Total Motorcycle Community Forums

hello everyone-- this is my first post. I just passed my MSF Basic and am looking for a first bike. I like the idea of an older bike, but I have never ridden or worked on them before but would like to learn. I am going to look at a 1980 Kawasaki KZ 550 with 79,000 miles (asking $1500) and a 1978 Honda cx500 with supposedly 3,200 miles (asking $1200) but I'm obviously skeptical of that mileage being real (even though it supposedly has been in a garage for 10 years). Seller of the KZ is 81 (!) and sounds reliable, says it fell over once and broke the tip of the clutch lever. Is this too many miles for this bike and what do I have to look for? Also I've heard a lot of nice things about the CX500 in general. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

hotlicks wrote:hello everyone-- this is my first post. I just passed my MSF Basic and am looking for a first bike. I like the idea of an older bike, but I have never ridden or worked on them before but would like to learn. I am going to look at a 1980 Kawasaki KZ 550 with 79,000 miles (asking $1500) and a 1978 Honda cx500 with supposedly 3,200 miles (asking $1200) but I'm obviously skeptical of that mileage being real (even though it supposedly has been in a garage for 10 years). Seller of the KZ is 81 (!) and sounds reliable, says it fell over once and broke the tip of the clutch lever. Is this too many miles for this bike and what do I have to look for? Also I've heard a lot of nice things about the CX500 in general. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

As far as the bike goes....my personal unbiased opinion is that in the late 70's, early 80's you can't beat the GS's that Suzuki put out. I've owned a few of them and they go foreva...only bad thing is the stator/rectifier on them GS's but for a few hundred, you'll never have to worry about that again...

A bike that's been garaged/parked for 10 years is bound to be way more trouble than it's worth...mine sat in a garage for 3 or 4 years before i bought it and it took from March until mid-June this year to iron out all the problems....

Good luck...

The kz is way overpriced, and may need a cam chain. As for the miles, it can go many more, but it depends on what's been kept up and what hasn't, to determine the actual value. Just for comparison, My kz650 had 36,500 on it and I paid $895, with very little to do. In fact, a battery and new plugs made it road worthy. I did eventually have to modify my cam chain tensioner, and with 79,000 miles that is what I'd be listening for. If you hear a gravely sound at lower rpms, the cam chain is getting loose beyond the tensioners ability to correct it. I believe in 1980, the bike would have an automatic tensioner. Mine did in 79. For more info on the kz550 go to http://www.kzrider.com/ and ask away. those guys are very helpful.. I can tell you the price is too high, though.

Thanks for the good advice. I am going to look at the KZ550 if only to learn something, but will keep looking to see if I can find something with less miles. Hopefully find something soon.