1st bike

[tael]

So I've been looking around for motorcycles and such and it seems that for my first motorcycle, I am contemplating a 1981 Yamaha Heritage Special (400cc) with 9800 mi on it. I found it on this link

http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/9861246

but I was wondering what you guys think about it. The guy is asking for 1200 cdn for it. When I was talking to the guy, he said that he has had oil changes done to it, but that is it for general maintenance. I am going to look at it tomorrow and see what I personally think about the condition of the bike and all that. If I like it, I will be getting the thing checked over professionally to make sure it is ok. I figure spending $75 invested into a 1200 dollar bike is well worth the investment to find out if there is any added expenses I may end up forking over.

I'm a little curious about the name he has for it though. I thought that Yamaha released certain bikes with the added title "Heritage" or "Special" depending upon the factory add-ons.

The other motorcycle I've been looking at is a 1980 Kawasaki X 440 ltd which is going for 1250 cdn. The guy has been a small engine mechanic for 20 somewhat years and was brought up with a mechanic father that taught him about cars, so he knows everything from a chainsaw engine to a truck engine. The link is

http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/9795991

So, talking to the guy, he tells me it is mechanically sound and has ran great for the couple years he's ridden it. It has 6xxxx km on it.

Since I am by no means an expert on motorcycles, and I wasn't even alive -much less driving motorcycles- at the point that these bikes were manufactured, I was hoping for some input.

PS. I was not sure where exactly I should put this so I did duplicate the post into a couple forums, sorry if it makes anyone red.

[Gunslinger]

Tael,
My dad gave me some great advice when I was looking for a bike. He said stay away from older bikes unless you enjoy working on them. Lots of shops won't touch a bike that's more than 10 years old. The miles are super low on both those bikes. Almost too low. If those are the actual miles that's many, many years of sitting around getting gummed up and deteriorating. Bikes need to be ridden on occasion to keep everything flowing.

Although I can't give you advice on those specific models my opinion is I think the asking prices are too high. I would offer the first guy 500 and probably no more than 600. If he doesn't take it walk away. It took me 4 months to find my current sled, so don't give up.

[GLsouris]

My wife and I run older bikes {82 and 83 Silverwings], so I know what I am talking about with older bikes. First the asking price is too much on those bikes, second if you don't do your own maintanance, walk away now. Our bikes are very good, but I have spent about 8 hours working on them this past month. If you found a shop to do that work that would cost you a pile of cash, that you might as well spend on a newer bike.

[tael]

Well, as much as I want to learn how to wrench on a motorcycle, I only know some maintenance for cars. I wouldn't know where to begin. Some things I've been reading up on aboutmotorcycle maintenance include cleaning the carbs, but without guidance, I'm far too worried about doing something wrong and rendering my future motorcycle and main means of transportation useless.

When saying that the 1st is $500, $600 tops, are you refering to canadian currency?

Another one I've been looking at is an 03 gs500 naked, which is going for 3.5 grand. I could buy this, though I am looking at putting myself into a little debt doing that, somewhere around two months to pay it off. That seems like a nice bike but the thing is is that I don't know how much they usually sell for. Btw, if it makes a difference, I live on Vancouver island.

Thanks guys.

[Johnj]

Both the Kawasaki and the Yamaha 400 twins were fine bikes, so what these are worth is hard to say. Do they have all their parts? Have they been repainted? Has the maintenance been kept up? What condition are the tires in? Do they run right? Can you test ride it?

A good looking, good running, stock bike is worth that. I'd still try to haggle him down.

[paul246]

Well, as much as I want to learn how to wrench on a motorcycle, I only know some maintenance for cars. I wouldn't know where to begin. Some things I've been reading up on aboutmotorcycle maintenance include cleaning the carbs, but without guidance, I'm far too worried about doing something wrong and rendering my future motorcycle and main means of transportation useless.

When saying that the 1st is $500, $600 tops, are you refering to canadian currency?

Another one I've been looking at is an 03 gs500 naked, which is going for 3.5 grand. I could buy this, though I am looking at putting myself into a little debt doing that, somewhere around two months to pay it off. That seems like a nice bike but the thing is is that I don't know how much they usually sell for. Btw, if it makes a difference, I live on Vancouver island.

Thanks guys.

Personally, I would also recommend newer rather than older. But, if you are willing to part with 3.5K on a used bike, why not consider a new Honda CBR125, you will also get some riding gear as part of the package.
The bike is super reliable and easy to ride, plus it will keep up with traffic quite well. Motorcycle mag reviews have been very good regarding the 125. If required, Honda will give you financing on it, too.

[tael]

As nice as the 125 Honda is, it is just too little. I don't need gobs of power, but if I were to take my road test with that, for example, then I'd be limited to under 250cc among a tonne of other restrictions. Now it can go ~120km/h, which is enough for most of BC, but the torque to get you to move quickly if you need it is just not there at all. I know that torque is also a bad thing for new riders, which is one of the reasons why most people I know of tell people to stay away from 600+ cc models.

Just to note, I do already have some of the gear, which is nice. I am looking at purchasing some of my equipment from New Enough as I see awesome reviews for their services.

Honestly I would love to have a Kawasaki Ninja 250r 2008+ as they look awesome (to me, I don't want a flam war about it being great looking or absolutely disgusting to see) and are ideal for what driving I wish to do. ie: I'll be driving town, and going between towns on highways under 100 km/h and I'll be driving along East Sooke Rd, which is a very very windy road. That makes the 250r the best bet for me.

The biggest problem is saved up moola', but I hear that motorcycle's go down in price in the winter. What time can I expect to see a greater selection of used motorcycles go up for sale at discounted prices.

[Gunslinger]

$500 Canadian is $456 US. I was talking US money so $500 in US dollars would be about $550 Canadian. I might even go as high as $650 Canadian. I'm not saying those are bad bikes but they are almost 30 years old. I bet you could find a used 2000-2006 Ninja for around 2 bills if you keep looking long enough.

I'm in Arizona so we don't really have a "winter" season. I think September/October is when you start to see the winter bikes going up for sale. Going into debt for 2 months for a better bike isn't that big a deal IMO but it's what you are comfortable with. Remember it's your first bike not your last.

[tael]

Ah I see. We live in a rain-forest temperate climate, so our winters consist of a couple inches of snow for a day or two. Well thanks for the info. I had some doubts about a bike that is nearing 30 years old (even 20 years old for a lower cc motorcycle). I was thinking I'd be likely to run into unforseen problems which would eat away at my wallet.

Just to update on the Yamaha heritage special. It's in good condition and runs well. I don't know how well the guy took care of it though as he actually miswrote the mileage on the bike; it's more around 10000 miles. Still really low.

Well, I guess I will just have to keep looking.

[flynrider]

Both those bikes are good bikes, but their advanced age means that it will take some mechanical expertise or a lot of money to keep them running. If you're not experienced wrenching on bikes, I'd recommend you look for something newer.

By the way, the XS400 Heritage Special (just called the Special in earlier years) is just a cruiserish version of the more standard styled XS400. The main differnces are the buckhorn bars and the stepped seat. That's also what the LTD means on the Kawasaki 440.