Totally newbie

[Hawper]

Hi all,

I am such a newbie that my class doesn't start for another month. So with that being said, I saw a 1984 Honda Mega V65(I think) just need to know what all think. I know I shouldn't look at bikes until after the class but this is such a low price.

Sorry to ask such a question but oh well.

[earwig]

Welcome to the forums, hopefully you stick around for a while after you get riding

I like that bike... although it is old and parts for it may be hard to find. If you should get it or not depends on what condition the bike is in and how much they are asking etc.

Is this it? If so it may be a lot of bike for a beginner so be careful

http://powersports.honda.com/the_story/ ... PageTitle=

Honda's 1983 V65 Magna hit the street like a 600-pound chrome sledgehammer. Americans had built a long-term relationship with horsepower and high style on four wheels, but a motorcycle with acres of both was news. This was more than a new model. The V65 made big muscle look cool. Thus the power cruiser was born. "The best part of the V65," according to Cycle magazine's March 1983 road test, " is a mid-range punch that would do justice to Larry Holmes."

The liquid-cooled, 1098cc, 90-degree V-4 engine delivered a staggering flow of power from 1500 rpm to its 10,000 rpm redline. But how quick was it? On October 3, 1982, Honda brought drag-strip maestro Jay "Pee-Wee" Gleason and a standard V65 to Southern California's Orange County International Raceway to find out. Gleason's 10.92 — second 1/4-mile sprint made the V65 America's fastest production street machine, inspiring ads with one powerfully simple headline: Bad News Travels Fast.

For street riders, the good news was Honda engineers made sure the bike was easy to live with as well as fast. The four-cam, 16-valve V-4 cruised through a daily commute as happily as it devoured drag strips. Around town, the V65 was surpassingly agile for its size. A durable, diaphragm-type hydraulic clutch modulated power to the shaft drive, and one-way sprag clutch kept downshifts from chirping the rear tire. Anti-dive valving in the 41mm front fork helped stabilize the chassis under braking. An overdrive top gear in the six-speed transmission kept the V-4 serene at freeway speeds. Tired of cruising your hometown? Strap on some saddlebags and the Magna was comfortable enough to cruise to some town three or four states away.

Riders expected such well-mannered versatility from Honda. The V65's magnetism came from its totally radical fusion of bad boy good looks and world-class quickness. According to Cycle's March, 1983 test, "Its horsepower translates directly into an immediate gut-wrenching rush, unmatched by any other production street machine." To anyone who ever felt it, that V65 rush boils down to one word. Unforgettable.

[Hawper]

That sure is it!!! Isn't 600LBs a bit much for a newbie? I can't wait to get riding but want to make sure I don't Make a mistake right away by getting a bike too early or too big for a newbie.

I sure thank you for your quick reply. I hope to keep being here for all the help I have so far!!!

Thanks again

[sharpmagna]

Yeah those V65 fly like a bat out of hell. It sucks that Honda discontinued them for the cruiser market. I've got a Magna 700 (pre-tariff) and while it isn't as fast as the V65, it is still much faster than most cruisers. It totally is manageable because the Magna is my first bike. At 550lbs, it was much different than the 330lb Honda Rebel 250 I rode in the BRC. It took a few days of riding to get accustomed to it. I have no problem maneuvering it at low speed but my short legs have some problems when parking. I've learned some ways around it, so it isn't such a big deal.

Be careful with buying an older bike though. Some parts are still available through Honda (usually maintenance items like filters and such), but accessory items or trim pieces usually aren't. Ebay will be your new friend if you want to replace things. Also, some motorcycle shops may not work on such an old bike so you'll learn to wrench on it yourself. To me that is a good thing because you learn more about your bike as well as save lots of money doing it yourself.

[bok]

good to hear you are taking the course.

from the post i think you found a bike in your price range (although you never posted what the "good deal" was) but you should look at a lot more than just prices.

that bike isn't out of reach for a beginner, but you may want to wait until after the course, or at least spend an afternoon or two at all your local dealers sitting on as many bikes as you can.

Sit on cruisers, dual sports, sport bikes, standards. Sit on hondas, harleys, yamahas, ducatis, etc.
Sit on used bikes and new bikes. Sit on red bikes and blue bikes...frickin Dr. Seuss ruined me for life.

you won't know what bike is good for you until you sit on it.