buying a motorcycle... questions

**lxorl** · 09-04-2003, 12:07 PM

Im new to the whole motorcycle thing, but I think i would like to buy a used one. My first choice would be a harley. Second a honda VTX 1300.... but they are both way out of my price range.

I live in a college town, so im guessing i can pick up a used sports bike for a reasonable price. i would like to keep it between 2k-3500. I know that is pretty cheap.

I just want some advice, recomendations.... from experienced riders. any thoughts ?

thanks

**MMC78** · 09-04-2003, 12:12 PM

My advice would be to start with a small engine bike, 500ccs or less. It will be much cheaper to insure. You can get a used japanese bike for under 2k.

After you have more experience, then I'd try for a harley or high performance sport bike. Check out a motorcycle safety course. http://www.msf-usa.com

**lxorl** · 09-04-2003, 12:13 PM

I already have taken a safty course through Harley davidson....

500 might be hard to find... everything im coming across is 650 or up.

Originally Posted by MMC78

My advice would be to start with a small engine bike, 500ccs or less. It will be much cheaper to insure. You can get a used japanese bike for under 2k.

After you have more experience, then I'd try for a harley or high performance sport bike. Check out a motorcycle safety course. http://www.msf-usa.com

**mammoth** · 09-04-2003, 12:51 PM

Good luck finding a harley in that price range. In that range you are more than likely going to be stuck with a Yamaha or Kawasaki. Check out http://www.cycletrader.com/

**lxorl** · 09-04-2003, 12:52 PM

I never said i expected to find a harley in that range, in fact i said i was looking for a sport bike because that was about all i could afford.

Originally Posted by mammoth

Good luck finding a harley in that price range. In that range you are more than likely going to be stuck with a Yamaha or Kawasaki. Check out http://www.cycletrader.com/

**mammoth** · 09-04-2003, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by lxorl

I never said i expected to find a harley in that range, in fact i said i was looking for a sport bike because that was about all i could afford.

My bad!! Good luck anyhow!

***Shredz*** · 09-04-2003, 01:12 PM

Personally, I started with a 600cc bike. A band new Yamaha R6. Now this is one of the faster 600's but at the same time I was glad that I went this route. If I went bigger it would have been too much for a first bike but if i would have say bought a 500cc ninja or something along those lines I would have grown out of the bike way to fast.

**G Child** · 09-05-2003, 12:04 AM

My first bike was a '93 yzf 600. Personally it was ok for the first month but I got tired of it quick and wish I had gotten a bigger bike. I upgraded to a 750 GSXR and that still wasn't enough.

Stopped riding for a few years and then got a Hayabusa 1300R and couldn't have been happier until I wrecked it. Got an R1 right after that and I would never go below 1000cc bike again.

So I say get the biggest bike you can afford, because you WILL get tired of a little kiddy 600cc bike very quickly.

**PaPaPumP** · 09-05-2003, 03:29 AM

Owned a 600R kawasaki, kawi 600zx6r and a yammy r1...def go 600 they still hall balls...i love hearing people say dude im getting a 1000 cc...600's are slow

...rip on a 600's throttleand tell me it cant skoot.

go with a r6 if u can find anoher couple g's,, if not go with a 96-7 kawi zx6r for sure. dont forget to wear your lid!!!!

<---something that guy didntcare much to do.

ride safe

**G Child** · 09-05-2003, 04:08 AM

It's not so much that they are slow but that they have a bit less power and you can't do as much. I couldn't pull one up going 70mph on my 600cc but in the Hayabusa and the R1 I could pull it up at any speed.

**G Child** · 09-05-2003, 04:12 AM

**rambo** · 09-05-2003, 04:45 AM

What's insurance running you in comparison to what you were paying for auto?

***Shredz*** · 09-05-2003, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by PaPaPumP

i love hearing people say dude im getting a 1000 cc...600's are slow

...rip on a 600's throttleand tell me it cant skoot.

go with a r6 if u can find anoher couple g's,,

Couldn't agree more with this statement I have dusted many 1000cc bikes on my R6. When it comes down to it...it is who has the most balls. You will have no problem keeping up with the big brothers your first few years.

After you learn how to ride then you can step up to a leader bike and really take it to your bros. I see so many jump on a big cc bike and they either don't have the balls or experience to ride it or they think they have the balls and end up dumping it.

Like I said in my first post start with a 600cc GSXR or R6 and enjoy you will not be disappointed. These bikes out handle a leader bike any day.

**gixxerboy1** · 09-05-2003, 03:30 PM

i'm selling my gsxr. its online now for sale. please by it....

**DBarcelo** · 09-05-2003, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by lxorl

Im new to the whole motorcycle thing, but I think i would like to buy a used one. My first choice would be a harley. Second a honda VTX 1300.... but they are both way out of my price range.

I live in a college town, so im guessing i can pick up a used sports bike for a reasonable price. i would like to keep it between 2k-3500. I know that is pretty cheap.

