Very New Newbie Learning about Bikes

[storysunfolding]

wow I pay $109 a month for full coverage for both a 2006 Vstrom 650 and a 2003 Ninja 250 with 2 drivers. And I have them maxed out on coverage and a $100 deductible ($500 would be $13 less a year )

[CrioGeniC]

100/year? What insurance do you use!?

why, is that a lot? it's through gieco and it's just liability.

No! I pay 70$/month for liability...

Wow, i pay 50.00/month for full coverage on a sport bike with Progressive.

[ghostofdavid]

hey man,

i'll tell you what a friend of mine told me. there are always going to be deals. don't jump on the first one you see.

and keep in mind that inf you finance a bike you will usually have to get full coverage on the bike. before getting a bike you need to call your insurance company to get the cost of insuring it. if you can pay cash, then all you have to get is liability - which for me (29, good record, in nc) a cruiser is about 100 a year.

if you can wait until your class that might be best. that way you can findout if you like the smaller bikes.

personally, if i were going to go smaller i would look for one of the older honda cb's (or equivalent). such as this one.

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/mcy/331185410.html

you also need to find someone near you whom you trust and who knows motorcycles. that way they can help shop with you.

I am shy of this Yamaha because of the Carb work it says it needs in the listing.

Have you called a shop to get an idea of what it would cost if the carbs needed work? Its a good looking bike, and cheap!

200 dollars worth of work.

[NightNurse]

From KBB 790$ value, in excellent condition. So offer the guy 500$ or so, and get the work done. Worst he will say is no!

1981 Suzuki GS250T
2-Cylinder
4-Stroke
250cc
Suggested Retail Value $790 The Kelley Blue Book Suggested Retail Value is representative of dealers' asking prices and is the starting point for negotiation between a consumer and a dealer. This Suggested Retail Value assumes that the unit has been fully reconditioned and is in excellent condition. Mileage/condition and additional equipment may have a substantial impact on the value shown above. This value also takes into account the dealers' profit, costs for advertising, sales commissions and other costs of doing business. The final sale price will likely be less depending on the unit's actual condition, popularity, type of warranty offered and local market conditions.

[RideYourRide]

No no no.

Buy the bike for $500. Find your way to the GS Resources: http://thegsresources.com Talk to other local GS riders and get help in the tech section. Service the carbs yourself. Go riding.

100 a month for liability on a small bore cruiser sounds like you either have a driving record the length of the bible or you're getting hosed.

[ghostofdavid]

No no no.

Buy the bike for $500. Find your way to the GS Resources: http://thegsresources.com Talk to other local GS riders and get help in the tech section. Service the carbs yourself. Go riding.

100 a month for liability on a small bore cruiser sounds like you either have a driving record the length of the bible or you're getting hosed.

I thought the bike had been sold. However, he posted another ad saying please make an offer if you think the price is too high. You think the bike is worth 500? I called him yesterday and he said the carbs needed 200 bucks worth of work and that one of the panels had come off on the bike. I guess you are right, the worst he can say is no, right? How serious are carb problems? I'm worried about paying 500-800 bucks for a bike that doesn't run.

[NightNurse]

No no no.

Buy the bike for $500. Find your way to the GS Resources: http://thegsresources.com Talk to other local GS riders and get help in the tech section. Service the carbs yourself. Go riding.

100 a month for liability on a small bore cruiser sounds like you either have a driving record the length of the bible or you're getting hosed.

I thought the bike had been sold. However, he posted another ad saying please make an offer if you think the price is too high. You think the bike is worth 500? I called him yesterday and he said the carbs needed 200 bucks worth of work and that one of the panels had come off on the bike. I guess you are right, the worst he can say is no, right? How serious are carb problems? I'm worried about paying 500-800 bucks for a bike that doesn't run.

That is like asking webmd.com to diagnose your cancer. Take a mechanic with you.

[ghostofdavid]

No no no.

Buy the bike for $500. Find your way to the GS Resources: http://thegsresources.com Talk to other local GS riders and get help in the tech section. Service the carbs yourself. Go riding.

100 a month for liability on a small bore cruiser sounds like you either have a driving record the length of the bible or you're getting hosed.

I thought the bike had been sold. However, he posted another ad saying please make an offer if you think the price is too high. You think the bike is worth 500? I called him yesterday and he said the carbs needed 200 bucks worth of work and that one of the panels had come off on the bike. I guess you are right, the worst he can say is no, right? How serious are carb problems? I'm worried about paying 500-800 bucks for a bike that doesn't run.

That is like asking webmd.com to diagnose your cancer. Take a mechanic with you.

If I knew any mechanics, I would gladly take oen with me. I was asking for an answer based on the information I gave, not as you assumed, on some sort of secret gnostic knowledge based on concentrating really hard at the picture of the bike on craig's list. I am assuming that like cars, carb problems have a certain level of seriousness with them.

So, again, I asked the forum in a reworded way without expectation of ESP or clairvoyance, how serious are carb problems on a bike? Or do they vary in seriousness?

How prone is this specific model to being a money pit?

Thank you, good morning!

[Kal]

I would say that if the Bike is going to cost you $500 then you should be budgeting another $500 to make it good.

In all seriousness you should be budgetting at least a grand for a bike, the actual moneypit value of your bike has everything to do with how its been treated. GS500's are normally good, solid bikes but if the shocks and tires are shot and the engine needs a rebuild...

You get the idea.

All that said I had the Carbs on the Tirke stripped and rebuilt (using the Kit) for a £120

[ghostofdavid]

Like my old man used to say, I have Mercedes tastes and Volkswagen pocketbooks!