Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hi, I was just wondering, I found this bike on craigs list. it is a 1989 kawasaki ninja 600 r http://up.craigslist.org/mcy/2225295213.html
It is only 1300 dollars though with 3000 miles on it. should i be wary of this deal? They do live way up north out of everyone's way so i was thinking that might be why but I dont really know. I have never owned a motorcycle before, hell, I don't even have my license yet (though i will be getting it sometime next month). so a little help would be appreciated.

Yes. It's a 22 year old bike. Most likely it needs tires ($300) brakes ($100 - $500 depending) and a tune-up ($$$). Then there's the fact that your a novice rider. A better bike to learn on would be a Ninja 250, or a 500.

I am personally looking at bikes on craigs list as well and one of the first things I do is go to Kelly Blue Book and look up the value of the bike based on the year make and model. If the asking price is higher than the KBB amount or significantly lower, I would be wary of the deal. Also this bike is pretty old. I tend to look for no later than a 2005 as I am looking for a sports bike as well. Buying a older model cruiser should be ok but as far as a sports bike goes I would try to find the latest model possible for your budget. Remember to also do your research about any bike you look up.

Good Luck!

~Ray