what do you guys think about this bike

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bandit08 · #11 Unread post by **bandit08** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 3:33 am

lol my bad carbs cleaned well i got a email back from him said when he gets off work going to send me some more pics and try to start it up tonight. if it starts up you guys think i should go ahead and get it

ofblong · #12 Unread post by **ofblong** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:26 am

bandit08 wrote:lol my bad carbs cleaned well i got a email back from him said when he gets off work going to send me some more pics and try to start it up tonight. if it starts up you guys think i should go ahead and get it

if it runs go watch him or ask him to let you ride it up and down the street a few times. see how many times it stalls (and not from clutch handling). If he lets you ride it see if it pulls one way or the other making it hard for you to keep it in a straight line (obviously highway speeds is gonna be a little difficult lol).

bandit08 · Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:44 pm

ofblong · #14 Unread post by **ofblong** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:10 pm

umm id say you would need to replace all the body parts and the front forks. I bet those front forks are bent or at least the one side is. I cant see whats wrong with the handlebars (if anything). Also not very smart of that guy to be posting his plate number on the internet to anyone.

OoJRod06oO · Tue Aug 08, 2006 3:08 pm

I'd take a looksie at that wiring hanging over the front tire. That doesn't look too good. And it looks like the radiator took a pretty good hit, I would take a look at that, make sure its not leaking coolant. I'd check the handlebars and forks too. They could have been easily bent when it was dropped.

Kal · #16 Unread post by **Kal** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 3:51 pm

This is not the bike you are looking for...

Could easily end up costing you another $700+ to make road safe, and then there is the cosmetics.

For a first bike you are best finding a solid runner, then if you have the urge to tinker buy something like this to keep you busy when you aren't riding.

bandit08 · Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:40 pm

hey guys he said he hooked the battery to his car to charge the battery and the bike started up but said he didn't let it run long cause he didn't have any oil to put in it since he dont know how much oil is in it. but when i go to look at it i am going to take some oil with me so i can let it run long so maybe i can ride it down the road to check it out. what you guys think i should get it now since it fired up if it rides good and just fix the other stuff on it? i am still going to try and get him to come down on the price some when i get up there. cause he said he needs to sell it soon since he is getting ready to move. let know me what you guys think now

Shorts · #18 Unread post by **Shorts** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:58 pm

It sounds like you really already made up your mind and are looking for someone to say "dude, go for it!". If you've read the posts already, most them were pretty much all cautionary, some said flat out 'pass'. So, you've got your advice on how to go about this bike.

If the dude couldn't even figure out how to check the oil level in the bike in order to idle it for a few minutes, I'd be leary all together about owning his past treasure. The front looks crooked. It could be the angle of the pics, it could be bent parts all together, it could be busted fairings. There's a fresh spot on the driveway under the bike, what is it?

As for the 'wires on the front tire' that was mentioned above, I have no clue what you're looking at. All I see are the speedo cable and the brake hose. Is there anything coming from under the front fairing??

That's fine that the guy needs to sell it soon. But don't let his "has to's" pressure you into making a quick and hasty decision that could leave you with a heap of trouble.

A simple ride up and down the street might be enough to tell you whether the bike is ok or not. But a cruise at speed would do the trick better. Do not take your own oil to this guy. How does he not have oil for his bike? Do not invest in that bike until you've bought it. As it seems, you are a prime customer who's sold on it. Salesmen would look at you with $$$ in their eyes. I'm just saying, slow down and keep your wits about you. I know, its exciting to be getting a new bike, but do the business first and don't make exceptions for a bike that might not be worth it. Make sure it IS solid and worth it.

Randy · #19 Unread post by **Randy** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:04 pm

Unless you are looking for a project bike, I would pass on this one. It needs more than a little work. If you wanna ride, buy another bike. If you want to be a motorcycle mechanic, this one might be a good start. Just my 2 cents.

Bachstrad37 · Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:53 pm

That bike is aching and is begging for a quick death.

That fork looks bent and trust me, it doesn't take much pressure to bend the fork enough to start the leakage of fork oil. Fork replacements are pretty expensive - on all bikes. You're going to need some specialty tools to do this yourself, so it's not just part cost.

That radiator is guaranteed to fail in the near future. Most of the radiator is made of aluminum so they bend and damage much easier than you think. Replacement on a Ninja 500 is around $100-$200 USD.

As for gas tank damage, it's typical - but doesn't look substantial. You can probably get by with it as is.

The engine is probably OK, but who knows. The current owner doesn't even know how to check or even have his own oil to maintain the bike.

The biggest problem from these pictures is the fork. I strongly suspect that it's going to give you alignment and handling problems just from the looks of it.

And WTF is with him not starting it up and running it a bit after a crash?!?!

Do you want to inherit this nimwits' troubles? I sure wouldn't.

Pass if you know what's good for you.