Hello, I am a new rider looking for a used bike. So far I have deducted that i should get a 750 so my bike isnt too fast to learn on but can get out of its own way(I am a fit 6'2 200 lbs man). WIth this in mind, I do not want to spend over $5000. So i have a barriage of questions, your comments on one of all of them would be GREATlY APPRECIATED!!!
What type of bike do you recommend?
What should I look for when checking a bike out for wear and tear?
Is maintence a bear?
How many miles are too much?
Is riding safe in a big city?
Are bikes a chick magnet or what? (No answer needed, just wanted to point that out)
Thanks a lot for you help, any little bit of wisdom is greatly appreciated. FYI I am also new to the forum! Nice to meet your acquaintence!
-Matt (Long Beach)
Want to buy bike, need advice!!!!!
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jmillheiser
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VermilionX
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Re: Want to buy bike, need advice!!!!!
FurZo wrote:Hello, I am a new rider looking for a used bike. So far I have deducted that i should get a 750 so my bike isnt too fast to learn on but can get out of its own way(I am a fit 6'2 200 lbs man). WIth this in mind, I do not want to spend over $5000. So i have a barriage of questions, your comments on one of all of them would be GREATlY APPRECIATED!!!
What type of bike do you recommend? you might fit better on a cruiser bikes plus 750cc for a cruiser is actually ok for beginners.
What should I look for when checking a bike out for wear and tear? i dunno bring mechanic w/ you.
Is maintence a bear? not sure yet, but i wanna learn to change my own tires and oil. i'll bring it to a shop until i get some good intructions from experienced riders.
How many miles are too much? i believe the normal miles is 6,000/yr.
Is riding safe in a big city? no, but you can learn to avoid accidents and lower your chance of getting into an accident. take an MSF course.
Are bikes a chick magnet or what? (No answer needed, just wanted to point that out) i dunno, i haven't tried it yet.
Thanks a lot for you help, any little bit of wisdom is greatly appreciated. FYI I am also new to the forum! Nice to meet your acquaintence!
-Matt (Long Beach)
Bikes Owned:
Gixxer 1000 K6 (stolen)
Gixxer 750 K6
Bikes Wanted:
VMAX
a super kewl cafe racer
Gixxer 1000 K6 (stolen)
Gixxer 750 K6
Bikes Wanted:
VMAX
a super kewl cafe racer
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Randy
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what is interesting is that so many people say that a 600ish sport bike isnt enough for them. I wonder what kind of cars most of them drive. I mean a chevrolet cobalt has 145 horse. A Ninja 636 has 125 hp and weighs several thousand pounds less. I am just curious, its in my nature.
Trying is the first step towards failure - Homer Simpson
05 Yamaha VMAX
04 Suzuki SV650
05 Suzuki RMZ450
05 Yamaha VMAX
04 Suzuki SV650
05 Suzuki RMZ450
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jmillheiser
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OK to answer your questions.
What type of bike do you recommend?
Whatever type of bike you like, its mostly based off of the type of riding you want to do, if you want to just cruise at a nice leisurely pace then get a cruiser, if you want to go canyon carving get a sportbike or a standard, if you want to be able to take it off road too get a dual sport.
What should I look for when checking a bike out for wear and tear?
Scratches on the bike, poor running, excessive chain play, any leaks, check the oil and see how it looks
Is maintence a bear?
Depends on the bike, but for the most part no, if you can change your own oil on your cage then you should be able to most of the routine maintainance tasks on your bike
How many miles are too much?
Depends on the bike, with a older bike low miles can be an indication of neglect, most high milage bikes have been taken care of, but always have a reputable motorcycle mechanic check any used bike you want to buy.
Is riding safe in a big city?
The risks are pretty much the same no matter where you ride, best thing you can do is gear up and ride within your limits.
Are bikes a chick magnet or what? (No answer needed, just wanted to point that out)
The bike might draw some attention, but if you have no game then dont expect to get her number. Oh, and expect to be asked "So when are you getting a Harley?" by most non-riders (if you ride a Harley this of cousre does not apply).
What type of bike do you recommend?
Whatever type of bike you like, its mostly based off of the type of riding you want to do, if you want to just cruise at a nice leisurely pace then get a cruiser, if you want to go canyon carving get a sportbike or a standard, if you want to be able to take it off road too get a dual sport.
What should I look for when checking a bike out for wear and tear?
Scratches on the bike, poor running, excessive chain play, any leaks, check the oil and see how it looks
Is maintence a bear?
Depends on the bike, but for the most part no, if you can change your own oil on your cage then you should be able to most of the routine maintainance tasks on your bike
How many miles are too much?
Depends on the bike, with a older bike low miles can be an indication of neglect, most high milage bikes have been taken care of, but always have a reputable motorcycle mechanic check any used bike you want to buy.
Is riding safe in a big city?
The risks are pretty much the same no matter where you ride, best thing you can do is gear up and ride within your limits.
Are bikes a chick magnet or what? (No answer needed, just wanted to point that out)
The bike might draw some attention, but if you have no game then dont expect to get her number. Oh, and expect to be asked "So when are you getting a Harley?" by most non-riders (if you ride a Harley this of cousre does not apply).
