Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hey guys, I think I've finally decided to go with the 650r (for those involved in my initial thread). I went to a dealership last week and sat on it and leaned a bit to get a good feel for it. They offered it for 6000 and they offered a free helment in the package. That seems like a steal to me. Still, I am having my second thoughts.. this is where you guys come in!

I bought a cycle trader and have been flipping through that the last few days, and though I couldn't find 650's, I sure found some pretty good deals on CBR's. My question is.. how can I be sure I'm not getting a lemon when buying used? How do I know the guy broke in the engine properly? Is it worth the gamble just to save a couple thousand?

Thoughts?

Have a knowledgeable friend or mechanic look at a used bike before buying. Insist on a test drive. Look for new parts on an old bike or different colored pieces which may indicate replacement parts or touch-up painted parts. Ask for maintenence records. Size up the person selling it. There are all kinds of things that can hint at a bad deal.

1. $6000 is a very good price for 650r.

2. CBR is a very bad choice for a first bike.

3. If you decide to buy a used bike, I'd recommend taking it to a mechanic for inspection.

My 650R was $6,790 OTD or so. So that's a decent price. Though i bought an 06 in the begining of june, the market wasnt in my favor, and neither was that fact that it was a brand spankin' new bike for the 2006 model year. Worth it though.

There are some easy things to check on a used bike to tell what you're getting.

That being said... a friend of mine picked up a bike that we've been disassembling, he's been riding for 8 years or so, and has worked in a shop for free. The bike he bought he thought was in good condition.

Every bearing was shot, some were seized so hard they were bushings, both tires were 100% unsafe to ride on, we just found three new fried electrical connections today (his alternator was connected to the rectifier by 1/2 a wire and burnt plastic), cams were two teeth out of whack so intake on cylinder 4 was tapping the piston, every valve was tight, brakes didn't work... should I keep on going?

You're going to want someone who knows what he's doing to take a look at it. Bikes in North America are basically a disposable purchase, you buy it, ride it sell it and buy a new one.

Get the ninja

you like it, it's a good price and a new bike is much better for peace of mind.

CBR's aren't newby friendly and so many things can go wrong on used bikes.

Get the ninja then come ride the dragon with me, we'll have fun

I can't find any 650's in my cycle trader and that's about the only bike I want. The only other thing I would be satisfied with is a CBR. If I do decide to go used, I do have someone in mind that would be willing to check the bike out. We'll see how things turn out and I'm definately going to let you guys know what I eventually get. Thanks for the replies.

Ryannn wrote:I can't find any 650's in my cycle trader and that's about the only bike I want. The only other thing I would be satisfied with is a CBR. If I do decide to go used, I do have someone in mind that would be willing to check the bike out. We'll see how things turn out and I'm definately going to let you guys know what I eventually get. Thanks for the replies.

If you found a good deal at a dealer on a new bike... why look for a used one? It's been out a year, if there was a used one i'd be worried about it.

Is the problem financing?

storysunfolding wrote:

Ryannn wrote:I can't find any 650's in my cycle trader and that's about the only bike I want. The only other thing I would be satisfied with is a CBR. If I do decide to go used, I do have someone in mind that would be willing to check the bike out. We'll see how things turn out and I'm definately going to let you guys know what I eventually get. Thanks for the replies.

If you found a good deal at a dealer on a new bike... why look for a used one? It's been out a year, if there was a used one i'd be worried about it.

Is the problem financing?

Kawasaki will finance anyone. I mean hell, they gave ME an $8,000 credit line...