more. I'm just looking for more direction on any preferred makes & models within the UJM category of bikes.
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Apr 10, 2011 19:17
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GS500 pretty much sounds like the perfect UJM first bike for you then, they've been around for ~20 years.
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Apr 10, 2011 19:31
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infraboy posted:GS500 pretty much sounds like the perfect UJM first bike for you then, they've been around for ~20 years. Yeah, GS500s are at least still pretty well supported. I'd look there if you want an economical, reasonably headache-free old naked. Of course if you're a whiz mechanic, electrician and machinist with a lot of time on your hands and a fully equipped shop, then the sky's the limit.
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Apr 11, 2011 14:23
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Saga posted:Yeah, GS500s are at least still pretty well supported. I'd look there if you want an economical, reasonably headache-free old naked. The GS500 still looks like too much of a sport bike to me. I'm getting entirely too picky about this, I know. I can't help it though. Honestly, I'm looking at stuff more along the lines of the older Honda CB450, Yamaha XS400, etc. The classics. I'd love a CB750F, but having only ridden my friend's wildly modified Kawasaki 250cc dirtbike nearly 10 years ago, I don't know if I could handle a 750 just yet. Am I being unreasonable about this search?
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Apr 11, 2011 16:23
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KBB/NADA is not going to be any sort of guide on old bikes. Your best bet is to see if anything has sold recently on ebay in your area. You're also shopping for a bike right when everyone else is, so expect prices to be elevated. In the Seattle area you're going to have a hard time finding anything under $1000 that is in decent shape. You will have better luck if you expand your search to the smaller towns in Washington and are willing to travel. I will have an RD350 for sale here pretty shortly, but it's probably not the best bike for a beginner.
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Apr 11, 2011 16:32
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Lord Fizzlebottom posted:An old CB-750 would be fine. The further you go back the less relevant the CCs become compared to modern standards. Weight is a component to this however. As a beginner rider you will almost definitely drop your bike while stationary or parking up, a heavy bike feels so much more so when horizontal. My advice to you would be to pick up something cheap, easy to ride and mechanically sound, don't worry about what. Ride it around some and ding it up learning before getting picky about what you want. Then either sell it on to another beginner or keep it as a spare to the perfect bike which you can then take your time finding. n8r posted:I will have an RD350 for sale here pretty shortly, but it's probably not the best bike for a beginner. I dunno, might not be a bad bike for a beginner, spares aren't impossible and they're pretty easy to maintain. I think they look pretty sharp too. I'm biased though; I love the simplicity of classic two-smokes. Currently stripping my BSA Bantam down for a rebuild this summer 
ReelBigLizard fucked around with this message at 16:51 on Apr 11, 2011 |
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Apr 11, 2011 16:42
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Lord Fizzlebottom posted:The GS500 still looks like too much of a sport bike to me. I'm getting entirely too picky about this, I know. I can't help it though.  That still looks too much like a sportbike to you? Look, you should buy something that starts and runs reliably for your first bike, and that will be forgiving of your newbie mistakes. It's your first bike, it's a big, dangerous world out there, especially while you're still developing your skills. Buy a bike that will help you instill good riding habits, take the MSF, read some books on riding, get 5-10 thousand miles under your belt, and then go out and buy your CB750F that you've always wanted. You'll be a better rider, you won't destroy the bike of your dreams making a newb mistake, and you'll be more mechanically aware. If you do it right, you can sell your first bike for the same price you bought it for, so you'll be putting free mileage on your first bike. Plus, you may discover after it's all said and done that a CB750 looks great but isn't what you really want. You might take to adventure riding, or supermoto, or want a supersport for track riding, or a cruiser or touring bike, or one of the thousand other motorcycles out there for reasons you can't even guess at now. Remember: it's your first bike, not your last.
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Apr 11, 2011 17:23
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I owned a GS500 for my first bike and it owned.
