Used Bikes for spring

[zeeto]

Well I have wanted a bike for all my life. I am currently 20years old, 180, 6ft tall. I am planning on taking a course with the MSF this spring and get a bike as well. Ive looked at insurance to find the best place and looked at different gear to wear (helmets, jacket and gloves). Now am I scooping out used bikes and seeing what I want. Some ideas I have are

1 Kawasaki ninja 250r (year doesnt matter, easy to find relatively new)

2. Suzuki bandit 600 1996 7k miles, is claimed to be in mint condition, pictures look good on it, sold from a dealer for $2600 (looks like a great deal, but im not sure on it for a beginner bike and also not sure how "sporty" it looks. I like the sportier bikes, but it is not a must)

3. Suzuki Katana 600 1999 32,000 miles. Bike was downed once, the side was repaired and repainted, but it looks like spray paint on that side, not shiny. $2500

4. 1997 suzuki katana, doest say miles, includes two coats, two helmets and two pairs of gloves. Looks good in the pictures, would need to find out more info before I bought this as far as miles and condition. $2100

If there are any other suggestions for used bikes you can find under $3000 I would love to hear them so I can Look into it. Im looking more for the sportbike instead of a standard or cruiser, but dont mind the cross of standard and sportbike.

[asiantay]

I think the Ninja 250 might be a bit cramped for someone 6 feet tall. Depends on how long your legs are, though. The Ninja 500R is a good one, dont recall the price off the top of my head though.

[zeeto]

I was also looking at a 1990 Suzuki Katana GSXF 600, but thought that might be too much for a starter bike. It has 14k miles, always garage kept and maintained with new chain sprockets and fairly new tires for $2100. Is stated that NO work is needed on this bike. Im mainly trying to find out if these are good prices so I know what to look for. Also 2002 suzuki katana 16k miles,Yoshimura performance exhaust. New front and back tires.
Previous owner downed it going slow on the left side. $2100

[safety-boy]

While at the MFS try to ride a non-cruiser. They will probably have Nighthawk 250s. I rode one at the MSF, and it was not too short for me - I forget though if it is higher than the Ninja 250.

There will be a big change in power, as the Nighthawk is a single cylinder, and the Ninja 250 is one of the few (if not only) 250s that will (reportedly) do 100mph - it is a paralell twin.

The Ninja 500-R is a great bike, and may be worth your while after the MFS. It is fast and powerful, but not ridiculously so. It handles well, and will likely sell better when you decide to move up to the bigger boys.

Once you ride a , you won't want to switch. I think they are the best bikes on the road - though I do not like to 650-R (weird handlebars!).

Good luck!

--Dave

[Sev]

Almost every bike you've listed there can be classified as a standard.

[Chip Beazley]

The 250 Nighthawk is a parallel twin. It uses the same engine as the Rebel. The Rebel is too small a package and I was uncomfortable on it. The 250 nighthawk is a larger bike than the Rebel but both were underpowered for me.

Having ridden both, I bought a 250 Ninja (I am 6' 250 lbs) and the 250 Ninja would still carry my fat booty down the interstate at 70 without much trouble. I still wish I had it as it was a fun bike. The wife said that 3 bikes were too many.

The 500 Ninja would be a bit more practical for long term useage. Adequate power and a slightly larger bike that you wouldn't outgrow as fast.

One thing to consider on buying any used bike...if it is 10 years old most dealerships won't work on them so your mechanical skills need to be up to par or find an independent shop to do your maintenance.

Something else to consider, if you haven't ridden one of them, is one of the 650 to 800 cruisers. They are light enough to be easily manageable in town and perform well enough that if you decide to take an extended trip they can perform that duty very well.

I have ridden with a Suzuki C50 (800cc) that was riding 2 up on some curvy roads with a lot of hills and it had absolutely no problems staying up with the rest of the pack. If I didn't know that it was a smaller bike, I would never have suspected it by its performance.

[zeeto]

didn't know about after 10 years they wont fix the bike.

Any good suggestions on where to look for buying (online)? I use Carsoup.com and cycletrader.com and am looking for some other sites that have a decent amount of bikes.

[-Holiday]

didn't know about after 10 years they wont fix the bike.

Any good suggestions on where to look for buying (online)? I use Carsoup.com and cycletrader.com and am looking for some other sites that have a decent amount of bikes.

craigs list is the best place overall if you're shopping local and live in or near a big metro area.

[Chip Beazley]

If you don't mind going to the Atlanta area you can go to:
http://wowmotorcycles.com and check out their selection and prices online. I have used them before and was entirely satisfied with my purchase.

[zeeto]

Just curious on a used bike I saw online, it was a kawasaki ZX750 1997 10k miles, claims it needs to be sold due to moving, for $2900. This bike is obviously not what I should buy for a first bike and that wasn't what I was wondering, I was just wondering if it was a good deal in general to someone who would be looking for this kind of bike.

Also another question I have, when buying a used bike from a personal seller, do most of you have mechanics check out the bike? Since I know next to nothing, Im guessing I shouldn't just take the sellers word for it that it is in good condition. Where do you find mechanics to do this? Do you just go to a motorcycle repair shop and ask someone to come out for you or is there a specific job for this?