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How much would you pay for your first bike. This is my absolute first ever bike. I thought I could get away with picking up a decent older used bike for right around $2000, but I am having one heck of a time finding something that I like for that price. I dont like the look/style of duel sports or crusers, I like the look of sport/street bikes. I like the look of the Katanas, Secas, GS500, Ninja... you get the idea. Was it unrealistic to think I would be able to find a decent used bike for $2000? I mean look at what the local paper has to offer, http://www.tucson.com/classified/index. ... g_count=50 ... sad right?

check out cycletrader.com or recycler.com I've found some 250s and 500s for 2-4k depending on the year.

i got an 03 katana600 for 3,000$ im sure you can find an older one for 2 grand, dont always go by the offer price. make them an offer and see what happens.

alot of people are desperate to sell and will take any offer with cash in hand they get. also check ebay(for local bikes). dont make an offer over the phone do it in person. go look at the bike check it out seem kind of interested. but dont seem over impressed with it, find flaws with the bike just to make the seller unsure of the bikes value. refere to another bike you just lookd at that is cheaper. say you dont like the color no matter what it is. complain about the miles no matter how high/low they are. complain about the seat. say youll have to replace the tires(if they lookd a little worn) if they say tires are new, say you dont trust used tires, just as a rule you need fresh tires to feel safe. same with fluids they all need replaced. then start to add all these up saying its going to cost you alot in extras to get the bike the way 'you' want it. then make a low low ball offer and negotiate from there up.

bottom line make them see the value of their bike is almost worthless once you add up everything it 'needs' done to it after you buy it. and always have cash in hand(or can get it within the hour for them), and keep bringing that up "i can get you the cash in your hand just let me run to my bank around the corner"

New_R wrote:How much would you pay for your first bike. This is my absolute first ever bike. I thought I could get away with picking up a decent older used bike for right around $2000, but I am having one heck of a time finding something that I like for that price. I dont like the look/style of duel sports or crusers, I like the look of sport/street bikes. I like the look of the Katanas, Secas, GS500, Ninja... you get the idea. Was it unrealistic to think I would be able to find a decent used bike for $2000? I mean look at what the local paper has to offer, http://www.tucson.com/classified/index. ... g_count=50 ... sad right?

When I bought my first bike I set my target budget to around $4k and a bike with only a few years old, while? becuz I'm not a you-know-all type of guy I don't want a bike with all the problems for me to fix it later.

When I looked for bike, First I check model, brand Yammy V-Star or Kawasaki Vulcan, then year not older than 2000 then price range not over $4k for V-Star and $3k for vulcan. I don't buy bike according to price only becuz you might end up changing bike a lot quicker than you think.

BTW I got my bike around my budget but I ended up spending a lot more on other thing like Safety Gears, Accessories, Insurance ets..so you should prepare for all these neccessary things as well.

If you consider that this first bike will likely be replaced once you "really" know what kind of bike you want and the sort of riding you'll be doing, it is easier not to stress too much on what the first bike looks like.

The important thing is that it is in good mechanical shape - and isn't too tall or heavy for you to manage.

Count on spending between $600 and $1000 for good protective gear. Head to feet.

Have you signed up for the MSF basic rider's course yet?

P

I have not signed up for the MSF yet, I wanted to have 2k in the bank incase I found a really good deal. After I get paid again (6th) I will buy some basic gear; Helmet(Icon Rubatone), and boots. At that time I will also sign up for the MSF course. So that way I will have 2K+ in the bank, some of the basic gear and I will be signed up for the MSF course.

I only paid $600.00 for my first bike, but that was about 9 years ago. Be patient and you can find a good deal. I commend you for buying your gear early. It is extremely important to be protected early on, when you haven't yet developed your skills.

Keep us posted on how you're doing!

You do not have to drop big money into a first bike. I can give you a couple of examples that I have done for "first" bikes when my daughters wanted to learn.
1. 82 FT500 Honda Ascot. 500 cc single cylinder. 5000 miles. Needed nothing. Small windscreen included. One owner. Easy to ride. Lots of fun to ride around and at least 50 mpg no matter how you rode it.You can ride it on the interstate but it is happier on two lane. My wife ended up riding it as far as North Carolina from Ohio. $1000. Also cheap to insure.

2. 81 Honda CM400C. 400 cc twin. Also about 5000 miles. Had been sitting in a garage for several years. 2 owners. Very clean. Needed some going over because of sitting. I figured out what I was willing to have in it and how much I would have to put in it to make it safe and happy. I put tires, a new seal for the air forks, and chain & sprockets. The carbs were a little gummed up from sitting. Some carb cleaner and $10 worth of main jets cured that. The I made an offer. I ended up with less than $1100 in it. Easy to ride. Low seat height. Cheap to insure. 50 mpg. Enough power to take on the highway. Came with a backrest and a HUGE windshield that was removed within 15 minutes of bringing it home. We put about another 15,000 miles on it and consigned it to a dealer for sale. I cleared more than I had in it. It only cost me gas, a few oil changes, another back tire and insurance while I had it. Made a great commuter bike.

I did not mention gear for a new rider. Get the gear. Everyone had gloves, full face helmets, leathers, etc. You can find deals on this stuff if you look.

Today I went out to some local dealers, To look around and get a feel for it all. I found one dealer that only sells used bikes, He had some really good deals (99 CBR600 for 3800, and a few others around the same price), and didnt try to pressure me into buying something I didnt want or couldnt handle. He took down my name and information, and the next time he gets a bike in that matches what Im looking for (early-mid 90s bike with 500cc or less) he should call. Also I was looking at helmets, I want an Icon Mainframe Rubatone, but I am having a hard time finding motorcycle shops that have Icon gear. Is Icon stuff crap or something? I would like to buy online but I wanted to try some stuff on so I could order the right size/fit. Thats where Im at so far. I dont get paid untill Friday so no new gear yet, and I didnt sign up for any classes however I did have a chance to see a class going on while I was at a shop.

i like the icon helmets, my gf has the mainframe rubatone and likes it alot. i was going to get one myself at some point, i have an older icon that i dont wear anymore. been wearing a shoie that fits me a little better.

but try helmetharbor.com thats were i buy all my stuff from(they are local for me . but they are good guys over there. if you know the helmet fits go ahead and buy from them.

New_R wrote:Today I went out to some local dealers, To look around and get a feel for it all. I found one dealer that only sells used bikes, He had some really good deals (99 CBR600 for 3800, and a few others around the same price), and didnt try to pressure me into buying something I didnt want or couldnt handle. He took down my name and information, and the next time he gets a bike in that matches what Im looking for (early-mid 90s bike with 500cc or less) he should call. Also I was looking at helmets, I want an Icon Mainframe Rubatone, but I am having a hard time finding motorcycle shops that have Icon gear. Is Icon stuff "crumb" or something? I would like to buy online but I wanted to try some stuff on so I could order the right size/fit. Thats where Im at so far. I dont get paid untill Friday so no new gear yet, and I didnt sign up for any classes however I did have a chance to see a class going on while I was at a shop.