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Apr 11, 2011 17:53
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Alright, I guess I'm not going to limit my search so much. You're right in saying that a 1st bike doesn't need to be my dream bike. It's something to learn on and get the feel for riding. I can get something reliable and sturdy as a 1st. As for the look of the GS500: Yeah, it still looks like a sportbike to me. I think it's only because of how the rear curves up. I dig the fewer sharp lines of the older 70s bikes. But, like I said, I won't count out the GS500 anymore. It does look like a good bike and I can see some relatively inexpensive ones in the area. Thanks for setting me straight fellas
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Apr 11, 2011 18:04
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So it turns out all of my top choices for bikes (now that I have a full time job to actually afford them) are extremely expensive to insure. I really liked the Bandit 1250, new Z1000, FZ1, and Speed Triple (which is what I really had my heart on since it was fairly common and cheap). So I guess it's time to look at 600-650cc sporty standards similar to those bikes. The SV650 would be a great option, but I really don't want clip-ons and it looks like converting it is a pain/expensive. I used to have a Ninja 650R and it was fun, but I think I want to try something else (possibly with more power?). Something fairly cheap (~3k) and relatively common. Suggestions? edit: looks like the naked SV650 has regular handlebars.
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Apr 11, 2011 21:51
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Get a naked SV650, they come with handlebars. edit: beaten before the edit
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Apr 11, 2011 21:53
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Naked SV650 looks like it fits everything, and I can probably find the newest gen in the winter for about 3k. Any other suggestions? Versys is nice but outside the price range.
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Apr 11, 2011 22:07
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hayden. posted:So it turns out all of my top choices for bikes (now that I have a full time job to actually afford them) are extremely expensive to insure. I really liked the Bandit 1250, new Z1000, FZ1, and Speed Triple (which is what I really had my heart on since it was fairly common and cheap). Wait, what? I've never heard of FZ1s or B12s being expensive to insure. I quoted insurance on a new B12 (at the time) and it was under 600 a year. Have you shopped around? SV650N is good, ER6Ns can be sometimes found around that range. You could do something like a streetfighter project on a GSX-R750 or older literbike if you wanted more power, 929s are prime bikes for that these days. There's also the FZ6, or the older B12.
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Apr 11, 2011 22:15
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Lord Fizzlebottom posted:As for the look of the GS500: Screw the looks, you won't be thinking about it when you're having fun throwing it around.
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Apr 12, 2011 00:09
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For those of you who have gone from clip-ons to handlebars, how do you like it? 99% of my riding takes place on back roads or commuting around a small town; I'm starting to feel like being hunched over in race ergonomics is a waste when bopping down to the grocery store or to work and back. Seriously considering trading my SVS this summer for a naked SV or something else if I can find it. Being half British I'm romantically drawn to Triumphs, and I love the Street Triple but all the ones that pop up here go for absurd prices... Is it unreasonable to try and find a clean Street Triple for ~$4000? Is the Striple worth it?
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Apr 12, 2011 03:39
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I went from handlebars to clip-ons and then back to handlebars. Most of my riding is on the street and that's where handlebars make sense. Clip-ons work well blasting down the highway or on the track. They also look cool, but I'd rather have fun than look pretty. I think you'll really like going from an SV to a Street Triple. Not sure what the market is like for them.
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Apr 12, 2011 04:05
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kylej posted:For those of you who have gone from clip-ons to handlebars, how do you like it? 99% of my riding takes place on back roads or commuting around a small town; I'm starting to feel like being hunched over in race ergonomics is a waste when bopping down to the grocery store or to work and back. Seriously considering trading my SVS this summer for a naked SV or something else if I can find it. Being half British I'm romantically drawn to Triumphs, and I love the Street Triple but all the ones that pop up here go for absurd prices... You could always get an handlebar kit for your SV (I'm guessing they'll clear the fairing but NFI)
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Apr 12, 2011 04:14
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Guy has a naked '07 SV650 with 7k miles up for $4k and he is a motivated seller from the sound of his ad. Seeing as he's moving in 2 weeks and needs to offload the bike, think I could lowball him to $3500 at the end of the week? Granted going from my 250 to a 650 would be quite the jump in power, but if I could snag a mint 650 for $3,500 would be nice since it is a bike I had in mind having a couple years down the road.
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Apr 12, 2011 04:15
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So how are 02 or later SV650s to work on carb-wise and all? http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/mcy/2290506084.html This doesn't seem like a bad deal unless I'm missing something. Or is another 500-800 bucks worth it for the fuel injection in the 03 and newer?