I just want some advice, recomendations.... from experienced riders. any thoughts ?

thanks

You have to first consider the type of riding you plan on doing and then what kind of person you are. If you know you're the type of person that likes to push the limits in a car, then you should probably stay away from a sport bike. Even a small sport bike can go pretty quick. I've gone 110mph on a 250cc Ninja. And a new rider probably shouldn't be doing a buck on the highway. Also, sport bikes seem to get less respect on the road as well as being harder to see. When you're new to riding, you want to be seen and if not, then heard. I spent an extra grand on that 250 Ninja to increase the sound it makes. Before I did that, I almost ran into about 5 people, because they just didn't hear me comming and didn't see me comming. I generally suggest a person go for a small cruiser first. You should probably have a light bike also. I remember when I first started riding, I almost dropped the bike a couple times because I had to get used to stopping with the weight of the bike slightly shifted to the side I'm going to put my foot down on. If I had a bigger bike, I probably would have dropped it. Insurance is another issue. Insurance for a sport bike is twice as much as for a cruiser. Most insurance companies don't even consider a 250 Ninja to be a sport bike, so I paid less than $250 for an entire year round. My Ninja was about $3000 out the box. You will outgrow a 250 very quickly, so I'm not suggesting you get that bike, but I have kids and I'm keeping it around so I can teach them to ride on it when they get older.

Hope that helps out a little.

**cfiler** · 09-05-2003, 10:49 PM

Try to find a Suzuki GSXR or Katana. They are very good machines. The Yamaha R6 is also wicked, but too new and probably too pricey.
Suzuki's are common, well priced, and wicked!

I rode a GSXR the other day, and now have to buy one!

**ripsid** · 09-06-2003, 02:39 PM

lxorl OR ANYONE ELSE...
I have 2001 Sporty 883 custom, it's just right for your first bike bro. It's got about 56 horse with the Screamin Eagle carb and pipes. If you're interested I'll send you pics, I just want what I owe on it and there 2 years extended warranty still on it. DON'T go to mikes famous in Delaware you don't pay tax but you pay OUT THE A$$! I went there when I was looking and couldn't believe the markup, go for lunch and check out what they have, but that's it.
Mine was my 1st in about 10 years so I got it, now I'm having some $$ troubles, so just asking what I owe bro! No F* off here...it's got bags, and V&H Straightshots on there for the noise! Hell I'll throw in a half-hat that I wore about 10 times, (I have a beanie, my girl hates it but wtf right).
Oh yeah, I think I may have 5k on it and I don't ride much at all. Never laid down!!!!! No damage!!!!

SID

***Shredz*** · 09-06-2003, 03:57 PM

[QUOTE=cfiler] The Yamaha R6 is also wicked, but too new and probably too pricey.
QUOTE]

Too New???? The R6 has been around since 1999. It is actually $100 cheaper MSRP then both the GSXR and the F4iRR.

I agree with the GSXR statement that it is a solid bike. But the Katana, I am extremely disappointed in. The Katana was one of the top bike is the late 80's early 90's but has fallen far behind the GSZR's the R6's Ninja's and the F4's. The performance, handling and styling of these four bike is far ahead of that of a Katana.

**cfiler** · 09-07-2003, 01:06 AM

[QUOTE=Shredz]

Originally Posted by cfiler

The Yamaha R6 is also wicked, but too new and probably too pricey.
QUOTE]

Too New???? The R6 has been around since 1999. It is actually $100 cheaper MSRP then both the GSXR and the F4iRR.

I agree with the GSXR statement that it is a solid bike. But the Katana, I am extremely disappointed in. The Katana was one of the top bike is the late 80's early 90's but has fallen far behind the GSZR's the R6's Ninja's and the F4's. The performance, handling and styling of these four bike is far ahead of that of a Katana.

Yes, the R6 is probably the best bike to ride. But I can't find a R6 for less than $8000 cdn ($5500 US). Now a 96-98 gsxr 600 could be more in his price range. I do agree that the new katanas are not nearly as good of a performer as the other bikes are, and I probably shouldn't have suggested them. (I wasn't thinking, like usual)

**rambo** · 09-07-2003, 08:20 AM

Dbarcelo, are 250 cc Ninja's visibly much smaller than other sport bikes, or when people refer to outgrowing is it just the size of the engine. I know they have full size fairings, but what about the rest of the dimensions?

**DBarcelo** · 09-07-2003, 10:45 AM

When people say they outgrow it, they mean the engine power. If you like doing 150 on the highway, it's not going to be powerful enough for you. If you like doing wheelies, it's just fine. If you need a really quick acceleration, it's not going to be powerful nough. If you like doing endo's, it's not going to work for you because it only has one disk in the front. Side by side, you see the difference in width. The 250 and the 500 are almost exactly the same. I prefer the look of the 250 to the 500. The 250 and 500 are the only ones with dual exhaust. The bike is just as tall as other sport bikes, just narrower. From the side, hard to tell the difference between a 250 and a 600. Everyone thinks that my 250 is a 600. Even people that know bikes find it hard to believe that my 250 isn't at least a 500. I did have the exhaust switched to a single muzzie, chrome pipe, stage 2 jet. No work to the body except for removing the center stand to accomidate the new pipe and muffler. Because the bike sounds so deep now, people just think it has to be really fast. I haven't gone any faster than about 110 or 115 and that was just about maxing it out. I did the alterations before the engine was broken in, so I don't know what the popential is for the bike when it's stock.

**rambo** · 09-07-2003, 07:06 PM

Good stuff, thanks.

**tolinka** · 09-08-2003, 10:58 PM

I was wondering the same thing about bikes. I can afford a car, so I'm looking to spend areound 4k on a bike...good thread.

**Xavier_4446** · 09-09-2003, 04:36 PM

If you look hard enough you can find a Harley Davidson sportser for a very low price. Although my Dad considers them to be the pussy Harley Davidson. Hell its a Harley.