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storysunfolding
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What type of bike do you recommend? Start on a beater used bike. Standard or cruiser style- and get used to riding. After a month or two you'll start to get an idea of what you really want, and if you dropped it you won't care too much. You can sell beater bikes for pretty much what you paid for them if you don't mess anything up majorly. Then when you have a better idea whta you want, buy that.
What should I look for when checking a bike out for wear and tear? Everything. Check for rust everywhere especially in the tank. Make sure there aren't any big gouges on any metal indicating a crash. Check to see if the lights work. If it has a center stand put it up, put weight on the back so the front comes up and see if the forks move side to side (bad- we're not talking about them turning, that's different). Look for anything bent, check wear on tires and for cracks, look at the oil, check the coolant if it has it. If it has a chain does it look saggy, are the sprockets even or do they look like shark teeth (worn). See if it starts, does it make any clinging noises, do the RPMS shoot up and stay there. Did the battery leak acid all over, how does the seat look. Plenty of things to look for. Make sure the rubber parts on the bike are in good condition, the intake boots, the rubber caps, the fuel lines etc- no dry brittle or cracking or you'll have to replace it. See if you can get a test ride and see if there are any dead or flat spots. If you can't get a test ride ask the guy to ride it around with you following so you can see/hear what's going on. There are plenty of tips out there for finding inspecting a used bike.
Is maintence a bear? No. Lets pretend it's a liquid cooled chain driven bike. Can you change the oil, change the tires (easier to pay the guy to do it but taking them off yourself saves you money), lube the chain and check the tension every so many miles. Check the brakes, change the brakes, bleed teh brakes, lube the cables, flush the radiator, bleed the cooling system, change the air filter, check and set valve clearances (easier than it sounds though often time consuming but not required all that often). That's pretty much going to cover it. You can buy a haynes or clymer repair manual that pretty much gives you idiot proof instructions on how to do all that. IF you don't have any tools you an pick up everything you would need to do all listed above for under $100
How many miles are too much? Guessing you're asking used again.Depends on the bike and the owner. Some guys wear a bike out in 5,000 miles. Some bikes last well past 100,000 miles. Were I to assume anything, it's that the guy selling you the bike isn't that honest and is going to tell you it was maintaned well its whole life. I'd rather buy a cruiser, standard or touring bike used though because I have a feeling that sport bikes get ridden harder.
Is riding safe in a big city? Riding gets more dangerous with every intersection you cross. That said with proper training and instruction riding in the city can be made safer. I ride in D.C./Baltimore/Richmond and once in Atlanta with no problems, but I was expecting every car to be stupid.
Are bikes a chick magnet or what? (No answer needed, just wanted to point that out)
It's actually annoying. There are so many of them clinging to you that you'll have to buy multiple bikes to disguise yourself. Ride the cruiser near where the sport bike groupies hang out and the sport bike around any girl wearing leather. Be brave.
What should I look for when checking a bike out for wear and tear? Everything. Check for rust everywhere especially in the tank. Make sure there aren't any big gouges on any metal indicating a crash. Check to see if the lights work. If it has a center stand put it up, put weight on the back so the front comes up and see if the forks move side to side (bad- we're not talking about them turning, that's different). Look for anything bent, check wear on tires and for cracks, look at the oil, check the coolant if it has it. If it has a chain does it look saggy, are the sprockets even or do they look like shark teeth (worn). See if it starts, does it make any clinging noises, do the RPMS shoot up and stay there. Did the battery leak acid all over, how does the seat look. Plenty of things to look for. Make sure the rubber parts on the bike are in good condition, the intake boots, the rubber caps, the fuel lines etc- no dry brittle or cracking or you'll have to replace it. See if you can get a test ride and see if there are any dead or flat spots. If you can't get a test ride ask the guy to ride it around with you following so you can see/hear what's going on. There are plenty of tips out there for finding inspecting a used bike.
Is maintence a bear? No. Lets pretend it's a liquid cooled chain driven bike. Can you change the oil, change the tires (easier to pay the guy to do it but taking them off yourself saves you money), lube the chain and check the tension every so many miles. Check the brakes, change the brakes, bleed teh brakes, lube the cables, flush the radiator, bleed the cooling system, change the air filter, check and set valve clearances (easier than it sounds though often time consuming but not required all that often). That's pretty much going to cover it. You can buy a haynes or clymer repair manual that pretty much gives you idiot proof instructions on how to do all that. IF you don't have any tools you an pick up everything you would need to do all listed above for under $100
How many miles are too much? Guessing you're asking used again.Depends on the bike and the owner. Some guys wear a bike out in 5,000 miles. Some bikes last well past 100,000 miles. Were I to assume anything, it's that the guy selling you the bike isn't that honest and is going to tell you it was maintaned well its whole life. I'd rather buy a cruiser, standard or touring bike used though because I have a feeling that sport bikes get ridden harder.
Is riding safe in a big city? Riding gets more dangerous with every intersection you cross. That said with proper training and instruction riding in the city can be made safer. I ride in D.C./Baltimore/Richmond and once in Atlanta with no problems, but I was expecting every car to be stupid.
Are bikes a chick magnet or what? (No answer needed, just wanted to point that out)
It's actually annoying. There are so many of them clinging to you that you'll have to buy multiple bikes to disguise yourself. Ride the cruiser near where the sport bike groupies hang out and the sport bike around any girl wearing leather. Be brave.