Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I'm a newbie when it comes to motorcycles and I want to buy something to learn on. But everything I find in the paper, on craigslist, on auto trader and on the net is for more than I want to pay at least for a used bike. I want to stay under $1500, the more the better. I was able to find two bikes, one is $600 the other is $1000 and negotiable, however it is a CBR600. The cheaper bike sounds like it's gonna need some work and it has high mileage, it's almost double what the CBR has. The CBR sounds fine, but I'll have to talk to the owner to confirm what work needs to be done. I mean should I invest my money into either bike? The Nighthawk sounds like trouble later on and the CBR seems fast.

Also when I'm looking at used bikes, what areas should I be looking at that would be tell tale signs of future repair work? What things should I be keeping my eye out on?


Here's the ad for the 86 Honda Nighthawk

not the prettiest bike but a strong runner,currently non-oped,about to roll over to 51,000 miles,but not sure this is original speedo,engine feels to strong.The good,seat no rips or tears,side covers have all tabs,no big dents in tank,rear brakes and drive chain are almost new.I have an 85 450 I average 50 mpg on it.These are fun bikes and run forever 6-speed transmission,good bike to learn on smooth power, good handling,fairly low seat height,probably as easy to ride as a 250 but with enough power for the freeway.Everything works but the horn and neutral light(it stays on all the time)and 1 turn signal is brighter than the other.Give it an oil change put new tires on it and ride it all summer.If you want to get fancy you could replace the fork seals and maybe replace front brake pads.I've been meaning to replace the fork seals on my 85 for the last 6,000 miles,but I'd rather go riding.Like I said at the beginning it's pretty rough cosmetically,but could be cleaned up with some elbow grease.I was going to clean this one up more but I have to many bikes and not enough ambition.





Here's the ad for the '87 Honda Hurricane CBR600

Just in time for summer. Runs good, and would make a great commuter or summer joy ride. 1987 CBR 600, new clutch cabel and rear tire. Has 38,that miles and will need some TLC if using for long commutes,but keeps up with the best of them on streets. Am getting rid of because of financial obligations asking $1000 but am open to offers. Will include battery charger, side fairings, and a bike cover.

Both bikes are going to need work. You could buy a decent run ner that didn't need too much work a year or 2 ago for under $1000, but it's become a sellers market. Too many people want bikes.

My opinion is to go with the nighthawk. It seems like it needs more work initially (And maybe it does) but the engine is solid and it probably hasn't been raced and it's growth hasn't been "STUNTED" pun intended.

The Hurricane is a great bike, the daddy of the modern sportbike. The one in the picture is missing its fairing (They were fully faired.) I'd take this to mean that it's been dropped a few times. That may not be the case, but ...

It's also a race rep. Race reps always get their fair share of idiots buying them and racing them and stunting with them (Especially older bikes like this, because they are cheap)

In summary, the 600 has probably lived a much harder life than the 450... even tho the 450 will need more work up front. The 600 isn't exactly newb freindly either.

This is an incredibly detailed and informative guide. I printed it out (30 pages) and took it with me everytime I went to look at a used bike. As you familiarize yourself with it, you'll naturally gain valuable knowledge on what to look/ask for when talking to a seller.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

Bx RedBull wrote:This is an incredibly detailed and informative guide. I printed it out (30 pages) and took it with me everytime I went to look at a used bike. As you familiarize yourself with it, you'll naturally gain valuable knowledge on what to look/ask for when talking to a seller.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

Someone had taken the info at that URL and turned it into about a 5 or 6 page checklist that you could take with you while shopping for used bikes. I used it while shopping around for mine.

But alas, the site that I *think* I got it from is no longer available. It is up and still has the same title, www.motorcyclebeginners.com, but seems to have been hijacked or not kept up because it is now some kind of page for an online RPG or something.

I don't think I have the checklist saved but I will check again.

Hey, all.

To build on what t_bonee brought up, this site (Total Motorcycle) has articles and checklists for buying used bikes as well. Scroll down towards the bottom of the page. Here is the URL:


http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/school-SectionTwo.htm

Actually, the whole "beginner's guide" might be of use to you:

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/school.htm


Cheers,
JC

Thanks for the guide and advice. Both have been helpful.

Get the nighthawk...looks better IMO.

Unless you are confident you can do the work yourself I would try to spend a little bit more... My friends all told me go with an older bike to beat on and learn on... So I bought a 93 Nighthawk for 2400 with 13,000 miles... Having worked on my cars all my life I figured I knew what to ask and I did... Unfortunately what I didnt know was that the fork seals dry if the bike isnt being used a lot...

long story short put 120 miles on it Day 1 and noticed fluid coming from the seals... Took it to Honda cause I didnt have the tools or the space to work on it... Waited almost 3 weeks for the seals, and the dealer said to me that He usually doesnt work on bikes that old, but the one I bought was in really good condition for a 13 year old bike... In the meantime while I was waiting I ended up buying an 06 shadow, it was the bike I wanted to start with... Just got the nighthawk back the other day and its a damn good bike...

Imagine buying a bike and from day 1 and running into issues.... That sucks... I am keeping the hawk for commuting cause its a fun little bike, but I am already out 450 (oil change, lube, inspection, etc...)bucks more then when I started..

That's the problem inherent with an older bike. Low mileage or good maintenance often translates into good mechanicals (brakes, tranny, clutch, engine). However, age and sunlight often take a heavy toll on rubber parts on bikes that over 10 years old. Fork seals, breather hoses, fuel lines, boots, seals on bearings...there's a long list.

If you're lucky (I was) you can find a bike that's been treated well by an owner that cares about the bike. I bought my '85 XJ750 not too long ago, and that's the first thing that I looked at. Before I even had the seller start the bike, I was down in the dirt, looking at the rubber components on the bike. To my delight, they'd all been changed within the last couple years. The fork seals had also been done 6 months ago. That meant that when the bike started smoothly on the first try and started purring like a kitten, I had a winner. The only thing that I had to do was put a new battery in - a very easy fix.