newbie questions

[dangermouse]

Hello all
i am glad i found this forum-

i am newbie - i will take my BRC next month
i have read that a 600cc bike is too much for a new rider
but does that apply to one that is over 20 yrs old?

i have some questions about 2 bikes

the 1st one is a '86 Yamaha fz600 that i found on craigslist
i have talked to the owner and i am going to see it next weekend.
he says that the carbs leak gas after about 10 min of riding - and that the tires need to be replaced - he is willing to drop about $700 off the asking price of $1800

i have also been in contact with someone who has a 1986 Honda VF500 Interceptor.
he says that the bike has been customized - new (read modern) fairings and instrument panel - says that he can't give me an accurate mileage on the bike - reading up on the bike it seems to have a problem with the top end around 20K although some have gone as far as 40K.
after talking to him he is willing to drop to $2K - originally price was $2500
this bike is also 20 yrs old

of the 2 which should i concentrate on?

[jonnythan]

Hello all
i am glad i found this forum-

i am newbie - i will take my BRC next month
i have read that a 600cc bike is too much for a new rider
but does that apply to one that is over 20 yrs old?

Read the stickies in the New Bikers Forum. The answer is that 600cc sport bikes are too much.

600-750cc cruisers with V-twin engines are another matter.

the 1st one is a '86 Yamaha fz600 that i found on craigslist
i have talked to the owner and i am going to see it next weekend.
he says that the carbs leak gas after about 10 min of riding - and that the tires need to be replaced - he is willing to drop about $700 off the asking price of $1800

i have also been in contact with someone who has a 1986 Honda VF500 Interceptor.
he says that the bike has been customized - new (read modern) fairings and instrument panel - says that he can't give me an accurate mileage on the bike - reading up on the bike it seems to have a problem with the top end around 20K although some have gone as far as 40K.
after talking to him he is willing to drop to $2K - originally price was $2500
this bike is also 20 yrs old

of the 2 which should i concentrate on?

Neither?

[G3rrity]

Used bikes can be great. Mine is 28 years old and when I bought it it had zero problems, and all of it was stock except for things like tires that had needed to be replaced. To be quite frank, those two bikes you are describing sound like a nightmare. Your experience with motorcycling is not going to be a good one if all you spend your time doing with your first bike is getting it fixed. Not to mention, a bike with so many mechanical issues or strange modifications can be highly unsafe. And those low asking prices will be greatly magnified when you have to take it in to the shop for a ton of repairs. If someone is willing to drop 2000 dollars off of a 2500 dollar asking price, the bike is an absolute nightmare and all he wants to do is get it off his hands.

My advice is keep looking, keep looking and then look some more. I looked at tons of bikes before I finally decided on mine, and all of them were pre-1985. Check out Craigslist in your area (but always be wary here) and also local dealerships that carry used bikes. My guess is that with some serious research and poking around you'll eventually stumble upon a "diamond in the rough" so to speak that suits your needs perfectly and won't wind up being a tremendous headache.

Sean

[Brackstone]

what jonny said +1

[Gunslinger]

Although I'm still a rookie I would add a big +1 to what G3rrity and jonnythan said. I bet I looked at a couple hundred bikes before I found the one that I wanted. More often than not anything that old is going to have some issues. I almost bought a 82 Honda Hawk 400 as a first bike. It wasn't running but the guy told me it just needed a tuneup and some gas and it would fire right up. Maybe, maybe not but I was not willing to take his word for it. I would have spent more time messing with it than riding.

I've noticed some people can be quite dillusional with their prices on bikes. Think about it: a 22 year old bike, unknown mileage, known top end issues, replaced fairing and panel (why? was it wrecked?). And for this the guy wants two G's. Wow. Do yourself a favor, look for something made in this decade that runs good at the price you can afford. The deals are out there you just have to be patient.
Good luck. Let us know what kind of bike you end up with.