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Apr 12, 2011 04:16
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BradleyJamers posted:Guy has a naked '07 SV650 with 7k miles up for $4k and he is a motivated seller from the sound of his ad. Seeing as he's moving in 2 weeks and needs to offload the bike, think I could lowball him to $3500 at the end of the week? Granted going from my 250 to a 650 would be quite the jump in power, but if I could snag a mint 650 for $3,500 would be nice since it is a bike I had in mind having a couple years down the road.
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Apr 12, 2011 12:29
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I'd appreciate your comments on the following for a first bike. I'm looking at a 1999 bmw f650 funduro with 17k miles. It's got an ohlins rear shock. Seller is asking $1500. I have no experience with motorcycles (save for MSF course). I'm 6'2, 200lbs. I'm mainly interested in riding on country roads in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and in the mountains. casque fucked around with this message at 00:45 on Apr 14, 2011 |
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Apr 13, 2011 20:58
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casque posted:I'd appreciate your comments on the following for a first bike. Sounds like a good deal to me. F650s aren't powerful or "sporting", but are fuel efficient, pleasant for gentle riding and quite capable of handling well-prepared dirt roads. I don't see how you can beat that price if it runs and the shock doesn't need a rebuild, but Z3n will probably be along shortly to tell us that's $1000 too much.
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Apr 13, 2011 21:58
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That's a better deal than any i've seen my in area, saw a 10 year old 650 going for like 4k here wtf?
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Apr 13, 2011 22:03
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Saga posted:Sounds like a good deal to me. F650s aren't powerful or "sporting", but are fuel efficient, pleasant for gentle riding and quite capable of handling well-prepared dirt roads. I don't see how you can beat that price if it runs and the shock doesn't need a rebuild, but Z3n will probably be along shortly to tell us that's $1000 too much. Actually, those BMWs hold their value really well, 1500 is a steal on one. Take that! 
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Apr 13, 2011 23:15
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Z3n posted:Actually, those BMWs hold their value really well, 1500 is a steal on one. I've reconsidered, that's CLEARLY far too much money for a Funduro. You want to buy an NTV700 instead.
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Apr 14, 2011 11:28
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Considering I pulled off my airbox last night to find cracked fuel lines and oil caking the outside, top and dripping into my front cylinder, I've fallen back into the "I need to get a new bike before my trip" mindset. There's a local dealer that has an '08 GSX650F listed at $4,600 (right at KBB retail). The previous owner put on a centerstand, tinted shield, Yoshi slipon and something that "fixes" the speedo indication (not sure what the mechanic was talking about). Only has ~250 miles, too. Anyone have expiernce with these bikes? I know it's basically a Katana/Bandit hybrid and sounds like a good all-rounder. Also seems like a decent price, was thinking of offering a bit less out the door. E: Oh, and my SV will be kept as a project for a friend and I.
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Apr 14, 2011 15:00
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So I took everyone's advice on avoiding a 250 cruiser and got this instead:
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Apr 14, 2011 15:27
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Looks awesome, congratulations.
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Apr 14, 2011 15:31
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Thanks! It need some stator work (has to be plugged into a battery minder for a few minutes to start) but it runs like a drat champ considering it's 30 years old. A steal at $600.
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Apr 14, 2011 15:40
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EdsTeioh posted:Thanks! It need some stator work (has to be plugged into a battery minder for a few minutes to start) but it runs like a drat champ considering it's 30 years old. A steal at $600. You're doing it right. I started on something very similar. Have fun riding and learning to wrench on it.
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Apr 14, 2011 18:16
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A SOHC 650 with stator issues? Do tell. 
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Apr 15, 2011 00:01
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*That* was $600?! Why can't I find anything like that??
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Apr 15, 2011 00:34
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Being new to motorcycles, I did some reading on what a stator is. It doesn't look like an incredibly complex part to figure out. Since your stator has an issue, is it something you'll actually try to fix yourself by rewinding the coils or will you just replace the whole part?
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Apr 15, 2011 00:47
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Anyone have any thoughts on this bike? http://raleigh.craigslist.org/mcy/2325041230.html The price seems a little high but that bike looks bad as hell and I have been kind of lusting over old beemers lately. I'm a little hesitant to go for one that is so old and has had so much work done though, especially considering that I'm far from a mechanic (though I'm learning) and BMWs have always had a reputation as being difficult to work on.
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Apr 15, 2011 01:12
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"[panic posted:"] You realize that if you buy that you have to put it in your living room.. right?
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Apr 15, 2011 01:29
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